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Captivate losing its appeal... I've made a pact:

Hello all -

Back in September when I was available for an upgrade, I did a lot of research and decided that I wanted to try something different and not go along with everyone else, and ended up with the Captivate. I've loved it for a while but now 5 months later it is losing its appeal.

1: Froyo. I know this has been debated to death and people will argue back "why did you pick a phone based on the presumption that you would get an update?" I didn't pick the phone FOR that reason but expected it to happen. And not just that, but the Froyo update is needed to fix some bugs as well (see next issue).

2: Bugs. From the phone randomly freezing to apps force closing, it's been a little ridiculous. The force closing doesn't happen constantly but it's still irritating to deal with. There are multiple times I go to call someone, and I'll swipe to the right over their name to call them, put the phone to my ear, don't hear anything, look at my phone and it's back at the home screen. OR, after swiping over the name, the phone will try to show the call screen but just go black instead and won't do anything for about 30 seconds.

3: Dialer. This is related to issue #2 but I'm listing it separately because it's very important. The issue was exacerbated in December when I was with a friend in Target, he passed out, hit his head extremely hard on a counter and someone had to call 911. The ambulance took him away and I had to call his family and let them know what happened. His mom didn't pick up but called me back a minute later and the DAMN PHONE WOULDN'T LET ME ANSWER! It was ringing but had a blank screen... then the screen came up but wouldn't let me swipe the green 'answer' tab and I had to miss the call. I was so frustrated. What if I had to call 911 and my phone locked up? Every second counts when someone needs medical assistance.

Due to these issues (mainly #3), this is the pact I've made with myself: If there is no Froyo update by the time the next iPhone comes out this summer, I'm jumping ship and getting one. This is not to taunt others on this site or to say that the Captivate is an awful phone because it's not. It has a lot of potential, and I honestly can't imagine living without Swype. But these issues are too big for me to ignore and I can't say I didn't try to go against the grain.
 
The dialer issue makes me miss calls frequently. What good is a phone that locks up when you try to answer it? This phone is powerful enough it just neesd to be properly maintained and updated.
 
The dialer issue makes me miss calls frequently. What good is a phone that locks up when you try to answer it? This phone is powerful enough it just neesd to be properly maintained and updated.

Yea, that's my point as well. I know that as smartphones advance, the 'phone' part of it gets kind of ignored, but it's still important to me and I'm jealous of the smooth operation of the iPhone.
 
I've experienced similar bugs as well. I almost wanted to condemn android, but I think it's just a device issue. After some research, I think I'll try out the Bravo. Which a lot say, runs smoother and has no issues. It also has more available memory right now. Both devices are supposed to have 512mb of ram but with Froyo anticipated for both, some is held back until they're updated. The captivate only has about 325mb of ram, while the Bravo has 475mb available. Waiting for the Captivate Froyo update has been tedious, to say the least, and I'm losing patience (as I run into bugs).
 
And while I loathe the way Apple has handled issues in the media, their device still operates smoothly, for the most part. I anticipate the next iteration of the iPhone to have vast improvements, considering the antenna design is a known issue. It should be their best yet.
 
Expecting updates is no different than iPhone users expecting updates. I expect at least one android update/upgrade per android device I get.

I have experienced not being able to answer a call with my captivate. That made me have the urge to throw my phone at my TV (I refrained from doing so).

I have been quite frustrated with the android devices I have owned (2 devices to be exact) but I still love Android. Hubby has the iP4 and even now I still prefer my captivate to iPhone.

Supposedly AT&T is supposed to be sharing the Android love this year. I do believe the Captivate will get upgraded within the next month. But come my next upgrade (not until at least september :() I'm thinking about staying away from Samsung, unless it's a vanilla Android Samsung.
 
When Google finally releases the S that's compatible with ATT we'll finally have an option for an unbranded unlocked android device on the 850 band. That will be a pretty much no brainer imo-I'm done with subsidized devices..screw the operator and make them do what they're supposed to: provide the service
 
Yeah I can def relate to the points made in the OP. I am highly considering the htc inspire when its released considering htc's better track record with updates. I wonder how much i'll get raped on cost since i'm only a year into my contract....
 
