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Ex iPhone users support, tips, and overall new experience thread

Hello all, I am brand new to the forums. I have been with iPhone since day 1, and had every generation up to the 4S. I had tried out a few android phones along the way (Hero, Droid, Infuse 4G) and wasn't really impressed but I think the Android OS has come a long way and finally decided to jump the Apple ship and grabbed a Skyrocket. I have had it about a month and haven't once missed my iPhone, except maybe when it came to the battery usage. Here are some apps/things I found useful to help the want to go back to the iPhone:

1) Smart keyboard. This thing is amazing, has a built in iPhone keyboard and allows you to customize which icons show up (. , .com etc..etc..) on the keyboard. I had a big problem with the stock keyboard because the space bar was so small I would hit the period button way too often.

2) Launcher Pro. This launcher is ridiculously incredible. Allows you to have multiple docks, 5 icon at the bottom of each dock and allows you to set the amount of columns/rows on each screen. There are some slick built in transition effects that I absolutely love. I sprung for the full version so I could resize some of the stock widgets, which is the only real drawback of the free version.

3) Widget Locker. This allows you to completely customize your lock screen. I wanted to add more details (Time, weather, and shortcuts to other things).

4) Juice Defender. This app dramatically increases my battery life. I highly recommend it. Free version is adequate.

5) GoSMS. The customizing for your messaging is incredible and blows the default messaging app away. Plus I love that I can change the text icon in the notification and set ones specifically for certain people. Gives you the ability to change notifications (sounds, different vibrate and different icons) for anyone you get messages from.

These are just a few of the incredible things that Android offers over iOS. I haven't even started playing with custom roms and kernals yet. Soon, very soon.
 
Does the smart keyboard app warn that your keypresses could be recorded?? That's what's keeping me from getting a different keyboard app, but I hit the period button ALL THE TIME.
 
ilikescott said:
Hello all, I am brand new to the forums. I have been with iPhone since day 1, and had every generation up to the 4S. I had tried out a few android phones along the way (Hero, Droid, Infuse 4G) and wasn't really impressed but I think the Android OS has come a long way and finally decided to jump the Apple ship and grabbed a Skyrocket. I have had it about a month and haven't once missed my iPhone, except maybe when it came to the battery usage. Here are some apps/things I found useful to help the want to go back to the iPhone:

1) Smart keyboard. This thing is amazing, has a built in iPhone keyboard and allows you to customize which icons show up (. , .com etc..etc..) on the keyboard. I had a big problem with the stock keyboard because the space bar was so small I would hit the period button way too often.

2) Launcher Pro. This launcher is ridiculously incredible. Allows you to have multiple docks, 5 icon at the bottom of each dock and allows you to set the amount of columns/rows on each screen. There are some slick built in transition effects that I absolutely love. I sprung for the full version so I could resize some of the stock widgets, which is the only real drawback of the free version.

3) Widget Locker. This allows you to completely customize your lock screen. I wanted to add more details (Time, weather, and shortcuts to other things).

4) Juice Defender. This app dramatically increases my battery life. I highly recommend it. Free version is adequate.

5) GoSMS. The customizing for your messaging is incredible and blows the default messaging app away. Plus I love that I can change the text icon in the notification and set ones specifically for certain people. Gives you the ability to change notifications (sounds, different vibrate and different icons) for anyone you get messages from.

These are just a few of the incredible things that Android offers over iOS. I haven't even started playing with custom roms and kernals yet. Soon, very soon.
Click to expand...

Good post
 
KBourassa said:
Does the smart keyboard app warn that your keypresses could be recorded?? That's what's keeping me from getting a different keyboard app, but I hit the period button ALL THE TIME.
Click to expand...

Yes it does warn that, but I am pretty sure that it warns that for all keyboard apps.
 
i have had the skyrocket for about a month. whew! it's a been a tough adjustment but after reading many posts here and doing my research online, i am loving this phone. when i go back to my old iphone, which i have plugged into my sound system for pandora and slacker, i can't believe that apple still only offers that small screen option. it's so tiny! it took me awhile to get used to the new keyboard. i like the OS and don't really feel the lag others have reported. the battery life could be better but i plan on buying an extra battery. juice defender has helped, my average speedtest is 22mbs on the download.

