This phone had really become a disappointment (stock)

**Bmwillz** · 07-13-2011, 08:09 AM

as time goes on the phone my epic finds ways to crash and burn.

•returning to home screen sometimes results to the viewing of a blank home screen bare of all apps and just my background.

• when trying to delete pictures from the gallery the epic gets stuck deleting the selected photos resulting in having to force close the app without any pictures/videos being deleted.

• Wifi/ 3g/ 4g signal strength has dropped significantly. Also switching between wifi and 4g gets stuck resulting in having to open them through settings or toggling on/off airplane mode.

• Apps force closing. Ugh!

Any many more issues that's making me question my interest in samsung phones. I know no phone is perfect but wow, some of these issues are deal breakers. And I'm not a root rom savvy epic owner.. Either way I shouldn't consider a phone based on whether they can be altered to make up for the manufacturers shortcomings.

I don't know what to do as far as moving up a device. I like the nexus 4g but even the nexus s 4g is having signal issues

**werkx** · 07-13-2011, 08:25 AM

the lagging, blank home screen and force closings usually mean a three finger salute is needed. this is a known issue with froyo. i'm also stock and have had to reset, and looks like i'll need to do it again soon, too.

the signal drop is also a known issue. for stock users, we just have to put up with it until (hopefully) next release.

**Bmwillz** · 07-13-2011, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by werkx

the lagging, blank home screen and force closings usually mean a three finger salute is needed. this is a known issue with froyo. i'm also stock and have had to reset, and looks like i'll need to do it again soon, too.

the signal drop is also a known issue. for stock users, we just have to put up with it until (hopefully) next release.

Maybe the next update will help but this phone is over a year old and its ridiculous how far behind and the simplest of issues aren't solved. and as far as fingers I'm almost to the point that I'm only willing to give samsung ONE finger. its so disappointing its disgusting.

**Devtodi** · 07-13-2011, 09:06 AM

Actually, I believe it came out in August.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 07-13-2011, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Bmwillz

Maybe the next update will help but this phone is over a year old and its ridiculous how far behind and the simplest of issues aren't solved. and as far as fingers I'm almost to the point that I'm only willing to give samsung ONE finger. its so disappointing its disgusting.

I already gave mine the 1 finger salute for being a primary phone... but then again, I gave the carrier the same salute. Much happier with Big Red (switched before tiered data).

**Bmwillz** · 07-13-2011, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Ruffolo

I already gave mine the 1 finger salute for being a primary phone... but then again, I gave the carrier the same salute. Much happier with Big Red (switched before tiered data).

I've been with them too long. They were my first and only network. My contact is up though and I'm hoping that will give me some leverage when discussing signing a new agreement. Ie: discounts or give aways. I'm a 6-7 year customer and so fast they are the cheapest by far

**frankwhite8536** · 07-13-2011, 10:03 AM

I find the same thing. I am rooted and running GB, but the signal or lack thereof is annoying as hell. I used to get perfect Sprint signal. I still do most time for voice, but now 3G is getting worse and 4G has dropped off as well. I used to get one bar of 4G and it was fast, not it cannnot lock and TRIES to switch to 3G. But about half the time I have to restart data connection or restart the app that's trying to make a connection.

Some/most of the lag has been fixed by rooting and overclocking but running basically stock ROM (my personal favorite preference) or by flashing a custom ROM. I seem to have trouble after a few days of running custom ROMs though and have to flash to something different. There's an EC05 Stock Plus ROM out there that I ran for a long time without any issues and a custom kernel OC'd to 1.4Ghz. That worked great for me. I only switch to GB to try it out. (there are some nice UI improvements with GB)

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 07-13-2011, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by frankwhite8536

I find the same thing. I am rooted and running GB, but the signal or lack thereof is annoying as hell. I used to get perfect Sprint signal. I still do most time for voice, but now 3G is getting worse and 4G has dropped off as well. I used to get one bar of 4G and it was fast, not it cannnot lock and TRIES to switch to 3G. But about half the time I have to restart data connection or restart the app that's trying to make a connection.

Some/most of the lag has been fixed by rooting and overclocking but running basically stock ROM (my personal favorite preference) or by flashing a custom ROM. I seem to have trouble after a few days of running custom ROMs though and have to flash to something different. There's an EC05 Stock Plus ROM out there that I ran for a long time without any issues and a custom kernel OC'd to 1.4Ghz. That worked great for me. I only switch to GB to try it out. (there are some nice UI improvements with GB)

The tipping point is when I was at work. Since I had an Epic, I only got 1x speeds because I'm roaming. My Co-workers who have Evos (literally 3 of them), all get 3G data speed at work while roaming. I was singled out for not having an Evo branded device and must deal with throttled data speeds. When I asked Sprint what the deal was, they said there was nothing they could do, and I told them there was something I could... and did. Much happier now.

