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I just returned my sensation. Or my usability study of the sensation.

I just tried to make the switch from at&t to t-mobile. I had my sensation for about a week, and just returned it this morning.
Reasons I loved the sensation.
Decent battery life *(not as great as everyone made me expect.
Awesome Camera, especially outside- I really could see myself using this phone as a replacement for a cheap point and shoot.
The hardware was pretty much all around fantastic. Great feel in hand. A ton thinner than the evo 3d, especially around the edges. This phone has such a nice shape that it almost gets lost in my pocket. I actually found myself grabbing my pocket to make sure it hadn't fallen out.
The wifi-calling was a great value add.
The screen was fantastic. My next phone will have to have a qhd or better display (no sgsII for me). Say what you want about contrast ratios, but I rarely use my phone outside. Having the extra pixels however was absolutely awesome for browsing the web. The extra pixels also made living without a hardware keyboard a little bit easier to bare *(when in portrait mode).
The unlock page that came with sense 3.0. Other than that sense just seemed to get in my way.
FM radio. I'm the guy who wants to watch and listen to the tv-s at the gym.
Why I just couldn't risk spending 2 years with it.
I had no reception at my house or work on t-mo. This is really the biggest reason why I had to return my phone.
Because of the above the cell radio was draining the battery attempting to connect to the networks. I really don't want to spend two years having to remember to turn off the cell radio every time I get home.
T-mobile support was an exercise in frustration to deal with.
Will I still even get 3g/4g service in 2 years? This is debatable. AT&T will have to repurpose some of T-mo's spectrum from somewhere.
The built-in picasa upload is broken *(I use this all the time).
No way to jump to the galery app when in camera mode. This seems like a really obvious omission.
The speakephone volume over wifi calling really shouldn't be considered a speakerphone at all. I couldn't test speakerphone over t-mo because I never had reception when I wanted to make a call.
There was no setting to auto disable the cell radio when connected over wi-fi and wi-fi calling was enabled. I admit this is a nit-pick, but it really would have been nice.
I counted at least 3 backup apps all of which were trying to send my contacts to different parts of the world. Why do I need to backup any of my contacts? For me everything is in google, that's why I want an android phone. The killer part about this is that these apps will suck your battery dry.
Currently no way to remove all the crap-ware that t-mo stuffs it's phones with. There is a lot of it. I bet that is why there is so much discussion about the a performance problem between the sensation and the evo 3d screen rotate speed.
No NFC. Not really a deal-breaker, but it is disappointing.
So give me a non-bloatwared, boot-loader unlocked sensation, add NFC, put it on a carrier that gives me reception, and I'll have my next phone. As for now I'll have to live with my rooted/ cyanogen-modded G1 on AT&T.
--troll away!--

npoc said:
Why I just could risk spending 2 years with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you accidentally a conjunction in there

xnifex said:
I think you accidentally a conjunction in there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lulz irony abounds, he missed a conjunction and you omitted a word from your sentence, pointing out his omitted conjunction @[email protected]
npoc said:
I just tried to make the switch from at&t to t-mobile. I had my sensation for about a week, and just returned it this morning.
Reasons I loved the sensation.
Decent battery life *(not as great as everyone made me expect.
Awesome Camera, especially outside- I really could see myself using this phone as a replacement for a cheap point and shoot.
The hardware was pretty much all around fantastic. Great feel in hand. A ton thinner than the evo 3d, especially around the edges. This phone has such a nice shape that it almost gets lost in my pocket. I actually found myself grabbing my pocket to make sure it hadn't fallen out.
The wifi-calling was a great value add.
The screen was fantastic. My next phone will have to have a qhd or better display (no sgsII for me). Say what you want about contrast ratios, but I rarely use my phone outside. Having the extra pixels however was absolutely awesome for browsing the web. The extra pixels also made living without a hardware keyboard a little bit easier to bare *(when in portrait mode).
The unlock page that came with sense 3.0. Other than that sense just seemed to get in my way.
FM radio. I'm the guy who wants to watch and listen to the tv-s at the gym.
Why I just could risk spending 2 years with it.
I had no reception at my house or work on t-mo. This is really the biggest reason why I had to return my phone.
Because of the above the cell radio was draining the battery attempting to connect to the networks. I really don't want to spend two years having to remember to turn off the cell radio every time I get home.
T-mobile support was an exercise in frustration to deal with.
Will I still even get 3g/4g service in 2 years? This is debatable. AT&T will have to repurpose some of T-mo's spectrum from somewhere.
The built-in picasa upload is broken *(I use this all the time).
No way to jump to the galery app when in camera mode. This seems like a really obvious omission.
The speakephone volume over wifi calling really shouldn't be considered a speakerphone at all. I couldn't test speakerphone over t-mo because I never had reception when I wanted to make a call.
There was no setting to auto disable the cell radio when connected over wi-fi and wi-fi calling was enabled. I admit this is a nit-pick, but it really would have been nice.
I counted at least 3 backup apps all of which were trying to send my contacts to different parts of the world. Why do I need to backup any of my contacts? For me everything is in google, that's why I want an android phone. The killer part about this is that these apps will suck your battery dry.
Currently no way to remove all the crap-ware that t-mo stuffs it's phones with. There is a lot of it. I bet that is why there is so much discussion about the a performance problem between the sensation and the evo 3d screen rotate speed.
No NFC. Not really a deal-breaker, but it is disappointing.
So give me a non-bloatwared, boot-loader unlocked sensation, add NFC, put it on a carrier that gives me reception, and I'll have my next phone. As for now I'll have to live with my rooted/ cyanogen-modded G1 on AT&T.
--troll away!--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Also to the OP: A bunch of these problems are fixable with root, also there is a way to go to the gallery from the stock camera app... and even if there wasn't why wouldn't you just DL a camera app from market that would allow you to do what you wanted?
- Turn off the other contacts backup services... I did
- Why wouldn't you have 4g in 2 years? 4G will actually be much faster in two years and will be approaching "actual" 4G speeds.
- You couldnt do a one click disable of the cell radio while on wifi and wifi calling was enabled because that happens automatically.
- Speakerphone was too low on wifi calling? Wow, that's probably fixable as well.
- And if you have a smart phone YOU will need to learn how to manage its battery life. The Sensation actually does have preeettty good battery life for a smartphone.
Cheers, good luck on ATT we'll all probably be there next year anyway.

