Ugh! Please convince me not to return my 6P

[DocRich]

I really want to love this phone. And I do really like the screen, and battery life and the smoothness of it, but it's the little things that are bothering me.

With my past Galaxy S6 if there was a notification through an app like messenger or words with friends there would be a little red dot with the number over the app. I can't see or get that on this phone.

I've tried 4 messenger apps and none runs seamlessly. Either a picture from a friend won't download (and I've been on with verizon and 2 Google help calls and it still doesn't work with messenger +) Or the emojis won't work correctly or the photos sent have to be manually downloaded instead of just showing up like in GoSMSpro. Textra is ok but when I want to send a photo the gallery is all jumbled and not compartmentalized correctly. And sometimes I get a vibration and sometimes I don't and sometimes I get the notification of a text and sometimes I don't. It's crazy frustrating.

I've tried Nova Launcher and Action Launcher and I really like them but they don't always help with the notifications.

So am I being petty? I don't want to sound like it but it's just frustrating when you get sent a pic you can't download, in a message you weren't notified about in a app that doesn't show there was a notification.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RG129]

To get unread counts, you can add a badge counter like TeslaUnread and use that with Nova. That will get you the counts for certain apps, but not all.

I've stuck with Textra for more than a year now and haven't experienced any of the trouble that you've said. But there's plenty of messaging apps that will probably be able to fix your issues.

You're not being petty, but it is completely different using a phone with stock Android compared to an OEM skin. Most features can be re-created but it requires a bit of tinkering and a few additional apps.

 

[trekk]

I really want to love this phone. And I do really like the screen, and battery life and the smoothness of it, but it's the little things that are bothering me.

With my past Galaxy S6 if there was a notification through an app like messenger or words with friends there would be a little red dot with the number over the app. I can't see or get that on this phone.

I've tried 4 messenger apps and none runs seamlessly. Either a picture from a friend won't download (and I've been on with verizon and 2 Google help calls and it still doesn't work with messenger +) Or the emojis won't work correctly or the photos sent have to be manually downloaded instead of just showing up like in GoSMSpro. Textra is ok but when I want to send a photo the gallery is all jumbled and not compartmentalized correctly. And sometimes I get a vibration and sometimes I don't and sometimes I get the notification of a text and sometimes I don't. It's crazy frustrating.

I've tried Nova Launcher and Action Launcher and I really like them but they don't always help with the notifications.

So am I being petty? I don't want to sound like it but it's just frustrating when you get sent a pic you can't download, in a message you weren't notified about in a app that doesn't show there was a notification.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I had to return mine also had a few annoyances that I could not put up with, I had you issue which was bothering me and other small issues here and there. If they get fixed I am buying the device back.

Overall it s a solid device

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[hallux]

What a lot of people don't realize is that a Samsung device is Samsung's take on Android. It will have extra features that stock Android doesn't have (such as the unread count badges). Because Samsung is so prevalent, I think a lot of people think that's the way Android is - it isn't.

That's one of the benefits of stock Android - you can customize it almost any way you want with add-ons and apps.

 

[trekk]

What a lot of people don't realize is that a Samsung device is Samsung's take on Android. It will have extra features that stock Android doesn't have (such as the unread count badges). Because Samsung is so prevalent, I think a lot of people think that's the way Android is - it isn't.

That's one of the benefits of stock Android - you can customize it almost any way you want with add-ons and apps.

I agree with you your absolutely right

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[mchockeyvette27]

I actually have had issues with texts vibrating but not actually sending me a notification. And then I'll look in the app (textra) and there will be a new message. I also do get the pixelated picture messages being sent too. It can be a little annoying at times.
Also sometimes I don't get peoples texts and they don't get mine (not too often).

However, those issues I have seen on other phones that I've owned as well. I stick with textra cause it gives me the best options that I like, even if that's the reason I'm having these issues.

I honestly don't let them bother me. Other than the not so great battery life I am getting out of this thing, I do love this phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[xiLLeNtz]

TLDR;

If you're annoyed with it then you must return it. Especially if there is a similar priced, or attainable, device that seems to be better for you.

Trust me, used to happen to me all the time when it came to smart phone cameras - I'd almost always switch back to iPhone.

 

[Aquila]

Nope. Not going to try to convince you - but Nova Launcher + Tesla will give you unread counts and I'm curious if you tried the stock Google Messenger app.

 

[bpe4]

The old OEM features versus Vanilla debate. To throw some gas on this fire, I really wonder if Vanilla Android will EVER get close to the features that are baked into the OEM versions? Is there some sort of super-secret agreement between Google and the OEMs that states Vanilla will always be 'Vanilla'.

There are such simple things such as modifying the navigation softkeys, or separate volume for notifications and ringtones, etc.. that would seem to be simple/rational features that should be in the 'base' system. However, many of you say... 'So what! just download an app to do it...'. Well personally, I would rather have these features baked into the OS where we know it's clean versus depending on some shady app by a developer named 'Sergey Malatov' which you have no idea what it does beyond the feature you want.

Don't get me wrong... I love Vanilla Android, but I wish it wasn't so Vanilla because the OEM's have come up with so many great features in the past 3-4 years that Google should have added some of them by now into the base system.

