Sprint website no longer shows LG Marquee

[tcaudill01]

Do you feel this way because of being unable to create the successful recovery or because of the overall performance of the phone (or both)??

I have no issue with the performance of the phone with the way I have it setup. It is smooth, does all I need and the battery lasts through the day.

Indirectly, my pursuit of a fully functioning recovery is what helped me discover how our version of GB is lacking. As I have deconstructed our stock rom and compared it to others (only looking at core content here, not everything in there) we are missing quiet a few basic android features. One is a little thing called MTD. This script allows you to see your memory layout and what each section does. Very important if you want a recovery to work and a backup of your phone that can be installed if needed.
Speaking of memory, after I finally figured out how to map our memory, I found that with the exception of boot and recovery our memory layout does not match our twin the Opti Black at all. This is why recovery doesn't work for us.
Also, when you look at the hardware calls that the Black uses vs ours. They have the functional ability to use the hard keys LEDs to notify us of such things as missed calls our texts. Why doesn't ours do this? Because we do not have any programing code included that can access these functions.
One final thing, compare the size of some of our core components and look at the same in another GB rom. The others are usually smaller. Why? More efficient programing.

I really do like this phone and have spent/wasted many hours trying to improve it. I think it has tremendous potential, I just don't think LG is exploiting it very well.

 

[dishe]

Indirectly, my pursuit of a fully functioning recovery is what helped me discover how our version of GB is lacking. As I have deconstructed our stock rom and compared it to others (only looking at core content here, not everything in there) we are missing quiet a few basic android features. One is a little thing called MTD. This script allows you to see your memory layout and what each section does. Very important if you want a recovery to work and a backup of your phone that can be installed if needed.
Speaking of memory, after I finally figured out how to map our memory, I found that with the exception of boot and recovery our memory layout does not match our twin the Opti Black at all. This is why recovery doesn't work for us.
Also, when you look at the hardware calls that the Black uses vs ours. They have the functional ability to use the hard keys LEDs to notify us of such things as missed calls our texts. Why doesn't ours do this? Because we do not have any programing code included that can access these functions.
One final thing, compare the size of some of our core components and look at the same in another GB rom. The others are usually smaller. Why? More efficient programing.

I really do like this phone and have spent/wasted many hours trying to improve it. I think it has tremendous potential, I just don't think LG is exploiting it very well.

Lot of great information right there!

Hmm. With modern resource-sharing chip designs, the way I understand it is that its not unheard of for a CDMA version of a device to map memory differently than a GSM version. Doesn't make it easier, but at least means you shouldn't give up just because it didn't work the first time.

The discrepancy between this and the Black is very unfortunate, but it sounds like mostly software beyond that. I like that hard key LED function- has the Black gotten a GB update yet? It looks like they're still waiting for LG. Traditionally unlocked unbranded OEM handsets get updates first since they don't have to trickle down through the carrier before rolling out (at least, that's how it appears with HTC and Samsung). The fact that LG is still dragging their feet on GB for the Black, yet released with it for the Marquee implies that LG really rushed this thing out the door, so I'm not surprised it seems half baked (not that I want to say I told you so or anything- heh).

The good news is that Gingerbread on the Optimus Black will be an interesting thing to dissect for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if the hard key LED thing and other drivers are easily transportable at that point. Question is, when is that going to happen?

 

[jtnss]

Oddly enough, while the third party vendors have them in stock around me, the local corporate store does not.

I had the same experience 2 Fridays ago. I took a friend looking to convert to sprint by a sprint corporate store to check out the Marquee. They didn't have on display at all... and when I called the rep over he said he had never heard of it. I told him that was ridiculous and to go check his stock. He went an checked and couldn't find any.... nor was his store slated to receive any.... and they had launched more than a month before that. We went on to BBuy and got one for free (they had plenty in stock).
I like most everything about the phone.... but I'd say my one disappointment was that my Year old Optimus S was nearly as zippy as this phone for the most part (my Optimus is rooted, rom'd, etc.).... I was expecting a bit more from the Marquee.

