(Sorry in advance for the super long post)
So, I bought an ATT Unlocked 32GB Fire Phone new for only $80 (free shipping) on Ebay and I've been using it for exactly one week now, and my experience has been so-so. I LOVED the fireos UI on the kindle fire tablets but once I started using it on the smaller screen with the fire phone, I found it to be very cluttered, inefficient, and none of my side loaded apps show up in the UI.
So, two days in I hacked play store and 1mobile market onto the phone and downloaded ZenUi launcher from Asus (which works fantastic on Fire Phone), and now I've been liking the general UI experience. But I've been having a few other minor annoyances about this phone, mostly related to things simply not working.
Heres my biggest annoyance: The facebook suite of apps hardly work. This is a problem for me, because my friends and family, all of them communicate over Facebook, and since Facebook thinks its such a FANTASTIC idea to force you to have messenger to read and send messages (no more messaging through the mobile site), I pretty much HAVE to have messenger. My problem though, is that the facebook app crashes alot on Fire Phone, and messenger is doing the same thing. I had to download all of these through play store because the normal Facebook app isn't even on Amazon App Store, and the messenger app is several versions outdated on the store (apparently they abandoned the platform?), So now, I am basically fighting these to apps to work.
Another problem is Play Services. I am not sure whats going on, but no matter what guide I follow (the one here on XDA, the one on spinyourfire and the one on rootjunkies), after a few resets or after just a few days, play services "break" and any and all apps relying on play services (like snapchat, google apps, etc) refuse to work. So when that happens, I have to purge it all relating to Google and redownload. This is REALLY annoying, because Snapchat is another app I use alot for communications and since Play Services keeps doing this, its becoming really difficult.
Tumblr isn't working either. I guess since the browser version works just fine and unlike facebook you aren't required to have their apps, thats not a MAJOR problem. Now, several other communication apps that I HAVE to sideload, like Badoo, OOvoo and some other chat apps aren't working either no matter what I try.
This being a "Communication" device, I am having a very hard time "Communicating" when this is happening. This is really making me upset because I absolutely LOVE the design of the device, the camera is acceptable, I LOVE firefly and the 3D support, and the specs for the price are fantastic. (How many phones have NFC, 3D, good cameras, 32GB ON BOARD space for $80 new?), but with all these problems, I am highly considering sending the phone back to the vendor and buying something else, and I really don't want to! Games run GREAT on here, like GTA Sanandreas, Sims Freeplay, and Fallout Shelter. The camera works great and like I said, I already am in love with Firefly. But I am upset that all the essential apps pretty much need sideloaded since it seems everyone is abandoning Fire Phone, and side loading isn't working.
I should also mention that I did try CM11 and pretty much right away switched back to fireOS because the cameras were not working. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thank you!
For me google services works fine, one month of using fire phone and I have dust in back camera. So this is the problem for me, and fire os 5.
Are you on the latest update of fireOS? i only switched to the MIUI ROM recently but for the past couple of months when i was still on fireOS, play store and messenger(from play store) have been working fine with no issues. Also please ensure that if you are using google play to take of automatic updates in the amazon store. From experience apps tend to break if not updated from the original source.
for Facebook try using swipe (just search for it in play store). I'm having problems with messenger myself (no notifications) but with swipe i have no problems.
ozan2 said:
For me google services works fine, one month of using fire phone and I have dust in back camera. So this is the problem for me, and fire os 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had that as well. Thankfully I was able to get it to move by tapping it.
romario3600 said:
Are you on the latest update of fireOS? i only switched to the MIUI ROM recently but for the past couple of months when i was still on fireOS, play store and messenger(from play store) have been working fine with no issues. Also please ensure that if you are using google play to take of automatic updates in the amazon store. From experience apps tend to break if not updated from the original source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on the latest release of Fire OS and the latest google services files. Nothing. I have auto updates off and I am selectively updating. I can't update SnapChat because everytime I do, it breaks.
dato02 said:
for Facebook try using swipe (just search for it in play store). I'm having problems with messenger myself (no notifications) but with swipe i have no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried Swipe and it opens a black screen then closes quickly, sadly.
I'm loving mine after installing Google play and I've downloaded all the apps I want through there and not through Amazon appstore. I'm using Nova Launcher and it's pretty much a nice Android experience now. Not many 4.7" android phones with these great specs I got my 64GB for $100. This thing isn't a budget phone by any means. Snapchat also works just fine. Screen quality reminds me of iPhone 6s.
