Seems to be a pretty good deal for an android phone with:
EDIT: It's locked to telstra. Should have put that info in before!
2.2 is old of course, but I'm guessing if this gets out enough there'll be some developers porting over CM7? :)
Mod: Unexpired deal until Oct 19
thanks - that makes sense. Not for them though. And I didn't even notice the reset button.
I had the same error IMAGE_DIR_NOT_FOUND when I tried to upgrade from 2.3.4 to 2.3.5. The solution is to use the Acer Download tool http://www.mediafire.com/?nritrgperx7y0gg. It's just as easy as SD Download Mode.
I just use the mynetfone app which have G.729 codec and tunnelling to bypass networks that block voip over 3G.
Return/Refund assistance please
Bought the acer liquid from JB southwarf VIC today. There was no dummy phone on show so I was unable to get a good idea of size. Once I opened the box I realised the phone is way too big for me.
Can anyone give me some info on JB's returns policy for prepaid phones?
thanks
They will not take it back for change of mind.
How small do you expect a smartphone to be? Its hardly a big one.
You can unlock/upgrade it and sell on ebay etc.
Meanwhile, I managed to flash an older ROM. Fingers crossed …
is this from experience or can you show me returns policy online??
Would it be just as easy for you to check the returns policy online?
Sell it on eBay for a profit. After you unlock the phone, of course, people will pay $200 for it,.
sounds tedious. but, why arent people who are more tech savvy doing this and making $$$?
i definitely would not have bought the phone if they had a dummy on show, is it worth calling JB? i havent even turned the phone on
why arent people who are more tech savvy doing this and making $$$?
There are.. if you look on eBay there are about 3 or so listings peddling the phone for $199.
Or maybe you can sell it to a fellow Ozbargainer, maybe at a flat $100 to make it more attractive.
But if you unlock it and stick it on eBay or Gumtree, you might earn a profit of $70~80.
RETURNS POLICY
If you are able to provide a receipt or other satisfactory proof of purchase, JB Hi-Fi may offer you a repair, exchange or refund if:
· Goods are damaged or faulty through no fault of your own
· Goods are supplied incorrectly
· Goods vary from their description on the website (or any sample provided)
Please choose carefully as JB Hi-Fi will not provide you with a refund or exchange if you simply change your mind.
For additional discussion on this matter, try Whirlpool
thanks for the info scrimshaw. that whirpool thread seemed to come to the conclusion that returns are dealt with case-by-case, no info on prepaid phones
im going to give them a call tomorrow, see how it goes
Count yourself lucky. I try to get one but no stock around my area. $100 I buy it off you.
Hold on… the whole reason we posted information on how to unlock this phone is to stop this behaviour (unlock and then sell the phone for profit).
question for scrim shaw =)
if u partition the SD and put most apps on the sd card do you find the phone to be alot faster??
I only have like 80mb left on internal storage and i think its lagging a bit at times and am considering getting rid of some acer bloatware as well.
The opposite actually. Moving your apps to the SD card will make the application slower to respond (obviously as SD card memory is slower than the phone's internal NAND memory). Some applications cannot be moved to the SD, examples include widgets and applications that reside in the /system directory. These will be marked in Red color in Titanium Backup.
But moving to SD card is the only way you can make more space on your phone. I am not sure if the amount of free space on the phone impacts on the performance / snappiness of your device. If you want to optimise performance, you can try out some of the custom ROMS on Modaco or delete the Acer bloatware yourself.
I only have like 80mb left on internal storage
That's plenty friend.
For anyone still looking in Sydney.
Just got one now during lunch from JB HiFi in Artarmon .
They seem to have plenty in the cupboard under the phone display.
That's were I got mine from. Just tossing up whether I want another.
Basic info. for new Android users (not really technical, just what each thing does):
Upgrade to 2.3.5 - Main purpose is to unlock the phone for free.
Recovery Console - For ROM backup and ROM patching (and rooting).
Rooting - Required if you want to use Link2SD or more fancy hacking.
Link2SD - A workaround to limited internal ROM issue.
The limited internal ROM will remain an issue even with Link2SD installed and running, Link2SD helps, but it is a workaround. Over-using it will slow your phone bootup time. Generally, for games, if it offers Move to SD option, try to use that over linking (if phone bootup time matters to you). For apps, you would probably use linking. After you use Link2SD to create the links for some apps/games, you may need to reboot the phone to properly reclaim some phone memory back.
