Develop Bugs

[Request for App] Challenge to all WP7 Developers

I would like to call on all WP7 developers out there to partake in a challenge to see who can solve this extremely frustrating issue that I endure on a daily basis. I am sure (Convinced) that there are thousands of fellow WP7 users out there who share this sentiment: As much as love my WP7 HTC Mozart, and I do, the power button is driving me up the wall!!! Every time that I put my phone in my pocket, it switches off. I find myself checking every couple of minutes to see if the device is still on. It is soooooo frustrating!!!!! I am sure that it is not device specific – that it happens to other devices too running the WP7 os. (and I am not blaming the Operating System in any way) Guys – PLEASE – Anyone who can help in attempting to write an application, one similar to the one we had in 6.5 where, If the power button gets held down for a second or 3, a confirmation screen pops up asking if you are sure that you want to power down the device, thus, preventing accidental power-downs. Julien made a name for himself in the WP7 community with his ingenious Windows Phone Device Manager & TouchXplorer. Here is your chance to rise and stand out from the crowd and “come to our rescue” with an app to solve this issue.I am positive that it will be appreciated by millions. If I had the know-how I would have tried myself, but I am clueless when it comes to programming – Therefore my plead to all you clever guys out there

Got a Mozart aswell and that has never happened for me
And I'm pretty sure you can't change the behaviour of the power button.

Don't know what you're doing when you put your phone in your pocket, but I have never experienced what you are describing.
That being said, good luck with your quest.
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Maybe your pants are too tight...
Never experienced that problem either.

go for repairs
from what u are saying i am pretty sure that your phone is screwed somehow. never happened to me or my colleagues at work.

Andre Mostert said:
I am sure that it is not device specific
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That never happened to me with my HTC Surround. The HD7 used to unlock its screen while in my pocket, but that's a completely different problem.

Guys, Thank you for your input and views on this topic. If this doesn’t happen to you…well then, consider yourself lucky because it happens to me all the time. In my small circle of life I know of at least 6 people who have the same issues with the power button. Different phones. (Mozart, HD2, HD7) It is simple. When my phone is in my pocket and I sit down in front of a computer, or whatever, the power button gets pressed and it powers down. Thus my request to someone clever enough out there to write an app that solves this issue. It is not impossible. Such an app existed in win 6.5 and saved the day for me. So there is no reason why such an app will not work in WP7. Same hardware – Different OS. The issue is not hardware related. It is software. Thus it can be done. We just don’t know how yet.

...and Erwin...my pants is a bit too tight for my liking. lol

Andre Mostert said:
Guys, Thank you for your input and views on this topic. If this doesn’t happen to you…well then, consider yourself lucky because it happens to me all the time. In my small circle of life I know of at least 6 people who have the same issues with the power button. Different phones. (Mozart, HD2, HD7) It is simple. When my phone is in my pocket and I sit down in front of a computer, or whatever, the power button gets pressed and it powers down. Thus my request to someone clever enough out there to write an app that solves this issue. It is not impossible. Such an app existed in win 6.5 and saved the day for me. So there is no reason why such an app will not work in WP7. Same hardware – Different OS. The issue is not hardware related. It is software. Thus it can be done. We just don’t know how yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no low level access for functions like that. I suggest you to buy a case that covers around the power button

it is hardware related.
the matter here is the button is pressed. buttons are hardware. the software is fine. my girlfriend's mozart never turns off, and she's wearing skinny jeans like 90% of the time.

Yes, buttons are hardware, but it is the software that makes the phone turn on or off when you press the button. Thats quite logical.
Sent from my 7 Mozart T8698 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

There is a similar Problem If you don't know that your phone is turned off, the only way is to push the on off button. The result: You know then that you phone WAS turned off xD

^ Just pressing the power button won't turn your phone off or on. It requires a three second press to do that.
Sent from my SGH-i917 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

don't think its your phone
My focus when on my armband when running shuts down periodically but I do have 18" arms lol. I think it is a pressure thing on the phone honestly like my focus does.

On the HTC Trophy you have to press only one second to turn your phone on
Sent from my 7 Trophy using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

It used to happen to me with HD7, but it was rare.
I bought a pouch and now everything is fine.

...

Andre Mostert said:
I would like to call on all WP7 developers out there to partake in a challenge to see who can solve this extremely frustrating issue that I endure on a daily basis. I am sure (Convinced) that there are thousands of fellow WP7 users out there who share this sentiment: As much as love my WP7 HTC Mozart, and I do, the power button is driving me up the wall!!! Every time that I put my phone in my pocket, it switches off. I find myself checking every couple of minutes to see if the device is still on. It is soooooo frustrating!!!!! I am sure that it is not device specific – that it happens to other devices too running the WP7 os. (and I am not blaming the Operating System in any way) Guys – PLEASE – Anyone who can help in attempting to write an application, one similar to the one we had in 6.5 where, If the power button gets held down for a second or 3, a confirmation screen pops up asking if you are sure that you want to power down the device, thus, preventing accidental power-downs. Julien made a name for himself in the WP7 community with his ingenious Windows Phone Device Manager & TouchXplorer. Here is your chance to rise and stand out from the crowd and “come to our rescue” with an app to solve this issue.I am positive that it will be appreciated by millions. If I had the know-how I would have tried myself, but I am clueless when it comes to programming – Therefore my plead to all you clever guys out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a leather case and I experienced this while phone was put in case facing my stomach. I simply swapped it and now it is facing outwards and it never switched off again.
Most simple ideas make things work: try to put your phone into your pocket in another position. (sw ehh?) If it works, please donate me a beer for "developing" this one

I'd agree with the above poster.
I sometimes get random button presses in my pockets, and I just turn the phone around.

Lumia 900 - Volume level during the call very low

Hi,
I first posted this help request on Nokia Support Discussions on August 13, but amazingly I received no reply to date (I can't insert the link since I have no privileges for that as a new user).
I am experimenting a very weird and annoying problem with my Lumia 900. Some weeks ago, the volume level during the phone call became suddenly very low and barely noticeable. I can hardly hear the other speaker both calling and receiving a phone call. Apparently this behaviour is restricted to the phone call feature in normal mode. If I press the loudspeaker button, for example, I can hear the conversation perfectly as usual. Same using my earpiece: I can hear and talk without any problem. Moreover, the audio output appears to be OK outside the phone call itself: when using apps, music, games or any other feature except the phone call, I can't spot anything abnormal in the volume level, everything appears to work properly.
I would like to point out that:
1) the volume level during the call is set to the max. level as usual (10/10)
2) the master volume of the device, as set though both right-hand buttons, is set as usual to the max. level (30/30).
3) I turned off and on the device, I removed and reinserted the SIM card many times since then, unfortunately the problem persists
4) I did not notice any other problem before this happened, nor the device suffered any "catastrophic" event (such as drop, water or similar).
Basically, I can only hear a speaker during a phone call either keeping the loudspeaker always on or using the earpiece. It's like my call volume were set to 1 or 2, while it is actually set to 10.
Can you help me determine whether this issue may be software or hardware related in first place? Unfortunately bringing it to the Nokia Customer Care is not the first option for me at the moment. I bought my device in Europe, but I am currently in South America. I may consider using the local Nokia Customer Care and paying a fee, but first I would like some clarifications from engineers or advanced users.
Finally, a guy on another forum suggested me a hard reset. I confess I never did that before, is there any step-by-step instruction for this? Or does it make sense to wait for the next software update through Zune (currently I have 8779.12201, a new update however has been already released and should be available for my language within days or weeks).
Thank you very much in advance for any useful information

You can wait for the update or try a hard reset. A reset will restore you phone to factory fresh, so you will lose everything currently stored on the phone; photos, apps, messages, settings, etc. So be sure to sync with Zune to backup photos and videos first, and sync with your Live ID mail account to sync contacts. Restoring email accounts, contacts, apps and media are all easy, but could take a few hours (depending on how many apps you have). If you prepare for the reset (as you can) it makes things easier.
If your other option is to send you phone out for service, that could take weeks. So while painful, rh hard reset is the "quick" fix. If your volume problem persists after the hard reset, then you know its hardware related (be sure to check before and after installing any apps to eliminate any possibilities). If so, and after telling Nokia Care that a hard reset didn't solve the problem, it might just get you a replacement. Quicker than sending it out for an inspection. Hope you get it worked out.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express Pro

