What to do???

[gray#AC]

Ok,
I just got off the phone with Verizon about all this Iphone and lack of support for my Fascinate (no Froyo). Seems like Verizon has no desire to keep existing customers happy with the Fascinate? Of course, no info on when this phone will get Froyo 2.2 if at all.
I purchased this phone Nov. 26th and after 20 minutes going around and around they said I could return it for a FULL refund and get the Iphone for $199. Of course I'd have to wait a few weeks for it's release (Fed. 10th or so).

I do like this phone but, I don't like the non-existant support.

So, should I move to a phone I'm sure will get upgrades in a timely manner (up'grades through apple no Verizon) or should I stick with the Fascinate???

Comments and advise appreciated in advanced...

Thanks, Garret

 

[NickA]

Well, have you liked the Fascinate for the last month and a half? If you are happy with the phone itself, I'd say keep it. I'm sure you either have an iPod Touch, or played with an iPhone/iPod, so you already know what it's like. If anything, swap the Fascinate for one of the new phones that were talked about at last week's Consumer Electronics Show.

 

[bgl321]

If you liked the Android system and/or the phone keep it, get DINC, or wait for a 4G phone that's coming out. IMO you are SO limited with the iphone! If you don't care about not being able to change your layouts and having control over your phone (and I don't even root) then maybe the iphone is for you. I've messed with my sister's iphone before and know i would be bored with it after about an hour if i bought it. I prefer Android over Apple. Good luck!

 

[zero157h7]

It is a matter of personal taste honestly. Just don't make it into Samsung vs Apple, make it into Android vs. iOS. If you prefer Android and are that fed up with the Fascinate find an alternative like: as mentioned above get a DInc (or other VZ Android device), get a refund, wait for the Thunderbolt and buy a used droid on ebay.

 

[gray#AC]

Thanks for everyones reply...
I do like the android system but, just a little pissed with the lack of support. Just dont' want to get left behind with a phone that Verizon forgets about. Do you guys know what I mean? Seams like they're more interested in droid and now the Iphone. Suppose I could always root the phone.

 

[DroidDev]

Verizon isnt forgetting. Lets not forget that Verizon is not the ones that make the updates. Verizon has to wait on Samsung to push the Froyo update.

The fact that there are so many iterations of the Galaxy S line and they are all different. Samsung has to create a unique Froyo update for each device. Verizon got their Galaxy S (Fascinate) last. So naturally Verizon would be last to get Froyo, you knew this when buying the Fascinate At least I hope so.

I am loving the new Moto Bionic. Im waiting for that. It makes the Thunderbolt look like a Ford sitting next to a Lambo. IMO.

I had the Fascinate and loved it. I understood that Froyo will come. Its still a great phone. its fast (without TouchWiz), powerful, beautiful. But if you really are having a problem with it then I say this,

... stay with Android, hold out until the LTE phones come out. Have patience my padawan learner. The system is much better and leaves room to grow. Apple iOS is stagnant and closed down. I mean that with the fact that you can not upgrade your storage without buying a new phone irks me. So bad OS, no removable storage like micro SD cards, no removable battery unless you void your warranty makes the iOS Apple iPhone an expensive, pretty looking paper weight as far as I am concerned.

Edit: Your not rooted? Why? That should be a necessity with the Fascinate.

 

[joebob2000]

The iPhone is a non-starter for anyone who is cellphone-savvy. You either already bit the bullet and switched to AT&T, or you don't care for them. Either way, the iPhone 4 won't be 4g, and if you are serious about being cutting edge, and staying on verizon, you will wait for a month or two for a VZ handset that is.

You know that sinking feeling you are getting, looking at your Fascinate, thinking about how its running *months-old* software and you are helpless to stop it? Well if you get an iPhone, and in 9 months VZ drops the iPhone LTE, you will be right back in that boat once again.

 

[DroidDev]

That is true Joe.

 

[NOsquid]

If you haven't modified your Fascinate by now, I suspect you'd be happy with the iPhone. It's better for most people, just not most geeks on phone forums.

 

[Chris3D]

Like several have said, it's personal preference.

I had an iPhone for 2 years before the Fascinate, and I'd never go back. iOS is a fine OS, and the iPhone 4 is a beautiful piece of hardware, but the whole restrictive and cult-like atmosphere surrounding everything Apple turns me off.

Android is a little rough around the edges here and there, but for me, it's far more capable for how I choose to use it.

As far as the updates go, people are making way, WAY too big a deal about this. First, it's not like 2.2 will provide any significant new capabilities. Flash, I guess, but really, how much of the web are you honestly missing right now? Not much. Apps to SD? How close are you to using up all your app space right now. If I was a betting man, I'd bet you're nowhere near close, so that's a non-issue. JIT compiler? Is your phone slow right now? Nope, so what's the big deal?

Second, if Verizon/Samsung are this slow getting 2.2 released, there's essentially zero chance the phone will ever see 2.3 officially. Sucks, sure, but the devs are working on 2.3 as we speak and will probably have it to us before VZ and Samsung get 2.2 out the door.

Third, it's not all roses with Apple. iOS 4 ran like crapola on my iPhone 3G, and Apple is obsessed with finding ways to prevent you from downgrading. For people with a 3GS, if they didn't save out these things called SHS blobs (whatever they are) before they upgraded to iOS 4, their phones were impossible to downgrade. So yea, you'll get updates, but that isn't always a good thing, and if an update screws up your phone, you have to jump through some major hoops to downgrade, if it's even possible.

Fourth, in many ways, when you buy an iPhone, it's not really your phone. Apple treats it as if you're just renting it - they control the hardware, they control the software, they control how you can use it, they control what you can and can't do with it. It gets really annoying.