i just wish that gps based apps opened the gps and closed it when i closed the app. i frequently use the "around me" app. i also wish there was a widget that truly was a one touch app for the gps. i tried the one click but it kept bouncing me into the gps settings. the other one click widgets (wifi and brightness) worked great. i know the skyrocket has the toolbar but it takes up too much real estate on my home screen. i also know that keeping the gps on does not drain the battery, but i noticed when reading the nytimes or the guardian app on the subway, the gps comes on (or tries to).

i did finally figure out tasker and have my wifi programed to turn on when at home. and figuring out how to have unique alerts for the sms and email was not easy. i called samsung about this alert issue and they said i could not have unique alerts- they were wrong. but it took awhile to figure this out. i think samsung really has to work on the user experience. it could be more intuitive. the on/off button opposite of the volume rocker often leads to me accidently lowering the volume on the phone and missing calls when walking in the city. it would be better placed on the top. i wish the toggles on the tool bar were separate. i only need 3 for quick access and would prefer the 4th space it takes up for another app. i also wish they had a function like the "NoLed" app. but one that did not burn the battery as much if left unattended.

i'm loving the camera and the several free apps i have downloaded to enhance my photographs. the AMOLED screen is brilliant.

on the whole, i do feel that the UI requires a few more "touches" then necessary. and i still don't understand why some android phones lag behind others with updates. will the skyrocket ever get ICS?

i will continue to explore my options with tasker. to other android newbies...stick it out. it's a great gadget, but i know it can be a frustrating transition. i do feel this learning curve can be intimidating. i'm sure more than a few new android users have fled back to the simplicity of the apple OS. i love the ability to customize my experience, but feel that there are a few things android can borrow from the iphone os and vice versa. my iphone using friends are impressed with the skyrocket though.
 
coming from iPhone 4, had my skyrocket for a couple of weeks now. My pros and cons so far:

I really miss my iCloud music. iTunes match and the whole music experience as a whole is far better than Google Music. But of course Apple has tons more experience in this area. Hell, they practically created the digital music age.

The screen is far better than I expected considering the drop in DPI from iPhone 4. But I've always been a huge fan of Samsung when it comes to monitors and screens.

I like the refund aspect of the Google Play Store. But the "pro" versions are far more expensive than the Apple counterparts.

The gmail app is ok. The mail app is just plain horrible though, at least in regards to Exchange server mail. Tried K9, wasn't happy.

running TCP rom, did much better on the battery.
 
Hi I'm an ex iPhone user.

I have having difficulty finding an option to display the message in the lock screen. I find it annoying to have to slide too read every single text message I get. Can anyone help? Thanks!
 
Converted IPhone user. I had my IPhone synced with my work calendar (Microsoft) and like the balloon messages that would pop up 15 minutes before hand. I now have my Skyrocket synced with my work calendar but I don't get the pop up. Is there an APP that will give me that popup?
 
ilikescott said:
Which part is confusing? Basically Launcher Pro will take the place of the built in Samsung launcher. I can tell you that it is far quicker and has many more options that the stock launcher from Samsung.
Click to expand...


I guess I'm confussed on what is a launcher and the purpose of it...and how do I go about setting up the pro launcher?
 
ilikescott said:
Which part is confusing? Basically Launcher Pro will take the place of the built in Samsung launcher. I can tell you that it is far quicker and has many more options that the stock launcher from Samsung.
Click to expand...


Ok..here's where I am on pro launcher, I've made it my default launcher, I see the various icons at the bottom, which are cool, now I only pretty much have one page, like a home page, on my default samsung launcher, i had like 6 pages, where i could slide and store apps and see the weather in my area and stuff, can I get that on this pro launcher, and what about the brightness and sync and bluetooth settings that were on the default samsung launcher, is there a way to have those on the pro launcher, I guess my questions is in regards with the pro launcher, what are the features and what's so different than the samsung default??
 
Gertex said:
Example: I was told that you can put any media file and use it as ringtone but I figured out that it will not let me use the old iphone ringtones in .m4r format but wanted it in .mp3 (AFTER I had figured out that I needed to create the dang directory). Other one that got me that you had to 'mount' the phone via USB vs. just connecting it to the PC.
Click to expand...

.m4r is extension for iPhone ringtones, more accurately, I should say it's Apple devices' ringtone. The truth is it's a simply .m4a (MPEG4) apple lossless sound track.

What you can try is rename the extension to .m4a, and give it a try. It works almost 100% of the time.