No issues anymore with fire os 4.6.6.1 and current versions of FB and messenger from play store.
Related
Hi everyone!
I have just gotten my Ouya device today and installed apps from my Samsung Galaxy S3 like Netflix, Youtube and XBMC... I did try installing some other apps called Showbox, USTV, and TVPortal but the thing is, they do install and when you launch them it goes back to the Ouya homescreen. Is there a way to run *any* android app on the Ouya even if modding the console itself or the apk file of the app? I would like those certain apps to work. If there is none I guess I will be selling it on the market.
Thank you.
-John
johnsnow5440 said:
Hi everyone!
I have just gotten my Ouya device today and installed apps from my Samsung Galaxy S3 like Netflix, Youtube and XBMC... I did try installing some other apps called Showbox, USTV, and TVPortal but the thing is, they do install and when you launch them it goes back to the Ouya homescreen. Is there a way to run *any* android app on the Ouya even if modding the console itself or the apk file of the app? I would like those certain apps to work. If there is none I guess I will be selling it on the market.
Thank you.
-John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
netflix, look for the 1.8.1 apk I beleive, you can find it on XDA here.
For youtube, I forget which version, Ill have to check mine and get back to you.
XBMC you can get from OUYA itself, you dont need to sideload it.
I found it best to get the amazon app store installed. Most apps on this seem to run good, since the hardware is similar to the kindle and nexus 7.
I used HULU from the amazon app store and it runs fine.
Im seeing more and more the version 1 of the OUYA was a bit of a disappointment and I was a kickstart backer (only 20$ though).
IF (big IF) they create a version 2 Im sure it will be much better but version one buyers and kickstart backers better get something for being R&D
tevil said:
netflix, look for the 1.8.1 apk I beleive, you can find it on XDA here.
For youtube, I forget which version, Ill have to check mine and get back to you.
XBMC you can get from OUYA itself, you dont need to sideload it.
I found it best to get the amazon app store installed. Most apps on this seem to run good, since the hardware is similar to the kindle and nexus 7.
I used HULU from the amazon app store and it runs fine.
Im seeing more and more the version 1 of the OUYA was a bit of a disappointment and I was a kickstart backer (only 20$ though).
IF (big IF) they create a version 2 Im sure it will be much better but version one buyers and kickstart backers better get something for being R&D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's fine. I sold it within 2 days because I don't like I can't install all android apps. It was very good with XBMC though
I just installed the game and it gets stuck at the loading screen. It eventually gives me some null frame error that I've never seen before
Is it an issue with this model tablet or maybe my tablet is just messed up some how? I did go through and turn off/disable some things, but none should have affected this game
Resolved
cpete47 said:
A workaround is to install the kindle version from the Amazon app store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you @cpete47
Works just fine on my 10.5
dcaplinger76 said:
Works just fine on my 10.5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hrmm, thanks for the information. I just did a factory reset and am still getting stuck around the 85% part of the loading bar
That's weird... did you install it from the Galaxy Apps ? That's what I did because it says you get $15 in app purchases.
dcaplinger76 said:
That's weird... did you install it from the Galaxy Apps ? That's what I did because it says you get $15 in app purchases.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahha, that fixed it. I had originally downloaded it from the Google Play Store
I'm at the intro cartoon scene now. Let's hope it continues to work. Thanks again
Hrmm, so now that I have attached my Google Play account to the game, when it loads up it tells me that I need to upgrade to the latest version. When I press the upgrade button it takes me to the Galaxy Apps page via Chrome
This is disappointing
Yeah I never tried doing that, that's no good
Edit: Just went into the settings and signed in using Google+ and it signed me into Google Games and worked like it should....can't find the $15 though
Mine did the same thing, but I'll give it a shot from Samsung Apps
rorytmeadows said:
Mine did the same thing, but I'll give it a shot from Samsung Apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That definitely worked for me. When I started to research the original error message, I saw a forum for Blackberry users talking about getting this erorr because they didn't have Google Play Services on their device. Sideloading a Google play services app helped them.
I can only imagine that is what's going on with the Tab S. Something stupid that Samsung has done with TouchWiz. Purely speculation though
Same here with install from Play store: Stuck at loading between 80 and 95% on my Tab S 8.4.
