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Help Frustration with Motorola, Android OS, 2.3 problems - iOS better for me?

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Droid_Badger

Member
Helllo all,

Long time Android user and lover. Original Droid to Droid X. I love the customization. I love Swift Key, Google integration (Gmail, chat, navigation). I love being able to swap the battery. And in general, the phone is great.

But I am growing so angry at the lack of Motorola support, especially with the GB problems. How can they let such a simple thing, the camera 8MP/WS issue linger for so long?

And my phone, I cannot stand the inconsistency. I just want my damn phone to work. I know, I know, it's likely the price I pay for customization. But I haven't rooted my phone. I am not running abnormal applications. I just want the phone to work and not freeze, or reboot, or get ridiculously slow.

Is iOS better for me? I love how it just *works*. Sometimes with Android I feel as if I am a slave to the phone. I constantly have to be tweaking and resetting and dealing with bad apps and all sorts of maintenance. Is it too much to ask for the phone to just *work*?
 
Moved to support since no doubt, someone's going to try to fix it for you. :D

Have you tried a factory reset? :D :D
 
Of course. This is not my first DX. Just on the whole, and you can see this throughout comments on this website, the Android OS seems to be less stable. Today, I had to wait many seconds for things to load properly and wifi was inconsistent. Then tomorrow, it'll be fine.

I just want the thing to work!
 
So... what do you want anyone to tell you?

You're right. It'd never happen on an iPhone because iPhones don't have removable storage nor can you access them as mass storage devices. So if you want to trade features for simplicity, go do it.

You clearly know what the tradeoff is, and you clearly value a streamlined user experience over increased functionality. I don't know what you're looking for here - nobody can tell you what you want.
 
BTW none of this is bad. There is a phone for everyone. If an iPhone works for you, you should pick that.
 
Yes, that is causing the problem. What I am critiquing is that most people could never figure out the problem, nor should it be happening. It seems to be an unnecessary, techie issue, and is my fundamental Android problem. Everything requires so many extra steps. It requires constant upkeep. 2-3 times a day I have to force kill an app or change a setting.

Our phones have problems that go completely ignored by the developer.

How is this the OS we want? I suppose I am not looking for answers but thoughts from other Android users. Is the alternative to iOS's "just working" the Android inconsistency but support of customization? I feel like there can be more of a middle ground -- that's where Android needs to be.
 
Another example of this is that my DX now restarts, randomly, every time I play mp3s. This is a problem you can easily find via a Google search. Many users complaining.

Never hear of this on iOS
 
Droid_Badger said:
fundamental Android problem. Everything requires so many extra steps. It requires constant upkeep. 2-3 times a day I have to force kill an app or change a setting.
QUOTE]

Um, I have no apps that require a force kill 2-3 times a day, and I don't have any settings that require changing after initial setup.

I agree with bochigo. You are speaking in very general terms. If you could be more specific about your problems, I think we could resolve at least a few of them to help with your Android experience.
Click to expand...
 
Droid_Badger said:
Another example of this is that my DX now restarts, randomly, every time I play mp3s. This is a problem you can easily find via a Google search. Many users complaining.

Never hear of this on iOS
Click to expand...


Using the stock music app, or a different one? Is it the same mp3 that plays that causes a restart? Is this via speaker, headset, or bluetooth?
 
Via both headset and listening without any external item plugged into the device. My phone continued to restart today as I was using Dolphin Browser.

I am speaking generally because I want to see if these experiences are the norm for Android. It seems less polished than iOS and far more complicated, requiring a lot of upkeep.

The phone usually runs well after it's rebooted for about a day.
 
Droid_Badger said:
Yes, that is causing the problem. What I am critiquing is that most people could never figure out the problem, nor should it be happening. It seems to be an unnecessary, techie issue, and is my fundamental Android problem.
Click to expand...

What? lol...its not an "unnecessary , techie issue" it's just the way things work...only one device can read your sd card at any given time...your PC or your Phone...that is just the way removable memory works...if the PC is using your Sdcard how is your phone supposed to know those apps are there??


Droid_Badger said:
Everything requires so many extra steps. It requires constant upkeep. 2-3 times a day I have to force kill an app or change a setting.
Click to expand...
then something is wrong...I rarely ever have to kill apps unless I choose to do so for my own reasons...or have to change settings...