More basic info. (again for new Android users)
If you prefer the vanilla Android UI after you upgrade to 2.3.x, get Launcher Pro from the market. Once installed, press the Home button, your phone should ask you use Launcher you want to use, choose Launcher Pro. It will also offer you an option to set it as a default Launcher.
There were a few posts regarding rooting and Link2SD earlier. However, you don't have to root your phone and install Link2SD. Even with limited phone memory, you should still be able to install a good number of apps and games (just remember to click Move to SD for every app that offers the option). Rooting and Link2SD can be done later.
a note to people:
the top and bottom ends of the phone seem to be prone to scratching so be careful.
I noticed that … then realised there was a plastic film on it that you need to peel off.
They really should tell you that. Mine looks shiny & new again now.
thanks for pointing that out, I was so worried that I had scratched my phone after one day of use.
got one today from JB Hi-Fi Adelaide CBD. dude said they had plenty. he was quite interested to hear about how to unlock it and update it to gingerbread for free :)
scrimshaw - you are an epic legend - got it running, unlocked, with android 2.3.5, the thing absolutely flies (especially compared to the stock Telstra install). This will be a perfect for my mum whose iPhone 3GS just died :)
edit - its quite ironic that this phone is called the 'metal' considering the only skerrick of metal is on part of the back battery cover (not even the entire thing is metal). the rest is plastic, plastic and plastic - including the screen, which is not glass and thus will be quite prone to scratching and dulling. screen protectors have been ordered from eBay UK and will make it feel much better :)
still a great bargain at $129.
You were ripped off: I paid $128 ;)
LOL, oops yes it was $128 I paid, sorry :p
Just wait until Acer release the kernel source, and you can overclock it from 800mHz to up to 1600mHz!
Has anyone had any problems with google maps? mine wont detect my location. im on TPG. even messing with the settings still wont detect it. :S
SOLVED NVM.
Instead of writing solved, why not say how you fixed it so others can get the help you were asking for?
I followed all the instructions which worked great , right up to the end where you put 2.3.5 on . I used the power , volume , camera method but came up with a mismatch error . Used the Acer download tool which worked , albeit very slow . Thanks to everyone for their tips and how to's for a great bargain . My wife is well impressed with this phone .
Not a huge deal, but I went straight to leaked 2.3.5 and the Radio app loads slowly. When it shows up it displays radio stations, but has no audio - I have checked the various audio volumes…no reference to it on the net, anyone else have this? Great phone and thanks to the OP for this went straight to JB to score it the afternoon this deal popped up!
Try using your own earphones instead of the stock Acer one. Someone earlier commented that the stock Acer earphones don't seem to be earthed properly and couldn't be used for radio.
Same. Radio worked in 2.3.4, but not in 2.3.5. leaked Acer ROMs.
And when using youtube afterwards, the sound came out the back speaker instead of headphones.
BTW, is there anyway to zoom the video with youtube? Widescreen content has black frame on all four sides.
you have to play it in hq i think.
Thanks Scrimshaw and Netsurfer, reboot and some non-Acer headphones - works perfectly!
I just experienced the issue (Radio app loads slowly and no audio). I had to reboot the phone and that fixed the issue.
The phone is actually really good (I got one yesterday). It took about 30mins to work out how to flash it to 2.3.5, but now that is all done and is working fully on Virgin Prepaid. I would like to tether it to my iPad 2, but I do not know the password to the AndroidAP wireless hotspot?
Shouldn't it be "Frideric"? Anyway, nice handle, Handel!
Method 1 - Via the notification bar
Swipe down the notification bar -> Click on the Settings icon (looks like a spanner and a screwdriver) -> Portable hotspot -> click on the setting icon (again looks like a spanner and a screwdriver) -> Portable Wi-Fi hotspot settings -> Configure Wi-Fi hotspot (click on it)… Then click on Show Password checkbox.
Method 2 - Via Settings:
Settings -> Wireless & network settings -> Tethering & portable hotspot -> Portable Wi-Fi hotspot settings -> Configure Wi-Fi hotspot (Click on it).. Then click on Show Password checkbox.
