Am I the only one?

[nosaj]

Update

I got a new phone from Best Buy... Good news not one crash yet. It appears that I got a bad phone the first time around. Not a major surprise since I had to swap my 1st gen iphone three times!


Well with not being that excited about the iphone 4 I really wanted to move to an android for a bigger screen. The captivate had great reviews and the price was right. I use my phones so much for GPS, Email and ebooks that I really have come to need a bigger screen, I have even considered the streak but who knows when that will get the latest 2.2 update.

I picked up my captivatee this Friday and I am very disappointed. The GPS is a complete joke which is too bad because when it does decide to work the navigation is excellent. But I have read that there is supposed to be a fix coming. I could have waited but this thing crashes non stop!

Many times I open a app or menu or whatever and poof it closes to the previous screen I was at. This happens with opening apps and menus and even just text windows. I will be typing something in a search window and it will disappear. the browser will crash to the previous page or even to the home screen all the time. Does this happen to anyone else? My buddy with an Evo says he has never had this happen same for a friend with the incredible. I am even reduced to rebooting a few time which reminds me of my windows mobile days! Sometimes just to open maps,email or a browser it will crash 5+times in a row back to the home screen!

This was all before messing with it. It is now rooted, AT&T crapware removed and has the XDA lagfix. While overal operation is a little snappier all my problems remain.

Im beginning to think all the glowing reviews I read were a load of crap. Im going to decide if Im going to switch to verizon and get a droid x or just stick with tiny screens and get the iphone4.

So should I exchange the phone because maybe I got a bad one? I have no problem hacking a phone to get it to do what I want but the only thing left to do on this thing is overclock it and the batt life sucks enough as it is.

I hate apple but the damn phone just works!

 

[looksbetterinred]

I guess I was lucky. 2 weeks and counting and consistently lock 8 sats with a 17' deviation.

 

[mongstradamus]

yes the gps is an issue and has been an known issue for a while. As far as apps crashing like crazy i have never had that issue after applying lag fix. The only real issue i had with the phone is gps not locking on and trying to figure out if samsung was truly behind this product and would support it

 

[Rhiannon224]

Flash back to stock using Odin 1 click on xda forums.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989

Swap the phone for replacement, sounds like you got a bad phone. I love mine and I have plenty of custom hacks on it, the Evo sucks in comparison. There is plenty of developement going on for this phone and I have no problems with mine. GPS is an issue on some, not all and Samsung is aware and working on a firmware update.

I have no regrets with my purchase. I played with my friends I4 and was board in 15 minutes, you can't customize much and I love play around with settings and browsers. My phone with Ryans one click lag fix is running like a champ. I am going to flash it with Odon later and try a new ROM. Check out the link I posted.

Seriously you just got a bad phone or you installed something that is conflicting. This phone is amazing.

btw no phone is perfect, they all have bugs, read the forums.

 

[nosaj]

That gives me hope if a bunch of people reply and have never had apps crash i might just exchange it today after I restore it.

 

[mongstradamus]

That gives me hope if a bunch of people reply and have never had apps crash i might just exchange it today after I restore it.

it also could be an particular app you may have installed thats may be causing the crashes i dont know .

I really couldnt see my self going back to iphone, its so bland, and everybodys phone looks exactly the same

 

[nosaj]

it also could be an particular app you may have installed thats may be causing the crashes i dont know .

I really couldnt see my self going back to iphone, its so bland, and everybodys phone looks exactly the same

I would agree but the app crashing happened out of the box. i was just browsing around and for example I would open maps and it would instantly crash back to the main screen.

I agree the iphone is boring. Thats why I jailbroke them. i dont care that they are the same as everyone else but I really do want a bigger screen. i already read 17+ books on the damn thing.

 

[ageros]

I would agree but the app crashing happened out of the box. i was just browsing around and for example I would open maps and it would instantly crash back to the main screen.

Honestly that sounds like potentially bad ram or something of the like. I've had a few crashes on mine, but that was all with market apps. While the gps does suck yes, I've never had maps, or the browser crash on me. As suggested above I'd reflash with odin to stock and exchange.