So again, personal preference, and for me personally, I'd never buy another Apple product. Ever.

 

[cordoni]

I personally choose to look at the froyo upgrade this way. I would rather wait for a smooth and clean release than get a half a$$ release that has to go through numerous "maintenance updates" to make it work like it should have from the start. Have some patience. If the official froyo build works as well as ?clair has (minus bing and gps issues) than it will be worth the wait.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[egg_head]

Return it and wait for 4G phones.
The Thunderbolt and Bionic look like they'll be awesome.
Too bad Samsung produced a digital piece of s**t. I absolutely loathe how it looks.
I do love my Fascinate, but I am very excited for 4G.
As far as the iPhone goes, well, if you like Apple products are you're currently under their umbrella, that wouldn't be such a bad choice either.

[sent from my android]

 

[gunnermike53]

If you haven't modified your Fascinate by now, I suspect you'd be happy with the iPhone. It's better for most people, just not most geeks on phone forums.

there is nothing about apple that is better than anything, including the trip to the bathroom i just took. steve jobs is an elitest. so was hitler. you get music from itunes, do you own it? NO!!! its still steves music. you can only do with your phone or any other apple device the things steve wants you to do. thats steves phone, with steves apps and steves music. steve jobs can suck it. i cant wait til my wifes ipod dies so i can get all his crap out of my house. the fascinate, stock, 2.1 and all its flaws is still a far more flexable and capable device. steves updates his crap regularly....great.....all that means is he eats a lot of fiber. it annoys the crap out of me that we dont have 2.2 or 2.3, but atleast its still my phone and not steves.

 

[NOsquid]

Apple may disgust you philosophically, but my grandmother could figure out how to use an iphone. Apple isn't perfect but it's more dummy-proof, that's what it's better at and it isn't trivial for the average user.

There's no question Android has more potential, but that doesn't do most people any good.

 

[DroidDev]

Yeah.

Steve and the folks at Apple pride themselves on the extremely closed nature of their products. I loath that. What I hate most about the iPhone is the fact that you cannot change the battery without voiding warranty. You have to get a new phone or have apple change it. You cannot have removable storage. They have that thing locked down so much its no wonder not even reception works right.

As for their computers. You pay $1000 for a name and the other $700 you pay is for outdated hardware. Sure it has a nice pretty aluminum body and pleasing asthetics but on the inside its my 2003 Compaq. POS.

Someone burn my soapbox so I can go to bed.

 

[NOsquid]

What I hate most about the iPhone is the fact that you cannot change the battery without voiding warranty.

Werd. That, more than anything, would drive me insane if I had to get an iphone. I like keeping spare batteries, I use them often.

 

[gunnermike53]

As for their computers. You pay $1000 for a name and the other $700 you pay is for outdated hardware. Sure it has a nice pretty aluminum body and pleasing asthetics but on the inside its my 2003 Compaq. POS.

Someone burn my soapbox so I can go to bed.

photographer rave about how much faster they can render their pictures on thier new mac, and thier old wondows was so slow. you know why: CAUSE ITS A NEW MAC AND AN OLD PC!!!!!! i have proven that to many a photographer friend that my pca can smoke thier stupid mac. i didnt pay half for my pc(i build my own so that saves a little).

 

[DroidDev]

My ASUS G series Laptop will destroy the newest Macbook Pro. I can do all kinds of other things on it too...like change out my hard drive, add memory, multi card reader, blah blah blah. Oh and guess what...it also has a light up logo on the lid. Eat that Apple.

 

[Chris3D]

What I hate most about the iPhone is the fact that you cannot change the battery without voiding warranty.

That bothered me at first, but to be honest, my iPhone 3G battery still held a charge for 1 to 2 days when I was using it as a phone, and for several weeks now in airplane mode. And for the 2 year contract, I pretty much threw it on a charger every single night. So yea, it's a PITA that you can't change the battery, but in my experience, the battery has lasted so long that it's a non-issue.

You cannot have removable storage.

That, I totally agree with. What would be the harm in a MicroSD slot? None. And the fact that you can't just plug the phone into any computer and access the storage - you have to go through iTunes - the biggest abomination in the history of computing.

I love how Apple bemoans translated programming languages, not following standard interface conventions and the effect those things have on the performance and usability of software when it comes to the iPhone... and then breaks all their own rules with iTunes on Windows. That program is the biggest POS on earth. As soon as I replaced my iPhone, I reformatted my desktop and installed Windows fresh and it will never see iTunes as long as it shall live.

But enough Apple bashing... for now.

 

[jack22182]

Samsung should take note - I purchased my Fascinate in mid September 2010. Just for grins I checked my account on the VZW site and was advised that I am eligible for an upgrade to the VZW iPhone RIGHT NOW - a "$20 early upgrade fee" may apply. That's pretty tempting. There are a lot of VZW Samsung customers who are likely eligible for the same early upgrade offer.

I'm a Mac and iPod Touch user and there are a couple of iOS apps that I'd sure like to have on my Fascinate, and the devs haven't made that happen yet. I'm not really inclined to upgrade to the VZW iPhone now, but boy am I completely unimpressed with the (lack of) speed at which known bugs have been corrected, and the latest debacles and delays with the DL09 MR update are not encouraging.

Getting 2.2 and beyond isn't all that big a deal to me right now, but the evidence of more delays and broken promises is there too.

I'm sure Samsung wants me to keep coming back, but this phone is not getting the bug fix and long term OS support that it should be getting. If that doesn't change I'll be looking seriously at the VZW iPhone and other options as well.

Some will say that Verizon is to blame for the delays, and being a long time BB user on VZW I get that, but Samsung is the one that will lose my business if this doesn't improve.

Jack