Has anyone else had any issues with it connecting to their wifi at home? my optus mytab had the same issues with the network when I first got it, but after upgrading the OS the issues disappeared, no such luck with this phone. It connects the first time and works fine then it just disconnects after a while then loops scanning-not connected. The only way to fix it (temporarily) is to reboot the modem. I've also tried the programs to keep the connection alive but even those don't seem to work. Phone works fine on the wifi at my mothers house just not at home, I'm using a Billion 7401VGP R3. If anyone has any suggestions that would be greatly appreciated. Also I have tried switching wpa/wpa2/wep and even no security also have tried assigning a static IP to the phone, yet still doesn't seem to work. Thx in advance. :)
yeah i had issues on that modem too, I connected an asus rtn16 in ap mode and now the wifi is perfect
yeah I have the same issues with my Billion 7404VGPX which I purchases so VoIP for Pennytel and MNF could be supported.
I really don't want to have to setup an AP just to use wireless, the reason why I got the modem was to reduce the amount of extra hardware I need to have running(rather than modem/router/ATA). I flashed my modem to the latest bios, but that still hasn't helped. If any of you guys fix this issue that your having can you please post and let me know, and I will do the same obviously. I'd be interested to here from anyone else having these issues to see if it's just the billion owners or whether others have it as well, I'd also like to hear from any billion owners that don't have this issue, maybe it's just the integrated voip thats made a conflict somehow.
flashed mine with the latest Billion firmware, no luck!
I have a Open Networks 824RLW which is a re-badged Billion 7404VGP. Should i bother with trying to get the this phone working with it? Sounds like the older Billion 7000 series have issues with it.
I had something like that and solved it by going into the WiFi Settings, opening the advanced page (menu) and setting the WiFi sleep policy to "Never". It always connects to the WLAN now, and stays connected. Doesn't seem to drain the batteries much more. And that's an encrypted one with hidden SSID, which some say isn't supposed to work at all.
Yea I set mine to never from the very start. haven't tried making the SSID hidden but may as well try that too.
have the same problem with optus mytab and Acer Liquid Metal always have to reboot my modem. I use the Billion modem and have the same problem connecting/disconnecting etc. let me know if you find a solution.
Oddly I had trouble with the mytab - had to install the "blade wifi fix" - but have not noticed any wifi problem on the Acer. This is a well-know Android problem.
May I ask what brand modem/router you use?
I think that's because of the wifi sleep policy. Perhaps try this app:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.shantz.wifikeepali…
This worked for me, but then again I have a different modem (Billion 7300n)
Neither blade wifi fix or wifi keep alive worked for me unfortunately. :S O, well looks like I have a reason to upgrade my modem. Hopefully something suitable comes up on OzBargain very soon :)
How about turning off wifi on the phone, then turning it back on again?
Offer ends Wednesday 5/10/2011. I wondered whether Telstra and other resellers will start selling them after Wednesday and at what price.
Spoke to a JB staff at Hornsby NSW today. Was told prices are here to stay (or might be discounted further) till product is sold out.
Three minor software/OS issues (with 2.3.5 ROM - and most like 2.3.4 ROM as well).
When typing a recipient into the Messaging app, it only picks up the "mobile" number of the contact. If you have a contact which has multiple mobile phones - and you named one "work" and the other one "personal", neither will show up in Messaging. As a workaround, you can send messages to the mobile number not labelled "mobile" via Contacts.
The Telstra froyo build comes with a Bluetooth voice control app. This app. was missed in the 2.3.5 build. It means that if you have a bluetooth handsfree with voice command support, it will not work with the phone after the firmware upgrade (probably not a big issue because the phones which do work - generally do not understand my voice too well and end up dialing the wrong number on a regular basis).
Some games (e.g. Need for Speed Shift) prevent system to go into standby. However, the screen idle time (when set too low) still results in screen being turned off. This means that when playing a car racing game and you only move the phone (but don't press anything within 1 minute - default screen idle timeout setting) - the phone will still suspend. The only way to overcome this is to set the screen idle time to a longer time (10 minutes) when playing a game like NFS: Shift.
I don't think the leaked 2.3.5 ROM is final build quality yet - maybe close, but does have minor issues.
This means that when playing a car racing game and you only move the phone
There is an app called "Screebl" which keeps your phone screen alive when it is held in a certain angle or orientation. This will help solve that little issue.
For e.g when phone is held at between 20~45 deg angle, it is considered "in use" and the screen will remain on.