 

[two-rocks]

I like most everything about the phone.... but I'd say my one disappointment was that my Year old Optimus S was nearly as zippy as this phone for the most part (my Optimus is rooted, rom'd, etc.).... I was expecting a bit more from the Marquee.

Wow, really?

So your modded, tweaked, optimized rom, maybe even overclocked, phone was nearly as zippy?

Your optimus was old when you got it, and the flooding of the market with a cheap phone gave it quite the following.... that is what got you where you were. I don't think the marquee will have such luck. Not the phone for you.

 

[dishe]

Wow, really?

So your modded, tweaked, optimized rom, maybe even overclocked, phone was nearly as zippy?

Your optimus was old when you got it, and the flooding of the market with a cheap phone gave it quite the following.... that is what got you where you were. I don't think the marquee will have such luck. Not the phone for you.

Harsh words, man. And people said *I* talked trash about this phone?

All he said was that he was expecting more coming from his Optimus (which I agree with), but otherwise liked the phone. While the Marquee may never get the following that the Optimus S had, I don't think that means there will be no support at all. I agree with tcaudill01, the device has potential and LG messed up somewhere. I also think it has a lot to do with Gingerbread's use of the PowerVR GPU, and we may be capable of fixing it somewhat.

 

[tcaudill01]

- has the Black gotten a GB update yet? It looks like they're still waiting for LG.

The good news is that Gingerbread on the Optimus Black will be an interesting thing to dissect for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if the hard key LED thing and other drivers are easily transportable at that point. Question is, when is that going to happen?

From what I can find on XDA, looks like Nov 28 is the official roll out for GB on the Black. It will be very interesting to see if LG carried over the additional hardware code that support the functions those users enjoy. Hopefully if they do, we can pull that code and port it to our Marquee.

 

[dishe]

From what I can find on XDA, looks like Nov 28 is the official roll out for GB on the Black. It will be very interesting to see if LG carried over the additional hardware code that support the functions those users enjoy. Hopefully if they do, we can pull that code and port it to our Marquee.

I don't see any reason to think they won't. If someone is used to a feature (ie, hardware button LEDs) and they take it away in the update, watch the users raise hell. LG isn't interested in doing that, I think.

On the flipside, a new firmware that enables more features might also explain the sudden disappearance of our version from Sprint's site. It all makes sense according to my original theory- LG pushed Ginger out the door before it was ready, and may be regretting it at the moment. Holding off on a wider release until they can update all models in the factory could make a lot of sense, couldn't it?

 

[KydDynoMyte]

Looks like it is back on Sprint.com but showing "out of stock".

 

[jtnss]

Wow, really?

So your modded, tweaked, optimized rom, maybe even overclocked, phone was nearly as zippy?

Your optimus was old when you got it, and the flooding of the market with a cheap phone gave it quite the following.... that is what got you where you were. I don't think the marquee will have such luck. Not the phone for you.

My Optimus S is running Reborn Rom 2.2.1 on the ZVD band (no special overclock, etc beside the default settings of the 2.2.1 Rom). I've got my coworkers Marquee (stock Rom) sitting on my desk right now beside my Optimus and I'm just comparing how quickly different apps launch and run (haven't done a benchmark test to compare them). Both are running up to date versions of the apps I tested... both running Launcher Pro. Optimus is noticeably snappier.... though I would guess in benchmark tests... Marquee should test out faster.

However... all that being just observed... here is likely part of the reason the Optimus Series has been such a great phone and is snapper then every other 3g android phone in it's class and price range ... even the newer ones. Its got a dual core processor (or at least parallel dedicated processors). I know that sound crazy... but yes...you heard me right. It's not advertised .... and it's a little known fact... but the processor is: MSM7627 dual core processor which consists of a 600 MHz applications processor and a 400 MHz modem processor. Click on this link and go to the "specifications" tab if you don't believe me.