**werkx** · 07-13-2011, 05:17 PM

just saw this thread pointing out that sprint site is showing epic will be shipped with 2.3. confirmed it myself just now.

see post #20 in this thread:

**Bmwillz** · 07-13-2011, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew Ruffolo

The tipping point is when I was at work. Since I had an Epic, I only got 1x speeds because I'm roaming. My Co-workers who have Evos (literally 3 of them), all get 3G data speed at work while roaming. I was singled out for not having an Evo branded device and must deal with throttled data speeds. When I asked Sprint what the deal was, they said there was nothing they could do, and I told them there was something I could... and did. Much happier now.

Lol great story. It is ridiculous. We are stuck with phones that decrease in productivity daily and there is no compromising solution for the ailing customers. pttf! Sprint wonders why they are the latter of the three major mobile networks even though the are the cheapest.

**Bmwillz** · 07-13-2011, 08:44 PM

Just found this on a sprint news feed. Hope it helps. Looks like we will get an OTA before the month is out. SWEET!
*
"July sure is shaping up to be a big month for the Now Network! Looking* at our calendar, the 24th is looking like a big day in particular, we’re* calling it “Super Sunday!” However, the day after has the potential to* steal the show, well at least for some. While having a nice chat with a* very close source, we received word that the long awaited Gingerbread* update for the Samsung Epic 4G is on target to roll out this month! Our* source couldn’t lock down an exact date, but things are pointing to* around after the 24th of July. The alleged culprit that has slowed the* Epic 4G’s tryst with Android’s latest flavor of baked goods, is said to* be Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. With an Epic 2 in the pipeline for an* August/September release, this kinda sounds like a case of* sibling rivalry. No matter what the case may be, it’s good to see a* non-HTC device finally get the Gingerbread treatment on our favorite* carrier. In the meantime we’ll continue to dig for an official date for* you guys, but three more weeks isn’t too long of a wait."

Posted in the sprint community thread buy a member. still rumors until proven true but I could believe samsung had been slowing down the progress so others will be looking to upgrade not just software but hardware too.

**tomy2001** · 07-13-2011, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bmwillz

Maybe the next update will help but this phone is over a year old and its ridiculous how far behind and the simplest of issues aren't solved. and as far as fingers I'm almost to the point that I'm only willing to give samsung ONE finger. its so disappointing its disgusting.

You are funny. I like my epic a lot. Before this phone I had a bb 8530. I understand Samsung did not do a good job with phone (updates). I have Roam Control app in order to have a good signal.

**Paul627g** · 07-13-2011, 10:38 PM

I have to agree on some points said here but really people, if you goto any carrier they all have their goods and bads. Some may have a better signal but an unappealing lineup of devices or vise versa. No matter what device or OS or carrier there is always going to be complaints and things we wish could be better. As I have learned with anything in life with new technology comes new headaches, and while many are quick to jump on the bandwagon for the latest and greatest its not always the safest approach. Some technologies takes years to be fully realized and capitalized on. Sure we can put out quad cores and other great things but until the developers take ahold of what they have in their hands it is usually untouched or under utilized technology until they learn and use what they have. I think a lot of this comes into play in smart phones and tablet, computers and video games. People said 2 or 3 years ago the XBOX 360 and PS3 were done and needed to be replaced by newer systems but in the last year and coming into this winter are some of the best games ever made and finally taking hold of the technolgy in hand by the developers.

So with that said the Epic 4g may not have pleased everyone but for its time it has impressed a lot and still holds a good place in the smartphone lineup considering some of its newer competition.

**Andrew Ruffolo** · 07-14-2011, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

I have to agree on some points said here but really people, if you goto any carrier they all have their goods and bads. Some may have a better signal but an unappealing lineup of devices or vise versa. No matter what device or OS or carrier there is always going to be complaints and things we wish could be better. As I have learned with anything in life with new technology comes new headaches, and while many are quick to jump on the bandwagon for the latest and greatest its not always the safest approach. Some technologies takes years to be fully realized and capitalized on. Sure we can put out quad cores and other great things but until the developers take ahold of what they have in their hands it is usually untouched or under utilized technology until they learn and use what they have. I think a lot of this comes into play in smart phones and tablet, computers and video games. People said 2 or 3 years ago the XBOX 360 and PS3 were done and needed to be replaced by newer systems but in the last year and coming into this winter are some of the best games ever made and finally taking hold of the technolgy in hand by the developers.

