riskr

After using the Captivate for 2 weeks, here's my list of its most glaring shortcomings and how you can fix some of them. Although the tone of this message is negative, I do love the device and do not regret choosing it.

If you can add items to this thread, especially ones that can be fixed, this can be a useful thread for new owners.

Shortcomings you can fix:

1. Missing LED notification. I miss blinking notification on my old BlackBerry devices. Fix = NoLED app.

2. Soft keyboard. It is functional and the input by voice option works okay. But I do miss physical keyboards I used on BlackBerry and Treo devices. Fix = Swype. This is a revolutionary input option.

3. Default Mail App. I connect to Corp. Exchange and this app sets the mobile email experience 5 years back! Fix = TouchDown and $20. Some users reported lags and crashes. Take a test drive.

Shortcomings you cannot fix:

1. Battery. Charging twice-a-day to get about 3 hours of actual data use is a tough pill. Taking people's advice and limiting widget and wifi use will make minimum improvements.

2. Charger and USB port. The stock charger fits so poorly into the USB port you would think it's a $1 aftermarket one. The slightest phone move will disconnect the charger.

Edit: Read responses below for a fix!

3. Missing Trackpad. I did use an HTC Aria and the trackpad is very helpful for moving the cursor and editing text. Fat fingers will miss it!

Last edited by riskr; August 27th, 2010 at 01:33 PM.

MarcMaiden

Nice post, the but problems you cant fix (aside from the track pad) I have different results from.

I get at least a day and a half of charge with normal use (includes internet, games, 5 widgets, feeds)

and the USB charger fits extremely snug into the port,you just have to make sure the hatch is push all the way back. for some reason it kinda locks into a position a click away from being pushed all the way back, which caused the USB to not stay in the phone as well as it should

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ageros

This might seem like a terribly silly question, but is the usb door open all the way? The first day with mine I slid open the door, and ran into the issue of the connector not fitting right. As I found the next day the door slides open, and then with one more push "clicks" open the rest of the way. If opened all the way my usb cable fits very snug and securely.

ranova

1. NoLED is a great idea, but a drain on the battery, you stated battery problems, get rid of it. It drains about 15% every hour.

2. Yes, swype is great. You can also try swiftkey and other keybaords in the market - cant do that with iOS

3. Yes, touchdown is great for corporate email AND you don't need to enter a damn unlock code everytime you unlock your phone like the stock exchange app requires you to.


Shortcomings.
1. My battery is fine. Turn wifi sleep policy to never and keep wifi on in wifi areas. Make sure you have fully discharged the battery for a week. When your battery says full on charging you really need another 1-2 hours of charging to really make it 100%. I've gotten 45 hours since last charge with moderate usage the two days. Again, because you use noLED, that is the biggest battery drain.

2. My usb cable and port are fine - make sure you are opening up the slide door ALL THE WAY. push it until it clicks. Aftermarket microusb cables do fall out because most of them don't have a click lock on them like the bundled one has.

3. Trackpad would be nice, but definitely not needed. Just swipe from the Swype button to SYM and use the arrow keys if needed.

Invero

My charger fits snugly... you've made sure your door is fully open, right? If so, maybe there might be a defect with the port?

As for the trackpad and selecting text... if you're using Swype, simply swipe from the Swype key to the SYM key... a new directional and selection keypad will come up that makes selecting text a breeze.

I'm not sure, but I think the other keyboards have something similar. I haven't seen or tried on them yet though.

riskr

MarcMaiden and ageros, thanks for the door tip. I did not realize that and I hope others now realize it too.

jdCaptivate

Yeah, you think it sounds like a silly question... then you do a Google search and/or read other forums... and you find out just how common it is. In fact, I knew about it BEFORE I bought my phone, because I found it listed so many places (I tend to be anal about purchases and do a boatload of review reading before I spend money).

Good advice and probably appreciated by more than a few.

ADPowah

Surprised that there is no mention of the slow IO write speeds or the GPS issues.

AWilson

Funny neither of the AT&T cables I have fit properly. Neither is snug and the extra (longer) AT&T cable I bought the day I got the phone doesn't fit well becaues the plastic casing on the plug is TOO BIG and I can't push it all the way in! It works but it's wiggley. My husband's cable for something else fits tightly. Unbelievable!