The angle threshold, polling rates, stillness detection and so on are also configurable.
Thanks for that. Will check it out. At the moment, I am using Tasker (to extend the screen timeout to 20 minutes when NFS:S is launched and back to 1 minute when it is closed). It can also adjust sound volume and do other stuff - haven't got around to it. Just didn't want the screen to turn off.
I am trying to get Samba working (CifsManager). No luck finding the right kernel modules so far. Keep getting No such device error.
Bought one today. They still had heaps in stock. Woo hoo!
The cataloge states that the offer expires on Wednesday but the price on the box looked like a regular white retail sticker so I'm wondering if this is the new fixed price for this model?
The sticker on mine said $148, even though it never sold at more than $128.
JB Hifi, like their competitors, never miss a trick to make the buyer think they are getting a bargain.
Agreed. They are very clever with their sales tactics and often 'hype up' a bargain. Harvey Norman is the king of this.
My little baby is still charging for the recommended 8 hours, as specified in the manual.
I will probably conduct 2-3 full charge/discharge cycles before I proceed to partially discharge and then fully recharge the battery for its useable life span.
I'm strongly thinking about leaving the vanilla 2.2 OS on there and not playing around with any hacks or OS flashes because the phone comes with a very generous 24 month warranty and I don't want to jeopardise this insurance. I probably won't even keep any sim card inside it and just use it for wifi, games, camera, apps, etc.
I don't make/receive many calls and for me personally, using a smart phone for calls/texting is the least thing I would use it for(I've got a tight ass 365 day vodafail pre-paid card). I can use my cheap pre-paid Nokia as a designated phone for making calls and carry this smartphone around as a 'pocket PC/multimedia device'. This is also good when your phone gets very low on charge and you need to make a call but can't because you spent the past 5 hours on youtube lol. Does anyone have a similar usage situation - whereby they are a very light phone user but love to have a smart phone for all the ancillary functions and tools?
I will probably conduct 2-3 full charge/discharge cycles before I proceed to partially discharge and then fully recharge the battery for its useable life span.
Waste of time, will only do harm. It is Li-Ion. "full" discharge just means when the protection circuit cuts in to stop you killing it.
I don't want to jeopardise this insurance.
You won't. Certainly not if you install an unmodified ROM from Acer. It will still unlock and remove the Telstra bloat.
Ok. I have read alot of mixed opinions and ideas about how to properly 'wear in' a new lithium battery so I thought I was following convention but maybe I won't bother then.
Thanks for the reassurance about upgrading to v2.3. I feel confident to do this now, but I will not be going any further or rooting it.
I have successfully flashed the internal ROM. Thanks are in order for providing the helpful step-by-step instructions. One last dumb question : Now that I have flashed the phone can I delete that big file from my SD card because it is over 200mb or does it need to remain there for the OS to function properly?
You can delete it.
got the last one from jb-hifi in world tower sydney. now im selling my optus mytab zte v9. anyone ???? :P
Lucky last aye? Try selling it in a real marketplace, not here.
Anyone know of stock levels in/near Melb CBD JBs?
Already have an iPhone 4, but this seems like a cheap way to try a droid.
Already have an iPhone 4, but this seems like a cheap way to try a droid.
In that case, may I suggest the similarly priced Optus Mytab with a 7" screen.
It is almost as easy to unlock and upgrade to gingerbread. But you get to play with the small-tablet form-factor too.
I wouldn't recommend the Mytab, you'll quickly get bored of it and it doesn't get as much use as a phone.
The Acer has 800x480 resolution which is exactly the same as the MyTab, and for exactly the same price you also get a much more powerful device, that also has multitouch, 5 megapixel / 720p video camera, and Adobe Flash support. Overall I feel the Acer will give you a better experience of Android, even though the screen is much smaller.
If you do want to try a tablet out, buy a second hand one. Many Ozbargainers like kwetjaw looking to sell their Mytabs off.
FWIW - JB Elizabeth st had 'plenty' (their words).
Dear fellow Oz Bargainers!
I want to get my mum a christmas pressie…considering this device.. SHould I buy it now until its $128.00 or should I wait closer to Xmas? Thanks
SHould I buy it now until its $128.00
Until it's $128? The price isn't going anywhere I think… It's staying at $128. It's cheap enough for a phone of this calibre, you won't find a better deal anywhere else. It sells out pretty quick too.