 

[Feldon]

What a lot of people don't realize is that a Samsung device is Samsung's take on Android.

Samsung soured me so bad on Android I bought a Microsoft Lumia 950XL. Great phone and beautiful camera, but the app support is terribad. So now I'm looking at a Nexus 6P or LG 4G to replace the Samsung Galaxy S5 I currently HATE and wondering do I want to jump back in the Android pool or go back to iPhone (3GS, 4, and 5 owner).

 

[syspry]

I won't try to convince you either because you either feel a phone is amazing without hesitation or you don't. For me I had that feeling from the minute I took it out of the box and set it up and still do today. Some people will focus really hard on one or two things they don't specifically like and let that be their main yard stick for liking a phone. No phone is going to check every single box for someone, but this checks so many of mine more than any previous phone I've owned. I'm not going to tell them what to like or dislike so while I respect their method of making purchase decisions, I still disagree with it.

 

[Tadrift]

The old OEM features versus Vanilla debate. To throw some gas on this fire, I really wonder if Vanilla Android will EVER get close to the features that are baked into the OEM versions? Is there some sort of super-secret agreement between Google and the OEMs that states Vanilla will always be 'Vanilla'.

There are such simple things such as modifying the navigation softkeys, or separate volume for notifications and ringtones, etc.. that would seem to be simple/rational features that should be in the 'base' system. However, many of you say... 'So what! just download an app to do it...'. Well personally, I would rather have these features baked into the OS where we know it's clean versus depending on some shady app by a developer named 'Sergey Malatov' which you have no idea what it does beyond the feature you want.

Don't get me wrong... I love Vanilla Android, but I wish it wasn't so Vanilla because the OEM's have come up with so many great features in the past 3-4 years that Google should have added some of them by now into the base system.

I don't think you are far off with what you said of Google not stepping on OEM's toes with extra features. That is certainly part of Googles reasons. Also, I think Android is guided by geeks and developers who build simple things the way they would want them. Google in general is run this way and is in part why it successful. This is also why it has taken so long for Android to look good from a design standpoint. They had to bring in a designer specifically because the team in place didn't understand it.

 

[Tadrift]

I really want to love this phone. And I do really like the screen, and battery life and the smoothness of it, but it's the little things that are bothering me.

With my past Galaxy S6 if there was a notification through an app like messenger or words with friends there would be a little red dot with the number over the app. I can't see or get that on this phone.

I've tried 4 messenger apps and none runs seamlessly. Either a picture from a friend won't download (and I've been on with verizon and 2 Google help calls and it still doesn't work with messenger +) Or the emojis won't work correctly or the photos sent have to be manually downloaded instead of just showing up like in GoSMSpro. Textra is ok but when I want to send a photo the gallery is all jumbled and not compartmentalized correctly. And sometimes I get a vibration and sometimes I don't and sometimes I get the notification of a text and sometimes I don't. It's crazy frustrating.

I've tried Nova Launcher and Action Launcher and I really like them but they don't always help with the notifications.

So am I being petty? I don't want to sound like it but it's just frustrating when you get sent a pic you can't download, in a message you weren't notified about in a app that doesn't show there was a notification.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You are not alone in wanting the extra features that the OEM's have put into Android. People often wonder why OEM's won't go stock. Now you know. Samsung keeps a lot of its users by offering features no one else has and that their customers don't want to lose.

To answer the OP's question. Dump the 6P. It will fester until you hate it. Nothing wrong with saying you like Samsungs Overlay and can't live without some of the features. I have a LG G3 that is still running stock because I can't find Apps that works as well as Quicknotes or a Camera App that can take equal pictures to stock LG, otherwise I would have already rooted and done a Vanilla stock ROM

 

[Feldon]

You are not alone in wanting the extra features that the OEM's have put into Android. People often wonder why OEM's won't go stock. Now you know. Samsung keeps a lot of its users by offering features no one else has and that their customers don't want to lose.

It cuts both ways. Samsung's grossly sluggish TouchWiz and other unnecessary modifications have just about scared me off from Android altogether.

I wonder if Google realizes how much of their platform they've lost control of?

 

[Almeuit]

It cuts both ways. Samsung's grossly sluggish TouchWiz and other unnecessary modifications have just about scared me off from Android altogether.

I wonder if Google realizes how much of their platform they've lost control of?

Google has Android as open-source so they allow some modification. They will never have 100% control on every little aspect like Apple and I don't think they want to. If companies get too heavy (like Samsung) they tell them to dial it back. Samsung's Touchwiz is actually not that bad now since they were told by Google to calm it down. Have you tried it on a more recent device ?

 

[Tadrift]

It cuts both ways. Samsung's grossly sluggish TouchWiz and other unnecessary modifications have just about scared me off from Android altogether.

I wonder if Google realizes how much of their platform they've lost control of?

That is a reasonable statement. Google is stuck in a bit of a pickle. The very foundation of being open source limits what they have control over. They will never be like Apple or MS in that sense, which is good and bad. The market itself dictates what these manufacturers do with Android. Enough people dislike TW, guess what Samsung will lose sales. I like that better then having Apple or MS dictate what I want and forcing it down my throat.