I'm thinking about staying away from Samsung, unless it's a vanilla Android Samsung.

If only the only way to get a beautiful AMOLED screen wasn't to get a Samsung phone. :( More manufacturers need to be using these screens. It's the only thing Samsung got right... and it seems almost exclusive to them.
 
3: Dialer. This is related to issue #2 but I'm listing it separately because it's very important. The issue was exacerbated in December when I was with a friend in Target, he passed out, hit his head extremely hard on a counter and someone had to call 911. The ambulance took him away and I had to call his family and let them know what happened. His mom didn't pick up but called me back a minute later and the DAMN PHONE WOULDN'T LET ME ANSWER! It was ringing but had a blank screen... then the screen came up but wouldn't let me swipe the green 'answer' tab and I had to miss the call. I was so frustrated. What if I had to call 911 and my phone locked up? Every second counts when someone needs medical assistance.

I never had a situation on the level of a medical emergency, but "not being able to answer the phone because it froze up" happened so often it was the proverbial straw* that made me sell my Captivate.

I'll never so much as even consider buying another Samsung phone.

(*I had plenty of other issues.)
 
Why not root and install a custom ROM? That will solve almost any problem you may or may not have!

Just a thought.....
 
Because it actually doesn't, and the steps necessary, the risks, and the voiding of your warranty isn't something for everyone.

Exactly. There are no custom roms that do not present new bugs or issues. They might correct certain aspects of a stock rom or introduce a new look and feel to the UI but they are, in my opinion less reliable than a stock rom, in the long run.

This is coming for years of flashing custom roms. I did it as hobby and out of boredom. But I would never recommend a custom rom to fix issues when the very nature of custom roms introduce bugs of their own. If the carrier cannot fix the issue - i.e. GPS - then chances are the custom rom will not either. Placebo affect folks.
 
If only the only way to get a beautiful AMOLED screen wasn't to get a Samsung phone. :( More manufacturers need to be using these screens. It's the only thing Samsung got right... and it seems almost exclusive to them.

The Droid Incredible had an AMOLED screen for a while, but due to lack of supply (Samsung made the display) they switched to an SLED late last year and you can't get a new one with an AMOLED anymore.
 
Because it actually doesn't, and the steps necessary, the risks, and the voiding of your warranty isn't something for everyone.

...Just a thought you since you know so much on the pit falls, how many and which ones have you flashed?
 
If only the only way to get a beautiful AMOLED screen wasn't to get a Samsung phone. :( More manufacturers need to be using these screens.

Agreed. I had the Samsung Impression with the regular AMOLED screen and was convinced that after seeing the sAMOLED commercials, that I wouldn't get anything but that. I couldn't settle for anything else. It's too quality. So it was either the Captivate or the Focus for me. And the rest is obvious.
 
I use both an iPhone 4 & Captivate. As a smartphone enthusiast with several activated lines on both AT&T and Verizon, I would never endorse an iPhone. I use both a MacBook Pro & ThinkPad for work. Thus my point is I'm not bashing any platform, just sharing my experience. I've never had reception problems on AT&T, yet my Captivate is a far better as a phone than the iPhone. Loud & clear, the Captivate is the one I pickup when I'm going to place a call. The iPhone causes people to tell me I sound muffled or muted. Apple gave me a new phone, but it's the same.