Hope it helps
 
just posted this in a iphone forum regarding samsung stealing design features from apple...

i have been a loyal mac guy for over 10 years. i love their industrial design and the user experience. 2 months ago my iphone stopped providing me with sound alerts for texts messages and incoming calls.. the ATT rep where i purchased the phone simply said "yeah that happens sometimes..." i called ATT for an early upgrade. i was not due for an upgrade for another 7 weeks. however they allowed me to upgrade with one caveat, i could not upgrade to the iphone. they said apple does not allow for early upgrades. ouch and ok.

i'm not a techie guy but i do research my phones every 2 years. i learned what LTE was and that NYC had it. my carrier had 2 LTE phones and i went with the samsung skyrocket. the transition was bumpy, but i am loving this phone.

is samsung UI as intuitive as the iphone? no. it took me a week to figure out how to program different sound alerts for the email and the texts messages. many android forums had many users posting this same question. a samsung rep told he he did not know how to assign different alerts. this almost caused me to return the phone, but i figured it out.

i tried android one and a half years ago with the motorola droid x the day it came out. it was a frustrating 3 weeks. when i called motorola because the browser was slow, they blamed verizon's coverage in nyc at the time. i live in brooklyn by the east river and the GPS 75% of the time placed me in the east river closer to manhatten and when i used around me app i would get results for businesses in manhatten. verizon said this was a google problem. i tested all my friends iphone GPS and it was quick and spot on! i continued to have a slow browser experience and when verizon said it might be malware in an app i downloaded. i also became frustrated with the uncertainty of my phone receiving that latest android update and all the teasing rumors i read online that it was going to happen soon.

i returned my droid and got an iphone. i did not regret that decision.

i am concerned with getting updates on my skyrocket. i know ATT just announced that i will be getting ice cream sandwich. but with the nature of the android eco-system being fragmented, i do worry about being abandoned in the future. heck i just updated my old iphone a few weeks ago ( i use it for pandora, slacker and itunes on my home sound system).

the flip side of the android market being flooded with phones is that my skyrocket having been released 4 months earlier was discounted to $115 from the original $250. i get a consistent 20-25 mbs download speed. if i had been able to get the iphone when my phone broke, i would not have access to nyc's LTE network.

thank you apple.

the screen on the skyrocket, although not as good as the retina display, is great. the market on the android, though not as large as apple, has allowed me to get apps that provide the same functions as the iphone app store. the one exception is the hipstomatic camera app. i do miss that. i am happy with the media players i have downloaded. on my double twist music player (which was free on the market) i can even make playlists on my phone.

when i use my iphone for music now, i am amazed at how tiny the screen is. the 4.5 inch screen on the skyrocket allows for the ultimate user experience. watching movies i downloaded on a train ride from nyc to philly is wonderful. i simply could not do this with the iphone. and watching a movie with subtitles on the iphone was impossible! i have subscribed to the nytimes since they offered this online option. much better experience on the 4.5 inch screen.

my android phone is fully customized from the keyboard, media players, lock screen and too many other features to list here. people complain about battery life. on the skyrocket i purchased a charger and battery for $40 and only need the second for the above mentioned train trips. i believe the reason apple has not gone to the larger screen is battery life and realizing that without the option to replace the battery, the iphone would get horrible reviews.

so phone and battery cost me $155. the new iphone would have cost $200. but the bigger cost would have been 2 yrs off of the blazing fast LTE network. i consistently get 20-25 mbs on the download speedtest.

i think apple has to reconsider this once a year release of their phones. i read that one android phone maker (HTC?) has committed to releasing fewer phones and focusing on quality products. apple has erred in the other direction. i know i am not the only user to be "forced" to switch because of an early update issue. apple has to start producing phones with larger screens.-size does matter.

and while doing research on phones i watched a "drop test". you know where this is going. the iphone 4 belongs in a museum...simple, beautiful design...but so impractical. drop it and there is a very good chance your home screen will receive multiple cracks. and the insurance on the iphone was very expensive. great ideal... release a product that is fragile and force your loyal fan base to purchase this insurance.

rest assured samsung will not be "copying" this design. with regard to copying industrial design and the OS. the phone has to be rectangle and research has clearly indicated consumers prefer a "rounded" phone to grip. with regard. with regard to the OS, again there are only so many ways to design this system.

even steve jobs quoted picasso- "good artist copy, great artists steal". apple has to reassess how often it releases new phones. i really think steve jobs liked the once a year launch to feed his ego. it also has to offer different size phones and if it can't develop a battery with longer life, to give the user the option to use a spare battery.