It makes no sense to wait. I assume you are still under your initial warranty, so do the hard reset...after, as jimski says, you save off any pics or music specific to the device. You will lose SMS and SMS history , and any game scores.
Use reinstalled to reinstall apps after the reset, to get or apps installed more quickly.
Hard reset is a harsh way to test this out. However, if you test the phone before reinstalling apps, you cut to the chase real quick. If this is a hardware issue, do NOT wait for a fix. Replace the device and be done with it.
Good luck

First of all, many thanks to you both for your kind reply. It is refreshing to finally have someone listening to you when you really need.
It appears that a hard reset should be the first step to do in any case. While I have no idea when the next update with Zune will be available for my language, I can try to solve the problem alone. Is there any tested step-by step procedure for flashing Lumia 900 or Lumia devices in general? If yes, would you please point me there with a link?
Both your replies convinced me that bringing the phone to the Nokia Customer Care here in South America is definitely not a good idea. Yes, I am still under my initial warranty, I bought my device end of June, the problem is that I bought it in Europe, so my warranty is not supposed to cover me here. If the issue is at hardware level, there is very little they can do here for me without to exburse a lot of money, not to talk about the waste of time. Should the hard reset not work, I guess I'll have to wait for my next travel to Europe or having someone bringing it there for me to have my device replaced.
Anyway, I will let you now about any progress.
Many thanks for your help.

barrel owl said:
First of all, many thanks to you both for your kind reply. It is refreshing to finally have someone listening to you when you really need.
It appears that a hard reset should be the first step to do in any case. While I have no idea when the next update with Zune will be available for my language, I can try to solve the problem alone. Is there any tested step-by step procedure for flashing Lumia 900 or Lumia devices in general? If yes, would you please point me there with a link?
Both your replies convinced me that bringing the phone to the Nokia Customer Care here in South America is definitely not a good idea. Yes, I am still under my initial warranty, I bought my device end of June, the problem is that I bought it in Europe, so my warranty is not supposed to cover me here. If the issue is at hardware level, there is very little they can do here for me without to exburse a lot of money, not to talk about the waste of time. Should the hard reset not work, I guess I'll have to wait for my next travel to Europe or having someone bringing it there for me to have my device replaced.
Anyway, I will let you now about any progress.
Many thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll start by saying, the Hard Reset will not force you to re-flash your phone. It just resets it back to stock settings. This is in fact the easiest and best way to try to resolve problems with your phone. To do so, go into your settings menu. Go to About, and scroll down to 'reset your phone', tap that, and follow instructions. This will delete all your data and messages, so be sure you've backed up first.
If you Absolutely NEED to flash your phone back to OEM Stock, you can use my link here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1605144
One other thing to check (and what I suspect to be the problem) is the speaker itself. It sounds to me like you either have a failing speaker, or something is in the speaker hole. Look closely at it and see if there is dirt/lint/chocolate/peanuts/earwax/etc packed in the speaker grill. It's pretty easy for this to happen. Try blowing it out with canned air and see if that helps. Otherwise, it's probable that the speaker is going out or the connection is failing.
Good Luck, and be sure you decide before your warranty is gone. Send it off ASAP if the above items don't help. PS: Flashing back to stock may void your warranty, so decide if you want to take that chance, rather than wait for repair to return it.

Thank you very much again for your time. And yes, I had found that link in this forum and was already duly reading it. I just did not post this because I still have no privileges to post links.
SuperSport said:
One other thing to check (and what I suspect to be the problem) is the speaker itself. It sounds to me like you either have a failing speaker, or something is in the speaker hole. Look closely at it and see if there is dirt/lint/chocolate/peanuts/earwax/etc packed in the speaker grill. It's pretty easy for this to happen. Try blowing it out with canned air and see if that helps. Otherwise, it's probable that the speaker is going out or the connection is failing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One last question. Would you please clarify whether Lumia 900 has one or more speakers? The speaker grill on the bottom of the device has apparently no noticeable dirt or other foreign material inside it, anyway I will try blow it with air, maybe it will help. One thing I can't explain to me is why everything appears to be OK with the volume level except during phone calls. As I mentioned in my first post, the audio output with music, apps, games etc. is normal. When I use the loudspeaker in phone calls, no problem. So the question: is there any other speaker in Lumia 900 which is used for phone calls, for example on the top of the device? I don't think so, but if yes, this would definitely point to a hardware problem of THAT speaker.
Anyway, I will let you know about any progress.
Kind regards

barrel owl said:
Thank you very much again for your time. And yes, I had found that link in this forum and was already duly reading it. I just did not post this because I still have no privileges to post links.
One last question. Would you please clarify whether Lumia 900 has one or more speakers? The speaker grill on the bottom of the device has apparently no noticeable dirt or other foreign material inside it, anyway I will try blow it with air, maybe it will help. One thing I can't explain to me is why everything appears to be OK with the volume level except during phone calls. As I mentioned in my first post, the audio output with music, apps, games etc. is normal. When I use the loudspeaker in phone calls, no problem. So the question: is there any other speaker in Lumia 900 which is used for phone calls, for example on the top of the device? I don't think so, but if yes, this would definitely point to a hardware problem of THAT speaker.
Anyway, I will let you know about any progress.
Kind regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are in fact two different speaker outlets. There's the one at the bottom which is speakerphone, games, apps, etc... Then there is the one at the top in that little slot. That's the one I suspect is either clogged, or going bad.
EDIT: Do you have a case installed that might be blocking that speaker?

SuperSport said:
There are in fact two different speaker outlets. There's the one at the bottom which is speakerphone, games, apps, etc... Then there is the one at the top in that little slot. That's the one I suspect is either clogged, or going bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it. That makes (unfortunately) perfect sense. Chances are then that the issue is actually at hardware level
SuperSport said:
EDIT: Do you have a case installed that might be blocking that speaker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No case.
Thanks a lot

Same issue with my lumia asian rom...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Wow! I thought I was going crazy....'cause I've had the same issues for the past few months. When I got my Lumia 900, I was pleasantly surprised that my in-call volume actually DIDN'T need to be set to max (10/10), and I usually dialed it back to 8/10. Nice...but it began to get quiet so that even on 10/10 it was difficult to hear callers -- especially if I was standing outside. I thought it had to do with a ROM or firmware update, but so few people noted the same problem that I just assumed my phone was faulty.
<sigh>
Anyhow, I found this thread just 30 minutes ago, read through your story, and (for whatever reason) thought it thru more fully. I realized that since I keep my phone in my pocket, maybe the thin ear speaker grill (just above the screen) is full of lint?!? I grabbed a soft, dry toothbrush and took about 30 seconds to brush it out. I could actually see the debris clearing away. Made a test phone call and voila.........my earpiece volume is loud once again! Easy fix. Almost too easy
I hope this helps.

did you ever resolved the problem?
Hi guys love the forum finally joined !
So i recently bought ebay Lumia 900 they are going for cheap =) loving it!
In my case the speaker was working great actually the first week it was way too loud kept it under 7/10 all of a sudden now
i cant hear almost anything below 8/10 and when i go all the way to 10/10 it sounds muffled like a blown speaker already tried cleaning the grill
very carefully it had dust but that didn't help and also erased averything from the about settings
.
Anymore suggestions? Im in the latest update and obviously no warranty .
Thanks :cyclops:

Hi
Are there any updates on this problem,because I am also experiencing this and I think it happened after I did an update with Zune .
Thanks

Hard Reset to Nokia Lumia to address low volume during calls
How do you to a hard reset of the phone. I am ready to try that to solve the low volume problem. I literally took the phone out of the box on Thursday last week. I am getting very frustrated.
Thanks

Seriously considering asking for a refund (101 G9)

