I've had the phone for a little over a week now and while I love it there are a few problems with it that I just can't stand. At the top of the listen is the reception. I constantly have 1 to 2 bars and sometimes none at all yet my old phone always had 2 to 3 bars and rarely had no bars. It's really annoying, I'm not sure if its fixable but I drop calls more often now and the GPS doesn't even seem to work! I hoped the recent update would have fixed the reception issue but no dice. Also I'm not too found of the keyboard but thats a minor issue that I'm sure I could get used to over time but unless the reception issue is fixed asap I will return it before my 30 days are up. Anyone else having this problem?
Thinking about returning my Fascinate
- Thread starter Icedogyo
- Start date
I guess I take for granted that I live in the DFW metroplex with great coverage everywhere I'm at... I haven't had a single dropped call since getting this phone..
Also, I've never been one to care a single thing about what my "bars" look like for signal strength (again, probably because I take for granted my location and coverage) ... I just let the phone do what it needs to do... sometimes i notice 4 bars.. sometimes 1.. sometimes none.. but it never seems to affect me to the point that the phone will not operate...
Also, I've never been one to care a single thing about what my "bars" look like for signal strength (again, probably because I take for granted my location and coverage) ... I just let the phone do what it needs to do... sometimes i notice 4 bars.. sometimes 1.. sometimes none.. but it never seems to affect me to the point that the phone will not operate...
I have no problem with my reception, really.. no different from the other Android phones I've gone through. GPS didn't work for me at first either, but if you run the GPS Test app, the GPS will then work flawlessly (or it should). I bought SwiftKey (keyboard) for whatever- $1 or whatever it was- and I like it a lot better. Swype is also pretty decent, which came with it. No phone is perfect, and I definitely have some beef with this phone too (what's up with the battery draining 20% for a 7 minute phone call....?), but smartphones always have their issues. It just depends on what problems really bother you. If you get a different Android phone, you'll just have potentially different issues. But good luck finding a perfect fit. 
I have no problem with my reception, really.. no different from the other Android phones I've gone through. GPS didn't work for me at first either, but if you run the GPS Test app, the GPS will then work flawlessly (or it should). I bought SwiftKey (keyboard) for whatever- $1 or whatever it was- and I like it a lot better. Swype is also pretty decent, which came with it. No phone is perfect, and I definitely have some beef with this phone too (what's up with the battery draining 20% for a 7 minute phone call....?), but smartphones always have their issues. It just depends on what problems really bother you. If you get a different Android phone, you'll just have potentially different issues. But good luck finding a perfect fit.
I haven't tried swift key or GPS Test App yet. I will give this phone another try after I install them and update this thread. I still hope Verizon fixes the reception issues though =(
Samsungs on Verizon are always poor performers in terms of reception.
I wouldn't expect the signal reception to change. Update or not.
I'm not effected by it because I'm in a metro area and don't travel that much. When I do travel to very poor service areas, I activate my e815.
Generally speaking though, Samsungs also have some of the lowest sar ratings- in other words, less radiation.
I don't know the rating on the Fascinate, but I'm sure it's less them any other Android on Verizon.
[tapatalk on android]
I wouldn't expect the signal reception to change. Update or not.
I'm not effected by it because I'm in a metro area and don't travel that much. When I do travel to very poor service areas, I activate my e815.
Generally speaking though, Samsungs also have some of the lowest sar ratings- in other words, less radiation.
I don't know the rating on the Fascinate, but I'm sure it's less them any other Android on Verizon.
[tapatalk on android]
I have no problem with my reception, really.. no different from the other Android phones I've gone through. GPS didn't work for me at first either, but if you run the GPS Test app, the GPS will then work flawlessly (or it should). I bought SwiftKey (keyboard) for whatever- $1 or whatever it was- and I like it a lot better. Swype is also pretty decent, which came with it. No phone is perfect, and I definitely have some beef with this phone too (what's up with the battery draining 20% for a 7 minute phone call....?), but smartphones always have their issues. It just depends on what problems really bother you. If you get a different Android phone, you'll just have potentially different issues. But good luck finding a perfect fit.
How does the GPS Test app fix the GPS issues? Mine is random - sometimes it finds me right away and sometimes it just hangs. Really annoying.
Switfkey is a matter of preference- maybe you won't like it. Did you know you could use Swype on your phone also? That actually came pre-installed. It's also loads better than the stock keyboard.
I don't know how it fixes it. But what I did was install and run GPS Test for like 5 minutes or so. I sat my phone on my windowsill and it located all of the satellites. I haven't had to run the app again but now my GPS suddenly works. Prior to running GPS Test, when I tried to put an address in Google Nav, it "searched" for my location and never found it. Can't explain how it fixed it, but it just did! (Got the tip on this forum somewhere, btw.)
I'm sorta in the same boat, spent the past 2 years on an iPhone and always had good coverage at home. Now, on Verizon's supposedly superior network, I'm 1 to 2 bars at best. Not that I really care about the bars, as calls seem to be fine, but it's usually -106dBm and I'm not sure how much that's effecting battery life. The phone looses about 15% charge just sitting idle overnight where my iPhone lost virtually nothing. By mid-day, I'm under 50% and I'm stone dead by 7 to 8pm, where my 2 year old iPhone would normally still have 60 to 70% battery life. On top of the signal strength issue, the GPS doesn't work for squat.