So with that said the Epic 4g may not have pleased everyone but for its time it has impressed a lot and still holds a good place in the smartphone lineup considering some of its newer competition.

I moved to a bigger city and got worse coverage. Ft. Lauderdale/Miami is quite a bit larger than Melbourne, Florida.

**Paul627g** · 07-14-2011, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Ruffolo

I moved to a bigger city and got worse coverage. Ft. Lauderdale/Miami is quite a bit larger than Melbourne, Florida.

This is more a Sprint related issue than device, despite what some people seem to believe. I have mentioned this time and time again going into Sprint and they fully admit there is a drop in coverage and signal strength but at the same time they are saying its due to changes in the whole Nextel wash out and the technology behind the direct connect that Nextel used among other changes going on.

I'm not defending Sprint but at least the service tech and store reps do admit there is changes ongoing and that they are not ignoring the fact that customers are complaining...

**Bmwillz** · 07-14-2011, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

I have to agree on some points said here but really people, if you goto any carrier they all have their goods and bads. Some may have a better signal but an unappealing lineup of devices or vise versa. No matter what device or OS or carrier there is always going to be complaints and things we wish could be better. As I have learned with anything in life with new technology comes new headaches, and while many are quick to jump on the bandwagon for the latest and greatest its not always the safest approach. Some technologies takes years to be fully realized and capitalized on. Sure we can put out quad cores and other great things but until the developers take ahold of what they have in their hands it is usually untouched or under utilized technology until they learn and use what they have. I think a lot of this comes into play in smart phones and tablet, computers and video games. People said 2 or 3 years ago the XBOX 360 and PS3 were done and needed to be replaced by newer systems but in the last year and coming into this winter are some of the best games ever made and finally taking hold of the technolgy in hand by the developers.

So with that said the Epic 4g may not have pleased everyone but for its time it has impressed a lot and still holds a good place in the smartphone lineup considering some of its newer competition.

I def understand where your coming from but I think its strange for a device to dramatically decline in productivity. I've had my xbox a lot longer than my samsung and it's operating at 90%. People should complain no one should spend their money and settle for anything other than what was advertised. Not saying that's what you are doing but people forget that they are the customers and you make or break any company

**Marshmallow713** · 07-14-2011, 08:02 AM

How has the Epic declined in productivity? Mine still works just as good as day one (actually better because of updates and the extended battery I have added). I use it every day for music and podcasts (roughly 5 to 6 hours a day of strait listening on it!) and it works great.

Your device isn't working 100% perfectly?? Welcome to technology! NOTHING ever works exactly the way you want. Get used to it man. I don't get all the whining...

**Bmwillz** · 07-14-2011, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Marshmallow713

How has the Epic declined in productivity? Mine still works just as good as day one (actually better because of updates and the extended battery I have added). I use it every day for music and podcasts (roughly 5 to 6 hours a day of strait listening on it!) and it works great.

Your device isn't working 100% perfectly?? Welcome to technology! NOTHING ever works exactly the way you want. Get used to it man. I don't get all the whining...

So podcast and music work, great. Nice to hear that also means your connection is also working, awesome. I have an ipod and I don't listen to podcasts. I thoroughly use my phone for most of it's functions if not all. maybe you can use technology as an excuse for underperforming devices but I know better. if you don't demand it
won't be given to you. When I have issues with my music I'll definitely let you know about it.

**tomy2001** · 07-14-2011, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

I have to agree on some points said here but really people, if you goto any carrier they all have their goods and bads. Some may have a better signal but an unappealing lineup of devices or vise versa. No matter what device or OS or carrier there is always going to be complaints and things we wish could be better. As I have learned with anything in life with new technology comes new headaches, and while many are quick to jump on the bandwagon for the latest and greatest its not always the safest approach. Some technologies takes years to be fully realized and capitalized on. Sure we can put out quad cores and other great things but until the developers take ahold of what they have in their hands it is usually untouched or under utilized technology until they learn and use what they have. I think a lot of this comes into play in smart phones and tablet, computers and video games. People said 2 or 3 years ago the XBOX 360 and PS3 were done and needed to be replaced by newer systems but in the last year and coming into this winter are some of the best games ever made and finally taking hold of the technolgy in hand by the developers.

So with that said the Epic 4g may not have pleased everyone but for its time it has impressed a lot and still holds a good place in the smartphone lineup considering some of its newer competition.

