To Buy - Or not to Buy

[sbutcher]

Hello folks,

I am writing this note to ask for your help. I was dead set on this phone - and about to head to Best buy to purchase and replace my POS HTC Hero - and now I am unsure. Why the change of heart you ask? Well, I went to amazon and read some reviews regarding this phone. Sorted the reviews in order of newest to oldest and I was shocked to see so many negative reviews. The big problems were:
1. Dropped or missed calls - And someone stated the phone needs to be rebooted if it loses contact with the network (Loss of Service Issue) - this is a big issue for me if true. I will need this phone to be reliable as it will be used primarily for business. I can't afford to miss client calls because the phone lost service and then turns cellular off - requiring a reboot to restore. Please tell me this is not true?!?
2. Poor data reception - partly due to subpar Samsung Antennas and also Sprints spotty coverage - I am in and out of Roam now on my Hero at work - the building has a metal roof - according to these reviews, I may not even have a signal with this phone. Obviously - very worrisome

I want this phone....but I am Very skeptical and would like some advice/opinions on these two items.

Thanks for your time.

 

[rkirmeier]

Great phone and don't regret the getting it one bit. I had LOS a few times but nothing in the last 3 weeks. I had tried an after market kernel at one point and that gave me LOS several times a day. I think it's more of a problem if you roam. The problem will be fixed at some point as it's a known problem but if I had to do it all over I would still get the same phone, without any doubt!

You should have 14 days to return it if you have the LOS problem...

 

[JayWill]

It all depends on how Sprint's coverage is in your area. More specifically, I'd say it all depends on how well THIS particular phone interacts with Sprint's coverage in your area. There is definitely a LOS bug with this phone, that I personally believe has do with a bug in the Samsung firmware that handles roaming. But it doesn't affect everyone. The only way to know if it will affect you or not is to buy the phone and use it. Otherwise, there's no way to tell. Myself, and many others have absolutely no problem with LOS or dropped calls or data signal issues. Others are plagued with it.

I believe Best Buy still has a 30 day return policy, but I'm not sure how that works now with Sprint's 14 day return policy. But within 30 days (and probably with 14 but that's a tighter squeeze), you should be able to tell if LOS is going to affect you or not, and if you have issues with signal strength and/or quality. However, if you're still on the fence about it, there's no harm in waiting to see if/when this phone receives an update that resolves these problems.

Beyond the signal related stuff (which always seems to be a recurring thing with Sprint releases), the phone is awesome. If you wind up being one of the many who doesn't experience problems, I think you'd be really happy with your purchase decision.

EDIT - Oh also, always keep in mind that people often tend to be more motivated to post negative reviews and experiences than positive ones. It's human nature. So what appears to be lopsided negative sentiment is often times more balanced, or even swing towards overly positive than it may appear.

 

[Ga101698]

Went thru the same should I shouldn't I thing, sold my EVO, jumped ship went to Verizon got a Bionic and you talk about connectivity issues.........WOW that phone........but I digress.....Picked My E4G up a couple hours ago, so far, could not be happier.

 

[kd0axs]

I would definitely recommend this phone to anyone.

Yes, there is the LOS issue, but every phone has issues with a certain number of units. All you have to do is look at forums like this to figure that out. I always like to remind people that issues like this get blown way out of proportion on these forums because people come here for help and/or to vent their frustration. They don't normally come here just to say their phone is working great. My E4GT is working flawlessly and I've never once had LOS.

Everything runs so fast and smooth on this thing, and the display blows away pretty much everything else on the market.

I upgraded from the Evo, and this thing easily gives me TRIPLE the battery life. I used to keep a charger with me at all times, and had to bring spare batteries if I was going to be away from anywhere I could plug my phone in. Right now I'm going on 10 hours of some pretty heavy usage and just got my 15% battery warning. I didn't even bother plugging it in even though I was sitting right next to an electric outlet all day. (Wife had surgery so I was sitting in a hospital room all day with nothing to keep me entertained but my phone)

As far as reception goes, I get better service on my E4GT than I ever did with the Evo. I get a decent signal and data connection with the E4GT in places my Evo wasn't usable at all.




Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

 

[dguidry12]

You will be sorry to pick this phone up in its current state. All of the issues have absolutely nothing to do with Sprints coverage but the poor build quality of Samsungs antenna's and other factors with software. I urge you not to believe the many on this forum but go on over to Sprints forum and search for the issues on that. The negative comments will outweigh the positives I promise you 10 to 1. Even Sprints top tier technical support has acknowledged 3 key problems with it and your evidence it right there in the SPrint forums. One thread on it has over 2000 comments from different users and they are not at all happy!!! Don't say I didn't warn you!

 

[dguidry12]

I would definitely recommend this phone to anyone.

Yes, there is the LOS issue, but every phone has issues with a certain number of units. All you have to do is look at forums like this to figure that out. I always like to remind people that issues like this get blown way out of proportion on these forums because people come here for help and/or to vent their frustration. They don't normally come here just to say their phone is working great. My E4GT is working flawlessly and I've never once had LOS.

Everything runs so fast and smooth on this thing, and the display blows away pretty much everything else on the market.

I upgraded from the Evo, and this thing easily gives me TRIPLE the battery life. I used to keep a charger with me at all times, and had to bring spare batteries if I was going to be away from anywhere I could plug my phone in. Right now I'm going on 10 hours of some pretty heavy usage and just got my 15% battery warning. I didn't even bother plugging it in even though I was sitting right next to an electric outlet all day. (Wife had surgery so I was sitting in a hospital room all day with nothing to keep me entertained but my phone)

As far as reception goes, I get better service on my E4GT than I ever did with the Evo. I get a decent signal and data connection with the E4GT in places my Evo wasn't usable at all.




Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

This is definetly not the average experience. The phone is none all faster than the Evo 4g or the Epic 4g and that has been proven. Just youtube Epic vs Epic touch and you can see for yourself. Real time and real user experience is much slower on many occasion because the phone factually FAILS to gain a good signal.

 

[dguidry12]

It all depends on how Sprint's coverage is in your area. More specifically, I'd say it all depends on how well THIS particular phone interacts with Sprint's coverage in your area. There is definitely a LOS bug with this phone, that I personally believe has do with a bug in the Samsung firmware that handles roaming. But it doesn't affect everyone. The only way to know if it will affect you or not is to buy the phone and use it. Otherwise, there's no way to tell. Myself, and many others have absolutely no problem with LOS or dropped calls or data signal issues. Others are plagued with it.

I believe Best Buy still has a 30 day return policy, but I'm not sure how that works now with Sprint's 14 day return policy. But within 30 days (and probably with 14 but that's a tighter squeeze), you should be able to tell if LOS is going to affect you or not, and if you have issues with signal strength and/or quality. However, if you're still on the fence about it, there's no harm in waiting to see if/when this phone receives an update that resolves these problems.

Beyond the signal related stuff (which always seems to be a recurring thing with Sprint releases), the phone is awesome. If you wind up being one of the many who doesn't experience problems, I think you'd be really happy with your purchase decision.

EDIT - Oh also, always keep in mind that people often tend to be more motivated to post negative reviews and experiences than positive ones. It's human nature. So what appears to be lopsided negative sentiment is often times more balanced, or even swing towards overly positive than it may appear.

This is more of a fair and balanced approach my friend. But the good to bad ratio is not looking to promising. Im on my 2nd about to be 3rd device after today. Maybe Ill luck up and get a good one on strike 3. If not im going to be waiting on a fresh and fast windows phone

 

[Android32]

I came from an Evo 4G to this Epic Touch. I've had it almost a month now. I've had MANY smartphones. Those is by far my fav w/out a doubt! For me, I don't regret getting it. And I paid full price... Reception is reception...I've had maybe three dropped calls in this last 26-27 days.. And I talk a lot! When Sprint added the iphone they added *LOTS** of ppl to their towers!!! Which I believe overloads there system at times.... But by the end of 2012--->2013 we (Sprint) will be LTE Advanced.... And then, it'll be time to grab a LTE phone. But for now, couldn't be happier!

Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using Tapatalk!

 

[kd0axs]

This is definetly not the average experience.

Actually, I beg to differ. I know you are very unhappy with yours. You've made that well known, and you are certainly entitled to do so. However, if you look at actual user reviews, you will see that the vast majority of people are happy with their E4GTs.

Just a few examples:

Amazon - 33/49 people gave 4 or 5 star reviews, 29 of which were 5 stars.

CNET - 37/43 people gave 4 or 5 star reviews, 32 of which were 5 stars. Only 6/43 people gave it less than 4 stars.

Let's Talk - Average user rating is 4.3/5 stars with 21 reviews.

Best Buy - Average of 4.8/5 stars with 32 reviews. 94% would recommend.

reviews.sprint.com - Average of 4.6/5 stars with 164 reviews. 89% would recommend.

reviews.us.samsung.com - Average of 4.7/5 stars with 321 reviews. 94% would recommend.


Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

 

[Android32]

Well put. Shine some actual numbers on it from reliable sources instead of just talking.... E4GT!!!! Its a beast! :-D

Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using tapatalk...

 

[JayWill]

This is more of a fair and balanced approach my friend. But the good to bad ratio is not looking to promising. Im on my 2nd about to be 3rd device after today. Maybe Ill luck up and get a good one on strike 3. If not im going to be waiting on a fresh and fast windows phone

More? I'm always that way. I will always point out the issues that SOME people are having. But just because SOME people are experiencing problems doesn't mean the phone is trash, the radios are made out of tin foil, the battery sucks, or Samsung is the devil in disguise. Plenty of people, including myself are having and demonstrating excellent results with this phone, better than with any other device we've ever used.

Are the problems important? You bet your ass they are! I want them fixed as much as the people who are experiencing them. But I will continue to challenge you as long as you choose to shout from the rooftops that your phone and your experience with it sucks so everyone else's must too.

 

[sincityk9]

Came from evo.. This phone rocks.. I use it for work.. It's blazing fast and does everything well.. Get it and try it out. Love my evo but it's so much faster.

 

[eric3316]

This is definetly not the average experience. The phone is none all faster than the Evo 4g or the Epic 4g and that has been proven. Just youtube Epic vs Epic touch and you can see for yourself. Real time and real user experience is much slower on many occasion because the phone factually FAILS to gain a good signal.

This quote right here should tell you how credible our neighborhood troll is.

The E4GT is the fastest Sprint phone out right now, heck it is probably the fastest Android phone right now and that is a proven fact based on usage and specs. This is one thing that cannot be argued and someone saying the EVO 4G or the original Epic is just as fast is seriously just a troll and should only be looked at as a clown in these forums.

As far as LOS, my advice right now is not to root your phone. Yes some people claim to get it stock but most people see it once they are rooted. I have had the phone over a month and a half now and have not had a single LOS and I have not rooted it yet.

I also do not have any signal issues. Calls sound crystal clear. Now the EVO 3D, you want to talk about bad reception!

Also, battery life is wonderful on this phone......Like others have said, you have 14 days to try it out, just don't root it in that time to truly test the phone. If you do and then see problems, you can't really fault the device then.

 

[sbutcher]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to provide such great feedback. There are problems with every phone out there....bottom line. But the way I look at it, and supported by all of you, is that the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Therefore, I am all in. Will hopefully make the transition tonight.

BTW - Going to take advantage of the Best Buy deal that expires Saturday....Get the Epic for $199 and get a Samsung Bluray for free. Since Best Buy also matches competitors pricing, I should be able to get it for 178.88 which is what Sams Club currently has it listed for. Was unable to find anything cheaper in store (Excluding online which BB will not match).

Thanks again!!!

 

[daryelv]

If you use the phone for business I would NOT buy it in it's current state. I bought the phone on Sept 19th and have been on the phone with Sprint 100's of hours plus in chat and also submitted complaints to the BBB.

