AT&T Galaxy S2 SHG-i777 Phone Help for New User

[jadalyle]

Phone/Device Details:
-----------------------


AT&T Samsung Galaxy S2 SGH-i777
Android Version: 2.3.6
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7
Build Version: GINGERBREAD.UCKK6

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

NOTE: I Don't Want to Root The Phone if it's Going to Void The Warranty Or Brick The Phone.



Hello,

For starters, this is my first data phone. I decided to go with Android. It's a complicated phone and I have several questions.

For starters, when is the ICS 4.0 update coming out for my phone. How will I get the update? I've tried to update it over the air (through wifi) and there aren't any new updates available. Also, I've tried connecting my phone to my computer (via a usb data cable) and updating the phone through Samsung Kies (with the newest version) and Kies says my phone isn't capable of updating. I've heard there are ICS updates being released for the S2's in several countries.

I've also had trouble with the password lock for the home screen. When it is engaged, all I have to do is press the small button on the right side or press the home key on the phone and the home screen appears. It's not much of a phone lock system. I've tried lockbot pro and lock 2.0 and their password options aren't secure. Is there a way to fix the bug on this phone? My goal is to lock the phone so somebody can't pick up the phone and go through my data without my knowledge. If I can't get the built in phone lock working, is there an alternative freeware app that I can use that will password lock the phone that the phone buttons won't bypass?

Currently, I have an 8-GB Micro-SD card in my phone. I have several apps stored on the phone as well as other apps stored on the card. Very soon, I'm going to be ordering a 32-GB (Class-10) Micro-SD card for my phone. What steps should I take to move the contents of the 8-GB card to the 32-GB card. I was hoping it was going to be as easy as copying the 8-GB card to my laptop and copying that data to the 32-GB card. Will the phone still recognize all the apps and file locations on the new card? Is there an easier way of doing this?

I've thought about installing GO Launcher on my phone. I've gotten used to the default Samsung Phone menu. Since I'm still new to all of the tweeks of an Android, is GO Launcher a good alternative. Also, if I update the launcher to GO Launcher and then update to the ICS update, will the GO Launcher change back to the default ICS launcher?

Any help you can provide to these questions would be greatly appreciated.


Sincerely,
Jacob
05-06-2012 @ 0601 hours

 

[fldude99]

2 quick answers to your many questions: nobody knows when ICS is coming and it's not worth thinking about it unless you want to install a custom ICS rom; Go launcher is definitely worth installing.

 

[jadalyle]

Anyone else want to give any answers to my questions?

 

[bumwithshoes]

Phone will recognize 32Gb same as it does the 8Gb and it's contents.

Space not gonna be problem if you bumping it to 32Gb

No need to root unless you plan on doin custom rom, the benefits are minimal.

Maybe after ICS release you may wanna consider custom rom then.

Different launchers are fun to play with but stock gonna give best performance in my opinion.

 

[wing2012]

1. Once ICS release, you should be able to upgrade it via OTA. But AFAIK, it hasn't been released yet, i.e. the AT&T version. The other SGS2 ICS available right now is for the international version, i.e. i9100.
2. Settings > Location and security > Timeout, select Immediately instead of other settings. It is a well known bug and has been fixed (2.3.7, IIRC), but not yet released to us.
3. Your method will work, but be sure to include the hidden files and directories. I moved mine weeks ago from 8GB to 32GB.
4. Can't help because I am still using the Samsung TW, and found it good enough for me.

HTH.

 

[(G)]

By the way, you'll know when ICS is coming out because your phone will suddenly tell you, "An update is ready to be downloaded." You won't have to go looking for it. Phone companies release the updates in waves over the course of a week or two, so you may be on the first day of it, but you may have to wait several days before you see the message.

 

[jadalyle]

1. Once ICS release, you should be able to upgrade it via OTA. But AFAIK, it hasn't been released yet, i.e. the AT&T version. The other SGS2 ICS available right now is for the international version, i.e. i9100.
2. Settings > Location and security > Timeout, select Immediately instead of other settings. It is a well known bug and has been fixed (2.3.7, IIRC), but not yet released to us.
3. Your method will work, but be sure to include the hidden files and directories. I moved mine weeks ago from 8GB to 32GB.
4. Can't help because I am still using the Samsung TW, and found it good enough for me.

HTH.

Timeout is not in my "Location & Security" settings list. Is this only available in 2.3.7 and ICS?

 

[jadalyle]

Thanks for the reply's everyone.

Is the i-9100 better than the i-777? Did I get a bad Android phone?

Is an official ICS update coming out for the Samsung Galaxy S2 SGH-i777? Has Samsung release any info for it? What company is releasing the US AT&T ICS update?

How well do the Appk to SD programs work? Do the programs/games/media/movies/music/pictures/movie recording perform well on a 32-GB (Class 10) Micro-SD?

Also, Firefox has an addon called: MR Tech Toolkit that takes a snapshot of all addon's/extension installed into Firefox and gives an option to create a text file for future reference/re-installs. Does Android have any similar tools?

 

[jadalyle]

Also, what does NFC really do?

My phone is a 4g Phone. What's up with 4G LTE?

 

[Mostly Harmless]

The i777 is an awesome phone.

There is no official announcement of ICS on the i777. While it has been released to other SGS2 there is no indication of when the At&t version will get it. Some of us have rooted our phones to run ICS on it, so far it's pretty good.

NFC allows your phone to communicate to certain "tags". So far there isn't much use for it and even when enabled (like on the custom rom I am running) it doesn't work with all programs (google wallet).

Also the i777 isn't really 4G, it's more like 3.5g. We are able to get speeds up to (I believe, someone correct me if I am wrong) 7.2mbs on the HSPA+ network. 4G LTE is suppose to be much faster.

 

[wing2012]

Timeout is not in my "Location & Security" settings list. Is this only available in 2.3.7 and ICS?

It should be. I am still in 2.3.6 (UCKK6) which is the current for AT&T, IIRC.

The main difference between i9100 and i777 is that the i9100 has a physical home button. Other than that, they are almost identical in physical look, like size and weight.

 

[jadalyle]

Thank you everyone for all the reply's.

Do you all think this phone (SGH-i777) will be a good phone for the next two years (my two year contract started a few weeks ago)? Will it (the phone) be advanced enough to stand up with other phones out there on the market for the next few years?

Also, are there any alternative programs to password lock the screen to prevent others from accessing the phone? My current password screen lock built into the phone can be disabled by pressing the home/back keys. I've heard this is a common bug with the OS version. What can I use as a replacement? A free replacement would be best.

Another issue I've had is the quality of the color of the camera. My father has an iPhone 4S (Yuck). We turned on our cameras and put our screens beside each other. His phone picture is much more crisp-looking than mine. Is this normal? Is the iPhone camera better than the Android camera? Is there a way to make the Android camera have the same look/feel of the iPhone 4S?

Thank you for all of your help!

 

[wing2012]

The workaround for the password lock problem is to set the timeout. From Settings > Location and security > Timeout (under Screen unlock settings), set it to "Immediately."

The best way to compare the cameras is to take a picture of an object using both phones and then upload them to a computer for comparison. IPhone has a high screen resolution and it may look better than the SGSII.

HTH.

 

[wing2012]

Here's the link for the screenshot to show you where the Timeout is.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/37051010/SC20120517-133309.png

 

[jadalyle]

The workaround for the password lock problem is to set the timeout. From Settings > Location and security > Timeout (under Screen unlock settings), set it to "Immediately."

The best way to compare the cameras is to take a picture of an object using both phones and then upload them to a computer for comparison. IPhone has a high screen resolution and it may look better than the SGSII.

HTH.

This is what my phone shows. Maybe we have different OS versions. What can I do on my phone to fix the password issue/bug? I don't see the "Timeout" function in my settings.

Location Image 01:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location01.png

Location Image 02:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location02.png

Location Image 03:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location03.png



NOTE: My Screen Lock Does Not Work. One Press Of The Home Button And The Screen Lock Is Disabled.


And help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[yohannie]

This is what my phone shows. Maybe we have different OS versions. What can I do on my phone to fix the password issue/bug? I don't see the "Timeout" function in my settings.

Location Image 01:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location01.png

Location Image 02:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location02.png

Location Image 03:
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/jadalyle/Location03.png



NOTE: My Screen Lock Does Not Work. One Press Of The Home Button And The Screen Lock Is Disabled.


And help would be greatly appreciated!

You need to set up the screen lock first. From your 1st image, it shows that you don't have a screen lock. Go to set up screen lock, then do pattern (or whatever you want), and after you set that up, when you go back to where your 1st image shows, you will get an extra option that wasn't there before called "Timeout" (it will be right under "Use visible pattern").

If you set it to "Immediately" the bug you are talking about will be fixed. By the way, it's not a bug, it's a function. You can set timeout times so that if you're looking at an image or something and your screen turns off, you don't have to re-enter your password (which some people quite annoying) as long as you don't do it for that set time duration.