When i bought the phone back in Nov of 2010... I bought it cause it was snapper (stock version)... than every other android phone from Sprint IMO... except the only 2 4G phones available at that time (Evo and Samsung Epic).

Anyway...I do like most everything else about the Marquee. Really seems like it has alot of potential.

 

[dishe]

My Optimus S is running Reborn Rom 2.2.1 on the ZVD band (no special overclock, etc beside the default settings of the 2.2.1 Rom). I've got my coworkers Marquee (stock Rom) sitting on my desk right now beside my Optimus and I'm just comparing how quickly different apps launch and run (haven't done a benchmark test to compare them). Both are running up to date versions of the apps I tested... both running Launcher Pro. Optimus is noticeably snappier.... though I would guess in benchmark tests... Marquee should test out faster.

However... all that being just observed... here is likely part of the reason the Optimus Series has been such a great phone and is snapper then every other 3g android phone in it's class and price range ... even the newer ones. Its got 3 dedicated processors and 1 of those 3 is dual core. I know that sound crazy... but yes...you heard me right. It's not advertised .... and it's a little known fact... but the processors are: 1) MSM7627 dual core processor: 2) 600 MHz applications processor, 3) 400 MHz modem processor. Click on this link and go to the "specifications" tab if you don't believe me.

When i bought the phone back in Nov of 2010... I bought it cause it was snapper (stock version)... than every other android phone from Sprint IMO... except the only 2 4G phones available at that time (Evo and Samsung Epic).

Anyway...I do like most everything else about the Marquee. Really seems like it has alot of potential.

weelll.... that's not exactly the case. The MSM7627 is one of Qualcomm's all-on-one-chip processors, where simplifies the architecture of an embedded device by printing most of the necessary component processors on the same die. Makes manufacturing cheaper and reduces size as well as battery power.

The chip includes a 600Mhz CPU for running Android, a 400Mhz radio processor, as well as the Adreno 200 GPU. This is not the same as saying a device has a "dual core CPU", in which we are referring only to the application processor, not counting the modem and GPU. All of those components are necessary for the phone to function, and Qualcomm has been making chips like this for years.

Another way to visualize this, is to picture your PC. You have a CPU (probably by Intel or AMD), but you also have a sound processor driving your audio, a video card with its own processor driving your graphics, and countless other dedicated processors for specific tasks on your motherboard. Now, imagine the CPU actually contained your video card, sound card, and most of the other processors and controllers in itself. Then all you would need to do is add some ram and attach some devices, and you've got an entire computer running (mostly) on a single chip. That's how embedded devices are designed these days.

Rather, the reason the Optimus is so snappy has a lot to do with the GPU. That Adreno 200 is the same found on the original snapdragon chips, like the ones used in the original HTC EVO 4G.

The EVO 4G, however, had a WVGA display at 800x480, whereas the Optimus is paired with a HVGA 480x320. That same graphics processor that is in charge of pumping out the EVO's higher resolution has to deal with less than half of the pixels on the Optimus. That means it has to work less than half as hard, and can display results in technically less than half the time.

That is why the Optimus doesn't benchmark high, and is slow at things like complicated web pages or heavily compression codecs, but the screen response is buttery smooth with a high refresh rate.

Meanwhile, the Marquee uses the new PowerVR GPU, and is paired with a higher definition WVGA display (like the EVO). However, Android's graphic libraries apparently don't always play nicely with the PowerVR, so it would appear that some apps run at higher speed than others (hardware acceleration versus not). Combine that with the more work the GPU has to do for the extra pixels, and that is why the Marquee does not appear as smooth as a lower resolution device.

Take a look at the new Transform Ultra for another example of a high speed GPU on a lower resolution. Its even smoother than the Optimus.