Thats def not a good experience; as you say it sounds mostly coverage related which is the case for most carriers. Tmo has always been good to me where ive lived (4g here where i work and around my home).
Every phone/network won't work for everyone. Although the NFC is something that initially gave me pause, but I really don't see that being something i won't be able to live without in just 2 years; it's barely rolled out; not to mention text transactions and CC soda machines are also on the rise.
I am personally a little annoyed with how sense handles (or doesn't) the picasa gallery (Why can't i make a slide show with my picasa stuff).
Enjoy your G1 even with cyanogen; not sure I could go back THAT far even if I had crappy service
I am missing my MIUI though, still running my N1 with MIUI latest and it's been getting amazingly robust the past few updates (5 way unlock specifically).

I believe the Cell Radios turn off when you activate WiFi calling. And I have a way to get to the gallery from my camera app...
A G1 though?! I'd rather take all the cons you listed than go all the way back to that poor thing, on EDGE no less. G1 was awesome back in the day, but now you're just torturing the poor thing.

npoc said:
So give me a non-bloatwared, boot-loader unlocked sensation, add NFC, put it on a carrier that gives me reception, and I'll have my next phone. As for now I'll have to live with my rooted/ cyanogen-modded G1 on AT&T.
--troll away!--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you buy an unlocked manufacturer phone from overseas your stuck with carrier bloatware and hardware/software changes. That or one of the Nexus series. And your only choice for NFC right now is Nexus. So I think we've found your next phone.

B3astofthe3ast said:
I believe the Cell Radios turn off when you activate WiFi calling. And I have a way to get to the gallery from my camera app...
A G1 though?! I'd rather take all the cons you listed than go all the way back to that poor thing, on EDGE no less. G1 was awesome back in the day, but now you're just torturing the poor thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure i had to manually disable the cell radios if I wanted them off when on wi-fi. It did however route my calls over wi-fi automatically. It did not automatically turn off my cell radio when wi-fi calling was enabled. When I was at work or at home, the power graph was pretty ugly with the cell radios on.

BonesRed said:
Lulz irony abounds, he missed a conjunction and you omitted a word from your sentence, pointing out his omitted conjunction @[email protected]
- Also to the OP: A bunch of these problems are fixable with root, also there is a way to go to the gallery from the stock camera app... and even if there wasn't why wouldn't you just DL a camera app from market that would allow you to do what you wanted?
- Turn off the other contacts backup services... I did
- Why wouldn't you have 4g in 2 years? 4G will actually be much faster in two years and will be approaching "actual" 4G speeds.
- You couldnt do a one click disable of the cell radio while on wifi and wifi calling was enabled because that happens automatically.
- Speakerphone was too low on wifi calling? Wow, that's probably fixable as well.
- And if you have a smart phone YOU will need to learn how to manage its battery life. The Sensation actually does have preeettty good battery life for a smartphone.
Cheers, good luck on ATT we'll all probably be there next year anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said the big reason I had to return it was poor reception.
Being a t-mo customer you are not guaranteed anything over the next 2 years. AT&T is trying to acquire t-mo to repurpose some of t-mo's spectrum. What part of their owned spectrum is anyone's guess
I agree that all the firmware issues are fixable, but they are still annoyances that I shouldn't have to deal with. I don't know how long it will take for HTC to unlock the sensation's bootloader or for someone to get root on the phone, but I had 14 days to make a decision on whether I wanted to be stuck with a 2 year contract. The speakerphone is a firmware deal-breaker for me atm, as I do have to use my phone for conference calls.
As for me my current plan is to find a recent boot-loader unlocked AT&T *cough* 4g compatible phone on craigslist, and then sign a contract on ATT or VZ when the right phone comes up.

in settings, there is an option to what you want it to do...cell preferred, wi-fi preferred, or wifi only

woldy2 said:
in settings, there is an option to what you want it to do...cell preferred, wi-fi preferred, or wifi only
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You completely missed the point. Wi-fi was preferred, but it leaves the cell radio on which drains battery. Better luck next time.

npoc said:
I'm pretty sure i had to manually disable the cell radios if I wanted them off when on wi-fi. It did however route my calls over wi-fi automatically. It did not automatically turn off my cell radio when wi-fi calling was enabled. When I was at work or at home, the power graph was pretty ugly with the cell radios on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get pretty good service even though I live in a basement (I was barely getting any bars on Sprint and Verizon before that). However, I still use WiFi calling to maximize my battery life (and it's working), and I use a Tasker profile to automate turning on wifi, turning off cell radio when it detect the cell towers by my house and my wifi ssid.

relic419 said:
I get pretty good service even though I live in a basement (I was barely getting any bars on Sprint and Verizon before that). However, I still use WiFi calling to maximize my battery life (and it's working), and I use a Tasker profile to automate turning on wifi, turning off cell radio when it detect the cell towers by my house and my wifi ssid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good suggestion, I will have to use that if I ever go back to T-Mo. Still, T-Mo should have made that a setting in their app.