My device often fails to wake up correctly.
The screen remains black (I can see the backlight is active) and nothing is displayed.
This is getting ridiculous now!
This is the 3rd device since September; I have had one device replaced because of a faulty speaker; then the LCD broke on the next device when I simply picked it up and now this!
I am considering asking for a refund!
I do not want to have to pay another £7.50 to return the device and then find that the replacement device also has a fault!
{EDIT} Going to try a full device reinitialisation one last time before making a decision.
/fingers crossed

Extreme_One said:
My device often fails to wake up correctly.
The screen remains black (I can see the backlight is active) and nothing is displayed.
This is getting ridiculous now!
This is the 3rd device since September; I have had one device replaced because of a faulty speaker; then the LCD broke on the next device when I simply picked it up and now this!
I am considering asking for a refund!
I do not want to have to pay another £7.50 to return the device and then find that the replacement device also has a fault!
{EDIT} Going to try a full device reinitialisation one last time before making a decision.
/fingers crossed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I am rather new on the xda forums... I thought I've seen you around here for a long time already.
Seems rather odd to me that surdu_petru's tablet failed and went in for repair, then now you say you've been having problems with 3 tablets (since Sept)?
Even worse, sorry surdu decided to take an exchange for a newer XS... and I'm guessing that you are hoping to get such an option also if you return yours. I mean, come on now, you've gone through 3 tablets in 3 months time... they don't even RMA and return them that fast unless you live right next door!
I'm not trying to be rude at all here, and if you truly have had all those problems I do hope you can find a solution, but...
Just seems rather strange that now there are 2 people that I've seen around this forum for months that all of a sudden seem to want to give up on their Archos G9 tablets.
Meanwhile, I've got a "classic" (1GHz with 512M RAM) 101 G9 that is just now a year old and would be working super if it was not for the stupidity of upgrading to the Archos 4.0.25 (total crap, memory management not working at all in that version) and 4.0.26 firmware (at least the fixed the memory management, but still has other problems). [was just pure luck I had already been reading things here on xda so that I could install an un-official SDE and get back to 4.0.7 to keep mine working until the next official firmware, or test firmware, whatever]
Since Archos seems to have a VERY BAD HABIT of turning something that could be really great into total garbage with their firmware upgrades.. well, I guess I can see you losing interest. In which case, I would have to say go for the refund and buy a tablet from a better company! Don't know if I'd ever buy anything from Archos again, but not because of the hardware being bad (debatable), but mainly just because their firmware simply does not work most of the time (should not have needed half a dozen firmware upgrades, plus about that many "test" version to get to work right... and then get trashed again with the 4.0.2x upgrades).
Hmm, maybe you SHOULD just grab the money and run!

55mls said:
... they don't even RMA and return them that fast unless you live right next door!...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coincidentally I live in the same city as their UK returns office.
I really like the tablet when it works, but it is hard to ignore the problems I'm facing.
I have just started reinstalling all my apps (nightmare) and truly hope that after completely reinitialising the OS the tablet behaves correctly from now on.
I will stay with 4.0.7 as I experience a massive reduction in battery life on the 4.0.25 ROM
If the tablet starts to wake up to a black screen then I will ask for a refund and look for an alternative.

Extreme_One said:
Coincidentally I live in the same city as their UK returns office.
I really like the tablet when it works, but it is hard to ignore the problems I'm facing.
I have just started reinstalling all my apps (nightmare) and truly hope that after completely reinitialising the OS the tablet behaves correctly from now on.
I will stay with 4.0.7 as I experience a massive reduction in battery life on the 4.0.25 ROM
If the tablet starts to wake up to a black screen then I will ask for a refund and look for an alternative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you were using 4.0.25 then that's your problem right there!!!
As far as "stock" official Archos firmware goes (and I've been through just about all of those by now), there are really ONLY two that actually work anywhere near right... 3.2.80 and 4.0.7.
*IF* you already have made the big mistake of ever installing ANY of the official Archos 4.0.2x or "rooted" versions firmwares, and then want to get your tablet working anywhere near close to right again... then these are the ONLY good "rooted" versions to choose from:
[ROM] UPDATE Custom Rom Honeycomb 3.2.1 - Firmware 3.2.80 Only for SDE ;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1530615&highlight=3+2+80
[ROM] Stock Archos ICS Firmware 4.0.7 - ROOT Version !
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1720422
ANY FIRMWARE based on Archos 4.0.24 or 4.0.25 is totally worthless. The memory management does not even work right in those, and there's all kinds of other problems Archos created with their own MediaCenter stuff and file indexing! Do NOT waste your time with any of those!
Although Archos did (at least partially) fix the memory management in the newer 4.0.26 firmware... I would NOT recommend installing it... if you have anyway to install the official (or even "rooted" 4.0.7 instead!
I will assume you are now installing a "rooted" 4.0.7, and hopefully it is the one I listed above! If so, your tablet should work pretty much just like it would with the original official Archos 4.0.7... or, at least it has so far on my end with only a few odd quirks occasionally, but that's mostly because I did not do a full re-format to get rid of all the extra apps that were installed with the official 4.0.25 I had before.
Hope all goes well with 4.0.7 for you. Got some other info you might be interested in. Let me know how things are working and maybe send a PM, or I can PM you with other info. Either way, hope you get yours working again!
But, then again, if you could get a FULL refund from Archos... in all honesty I'd take the money and run LOL. There are now MUCH BETTER tablets on the market without all the firmware problems... although they may not have ALL the features of an Archos. For example, GPS... not needed on a tablet if you have a newer cellphone/smartphone (which will always have a better GPS than any tablet has).

Using stock 4.0.7 installed some apps and let the tablet sleep for 15 minutes
Came back to wake up the device and I'm greeted by a black screen!
Now I will contact Archos ...

Contacted Archos support telephone line and they recommended upgrading the firmware to 4.0.26!
Well, this is the last thing I will try, I didn't want to use 4.0.26 but would rather the tablet worked than have to consider contacting the supplier for a refund...
I'll see how I get on with 4.0.26 and if I get the same problems I'll have to go back to the supplier for a refund.

Extreme_One said:
Contacted Archos support telephone line and they recommended upgrading the firmware to 4.0.26!
Well, this is the last thing I will try, I didn't want to use 4.0.26 but would rather the tablet worked than have to consider contacting the supplier for a refund...
I'll see how I get on with 4.0.26 and if I get the same problems I'll have to go back to the supplier for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really sorry to hear that!!! REALLY SORRY!
I do wish you luck with getting 4.0.26 to bring the thin back to life, but it sure won't ever be working anywhere near as good as it would have with 4.0.7. I had such high hopes for you, but now I'm really, really sad :crying:
On the other hand, if you can get a refund... grab the money and run! Go get a tablet from some other company that actually knows what they are doing. Hate to say it, and don't really recommend it, but there ARE some Chinese knock offs that are actually better than the junk Archos has been selling lately.
Of course, you sure can not go wrong with a Google Nexus 7 or 10 though. Think about that for a bit... 100% pure Google Android and therefor 100% Google certified. If you want Android, I don't know how you could do any better!
On the other 2 sides of a coin, I simply will NOT buy into the Apple ecosystem (why would anybody ever need a screen that can display almost 4 full 1080p HD videos on it when you can NOT even really see details of just one full 1080p video on a screen that small to start with... too much bogus hype, not anything really useful). Flip coin, despite my ongoing hatred over the years, some of the new Windows 8 devices do look pretty tempting.
Good luck which every way you may end up going. At least it was a little bit of fun while it lasted.

My only trouble with 4.0.26 on one of my previous tablets was really poor battery life.
Well, so far on 4.0.26 the battery life seems normal...
The tablet has gone to sleep a couple of times and woken up again correctly.
Still have loads of apps to install before I'm back to where I was.
I'll just have to see how I go over the next couple of days, the big test will be tomorrow morning after the tablet has been sleeping all night.
...
Whilst I agree there are a great many 'better' tablets out there now for the money there are things the Archos does better; SD Card and HDMI out both missing from the Google devices.
And you're absolutely right about the Chinese knock-offs. I bought 4 for my kids for Christmas and am so impressed with them. They are solid, fantastic 4.0.4 firmware; not one crash, no freezes, run all the apps and games my kids can throw at them - and they only cost £50 !
Shame they're only 7" with no Bluetooth and no GPS or I'd get one myself.

