To Captivate or Not

[sixteen12]

Hey All,

I've been rocking an iphone 3G for over two years now and its time to change. I have no interest in another Apple product, so that essentially leaves Android or Blackberry.

I really like the customization of android but what I'm wondering is if the pros outweigh the negatives of the Captivate. Lack of GPS, random shut downs, etc.

Since the Captivate keeps getting delayed in Canada I'm hesitating to committing to a phone for two years that doesn't work properly. Are these fears overblown?

 

[sremick]

The pros outweigh the negatives for me and many others. There have been several people here though that they didn't, so they returned their Captivate for something else.

Not sure anyone can decide this for you. For me, the only other phone in the same caliber ballpark was the iPhone 4 but in that case, the negatives of the iPhone far outweighed the negatives for the Captivate. My issues with the iPhone are fundamental design choices that will never change. My issues with the Captivate are bugs and quirks that do have the potential to be fixed. Meanwhile, there's a long list of things I can do on the Captivate just fine and working right now that I cannot on the iPhone. Also given that switching to Verizon or any other carrier is simply not happening and not an option. So... decision made.

 

[Chief714]

I came from an iPhone 3g and I'm over apple. I did a lot of research on the captivate and the aria. There was no way I was going back to blackberry. Great phone, but no customization.

I even went and played with the captivate before I chose it. I played with the Aria also.
I have to tell you that the Captivate is by far the absolute best phone I've ever had! and I've had a lot of phones. I have not delt with any gps issues that we all hear about or any random shut downs. I've had my phone replaced once within the 30 days because I liked it so much I bought my wife one and her battery life was blowing mine out of the water. So I exchanged it and my Captivate is getting about 16 hours of battery life before the one click lag fix. Battery life is significantly less after the lag fix so I removed it.
However, I never really had any lag on my phone. I just read how everyone was hitting high quadrant scores and I wanted to play.

Anyhow... My wife is getting like 26 hours of battery life or something insane like that. She does have minor gps issues connecting indoors, but once outside it's fine.

So.... All in all... best damn phone I've every had

 

[carmendiva]

Hmmm...

Honestly, from playing with a friend 3gs
and owning an iphone 4

the experience was different even though it was essentially the same phone

However with the Captivate
it is a hard decision

As someone said, with all the isuses and complaints some users have about the phone
there is the potential for those issues and quirks to be fixed

there is the potential for them "not" to be fixed
and as of now, they haven't

I'd say check out the aria
and dont count it out just because it isn't hyped up as the galaxy s phones

However, if you are willing to overlook the devices issues, I would definitely recommend the captivate over any blackberry lol

 

[Cuerbo]

I'm going from a Captivate to an IPhone4, the following pushed me over the edge.

1. Samsung's lack of PR skills and updates regarding their phone and the issues it currently has.
2. After last week's update failed to resolve the 3 month old GPS issue, decided to call AT&T and Samsung. Samsung tech support was abysmal and got a different answer each time. AT&T was helpful but you can clearly tell, like me, they were at the mercy of what Samsung was pushing out the door. Yes, I know these companies work behind the scenes and there is a ton of pull. If that was the case, the GPS issue should have been solved sooner. At the end, I felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel with regards to this issue.
3. A lot of apps tie into the GPS functionality, so to say that is not a concern is fooling yourself. Google Nav, which is free, relies on this functionality as well as anything else related to Google Maps, Places, etc.
4. Last week's update introduced a USB/Wifi bug that was annoying me all weekend. Whenever I used the USB connection to copy files, Wifi would not work. A simple reboot would resolve the issue. The other issue that bothered me with the update was that some other changes were sneaked in without them being advertised. These changes caused issues for some of us and removed functionality at the same time (USB Tethering).
5. The Galaxy S line has had a broken GPS since it was originally launched then made its way to EU and USA. How can Samsung not have an update for this almost 6 months later is puzzling, possible hardware issues, who knows. Vibrant got an update this week, forums already filling up with GPS complaints as well.
6. Froyo, no clear indication of when they would make it available. I blame this on their PR skills, they do a poor job of communicating and keeping their user community informed.
7. In-Car USB does not work, you have to buy a 3.5 mm cable in order to play MP3s in your car using the phone.