I am about to return mine after 4 days of use. I love the phone and will be exchanging it for a new one.
Mine has started randomly making calls while sitting on my desk charging, The unlock ring started bouncing around the screen when I unlocked it and I had to turn off phone to get it to stop, it can charge all night long and still only show 75%, and I am dropping calls. Not what I want from a $600 device. I hope my second one is up to par. I have never had to exchange a phone with Tmobile before for these reasons.

A few notes.
If you used WiFi calling you wouldn't have to (nor CAN you) turn off the radio. It doesn't drain the battery in WiFi calling mode, you know nothing about how it works.
I upload to Picasa no problem.
Speakerphone volume is always low, the speakerphone sucks.
AT&T support and/or customer service is horrible. If you are speaking with a regular T-Mobile rep (one that does NOT introduce themselves as Android or PDA support) for phone issues you are speaking to the WRONG representative.

I couldn't ever see my self going back to a G1, may as well get out the bag phone again

I'm coming from Sprint and switched to T-Mobile primarily because of WiFi-Calling, and secondly because of the HTC Sensation. Not a single carrier has signal inside my apartment unit. Sprint gave me an Airave which works well for about a year, but recently started giving me problem where I cannot hear the caller, but the caller can hear me most of the time. With T-Mobile's WiFi-Calling, it works all the time. The sound quality may not be the greatest, but acceptable enough that I can have a conversation using it over an hour. On a full charge, 0 bar signal, using WiFi-Calling for almost half an hour, I did not see a drop on my battery charge, not even 1%, last time I checked.
I'm sad to leave Sprint, but T-Mo's WiFi-Calling is unbeatable, specially when travelling overseas.

[Q] - [POLL] Is Your Galaxy S6 Switching to 3G Too Often, 1X Signal or Lousy 4G?

This is not meant to be scientific, however I am trying to get a gauge if this is a larger issue that what some have posted. I have a new Galaxy S6 that I activated on launch day. My previous 2 phones are and S4 and S5 most recently. I am fairly savvy in knowing my network strength locally and places I frequent. Since switching to the S6 from my S5 I have been on 3G in know very good 4G areas alot of the time. Not only that but I have seen the dreaded 1X more times in the last few days in areas I have had religiously great 4G coverage on for years. I have dropped 3 calls of which I havent done in probably 4 years as well. I have done tests with an S4 and S5 right next to my new S6 where I can pull 15-20Mbs on either of those two phones where my new S6 gets between 0.5Mbs and 1.5Mbs.
I have checked the signal strength between the two sitting right along side each other S5 (111DBs) - S6 (98DBs) I personally have no idea the order of magnitude between 1-10 DBs if that would make that much of a dramatic difference, but real world testing there is either something wrong with my specific unit or hoping its not extremely widespread. There is a thread in general that we have been posting to but the change has been so dramatic if it was more widespread i would think alot more folks would be posting. So in order to find out if this is specific to myself and a few others in that thread or more widespread hardware/software issue I am throwing up a poll. Please take a few seconds and vote.

i work in my basement in a major city area and all my previous phones would get 3 bars of LTE in my office here. my S6 Edge gets occasional 1 bar of LTE mixed with 1X very often.
i am connected to wifi here and it hasnt affected my using it for work but have noticed this and prefer it worked at least as well as my older devices.
i am generally not a "numbers" watcher on things like this or battery and more of a "as long as it works as i need it" user but i noticed the 1X because i am not use to seeing it.
also i should add that i noticed under battery that #1 for me is always "Cell Standby" and i have to assume they are related?

fletch33 said:
i work in my basement in a major city area and all my previous phones would get 3 bars of LTE in my office here. my S6 Edge gets occasional 1 bar of LTE mixed with 1X very often.
i am connected to wifi here and it hasnt affected my using it for work but have noticed this and prefer it worked at least as well as my older devices.
i am generally not a "numbers" watcher on things like this or battery and more of a "as long as it works as i need it" user but i noticed the 1X because i am not use to seeing it.
also i should add that i noticed under battery that #1 for me is always "Cell Standby" and i have to assume they are related?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far every time a Verizon user has had Cell Standby at the top, it's been with wifi on. After your next full charge, leave wifi turned off completely for awhile and see if Cell Standby shows up at the top again.
What makes this a major problem is the fact that Verizon's VoLTE is fully dependent on a decent LTE signal.

jntdroid said:
So far every time a Verizon user has had Cell Standby at the top, it's been with wifi on. After your next full charge, leave wifi turned off completely for awhile and see if Cell Standby shows up at the top again.
What makes this a major problem is the fact that Verizon's VoLTE is fully dependent on a decent LTE signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have read that as well and i guess i could do that but i really need Wifi on when my office signal is so often on 1X

Yes testing it today, it is very bad. Getting about 1Mbps when not using Wi-Fi.
Sent from my SM-G920V using XDA Premium HD app

Our new S6 is doing this same thing. Jumps from a strong 4G signal to 1X with no signal the second you make a call. :crying:
Is there a fix for this besides returning the phone?

Enable advanced calling on your account and on your phone. Also switch from Global to LTE/CDMA
Sent from my LG-VS985 using Tapatalk

bkuhl said:
Enable advanced calling on your account and on your phone. Also switch from Global to LTE/CDMA
Sent from my LG-VS985 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, But than I loose my Caller ID / Name / Number. I need the caller ID.