 

[nosaj]

Updated thanks for the tips definitely looks like I got a bad phone.

 

[s.m.knipe]

yeah, I remember reading somewhere on these forums or the Vibrant forums where the capacitive buttons get a little over-zealous, especially the home button. Actually I think Noah's (from phonedog.com) had the issues in his review now that I think of it... anyway, it is something i have seen around and it is definitely a defect. your new one should be fine- other than the GPS until September of course.

 

[nosaj]

In best buy it couldnt find me but so far it has locked on just fine. I will test it extensively tomorrow.

 

[mongstradamus]

In best buy it couldnt find me but so far it has locked on just fine. I will test it extensively tomorrow.

just so you know the first few days of an new phone you will get pretty good sat locks but then as time goes by it starts to flake out

 

[Endoran]

just so you know the first few days of an new phone you will get pretty good sat locks but then as time goes by it starts to flake out

It is so freaking weird.

@nosaj - Keep us updated. I'd like to know if you start having app crashes on your new one.

 

[nosaj]

The new phone has worked great as far as apps crashing (not even one!) but thats it. GPS sucks and WIFI is pretty bad too. Its too bad really. I was going to wait till the 15th to see if Samsung has a fix but then it will be too much of a pain to change my upgrade option with AT&T.

 

[baji]

I have personally not had any issue with my captivate. Maybe I was a lucky one, but I bought it on release day and would not even consider going back to an iPhone. The GPS works fine for me. I didn't have any issues with it, but I still enabled the skyhook fix, and still have no problems.

I've not had any issues with apps crashing either.

The one thing that I was disappointed in was the battery life. My battery holds a decent charge, but I do use the hell out of the phone for texting, calls, music, audio books, and even videos. The best thing I can say on that one is to get the 2 batteries and wall charger deal on ebay that so many people have talked about. For a total of about 18 dollars, I bought that deal on ebay as well as two extra data cables. Well worth it imo.

I am really looking forward to 2.2 being released. As far as things I have done to the phone...I did the level 1 lag fix, I rooted, and I use launcher pro. I don't know if these things helped with the issues you have, but for me, the phone has worked awesome with them.

Hope you get your issues sorted man, this is really a great phone!

 

[razholio]

I gotta chime in. I think this phone is great on paper. Samsung's execution sucks, tho. These are the most egregious examples:
1. GPS broken. (for those who claim it works 'perfectly', try driving with it and see if you can hold a lock)
2. random shut-offs
3. apps crashing
4. battery life issues (some have *excellent* battery life, others *horrible*, wtf?)

I personally had the bad GPS and battery life. Everything else was pretty damn good after I ditched touchwiz. I think there are quite a few bad samples getting pushed out to consumers, and that's really too bad, as it spoils the great specs of the phone. I tried 2 different samples of captivate, and returned the second w/no chance of trying another. Sorry, samsung, your just not worth it.
I decided to try the iphone4 just to see how much i would hate it. I *love* the screen and most things about the hardware, but the bone-headed, sadistic apple restrictions just suck. If i can't get relief by jail-breaking, I won't keep it. Now that you can't get an iphone4 off contract, they're going for some sick coin on ebay, so the idea of buying one on contract and then selling it for more than enough to buy the perfect android phone (when ATT stops dicking around) off-contract sound pretty good to me right now. I just need to make sure I can live with it that long....

 

[BoulderGeek]

I have a new Captivate coming for me, as well. All of OP's issues (minus app crashes).

if that one is no better, back it goes. Good bye AT&T. back to a dumb phone with messaging and no data plan.

I'll put the money saved into a new iPod Touch for games, apps and Kindle.

Any Linux PC distro > Android, IMHO.

Everybody have a nice day.

 

[mongstradamus]

I actually just got an new captivate , the gps issues has been an known problem for a while , so should have known that coming. I really dont find that many major issues with the phone

 

[wjkrysak]

I've had my Captivate since 08/08/10 and am very happy. I have not experienced shut-offs. GPS works fine, counting on accuracy to improve with update soon. The Froyo update is eagerly anticipated. cheaha bill