Oh, and Yes, the door is all the way open. I just checked to be sure

tasmanian

The home buttons and gps are only the real short come of the phone.

I dont know if its the case or what, but the bottom buttons are a pain in the ass to use.

Gps isnt really an issue with the fix. It takes 30-90 seconds to get a lock, and when it does its very accurate.

baddress

1. 3 hours on two charges is ridiculous and unless you have the weakest signal ever and are using 3g constantly you need to go exchange your phone. I bet your display also says it is the highest % of battery used? If you use noled all the time at least dump that and see what happens otherwise exchange for a new phone. I exchanged and now for instance I haven't charged my phone since Sunday morning and I still have 14% battery left right now after like 123 hours and that's not even rooted or task killed or anything like that, and all the same exact setup as the phone that sucked.

2. Open the charging door all the way.


The only real things I see that can't be fix are:
-lack of flash
-slow internal memory card
-possibly the gps if it's a hardware problem.
Everything else I can think of right now can be worked around, fixed by new software, fixed by exchanging phone, etc.

Last edited by baddress; August 27th, 2010 at 03:39 PM.

Segfault

The main problem I have is with the WIFI. It works just fine on my home WPA-2 network but its pretty worthless at my work. It can connect to the WPA-2 personal and enterprise networks but after a few seconds it doesn't transfer any more data. From what I have read it looks like its an android bug that is fixed in Froyo so apparently I'm stuck with it until Froyo is released or someone puts out an eclair firmware with the bug patched.

baddress

There's known problems with getting the right subnet mask, there's also a problem, with 802.1x authentication, and another problem with wpa/wpa2 key exchange, all of which are supposedly fixed in froyo. In the meantime you can try setting static ip that might work for you depending your enterprise setup.

txtigah

I also have WiFi issues...seems to be slow on home network at times and email client shows connection problems often. Overall much slower than my 2.5 year old windows phone was but I look forward to FROYO and the GPS fix.
The battery drain is probably noLED and also make sure you have a task manager installed. Lots of programs on this phone seem to randomly start up. You need to check your task manager a few times daily to shut down battery sucking programs.

yahoowizard

Umm, first of all, does it still charge after it gives the "Battery fully charged, please disconnect", and second, how do you set Wi-Fi to "Never sleep"?

chicknlil

Battery definitely can get good usage. I'm looking at mine right now, with 8% left, unplugged for 66 hours. Juice Defender is well worth its cost.

ranova

yes, it still charges after that message. If you pull it out right after you get that pop-up, chances are it will instantly show 95-99% instead of 100%

Go into Settings, Wireless and Network, WiFi Settings, hit menu button and advanced, then Wifi Sleep Policy

baddress

My opinion is that task killers are either overrated or even do more harm than good. I don't use them and my battery life is fine.

looksbetterinred

I also would recomend Juice Defender!

Quandry

Possible shortcoming: Does Calendar (stock that came pre-loaded on phone) not synch back to Exchange Server. That is, if I create an appointment on Outloook while VPN'd into server, the server will "push" the appointment to my Captivate. However, if I enter an appointment on Captivate it will not update Outlook on server. Is there a way to overcome this or is inherent to the OS on the Captivate/Android? This may be a deal breaker for me.

Stark

Select Settings from the Menu button, then Accounts and Sync, select your Exchange account from the Manage Accounts list, and see if Sync Calendar is checked.

Mine syncs the Calendar both ways all the time, regardless of whether it's on 3G, Edge, or WiFi. Actually, I can't get the thing to *stop* checking mail on the Exchange account.