Then buy the Caller ID feature. Your phone is switching to 1X when making a phone call because the S6 doesn't support voice and data simultaneously unless you have Advanced Calling on and enabled and are in LTE coverage area. The S6 only has a dual band modem.
Sent from my LG-VS985 using Tapatalk

HD Voice feature needs to be turned on, but don't!
Hey guys I've talked about this in different forums and sites, I'll copy and paste it here and hopefully it will help you understand why you can't place calls using the 4G LTE without having the Advance calling feature turned on under the Verizon network.
"Verizon is aware of the HD voice/video feature being the culprit of the dropped calls, they are blaming Samsung for not pushing an update to correct the problem. Meanwhile Samsung has said that the feature is a Verizon software. I was told by their tech support that it has been reported that there's a 50% dropped call increase using the galaxy S6 while having the HD voice/video feature on, this was 2 weeks ago. The agent said they have a search tool like Google search, this is internal and that's where he found this information.
You can not make calls and surf the web without the HD voice/video feature on, but turning this feature off will STOP THE DROPPED calls. Verizon's software side for galaxy S6 does not allow you to make calls on the 4G LTE network when the HD voice/video feature off, instead is shows 1x.
I have been in touch with Verizon wireless tech support for the last 3 weeks now, this past week Verizon has been sending me texts to update me on the progress of my ticket. I've had Samsung tech support in conference call with Verizon tech support; during this call that lasted more than 3 hours Verizon admitted that it wasn't a Samsung problem but Verizon's. As soon as the tech from Samsung hanged up the call because we were told that I would have to call their engineering department to further assist us. Before the Samsung tech agent hung up the call we had asked if I could make calls using the 4G LTE and was told to hold up while he researched this question. As soon as the Samsung tech agent left the conference call the Verizon tech answered no, and proceeded to make a complete 360 on answers he gave prior to the Samsung agent leaving the call, saying that the problem was not a Verizon but Samsung problem, even though moments before he said that it wasn't a Samsung problem to me and the Samsung tech support agent but Verizon's. I was also advised by the Verizon tech agent that if I wanted to, I could JAIL BRAKE my Galaxy S6 and download a software to disable the HD voice/video feature without losing the 4G LTE but that it probably still won't work properly. I told this agent that I've never jail broken a device and don't plan on because this is clearly a Verizon feature not working properly.
Not even 5 minutes after ending the call with Verizon's tech support, a supervisor from Verizon called me to tell me again that this is a Samsung issue not Verizon, he said that Samsung needs to push a SW version update to fix the problem with the HD voice calls dropping. He asked what I wanted, I said to get the Galaxy S5 and return this phone, but that I was told by 2 different stores (Rockville Centre NY, and Merrick NY both in Long Island) that if I wanted to return this phone or exchange for a different one I would be charged a 40% restocking fee even though I was within my 14 days. I was told by the tech before the supervisor called that it was at each store's discretion whether they charged you a restocking fee or not. I was told to consider this mater resolved by the supervisor, that they will get in touch with the store so I can return the phone and if in fact there are any fees I would be refunded in some sort of credit; but all I've received all of last week is text messages letting me know they are still working on my ticket."

ok i know this will sound crazy BUT i cracked the screen on my S6 Edge and got sent a new replacement (after deductible) and i swear in the same basement office i was using my original release day S6 my reception is much better.
i cant say if i just needed to do a reset on the original or what may be at play here but i can say with certainty that using the new one all day today i have not seen a single 1X or even gone below 2 bars where my original was often on 1X sitting in the same chair and location. no doubt its better but cant say why for sure except i am using a new device.
sidenote - the screen on my 1st one had much whiter whites and this new one has a slight more of a yellowish tint to it but this is not an area i am over concerned about and just something i noticed right away and then held them side by side before i shipped the cracked original back

fletch33 said:
ok i know this will sound crazy BUT i cracked the screen on my S6 Edge and got sent a new replacement (after deductible) and i swear in the same basement office i was using my original release day S6 my reception is much better.
i cant say if i just needed to do a reset on the original or what may be at play here but i can say with certainty that using the new one all day today i have not seen a single 1X or even gone below 2 bars where my original was often on 1X sitting in the same chair and location. no doubt its better but cant say why for sure except i am using a new device.
sidenote - the screen on my 1st one had much whiter whites and this new one has a slight more of a yellowish tint to it but this is not an area i am over concerned about and just something i noticed right away and then held them side by side before i shipped the cracked original back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Unfortunately I've had three S6's and all behaved similarly with weaker LTE signal and more frequent drops to 3G.
Also, the screen thing is the one thing that bugs me about amoled, and qhd amoled at that. On my third device and all three have had some variation of the pink hue, and while quite subtle, once you see it you can't unsee it.

jntdroid said:
Interesting. Unfortunately I've had three S6's and all behaved similarly with weaker LTE signal and more frequent drops to 3G.
Also, the screen thing is the one thing that bugs me about amoled, and qhd amoled at that. On my third device and all three have had some variation of the pink hue, and while quite subtle, once you see it you can't unsee it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know if people are still watching this thread but my signal is awful! I have an international variant here in Alaska SM-G920I... The firmware is from February! Did an update fix your issues with poor signal?

fletch33 said:
i work in my basement in a major city area and all my previous phones would get 3 bars of LTE in my office here. my S6 Edge gets occasional 1 bar of LTE mixed with 1X very often.
i am connected to wifi here and it hasnt affected my using it for work but have noticed this and prefer it worked at least as well as my older devices.
i am generally not a "numbers" watcher on things like this or battery and more of a "as long as it works as i need it" user but i noticed the 1X because i am not use to seeing it.
also i should add that i noticed under battery that #1 for me is always "Cell Standby" and i have to assume they are related?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exact same situation here. Work in the basement at my house in a major area; down here I get 3G or 1X. Upstairs i'm getting 3G or 1bar LTE and it flips a lot. Battery seems to drain like crazy when this is happening, and I'm on WiFi the entire time. I had a total of 2.2 hours SOT yesterday and was at 14% when I plugged it back in. Cell standby was around 35% at that time.