As I sit now I've had an uptime of something like 200+ hours without a reboot...and the last reboot was simply because I like to do it every once and awhile...

Droid_Badger said:
Our phones have problems that go completely ignored by the developer.
Click to expand...
like what?...how do you know Motorola is ignoring issues?...these are the types of baseless comments that drive me nuts...

Droid_Badger said:
How is this the OS we want? I suppose I am not looking for answers but thoughts from other Android users. Is the alternative to iOS's "just working" the Android inconsistency but support of customization? I feel like there can be more of a middle ground -- that's where Android needs to be.
Click to expand...
its comical if you actually think there are no iOS users that have problems with their devices...

And yes customization and open source are the biggest reasons for any inconsistency you might find in Android...
 
To answer two questions:

1. I am running the new 2.3 on my DX

2. An example of things that are ignored by Motorola is the camera default option. It's stuck at WS instead of 8MP. People have complained for weeks and weeks. No result.

To boil down my problem in 1-2 sentences: I know that iOS is locked down, thus less laggy and more polished compared to Android, whereas the Android advantages come from customization and economics of scale (more devices ---> more apps, more attention, etc), but I don't think it needs to be such a black and white divide. Can't the Android OS start to exhibit a more polished finish? Less lag, less need to reboot so many times, less problems with individual handset makers.

Perhaps my gripe comes from the essence of Android fragmentation, since the OS has to deal with so many phone makers.
 
Droid_Badger said:
To answer two questions:

1. I am running the new 2.3 on my DX

2. An example of things that are ignored by Motorola is the camera default option. It's stuck at WS instead of 8MP. People have complained for weeks and weeks. No result.
Click to expand...

How do you know its being ignored?...you've got proof to back this up??...

Do you honestly expect that a Moto is going to spend the time and money to go through a testing/evaluation/approval process and rush out a fix for one simple issue like that? No way...its just not economically efficient to do that...it will instead be bundled with a larger update that encompasses more fixes...

Droid_Badger said:
To boil down my problem in 1-2 sentences: I know that iOS is locked down, thus less laggy and more polished compared to Android, whereas the Android advantages come from customization and economics of scale (more devices ---> more apps, more attention, etc), but I don't think it needs to be such a black and white divide. Can't the Android OS start to exhibit a more polished finish? Less lag, less need to reboot so many times, less problems with individual handset makers.
Click to expand...

You keep bringing up lag and reboots...and there are people that continually tell you that this is not an issue with all devices...I have no more "lag" than any iPhone I've ever used...and my phone needs to be rebooted no more often than friends with iPhone do...

I've had multiple friends have updates totally brick their iPhone...apps that freeze and crash or don't work right...

It happens on all platforms...

Droid_Badger said:
Perhaps my gripe comes from the essence of Android fragmentation, since the OS has to deal with so many phone makers.
Click to expand...

And there is nothing that can be done about that unless Google decides to start locking things down and eliminating more of the variables...
 
I don't know why anyone is arguing this issue.

There are basically two types of people who start threads soliciting opinions:

1. People who are soliciting input and will adjust their opinions/views or educate themselves accordingly, or

2. People who already know what their opinion is going to be, regardless of the feedback they receive.

This is clearly the latter.

Mr. Badger, as I stated above, you are a prime candidate for an iPhone. Some of the issues you state are exactly why Apple avoids adding features. They don't want a user to think about removable storage. They don't want the users to see files on their phones, or think about swapping hardware. They don't want the users to open the phones, peek into the file system, manage things manually, or in any way understand that this is a small computer.

So go buy an iPhone. That's what you're looking for. It's not better or worse, it's just different. Differences are what make the world go 'round. As they say, it takes all kinds to make a world, and you'd clearly rather have all the sharp edges hidden so you don't cut yourself, with the tradeoff being that sometimes if you want access to those sharp edges, you can't have it.

There's absolutely not one single thing wrong with that. But it's clearly your fixed opinion and nobody is going to change it. Life is too short to spend time justifying yourself; just do what is going to make you happiest.

Many people have very pleasant Android experiences. I don't have to force kill apps, or reboot my phone. I have occasional problems, and usually find out ways to solve them or work around them.

I had occasional problems with my iPhones, too - of course, I usually couldn't solve those because there wasn't the level of access that we have on Android, so "fixing" things was left to Apple. Apple was okay about providing fixes, so it wasn't too bad. By and large, iOS has fewer problems than Android. On the other hand, iOS has a fair number of problems that are often more difficult to find complaints about, solutions for, or even acknowledgement of. Not sure why, but when you say "you never hear about that on iOS" - it doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist.
 
While I do not understand the negative tone, I appreciate the above post. I am uncertain on the best OS for me, but it does seem iOS probably fits the bill.

As an aside, I cannot believe Android OS is a sufficient option for mainstream consumers. I have a BS in engineering and at least some technical know how, having owned advanced electronics for years.

And finally, re: the lag issue -- you have to be a real Android Fanboi to ignore the issue. There are many threads, like this, where Android users outright admit the OS has more problems than iOS: Why is there lag with Android phones, and not the iphone? - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum

On this website, it seems, people would rather rush to the defense of Android OS, rather than an honest analysis of its faults. Upon my review, it seems this OS is unnecessarily complicated, unpolished, and unfit for the normal mainstream consumer. But as the user above writes, that's a personal opinion, and we're blessed with at least some choices in the smartphone market.
 
Droid_Badger said:
As an aside, I cannot believe Android OS is a sufficient option for mainstream consumers. I have a BS in engineering and at least some technical know how, having owned advanced electronics for years.
Click to expand...
honestly...nobody that has picked up my phone has ever told me that its too complicated to use...

the only thing people struggle with is if they are used to "dumb phones" they struggle with the vast number of settings that are available to them..

my Great Uncle is in his 70's and has VERY minimal technological experience and absolutely LOVES his Fascinate...thinks everything he can do with it is amazing, and has had no problems like you speak of...

Droid_Badger said:
And finally, re: the lag issue -- you have to be a real Android Fanboi to ignore the issue. There are many threads, like this, where Android users outright admit the OS has more problems than iOS: Why is there lag with Android phones, and not the iphone? - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum
Click to expand...

first of all you need to be more specific when you talk about "lag." there are lots of different places a phone can "lag." Are you taking transitions between screens? Loading apps? Closing Apps? Applying settings? Making phone calls? sluggish performance? What is it?

based on the thread you posted i can see you seem to be talking about screen transitions...if you're complaining of this...im going to wager you did not take my advice and install a third party launcher...ADW Ex, Go Launcher, or LauncherPro(what im running)...any of these will completely smooth out any lag on your home screens...

ALSO...if you are running a live wallpaper...you should try a normal wallpaper...it will make things MUCH snappier...


Droid_Badger said:
On this website, it seems, people would rather rush to the defense of Android OS, rather than an honest analysis of its faults. Upon my review, it seems this OS is unnecessarily complicated, unpolished, and unfit for the normal mainstream consumer. But as the user above writes, that's a personal opinion, and we're blessed with at least some choices in the smartphone market.
Click to expand...

i LOVE the iPhone...and if the X had not been announced when it was...i was a heartbeat away from moving back to AT&T for the iPhone last July...i have no problem admitting where Android has its faults (there are many)...

though you also must understand where you are posting...how do you think people on an iPhone forum would react to someone complaining of issues and saying Android was a better option?...or a PS3 forum where someone is putting down the PS3 and playing up the 360...or a Mustang Forum where someone is talking about the Camaro...and so on and so on...
 
So, out of curiosity, I sent an email to a friend of mine last night who is technology-stupid, owns an Android phone, and used to own an iPhone.

This girl is very nice, pretty smart, but could probably be convinced that the phone and the box under her desk run on magic fairy dust - that's how much she knows about them. She is not technical.

She has had a couple Android phones in the last few years and has been very happy with them.

I asked if there was anything about the phone that she had trouble with, and specifically, if she'd noticed that some of her programs disappear when she plugs the phone in.

Here's what she said:

Soooo... You know I don't know about computers much :). I like my Android phones! Sometimes it will do something I don't get, like restart or get slow for a second. My iphone did stuff too. But, I figure its alot like a computer so it won't be perfect. It doesn't do weird stuff very much, like once a week or less but most times it doesn't even make me stop what I'm doing so I don't even care.

One of my games goes away when I plug it in. I don't know why it does, but I figured out I could fix it by using the little swipe menu and pressing on "Charge Mode." I figured it had something to do with the phone talking to the computer since I cant talk to the computer in the "charge mode".

I think the little android guy is cute, too :).
Click to expand...

It looks like you don't need an EE degree and years of technical experience to "get" Android phones.

I'm not sure a lot of people are rushing to Android's defense here. Simply demonstrating that things aren't as bad as you insist they are - your bad experience does not equate to everyone having a bad experience.

Additionally, I was not trying to take a negative tone, just a firm one. Everyone should use what is best suited for him or her, and it's just tiring/irksome to hear, over and over again, the same whine: "...buuut iOS doesn't do this." "...buuut you wouldn't see this in the iPhone."

Maybe. The iPhone has a different set of problems, but some overlap. But I didn't go into iPhone forums when I had mine and start multiple threads saying, "Android can do this." "This feature exists in Android." "An Android phone wouldn't have that problem."

They know. Either look for a solution to your problem, or buy an iPhone. The harping on another phone has no relevance and only serves to be tiring to the people trying to help you.
 
Just a note to say that I appreciate the fact that some people are speaking out in support of the Droid X. I disagree that folks "rush to the defense" of the phone in this forum. I participate in 3 different forums and I find that overwhelmingly, people post negative comments and complain about issues they are having with their phones. That's not surprising, if something isn't working on your phone, a support forum is a good place to seek help in finding a remedy.

In another forum I participate in, I've stated that I'm very happy with my DX. It has performed to my expectations and I marvel at all of the things it can do and all of the gadgets that I've been able to replace (camera, MP3, day planner, alarm clock, GPS, etc) by having this mini-computer with me 24/7. Mine has not been completely without bugs, but if I'm to believe all of the things I've read in the forums (and I do), I guess I've been very lucky because I haven't had any major issues with my phone at all. The replies in the other forum from disenchanted DX owners is I don't know what I'm talking about and don't realize that my phone is broken. Excuse me?

I'm not a high tech kind of guy, kind of mid-tech, but it appears that every time there is a new Android OS update, things break down and it's been the worst with the 2.3.3 GB update. I don't know why some phones can have serious issues while others don't. People always blame Moto, but I think Google and VZW probably deserve some of the blame as well. I've glanced at HTC forums and although it sounds like the GB update went better on some of their phones, if you think they haven't had any issues, you're wrong.

Apple and Android are two competing platforms and ones strength is the others weakness. I like Android because it offers a high degree of customization and I'm not even rooted. However, I think because Android is an open platform with the various manufacturers putting their own UI's on their phones (Blur, Sense, etc) updates are more problematic than they are in the tightly controlled world of Apple.

Hopefully Motorola nails it with the upcoming 2.3.4 update (or whatever it will be called) and most of the major bugs will be fixed. Then we can go back to using these forums to share information on new apps, accessories, tips and tricks, minor bug fixes...things that will enable us to get maximum enjoyment out of our phone and not have to hear over and over again about all things broken on it.
 
binary....

your friend's response is exactly what i would have expected...there are things that go wrong that she doesn't understand but they are nothing more than minor annoyances so it doesn't really matter what the real cause is...

and that she had weird issues with the iPhone as well...

and...as expected she was able to use common sense to figure out some of the issues on her own...

she sounds EXACTLY like the "normal mainstream consumer" that the OP swears Android is "unfit" for...


B360155 said:
Just a note to say that I appreciate the fact that some people are speaking out in support of the Droid X. I disagree that folks "rush to the defense" of the phone in this forum. I participate in 3 different forums and I find that overwhelmingly, people post negative comments and complain about issues they are having with their phones. That's not surprising, if something isn't working on your phone, a support forum is a good place to seek help in finding a remedy.
Click to expand...
major point here...a lot of people don't understand a few things about forums...

1. we represent a small percentage of the overall number of users of the device. Especially a flagship device like the X was when it was released....Those of us that are happy with our phones and here on the forums are not the norm...we are the nerdy, techie group that likes to tinker and hang out with other nerdy, techie people...

2. You are MUCH more likely to seek out forums such as this if you are having PROBLEMS with your device, because you're looking for ways to fix it...the average person is not going to seek out a forum just to post a message like "I just wanted to say how much I love Motorola and Verizon for releasing this phone that works so well!"

B360155 said:
In another forum I participate in, I've stated that I'm very happy with my DX. It has performed to my expectations and I marvel at all of the things it can do and all of the gadgets that I've been able to replace (camera, MP3, day planner, alarm clock, GPS, etc) by having this mini-computer with me 24/7. Mine has not been completely without bugs, but if I'm to believe all of the things I've read in the forums (and I do), I guess I've been very lucky because I haven't had any major issues with my phone at all. The replies in the other forum from disenchanted DX owners is I don't know what I'm talking about and don't realize that my phone is broken. Excuse me?
Click to expand...
yeah that is a great one...you must be an idiot because your phone works like its supposed to lol...

B360155 said:
I'm not a high tech kind of guy, kind of mid-tech, but it appears that every time there is a new Android OS update, things break down and it's been the worst with the 2.3.3 GB update. I don't know why some phones can have serious issues while others don't. People always blame Moto, but I think Google and VZW probably deserve some of the blame as well. I've glanced at HTC forums and although it sounds like the GB update went better on some of their phones, if you think they haven't had any issues, you're wrong.
Click to expand...

i agree with everything except that the 2.3.3 update has been the worst...i think there were much bigger issues with this phone when it launched on 2.1 Eclair...and while Froyo fixed some it introduced problems for a lot of people as well...i seem to remember the Froyo update being MUCH MUCH worse...so much so that we did get an update for Froyo as well...

there were TONS of people complaining about Froyo when it first came out...

B360155 said:
Apple and Android are two competing platforms and ones strength is the others weakness. I like Android because it offers a high degree of customization and I'm not even rooted. However, I think because Android is an open platform with the various manufacturers putting their own UI's on their phones (Blur, Sense, etc) updates are more problematic than they are in the tightly controlled world of Apple.
Click to expand...
absolutely correct

B360155 said:
Hopefully Motorola nails it with the upcoming 2.3.4 update (or whatever it will be called) and most of the major bugs will be fixed. Then we can go back to using these forums to share information on new apps, accessories, tips and tricks, minor bug fixes...things that will enable us to get maximum enjoyment out of our phone and not have to hear over and over again about all things broken on it.
Click to expand...

agreed...i don't deny that people are having some issues with their X's...what i just don't like is that people continue to say things like "Gingerbread SUCKS!" when its obvious that there are lots of devices out there running properly...and if there are devices running properly then its not really and issue with GB...its an issue with the install of GB on their device...

i think that truly sucks for them...as i would be upset if that happened to me as well...
 
Droid_Badger said:
As an aside, I cannot believe Android OS is a sufficient option for mainstream consumers. I have a BS in engineering and at least some technical know how, having owned advanced electronics for years.
Click to expand...

So, even with your engineering degree, a girl with no computer experience figured out how to fix an issue that you couldn't fix?

Just making sure I got your point...
 
I've owned my Droid X since they came out, with the original Droid before that. I have bragged on this phone since I bought it and it performed almost flawlessly until this damned firmware "upgrade". It is now so frustrating that I'm going to give it until the next maintenance release (soon, as per the Verizon store). If that doesn't improve it's performance and reverse some of the dumb changes that were apparently made just for the sake of change, I, too, will be buying an iPhone. I really dislike Apple as a company but it seems to be the only reliable game in town.

I will have to eat a lot of crow with the family members that I have told that I will never own an Apple product but it might be worth it.
 
Jim Dawson said:
I've owned my Droid X since they came out, with the original Droid before that. I have bragged on this phone since I bought it and it performed almost flawlessly until this damned firmware "upgrade". It is now so frustrating that I'm going to give it until the next maintenance release (soon, as per the Verizon store). If that doesn't improve it's performance and reverse some of the dumb changes that were apparently made just for the sake of change, I, too, will be buying an iPhone. I really dislike Apple as a company but it seems to be the only reliable game in town.

I will have to eat a lot of crow with the family members that I have told that I will never own an Apple product but it might be worth it.
Click to expand...

care to elaborate as to what is so bad about the GB update?
 
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