Extreme_One said:
Whilst I agree there are a great many 'better' tablets out there now for the money there are things the Archos does better; SD Card and HDMI out both missing from the Google devices.
And you're absolutely right about the Chinese knock-offs. I bought 4 for my kids for Christmas and am so impressed with them. They are solid, fantastic 4.0.4 firmware; not one crash, no freezes, run all the apps and games my kids can throw at them - and they only cost £50 !
Shame they're only 7" with no Bluetooth and no GPS or I'd get one myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HDMI out is now pretty common on most devices, although kind of strange that for some reason they use mini-HDMI connectors on tablets, but most new smartphones (due to being smaller overall) have micro-HDMI connectors. No real problem on my end, got adapters for all that sorta stuff.
It's the SD card that nobody wants to include anymore that bugs me though. They all want everything to be out there "in the cloud", which I thinks is really stupid, but of course makes money for everyone else (can't access anything "in the cloud" without paying some kind of Internet connection, and then also have to pay for more storage space is you go beyond some level... everyone pay more in the end, we make lots of money from you foolish people).
As for the Chinese knock-offs... I really wonder what would happen if Apple came out and were honest with people and told all those people the rushed to their Apple stores and paid $600+ that it really only cost Apple about $250 to make them? Then have to pay Apple for whatever music or videos you want, then also have to pay more for extra "cloud" storage space...and you can't do anything without having iTunes installed on your computer (which really sucks for Windows users), and on, and on, and on... I'm sure you can understand why I hate (and refuse to get involved with) that whole Apple ecosystem.
Meanwhile, assuming you do get 4.0.26 up and running there are a number of bugs, flaws, whatever to be aware of with it. The 2 biggest ones are the TOTALLY STUPID stuff with "indexing", and/or even how to ever get any media files to show up in the Archos Video and Music players. The other is the TOTALLY STUPID problems with the battery charging.
I can explain how to (for the most part) get around the battery charging problem for now (until Archos fixes it), but the "indexing" stuff is just way to complicated and confusing for anyone to understand (or at least for anyone that wants to use there tablet like any "normal" person would).
Be back shortly about the charging side of things...

Charging Archos tablets has always seemed to be a bit mess up, but with the 4.0.2x firmware it's gotten totally idiotic. Hopefully Archos will release a newer firmware that fixes this (and also gets rid of that TOTALLY STUPID "indexing" crap that should never ever have been in things to start with...idiotic morons).
Anyway, to get around the flaw with charging here is what I've been doing... actually, more like what I've always been doing, but for some reason nobody else ever does...
0) Do NOT try to charge from a computer USB connection unless you ABSOLUTELY do not have the proper Archos charger. Even then it's still rather foolish and will take forever. So, just DON'T DO IT.
1) Wake up the tablet and/or unlock it so that you are at the home screen. Let it sit for a while and check if the WiFi indicator shows it is connecting and/or syncing, whatever. If/when it's done with that then continue...
2) Plug the USB cable into the Archos charger, and plug the charger into the wall power outlet. Then plug the other end into the microUSB connector on the G9 tablet (of course, the 250GB HD models don't do it this way, but anyway...).
3) Wait a few seconds and watch and see if it shows it is shows it is charging, or if it is shows "slow" charging. If it is in slow charge mode it very likely is not really charging at all. Just unplug the microUSB cable, wait a few seconds, and plug it in again. Do not rush this step. You may have to repeat it a couple of times, but usually it will show fast charge without any further repeats.
4) Now, just do a short quick tap on the power button to put the tablet into sleep mode, and then JUST LEAVE IT ALONE and let it charge. This is where many people seem to just mess up the charging!
If you keep messing around with the tableit, pressing the power button, etc. all you do is confuse the whole system (on top of Archos having royally botched the software for how charging should work in most of their firmware). Just leave the thing alone and let it charge until the power LED starts blinking. Then you can do whatever you want again.
Using the Archos charger, it will normally take about 1 hour for ever 20% of battery charge. Example: If the battery is at 40% it will take about 3 hours to charge up to 100%. From 0 to 100 will take at least 5 hours (very likely longer if you let the battery go that dead).
Do NOT press and hold the power button to ever shut down the tablet while it is plugged in for charging. It WILL warn you that if it shuts down it will not charge. Why so many people can not understand that is beyond me. If you actually try to turn off (or even reboot) while it is plugged in to charge then the whole system, including the charging circuit, will totally shut down (even if the power LED is stays on, it is NOT going to charge in this way). Which is why I repeat, just leave it alone, don't mess with it, and just let it charge. The less YOU mess around with it the faster it WILL charge. Just leave it alone OK.
I've seen some people say they could charge from 80% to 100% from a computer USB connection and that is totally bogus (not to mention totally impossible). That is just one of the flaws in the Archos firmware and you can not trust any such indication at all.
If you ever do see such wild and drastic changes in battery charge level (either upward while charging, or downward while using), then you really should unplug the charger, press and hold the power button to force a complete and total reset and shutdown. Wait about 10 or 15 seconds to let the power drain out of the memory circuits, and then start the tablet up again.
Seems like there are a lot of people with the child in a car syndrome problem "are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet...", and try the same with their Archos tablets by constantly hitting the power button to check if it is charge yet, or trying to do other things, then hit the power button to go back into sleep, then hit it again to check the charge level, and repeat it over and over. BELIEVE ME, none of the Archos firmware (very likely no other Android firmware for that matter) can actually handle all those constant interruptions and still correctly charge the battery.
If you start your car, drive one block, then turn it off, and the keep repeating doing that how far do you really think you will get before the battery in you car goes dead from NOT having enough time to charge properly?

I'm about to give up too. I've had 3 Archos tables so far and I cant believe that the old problems of my Archos 5 internet tablet are present in my Archos G9 80?? Just got it 2 days ago! And the screen goes black then white.. I can still use it if i plug in my HDMI to my monitor, but will never be able to use it on the go.. Time to contact them to see how they will fix this.. If it happens again I'm getting my money back.:crying:

ookiller said:
I'm about to give up too. I've had 3 Archos tables so far and I cant believe that the old problems of my Archos 5 internet tablet are present in my Archos G9 80?? Just got it 2 days ago! And the screen goes black then white.. I can still use it if i plug in my HDMI to my monitor, but will never be able to use it on the go.. Time to contact them to see how they will fix this.. If it happens again I'm getting my money back.:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which firmware version do you have?
I've found that the ONLY Archos firmware that works anywhere near correctly on either the 80 or 101 G9 tablets is 3.2.80 or 4.0.7.
If you upgraded to either 4.0.24 (which bricked a bunch of 101's btw), or 4.0.25... well, BOTH of those (don't care if it's official from Archos any any "rooted" version from here or elsewhere) are pure garbage! In which case, upgrade to 4.0.26, which still has many bugs that need to be fixed, but is a least half-way usable (until Archos releases a newer firmware upgrade).
Really sucks that Archos does not provide a way to downgrade back to a previous (working) firmware. If you've already upgrade to any of the Archos 4.0.2x versions, then your only hope to get a fully functional device (for now, until Arhcos fixes their firmware) may be:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35770625&postcount=118
---------- Post added at 07:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:29 AM ----------
Meanwhile, I'm pretty close to giving up also, but...
I'm going to buy ONE LAST ARCHOS PRODUCT and not going to waste any time thinking about any other product from Archos for at least 6 months. From what I've seen it takes them at least that long to ever get any firmware even close to working correctly on any new device.
So, what I'm thinking of doing is purchasing an (older) 1.2GHZ Turbo 80 G9 with 16Gig memory (don't care if it has only 512Meg system RAM). Hopefully it will come with older Honeycomb firmware. Then, I'll upgrade it to 4.0.7 (only because I want the Xbox USB controller functionality). The goal is to have a "functional" tablet that has enough memory to install all of the main games I want that can work with the Xbox USB controller, and still have some room left for a few other things. Really can't do much with 8GB devices with games that range from 400Meg to 2GB now anymore (don't know why Archos has not been making more 16GB, or better yet 32GB devices).
Then, my current "classic" 80 G9 will get changed down to (even though I do not want or have any need for "root") to a rooted 3.280, and I'll just let my 101 G9 float between testing any new firmware from Archos and rooted 4.0.7.
Beyond that, I really doubt if I'll ever buy another Archos product. There are just too many far better devices coming out now that do not cost much more... and do NOT have to mess around with multiple releases of faulty firmware on them either (most of them seem to work right out of the box... I haven't had an Archos device that ever has).
So, guess I'm jumping ship also.
---------- Post added at 08:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 AM ----------
Extreme_One said:
Whilst I agree there are a great many 'better' tablets out there now for the money there are things the Archos does better; SD Card and HDMI out both missing from the Google devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The goal these days now seems to be to get everyone using "cloud" storage. As such, most companies tend to make devices now with less memory instead of more (which we all really want). Of course, that's all just to make more money... offer X amount of "cloud" storage and then charge extra for more beyond that point. And, it solves the whole DRM protection battle since nobody actually has any copy of anything on their device at all anymore (and can only be viewed/played on the specific device you "registered"... uhm, rather "paid" to allow it to).
[HINT: That's also the only REAL reason TV changed to "digital". It's not that they could not provide HD with analog if THEY actually wanted to, but rather they could not "control", limit, and charge for each time you view something... That's the real goal of Digital TV]
And, of course, since everything you do will then also require some kind of digital or "data" connection, that also makes more money for the Internet, cellular, cable, or satelite service providers... all of which charge overly high prices for things that should now be dirt cheap (from a technological standpoint).
Oh well, until people quite paying $600 for cellphones that do not cost much more then $150 to make...not much I can do about it. However, those days ARE going to come to an end shortly because people simply will not be able to pay all those extra expenses. Just another temporary thing like running up multiple credit cards until they can't pay for them all.

Well it's been just over a week running 4.0.26 and the tablet has been fine!
No more wake issues. :beer:
RAM usage is slightly higher so I do need to kill unneeded processes occasionally.
Strange that the issue is fixed (not complaining) as there was nothing in the patch notes about this issue and I've seen nobody else reporting similar.
Sent from my ARCHOS 101G9

Extreme_One said:
Well it's been just over a week running 4.0.26 and the tablet has been fine!
No more wake issues. :beer:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I have read of others having the screen stay black/blank on wake up, I really have never had that problem with any firmware version on my Archos tablets Could be something due to the many changes in hardware they have made (all with the same G9 model name). Or, maybe some bad apps or task killer (task killers actually create far more problems than the solve anyway).
RAM usage is slightly higher so I do need to kill unneeded processes occasionally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part of that is simply due to Google having added more of their own junk into Android that seems to always want to keep running in the background (syncing for Chrome, Google+, etc.). Then, on top of that, Archos has added in some really freaky stuff for their "MediaCenter" and "file indexing" that is really messing things up!
On a device with PROPERLY WORKING ANDROID FIRMWARE you should never have to ever kill any background tasks. That is what the memory management is supposed to be taking care of by itself in Android. However, I do not think Archos has fully fixed the memory management problems yet with 4.0.26. Hopefully things will be better in whatever newer firmware they release.
People with the newer Archos tablets that have 1GB of RAM do not seem to notice the memory management flaws, but it is something that causes a lot of problems for those of us with the older "classic" models that have only 512M of RAM.
[Side Comment: And with all the extra stuff Google has been adding into things I really do not see Jelly Bean ever working correctly on any device with only 512M RAM. Even ICS barely works with less than 1GB RAM. Some companies are already making devices with 2GB RAM just to stay ahead of whatever Google may come up with in the future.]
Strange that the issue is fixed (not complaining) as there was nothing in the patch notes about this issue and I've seen nobody else reporting similar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure just why you (and a few others) ever had that problem to start with, but hopefully you can now limp along somehow until Archos releases a newer firmware.
On my end, here the problems I've found with the "official" Archos 4.0.26 (including even with a test release they had e-mailed me a link to try out):
1) Problems with graphics in certain games (ShadowGun and Max Payne). I've posted a YouTube video of that http://youtu.be/qQjMhykykxw
2) Sound does not work after some point in playing the game Asphalt 7.
3) There is no up/down arrow notification WHILE a Bluetooth transfer is in progress, so you can not tell if it actually is transferring... nor can you check how far it is in the process. Only displays a notification AFTER the transfer completes (or fails).
4) Whatever this stupid "file indexing" is... it starts up for NO LOGICAL REASON especially right in the middle of installing certain apps... mostly games that may have sound or video files as part of them. Also...
5) Whatever the new stupid things added in to "MediaCenter" and "file indexing" cause everything else to slow down to a snail's pace and/or cause the device to run out of RAM... causing crashing problems, or else making the device just about totally un-usable until it finish whatever that "indexing" crap is trying to do.
6) Not sure if it is from the above, but random crashes still occur out of nowhere for no reason. So, I don't think they have the memory management totally fixed yet either.
7) Because of things crashing in the background, the battery level and any charging is still not working correctly either.
If you REALLY only have had a problem with the screen being black/blank on wake up... well, guess you really do not do as many things with your tablet as I do. There are a bunch of flaws Archos still needs to fix in the next firmware release BEFORE I will ever install it. Although I do NOT need/want "root" I'm staying with the rooted stock 4.0.7 until Archos fixes things in their official firmware.
I'm hoping for a new firmware about middle or late January, but who knows if/when it may happen.
Anyway, glad you are having better luck on your end now. Seems to depend on if you have 1GB RAM or not, and oddly the 80 G9's seem to work a bit better than the 101 G9's do for some reason (or at least with my older "classic" models anyway).

Unbelievable! Tablet was asleep for an hour or so on my desk at work, went to wake it up and the screen remained black again!
Had to tap the power button several times before the screen would awake. Seems like it's nothing to do with firmware after all. went for over a week this time.
Spoke to Archos : this time they will send a courier to collect the tablet and replace it. Then I will stick with 4.0.7 ...
If this next FOURTH tablet is also faulty then I will definitely be requesting a refund and moving over to a different make.
Sent from my ARCHOS 101G9

Extreme_One said:
Unbelievable! Tablet was asleep for an hour or so on my desk at work, went to wake it up and the screen remained black again!
Had to tap the power button several times before the screen would awake. Seems like it's nothing to do with firmware after all. went for over a week this time.
Spoke to Archos : this time they will send a courier to collect the tablet and replace it. Then I will stick with 4.0.7 ...
If this next FOURTH tablet is also faulty then I will definitely be requesting a refund and moving over to a different make.
Sent from my ARCHOS 101G9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It pains me to say this but Archos sucks. I got a Nexus 7 for Christmas and it is fantastic

Extreme_One said:
Unbelievable! Tablet was asleep for an hour or so on my desk at work, went to wake it up and the screen remained black again!
Had to tap the power button several times before the screen would awake. Seems like it's nothing to do with firmware after all. went for over a week this time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure it was not just being slow about waking up. I read of others saying it would take up to half a minute (or more ) to wake up with 4.0.26 depending on if they had a 3G Stick or any other USB devices connected (either via back 3G port or microUSB host port), or maybe even also if there was a microSD card plugged in.
Heck, even without those, the stupid file 'indexing' crap in 4.0.26 can still slow things down if you have any media files on the internal memory. Until Archos fixes that stuff I don't even bother plugging in any USB device or microSD card unless I absolutely have to (and definitely not anything that has any picture, music, or video files on it).
Spoke to Archos : this time they will send a courier to collect the tablet and replace it. Then I will stick with 4.0.7 ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's assuming the one they return does not already have 4.0.26 on it. I hope you told them you did not want that!
If this next FOURTH tablet is also faulty then I will definitely be requesting a refund and moving over to a different make.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really sorry to hear you've had so much bad luck with Archos. I've got 6 Archos devices and have only had problems with the firmware on them (except for one that I broke the microUSB connector on, and that was my own fault).
So, on my end, the only real complaint is the horribly buggy bad firmware Archos keeps releasing + the six months more of multiple firmware upgrades before they get anything to work right again! I've gone through about 18 firmware versions (counting all the test releases) in about one year. That's just insane! Only good ones out of the bunch were the last of each set... 3.2.80 and 4.0.7. Still waiting for them to fix the 4.0.2x mess they made!