I've noticed lately my S6 keeps locking onto 3G only even though the BRV T1114 running my home internet stays on LTE without issue. I had to ODIN my S6 cuz I messed it up then like a bonehead applied the OF1 update without thinking now I can't root it. If I could, would it be a good idea to lock it to band 13 all the time? That's what the T1114 Router uses and stays connected all the time. Sigh.....
I've noticed that if I leave it sitting on the table/bed for a while, it locks to LTE then when I start using it again after a minute or so it goes back to 3G only. Damn.

I saw 1x quite frequent with an s6 and a black screen that only recovery booting would get me powered on. Before and after rooting. But I unrooted and return and exchanged it and now all is well no more 1x or black screen issue knock on wood
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app

My Samsung rep at work said its due to the S6 only having one antenna vs. the S5 having two antennae(s).

DeathAngel66669 said:
My Samsung rep at work said its due to the S6 only having one antenna vs. the S5 having two antennae(s).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That technically shouldn't matter because one was dedicated to voice only, but who knows at this point... I'm kinda tired of Verizon's inability, 4 years after the fact, to handle the LTE/3G handoff and "hold onto" issues.

T-Mobile Gear S2 4G Share your experience.....

Hi Guys...
Just got my Gear S2 4G. from one of the nearby T-mobile Store.
I am just loving it.
best thing we can receive calls..
also we can see whats app notification and reply them.....
loving my Gear S2.... :laugh:
:good:

How are liking the extra bulk in th rear of the watch?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app

I just received mine last night but sadly I have to return it today. Mine won't connect to tmobile network I went through troubleshooting with both tmobile and Samsung but still no result. I get full bars but says no service and can only make emergency calls when not connected via Bluetooth. I love the watch and otherwise it works great when connected to Bluetooth.
I am currently trying to find a store with another one in Stock to swap mine out because I got the last one at my tmobile and no other local stores have them.
As for the bulk on the back of the watch I just came from a moto 360 so I was surprised at the bulk when I first put it on but have since got used to it. I'll deal with it a little bulkier for a speaker to make calls and play music and also for 4g connectivity.
Anyone else having activation issues? Seems with a quick Google search I'm not the only one with the issue
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Shipped
Mine shipped today! I currently have a Gear 2 so hoping there won't be much of a learning curve

Everyone is having problems with the network the esim isn't letting it conect to the network call and they will prorate the cost

ocjelf said:
Everyone is having problems with the network the esim isn't letting it conect to the network call and they will prorate the cost
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just picked one up at my local store. As stated above they are having trouble connecting the S2 4G to the network. It works great on BT using the mobile phone to place and take calls. Did a couple calls in my car with it and the speaker was loud enough to hear over road noise.
The T-Mobile Manager got on the line with support and a service ticket is opened up on my watch as well as many more over the stand alone network problem.

On Android central forums a tmo employee said it would be couple days until they get the fix

Got my S2 in the mail today. Won't connect to Tmobile network either

ocjelf said:
On Android central forums a tmo employee said it would be couple days until they get the fix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When they opened up my support ticket at the T-Mobile store they told me it might take up to 72 hours (3 days) before it was resolved.

Yea hopefully sooner I'm gear s less ( in repair) and the gear s2 isn't working on 3g so Im without a stand alone watch atm

I could call 611 until they associated the eSIM with my line, and now it's emergency calls only. Talked to T-Mobile and they say they're going to manually provision it and it'll take between 2 and 48 hours. We'll see.
Maybe a better question is is there anyone with an S2 active on T-Mobile right now.

Lucent said:
I could call 611 until they associated the eSIM with my line, and now it's emergency calls only. Talked to T-Mobile and they say they're going to manually provision it and it'll take between 2 and 48 hours. We'll see.
Maybe a better question is is there anyone with an S2 active on T-Mobile right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the answer is "No"
The launch is a disaster....... the problem is not the network failure but its the loss of all the technical department to even understand it. You can't fix something without knowing whats wrong with it
---------- Post added at 09:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------
raman21raman said:
Hi Guys...
Just got my Gear S2 4G. from one of the nearby T-mobile Store.
I am just loving it.
best thing we can receive calls..
also we can see whats app notification and reply them.....
loving my Gear S2.... :laugh:
:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be the only Gear S2 user with a network connection
Have you tried making a phone call (without bluetooth)
I am connected to the network now and can only use data, no calls though

Let's trade!
So I have a silver S2 sport comes with a spare white band, so I'd like to trade straight up my spare white band with someone who has a spare black band. Any takers?

I'm online now with T-Mobile. Everything is fully functional.

Lucent said:
I'm online now with T-Mobile. Everything is fully functional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah me too thanks for making me check.