I'm not willing to go through Samsung store, so my testing stops here.
I'm actually growing upset at Samsung with this device. Their bloatware is even more intrusive than Google's and more often impossible to remove/disable. They automatically start and run in the background leeching personal data, memory and battery life without doing much to improve user experience in return.
And no matter if it's a Firmware, TW or Exynos issue, something seems to be messing up with how apps and transition effects perform... and all of the suspects are branded Samsung. I see way too many issues here for a supposedly top notch device positioned in such a high pricing. I see all the elements for a winning product ruined by greed: Poor optimization, integration of a company shipset to save some cash, poor Quality Control (considering the amount of defect units reported), integration of a large amount of bloatware to generate side income at the detriment of user experience.
I hope all of this gets fixed with custom firmwares or future official firmwares, but I'm still upset that Samsung goes for cheap tactics on a wannabe high end product.
ukael said:
Same here with install from Play store: Stuck at loading between 80 and 95% on my Tab S 8.4.
I'm not willing to go through Samsung store, so my testing stops here.
I'm actually growing upset at Samsung with this device. Their bloatware is even more intrusive than Google's and more often impossible to remove/disable. They automatically start and run in the background leeching personal data, memory and battery life without doing much to improve user experience in return.
And no matter if it's a Firmware, TW or Exynos issue, something seems to be messing up with how apps and transition effects perform... and all of the suspects are branded Samsung. I see way too many issues here for a supposedly top notch device positioned in such a high pricing. I see all the elements for a winning product ruined by greed: Poor optimization, integration of a company shipset to save some cash, poor Quality Control (considering the amount of defect units reported), integration of a large amount of bloatware to generate side income at the detriment of user experience.
I hope all of this gets fixed with custom firmwares or future official firmwares, but I'm still upset that Samsung goes for cheap tactics on a wannabe high end product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree.
In the back of my head I'm kind of hoping that it's a faulty device and the rest run better. There's some progress going on a CyanogenMod port. I am hoping this works out nicely so I can enjoy the Tab S as much as I enjoy my two year old nexus 7. And I'm not even a fan of CyanogenMod, lol. But it's the lesser of two evils right now. It could end up being my savior lol. I thought this Exynos chip was comparable to the Snapdragon 800. I knew the Snapdragon performed better GPU wise, but not by this much.
A workaround is to install the kindle version from the Amazon app store.
cpete47 said:
A workaround is to install the kindle version from the Amazon app store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
imma go try that right now
cpete47 said:
A workaround is to install the kindle version from the Amazon app store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Amazon Appstore version is giving me some strange graphical glitches, and it also still at 1.1.2 when the version on the Google Play Store has been updated to 1.1.3.
The gaphical glitches are that sometimes when I start the gamne, almost everthing is black. If I force close it and reopen it, it looks normal. Also, a few of the items from the Comicon event are showing in a different location than where I place them. The actual image if the item is above nd to the left of where I actually place it. To click the item, I have to click where I placed the outline, not on the actual image, so it appears to be a display issue.
Does anyone know if a custom ROM will run the Play Store version correctly?
The version on the Galaxy store works now.
jfleegle said:
The gaphical glitches are that sometimes when I start the gamne, almost everthing is black. If I force close it and reopen it, it looks normal. Also, a few of the items from the Comicon event are showing in a different location than where I place them. The actual image if the item is above nd to the left of where I actually place it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happens sometimes with the version provided on the Samsung App Store. It's outdated (one version behind the Google Play store version), but at least, it runs...
I tried the version on the Amazon App Store, but was not able to login with Google+.
If anyone is interested there was an update for this on the play store which i think has fixed the problem
Hello,
So, let me start by saying that I am by no means a developer but a tinkerer by trade. I got the Fire Phone the day after Release. My initial reaction was disgust at the interface and usability of it all. I found the carrousel interface to hinder my use of the phone. The Apps I needed always rotated away and I would spend more time scrolling over to find something than it would ever take me to find and launch from the traditional Android launcher screens. So I set about finding a way to "restore" functionality.
Previously I've had a Motorola Milestone, Motorola Atrix and Samsung GS3. My SGS3 had abysmal battery life, which is why I switched to a new phone. Comparatively, the Fire Phone so far has had brilliant battery life. I've been unplugged overnight and still been at 40%+ in the morning when it was around 80% the night before.
