Samsung simply does not care...

[DroidXcon]

@DroidXcon The biggest thing, I think about getting the 2.2 update is that Google's come out with some really cool new Android features that are *only* available on 2.2.

I'm speaking, primarily, of the Voice Actions that were released back in September. I *love* the ability to be in the car, hit the search button and say "Send Text to <name> Be there in 15 minutes" and it does it all for me. I also using my phone for Pandora radio 80% of the time I'm in the car, since I have the bluetooth audio capable car stereo. It's great being able to hit that search button and say "Listen to the fray" and the phone launches Pandora to the right channel. None of the Galaxy S people (short of rooters) have the ability to use that app. It's one of a coolest apps (IMO) that Google has come up with to date.

there is actually an app that you can speak to it and tell it to text, make calls, it even reads the texts to you , i cant recall the name but there is one available and it does work on the fascinate..

and yeah i agree 2.2 has a couple cool features,,but is it enough to deter me from my device, not really. If i buy a rally car and its missing seat warmers, im not really in dire need for them, but it would be nice to have.

2.2 isnt packed with features that i would die without and for that matter neither is gingerbread..

im not saying that 2.2 or 2.3 are not great to have and we probably should have it. Im just saying that my phone has been an amazing , smooth experience and im happy with this piece of hardware.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

there is actually an app that you can speak to it and tell it to text, make calls, it even reads the texts to you , i cant recall the name but there is one available and it does work on the fascinate..

and yeah i agree 2.2 has a couple cool features,,but is it enough to deter me from my device, not really. If i buy a rally car and its missing seat warmers, im not really in dire need for them, but it would be nice to have.

2.2 isnt packed with features that i would die without and for that matter neither is gingerbread..

im not saying that 2.2 or 2.3 are not great to have and we probably should have it. Im just saying that my phone has been an amazing , smooth experience and im happy with this piece of hardware.

I believe you're referring to Vlingo.

Vlingo Virtual Assistant - Android app on AppBrain

 

[SmokeCage.com]

Divide and conquer.

I have to wholeheartedly agree with (brilliant moniker) kill a ham sandwich.

The hardware is awesome; the company that let's it drift without cranking a full-speed update is idiotic at best, at worst, begging for the competition to stomp it's grapes!

If these phones weren't supposed to have a precept of upgrading, why the hell is there a dedicated OS upgrade selection in the settings menu? They put it there, not us!

Capish? Fegataboutit~

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with (brilliant moniker) kill a ham sandwich.

The hardware is awesome; the company that let's it drift without cranking a full-speed update is idiotic at best, at worst, begging for the competition to stomp it's grapes!

If these phones weren't supposed to have a precept of upgrading, why the hell is there a dedicated OS upgrade selection in the settings menu? They put it there, not us!

Capish? Fegataboutit~

The OTA update function is actually built into Android, it has nothing to do with Samsung.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

the updates dont matter to me much. My DX had froyo and it still wasnt as good as my fascinate. If my phone couldnt do anything more then a dumb phone, then maybe i would stay up nights worrying if they care. But my phone is awsome like i said better then my DX with froyo.

Ever since the new market version and the ability to update apps automatically or any time I have tried to upgrade more than two apps at a time the phone literally seizes and locks up on me, sometimes requiring a battery pull. The phone hasn't been as fast as the DX since I actually installed the bulk of my apps on it. The DI never did that and I read enough to know that the DX does not either. The kicker is I actually wanted the X but no one had it (online, two local stores, and two Best Buy Mobile's were all sold out/on back order).

 

[DroidXcon]

Ever since the new market version and the ability to update apps automatically or any time I have tried to upgrade more than two apps at a time the phone literally seizes and locks up on me, sometimes requiring a battery pull. The phone hasn't been as fast as the DX since I actually installed the bulk of my apps on it. The DI never did that and I read enough to know that the DX does not either. The kicker is I actually wanted the X but no one had it (online, two local stores, and two Best Buy Mobile's were all sold out/on back order).

i dont have that problem at all

 

[YourMobileGuru]

i dont have that problem at all

I've had go to so far as to not selet auto update for all but a couple important apps just for this. It really only happened since the new market so it's clearly a software glitch.

 

[DroidXcon]

I've had go to so far as to not selet auto update for all but a couple important apps just for this. It really only happened since the new market so it's clearly a software glitch.

try this
settings>applications>manage applications>market>clear data/cache and uninstall updates.... this will get rid of any glitchy updates ....ive found sometimes once it gets to a certain point it doesnt allow new updates,,, you may want to try that

 

[YourMobileGuru]

I never intended this to be a Fascinate VS X debate, so please lets get back on topic of how irresponsible Samsung is not weather people should have gotten the X (or any other phone) instead.