And then there's the main reason I ditched the iPhone - because I don't want some CEO dictating how I may or may not use *MY* phone, only to have another CEO tell me what search engines I may and may not use. That's been mostly rectified, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I really want to like this phone, but it's challenging, and that in itself is a failure.
And then there's the main reason I ditched the iPhone - because I don't want some CEO dictating how I may or may not use *MY* phone, only to have another CEO tell me what search engines I may and may not use. That's been mostly rectified, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I really want to like this phone, but it's challenging, and that in itself is a failure.
Where do you check signal strength?
I too am in the same boat. I use the pda portion of my smart phones more than the phone side. I find the work arounds to get google installed, while doable, is pretty frustrating. I read somewhat conflicting info on the froyo upgrade. While they all say google search will be available, some posts say it would never be the default engine (ie, soft key?), but I guess you can find it and paste the widget somewhere.
I'm leaning towards the Droid X. Larger screen, more flash memory, but the camera is supposed to be worse (even though it's more pixels) and not as readable as the fascinate in day light. Sigh, tough choices....
I too am in the same boat. I use the pda portion of my smart phones more than the phone side. I find the work arounds to get google installed, while doable, is pretty frustrating. I read somewhat conflicting info on the froyo upgrade. While they all say google search will be available, some posts say it would never be the default engine (ie, soft key?), but I guess you can find it and paste the widget somewhere.
I'm leaning towards the Droid X. Larger screen, more flash memory, but the camera is supposed to be worse (even though it's more pixels) and not as readable as the fascinate in day light. Sigh, tough choices....
prakash99
Well-known member
- Aug 15, 2010
- 1,637
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The same thing does not work for everyone across the board. So obviously, fascinate will not work for some depending on their location, their preferences, needs, etc. I, for one, am happy with my fascinate even without rooting it. I am in New Hampshire - not in metro area - and I am still getting strong signals and haven't dropped a single call. And GPS worked like magic for me from the day one. I really like the device and I am lucky to have no reception/gps problems.
I'm reasonable (or at least I think I am) with my expectations. I know no device will be perfect, but the cumulative issues with the Fascinate are becoming too much to overlook. There's the hardware/software issues of poor signal strength, non-functional GPS and hearing feedback/echo through the earpiece. One or two of these I could overlook, live with and/or expect to be solved with a software update. But then there's the carrier imposed issues of bloatware, nag-ware (CityID) and mandatory use of Bing for some search options. These are harder to overlook since they're completely unnecessary and completely opposed to the interests of the customer.
I don't have the echo problem, GPS works fine when I ran GPS Test, and you can download Google as I did and just hide Bing via Launcher Pro so you never have to deal with it. I don't know, I feel like the issues (minus no LED and my headphones not working for a call) are fixable. *shrug*
In my experience the bars lie. Even with 1 bar, or the sporadic fluctuation in bars, I have yet to drop a call in either case. The reception on this phone is as good, if not better than any other Verizon smartphone I've owned.
I agree with Cory. I've stopped looking at the bars. If I set the phone next to my D1, the D1 will have 4 bars compared to the 1 or 2 on the Fascinate. But the call quality is the same. So I just started ignoring the bars and forgot all about it, much like the message indicator light
I know, and I've done much of that, but the dedicated search button still routes through Bing if you're in the browser. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I'm forced to replace so many apps on the phone just so I can have my choice of search engines:
I have to replace the main interface (TouchWiz) with a 3rd party one just so I can use the Google search widget. That says that TouchWiz was specifically programmed for Verizon to prevent the Google search widget from being able to be placed on the screen (since it's available on other carrier's Galaxy S phones). In other words, Verizon made the decision that I will not be allowed to use the Google search widget on the stock phone. Sounds awfully Apple-like to me.
Same goes for the web browser - I have to replace it with a 3rd party browser because the stock one was specifically programmed to use Bing as a search engine when the dedicated search button on the phone is pressed, and there's no way to change that.
I left AT&T/Apple to get away from exactly this kind of nonsense, and I'm not too pleased to find the same thing, if not worse, on Verizon.
I agree one shouldn't go by the display of bars, and my calls have been fine too, but at -106dBm it IS a rather week signal, and I'm concerned that this is contributing to my short battery life.
thetaylor310
Well-known member
- Sep 11, 2010
- 58
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i've been a Verizon customer for a little more than four years now and have generally stayed away from Samsung phones (ironically though i'm Korean) because of their in-call sound quality. i found them to be quite weak and quiet
i was apprehensive of getting the Fascinate at first for that reason. However, it's pretty dang loud and i'm happy that i've havent had a call drop
Battery life... i expected it to be poor with a smartphone and all its features, so no biggie to me
All in all, no regrets for me
i was apprehensive of getting the Fascinate at first for that reason. However, it's pretty dang loud and i'm happy that i've havent had a call drop
Battery life... i expected it to be poor with a smartphone and all its features, so no biggie to me
All in all, no regrets for me
My signal bars also fluctuate but I haven't had any dropped calls or problems with the internet. With my blackberry, I would have 3 bars constantly but I did drop calls.
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