I had used towel root recently on my SGS3 and I tried it on the Fire Phone. It worked. I just downloaded the most recent version from the towel root site, allowed apps from other sources in settings, and first try it worked. I installed Root Explorer from the Amazon Store. Using the instructions from another Thread about getting G-Apps onto a Kindle Fire I was able to load Chrome, Play Music, Google Maps, Gmail, and the play store. There are some small quirks though. The Play Store does not work. It says no connection when opened. And the Google play services is constantly crashing and slightly annoying. I also found on AppAPK a download for the galaxy launcher. I installed that and at first I could not set it as the default launcher but There appeared to be some sort of update or something that rebooted my phone at this point the launcher asks which to use when it needed the launcher at boot and the galaxy launcher is not set to default. It still crashes if I try to set a background or widget but I at least have a functional home screen.
The only thing that really stops me from having a great experience with it now is an issue with Google Maps. Road names overlap and after driving for a short about of time words just become giant gray blobs of unreadable garbage. Navigation works fine and the maps themselves look okay, the words just become completely useless.
I do have to say that it has a really nice Camera, pictures look great.
I also wish there was a back button......this has been really hard to get used to as well. Having to swipe up from the bottom or hit the Home
I hope that there will be a custom Firmware someday, until then I feel like unless you really like Amazon kindle and Amazon services, or can tolerate a hundred workarounds to try and gain more functionality, stay away from this phone.
My overall Rating would be as follows:
Performance - 4.5 - I run into some hiccups every now and then and it gets hot even if you are just web browsing for a little bit.
Battery Life - 5.0 - Sooo much better than my old SGS3
Ease of Use - 1.0 - Out of the box, coming from several other Android solutions, it was the worst thing I have ever used. After all the tweaking and hacking ~4.0
Features - 3.5 - There are a lot of nice features but overall there are a lot of Gimmicks...also why no SD slot? No Google Play yet also hurts...
Overall - 3.5/5.0 - At least I got another free year of Prime out of it...
I have an Important Question: please help me
1.Can this phone show 3D side bye side movies without glasses ( like LG optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D) ?
2. Can this Phone Capture 3D images or videos?
danteoz said:
Hello,
So, let me start by saying that I am by no means a developer but a tinkerer by trade. I got the Fire Phone the day after Release. My initial reaction was disgust at the interface and usability of it all. I found the carrousel interface to hinder my use of the phone. The Apps I needed always rotated away and I would spend more time scrolling over to find something than it would ever take me to find and launch from the traditional Android launcher screens. So I set about finding a way to "restore" functionality.
Previously I've had a Motorola Milestone, Motorola Atrix and Samsung GS3. My SGS3 had abysmal battery life, which is why I switched to a new phone. Comparatively, the Fire Phone so far has had brilliant battery life. I've been unplugged overnight and still been at 40%+ in the morning when it was around 80% the night before.
I had used towel root recently on my SGS3 and I tried it on the Fire Phone. It worked. I just downloaded the most recent version from the towel root site, allowed apps from other sources in settings, and first try it worked. I installed Root Explorer from the Amazon Store. Using the instructions from another Thread about getting G-Apps onto a Kindle Fire I was able to load Chrome, Play Music, Google Maps, Gmail, and the play store. There are some small quirks though. The Play Store does not work. It says no connection when opened. And the Google play services is constantly crashing and slightly annoying. I also found on AppAPK a download for the galaxy launcher. I installed that and at first I could not set it as the default launcher but There appeared to be some sort of update or something that rebooted my phone at this point the launcher asks which to use when it needed the launcher at boot and the galaxy launcher is not set to default. It still crashes if I try to set a background or widget but I at least have a functional home screen.
The only thing that really stops me from having a great experience with it now is an issue with Google Maps. Road names overlap and after driving for a short about of time words just become giant gray blobs of unreadable garbage. Navigation works fine and the maps themselves look okay, the words just become completely useless.
I do have to say that it has a really nice Camera, pictures look great.
I also wish there was a back button......this has been really hard to get used to as well. Having to swipe up from the bottom or hit the Home
I hope that there will be a custom Firmware someday, until then I feel like unless you really like Amazon kindle and Amazon services, or can tolerate a hundred workarounds to try and gain more functionality, stay away from this phone.