Lotusmaster said:
So I have a silver S2 sport comes with a spare white band, so I'd like to trade straight up my spare white band with someone who has a spare black band. Any takers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bear in mind, the spare band is smaller (the Gear S2 band is marked "S" or "L" at the clip ends). Unless you have a small frame, you probably want to swap with someone not using the main band because they need a smaller band (like me).
If you'd like to swap your "S" band for a black "L" band, feel free to PM me.
---------- Post added at 06:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:26 AM ----------
If I turn off bluetooth, I have to set mobile networks to "always on" (from the default "auto on/off") to make calls and connect to data in stand-alone mode.
I figured this out based on an androidcentral forum post:
What finally worked for me was settings>Connections>mobile networks and I changed it from "auto on/off" to "always on" and it worked almost instantly.

mine came yesterday, and they sent me the wrong color!
Hopefully, it wont be a nightmare getting the replacement watch activated when it comes today
Its not encouraging to see these network issues right out of the box, but setting the watch to "always on" seems like a decent option until they get a fix out..
Did any of you change your watch phone number to something else instead the one they gave you, or do they give you one similar to your cell phone number right out of the box?
If you change it to "always on", does it only ring when someone calls the watch phone number, or will it work when your cell phone is called as well?

Lotusmaster said:
So I have a silver S2 sport comes with a spare white band, so I'd like to trade straight up my spare white band with someone who has a spare black band. Any takers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am in

My T-Mobile S2 is now up and operating on the network. They opened my support ticket yesterday afternoon, and this morning it was working. I can do everything (Call/answer/text/use web apps) when I am in stand alone mode (Phone off). Under connections I have my network set to auto on/off. Call forwarding works great.
I had an original Gear S, so they gave me the same number I was using on that. The store reps were great, but initially both they and myself were looking to where I would insert the nano-sim from my old gear. Finally figured out that it was e-Sim only.
Initial battery results are OK, From a full charge at 6:55am until now (1:50pm) I have used 34% battery (remaining 66%). That works out to just under 5% drain per hour. I have NFC, Wifi, and tilt to wake are off, network set to auto (I have walk away from my phone a couple times and the watch has gone into stand alone mode), I am also running screen always on with a Clocki face that has large hands, number, and day/date showing in ambient mode. I get about a 3% per hour drain on my Moto 360 2015 using always on with a detailed ambient face.
So, the S2 battery seems good for first day use, should only get better over the next few days with a few more charge cycles (at least that is what I have seen on several other smartwatches I own).

Bladder61 said:
My T-Mobile S2 is now up and operating on the network. They opened my support ticket yesterday afternoon, and this morning it was working. I can do everything (Call/answer/text/use web apps) when I am in stand alone mode (Phone off). Under connections I have my network set to auto on/off. Call forwarding works great.
I had an original Gear S, so they gave me the same number I was using on that. The store reps were great, but initially both they and myself were looking to where I would insert the nano-sim from my old gear. Finally figured out that it was e-Sim only.
Initial battery results are OK, From a full charge at 6:55am until now (1:50pm) I have used 34% battery (remaining 66%). That works out to just under 5% drain per hour. I have NFC, Wifi, and tilt to wake are off, network set to auto (I have walk away from my phone a couple times and the watch has gone into stand alone mode), I am also running screen always on with a Clocki face that has large hands, number, and day/date showing in ambient mode. I get about a 3% per hour drain on my Moto 360 2015 using always on with a detailed ambient face.
So, the S2 battery seems good for first day use, should only get better over the next few days with a few more charge cycles (at least that is what I have seen on several other smartwatches I own).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you have to call in to get a different watch phone number?
After you initially pair the watch to the phone, is it a good idea to turn off the phone completely and test whether stand alone mode works properly, or should you leave them both on and talking to each other for awhile?
I've had many smart watches, but never one with a stand alone dialing function, so I apoligize for the n00b questions..

GEAR S2 vs 3g

I'm considering getting a gear S2 monday. How does the 3g version work. I know it has its own sim card, and own number. Does it auto forward text and calls from my phone, or does it operate in wifi/BT mode when the phone is near. If so how does one get text and calls when out and away from phone.
I'm wondering if the 3g is worth the cost, or stick with the BT/wifi version.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app

The tmobile LTE version works best with a Samsung phone. All calls, texts, notifications are forward automatically to the watch if you lose the bluetooth connection. I had a nexus 6 and it sort of worked but you have to manually call forward everytime. I sold the nexus for a note 5. More seamless operating with the watch.

merlin66676 said:
I'm considering getting a gear S2 monday. How does the 3g version work. I know it has its own sim card, and own number. Does it auto forward text and calls from my phone, or does it operate in wifi/BT mode when the phone is near. If so how does one get text and calls when out and away from phone.
I'm wondering if the 3g is worth the cost, or stick with the BT/wifi version.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, the S2 3G is worth all the extra money over the S2 Sport. You can do more with the 3G version. GPS, speaker, custom ringtones, bigger battery.
I tried both a S2 Sport & Classic and ended up returning them for the S2 3G.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Sounds good, I've got the S6 edge so it sounds like auto forward is the way to go.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app

I agree to the 3G version is the way to go.

Got mine today. 3g version. I'm liking it so far, but haven't had a chance to play much.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA Free mobile app

How is the battery life with 3g off? Is it any better than the regular s2?

lyall29 said:
How is the battery life with 3g off? Is it any better than the regular s2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After some lack luster battery performance with 3G always on, the last few days I've been just using it with bluetooth. I can still use only the watch for calls and it works fine, I was at about 50% batter last night after using it from 0700 to about 2230 or so. I'm planning on exchanging the watch for a new one due to battery life issues, up till a few days ago I always left it on and it would be at about 20-30% by night time. To answer your question, yes the battery life is a good amount better in my eyes. I was able to use the watch like normal and not worry about battery and still had lots left at the end of a long day, last time I had 3G on it was at 20% by noon.
I have a Verizon GS2 and a note 4 that it's paired with for reference.
Overall I like the speaker and GPS ability and if I want to turn 3g on and use it on a run or out and about I can without issue, it's a nice feature to have.