Quandry

Stark: thanks for your input. I've tried that and the at&t store tried that; it did not work for either of us. It's odd because I can send email through the server. Maybe it is this particular handset. I will ask our IT person on Tuesday and call at&t's tech support. I really like this phone except for that (I LOVE SWYPE). Again, thanks for your reply.

idigm

Will touchdown work with yahoo mail...?? The app is really bad and most other apps I have tried in place of it aren't much better, thanks.

jen41472

I have a serious issue, i can't for the life of me get my music player no matter which one i choose to play after the screen times out. What is the deal???

avgazn91

i don't know about you, but my battery life has significantly gotten better through out my 3 weeks of use so far. The only time it doesn't last me all day is if I non-stop play games. I've gone through a 16 hour day playing videogames, making calls, texting, and internet surfing almost constantly and still came out with 23% battery left when I come to charge it. Which brings me to the next thing. My charger feels great when I plug it in. It fits snuggly, and it feels completely secure. I use my phone when it charges (tilting, moving, etc.) and it never stops charging and it never loses contact.

reinbeau

My battery life has gotten better too, I credit Juice Defender (actually Ultimate Juice, I paid for it), but maybe the battery does improve with a bit of use, mine is only three weeks old or so too. I also have no problem with the power cord staying in securely, and too use the phone with it plugged in - both in the car and in the house - if necessary. It helped that I read here about the little door needing to be fully opened!

ETA it's 24 hours later, and my battery level is at 55%. Definitely better using Ultimate Juice.

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Last edited by reinbeau; October 12th, 2010 at 05:45 AM. Reason: To update post

mason215

I've had my captivate for about a week and my battery has been lackluster to say the least, by i guess its nice knowing that you guys are saying that after a couple weeks its gets a lot better. I also am using Ultimate Juice, do you guys have any good settings i should know about?

CrimsonPride

i have none of the problems listed. i think physical keyboards are useless and bulky but some people do like them, not me. led doesnt really bother me, i always check my phone anyways. battery life is better than any other smart phone i have seen, including iphone. my charger works fine, ive never had it accidentally come unplugged or anything. and i dont care for a trackpad either, i love the clean look, a trackpad for me would go unused and just be an eyesore

ggarland

I am having the same issue. I receive syncs from exchange but it doesn't update from the Captivate to exchange.

Captain19

I get more than a day on a charge and I use the phone all day for everything.

You're right about the little slide hatch. My charger kept falling out until I realized the hatch wasn't open all the way. No problem now.

fldude99

I agree..but change the supl server to google & port to 7276 & watch the lock time go to a consistent 15 secs or less

sremick

Mentioned in the Captivate FAQ:
USB cable won't stay securely in the Captivate - CapFAQ

... or not, since GPS has nothing to do with "servers" or "ports" so the GPS problem isn't solved by fiddling with these settings. If you have good cell and wifi reception for augmented positioning data, great. Such settings may show improvement in your specific environment. But it doesn't improve or "fix" GPS, which should be able to function perfectly without any such settings (or a data connection) existing at all.

__________________

fldude99

I disagree. The supl server is for agps, which helps with the initial lock. I agree that it doesn't do anything at all once its locked, but the google.com supl server will definitely assist in getting the initial lock. The stock spirent server is non existent and dead..kaput

sremick

Well you can certainly reject my reality and substitute your own if you wish, but that doesn't change the fact that "GPS" doesn't involve "servers" or data connections, and any device that depends on a "server" on the internet and even then cannot lock faster or track better than my 15 year-old Garmin or any of the countless other cheap phones on the market with GPS is "broken".

Grafx1184

i noticed that too, after the first plugin to the charger it seemed loose, but after taking a closer look it definately connects quite well into the part

fldude99

I'm just saying that agps simply assists in getting the initial lock..after that, it's up to the gps chip, which in my experience is very accurate..does everything I need it to. Keeps a route..tracks my jogs and bike rides, geotags photos..not much more I could ask of a mobile device that includes gps

dyonchik

two weeks in and the biggest shortcoming for me is the back light timeout for the four soft buttons...home, back, etc. It is way too short and doesn't seem to follow the setting for screen timeout.

sremick

Yeah, common complaint. No fix, sorry.

Bottom buttons don't stay lit long enough - CapFAQ

Glucklichste

I agree, dyonchik. I wish they followed the screen timeout, it would be just fine then ... but they time out far too quickly.

I am especially hoping that an official update might change this down the road - I am not wanting to root my phone, and it seems most fixes seem to be only for those willing to do so.

simbill

im with you

dyonchik

Has anybody found a fix...when you dial a call, you have keys with letters on them...when the call connects and you open the keyboard to dial names, etc, thru an auto attend system, you just see keys with numbers, no letters ???

falcon7204

I'm a little surprised that this is a sticky and it hasn't been updated in over a year. But I'm game, so here's my two cents:

1) No LED flash for camera - I know there are other Samsung and Android phones that have this, and so does the iPhone 4. Although it's a shortcoming, it's not a deal-breaker for me, as I also have a point-and-shoot digital camera that I carry around as a just-in-case camera (ever been in a car wreck and wished you could take pictures?).