My overall Rating would be as follows:
Performance - 4.5 - I run into some hiccups every now and then and it gets hot even if you are just web browsing for a little bit.
Battery Life - 5.0 - Sooo much better than my old SGS3
Ease of Use - 1.0 - Out of the box, coming from several other Android solutions, it was the worst thing I have ever used. After all the tweaking and hacking ~4.0
Features - 3.5 - There are a lot of nice features but overall there are a lot of Gimmicks...also why no SD slot? No Google Play yet also hurts...
Overall - 3.5/5.0 - At least I got another free year of Prime out of it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Towel root works?? We can make a thread in the development forums to guide people to root it. PM me.
bagher said:
I have an Important Question: please help me
1.Can this phone show 3D side bye side movies without glasses ( like LG optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D) ?
2. Can this Phone Capture 3D images or videos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No to both.
the 3d is just a simulation, but a very convincing one. It uses perspective, and the best guess knowledge it gains from 4 cameras to guess where your head is. In theory, this could be used to watch a 3d movie, or photography, but it would need to be specially formatted for the Fire phone. As far as 3d recording goes, nope.
The 3d they call Dynamic Perspective. It is a lot like looking into a photo, but then being able to look around the inside of the photo as if it were a diorama. They use it in games and throughout the interface, though both are in the early stages.
bagher said:
I have an Important Question: please help me
1.Can this phone show 3D side bye side movies without glasses ( like LG optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D) ?
2. Can this Phone Capture 3D images or videos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think of it as a 3D phone. Pretty much only the lock screen is 3D. Out of the five cameras on the phone, only one is a camera and the other four are used to track where your head is. That being said, it is a fantastic phone.
---------- Post added at 03:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:54 AM ----------
danteoz said:
Hello,
So, let me start by saying that I am by no means a developer but a tinkerer by trade. I got the Fire Phone the day after Release. My initial reaction was disgust at the interface and usability of it all. I found the carrousel interface to hinder my use of the phone. The Apps I needed always rotated away and I would spend more time scrolling over to find something than it would ever take me to find and launch from the traditional Android launcher screens. So I set about finding a way to "restore" functionality.
Previously I've had a Motorola Milestone, Motorola Atrix and Samsung GS3. My SGS3 had abysmal battery life, which is why I switched to a new phone. Comparatively, the Fire Phone so far has had brilliant battery life. I've been unplugged overnight and still been at 40%+ in the morning when it was around 80% the night before.
I had used towel root recently on my SGS3 and I tried it on the Fire Phone. It worked. I just downloaded the most recent version from the towel root site, allowed apps from other sources in settings, and first try it worked. I installed Root Explorer from the Amazon Store. Using the instructions from another Thread about getting G-Apps onto a Kindle Fire I was able to load Chrome, Play Music, Google Maps, Gmail, and the play store. There are some small quirks though. The Play Store does not work. It says no connection when opened. And the Google play services is constantly crashing and slightly annoying. I also found on AppAPK a download for the galaxy launcher. I installed that and at first I could not set it as the default launcher but There appeared to be some sort of update or something that rebooted my phone at this point the launcher asks which to use when it needed the launcher at boot and the galaxy launcher is not set to default. It still crashes if I try to set a background or widget but I at least have a functional home screen.
The only thing that really stops me from having a great experience with it now is an issue with Google Maps. Road names overlap and after driving for a short about of time words just become giant gray blobs of unreadable garbage. Navigation works fine and the maps themselves look okay, the words just become completely useless.
I do have to say that it has a really nice Camera, pictures look great.
I also wish there was a back button......this has been really hard to get used to as well. Having to swipe up from the bottom or hit the Home
I hope that there will be a custom Firmware someday, until then I feel like unless you really like Amazon kindle and Amazon services, or can tolerate a hundred workarounds to try and gain more functionality, stay away from this phone.
My overall Rating would be as follows:
Performance - 4.5 - I run into some hiccups every now and then and it gets hot even if you are just web browsing for a little bit.
Battery Life - 5.0 - Sooo much better than my old SGS3
Ease of Use - 1.0 - Out of the box, coming from several other Android solutions, it was the worst thing I have ever used. After all the tweaking and hacking ~4.0
Features - 3.5 - There are a lot of nice features but overall there are a lot of Gimmicks...also why no SD slot? No Google Play yet also hurts...
