Bell Sensation: speakerphone quality

[andy957]

So I got the Sensation from Bell over the weekend, as with a 3-yr contract (I know, in Canada it's 3 not 2 yrs like in the US) they were offering the phone for $0 at Future Shop.

The phone looks beautiful. I like the look and feel, I like Sense 3.0 very much compared to other Androids.

However I am finding the quality of the speakerphone to be less than desirable. I had it cranked up to maximum while watching a YouTube video (Lady Gaga "Bad Romance") that sounds very loud and crisp on my BlackBerry or Nexus S or iPhone 4 but is really poor on this device.

Did I get a bad unit or is this a known issue with the Sensation? Is it software- or hardware-related, do you think? If it's software-related, I think I could wait for an update but if it's a hardware thing, i.e. can't be fixed on this model, then I might return it, even though it was completely free.

Coming from a BlackBerry, whose speakerphone is the best in quality, hands down (IMHO), this is surprising for me.

Would like to hear people's reactions and experiences. Thank you in advance.

P.S. I also find the screen to be a little "laggy", whereas in YouTube video reviews it appears to be very, very fluid.

 

[david7598]

It will all be fixed in the 2.3.4 update the US got the update not to long ago. So I'm sure you'll get it eventually.

 

[andy957]

Thanks David. Bell has already pushed out the 2.3.4 update...which I downloaded and installed the same day I got the phone.

**EDIT: Sorry, I misspoke. The phone is still on 2.3.3.

 

[danperde]

Thanks David. Bell has already pushed out the 2.3.4 update...which I downloaded and installed the same day I got the phone.

It's a software issue. Do what almost anyone here did: download Volume+, you can adjust a lot of settings in it (for speaker, headset, bluetooth). After I installed it, I can finally hear my phone. Be careful with the settings though, if you go all the way up you could burn your speaker. You can find the app in the market for $1.62, or you can download it here, on the developer's site for free. I hope this helps.

 

[aNYthing24]

Even with the 2.3.4 update and Volume+, the speaker isn't all that great. Probably the biggest downside to the phone.

 

[debsterz3]

Yea I agree....

 

[spark032207#WN]

This is one of my biggest complaints about the phone as well... I guess one can't have it all?