2) Battery life - I have read some of the other posts on this subject, and I'm aware that the stock Samsung battery contains built-in electronics that regulate battery charging and drain, but I don't think the electronics work properly, because every so often my phone will spontaneously reboot. My daughter's iPhone had this problem as well, so it may be something endemic to certain types of "intelligent" batteries. May switch to a generic brand to see if that improves. As far as battery life, it's pretty much average for me, but I also charge my phone every night. Might try the trick of fully charging/discharging for three cycles to see if it improves anything, but as much as I use my phone I don't know if that's practical. We'll see.

3) E-mail clients - This is where the Captivate (and IMO Android in general) really suffers. I've used the built-in email client, K-9, Gmail and others, and none of them bring the unified, clean experience that the iOS mail client brings. I believe this is where Android could shine, but there are so many different apps out there (K-9, Maildroid, Touchdown, etc.), and some do some things well and others not so well. There's got to be some bright person out there who can code an email client that will allow a Captivate user to see getting email as routine (a la iPhone) as opposed to a pain in the neck.

4) Case - I like the sleek look and feel of the Captivate, but maybe it's a little too sleek. The outside case is so slick that I tend to find myself holding on for dear life. I know this could be solved with a gel case or an Otter box, but would it be too hard for Samsung to simply texture the outer edges of the case a bit, just for a better grip? (And this is a gripe I have with all smartphone manufacturers out there - why is it necessary to purchase an extra $50 case to protect against shocks and slipping when it could simply be designed into the phone itself? But I digress......)

Those are my four biggest gripes, but there are other minor ones too numerous to mention. However, none of those are dealbreakers for me, and if it helps me get out from under Apple's "one size fits all" mentality, so much the better.

Dieselbud

After a full year I learned to live with all the problems stated above. I now remember to carry a charger with me everywhere, I have one in my purse, one in each vehicle, one in the kitchen and one beside my bed.

I am also in the habit of regularly checking for missed emails, texts and phone calls (if I have noLed turned off which I almost always do because it interrupts constantly when texting).

I love everything else about the phone, how sleek it is, how light and sexy it feels in my hand and I even removed the rubber bumper months ago because it made my phone look like everyone else's. It has now been floating around in my purse, pocket and dashboard/console and looks almost as good as the day I first opened it. It has even been dropped. I laugh silently to myself when I see people with their iPhones and buky cases and screen protectors.

But one thing that I lose sleep over and makes me furious is the fact that I cannot upgrade the software. I am still running stock eclair and I cannot for the life of me get it to connect to kies. This burns me more than anything else and might be a deal breaker for another samsung phone now that my contract is up and I am due for a new phone.

Android26

I agree with you about Kies--it is much too picky. I myself am stuck on Froyo because Kies chooses never to recognize my phone. Some people found ways around it (changing computers, changing chords, factory resetting, or some combination of these) but it should not be that hard to begin with, you're right.

I can't break away from Samsung just over upgrade difficulty, but I understand your post.

__________________
"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I still each have one apple, but if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."

Dieselbud

After a year I finally did it. It lost 2 days over it, but once it connected I upgraded to froyo and then then next day, gingerbread. I have been running gingerbread for a few weeks now and have fallen in love with the phone all over again.

So now my shortcomings are limited to no flash, no front facing camera and that is about it.

What did I do? Uninstalled my launcher pro and reverted to the stock launcher (duh) and used a program I found online to search for and remove files with long names (there were 2 they were both thumbnails). I also removed the SD card and SIM. Which one worked? I have no idea if it was one or the other or a combination but I am ever so glad and will be happy with this phone for awhile now. even though I am due for an upgrade!

Darkangels6sic

This could very useful. I'm waiting on reply, but as far as I can tell since this is Lithium Polymer it should be the same physical size. i am getting one here very soon
2,450MAH Lithium Polymer Battery for I9000
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