Irritating Eris "features". Can they be changed?

[Slugdoc]

1) In the Phone app. Above (and extending behind the keypad) is a list of your contacts.
Contacts which have no First or Last Name" but which do have a company name, just show up as "Unknown" with a phone number.

The obvious thing would be to show the Company name if there is no personal name. I believe the "People" app does this correctly.
Anyone else notice?

2) The browser hides the notifications bar. So if I get an email I have to back out of the browser to find it. Am I missing something?

3) When using the "messages" app to send SMS, if you use the landscape keyboard, you can not see the "send" button, so you are forced to hide the keyboard before you can send a message. Feature or bug?

4) When opening the browser (presumably if it is not still being kept open) there is a several second (feels longer) delay where you stare at a white screen. The device then says "retreiving sign in details". Then, finally, loads the page. What's up with that?

5) Minor - I preferred the Droid's habit of opening a webpage in "overview" mode, where you see the whole page. Eris opens in an already zoomed in mode. Can that be changed?

Thanks for reading. Answers appreciated.

 

[NefariousAryq]

2) The browser hides the notifications bar. So if I get an email I have to back out of the browser to find it. Am I missing something?

While in the browser, if you hit the Menu button and then go into Bookmarks, the notification bar will show up. I dunno why it shows up there, but not while "just" in the browser... but I use this little "trick" if I need to pull down the notification bar while surfing.

Not the most ideal situation, but hope that helps.

 

[Slugdoc]

#6 - The flip / clock weather widget doesn't update automatically. I don't know what frequency it is set at, but I have to go into the weather app and manually update, despite the setting.

7) The calendar widget doesn't display days with appts until it is refreshed. If I swipe over to the calendar widget I see a blank Nov. If I swipe down to December, it is populated with the little corner triangles. If I swipe back up to Nov, the Nov appts then show up.
On that note, is it just me or does the calendar app seem limited. All it has is a daily view or a month view in which the appts are not distinguishable from each other. An all day vs. a 8-9 AM meeting vs a 6 hour conference all just show a small triangle in the corner. Almost useless.

8) Is gmail a second class citizen on this google phone? In the notification pane, the "email" app will show you a snippet from the message, but the "gmail" app will only say '1 new message'.
Also - in the people application, you should be able to go to the email pane of the contact to see email conversations -- it does not show gmail conversations!

What is the best way to report these bugs so there is a chance of getting them addressed?

(I still like it better than the moto droid, which had NONE of these issues -- maybe it's a 2.0 thing?)

 

[Needsdecaf]

#6 - The flip / clock weather widget doesn't update automatically. I don't know what frequency it is set at, but I have to go into the weather app and manually update, despite the setting.

7) The calendar widget doesn't display days with appts until it is refreshed. If I swipe over to the calendar widget I see a blank Nov. If I swipe down to December, it is populated with the little corner triangles. If I swipe back up to Nov, the Nov appts then show up.
On that note, is it just me or does the calendar app seem limited. All it has is a daily view or a month view in which the appts are not distinguishable from each other. An all day vs. a 8-9 AM meeting vs a 6 hour conference all just show a small triangle in the corner. Almost useless.

8) Is gmail a second class citizen on this google phone? In the notification pane, the "email" app will show you a snippet from the message, but the "gmail" app will only say '1 new message'.
Also - in the people application, you should be able to go to the email pane of the contact to see email conversations -- it does not show gmail conversations!

What is the best way to report these bugs so there is a chance of getting them addressed?

(I still like it better than the moto droid, which had NONE of these issues -- maybe it's a 2.0 thing?)

I don't have either of those first two issues. THe third...never tried to do either of those.

 

[Slugdoc]

I don't have either of those first two issues. THe third...never tried to do either of those.

What do you mean? You have a droid Eris and your flip clock DOES flip? And it does update the weather? How frequently?

Your calendar can show a week view, or a month view with more informative icons? Please elaborate.

 

[L0stS0ul]

1) I've not had this problem with contacts because I don't have any that don't have a name but I have had one contact issue. The google maps app, when searching for an address, has the contact option. when I click it I get no contacts at all even though my contacts app has many.

2) Browser Notification: I've noticed this as well. I think it's probably due to screen space that they did this. I do hope they update it to allow the notification bar at least.

3) I noticed this one as well. It also happens in handcent if you replace the messages app. It may be by design.

4) I can't really say I've had much issue with the browser. I've seen the message you talk about and I'm not sure what it means. It may be the browser logging into your google account.

5) Minor - I preferred the Droid's habit of opening a webpage in "overview" mode, where you see the whole page.

I agree with this. I've seen this issue brought up in a few reviews as well. I think this is an HTC specific browser thing since they own the browser. They may change it in the future but there is no option I know of to change it now.

#6 - My flip clock/weather updates automatically. It's not as often as applications. I've been looking at the "best practices" that google puts out on widgets and updates and they don't recommend that they update as often as applications do to save battery life. I'd guess they have the clock app set to update every minute and the weather to update every 30 minutes or so but that's a guess. This is an HTC widget and not a standard android one. Check the android market for Beautiful Widgets. They have recreated a lot of the HTC widgets and may offer more options for control then HTC has. I've not tested them as I have the HTC ones so I can't say for sure if they have more options or not. Might have better luck emailing their authors though.

7) I can't really comment on the calendar one, I've not really used it much.

8) Technically this is an HTC phone and not really a google phone. HTC has replaced a lot of the "google" experience. I'd say you get more of the "google" experience on the droid then the eris. A lot of people like the HTC Sense UI a lot more then the standard android "home". So basically in some cases you will see some of the google apps less integrated with the new ui because of this.

