Help What does the Gingerbread update mean for the general user

jasf · Nov 28, 2011

So with the upcoming GB update I'm trying to figure out what it means for me. I understand it supposedly will mean a better battery life and better signal.

What effect (if any) will the update have on the apps I've installed? Will they have to be re-downloaded? Are there apps that are not compatible with GB?

I use launcher pro b.c I didn't like touchwiz, will GB remove the need for launcher pro?

Any chance we won't have the stupid Verizon bloatware with the update?

I need this update to fix this phone, I was unable to get a signal this past weekend in West Palm Beach. At the airport I had 4G sometimes and other times 1x. Painful.

CalBearsFan95 · Nov 28, 2011

From what I gather as a layman user myself:

No, your apps will still be there. There's a risk that some might not run right, but I doubt it.

Can't comment on launcher pro

There will always be stupid bloatware from Verizon unless you're going with a Nexus device

Should get improved signal response; however, in the meantime, have you updated your roaming capabilities? I believe it's *228. Having been with Verizon for many years, I've always done this every few months with all my phones just out of habit. Not sure if it helps a ton, but it at least updates your phone with the latest tower info, etc.

trparky · Nov 28, 2011

Don't do *228, don't ever do that! It'll fry your SIM card. Roaming profile updates come automatically from the SIM card.

Bozz5384 · Nov 28, 2011

I sure hope it helps with battery life, mine is pitiful in 4G -- and usually I have pretty good signal. I've started running mine in 3G all the time, get almost twice the battery life between charges.

trparky · Nov 28, 2011

It helps, no doubt about that. But don't expect it to be giving you two to three times more battery life like some people expected it to give people. No way in heck that's going to happen.

Myself, I've already loaded the new ROM onto my phone. It's rooted and has been debloated as well. I've done a number of tweaks to get it to be the way I like it and to make the phone as smooth running as possible.

Bloat can make the battery life worse. Lots of apps too can do that.

Bozz5384 · Nov 28, 2011

trparky said:
It helps, no doubt about that. But don't expect it to be giving you two to three times more battery life like some people expected it to give people. No way in heck that's going to happen.

Myself, I've already loaded the new ROM onto my phone. It's rooted and has been debloated as well. I've done a number of tweaks to get it to be the way I like it and to make the phone as smooth running as possible.

Bloat can make the battery life worse. Lots of apps too can do that.

I think they key must be debloating... get some of those apps I don't use to stop consuming battery life.

To me its just weird that my battery life has gotten seemingly worse over the past month. Can't figure out anything in particular that is causing it.

CalBearsFan95 · Nov 28, 2011

trparky said:
Don't do *228, don't ever do that! It'll fry your SIM card. Roaming profile updates come automatically from the SIM card.

How does the SIM card get any updates then?

trparky · Nov 28, 2011

It gets it over the LTE link.

jrattinger · Nov 28, 2011

do the updates load automatically or does some action need to be taken?

W_A_Watson_II · Nov 28, 2011

trparky said:
It gets it over the LTE link.

And if you aren't in an LTE Area?

fortesquieu · Nov 28, 2011

jasf said:
So with the upcoming GB update I'm trying to figure out what it means for me. I understand it supposedly will mean a better battery life and better signal.

What effect (if any) will the update have on the apps I've installed? Will they have to be re-downloaded? Are there apps that are not compatible with GB?

I use launcher pro b.c I didn't like touchwiz, will GB remove the need for launcher pro?

Any chance we won't have the stupid Verizon bloatware with the update?

I need this update to fix this phone, I was unable to get a signal this past weekend in West Palm Beach. At the airport I had 4G sometimes and other times 1x. Painful.

It will:

1) Make your phone faster
2) Better signals
3) Better battery life
4) Better GPS

Zohar127 · Nov 28, 2011

I've been using the leaked roms and was on ep4p since that leaked and I can say with certainty that your phone will be improved in just about every possible way. I'm currently on the EP4D ROM which is the final OTA update and it's fantastic.

Unfortunately you will be saddled with bloatware but that's what rooting is for.