Overall - 3.5/5.0 - At least I got another free year of Prime out of it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered that the Ease of Use is hard because you're comparing it to other Android platforms? It really shouldn't be compared to Android at all.
For the Love of Tech said:
Have you considered that the Ease of Use is hard because you're comparing it to other Android platforms? It really shouldn't be compared to Android at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why shouldn't I compare it to android? It is android under the hood with a multitude of tweaks. Even iOS and Windows phone both support having apps arranged in a manner that makes finding them easy and how you want it. So far the Fire has not shown that. I had an original kindle fire, it was quickly rooted and I loaded custom ROMs within a few weeks because the interface was really bad for running multiple apps.
For me personally and anyone else I've shown it to, it is far from user friendly. But again that is my opinion of it and that was what I gave here, my opinion and observations.
danteoz said:
Hello,
So, let me start by saying that I am by no means a developer but a tinkerer by trade. I got the Fire Phone the day after Release. My initial reaction was disgust at the interface and usability of it all. I found the carrousel interface to hinder my use of the phone. The Apps I needed always rotated away and I would spend more time scrolling over to find something than it would ever take me to find and launch from the traditional Android launcher screens. So I set about finding a way to "restore" functionality.
Previously I've had a Motorola Milestone, Motorola Atrix and Samsung GS3. My SGS3 had abysmal battery life, which is why I switched to a new phone. Comparatively, the Fire Phone so far has had brilliant battery life. I've been unplugged overnight and still been at 40%+ in the morning when it was around 80% the night before.
I had used towel root recently on my SGS3 and I tried it on the Fire Phone. It worked. I just downloaded the most recent version from the towel root site, allowed apps from other sources in settings, and first try it worked. I installed Root Explorer from the Amazon Store. Using the instructions from another Thread about getting G-Apps onto a Kindle Fire I was able to load Chrome, Play Music, Google Maps, Gmail, and the play store. There are some small quirks though. The Play Store does not work. It says no connection when opened. And the Google play services is constantly crashing and slightly annoying. I also found on AppAPK a download for the galaxy launcher. I installed that and at first I could not set it as the default launcher but There appeared to be some sort of update or something that rebooted my phone at this point the launcher asks which to use when it needed the launcher at boot and the galaxy launcher is not set to default. It still crashes if I try to set a background or widget but I at least have a functional home screen.
The only thing that really stops me from having a great experience with it now is an issue with Google Maps. Road names overlap and after driving for a short about of time words just become giant gray blobs of unreadable garbage. Navigation works fine and the maps themselves look okay, the words just become completely useless.
I do have to say that it has a really nice Camera, pictures look great.
I also wish there was a back button......this has been really hard to get used to as well. Having to swipe up from the bottom or hit the Home
I hope that there will be a custom Firmware someday, until then I feel like unless you really like Amazon kindle and Amazon services, or can tolerate a hundred workarounds to try and gain more functionality, stay away from this phone.
My overall Rating would be as follows:
Performance - 4.5 - I run into some hiccups every now and then and it gets hot even if you are just web browsing for a little bit.
Battery Life - 5.0 - Sooo much better than my old SGS3
Ease of Use - 1.0 - Out of the box, coming from several other Android solutions, it was the worst thing I have ever used. After all the tweaking and hacking ~4.0
Features - 3.5 - There are a lot of nice features but overall there are a lot of Gimmicks...also why no SD slot? No Google Play yet also hurts...
Overall - 3.5/5.0 - At least I got another free year of Prime out of it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I have it a week , I sideload the 4.6.1 update and updated in 5 minutes, I followed the tutorial to install Google services and play store and works flawlessly, I installed Google maps and youtube and chrome Along with more Google apps and other apps and they work flawlessly , I can install custom launchers and different keyboards but I like the stock launcher as its fresh from just seeing a grid off apps and the stock keyboard is fine, the only work around I did was to manually install the 4.6.1 update sand install Google apps, the phone is fast and never lags and has good speakers and hardware
The home button doubles as a recent app selector. Try installing 4.6.1 like suggested it totally makes the a better experience.
I'm using it for about a month and easy of use is OK, much better than some say it is. I'm using it with stock launcher and I can't understand this obsession of many users here to s**t all over it. Main problem with FireOS is absence of persistent notifications on top bar - system tray, and inability to choose which quick actions you want to have in system tray. Lock screen is also pretty basic but not to bad. Installing other launcher will not solve this problems. UX can be better but can be worse either. Overall its a great phone for price under $200.