 

[Steveke100]

HTC Droid Eris. I can't change the message notification on the home screen. The phone is locked and it shows the last received message. I don't want anybody to see who messaged me when my phone is locked. Otherwise I would leave it unlocked. Called Verizon they don't know anything about it. How can I change that?

 

[snorge]

Some of you guys need to dig through the settings some more. First thing I do when I get a new phone is go through every customizable option so I know exactly what the phone is capable of. A few of the issues hear can be easily resolved if you just go to the phone or application settings.

 

[W4LLY]

2.) I don't know if it's because I use Dolphin Browser, but I have tab browsing as well as he ability to see my notifications bar/e-mail updates. All i have to do is pull down the notification bar and click and it brings me right ot my e-mail.

8.) My gmail works fine. I get a little @ notification, click on it, and it shows me the e-mail.

There is an OTA Fix (Over the Air) set to come out December 11th and then in January. Hopefully all the bugs that have been coming up will get cleaned up. There are just certain things that even beta testing doesn't reveal. This is true with any new phone, you generally wait for the first update. (Especially with something like an iPhone)

 

[gm991]

3) When using the "messages" app to send SMS, if you use the landscape keyboard, you can not see the "send" button, so you are forced to hide the keyboard before you can send a message. Feature or bug?

This one bugs the crap out of me.
On my LG Dare after typing in a txt message in landscape I cold just hit the green call button and the txt would be sent....
Does anyone know how to fix this?? Or is there another txt app that doesn't do this?

thanks

 

[W4LLY]

ChompSMS has an option that enables the "enter" key to double as a quick send function.

I too would like this resolved natively though.

 

[magpiemini]

Every time I receive a call or make a call from my contact list, it removes the contact from the alphabetical place it should be and puts it at the top.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can this be turned off, it is very anoying and STUPID.

 

[Caddyman]

the list on your call screen is a combo list. the top is the history, and the bottom is the contact, sorted as usual...

 

[magpiemini]

the list on your call screen is a combo list. the top is the history, and the bottom is the contact, sorted as usual...

What do you mean usual? Usual phone lists do not do this. I know what it is, that is why I am complaining.

Usual phone lists have a history list and keep the contact list separate. This so-called feature sucks eggs.

 

[mcbtrain929]

Every time I receive a call or make a call from my contact list, it removes the contact from the alphabetical place it should be and puts it at the top.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can this be turned off, it is very anoying and STUPID.

what you're looking at isn't your contact list, its your recent call history. when you press "phone" on the bottom, this is what pops up, with your contact list below the call history. set a shortcut of "people" on your home screen, and that will have all your contacts in alphabetical order, and will never change.

 

[Evil Sports]

set a shortcut of "people" on your home screen, and that will have all your contacts in alphabetical order, and will never change.

Nice, thanks for that one

 

[maquiningoc]

I'm still yet new to this ANDROID platform. When openning the Browser, I notice that the ADDRESS BAR (http://www........... ) drops down for a second and then dissappears.

I'd prefer to keep the address bar up all the time. Is there a way this can be set.

Help?

NewUser-HTC Eris

 

[Ataranine]

Are there any questions that haven't entirely been answered yet?

 

[Caddyman]

I'm still yet new to this ANDROID platform. When openning the Browser, I notice that the ADDRESS BAR (http://www........... ) drops down for a second and then dissappears.

I'd prefer to keep the address bar up all the time. Is there a way this can be set.

Help?

NewUser-HTC Eris

if you hit menu it pops down, this is just a feature to optimize screen size when browsing.

There is no way i know of to leave it there though

 

[banjaloupe]

I'm also really really annoyed by the calendar widget bug (OP's #7). Was this something that could be changed in the settings?

 

[sukanas]

i also have this calendar issue too.. when i first had this phone, no problem. but after a day, i decided to hard reset and then bam, issue came up.. weird that it came up after

 

[banjaloupe]

i also have this calendar issue too.. when i first had this phone, no problem. but after a day, i decided to hard reset and then bam, issue came up.. weird that it came up after

Oddly enough, I'm now not getting the bug-- I was getting it yesterday, then I turned the phone off to charge overnight, and when I turned it on this morning the calendar widget is acting fine. Maybe it does have something to do with powering on/off your phone?

 

[Chopstick2U]

OP's complaint about sorting of contacts wasn't really addressed. If you hit Send and try to scroll and find a contact alphabetically, you could run into frustration because the names in your recent calls list (at the top) are REMOVED from the list at the bottom that lists everyone else alphabetically. Going to the People app every time you want to make a call is too cumbersome. Best workaround is to type the first few letters of the contacts name after you hit the send button, and it will filter down your contact list pretty quickly. Of course, if your T9 skillz are rusty, then you're gonna have trouble.

Other workaround: HOLD Send until the voice dial command opens.

 

[mcbtrain929]

OP's complaint about sorting of contacts wasn't really addressed. If you hit Send and try to scroll and find a contact alphabetically, you could run into frustration because the names in your recent calls list (at the top) are REMOVED from the list at the bottom that lists everyone else alphabetically. Going to the People app every time you want to make a call is too cumbersome. Best workaround is to type the first few letters of the contacts name after you hit the send button, and it will filter down your contact list pretty quickly. Of course, if your T9 skillz are rusty, then you're gonna have trouble.

Other workaround: HOLD Send until the voice dial command opens.

if you put a shortcut of the people app on your homescreen, it is 1 touch access to your contact list. it can't get any easier than that!?!?!

 

[Chopstick2U]

if you put a shortcut of the people app on your homescreen, it is 1 touch access to your contact list. it can't get any easier than that!?!?!

followed by one more carefully-aimed touch to place a call to their phone. It's not terribly awkward, but considering nature of the OP's gripe, I don't think it's a good solution. We'll see if he ever comes back and uses any of this info.