The phone operation aside, once you've enjoyed all that can be done with Android, the iPhone would bore you. If not for the huge collection of music I had on iTunes back when I was using an iPod, I wouldn't bother with an iPhone now.
 
i bought the captivate on launch day,no shut down issues,gps worked perfect for the first 12 hours,then it was gone,finally watched videos,root,flashed to cognition,got froyo,gps was spot on again-- about a day,then locks ok but cant track worth a damn, sooooo,i get copilot8,locks in 10 seconds or less,uses 0mb. of data and is voice guided and accurate,i will buy another samsang knowing XDA will fix it,i just love the displays:D.......also never had any of the op problems,i just hope att gets the galaxy2,infuse wont cut it
 
It's interesting that you would automatically assume that the phone was the cause of the problems (at least your #1 & #2), when AT&T is the worst rated service provider in the US. I also have problems #1 & #2 with the stock OS (Enclair), and other Froyo based OS's. These problems seem to occur more frequently during peak call times (from 5PM to 7PM). It doesn't take a genius to figure out what is causing it.
 
While it can be attributed to AT&T, it can also be attributed to the phone. The freezing when I try to dial and the answer bar not working when someone is calling are phone problems. Apparently it takes a genius to figure THAT out.
 
While it can be attributed to AT&T, it can also be attributed to the phone. The freezing when I try to dial and the answer bar not working when someone is calling are phone problems. Apparently it takes a genius to figure THAT out.

Blaming ATT is for the lazy, quick to find a scapegoat, type of user. I have used ATT on WinMo, Android, and now Apple. I haven't had any issues except when it involved custom roms or just really bad stock roms. Plain and simple. The carrier is to blame for releasing this crap on the unsuspecting consumer but to be fair, the network has been really decent up to this point. I can't find a reason to switch. U-Verse, that is a different story....
 
I have had an iPhone (3 in my family still do) and I just don't like them. Nothing against Apple, it's a good piece of hardware. I just don't like it. I agree that the Captivate has a lot of potential. But, between AT&T and Samsung and their complete and total lack of any understanding of customer service, I'm really frustrated. I have had similar problems and am on my 3rd Captivate (AT&T offered to replace with a Backflip or Sony (I think it was an Experia). So I have a phone with one of the best displays on the market, a 1 gig processor and they offer me either one with Android 1.6 or one with a 600 mg processor. What an insult!!! And, Samsung has been promising an update for several months. Interesting that the can release new phones with 2.2 and even one with 2.3, but they can't provide their existing customers with 2.2. Also insulting.

What Apple has going for them is they control the updates - - completely. Since their phone is so popular, they have the clout to do that. Google doesn't want to have anything to do with customers, they just want to innovate. That's ok except that people buying Android phones are left at the mercy of the manufacturers and carriers.

I really like the WP7 interface. If Microsoft handles things the way they said they are going to and controls the update process, I'm moving to that platform as soon at the next generation hardware with dual-core, NFC, 4g, etc. comes out.

In the meantime, I just updated my phone to 2.2 using the Odin process. It was really easy. I can already see the processing speed is better. It will be interesting to see how everything else works. So, what I have now is a decent piece of hardware, with better software than was provided by the manufacturer and I now have the ability to update it myself. i know that I voided the warranty, but with my experience, that warranty is an illusion anyway.

One final thought. I would like to swear off Samsung forever. But, they have some of the best displays on the market. Somebody, please catch them so I can buy your phones!!! HTC??? LG?? Anyone???
 
Just got at&t captivate yesterday. Was happy as heck,but am getting odd little freeze issues and am not really happy with how many layers I have to go through to do the things I want to do. I am within the 30 day return window. I am seriously considering exchange for another model.

Any suggestions? What would you get if all you really want is Internet browsing, a clean intuitive interface, and Janice display? Failing that, what can I replace this browser with? I hate the browser most of all.
 
Any suggestions? What would you get if all you really want is Internet browsing, a clean intuitive interface, and Janice display? Failing that, what can I replace this browser with? I hate the browser most of all.

If you're really considering replacing the phone, wait about a week and you should be able to get the HTC Inspire 4G (see comparison here). Will come with Froyo, which, if nothing else, will improve the native browsing experience.

As for alternative browser...Skyfire, Fennix, Opera Mini, Chrome ... there's a bunch out there, and I'm sure people each have their own preferences. By and large, I use the froyo browser and find it sufficient for my needs.
 
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