55mls said:
Are you sure it was not just being slow about waking up. I read of others saying it would take up to half a minute (or more ) to wake up with 4.0.26 depending on if they had a 3G Stick or any other USB devices connected (either via back 3G port or microUSB host port), or maybe even also if there was a microSD card plugged in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget it was behaving this way on 4.0.7 too. The backlight activates but the display remains black. Several presses of the power button are needed to properly wake the tablet.
Sent from my ARCHOS 101G9

Extreme_One said:
Don't forget it was behaving this way on 4.0.7 too. The backlight activates but the display remains black. Several presses of the power button are needed to properly wake the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying there may not be a hardware problem, but.. It almost sounds like there is something else going on.
If you can, send me a PM listing all the apps and widgets you are using, and also a rough list of what media files (and if they are stored on internal, or an external microSD card or USB device). Also, let me know if you use any other USB host devices or Bluetooth devices.
Then maybe I can try to set mine up similar to how you are using yours to find out if mine ends up with the same problem.

Well my replacement tablet finally arrived yesterday and so last night I spent a while installing apps and testing.
Imagine how disappointed I was when I realised this tablet suffered from the dreaded GPS failure!
So this was the 4th tablet; each had a different fault.
I have contacted Archos (again) and this time they gave me some great news!!! I will post back when I receive ....

T-Mo G3 Problems? (Trying to get some D851 Specific Discussion)

So... over on the main G3 section, there's a lot of talk about several issues.
1) Phone randomly shutting down, or failing to come out of deep sleep (after overnight charging, for instance - but also at more random times). Often, folks are having to pop the batter to get it to come back to life.
2) Problems with using the headphone jack as an aux-output (for car or home stereo, as an example). There are glitches with the phone not realizing it's plugged into something, and glitches with the phone sending out dirty signals in between tracks (pops, crackles, etc), and with a buzz or hum in one side or another.
3) Problems with the phone becoming exceptionally warm. All phones get warm, but some users are reporting that their phones become extremely uncomfortable to hold, and simultaneously begin to have hardware problems (phone just dying completely, or screen flicker).
4) Those who have purchased multiple phones have reported issues with screen variances (some screens will appear warmer or cooler, more blue or more yellow), even with phones that were purchased from the same store on the same day. Some have reported needing to get a replacement phone and noticing this.
I'm curious about getting some discussion going here. Have any of you here had these problems with your D851 (T-mobile) G3's? have you had any major problems with your devices, or needed to get a replacement? Why? It seems like many of the problems are with the D855s, but I'm curious how many are truly affecting our D851s.
Thanks for the feedback!
TL/DR: What big problems have you had on T-Mo G3? Needed a replacement? Thnx!

My first G3 I bought on launch day from the t mobile store had overheating and rapid battery killing issues even after resets and doing everything from scratch. I swapped that one out yesterday and the second one I got was running good but then I ran into the headphone jax bug where it doesn't recognize the headphones being plugged in and after about 4 or 5 resets and wipes it finally starting working.... Right now I am debating if I should just get another G3 or what because the next one might have something else wrong lol.. I go to t mobile today so hopefully everything will go well.

Only one of those I've experienced is the problems with the aux jack

My G3 is perfect to the point I even recommend it to my girlfriend who ended up paying cash for one... Well with hers it wouldn't wake up from a deep sleep while charging and needed a battery pull. I'm definitely going to keep eye on that.

Haven't had any of the issues with mine. Although I just got it yesterday. It worked fine with headphones but haven't tried plugging into my truck yet.
Aux worked fine in my truck..

The only issue I have is the aux in my car. I turn on Bluetooth so I can still play music in my car. I'm ok but lg should definitely fix this.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app

Hopefully won't get scolded because I already mentioned it in another thread... :/
- My first G3, an AT&T had an issue where knock on didnt work most of the time. Returned it and went to T-Mobile.
- My current T-Mobile version has display issues. Screen has an overall yellowish tint and has been getting worse by the day. The top right corner of my screen just started getting more discolored as well. My brightness is abnormal... it looks as if it goes to 150%, lol. Too bright even on 0%.
Went back to the store, after comparing my phone to the demo models and the salesmen's personal phones, mine was determined as defective. Was going to exchange and they went back to get one phone after another - all 3 that they opened had worse screens than mine. They think they may have gotten a bad batch and advised me to come back in a week when they hopefully get a shipment from a different batch. I dont feel like waiting a week and gambling again, so im going to return it for a full refund. Going to get an AT&T version and unlock it for T-Mobile.

Quick update to what I posted earlier... I went back to t-mobile to replace my 2nd G3 due to Aux port not working and they gave me a new one and I have to say that this is the best one i got screen wise. OMG its beautiful.... colors are balanced, temp of the screen is near perfect not to cold not to warm, sharpness yes its still crazy high but it doesn't have the blurry looking effect with text and certain apps and everything else seems to be working like it should be. Hopefully the 3rd device is going to be the charm if not then idk lol...

skyyrocket said:
Quick update to what I posted earlier... I went back to t-mobile to replace my 2nd G3 due to Aux port not working and they gave me a new one and I have to say that this is the best one i got screen wise. OMG its beautiful.... colors are balanced, temp of the screen is near perfect not to cold not to warm, sharpness yes its still crazy high but it doesn't have the blurry looking effect with text and certain apps and everything else seems to be working like it should be. Hopefully the 3rd device is going to be the charm if not then idk lol...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy your device outright? I'm just switching to Tmobile, ordered my G3 online. And for now, I used their equipment payment plan. I'm gonna wait and see how bad the network is in my area. If I go for it, I'll be paying it off straight away. Just curious how Tmobile is about replacing devices that are defective. Are they pretty on top of it?
Or should I invest in some kind insurance? (actual insurance... uggghhh... or the Jump program (also doesn't appeal, but as flaky as these things have been, I'm worried))

DefinityX said:
Did you buy your device outright? I'm just switching to Tmobile, ordered my G3 online. And for now, I used their equipment payment plan. I'm gonna wait and see how bad the network is in my area. If I go for it, I'll be paying it off straight away. Just curious how Tmobile is about replacing devices that are defective. Are they pretty on top of it?
Or should I invest in some kind insurance? (actual insurance... uggghhh... or the Jump program (also doesn't appeal, but as flaky as these things have been, I'm worried))
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I bought the device outright because I sold my S5 and I don't use jump since I switch phones a lot. As for insurance and defective devices I use Tmobile's just without jump and they are pretty good with swapping bad devices. My M8 had a network/sim issues they literally sent 5 M8's because the issue wasn't going away but they made sure the problem was fix lol. Even my S5 screen went bad and they had me a replacement device the next day... so I can't really say anything negative about there warranty/insurance polices. Even with the G3 they replaced the device as soon as i showed something was wrong with a brand new one in box

My opinion
skyyrocket said:
Yea I bought the device outright because I sold my S5 and I don't use jump since I switch phones a lot. As for insurance and defective devices I use Tmobile's just without jump and they are pretty good with swapping bad devices. My M8 had a network/sim issues they literally sent 5 M8's because the issue wasn't going away but they made sure the problem was fix lol. Even my S5 screen went bad and they had me a replacement device the next day... so I can't really say anything negative about there warranty/insurance polices. Even with the G3 they replaced the device as soon as i showed something was wrong with a brand new one in box
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.... Ive had my g3 since wednesday and yes the headphone jack works but this thing refuses to enter deepsledp for some reason...and im noticing some almost grayish lines behind text when I'm reading a webpage or text

@Eldartho well i would say get it replaced. I did notice the lines with one of the display units in the store. LG is very hit or miss with the displays on the G3.... My current replacment is saturated like my s5 out the box but my last one was dull like z2/z1 so the displays are going to be a raffle on getting the right one. As for the deepsleep that sounded like the problem my first device had and it would always stay hot and drain extremely fast

skyyrocket said:
@Eldartho well i would say get it replaced. I did notice the lines with one of the display units in the store. LG is very hit or miss with the displays on the G3.... My current replacment is saturated like my s5 out the box but my last one was dull like z2/z1 so the displays are going to be a raffle on getting the right one. As for the deepsleep that sounded like the problem my first device had and it would always stay hot and drain extremely fast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For all I know it's an app but for some reason my Android os is running my battery down like crazy... Ugh.... Time to dig a little deeper

Eldartho said:
For all I know it's an app but for some reason my Android os is running my battery down like crazy... Ugh.... Time to dig a little deeper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'm either the luckiest guy in the world when it comes to getting phones, or just not anal retentive enough. I've never had to return a phone due to the issues that people post on XDA. I guess I'm just really lucky.

Semantics said:
I guess I'm either the luckiest guy in the world when it comes to getting phones, or just not anal retentive enough. I've never had to return a phone due to the issues that people post on XDA. I guess I'm just really lucky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are lucky, lol. Last 3 phones I bought from T-Mobile (M8, S5, G3) have all had to be exchanged due to hardware issues. Beginning to think they build the T-Mobile phones with bottom of the box parts, haha. To be fair though, I first bought the AT&T G3 and returned because Knock On wasn't working.

I bought mine off of swappa from a beta winner and it is perfect. Same with my s5. I am lucky x2 it seems
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Is anyone else having issues with pressing the settings icon in the notification pull down?
I keep trying to press the top right gear but nothing seems to be happening.
Is there some setting I'm missing or it just not suppose to work that way?
Thanks

Has anybody else had "Cell Standby" high on the list of battery drain?

I have issues with the keyboard reverting back to the stock keyboard even though I was using Swype. I had to freeze the stock one to stop this. I also have some apps logging out occasionally.

Had the headphone jack issue ... Went to the store to exchange n it worked all of a sudden ....bought bluetooth headphone just in case lol got the LG tone pros

Why I'm returning my phone

So I've used the US zenfone 6 for about a week and this is indeed a great solid phone. Below are my thoughts on the phone (my previous phone being a Pixel 2 XL):
What I liked:
1) Software: Asus did a very good job with the software; it feels like stock but they added a lot of very useful customizations and default apps that I would normally have to root/xposed to get. Asus really put a lot of thought into the small things.
2) sd card: It's really nice to have an expandable sdcard. I got the 64GB version because the sd card can compensate for the smaller internal capacity.
3) fast charging: I didn't time it but it charges very fast.
4) widescreen: It didn't really matter to me too much that the camera rotates, but the widescreen was very nice because I could get so much more in the shot. However one bad thing about it was that if I found a good shot/frame with the widescreen and then switched back to non-widescreen, the camera unit would reset back to its default 'resting' position and then I'd have to rotate the camera again to find my original 'good' shot.
5) the extra memory: I noticed that when I went back to any game in the background, it would load right where I left off instead of 'reloading' all the data again.
What I didn't like:
1) Weight: it's 205grams out of the box (without sdcard, sim card, or plastic case) ... even though their website advertises 181/190grams. It feels heavier and tires out my hand faster when I am holding it for long periods of time like playing games. I noticed it right off the bat (my Pixel 2 XL being 175grams). After a week though, I got used to the increased weight, but it still gets tiring.
2) vibration: The vibration is non-existent. You can hear it if the phone vibrates on the table, but when I tested it by calling myself while in my jeans expecting to feel something, I literally could not feel a thing... not even a tickle. What's the point in having a phone if I never know if someone calls or msgs me.
3) Bootloader: Unlocking the bootloader supposedly voids the warranty (even though US law prohibits that) and there currently is no way to re-lock the bootloader so I never got around to tinkering with custom roms, rooting, and flashing kernels. I could probably fight the voiding of my warranty, but nobody's got time for that. I missed my rooted modules and xposed apps. (Compare this to Google who will still honor my warranty as long as I relock the bootloader and put it back the way it was.)
4) touchscreen: While holding the phone, the screen would sometimes register a touch at the bottom right edge even when I didn't intend to. I thought it was my fault and that I was accidentally touching the screen somehow, but I eventually figured out that I wasn't doing anything wrong.
5) The size: I already knew the phone was slightly bigger when I purchased it, but I didn't expect it to be as uncomfortable to hold as it was. Not sure why but I think the extra thickness and the increased weight made it more tiring to hold.
What I'm conflicted about:
1) The battery life: The battery is almost 1500 mAh larger than my pixel which is very nice to have, but it also drained pretty fast. I realize that playing games on the phone does drain the phone quickly, but the extra battery, unscientifically speaking, didn't seem to help much. I'm also usually near an outlet so I could always charge. And when I am not, I could always bring a portable battery.
2) The cpu: I was expecting the phone to be noticeably/significantly faster than my pixel, but I didn't notice a difference. It's possible that the un-overclocked custom kernel that I installed improved the speed on my pixel, but there was no noticeable speed difference to warrant getting a new phone.

Same Boat
neo_lithic3K said:
So I've used the US zenfone 6 for about a week and this is indeed a great solid phone. Below are my thoughts on the phone (my previous phone being a Pixel 2 XL):
What I liked:
1) Software: Asus did a very good job with the software; it feels like stock but they added a lot of very useful customizations and default apps that I would normally have to root/xposed to get. Asus really put a lot of thought into the small things.
2) sd card: It's really nice to have an expandable sdcard. I got the 64GB version because the sd card can compensate for the smaller internal capacity.
3) fast charging: I didn't time it but it charges very fast.
4) widescreen: It didn't really matter to me too much that the camera rotates, but the widescreen was very nice because I could get so much more in the shot. However one bad thing about it was that if I found a good shot/frame with the widescreen and then switched back to non-widescreen, the camera unit would reset back to its default 'resting' position and then I'd have to rotate the camera again to find my original 'good' shot.
5) the extra memory: I noticed that when I went back to any game in the background, it would load right where I left off instead of 'reloading' all the data again.
What I didn't like:
1) Weight: it's 205grams out of the box (without sdcard, sim card, or plastic case) ... even though their website advertises 181/190grams. It feels heavier and tires out my hand faster when I am holding it for long periods of time like playing games. I noticed it right off the bat (my Pixel 2 XL being 175grams). After a week though, I got used to the increased weight, but it still gets tiring.
2) vibration: The vibration is non-existent. You can hear it if the phone vibrates on the table, but when I tested it by calling myself while in my jeans expecting to feel something, I literally could not feel a thing... not even a tickle. What's the point in having a phone if I never know if someone calls or msgs me.
3) Bootloader: Unlocking the bootloader supposedly voids the warranty (even though US law prohibits that) and there currently is no way to re-lock the bootloader so I never got around to tinkering with custom roms, rooting, and flashing kernels. I could probably fight the voiding of my warranty, but nobody's got time for that. I missed my rooted modules and xposed apps. (Compare this to Google who will still honor my warranty as long as I relock the bootloader and put it back the way it was.)
4) touchscreen: While holding the phone, the screen would sometimes register a touch at the bottom right edge even when I didn't intend to. I thought it was my fault and that I was accidentally touching the screen somehow, but I eventually figured out that I wasn't doing anything wrong.
5) The size: I already knew the phone was slightly bigger when I purchased it, but I didn't expect it to be as uncomfortable to hold as it was. Not sure why but I think the extra thickness and the increased weight made it more tiring to hold.
What I'm conflicted about:
1) The battery life: The battery is almost 1500 mAh larger than my pixel which is very nice to have, but it also drained pretty fast. I realize that playing games on the phone does drain the phone quickly, but the extra battery, unscientifically speaking, didn't seem to help much. I'm also usually near an outlet so I could always charge. And when I am not, I could always bring a portable battery.
2) The cpu: I was expecting the phone to be noticeably/significantly faster than my pixel, but I didn't notice a difference. It's possible that the un-overclocked custom kernel that I installed improved the speed on my pixel, but there was no noticeable speed difference to warrant getting a new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently listing mine for sale right now. But my problems stem more from the software side of things. Like not supporting Dual Apps for all applications, Call recording not working in the US, Private SMS, etc.
The bootloader being unlocked prevents me returning the phone back to them. But if by Friday I get no offers I will contact Mobile Advance directly and see what they will charge me to return the phone with the bootloader unlocked.
There should be a way to relock the bootloader as I only used the phone for 2 hours before realizing all the things it lacked. I had to root to make sure all my modules worked.
I really wanted to keep it too. Anyway, Cheers. Sorry you are disappointed too.