Nurseferatu · Nov 29, 2011

I hear your warning, but it's puzzling. When I had my Incredible I did *228 every time I traveled in or out of the U.S.. I had no problems. In fact, Verizon TOLD me to do it. So maybe this is an issue with the Charge?

WildH · Nov 29, 2011

If I remember correctly, the Incredible did not use a sim card....

CalBearsFan95 · Nov 29, 2011

WildH said:
If I remember correctly, the Incredible did not use a sim card....

I had an incredible before this too, yeah, no SIM card.

zeldaboy101 · Nov 29, 2011

Believe me or not, but I am apparently the only person on the internet (as far as I can tell) that has gotten the update.

With limited testing here's the easily discernible differences:

Overall speed - EVERYTHING runs faster, smoother, and is just more enjoyable to use. All of the "lemon" talk about this phone will disappear with this update.

Camera - Start up time may not be any different, but once focused, taking a picture and then a 2nd picture only has about 1.5 seconds between them, compared to what felt like easily 5+ seconds or more before.

Redrawing the home screen - One of my biggest problems with the charge has been fixed. Exiting an app to the home screens, even when limiting the total # of them and widgets, still could take a good 1-2 minutes to redraw, despite using Go Launcher. It didn't always take that long, but it happened often enough to be a major pain. Redrawing is nearly instant most of the time and if it does need to redraw and it's not instant, it's a very very short wait compared to what it was before. I haven't tried really REALLY resource hogging programs so there's still a chance a few things may cause longer redraws.

GPS - haven't been able to test yet

Overall this update breathes new life into this phone and makes it well worth considering buying versus some of the current options available.

2003vstrom · Nov 30, 2011

deleted

fortesquieu · Nov 30, 2011

Nurseferatu said:
I hear your warning, but it's puzzling. When I had my Incredible I did *228 every time I traveled in or out of the U.S.. I had no problems. In fact, Verizon TOLD me to do it. So maybe this is an issue with the Charge?

It's fine to do it on a 3G phone. Since Charge is a 4G phone, we have an LTE sim card. It will automatically update, without needing us to dial *228.

Cilraaz · Nov 30, 2011

Nurseferatu said:
I hear your warning, but it's puzzling. When I had my Incredible I did *228 every time I traveled in or out of the U.S.. I had no problems. In fact, Verizon TOLD me to do it. So maybe this is an issue with the Charge?

3G phone vs 4G phone. The LTE network uses technology that is closer to GSM than CDMA. It receives its roaming profile updates automatically via the LTE network, just like GSM phones do (ie. AT&T users don't need to *228, regardless of 3G/4G). CDMA 3G technology isn't capable of these automatic updates, which is why *228 is suggested on 3G phones.

W_A_Watson_II said:
And if you aren't in an LTE Area?

Good question, and one I don't really have an answer for. I suppose if you don't have LTE access (anywhere, at all), then *228 would be the only method of updating the PRL. However, it's my understanding that LTE phones, in general, don't use a standard PRL, which is why it can "fry" SIMs. That information could very well be wrong, and if anyone can confirm that it is, please correct me. Best option (my best guess) is to enable LTE in a local LTE hotspot if there's one nearby that you visit semi-frequently.

jksail · Nov 30, 2011

Will the OTA update get to my phone if my data signal is not working? I can plug into wireless, but it seems like something that needs to come from the verizon network.

I hope this update fixes this data loss issue. It really sucks.

Thanks

boatman · Nov 30, 2011

what will gingerbread do for you?

It will; help you lose those extra lbs, make you more attractive to the opposite sex (or same sex if that is your liking), run faster and jump higher, and make you more $.

I just hope it will also fix the gps!

WildH · Nov 30, 2011

boatman said:
what will gingerbread do for you?

It will; help you lose those extra lbs, make you more attractive to the opposite sex (or same sex if that is your liking), run faster and jump higher, and make you more $.

I just hope it will also fix the gps!

Nice....will my wife like me even more?

Help What does the Gingerbread update mean for the general user

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