Thoughts after 18 days with the HTC Merge

[Joe the Insider]

Where did you buy it?

 

[jtowndawg]

At my local Alltel store. They have had it for almost 2 months now.

 

[hilgerone]

Jtown--I see my US Cellular is supposed to be picking up the Merge in a few days. I'm coming off of a BB Bold and have a few questions for you.

What BB did you have previously?

Do you know what version of HTC Sense the merge has?

I've been also considering holding out for the new Galaxy S ii and have watched a few videos showing where TouchWiz has the options to create folders that you can organize apps/functions in. Does the Merge have that option?

How is the dialer? I tried an Alltel HTC Hero about a year ago and the dialer sometimes took 30+ seconds from the time I hit send till when it actually placed the call. Didn't know if that was a fault in Sense or the Hero's hardware.

Coming from a BB you of course were used to dependable battery life. How would you rate the merge? Comparable? I don't have a problem charging every night but it needs to at least make it through the day with average use.

When you had your BB, were you addicted to keyboard shortcuts as I am? With the default BB shortcuts and QuickLaunch I could fly around all of the BB's functions. How has that transition went for you? Thats part of the reason I wondered about the folders so that I could save some swiping through homescreens to get to what I want efficiently.

And finally, are you still overall happy with the phone? Do you wish you could have the Milestone X with 4.3 screen or are you satisfied with the 3.8 on the Merge? (of course it probably still seems huge compared to your BB!)

Thanks!

 

[jtowndawg]

Jtown--I see my US Cellular is supposed to be picking up the Merge in a few days. I'm coming off of a BB Bold and have a few questions for you.

What BB did you have previously?

Do you know what version of HTC Sense the merge has?

I've been also considering holding out for the new Galaxy S ii and have watched a few videos showing where TouchWiz has the options to create folders that you can organize apps/functions in. Does the Merge have that option?

How is the dialer? I tried an Alltel HTC Hero about a year ago and the dialer sometimes took 30+ seconds from the time I hit send till when it actually placed the call. Didn't know if that was a fault in Sense or the Hero's hardware.

Coming from a BB you of course were used to dependable battery life. How would you rate the merge? Comparable? I don't have a problem charging every night but it needs to at least make it through the day with average use.

When you had your BB, were you addicted to keyboard shortcuts as I am? With the default BB shortcuts and QuickLaunch I could fly around all of the BB's functions. How has that transition went for you? Thats part of the reason I wondered about the folders so that I could save some swiping through homescreens to get to what I want efficiently.

And finally, are you still overall happy with the phone? Do you wish you could have the Milestone X with 4.3 screen or are you satisfied with the 3.8 on the Merge? (of course it probably still seems huge compared to your BB!)

Thanks!

I had a curve 8330 and I'm not sure what version number of sence the merge has but it is not the newest on that they are talking about ripping things put of now but it is newer than the hero. I don't think that the newest sense that I'm talking about is out yet or if it is its on just one phone so its up to date. I think the new sense is for dual core phones only.

Yes you can create folders on the merge, I have one on my home screen for all of my games.

The dialer connects within 2-4 seconds. A little slower than my berry but worth the wait and not 30 seconds ever.

Now battery life. It is not even in the same ball park as my curve. I could go 2 days some times with out charging it. With the merge you need to buy a charger for your car and one for work if you work long hours like I have to. I am a heavy user even at work so I would say it will last 8-12 hours of heavy use and it will last a day of normal use. My friend bought the milestone x and it looks like the merge has better battery life. The best thing I can tell you is to have a charger near by like I do and it doesn't bother me al all. I run live wall paper and things that make it worst but it is not a problem for me to plug it in.

As for the key board short cuts on the merge. If you like them on you bold you will be very happy with the merge. It has a key called AP1 than is dedicated to it and you can set up as may as you like where all you have to do is press menu and the letter you assigned it to. You won't get that on a touch screen phone that doesn't have the phycial key board.