Currently i have an lg g2 but it has a defective screen. Im looking for another phone on the price range of 200. I can get the fire phone which i actually pretty intrested in or i can get the huawei ascend mate 2 or another lg g2 in brand new condition. I dont mind the amazon fire os and im leaning to the fire phone but what do you guys think ?
It's super easy to install Google services and while we have had to deal with our Google stuff going down for a couple of weeks when they updated, everything has been fine since then. If you use prime services it's a no Brainerd because the current cost is 179 and if u were going to get prime it's basically a 80 dollar phone. I don't regret it and I've been a strictly android user since I got the google g1 many years ago. I don't even mind the Amazon launcher. You just have to get used to the swype up for back and Netflix isn't working with chromecast.
It depends how you are going to use your phone, I'm on my second fire phone, sold the first because it was running android 4.2 and Android Wear needs 4.3 at least to work, now that the KitKat update is here, I gave it another go, bought used cheap on eBay, £95, the reason for this, really like the build quality, screen, specs and camera, really good pics in low light. I had the G2 as well and the fire camera is just a bit better IMO.
Now the negatives
The screen is a bit too tiny, awesome for one hand use, but I prefer the 5"+ screens.
No notifications icon on the status bar, if you have any missed notifications, you have to pull down the notifications to see them, that is why having a android wear device is essential if you don't want to miss any notification.
G2 Battery is better, fire phone does last a full day, but G2 is awesome when it comes to battery life.
This is a big one for me, no custom ROMs, I'm using Google Now Launcher to make it more like a pure android phone, but miss flashing custom ROMs
Tip:
If you are going to sideload Google Play Store, please have this in mind, search first for the app on the amazon store, if you can't find it there, than use the play store, had some issues before by doing this... also disable auto update from Play store, because Facebook for example, it has to be the Amazon App store version, just a couple of things to keep in mind if you want a stable phone =)
So if you want a different phone from most people, great build quality, compact, fast, good camera, this is for you, if you want a phone tried and tested, with a big screen and with with custom ROMs, than go for the G2
I got one brand new for £99 in the Amazon sale recently. It's good spec but I like tweaking my setup with custom launchers etc and it isn't too good for that. I'm using the stock fire OS launcher but I've got a gesture app installed now and a t9 launcher assigned to it and all sorts of other crap. Other launchers generally throw up issues I've found. If you're into Amazon for kindle and prime video it's probably worth it. By the way, do uk users get the one year free prime? I didn't see anything when I ordered!
hugoprh said:
Tip:
If you are going to sideload Google Play Store, please have this in mind, search first for the app on the amazon store, if you can't find it there, than use the play store, had some issues before by doing this... also disable auto update from Play store, because Facebook for example, it has to be the Amazon App store version, just a couple of things to keep in mind if you want a stable phone =)
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Click to collapse
Why do you say so? I've installed every app from play store without collateral effects, even Facebook. And i have play store auto updates enabled and working too. What problems did you have with FB taken from play store?
Well amazon took the offer of 179 away so i guess im going for the lg g2. Really wanted the fire phone but i need a phone now and i was going to buy it Friday. Does anyone know how often amazon put the fire phone on sale?
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i love it, but i came from a s2, so it was a massive upgrade for me
FB was one of the apps, the issue I saw with some apps, was the icon would simply disappear from the Amazon launcher and the only way to open the app, was going to play store, search the app and press "open" through there, so I did a factory reset and disabled updates from play store and now all good, weird that you did not experience that and I did...
Wow can't believe it, $450 now. Anyway I love my fire phone. I use Google now launcher with gel customized, software keys via udn app, of course I use the play store and rooted with a proper superuser.
i have a question, i am planning to buy this phone but i am very much relying on google stuff these days , i made a back up of almost everything on google , this phone does not have google store but i heard i can install google store in it and it works like a charm .. i don't know if i would be able to get my android games saved progress or will i have to start the games from amazon store all over again . does it have apk system ? what about my contacts on google , will they sync with the system contacts ?
thank you :laugh:
any tips would be appreciated
hi there,
most stuff from "original google" will probably work.
save games should also if you backup your data and restore the folder on the fire back (after APK installation/google store install). Saved states from google play also work.