Read someone's post on GSM Arena -
"Rumour that Telstra is bricking for all its latest batch during unlocked process unless you pay $50 to $100 for unlocked code, JB run out of stock for last batch and the unlocking process is quite risky if you are inexperience".
Concerning to say the least but don't know how substantiated these comments are. It it true about stock shortages, for obvious reasons('Ozbargain effect'), his stated opinion that unlocking is 'risky' if 'inexperienced' implies the technical skill needed to accomplish this is high, which is obviously false. However, if risk was implied regarding the administering and controlling of locked devices by the telco, then it could be a new topic of discussion here and a possible concern for all ROM- flashed devices.
Is it technically possible and even legal for the telcos to be doing this after we have already paid for the phone?
Personally, I'm leaving mine on without a sim card inside because I'm not using it as my main 'phone' and it may prevent any telco revocation or banning of devices. Maybe I'm just reading into this too much and being a paranoid android!
Sounds like total nonsense to me.
Silliest possibilities first:
Telstra is not going to ask Acer to unpack and mod hundreds/thousands of these phones already here because a few people have bothered to upgrade the firmware, and unlock the phone.
Telstra is not going to ask Acer to import new stock from the factory to be brickable by Telsta because a few people have bothered to upgrade the firmware, and unlock the phone.
Next silly possibility:
Telstra is not going to use any list of Acer Liquid Metal S120 Phone IDs to attempt to block unlocked S120s being used on the Australian Mobile Network, because a few people have bothered to upgrade the firmware and unlock the phone.
Telstra already has enough on it's plate.
"Unlocking is risky!"
I haven't heard of even one person, on any of the Acer S120 forums, moaning because they have irrecoverably bricked their phone.
Mind you, I haven't read every Acer S120 forum in the world.
(Edited for clarity)
To every one who is having trouble with SD Download Mode not correctly detecting file or directory. Try different Micro SD Cards, i tried 4 different ones, in the end old nokia 256 mb did the trick, yipee :)
The official Gingerbread rom has been released!
OS_Acer_4.000.07.EMEA.GEN1_A23G_A.zip
Discussion
http://android.modaco.com/topic/347005-235the-official-ginge…
It looks like this deal is back on.
"Offer Expires Wednesday 19th Oct 2011 unless otherwise specified"
I bought one of these. Its pretty good. I used it as a wireless hotspot for my DesireHD on the bus today. Its the first time I got decent internet speed on my DesireHD. NextG is fantastic. The Acer phone is not bad either. The screen is a bit small though, hence why I still like to use the other one.
Buy one of these people. If you can't afford a high end phone this will do you, its a bargain. If you can afford a high-end phone you can afford one of these to keep as a spare (and sample NextG).
Did I mention NextG?
3.6" display too small for you on a cell phone? That's a laugh.
The phone looks and feels really high-end to me, maybe because it's my first real smartphone and I'm a novice to using them. I bought one to use for all the ancillary features, apart from making calls, so I left the sim card in my old Nokia phone. I'm tremendously satisfied with this device and might purchase a few more for family members who want to upgrade their phones.
So you use this without a SIM card wolfenator87? Im not concerned about the phone functions either and just wanna use it for music and the apps. Hows the battery life if your just playing songs on it?
Cannot quantify it yet as I don't listen to much music but having wifi on, screen bright, loudspeaker and actively using the phone I get a pretty decent battery life(seems to be around 6 hours plus).
Very good considering it's $40 for a Pocket WiFi with no next G (and you need to pay $15 to unlock it…).
I just got one at JB in World Square. There's lots of stock, almost a whole cupboard full.
How bad is the screen?
People are saying it is plastic, which sounds bad (I thought all screens were glass these days).. thinking of getting one for mum for christmas, but her current old phone has got quite a few scratches (the phone is just thrown in her handbag). Not sure what phone it is, but it is a small one with both touchscreen and keyboard (sony ericsson I think, one of those early tochscreen phones before android and the like).
But anyway, maybe a plastic screen today is only bad compared to gorilla glass etc, but still decent compared to older phones?
Also, I saw in a youtube review that it has glowing buttons on the top for missed calls/msg etc, which looked really useful, but they also said they were only usable with acers ui. If I get the vanilla android UI, is there any way to turn on these features?
"How bad is the screen?"
