Trying to think of one good reason to keep the S5...

[CKR83]

... but other than the fact that AT&T will screw me out of yet more money, I'm having a hard time doing so.

I have an S5 with Kitcrap from AT&T (comments of, "Well, it's your own fault for going with AT&T" are not useful, so don't bother). I went to the S5 from an iPhone 5 because I had a Galaxy Note 8 and I loved it (It too, is now mostly useless thanks to KitCrap and AT&T -- however replacing it is easier).

Seems like it was a big mistake to go to the S5.
AT&T locked the boot loader, so I can't root it. Google crippled the device with Kitkat crippleware and the SD card is mostly useless for what I want it for (Again, don't bother pointing to cloud 'solutions' Congrats for you if you're never without a network connection, but some of us aren't that lucky. And don't even think of going with the 'security' argument as there isn't one. Imagine using a windows program that could only access a single directory on a single drive -- sometimes.).
The Bluetooth barely works to connect with my car (the iPhone was flawless) to play music and only mostly works with phone calls. Not even plugging the phone in with the USB cable makes the music player actually work correctly. I never was able to find a way to transfer the hundred or so playlists I had from iTunes, and even if I did, every single solitary time I've tried to use the phone to play music in my car, it's either frozen up or plays only the one song I started with. I've taken to using my old iPhone to play my music. And yes, I've tried a bunch of different players.

The phone is slooow, thanks to the AT&T crapware that I'm forced to use, but since I've turned off a whole bunch of stuff, at least it doesn't overheat anymore.

The phone needs to be rebooted fairly often, otherwise my apps don't work and it won't connect to my home network.

The camera works so slowly that half the time the moment is over before I can get the picture.

Not even the lockscreen aps work right -- unless you want to install an app that will put an overlay on the lock screen. Then you get to do TWO things to unlock your phone, and since the phone already responds so slowly while I'm trying to unlock it (half the time I have to put in the code two and three times since taps on the screen simply don't register), I'd rather not add yet something else to the mix.

Yes, it makes calls, and yes I can send texts, so that's something, but this experience has been so bitterly disappointing (and expensive), that I'm furious and I just want the phone gone. Unfortunately, it's going to cost me hundreds to switch it out, and close to a thousand to dump AT&T.

 

[Aquila]

It definitely sounds like you have a lemon of a device. If you have the ability to return it, I'd do so. The only part of this that is fixable by not using a different device is importing your itunes music - Google Play Music has an easy to use import tool on their desktop app; that syncs it to your Google Play Music app across all devices and you can pin them as you choose to your devices.

 

[CKR83]

It's just the way an AT&T S5 with Kitcrap fits (or doesn't) with my needs. And yes, AT&T will graciously let me return it -- for $300 plus tax. Then I get to buy another phone. Which I'll get to pay full price for. yay.

 

[dann127]

Personally it sounds like an Android phone running Kit-Kat was never going to be good enough. The fact you most likely got a lemon is unfortunate but it probably would have been worth contacting the manufacturer instead of going through AT&T. It probably would have saved you some money and might have improved the performance of your S5 if you did indeed have a bad unit. That said I still think, from everything you said, that an S5 was never going to be good enough. Sorry you had a bad experience. I've played around with the S5 and enjoyed the experience quite a bit.

Enjoy whatever phone you end up getting next!

 

[AZgl1500]

I realize that the phone seems to be bothering you a bit, but 4.4.4 is really not that bad.
I've with Verizon and they are neck and neck with AT&T for tying things down pretty good.

But, I am able to turn off any of their apps if I want to, so it really don't matter. The physical size of the apps is not a real issue either.

I turned off Animations and all Motion sensing stuff, I have no use for it personally.
MacroDroid turns off the internet when the phone is idle/screen locked so the battery lasts for a long time.

We have two of the S5s here, the wife and mine. I have MacroDroid on both of them and we go for days and days between charges.

The phones seem to be snappy enough for what I expect. Maybe for someone else, they would think it has a lot of "drag".
I have the phone configured to turn off apps when I am not using them, and again that extends the battery life a bit.

Make sure you install MyPhoneExplorer on that thing, it just could save your bacon some day in the future.

ES File Explorer is a very good file manager app, it will move a lot of stuff to the SD card. Just create a folder on the SD card with that app, and then you can copy anything you want to that folder.

 

[BerryBubbles]

I realize that on your list, this is a minor thing, but when I turned off Picture Stabilization in the camera settings, the speed of the camera really increased.

I'm truly sorry this has been such a negative experience for you.

 

[Rukbat]

1) The locked bootloader doesn't prevent rooting - someone finding a root exploit for post-June 2, 2014 kernels does. (My locked bootloader Note 3, with 4.4.2 KitKat is rooted, but the kernel date is March something, so Towel Root rooted it.)

2) The SD card us usable - as soon as you root the phone. (I keep Helium backups and all my Safestrap backups on it.) There are a few apps that make it part of the media group, if you want to save media files on it (and a few Linux tricks to mount it writable by everyone).

3) Car audio. An iPhone appears to the USB connector as an mp3 player. An Android phone doesn't. (Bet your car won't run on Diesel fuel either, or run 24 volt devices. You can't plug an MTP device into an mp3 input and expect it to work.)

Bluetooth? The standard is so loose that some phones don't work on some car radios, even though they both have "media" profiles. But the S5 works with many car audio systems.

4) Audio files. There are apps and programs to transfer music playlists (including the music files they point to) successfully from iPhone to Android. They work. (I don't use my phone for music, so I don't keep links to any - but they exist. I think Double Twist is one of them, but about the worst one from what I've read here in passing.)

5) Camera. Find a faster app. The apps that come on the phone are generally the worst of that kind of app. Users who write apps write one app and they don't put in all the things that bother them about the stock app.