Some differences appear in fire system ui but this is not a strange thing. Replace the fire starter with nova launcher e.g. and all is good
Contact/calendar from google acc will also work as usual.
nice day
fniestroj said:
hi there,
most stuff from "original google" will probably work.
save games should also if you backup your data and restore the folder on the fire back (after APK installation/google store install). Saved states from google play also work.
Some differences appear in fire system ui but this is not a strange thing. Replace the fire starter with nova launcher e.g. and all is good
Contact/calendar from google acc will also work as usual.
nice day
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Click to collapse
Thank you :laugh::good:
my general recommendation is Don't buy this phone. my reasons are:
-You are stuck on Andriod KitKat while world prepares for Android N(7.0)
-No current/ further software support.
-Yes you will get google services and everything but they are not reliable. My phone doesn't gives me essential notifications on Whatsapp and messenger until i manually open them and check it.
-Camera doesn't matches the Quality you will find in newer phones.
-Battery life is not Great, 2400 mAh doesn't guarantee a full day.
-its bulky, you dont want a brick in your pocket but upside, this phone is solid af.
-Anyone who sees this phone is going to ask "are all those Front cameras?" and your whole life will be consumed in explaining its 3d features.
-if you think Installing CM11 will smooth the software part(atleast) then you are wrong, Everything works great but camera doesn't, photos taken with Flash are overexposed(there is a work around though) and most of the apps can not use camera, even i was not even able to scan QR code for Whatsapp web because it will just crash and snapchat never worked aswell.
-if you are thinking i will get SnapDragon 800 in few bucks , this is what i thought too but the headaches it bring is not worth SD800.
-if you already have a phone and you want a secondary phone, it still isn't worth it. Probably get Nexus 5 which offers much better solutions.
This is my experience and honest Advice.
Tayyab.Hasan said:
my general recommendation is Don't buy this phone. my reasons are:
-You are stuck on Andriod KitKat while world prepares for Android N(7.0)true
-No current/ further software support.99,99% true
-Yes you will get google services and everything but they are not reliable. My phone doesn't gives me essential notifications on Whatsapp and messenger until i manually open them and check it. it's not my case, I receive gmail, whatsapp, messenger, calendar, facebook, twitter, all sort of notifications. it doesn't need the app stays open in foreground, just don't fully close it swiping it away in recent apps menu.
-Camera doesn't matches the Quality you will find in newer phones. true, it's fine for social
-Battery life is not Great, 2400 mAh doesn't guarantee a full day. true, but depends...
-its bulky, you dont want a brick in your pocket but upside, this phone is solid af. true but sadly there aren't many truly smaller phone today, except iphone SE or z5 comapct, which are pricey
-Anyone who sees this phone is going to ask "are all those Front cameras?" and your whole life will be consumed in explaining its 3d features. who cares?
-if you think Installing CM11 will smooth the software part(atleast) then you are wrong, Everything works great but camera doesn't, photos taken with Flash are overexposed(there is a work around though) and most of the apps can not use camera, even i was not even able to scan QR code for Whatsapp web because it will just crash and snapchat never worked aswell. true, better stay on stock with google now launcher
-if you are thinking i will get SnapDragon 800 in few bucks , this is what i thought too but the headaches it bring is not worth SD800. they are annoying, but if you play many games, adreno 330 and HD display it's a great combo. To find something better in you need something like adreno 418 or 430 on a full hd display
-if you already have a phone and you want a secondary phone, it still isn't worth it. Probably get Nexus 5 which offers much better solutions. depends, i use it as primary phone and I'm fine, i'd be very happy to use it as secondary phone
This is my experience and honest Advice.
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Click to collapse
My experience and answer in bold next to yours.
theprov said:
it's not my case, I receive gmail, whatsapp, messenger, calendar, facebook, twitter, all sort of notifications. it doesn't need the app stays open in foreground, just don't fully close it swiping it away in recent apps menu.
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Click to collapse
then it will eat battery life. but none the less it is not reliable.
-I think investing in SE or Z5 compact is better than keeping an old phone.
-I think Nexus 5x is great performer for its price. SD808 Adreno 418, was for $250.
-I also use it as my primary phone and i too will happily use it as secondary if i dont sell it.( although i dont like the concept of secondary phone, better to invest in 1 then having 2) , if someone have an option who is looking for secondary better get Nexus 5, which got the same specs and Android Marshmallow out of box.