Over all I am very happy with my Merge and I would not trade it for the milestone x. My friend that bought the MX wishes he bought he merge because he also had a blackberry and doesn't like typing on the screen. I would like to have the bigger screen but not at the sacrifice of the keyboard.

I hope this helps and if you come up with any more questions let me know.

 

[hilgerone]

I called my USC guy and he said they should be getting them tomorrow so I'm going to swing by Saturday and check it out.

And I do have a couple more questions.

Is the folder option on it "stock" or did you download an app for that?

Hows the typing going moving from the tight BB to the spread out keyboard?

Build quality is pretty solid?

Also, how does the screen hold up in the sun? I work outside a lot and it needs to be at least readable without having to shade it with the other hand. I assume it has a auto bright/dimming feature for the screen too?

Sounds promising with the keyboard shortcuts. That is one of the biggest things I missed when I went to the Hero from my 8330.

Thanks for the quick reply and info!

 

[jtowndawg]

I called my USC guy and he said they should be getting them tomorrow so I'm going to swing by Saturday and check it out.

And I do have a couple more questions.

Is the folder option on it "stock" or did you download an app for that?

Hows the typing going moving from the tight BB to the spread out keyboard?

Build quality is pretty solid?

Also, how does the screen hold up in the sun? I work outside a lot and it needs to be at least readable without having to shade it with the other hand. I assume it has a auto bright/dimming feature for the screen too?

Sounds promising with the keyboard shortcuts. That is one of the biggest things I missed when I went to the Hero from my 8330.

Thanks for the quick reply and info!

The folder option is stock and works well. You can long press on the home screen that you want to put it on and it is one of the options to place on the home screen. Then you just drag and drop the app you want in it. The only thing I don't like is that after you set all of that up and you open the folder and then click on the app the folder doesn't close by itsel. After you leave the app and look at the home screen the folder is still open and you have to close it. Not a big deal but but on my curve the folder would close by itself.

The keyboard took some getting used to at first because the middle keys like g and h were a bit of a stretch but after a week or two I like it better for two hand typing. One hand typing is impossible. For that I use the on screen keyboard which is to say if it is more than a word I don't do it.

The build quality is great. Very solid and tight in the right way. I slide out the key board a lot and it doesn't seem to wear it at all in the time that I have had it.

The screen has auto dimmer and is ok in the sun. I would say not quiet as good as the curve but it is visible.

 

[cthunder]

Jtowndawg,
Thanks for the updates, you answered a lot of questions I wanted to know. I have a few more question for ya. How is FM Radio? Do you play music on your phone and how is the sound quality? Is the music player stock or does it have nice features, ie equalizer? And lastly how well does it take pictures.
Thanks
Lamar

 

[jtowndawg]

Jtowndawg,
Thanks for the updates, you answered a lot of questions I wanted to know. I have a few more question for ya. How is FM Radio? Do you play music on your phone and how is the sound quality? Is the music player stock or does it have nice features, ie equalizer? And lastly how well does it take pictures.
Thanks
Lamar

The FM radio works ok. The ear phones are used as the antenna so where I live I get some static but I live 70 miles from the big city that has most of the radio stations. My truck sometimes has trouble. The local radio station comes in clear.

I play music a lot on my phone and I was useing the stock player but I just got my invite to Google music and it works great. The stock player didn't have an equalizer and so far I haven't found one for Google music. It sounds good to be coming from the phone but there is not much bass to speak about. It is maybe a fraction quieter than my curve was.

The pictures and the videos are unbelievable. I put some pictures on my memory card that I took with my curve and I just can't believe how much better the quality is. Videos can be shot in 720!

 

[jtowndawg]

One thing I miss besides bbm is the the ability to customize the notifications. You can give people their own ring tones but that is about it unless I am messing it. You can not change how many times it vibrates or set a custom notification for one persons text message.

I just thought that would be something blackberry users would like to know when they are considering making the switch.

 

[haymond#AC]

One thing I miss besides bbm is the the ability to customize the notifications. You can give people their own ring tones but that is about it unless I am messing it. You can not change how many times it vibrates or set a custom notification for one persons text message.

