Opinions about the Captivate, please

[SeaOfHoles]

My Samsung Captivate (I've had it replaced once), my 1st Android, is a horrible phone. However, it's difficult to pinpoint the exactly failings so that I can attempt to avoid them next time. In my eye, its

a. Bad hardware design/manufacture (which I think is true)

and/or

b. Android OS
c. How Samsung "adapted" the Android OS to the phone
d. What AT&T and Samsung did to the Android OS

It seems to me that I don't hear many complaints out of people running stock android, so I am leaning towards a combination of a, c & d. If so, I shouldn't fear buying another Android unless other manufacturers and carriers are pulling the same crap as AT&T and Samsung.

Anyone have an opinion on whether the manufacturers and carriers are doing Android a HUGE disservice in mucking it up?

 

[chanchan05]

Well it depend on what exactly is your problem with the phone? I have a Samsung Galaxy SL, and no, it's all fine on my end.

As for c and d:
-Samsung did not technically "do" anything to Android other than add customizations and its own apps (phone, messaging, calendar, etc). Basically, the TouchWiz launcher. Everything Samsung put it could be replaced for your use without even rooting.

 

[SeaOfHoles]

Ok.

Wonder why it took them so long to come out with the 2.2 update then if that's all Samsung did. Maybe they were trying to force me to buy a new phone.

Well it depend on what exactly is your problem with the phone? I have a Samsung Galaxy SL, and no, it's all fine on my end.

Probably the usually complaints.

1. Can't charge sometimes until I reboot the phone. That would seem to suggest some software that is monitoring the charge coming from the external cable is bugged which a reboot fixes.

2. General sluggishness. Often times I can't get the UI to respond to input for 5-10 seconds. Most frustrating is that sometimes I can't answer the phone because the UI won't accept my finger swipe. Sometimes it will "freeze" in the middle of doing something for 5-10 seconds. Sometimes my text message notification sounds like its being played under water. These all sound like I don't have CPU cycles available, like something else is eating them up.

I am tempted to wipe it clean, like I do with Windows from time to time, but, I really haven't added that many apps.

3. Overall inadequate phone conversation quality, but that may have to do more with AT&T.

4. GPS, yuck.

 

[Bnice]

Well the hardware is on you. The beauty of Android is you have a bundle of choices to select from. Hardware and spec wise. AT&T is know to cripple the Android experience. Since they lost the iphone exclusive,I heard it has been better. Search the forum, you will see many folks enjoy their device thats not vanilla android.

 

[chanchan05]

If I remember correctly, the Captivate is a Galaxy S in AT&T clothing? The GPS on the Galaxy S was bad, but it was apparently fixed with the 2.3 update.

The main reason why updates come late for most manufacturers (LG for example has only one phone with 2.3 officially AFAIK) is because they try to optimize it best for their hardware first, and wont release it until its ready. Then we have to consider that they must make the firmware installation fool proof. Unlike when installing custom ROMs, where you run the risk of bricking if you do it improperly or is just plain stupid. The OEMs try to make their software (Kies in this case) be able to update properly even if an idiot was doing it. Not to mention that the rest of the world's SGS already uses 2.3.4. American phone carriers are just crazy in making their phones too unique that it gives the OEMs difficulty too. Not to mention that the Captivate firmware has to have certain AT&T apps embedded.

 

[jerofld]

Probably the usually complaints.

1. Can't charge sometimes until I reboot the phone. That would seem to suggest some software that is monitoring the charge coming from the external cable is bugged which a reboot fixes.

Believe it or not, this is more of a UI issue than an Android issue. It's the way the customized launcher handles the charge/data disk mode differentation. Sometimes that app locks up and you got to reboot to re-enable it.

2. General sluggishness. Often times I can't get the UI to respond to input for 5-10 seconds. Most frustrating is that sometimes I can't answer the phone because the UI won't accept my finger swipe. Sometimes it will "freeze" in the middle of doing something for 5-10 seconds. Sometimes my text message notification sounds like its being played under water. These all sound like I don't have CPU cycles available, like something else is eating them up.

I am tempted to wipe it clean, like I do with Windows from time to time, but, I really haven't added that many apps.

Most likely the phone is overburdened with the newer versions of Android, TouchWiz, and whatever AT&T put on it. If you're interested in correcting this issue, I'd recommend you root it and install a custom ROM.

3. Overall inadequate phone conversation quality, but that may have to do more with AT&T.

More than likely the AT&T network signal strength. Or just the AT&T network.

4. GPS, yuck.

If it is the software's fault, rooting and installing a custom ROM would likely fix it.

So, you don't need a new phone, but I'd really recommend you root and experiment with ROMs to see if you can fix your issues.

 

[SeaOfHoles]

Believe it or not, this is more of a UI issue than an Android issue. It's the way the customized launcher handles the charge/data disk mode differentation. Sometimes that app locks up and you got to reboot to re-enable it.

I will test that theory again, but I think I tried that once and the phone did not "charge" regardless of a UI issue. Makes me think something deeper is going on.

Most likely the phone is overburdened with the newer versions of Android, TouchWiz, and whatever AT&T put on it. If you're interested in correcting this issue, I'd recommend you root it and install a custom ROM.

Ye gads, I'd hope note. Releasing an upgrade that bonks my phone? I am running the official 2.2 update for the Captivate.

 

[Ballroomblitz]

Actually for the first time I am liking my Captivate using OS 2.3 Gingerbread. The previous incantations of the OS lacked refinement whether it be copy/paste, sending pictures through MMS, swiping issues etc. Under Gingerbread most of my beefs have gone away, it isn't perfect by any means but very content and can finally recommend to others.

I currently own IPhones, Blackberry's and Android (Captivate)...have to still say the IPhone leads by a far far margin both hardware and software no one comes close sorry guys. Perhaps a few more iterations of the Android OS will get much closer, the main thing will be to see if Google demands that all handware is supported for X number of years (Let's say 3), or whether OS upgrades will stop long before that.

That may be a mute point as I see Samsung will move all their software people over to Bada and abandon Android within a couple years, we'll have to see how things play out.

 

[Android26]

how could there be hardware problems? Captivate is one of the best built android phones, and definitely the best galaxy S1 phone in terms of build in my opinion.

 

[maerlim]

There were probably more Captivates sold than any other of the US Galaxy-S types, and probably a greater percentage of failures. Yeah, the GPS chip on the Captivate is pretty terrible, and some of the default settings for GPS could be tweaked. The Gingerbread update turns it into a completely different phone, but mine still gets stuck and has to be rebooted about once per week. Custom ROMs are also a blessing for the Captivate, because they incorporate a load of performance tweaks.

So my opinion is it's a great phone that just needs some expert tender love and care to reach its full potential.

 

[Jack45]

Well said.