The screen seems to be a toughened plastic, a polycarbonate variant, and is fairly resilient.
It's also supplied with a good quality slip-over case, which I do use.
The case covers the speaker but the ringing is still quite loud (I will probably get around to carefully cutting a small hole where the speaker lies, or maybe I wont.)
I've only had it for a week but it still wipes up well after everyday use.
I've upgraded to the leaked 2.3.5.
The Acer Launcher is still there and the top lights still work, though I'm not in the habit of looking at them.
Everything seems to be working exactly as it should as far as I know.
Overall, I'm absolutely amazed at what this phone can do for the dollar value; there's not a lot to think about.
(Edit for elaboration)
but they also said they were only usable with acers ui.
If I get the vanilla android UI, is there any way to turn on these features?
Not true, I have Go Launcher EX running on mine and the notification lights still work.
Either way, you really should stop using the horrible Acer UI and switch to something better.. you will not lose any of the notification enhancements — same goes for the notification bar customisations.
So you can change the UI without rooting?
I don't mind the Acer UI, it is pretty sleek overall but I am having difficulty transferring my apps to one of the many home screens. I click down on them and drag to nonwhere!
has anybody tried to flash with 2.3.5 official gingerbread that scrimshaw posted.? Any feedback.? I have the leaked version running on my phone, thinking of switching to official one if there is any benefit.
Hey netsurfer and scrimshaw,
Can anyone please advice if it is safe to remove the ACER bloatware? (all or only some of it?)
Also is "Root Uninstaller" the best way to uninstall the bloatware?
Thanks for the information in your comments I was able to install the gingerbread rom and root the phone.
I removed Roadsync, Spinlets and Urfooz with no issues. You can remove them using Titanium Backup, and it's likely an app you already have.
I left the other stuff — Acer Sync (this is required for syncing to a PC), Acer Nidus (error reporting app, which helps Acer do bug fixes) and social jogger (as it was under a megabyte and didn't run in the background, I decided to leave it)
However BEFORE removing them, always do a complete NANDROID backup plus a Titanium Backup of all the system applications. This way, you can always restore these apps before turning your phone in for repairs.
Thanks mate
Like Scrimshaw pointed out, Titanium Backup is a very good app. to backup, remove and restore system apps.
Link2SD can also be used to remove system apps (but NOT restore), so be careful.
I went with a even more hacky approach: using the adb command (I don't recommend it unless you have decent knowledge about linux/UNIX and have done proper backup of your system apps before hand).
But, just a quick note for people not wanting the technical details: removing system apps. will not free up much phone storage. I am not good at explaining things in a non-technical way.. but I will try… Basically, think of it like this: system apps get stored in C drive and user apps get stored in D drive. Your android phone will only allow you to use D drive to install new apps and report free space based on D drive. However, the configuration files/cache files for system apps. do get stored on D drive. So removing system apps (which will also remove those config files) do help a bit, but not as much as you would hope for - since any free up in C drive cannot be used to install user apps.
Now the technical stuff… (In Linux world, they are not really C drive, D drive… they are two separate mount points)
I have updated my Google Maps, Android Market in my /system/app to the latest version. Once you removed some of the bloatware, you could put your own apps into /system/app (but those apps. should be what you really really want/need). The main advantage of system apps is they can survive after a reset to factory default, but the /system/app has less free space than /data… so there is only so much you can do.
Call me paranoid, but aren't you guys worried about the potential security flaws in these custom ROMs on Megaupload, etc?
Who's to say there isn't a keylogger in these?
I mean, it's your phone numbers, address, map destinations, email, credit card, internet bank… everything!
I'd only want to download the official Acer ROM - direct link to acer.com - http://global-download.acer.com/Step5.aspx?Step1=Smart%20Han…
Question - does anyone know how to take a backup of the original Telstra ROM before I upgrade?
Doh - this download doesn't work. Says you need a TELSTRA rom…
Wonder if I could flash to the custom, then flash to the offical…
I think it would be highly unlikely for the ROM file to contain malicious code, unless the hacker that leaked it thinks he can try to dupe everyone but would get him a bad rep in the community, sounds improbable. A more likely concern relates to the stability of the 2.35 build ; e.g. Android marketplace is constantly crashing on my phone and reading user comments is problematic and freezes. If there are any security holes evident then they probably aren't even realised yet because the build is so fresh and new.