@Paul. I agree with you. My Samsung Epic has been the best phone for me. I have been checking on others phones such as Atrix from ATT. It is a good phone but it is not good enough for me to spent more money. I love my epic and I will stay with it for a while. My only concern is that maybe the devs will forget the Epic as time goes by!!!!

**Paul627g** · 07-14-2011, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by tomy2001

@Paul. I agree with you. My Samsung Epic has been the best phone for me. I have been checking on others phones such as Atrix from ATT. It is a good phone but it is not good enough for me to spent more money. I love my epic and I will stay with it for a while. My only concern is that maybe the devs will forget the Epic as time goes by!!!!

Nah, we will always have good devs. The names may change but its still the same. Bonsai is not going anywhere, Randy T and Mammon have put too much into the Epic to walk away. ACS will always have someone developing for it too. Now we have up and comers like chris41g who is doing great work for the Epic with his coding skills and looking to always push the envelope on what he can do.

Development speaking I think were fine, once GB becomes official it will open a whole new chapter for the Epic 4g not only for rooted devices but for stock as well. I really believe Samsung & Sprint have tested the heck out of GB and really have been trying to give us a solid new official OS judging by the numerous test builds that have been done.

Everything else, I'm perfectly happy with the Epic as a device. I really push mine to the limit with development and constant flashings and it holds up very well. I just had my first repair (external speaker) replacement after over 7 months of use. Physical keyboard I use constantly and its solid and not showing any of the commonly posted threads about loose slider problems. Screen is in excellent shape, I have a 2 yr old that has tossed this thing hard many a times, even the battery and once the sdcard popping out and it still looks and works as it did when I bought it. For a delicate smartphone it takes a good deal of abuse, the kind of abuse I used to put my Nextel through on a daily basis.

I think most of the complaints stem from Sprint themselves and hopefully Sprint is listening and taking action to improve OUR network and make the customer happy. If not maybe more will leave and go elsewhere. Seeing how Sprint is still the best prices and still doing unlimited and not tiered packages its hard to not overlook a few shortcomings to save a few bucks in todays economy.

**IAmSixNine** · 07-15-2011, 12:11 PM

I have to agree with Paul627g, overall i was happy with the hardware of the device. It was the software that always needed constant tweeking. Once i put SRF 1.1.1 on mine with EE03 Modem i didnt want to change a thing. But as the original posted mentioned he does not want to root. In that case the EPIC probably isnt the right phone for him. Sorry..
Its a great device WITH the right software. Unfortunately that means ROOT and Custom Rom / Kernel.

**Bmwillz** · 07-15-2011, 12:22 PM

I just don't trust my self to root. I would have no problem getting it done. My point is the phone should live up to expectations and rooting should be a plus

**Paul627g** · 07-15-2011, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Bmwillz

I just don't trust my self to root. I would have no problem getting it done. My point is the phone should live up to expectations and rooting should be a plus

I completely agree with you. Problem is as an adviser I see a lot of what goes on and honestly I really feel there is slim pickings for any stock device that doesn't have its quirks and issues. If things ran perfect or close to perfect there wouldn't be such a demand for custom ROMs and devs to create and fix things..

It seems like most devices, once people start really digging around they find out their so called great stock OS isn't as perfect as they nearly thought when compared to what rooting will offer them..

But to each their own, its your own decision to root or not and I respect that.

**Bmwillz** · 07-15-2011, 01:44 PM

I would like too but when reading instructions they are written as if everyone knows what is being said. Terms and instructions aren't broken down for novice like my self. That's just my opinion. Otherwise if def mess around with it

**IAmSixNine** · 07-15-2011, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by Paul627g

I completely agree with you. Problem is as an adviser I see a lot of what goes on and honestly I really feel there is slim pickings for any stock device that doesn't have its quirks and issues. If things ran perfect or close to perfect there wouldn't be such a demand for custom ROMs and devs to create and fix things..

It seems like most devices, once people start really digging around they find out their so called great stock OS isn't as perfect as they nearly thought when compared to what rooting will offer them..

But to each their own, its your own decision to root or not and I respect that.

yeah dont forget about the corporate pockets. I would love to see how many people actually like sprint tv, spirnt radio, nascar apps, all the stuff they pre-load, aka bloatware.
Your right Some of the blaotware alone is cause for a number of devices to have custom roms.

I also resepect his decision to not root. Hopefully he can stick with it to get a stock rom that he likes.
My device was good but when i found ACS SFR 1.1.1 with EE03 modem it truly was a great device.