Thanks for your overview. How were the speakers for you?

Great
troy5890 said:
Thanks for your overview. How were the speakers for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me the speakers are great. The hardware of the phone is top notch. As stated, my issue is on the software of side. Some might say superficial. For what I paid for the phone, it is honestly not bad at all.
As for the battery life, it is subjective because of the variations in use cases. I think it is good, not great compared to other phones I have used in the past that have had 5000mAh battery and above. But then again, they all didn't have the top of the line processor. Usually just mid range.

Call Recording
Damionix said:
I am currently listing mine for sale right now. But my problems stem more from the software side of things. Like not supporting Dual Apps for all applications, Call recording not working in the US, Private SMS, etc.
The bootloader being unlocked prevents me returning the phone back to them. But if by Friday I get no offers I will contact Mobile Advance directly and see what they will charge me to return the phone with the bootloader unlocked.
There should be a way to relock the bootloader as I only used the phone for 2 hours before realizing all the things it lacked. I had to root to make sure all my modules worked.
I really wanted to keep it too. Anyway, Cheers. Sorry you are disappointed too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to say that I have the US version and call recording is working fine for me. Do you know if you set it up correctly? If you have any questions I can try to help.

Really?
Hoodnj said:
Just wanted to say that I have the US version and call recording is working fine for me. Do you know if you set it up correctly? If you have any questions I can try to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you have it working? Is it with a third party app rooted? Or with the built-in phone app?
With the built -in phone app, it says recording but after the call, the call recording folder is empty.

Damionix said:
How do you have it working? Is it with a third party app rooted? Or with the built-in phone app?
With the built -in phone app, it says recording but after the call, the call recording folder is empty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just turned on the setting in the phone app and it has worked for me ever since. I'm using the built in phone app and I haven't rooted or unlocked bootloader so it is 100% stock right now (I don't even have the August security patch yet). The settings are weird because they are split in two different places.
To get to the first place you:
Open the phone app > three dots (top right) > call recordings > three dots (top right) > settings
For the second place you:
Open the phone app > three dots (top right) > settings > call > advanced > call recording

Oh My Gosh
Hoodnj said:
I just turned on the setting in the phone app and it has worked for me ever since. I'm using the built in phone app and I haven't rooted or unlocked bootloader so it is 100% stock right now (I don't even have the August security patch yet). The settings are weird because they are split in two different places.
To get to the first place you:
Open the phone app > three dots (top right) > call recordings > three dots (top right) > settings
For the second place you:
Open the phone app > three dots (top right) > settings > call > advanced > call recording
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I had factory reset the phone and prepared it for sale. After reading what you said, I turned it on again, inserted my SIM and did a test call and it recorded both times with no issues whatsoever. I wonder what the issue could have been. I am positive I gave it all the rights and access it asked for. Weird. But it is working now. Thanks. I am beginning to reconsider selling it. That is one huge thing ticked off the list. And to my surprise too, Google Voice notifications are now working just fine. No issues. You must have brought me good luck

Damionix said:
Well, I had factory reset the phone and prepared it for sale. After reading what you said, I turned it on again, inserted my SIM and did a test call and it recorded both times with no issues whatsoever. I wonder what the issue could have been. I am positive I gave it all the rights and access it asked for. Weird. But it is working now. Thanks. I am beginning to reconsider selling it. That is one huge thing ticked off the list. And to my surprise too, Google Voice notifications are now working just fine. No issues. You must have brought me good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had similar issues with phones in the past where things didn't work for no apparent reason and we're solved with a factory reset with seemingly no change. But call recording was also a big thing for me so I made sure to check before I bought it that that was included. Can't say anything about the Google Voice notifications as I don't use it but I'm glad I could bring the good luck and let me know if there is something else I could help you with. Personally I am loving the my Z6 and will definitely be keeping it.

I would have thought that xposed or other rooted apps would be able to give you the features you need (dual apps, call recording, etc)... but I don't know enough about those features to offer a solution.
In regards to getting your money back, you can also look into your credit card to see if it offers return protection. My Chase Sapphire Reserve will refund me up to $500 per item if the vendor won't take it back. American Express Blue also has offers return protection up to $300 per item. Other credit cards may have similar benefits, but you'll need to read their fine print to get all the details.. This won't apply in your situation, but if an item is accidentally damaged, credit cards usually will refund the cost of the device, I think up to $1000 or something like that.
Damionix said:
I am currently listing mine for sale right now. But my problems stem more from the software side of things. Like not supporting Dual Apps for all applications, Call recording not working in the US, Private SMS, etc.
The bootloader being unlocked prevents me returning the phone back to them. But if by Friday I get no offers I will contact Mobile Advance directly and see what they will charge me to return the phone with the bootloader unlocked.
There should be a way to relock the bootloader as I only used the phone for 2 hours before realizing all the things it lacked. I had to root to make sure all my modules worked.
I really wanted to keep it too. Anyway, Cheers. Sorry you are disappointed too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I almost never use the speakers, but when I tested it, it was fine. It's not top of the line sound and it sounds more tin-ny and slightly less bass than my Pixel 2 XL, but I wouldn't have noticed that unless I was comparing them side by side. The Zenfone 6's speakers can get very loud though, to the point of hurting my ears, which is a plus.... whereas the Pixel 2 XL can't get that loud.
troy5890 said:
Thanks for your overview. How were the speakers for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I returned mine as well.
No Wifi Calling
No VoLTE
I'm on T-Mobile (or a MVNO of it), and the call quality was horrible.
Dialing a number also was the pits. As I would get a spinning circle for more than 10 seconds, before connecting to the network, and attempting to dial.
Sometimes, it would never dial the number, even though, I had 3 and 4 bars showing on the phone.
Sound quality was OK, but, I was expecting a little more. (yes, I tried different audio settings too)
The cameras, were fun, took good pictures, but, for me, didn't quite have the color exposure or "POP" I thought I should get with a 48MP camera (set in 48MP mode)
This was Version C (USA phone). Very disappointed!

I'm seriously considering returning mine....
I just created another thread specifically about the ultra-weak, useless vibration. I've missed more notifications in my first week of ownership than I ever have, even on budget phones.

I am joining this club of returning the device. I received RMA to return my device. My reasons for returning are,
1. The flip camera is making tapping noise when not in use. When the phone is in our pocket and while walking it is making tapping noise.
2. Device is heavier than expected.
3. Rear fingerprint scanner is a nuisance when put the phone in car holder. We have to use key pad to unlock. Front scanner is more convenient.
The alternate phone I have ordered is xioami mi 9. I heard that this phone ticks all boxes of a flagship phone and half the price of flagship phones.
Sent from my OP 5 using Tapatalk

I also have a similar issue as you this 4) touchscreen: While holding the phone, the screen would sometimes register a touch at the bottom right edge even when I didn't intend to. I thought it was my fault and that I was accidentally touching the screen somehow, but I eventually figured out that I wasn't doing anything wrong.
Does anyone else have this issue or know of a fix? Other than that this phone is fantastic and by far better than any other phone I have owned.