I just left the AT&T store, I think the watch is too thick for me. I might buy the Wi-Fi only one, I don't know we'll see.

I have a Galaxy S6 Edge, so I can only speak to the experience with a Samsung phone.
Short answer: Everything you were asking about works, and works well with a Samsung phone.
Longer answer:
The watch's connection configuration is very flexible. There are 3 means of connection -- BT, Wifi, 3G -- and the connection settings can be configured to use wifi and 3G as fallback options. This is really the only way to set it up -- it maximizes battery life, and will automate keeping the watch connected. So, if you get out of BT range of the phone, it will attempt to connect to wifi and then remotely to the watch; if that fails, it will turn on 3G and do the same. However, you can force it to use either wifi or 3G all the time if you like.
I've been able to get a day and a half pretty regularly out of the watch. I always get a full (7am - 9pm) day unless I spend a lot of time using it like a smartphone. However, when connected via BT most of the day, I receive and send dozens of SMS messages, make a few calls, use HERE for navigation now and then, etc.
The messaging connection between my phone and watch has been 100% reliable for me, as it switches between different connection methods. It has been very, very nice this week twice when I ran out of the house to go somewhere, forgot my phone, simply invoked the call-forwarding mechanism on the watch (remotely!), and I got a call (the second time... no one called the first time )
The 3G capability is definitely worth it.

Can the s2-3g be unlocked to use on another carrier?

Galaxy S8 Plus likes/dislikes

I picked up my unit yesterday. The hardware is as great as expected, but the same old software annoyances are there, which leaves me torn on whether or not I'm going to keep it. Disclaimer: I realize that all of this is super personal to me and my usage case, so please don't hate or troll. I am not a Samsung hater. I've owned every flagship they've produced since the original Galaxy S. I have just become super particular about how my phone works.
The Good:
Screen (duh)
Battery life seems solid so far
Phone feels fast and fluid
Cameras are good
Samsung lets us use the Iris Scanner and Fingerprint scanner WITHOUT having a secure lockscreen. I respect the hell out of them for this. Unlike Google and Android Pay, you don't have to have one to use the other. I can set up biometrics and then just use the iris scanner or fingerprint when I want to do Samsung Pay or use the password vault in the Samsung browser. This is how it should be, in my opinion.
The Bad (mostly software annoyances):
No always on "okay google" - I see no reason for this and it's a pretty standard Android feature that vastly inferior phones have.
Persistent Notifications - Only Samsung does this. Why do I have to have a persistent notification telling me I'm connected to Wifi? I also use a VPN to block ads and that leaves a notification taking up space in the shade as well as on the lock screen. It was one of the things that annoyed me about the S7 Edge and here it is again. LG, HTC, Google, etc. do not do this. In fact, for VPN, they just give you a key icon and a small line of text at the bottom of the shade. And there's no Good Lock replacement for the S8 yet (if ever).
Turning on the phone - This is very personal, but I don't like using lockscreen security at all, including fingerprint scanners. My ideal method of turning on my phone is using lift-to-wake or double-tap-to-wake. With the S8, I have two options: Double tap a notification, which then forces me to swipe the screen before going into the app (on the Pixel it just goes straight in), or push the home button, which bypasses the screen and on-screen notifications completely. I turned on the "hand wave to turn on screen" option in accessibility settings, but that's not super reliable.
The cameras are not really much of an improvement over last year. I have watched pretty much every review. I was hoping for more, honestly. But I still would have purchased the phone for the screen.
Edit: How did I not know about Adhell? Not only is that awesome, it solved my persistent VPN notification issue. Leaving the home button on the screen also satisfies my double-tap-to-wake dilemma, but I'm a little concerned about burn-in, as I can't verify that it's actually moving with the rest of the AOD.
Definitely much happier with the phone after another day. Hard to argue with dat screen.

The 5Ghz WIFI strength sucks on mine, and apparently on many others.

guysalami said:
The 5Ghz WIFI strength sucks on mine, and apparently on many others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm this. S8 for SD 835, 5GHZ is weak in the same room where Pixel XL had strong Wifi at 5GHZ. Also, my desktop wifi usb adaptor has strong signal.
To elaborate, pixel xl had full wifi bars at 5ghz, while S8 had 3-2 to 1 wifi bars (average was 2 bars consistently) for 5Ghz at same room and location and time.
I was using my brothers S6 and compared it, both have same signal strength for Wifi...
i have issues with samsung phones and their connectivity. The worse cellular reception ever since S4 to now S8.

Do not judge the,
Camera
Software/performance
Reception
Until the phone gets at least 2 updates. You are comparing it, to greatly polished devices.

S8+ here...
Pro: screen, form-factor, size, design, software (in general).
Con: battery life, camera (only because I also have an iPhone 7 Plus, and can do DoF shots on it, but no such ability on the S8+)

dazed1 said:
Do not judge the,
Camera
Software/performance
Reception
Until the phone gets at least 2 updates. You are comparing it, to greatly polished devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well said

dazed1 said:
Do not judge the,
Camera
Software/performance
Reception
Until the phone gets at least 2 updates. You are comparing it, to greatly polished devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming we even get 2 updates. We're talking about Samsung here. Also, most of my annoyances have been part of Samsung's software philosophy for a very long time, so I doubt an update will fix those.

greyhulk said:
Assuming we even get 2 updates. We're talking about Samsung here. Also, most of my annoyances have been part of Samsung's software philosophy for a very long time, so I doubt an update will fix those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung does great job on updates during first 3-4 months.