(nosajs, you see how this is relevant to what we are describing? I'm not comparing! LOL)

Meanwhile, I almost missed KydDynoMyte's post saying its back on Sprint.com. That's a bit more promising!

 

[jtnss]

Take a look at the new Transform Ultra for another example of a high speed GPU on a lower resolution. Its even smoother than the Optimus.

LOL.... you sure do like to discuss the Ultra... sounds like everyone knows what your next phone may be. I'm just giving you a hard time. I could never conciser it though.... just can't bring myself to do a slider. Swype on the Marquee (and other phones) is sooo much faster, easier... and the slider keyboard adds too much bulk and just something else to break.

 

[dishe]

LOL.... you sure do like to discuss the Ultra... sounds like everyone knows what your next phone may be. I'm just giving you a hard time. I could never conciser it though.... just can't bring myself to do a slider. Swype on the Marquee (and other phones) is sooo much faster, easier... and the slider keyboard adds too much bulk and just something else to break.

LOL- I mention it there as an example of the whole "low resolution, overpowered GPU" phenomenon that you noticed in the Optimus S. Its not unique to the Optimus, if that's what you are after.

As far as my next phone, I'm still undecided personally. I like sliders, but apparently not cheap ones. Transform might have solid performance, but the keyboard seems very meh.
During the two weeks that I reviewed one, I found myself preferring to use the on screen keyboard because it was faster and had less misfires/mistakes.

Hope the CPU breakdown/explanation was helpful.

 

[cruiserandmax]

Take a look at the new Transform Ultra for another example of a high speed GPU on a lower resolution. Its even smoother than the Optimus.

For what it's worth- from my experience using the Marquee in store this weekend with Launcher Pro it was also actually faster and smoother than my Optimus S- no kidding! Also the extra size and incredible resolution and brightness of the Marquee screen was very enjoyable- typing was a pleasure compared to my Optimus.

 

[nosajsam]

Looks like it is back on Sprint.com but showing "out of stock".

I am glad to see its back up (even though its out of stock)...but man what a ridiculous amount of misinformation in such a short time.

Not that its anyone's fault as most people were just posting what they were told from Sprint reps. As I mentioned before:
Sprint Corporate Stores, Employees & Technicians new NOTHING about this phone even when it was available on Sprint.com, so I don't expect them to know or provide correct information when it was missing from Sprint.com

That is my biggest problem with Sprint....they are only consistent with being inconsistent.

For what it's worth- from my experience using the Marquee in store this weekend with Launcher Pro it was also actually faster

+1

I just posted this same comment in another thread:
For anyone considering this phone, If you get the phone & feel its "laggy" or not smooth there are better launchers available in the market that blow away the stock launcher. Try out a few of them & find what works best for you. I can tell you this, installing Launcher Pro on this device has definitely improved my overall feel of the phone.

 

[dishe]

I am glad to see its back up (even though its out of stock)...but man what a ridiculous amount of misinformation in such a short time.

Not that its anyone's fault as most people were just posting what they were told from Sprint reps. As I mentioned before:
Sprint Corporate Stores, Employees & Technicians new NOTHING about this phone even when it was available on Sprint.com, so I don't expect them to know or provide correct information when it was missing from Sprint.com

The lack of rep information is only half of the problem. It doesn't explain why so many corporate stores refuse to stock them, why LG is holding off on supplying new devices at the moment (which does appear to be the case), and why it disappeared from the site in the first place.

Yes, there are a lot of rumors flying around, but I wouldn't call it "misinformation". I'm 99% certain there is something going on behind the scenes here- the question is whether or not we'll ever actually know what it is.

Months from now we'll probably look back at this and wonder what is was all about- but not really care too much as you enjoy your ICS Marquee with a 2000+ benchmark score.

 

[Hawaiian_Geek]

how weird is that....now it's showing on Sprint and says "Out of Stock".....go figure....I have my upgrade available now but gonna hold out for now......i have until the end of the year to decide on upgrading to a new smartphone.....