I wouldn't trust the in-store models to give a decent experience of the phone because those are always loaded with task killers and a lot of other crap. What slows down the X is blur and bloat. Mine is stripped of those things, and it's really snappy.

If you power cycle the phone before you play with it you should be fine. That's what I do.

I honestly had the same feeling. Everytime I go in to a verizon store try the droid x it is slow. My evo flys. Hmmm strange.

Interesting because when I did the same thing with my DInc the Evo was the slow one ;-) It's all a matter of perception.

OP, I feel you. I like Samsung and had a fascinate for 28 days and got spooked as the bugs were never fixed in the time I had my phone.

I am fortunate that this is not my only phone, but a lot of others are not so lucky.

I would recommend to a newbie reading these threads to absorb as much info as possible. As you can see, if having regular current OS updates "does matter" you may want to steer clear of Samsung mobile. They do have some nice screen tech though huh!

Agreed. But remember that just because right now what version of Android you does not matter a lot when it comes to apps (most work on 2.0 or later or a lot even 1.6) as they begin to tap into the true power of Android this will not always be the case.

All of you make some very valid points, as has everyone who has had a complaint with Samsung or Verizon regarding updates and their lack of communication, which is why that for the most part, I don't think twice about the complaints (as long as they are within reason). Everyone, and I mean everyone who owns a Galaxy S device has had the right to have quite a bit of frustration on the entire situation.

But here's my two cents: my phone, Froyo or no Froyo, bad communication or not, still flies for me, and that was without really having to do a whole lot to it. Yes, I removed bloatware, yes I rooted, but you're going to find bloatware on every Android phone (at least from Verizon). I'm satisfied to the extent that it does what it's supposed to do, when I want it to do it, and reliably so. I can depend on it to work every day all day long, and that's what matters most to me.

You're gonna find bloat on ever Android phone other than the Nexus series, that's just how it is. I Love how Moto has their chart thing telling us what is going on with updating (what phones are getting it what ones they are still debating, what ones are not) and more or less when to expect them. Could be better I suppose but then people would be mad when they did not meet specific dates.

Like I've said before, I can understand where some people's frustrations lie. Samsung did promise people that the Fascinate would have Froyo at some time. Maybe some people got the phone because of those statements.

Yes they did.

The hardware is awesome; the company that let's it drift without cranking a full-speed update is idiotic at best, at worst, begging for the competition to stomp it's grapes!

If these phones weren't supposed to have a precept of upgrading, why the hell is there a dedicated OS upgrade selection in the settings menu? They put it there, not us!

Exactly, 2.2 was designed to accelerate things taking full advantage of the hardware and you would think Samsing would want that but oh wait no they just want to sell you another pone on 6 months to a year.

The OTA update function is actually built into Android, it has nothing to do with Samsung.

Chris, you may want to check some of your facts. The original Galaxy S (and all other Samsung phones) were designed to use a program called Kies that you instlal on your computer to to the updating and this is actually how the Europen GX got it's update. Also if you compare differetn Android phones even with the same Android version you will find the settings menus are different (things missing and in different places) and some features grayed out (like side loading Apps on the ATT Androids). It may be built into stock android but carriers/OEM's remove features they dont intend to use or want us to use.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

try this
settings>applications>manage applications>market>clear data/cache and uninstall updates.... this will get rid of any glitchy updates ....ive found sometimes once it gets to a certain point it doesnt allow new updates,,, you may want to try that

I'll do this to see if it helps but the problem isn't with the market itself it is the fact that the market now allows you to auto update apps (and install more than three apps at a time) features that were intended for Froyo (prior to this even when you manually told it to update several apps at a time it would only do three and the others would sit in a pending que tlll those were done).

 

[DroidXcon]

I'll do this to see if it helps but the problem isn't with the market itself it is the fact that the market now allows you to auto update apps (and install more than three apps at a time) features that were intended for Froyo (prior to this even when you manually told it to update several apps at a time it would only do three and the others would sit in a pending que tlll those were done).

but if this were the case i would have the same problem, and i don't

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

I never intended this to be a Fascinate VS X debate, so please lets get back on topic of how irresponsible Samsung is not weather people should have gotten the X (or any other phone) instead.



If you power cycle the phone before you play with it you should be fine. That's what I do.



Interesting because when I did the same thing with my DInc the Evo was the slow one ;-) It's all a matter of perception.



I am fortunate that this is not my only phone, but a lot of others are not so lucky.



Agreed. But remember that just because right now what version of Android you does not matter a lot when it comes to apps (most work on 2.0 or later or a lot even 1.6) as they begin to tap into the true power of Android this will not always be the case.