The display is awesome, the phone is smooth for the most part with some minor lag. More and more apps are coming to Android, especially games, so that's another plus. I would recommend Android without even looking back but I think Samsung is the wrong company to deliver the experience. Look into Evo, Droid X or any other top rated Android phone.

 

[Grut]

I'm going from a Captivate to an IPhone4, the following pushed me over the edge.

1. Samsung's lack of PR skills and updates regarding their phone and the issues it currently has.
2. After last week's update failed to resolve the 3 month old GPS issue, decided to call AT&T and Samsung. Samsung tech support was abysmal and got a different answer each time. AT&T was helpful but you can clearly tell, like me, they were at the mercy of what Samsung was pushing out the door. Yes, I know these companies work behind the scenes and there is a ton of pull. If that was the case, the GPS issue should have been solved sooner. At the end, I felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel with regards to this issue.
3. A lot of apps tie into the GPS functionality, so to say that is not a concern is fooling yourself. Google Nav, which is free, relies on this functionality as well as anything else related to Google Maps, Places, etc.
4. Last week's update introduced a USB/Wifi bug that was annoying me all weekend. Whenever I used the USB connection to copy files, Wifi would not work. A simple reboot would resolve the issue. The other issue that bothered me with the update was that some other changes were sneaked in without them being advertised. These changes caused issues for some of us and removed functionality at the same time (USB Tethering).
5. The Galaxy S line has had a broken GPS since it was originally launched then made its way to EU and USA. How can Samsung not have an update for this almost 6 months later is puzzling, possible hardware issues, who knows. Vibrant got an update this week, forums already filling up with GPS complaints as well.
6. Froyo, no clear indication of when they would make it available. I blame this on their PR skills, they do a poor job of communicating and keeping their user community informed.
7. In-Car USB does not work, you have to buy a 3.5 mm cable in order to play MP3s in your car using the phone.

The display is awesome, the phone is smooth for the most part with some minor lag. More and more apps are coming to Android, especially games, so that's another plus. I would recommend Android without even looking back but I think Samsung is the wrong company to deliver the experience. Look into Evo, Droid X or any other top rated Android phone.

You seem to have a lot of issues with your Captivate, are you rooted or stock?

 

[Lagunar]

I think that if you really like the iPhone + iTunes, (well... i can't get passed the fact i can't copy music in several machines, which i DO now all the time, so i HATE HATE HATE iTunes), the iPhone 4 is a safe bet!

Different is if you want to change to android very badly...

again, the aria is nice... but 600 mhz and 3.2'' is not enough for many people. If you are married with AT&T then go for captivate, if not, have one of the big HTC
They deliver.

 

[Ethere]

I have an iPhone 4, but had a Captivate before. Even with the problems both phones have, I believe the Captivate has problems that aren't hardware related. Like others, this means they can be fixed via software. If you have the patience to wait for things to be fixed down the line, I would say go with the Captivate. I am almost regretting going back to the iPhone because I continually drop calls in my house (which didn't happen with my 3gs) and the most irritating thing is the screen doesn't always turn off when I put it to my ear to talk. These two things are definitely hardware related and can't be fixed properly with software.

 

[Cuerbo]

The proximity sensor issue is resolved by IOS 4.1, make sure you have updated your phone. And no, it is not a hardware issue, has to do with how the sensor was originally programmed. As for dropped calls, do you have a case or bumper, that helps out a lot. I just went from a Captivate to an IPhone4 and you can't compare how smooth the IPhone4 runs as far as scrolling is concern or even startup time. With last week's update, Captivate's startup time was extended thanks to that media scanner change that made it run longer instead of shorter.

Yes, both phones have their issues, but so far I'm liking the IPhone4 a lot better. This is my first one, in your case, you might just be getting tired of the same UI. That tends to happen after using something for extended periods of time. What's really upsetting, is how Samsung handles customer issues, that should be a major concern for anyone buying this phone and was the reason why I returned mine. The GPS bug is also a bit alarming, how long has the Galaxy S line been out (6+ Months) worldwide and we still don't have a fix.