6) Slow? Bring the phone back. If there's something wrong with the phone as an S5, not comparing it to an iPhone, AT&T will fix or replace it. Ask your local store where the Device Support Center is and go there. (Be prepared to read something, you have to wait your turn, and they'll spend as much time with the guy ahead of you as he needs to solve his problem - then do the same for you.) I've had them apologize for having to give me a new phone. (It's why I pay a little more for AT&T - a LOT more service.) Just don't go in already expecting that they can't help you. Be polite. Ask for help, don't insist on it. (They once connected my phone to their store wifi - it's secured, they wouldn't even let me watch them type in the password - when I was having wifi problems [which turned out to be that the Note 3 on 4.4.2 has a problem with TKIP, which is easily fixed by using a router that does it right, and that's not one of the big 2].)

7) "The phone needs to be rebooted fairly often, otherwise my apps don't work and it won't connect to my home network." I run my phone for weeks at a time without rebooting, and (with the help of Tasker) it disconnects from my home network when I leave home (and turns on mobile data and the lock screen, turns off USB debugging, and a few other things) and reverses the process by the time I'm home for about 2 minutes. The only time I have a problem with wifi, my wife's phone does, her laptop does, my desktop does ... Anyone want Time Warner? You can have them for free, even though they're not worth free. (See #6 for a fix - the phone's not working right or you installed a virus or rogue app.)

 

[AZgl1500]

Rukbat nailed it down solid with his post.

Attitude gets you everything.

I've been with Verizon 20+ years and have been able to get favors from them that are Against Published Policy.


Just today in fact, I reactivated my original Galaxy S (4 years old now) and added on a new line to my account.

I tried to do it online thru their website, but the website refused to assign me a new phone number for the phone.

I called up 611 and talked to a nice lady who up front apologized because as a Customer Support Representative, she is not allow to Add New Lines or Accounts... Why the apology? Because when she transferred me over to Accounts I was put into another long queue and had to wait again.

Again, immediately the new rep from Telesales Consultant | Verizon Wireless | Phone#: 800-688-XXXX ext. xxxxxx

I deleted his extension and name, told me at the end of our hour long conversation, that he would send me an email with information on how to contact him. And he did!!!

I got what I needed done w/o any heartache, and we both had a very enjoyable session. We talked about the old technology and "how long it takes to reboot", we talked about the IMEI numbers because the old Galaxy S phone had a IMEI of A00000......xxxx which places it Way Far Back in the queue of serial numbers.

I replied to his email and thanked him a lot.

 

[CKR83]

You folks are with Verizon. And I'll repeat this again: There is no way to root an AT&T S5. My kernel is post July.
Most of the "See it works!" comments are about a rooted phone, and mine isn't, and won't be because the guys who write the rooting software, aren't interested in writing it for AT&T.

As for bluetooth? My wife has a Note 2, and it works fine to play music with the car system. Ditto when I plug it into the USB connection. However, her phone isn't running kitkat. And for the record the car DOES recognize the phone as a media device, but the playback ON THE DEVICE freezes Every Single Time I use it with the car. Either bluetooth or wired. Again, this is not an issue with my wife's android phone.

I turned off tons of stuff that Samsung and AT&T 'provided' and really don't have any complaints about the battery life, so that point is moot.

I'm happy that you can run your device for weeks at a time. I can't. Plain and simple. And neither can my wife (who loves her Note).

I tried doubletwist. It doesn't work on Kitkat, plus the software that they use to transfer your music from the computer contains ad/malware called OpenCandy. They deny it's ad/malware (of course), but the rest of the internet differs. I have another app to try, but if I'm dumping this thing (at considerable cost to me), then I don't want to waste anymore time on it.

As for AT&T 'fixing' the phone, they can't. It's their crapware (and kitcripple) that are causing the issues. I'm quite familiar with software and very careful with what I install, and no, there aren't any viruses (I am running an antivirus, but they aren't perfect. Still, I haven't put a lot of apps on this thing), and no, there are no rogue programs.
If I could root this thing, I'm betting 99% of the problems would go away, and I'd be quite happy with the phone. Since I can't, I'm not.

 

[wrready2]

You can ROOT your phone ATT. it won't let me post links yet, but, check the forum and you will see. If the new note 4 can be ROOTED your phone can be.

 

[CKR83]

You can ROOT your phone ATT. it won't let me post links yet, but, check the forum and you will see. If the new note 4 can be ROOTED your phone can be.

I looked for months to find a way. The only way I found was very complicated and required reverting to a version of the OS that I don't think was ever on this phone. I found that over in XDA. Is this something that has recently come out?

If you're talking about this: http://galaxys5root.com/galaxy-s5-root/how-to-root-att-or-verizon-galaxy-s5-towelroot/ it doesn't work.

If you're talking about this, I'm not sure I want to pay for unlocking or give the IMEI number to an unknown party: http://androidcentral.us/2014/06/unlock-att-samsung-galaxy-s5/

 

[wrready2]

Towel root will work. You just have follow the instructions very carefully and set the phone back NE9 before running Towelroot. Go slow and do it step by step. It will work. Good luck.

 

[CKR83]

Towel root will work. You just have follow the instructions very carefully and set the phone back NE9 before running Towelroot. Go slow and do it step by step. It will work. Good luck.

Not sure what NE 9 is, but I can tell you that without going through a lot of complicated software gyrations (using ODIN to revert to a kernal that was never on this machine, for instance, and very possibly bricking the phone) there is no way to do this.

 

[dpham00]

Cleaned up some posts. Please keep things in topic

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

 

[CKR83]

Cleaned up some posts. Please keep things in topic

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

Thanks