wanna compare user experience? i can't tell you how much i enjoy my skyrocket knowing i don't have to worry about running low on my battery. i'm not limiting my data usage now like i was with my iphone when out on the street. this is the ultimate user experience!

apple set the standard for the smart phone. other manufacturers may have "stolen" some of their designs. apple needs to do the same. their hubris of only offering their phone on ATT for years opened the door to android and their focusing on law suits instead of basic redesigns (battery and screen size) along with infrequent phone releases is not nimble enough for the smart phone market of today.

i am curious to see how tim cook manages apple and especially the iphone.

i am loving my samsung/android experience. once you get past being overwhelmed with all of the customization that the android OS offers, the sky is the limit (pun intended).
 
Good thread. I've been using an iPhone for the past three years. Use phone for note taking, pictures, music, video & GPS navigation.

I like the idea of the larger screen and the ability to customize the phone to my taste. ICS looks very interesting. Reading through this thread, the only topics I have not see discussed are:

1) ability to voice dial via Bluetooth

2) GPS navigation

Regarding GPS. nav, I currently use Drive GPS by MotionX. They do not make an equivalent for Android OS. What nav apps are there & how well does this phone perform for gps navigation?
 
I recently switched from an iPhone 4 to the Skyrocket and am loving it.

Only one problem for me so far.

I have a sony head unit in my car that has a usb port on it. When I plug my skyrocket in I can access the media and charge at the same time as I did on my iPhone.

But here's the problem, if I want to listen to Pandora or i heart radio I have to plug in a standard audio cable. I can't find any settings in either app to output through usb. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jared
 
New to the Skyrocket, albeit not Android.

I still have my iPhone 4S, too. But, trying this Android thing again. I seriously hope the battery holds out for a decent while during the day...
 
Sailindawg said:
Good thread. I've been using an iPhone for the past three years. Use phone for note taking, pictures, music, video & GPS navigation.

I like the idea of the larger screen and the ability to customize the phone to my taste. ICS looks very interesting. Reading through this thread, the only topics I have not see discussed are:

1) ability to voice dial via Bluetooth

2) GPS navigation

Regarding GPS. nav, I currently use Drive GPS by MotionX. They do not make an equivalent for Android OS. What nav apps are there & how well does this phone perform for gps navigation?
Click to expand...

The pre-loaded google maps app works very well for me, better than my Garmin.
 
I have been very close the last week to pulling the trigger on the skyrocket. I have an iphone 4 now but really like the look of the skyrocket. For me it is not really an android vs ios thing as much as it is the phone working right. Can any skyrocket owner tell me straight out of the box with no added apps useing the included apps does email, sms, mms and music work. I hear so many saying get this app for that get this app for that, sure maybe they make things better but are you saying without those app you have issues. Its the one thing with my iphone i like, everything works with no major jumping threw hoops. Now i hate that i can not customize the iphone with simple things like wigets and i am getting real tired of the small screen size. I want to make the jump so maybe hearing some good news may push me in the right direction.
 
The phone works fine in stock form out of the box, the apps everyone installs are just customization, for example the stock messenger uses android emoticons that won't show on a recipients iphone, so you install the emojis that are familiar to the iphone. We switched from a 3gs & a 4 and haven't looked back, haven't wished for anything that was on the iphone and can't believe we put up with those tiny screens for so long.

But, I'd still recommend going the store and playing with one first, some people just prefer the plug and play of the iphone, nothing wrong with that its just preference.
 
Lefttygtr said:
with no added apps useing the included apps does email, sms, mms and music work
Click to expand...
Everything functions fully, but there are little quirks in seemingly everything.
For example
-in the stock messaging app photo messages appear and play as if they're videos.
-a lot of ios users find the stock keyboard frustrating
- SMS messages sometimes send twice, fail to send, or show as failed when they didn't, leading you to send them twice
Everything WORKS but nothing seems nearly as polished as iOs until you start tweaking. When people ask me about iPhone vs android I tell them that android is about getting elbow deep and making the phone wholly your own through tweaks modification and personalization where as iOs is an entirely closed off system that has been polished really really well by someone else. If you don't want to download (free) apps to improve the phone then I would recommend against android for you. In my opinion it is the whole point of the OS.

Why don't you want to download apps to improve the experience?
 
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