The app market is also superior with Apple, I now see how much better the same apps are or the variety of apps. Android Market was full of home made apps, you really had to be careful what you downloaded and installed. I know that will change in time and as more developers expand to Android, such issues should be addressed.

 

[Ethere]

The proximity sensor issue is resolved by IOS 4.1, make sure you have updated your phone. And no, it is not a hardware issue, has to do with how the sensor was originally programmed. As for dropped calls, do you have a case or bumper, that helps out a lot. I just went from a Captivate to an IPhone4 and you can't compare how smooth the IPhone4 runs as far as scrolling is concern or even startup time. With last week's update, Captivate's startup time was extended thanks to that media scanner change that made it run longer instead of shorter.

Yes, both phones have their issues, but so far I'm liking the IPhone4 a lot better. This is my first one, in your case, you might just be getting tired of the same UI. That tends to happen after using something for extended periods of time.

Even after updating to 4.1 is still has not fixed the proximity sensor 100%. I had no issues with my 3GS and the proximity sensor. And yes, I have a case for the phone, and still have horrible reception in my house compared to my 3GS which didn't have a case.

But, you could be right about being tired of the same old iOS UI. I tend to really like change.

 

[3gAndroid]

I'm going from a Captivate to an IPhone4, the following pushed me over the edge.
1. Samsung's lack of PR skills and updates regarding their phone and the issues it currently has.

I had a small issue with the gmail account that was associated with my phone, AT&T could not answer my question they asked to put me on hold, got Samsung on the phone, connected me with them and they were very courteous and helped resolve the issue in a very timely fashion. This was a much better experience that what I

 

[sixteen12]

Believe me I would have bought the Captivate months ago if I could have, but Rogers in canada has no firm release date of yet. It has been pushed back from August, to September, to October and now I'm hearing November.

I'm so sick and tired of my failing iphone, and there are no decent alternatives to the Captivate on Rogers. There is the X10 but its running 1.6...

I might have to go with Blackberry or threaten to leave for a better company.

 

[shawn122]

Believe me I would have bought the Captivate months ago if I could have, but Rogers in canada has no firm release date of yet. It has been pushed back from August, to September, to October and now I'm hearing November.

I'm so sick and tired of my failing iphone, and there are no decent alternatives to the Captivate on Rogers. There is the X10 but its running 1.6...

I might have to go with Blackberry or threaten to leave for a better company.

I hear you...I am patiently waiting to see when the phone will launch on Rogers. I need to test it out before I make the jump

 

[yosemitesam]

The Captivate is my first android phone and I love it. It has its warts but nothing that's a deal-breaker for me.

 

[carmendiva]

Honestly, I love my X10
and i love my captivate
for different reasons

As a phone, the X10 is remarkably good
I love the UI with timescape and mediascape

it is a different and unique UI from the UI's on Android(touch wiz, stock, sense, etc)

However it doesn't have all the multi-media jazz that the captivated is hyped up
to have and i do miss various things

1)Surround sound
2)Super amoled

But with the things that the Captivate is sucking at
for me such as the GPS and Phone losing signal
the Xperia does very well...

So i would definitely recommend the Xperia even on
1.6

the way i see it for the At & t customers
you have 3 android choices(sorry the backflip does not count)

1)Captivate-hyped phone that lives up to all the multi-media fanfare but fails in the phone department for many
2)Aria-Much Smaller and slightly slower yet packs a punch to be so small, underdog

yeah, it is not the powerhouse of the captivate but the Aria with Sense enhancements
is still able to hold it's own against the captivate without looking miserably bad

A backflip vs captivate is a different story lol

3)Xperia-Hardware wise, mostly on par with the Captivate
aside from differences in Ram and of course obvious differences
with the Screen quality

But even on 1.6, it is also enhanced where you don't truly feel
like your on `1.6(more like 1.6 ultra)

and as i said before it does not have a lot of issues that the captivate
does

I have had a lot 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 devices(All the Droids except the Droid , the Evo, and Captivate) and personally

the only thing i truly miss with the Xperia
is the unified multiple inboxes

Give the Xperia a look or even the aria
accept it has a few shortcomings
but a lot of the issues you have
with the captivate are not found in these
devices(especially the aria)
i look on their boards and it doesn't seem
to be a lot of complaints