You're gonna find bloat on ever Android phone other than the Nexus series, that's just how it is. I Love how Moto has their chart thing telling us what is going on with updating (what phones are getting it what ones they are still debating, what ones are not) and more or less when to expect them. Could be better I suppose but then people would be mad when they did not meet specific dates.



Yes they did.



Exactly, 2.2 was designed to accelerate things taking full advantage of the hardware and you would think Samsing would want that but oh wait no they just want to sell you another pone on 6 months to a year.




Chris, you may want to check some of your facts. The original Galaxy S (and all other Samsung phones) were designed to use a program called Kies that you instlal on your computer to to the updating and this is actually how the Europen GX got it's update. Also if you compare differetn Android phones even with the same Android version you will find the settings menus are different (things missing and in different places) and some features grayed out (like side loading Apps on the ATT Androids). It may be built into stock android but carriers/OEM's remove features they dont intend to use or want us to use.

Right, that's what I was saying. It's a built in feature of Android, it's not something Samsung put there. What OEM's do to alter it and/or change it around is a different story. My point is the OTA option is not something Samsung tossed in there, that's a core Android feature.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

but if this were the case i would have the same problem, and i don't

You may not have as many apps as I do installed, *shrug* I uninstalled all non essential apps from my DInc because I was getting the low memory indicator all the time and installed them om the Fascinate instead.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

Right, that's what I was saying. It's a built in feature of Android, it's not something Samsung put there. What OEM's do to alter it and/or change it around is a different story. My point is the OTA option is not something Samsung tossed in there, that's a core Android feature.

But if they weren't planning to use it they would have removed or grayed it out and as fa as that goes they have used it a couple times for maintenance updates.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

But if they weren't planning to use it they would have removed or grayed it out and as fa as that goes they have used it a couple times for maintenance updates.

Correction, Verizon has used it for Maintenance updates. You have to keep in mind the carriers, in the U.S., have ultimate control. The decision to remove sideloading? That was AT&T, not Samsung. Same goes for virtually every other difference between all of the Galaxy S variants in the U.S.

 

[Johnly]

VZWrocks, Most androids run apps fine. The OS updates have major framework upgrades. Battery life, Linux cycles, and hardware software integration are always changed in the version of OS. Froyo improved Battery life and gave devices a better web experience by speeding up some codec processes.

I am OK with "the OS runs fine, and all upgrades are un important" if it makes a user feel better about what they are running. Truth is though, OS updates are more than flavor, and what the average user can see.

If you have more that one cell, consider yourself fortunate. A lot of Android users put their hard earned money and time in a fascinate, and got hammered IMO. How many more times will the consumer get lied to?

Chris is right, we all have a right to throw a gripe, but we should not get stuck. Samsung is not based in the USA. Motorola has a strong USA relationship. HTC is not based in the USA either, but they consider us a "important" market, hence, users are happy with the Taiwanese based company. Samsung does need to step it up a notch here, and make us happy!

The display tech they have is best, but without good customer relations, the QVGA looks better you know. I want to see Sammy succeed here. iPhone, HTC, and Moto make people happy. Sammy has more complaints in the mobile arena than those players, and if they want to compete, give us OS updates and let our hardware continue to operate with the latest innovations google has to offer.....

 

[Sta11i0n]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with (brilliant moniker) kill a ham sandwi ch

Its actually killa ham sammich. Do some research on Kass Elliot from the mommas and the poppas and you'll understand.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin Gossett]

This all seems a bit trivial to me.

Would I like the update as much as everyone else? Sure. Am I crying over not having it yet? Absolutely not. What is the point? I would much rather have a fully functional build than one that is buggy and causes more issues than it solves. We have already seen multiple instances in which a manufacturer may have rushed an update out to a device, and it caused many issues. Samsung is guilty of this. So is Motorola. HTC is as well. So if it takes a little longer to get updated because they are working bugs out to make the update process as smooth as possible, I'm ok with that.

We already know we will get updated. All the conspiracy theories that we wont get updated, or Samsung is moving on to other devices, or VZW is putting all their efforts into the iPhone are bogus. The facts are Samsung created docks that have more functionality with a 2.2 update, and Verizon sold them. Neither party would have done this if an update wasn't guaranteed for fear of litigation. Also, the leaked build confirms that it is still being debugged and Samsung/Verizon are still testing. Finally, the other variants have had similar leaks, and the Vibrant has already gotten their update. This confirms our pending update as well, because there is no way VZW would be the odd man out.

Enjoy the amazing piece of hardware you have. Yes, 2.2 will add some features, but it isn't anything revolutionary.

/rant

 

[leehblanc]

Okay, I'll throw my $.02 in here. I was an i*hone user for 3 years. I came to Android for the freedom and specifically the thing we all make fun of the i*hone for... the Flash.