I bought the phone on Sept 19th, ran into LOS issues immediately and started calling tech support. After they did 3 hard resets they said to get the phone replaced which I did. I got my second one on Sept 23rd and had LOS issues immediately with it as well. Also called tech support immediately and went through multiple hard resets plus visits to a Sprint store to have the phone looked at. I was told (multiple times, multiple calls) they were having network problems in my area and that my phone was fine. I argued that my wife's phone (a Nexus 4g) should also be having the same issues if it was a network issue, but arguing logic to someone at Sprint is impossible.

On day 14 I requested a replacement phone (Photon or Evo 3D) which I was denied. I requested to return my E4GT which they said I was on Day 18 because they said it went off the original first phone, not the second one. The next day I called again to complain about my LOS issues and they said I should just keep rebooting it when I saw it had a problem and that a fix was on the way. Wait! A fix??? So they acknowledged the phone has an issue in the first place and yet they won't replace phones for customers when phones are not doing their primary function (make/receive phone calls).

So, another month has gone by with many more phone calls to Sprint complaining about this phone and a complaint entered with the BBB which had gone nowhere. The last resort I have is through legal means.

I use the phone for business, I NEED reliability. The phone has been proven to be unreliable (documented by Sprint!). I would say do not get this phone if you need something reliable.

-Daryel

 

[JayWill]

As far as LOS, my advice right now is not to root your phone. Yes some people claim to get it stock but most people see it once they are rooted. I have had the phone over a month and a half now and have not had a single LOS and I have not rooted it yet.

I certainly respect your opinion eric, but I believe very strongly that the reason LOS was associated with root was because the first root method out of the gate for this phone was one that packaged root (the SU binary) with a modified kernel compiled off the source code Samsung provided ... Zedomax specifically. daryelv's post above is a perfect example of someone who experienced massive LOS out of the box. If you used sfhub's root method, or rooted via the stock-pulled kernel packaged with CWM and flashed Superuser afterwards and did nothing else, I'm very confident that you would not increase your chances, or even see LOS if you weren't already.

I use the phone for business, I NEED reliability. The phone has been proven to be unreliable (documented by Sprint!). I would say do not get this phone if you need something reliable.

I feel for you man ... I really do. But while your recommendation is obviously based on your personal experience which is always valid, there's a very good chance that new buyers of this device will not experience anything close to your nightmare scenario. Still, as I said elsewhere, I really hope SamSprint gets a fix out soon.

Again this begs the question ... why are so many having LOS issues right out of the box, while so many others are not? One could argue that the phone is defective, but daryelv's experience above showed the same LOS behavior immediately after a replacement. Two defective phones? Possible, but unlikely. So what is it? Obviously it's Sprint's network in various areas of the country. Who knows what the difference is. Maybe some areas rely heavily on towers leased from other companies, and something about the configuration at those towers causes the issue. Or maybe it's the other way around! Maybe it's Sprint's towers. The bottom line is, something is obviously wrong, and something about Samsung's firmware is not playing nice with certain signal configurations around the country.

I say, buy the phone and try it. Try to drive to all of the locations in your area that you frequent. If you get LOS within the first week, there's an extremely good chance that it's not going to get better until a fix rolls out, and red warning sirens should be going off in your head telling you to return the phone.

 

[vincey2kr1]

Have not had a LOS, i think it just boils down to possibly the area you are in. This phone without a doubt is the best phone on sprint. I came from the evo and Ive tried the photon, pentile screen is horrible and motolag err blur just didnt do it for me. The exynos processor, camera and screen on this phone is excellent! Sure it could use some improvements, the signal reception isnt the best but I find it just as good or just a few decibels less then my evo or the photon. I have a wilson 3watt booster that I picked up from bestbuy for $100 bucks and It works great in a metal building.

 

[TheMacs]

JayWill - I think dguidry meant "more" relative to the other post, not to what you normally post.

My .02: JayWill's assistance is of far greater value.

Does seem like the LOS is pretty hit or miss, but is an issue. If it helps some, re-boots are pretty fast. (I know, I'm in the can't-leave-well-enough-alone camp. )

Sounds like you're gonna get a pretty good deal too boot.