Will Android auto-update when new builds are released? I hear that they are up to rev 7 of the 2.3 build now.
To backup your original ROM:
Instead of following the steps to perform the upgrade, you perform the following steps BEFORE the actual firmware upgrade:
- Perform the steps needed to install recovery console.
- Enter recovery console.
- Backup your ROM.
Then.. follow the steps from start to finish to perform the ROM upgrade. Once completed, you can use Recovery Console in the future to change ROM.
So I went in to my local jb hifi today with the intent of buying this if they had it in stock, which they did. But I got cold feet after looking at the dummy phone.. I know people has been talking about the convex screen, but I had no idea how bad it was. It literally felt like my finger was about 1cm above the icons and not that I was pressing the actual icons, it was very weird.
For you who has this phone, how is it to type on?
Main usage would be sms, but with the big gap I feel like it might get very difficult/annoying. But maybe you get used to the screen after a few minutes, I couldn't really do anything with it since they only had a dummy in the store.
It is best you try it out. I am suprised your local JB put a dummy phone on display (the phone is only $128). Most of the JBs I went to have a real one on display.
Registering a touch is not an issue for me with this phone. The default keyboard is not that great, but Android has lots of keyboards available. Swype is also available on Android - if you like Swype.
Haptic feedback is generally turned on for most Android on screen keyboards. For me, it is easier to type on this phone than other phones in this price range (Huawei IDEOS, X1, HTC Wildfire, Wildfire S) simply becaue the screen is bigger.
However, at JB, this phone gets put next to Galaxy S II, HTC Desire HD, iPhone 4 and there is no doubt that this phone does pale in comparison when comparing to any of those - in terms of physical look and feel. Samsung S II even has a dual core CPU and lovely Super AMOLED+.
None of the touch phone gives you a true button press physically feel. For that, you need a real keyboard (or keypad). One phone to consider is Desire Z, similiar specs with a real physical keyboard (and has decent amount of phone memory, official Android 2.3 support and sense UI). Another reason that you feel the high end phones have better touch feel is they put glass finish on top and glass is harder than plastic, hence a stronger sense of feedback when you touch it.
The phone is great value for money, but it is nowhere near perfect. If you are not happy with the touch screen, then it is best not to get the phone.
Thanks for the long reply. I actually have a samsung galaxy 5 (ie small cheap android) which I'm very happy with and which I'm comparing to. But what I mean is that on my current phone, my finger touches what I'm trying to press, while with this phone I kind of hover 1 cm above (or so it feels). I'm perfectly happy with having a touchscreen vs normal buttons.
Anyway, this phone would not be for me but rather an early christmas present for my mum. I'm still considering it, but without being able to actually try it before I buy, I'm hesitant. My mum is not here right now so I can not take her to a store before promotion runs out either, but I might get my girlfriends input tomorrow or something.
Decisions, decisions :)
EDIT love swype btw, but would not be used on this phone as my mum has to search for the letters sometimes. The $99 samsung galaxy 5 is also not an option as it would be easier for her with something a bit bigger (and with dual touch for easier zooming)
It is unlikely the price will go up (and I am not sure why JB get the exclusive). Samsung Galaxy 5… I see… um… the default Samsung keyboard is quite nice and it comes with swype built in. For a small phone, the on-screen keyboard works suprisingly well on Samsung Galaxy 5 I would say. Galaxy 5 has a gorilla glass finish on top, which gives you a more solid feel (also help prevents scratches).
The default Liquid MT keyboard has a tendency to auto-correct too much and is very average. You will definetely want to get a better keyboard for sure. The multi-touch is handy. Also, the bigger screen is good for parents. Web surfing is much nicer on Liquid MT compared to Samsung Galaxy 5. Gaming and video playback - Liquid MT wins hands down.
You should try the phone out first. I did some test on my Liquid MT and the physical feedback from pressing the screen is softer than most smart phones. That said, Sony Ericsson X8 has a stronger feedback than Liquid MT, but the touchscreen on X8 sometimes does not register/detect key presses. The physical feel might be important, but whether the device detects it is more important I reckon.
Seems you get the message "No install directory found" if the version on the phone is the same as the version on the SD card. I had the same issue tonight. Didn't think it worked properly, so I tried to do it again, and again, and again….but it was fine all along. Just needed to press the reset button in the back and it all came up good.