I had the DX. Hated the locked bootloader, the bugs, the screen. Because of the 2.2 update that broke many things on the phone, VZW offered me a Fascinate. I did the research. I saw the claims that 2.2 was "coming soon" and the docks that were being sold with "works with 2.2" stickers so I took the plunge. Now what do I have? I have an iPhone 4. Nice screen, fast processor and NO FLASH.

You can tell me that 2.2 isn't a big upgrade all you want, but it is. When my fiancee, nephew and both of my sons are all using EVOs that can do Chrome2Phone, App2SD and Flash it seems pretty big. A couple of weeks ago when our TVs were taken up with Xbox, On Demand movies and Wii, My son was watching the NFL Playoffs on his EVO. SWEET! I go to the site and nothing happens. Hmm... Flash! What good is this beautiful screen if I can't watch what I want?

If you bought a Samsung 42" top of the line TV only to get it home and find out that it didn't play sports content, but that was "coming soon" and 6 months later you still didn't have it, would you marvel at how nice Lifetime for Women looked?

Bottom line... I jumped to Android BECAUSE of the features of 2.2 Before that, I didn't see much of a difference between i*hone and Android, and quite frankly, besides widgets, there wasn't. I was jailbroken and had MiWi, which worked better than any solution on the Fascinate (Wifi Tether in AdHoc? Fabulous!) I jumped from Sprint within my 30 days because I wanted the best reception I could get. Where am I now? Right where I was with my i*hone. Better reception of course, but I don't have any of the features that made me switch, so I have every right to be pissed, and I am. I'm currently in talks with Verizon. If the TBolt doesn't get announced soon instead of being dangled in front of us like the proverbial carrot, I will take my phone number and my money back to Sprint, get an EVO, and have the experience I want on my phone.

Just a note for the "root it" crowd... as of this writing, there is NO 2.2 for the Fascinate. Sure jt and kaos have builds, but they are nowhere near complete, and the leak doesn't exist outside of IRC, nor does it work particularly well. So in short... rooting doesn't allow me any of the above yet. Not only that, but what about the 95% of people that don't know that rooting exists?

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

Okay, I'll throw my $.02 in here. I was an i*hone user for 3 years. I came to Android for the freedom and specifically the thing we all make fun of the i*hone for... the Flash.

I had the DX. Hated the locked bootloader, the bugs, the screen. Because of the 2.2 update that broke many things on the phone, VZW offered me a Fascinate. I did the research. I saw the claims that 2.2 was "coming soon" and the docks that were being sold with "works with 2.2" stickers so I took the plunge. Now what do I have? I have an iPhone 4. Nice screen, fast processor and NO FLASH.

You can tell me that 2.2 isn't a big upgrade all you want, but it is. When my fiancee, nephew and both of my sons are all using EVOs that can do Chrome2Phone, App2SD and Flash it seems pretty big. A couple of weeks ago when our TVs were taken up with Xbox, On Demand movies and Wii, My son was watching the NFL Playoffs on his EVO. SWEET! I go to the site and nothing happens. Hmm... Flash! What good is this beautiful screen if I can't watch what I want?

If you bought a Samsung 42" top of the line TV only to get it home and find out that it didn't play sports content, but that was "coming soon" and 6 months later you still didn't have it, would you marvel at how nice Lifetime for Women looked?

Bottom line... I jumped to Android BECAUSE of the features of 2.2 Before that, I didn't see much of a difference between i*hone and Android, and quite frankly, besides widgets, there wasn't. I was jailbroken and had MiWi, which worked better than any solution on the Fascinate (Wifi Tether in AdHoc? Fabulous!) I jumped from Sprint within my 30 days because I wanted the best reception I could get. Where am I now? Right where I was with my i*hone. Better reception of course, but I don't have any of the features that made me switch, so I have every right to be pissed, and I am. I'm currently in talks with Verizon. If the TBolt doesn't get announced soon instead of being dangled in front of us like the proverbial carrot, I will take my phone number and my money back to Sprint, get an EVO, and have the experience I want on my phone.

Just a note for the "root it" crowd... as of this writing, there is NO 2.2 for the Fascinate. Sure jt and kaos have builds, but they are nowhere near complete, and the leak doesn't exist outside of IRC, nor does it work particularly well. So in short... rooting doesn't allow me any of the above yet. Not only that, but what about the 95% of people that don't know that rooting exists?

I completely agree with everything you say from your standpoint, and I agree that Flash is a huge deal to a lot of people. But on that last part there, I have to say, of the 95% of the people who don't know rooting exists, I'd bet willing to be at least 85% of them don't care to, notice, or even know the differences between Eclair and Froyo. And most of them don't even know what Froyo is.