I just thought that would be something blackberry users would like to know when they are considering making the switch.

someone said handcent does give it a try

 

[jtowndawg]

someone said handcent does give it a try

It does work on text and that is a big help. Now I just wish I could change it for calls.

 

[hilgerone]

Jtowwn
I picked up a merge yesterday. So far so good. Two questions....
Does your space bar have the same "click" to it as the rest of the keys? Mine really doesn't have as good of feedback as the other keys.

Also is there a setting to make it insert a period after two spaceson the hard keyboard like the virtual one does? I can't seem to find any settings for anything thing on the physical. No correction settings or anything.

Thanks!

 

[jtowndawg]

Jtowwn
I picked up a merge yesterday. So far so good. Two questions....
Does your space bar have the same "click" to it as the rest of the keys? Mine really doesn't have as good of feedback as the other keys.

Also is there a setting to make it insert a period after two spaceson the hard keyboard like the virtual one does? I can't seem to find any settings for anything thing on the physical. No correction settings or anything.

Thanks!

I'm glad you was able to pick up the Merge. My space bar feels the same as the rest of the keys. It also inserts a period after a double space. I was unhappy that there is not a spell check like blackberry at first but I know now that it uses text prediction instead. Maybe when you turn on prediction it will work then.

From the home screen press menu/ settings/ language and keyboard/ touch input settings / text input/

Then under hardware qwerty keyboard check "prediction" and spell check"

 

[hilgerone]

I'm glad you was able to pick up the Merge. My space bar feels the same as the rest of the keys. It also inserts a period after a double space. I was unhappy that there is not a spell check like blackberry at first but I know now that it uses text prediction instead. Maybe when you turn on prediction it will work then.

From the home screen press menu/ settings/ language and keyboard/ touch input settings / text input/

Then under hardware qwerty keyboard check "prediction" and spell check"

That was it. Didn't dig deep enough in the menu. Thanks yet again. I may check a different merge out at the store to see if they feel the same as this one does.

 

[ballyhoo]

I've had the merge since alltel released it and love it but gps has never worked. It won't lock my location just keeps searching. Anyone notice this or is it just mine?
Thanks

 

[jtowndawg]

But I have heard of others having trouble with the gps mine and my wife's work although it takes a long time to get a fix at times. It rarely works in the house if at all. I just called customer service and asked what I could do to help and he said to go in to the settings and uncheck use wireless networks and only check use gps satellites. I don't know if that is real a good idea or not because when I open Google maps it tells you to check both boxes. So try it and see if it works.

 

[hilgerone]

Jtown
I noticed you had made mention of the signal issues in your first post. I noticed a very sporadic signal with mine too. It jumps all over. From zero bars to full signal. Evdo on and off. But it seems to have the iPhone death grip. If I cradle the lower portion in my hand and let go I can change the signal strength dramatically. Sometime from full signal to no bars at all. Very strange. Time will tell if it truly affects the call or if it is a software bug.

 

[gmmech]

for people that want a radio, better than the built in, check out 'Tune In Radio' on the app market. I had it on my blackberry (which I just switched from). I Love it you can get local stations, as well just about any other station you can think of!

Anyone else have issues with taking pictures in low light situations? I have gotten the white haze (over exposed) issue on Some of my pictures, but yet when my girlfriend takes basically the same picture with her Desire, it's just fine.

 

[parcelboy]

I was wondering if anyone has Ford Sync in their vehicle and if they are having trouble getting the merge to sync with the text messaging feature? I wanted a new phone just for this reason, sync has a feature where it will read your texts aloud and allow you to respond to them for a reply, but I keep getting a message saying "connected phone does not support text messaging"...which is strange because my 13 yr old has the little messenger and it supports the text feature??? anyone else having these issues?

I have an F-350 with nav and all that good stuff, the phone works great with everything BUT the text feature. It seems that FORD and Microsoft has decided that only stupid old phones like the RAZR can utilize that feature.