Dropped calls, Verizon G
Has anyone else experienced dropped calls with theirGS8? I live where Verizon is almost the only carrier I can use. I have had two other Galaxies and neither dropped calls. I received my new GS8 two days ago and cannot hold a conversation with anyone due to it constantly dropping calls. I love every other thing about it, but it is supposed to be a phone. Yet I cannot talk to people on it. I am not sure I am going to keep this phone. I still have a week and a half to decide. As of now, the answer is no.

linnilu said:
Has anyone else experienced dropped calls with theirGS8? I live where Verizon is almost the only carrier I can use. I have had two other Galaxies and neither dropped calls. I received my new GS8 two days ago and cannot hold a conversation with anyone due to it constantly dropping calls. I love every other thing about it, but it is supposed to be a phone. Yet I cannot talk to people on it. I am not sure I am going to keep this phone. I still have a week and a half to decide. As of now, the answer is no.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon is the problem. I ditched them quick because of dropped calls all the time yet they call themselves the best carrier.

seawolf823 said:
Verizon is the problem. I ditched them quick because of dropped calls all the time yet they call themselves the best carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the first phone I've had this trouble with and I've had Verizon for years.

linnilu said:
This is the first phone I've had this trouble with and I've had Verizon for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
turn off advanced calling, it's the number one reason verizon calls drop on LTE. It won't be as clear as HD voice, but your calls should almost never drop

linnilu said:
This is the first phone I've had this trouble with and I've had Verizon for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did any of your other phones have VoLTE?

Samzebian said:
turn off advanced calling, it's the number one reason verizon calls drop on LTE. It won't be as clear as HD voice, but your calls should almost never drop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I will give that a try.
---------- Post added at 06:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------
LoliSmith said:
Did any of your other phones have VoLTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe so, but am not sure. I upgraded from a Galaxy s4.

linnilu said:
I don't believe so, but am not sure. I upgraded from a Galaxy s4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S4 didn't have VoLTE. With the newer phones, they can do VoLTE and HD Calling is automatically enabled on your line. VoLTE will place the call over the 4G LTE network if there is an LTE signal present. However, if the LTE signal weakens too much while on the call, for instance say you walk to the interior of your house when you are on a call, the call will drop because there is no ability to handoff to the CDMA network.
VoLTE also allows you to do simultaneous voice/data. Unlike the S4, the S8 does not have the RF circuitry to do simultaneous voice/data while on a CDMA call. So rather than turn off VoLTE, if you have WiFi at home, I would turn on WiFi calling.
---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:04 PM ----------
linnilu said:
Thank you. I will give that a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't do that because then you can't do simultaneous voice/data. I would instead turn on WiFi calling and connect to WiFi when you are home.

LoliSmith said:
S4 didn't have VoLTE. With the newer phones, they can do VoLTE and HD Calling is automatically enabled on your line. VoLTE will place the call over the 4G LTE network if there is an LTE signal present. However, if the LTE signal weakens too much while on the call, for instance say you walk to the interior of your house when you are on a call, the call will drop because there is no ability to handoff to the CDMA network.
VoLTE also allows you to do simultaneous voice/data. Unlike the S4, the S8 does not have the RF circuitry to do simultaneous voice/data while on a CDMA call. So rather than turn off VoLTE, if you have WiFi at home, I would turn on WiFi calling.
---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:04 PM ----------
I wouldn't do that because then you can't do simultaneous voice/data. I would instead turn on WiFi calling and connect to WiFi when you are home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you

I definitely don't like the fingerprint sensor position. It's too far for my natural way to catch the phone.

I dislike sealed battery and very difficult access to inside to make even simplest repair.
Love the screen (no, I don't have red tint, if I did I would adjust it), love the camera (whoever hates S8 cam has broken phone, or doesn't know how to take pictures), love water proof and will be taking underwater photos comes summer. As far as everything else, all is fine: I have no problem with fingerprint sensor, I have no stuttering phone is as fast as I expected, no calls dropping and Samsung cameback to their senses and brought back SD card support for good now, it seems. I thought I'm going to be missing home button, but the way it is implemented on S8, I'm surprised to say, no problem. All in all very good phone and I like it.

greyhulk said:
IDouble tap a notification, which then forces me to swipe the screen before going into the app (on the Pixel it just goes straight in),
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
coming from my nexus 6, this still drives me nuts. no idea why I need to swipe the screen. Also the amount of persistent notifications has forced me to turn off anything and everything that has one lol.
what i really miss is the active display like feature the moto x/nexus 6 had. i dont want to use AOD as i dont like it being on 24/7 but i'd like to get an idea of what my notifications are without firing up the screen. maybe a double tap to wake would be nice for those not using AOD

dansan382 said:
coming from my nexus 6, this still drives me nuts. no idea why I need to swipe the screen. Also the amount of persistent notifications has forced me to turn off anything and everything that has one lol.
what i really miss is the active display like feature the moto x/nexus 6 had. i dont want to use AOD as i dont like it being on 24/7 but i'd like to get an idea of what my notifications are without firing up the screen. maybe a double tap to wake would be nice for those not using AOD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm not sure why Samsung has resisted double tap to wake for so long. We kind of have it now, though. If you leave the home button showing on the AOD, you can double tap that to wake the screen. Better than nothing.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk