First Contact: Droid Turbo arrives tomorrow

CaptainSunset · Jun 20, 2016

Hi guys- I'm new here. I'm also new to Droid.
I spent a dizzying couple hours on Amazon just trying to pick a case for my DTbn, which is supposed to show up tomorrow... (SWMBO tossed my old phone out the car window) but all the comments contradicted each other about fit and slickness, and it seemed almost random whether the screen broke or not. I'm in a rural area where we don't have a Best Buy or somesuch for hands on selection.

Any advice would be great help; is there a particularly good New Turbo User guide? Other than here, of course!
I downloaded the Motorola Guide and it's OK, but it doesn't really cover stuff like what works and doesn't work using wifi to conserve data charges, etc.

Are there specific USB cables I will probably need but don't come with it? Camera accessories, etc?

Thanks in advance!

lunatic59 · Jun 20, 2016

Hi @CaptainSunset , Welcome to Android Fourms!

Unfortunately there isn't a particularly good guide for any Android phone. All the guides I've seen will get you past the first few setup screens and then that's it. You're on your own. That's why we exist.

If you would be so kind and go to menu>settings>about phone and let us know which version of Android you have there, it will help us be specific as Google and Motorola keep moving things around.

Motorola phones aren't as fussy about cables as Sammy's so I'd guess any old USB cable will be fine. And they tend to have better performing radios so WiFi shouldn't be a problem, either. Personally I leave WiFi on all the time but where I am most of the time I have a strong WiFi signal and a weak LTE signal. For lowest power consumption, you want to go with your stronger signal. Worst case scenario would be if both were weak and the phone keeps switching back and forth. That's a recipe for battery drain.

Accessories ... if you say 'selfie stick', i'm outta here.

Seriously, you'll need to figure that one out on your own based on your use patterns and interests, but I find this accessory very helpful. :thumbsupdroid:

Einsteindks · Jun 20, 2016

And don't take any updates until you consult someone here if you are concerned about rooting your phone.

CaptainSunset · Jun 24, 2016

lunatic59 said:
Hi @CaptainSunset , Welcome to Android Fourms!

If you would be so kind and go to menu>settings>about phone and let us know which version of Android you have there, it will help us be specific as Google and Motorola keep moving things around.

Thanks Lou- sorry to take so long to reply to your helpful remarks, but there were strange issues about transferring my old number...
I spent more time than I'd believe entering essential contacts manually, and this's really embarassing-

It is a Verizon Droid Turbo running some flavor of Marshmallow- I found that in some PR announcement, but I'm unable to locate the correct Settings icon, perhaps due to an amazing amount of bloatware.

Assuming that Home is the same as Menu, I open via password and press the 'pepper' icon which opens 2 1/2 screens of Google & Amazon stuff- there is a grey Google Settings gearwheel and a green Settings gearwheel as well.
The Green is only about comm stuff like Wifi, Bluetooth, and Advanced calling. Opening its More gets VPN, Hotspots, & NFC.
The Grey lists Signin Privacy, Acct Prefs, Location, Data Management, Ads Apps, Smart Lock, etc.
Under Acct Prefs there is nothing like Info or About.

Plus I have to keep signing in every couple minutes; where the heck is Preferences? :thinking:

lunatic59 · Jun 24, 2016

If that pepper icon is the middle icon bottom row as shown below, then that's your app drawer.

That's the one you want. Then you press the grey Google gear that says "settings" and you should see WiFi at the top. Swipe your finger up to scroll that screen and all the way at the bottom is "About Phone".

I'm not sure why you would have to keep signing in. Once your Google account password is entered, it should be remembered. Or do you mean that when your screen goes dark (sleep) you have to enter your password to get back to the home screen? You can change that under settings>security.

CaptainSunset · Jun 24, 2016

Einsteindks said:
And don't take any updates until you consult someone here if you are concerned about rooting your phone.

Well, that seems like good advice! My problem is right now, Chrome is asking to update itself, while another message on the main screen 'window shade' says "6 updates need approval - 42 updates total are pending"

My only given choice is UPDATE ALL

So which updates should I delay, and can I first delete 3 or 4 of the Amazon etc apps I will never need, and then add ones I do like a good weather (there is none pre-installed) or does that have to wait til the update is is fulfilled?

Thanks again guys- I already figured one thing- do all that updating at home via wifi!

lunatic59 · Jun 24, 2016

I think @Einsteindks was referring to System updates, not app updates. Those are okay to update all.

Einsteindks · Jun 24, 2016

My bad, I shoulda said 'system' updates. Individual app updates are all good.

CaptainSunset · Jun 24, 2016

lunatic59 said:
If that pepper icon is the middle icon bottom row as shown below, then that's your app drawer.

That's the one you want. Then you press the grey Google gear that says "settings" and you should see WiFi at the top. Swipe your finger up to scroll that screen and all the way at the bottom is "About Phone".

I'm not sure why you would have to keep signing in. Once your Google account password is entered, it should be remembered. Or do you mean that when your screen goes dark (sleep) you have to enter your password to get back to the home screen? You can change that under settings>security.

Hi thanks for the quick getback.

That looks exactly like my phone; I get to the grey Settings which opens titled Google Settings with the vertical 3 dots across the top black bar on the right.
Below that the screen says Account in green, pressing that opens nothing, and the window will not scroll above that caption.
Under Account are Signin&Security, Personal Info& Privacy, Account Preferences

Below that another green heading Services.
That has items like Nearby Location, Ads, Connected apps, Data management, Google Fit, Play Games, Search & Now, Security, Setup nearby device, and Smart Lock. The Google Settings screen will not scroll below that one...

Einsteindks · Jun 24, 2016

If your system version is 23.21.49, then there is no root available. If it's ~. 44, then install & run Sunshine. New to root? Do the research, ask questions, lurk EVERYwhere, troll the boards...politely.

CaptainSunset · Jun 24, 2016

The 3 dots open a list: Clear app data, Usage & Diagnostics, Open Sources Licenses, Show debug Items & Help & Feedback.

Under Help>About Google Settings> It says Google Play services 9.2.56 (230-124593566)
© Google 2016

That's not my system version, right?

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned- I'm a bit hard of seeing which makes me seem kinda slow

Einsteindks · Jun 24, 2016

CaptainSunset said:
Hi thanks for the quick getback.

That looks exactly like my phone; I get to the grey Settings which opens titled Google Settings with the vertical 3 dots across the top black bar on the right.
Below that the screen says Account in green, pressing that opens nothing, and the window will not scroll above that caption.
Under Account are Signin&Security, Personal Info& Privacy, Account Preferences

Below that another green heading Services.
That has items like Nearby Location, Ads, Connected apps, Data management, Google Fit, Play Games, Search & Now, Security, Setup nearby device, and Smart Lock. The Google Settings screen will not scroll below that one...

That all is controlling your Google dealings. Open 'settings' (also top right gear wheel after two big top-down swipes) to work on phone operation stuff.

Thom · Jun 24, 2016

And for viewing ...

Settings | Accessibility has an option ... Magnification Gestures

If you turn this on you can triple-tap the screen to magnify it and triple-tap to return to normal. When minified you can scroll what is screen with two fingers.

Settings | About phone (at the very bottom) has it listed close to the bottom ... System version. The latest system version is 23.21.49 and this is Android 5.1 (and not Marshmallow).

... Thom

CaptainSunset · Jun 26, 2016

Thank you guys!
With your help, I've stumbled on the version, it seems to be Android 5.1 & 23.21.49.en.us; but it is also saying an update is available.
That '.49.' means I can't do the root thing on this phone, right? But should I go ahead with the system update? It won't be like Windows or something right? :eek:

-------------------
How I got there was in part trying to remove all the excess Amazon etc apps. This led to finding the Apps All screen setting.
However when I wanted to delete an app, it would only offer disable, and then warn I might screw up other apps. If I persisted, it would then try 'Do you want to replace app with Factory Version?' and gave only Yes, or Cancel which voided my obvious intent to delete the app. So what does the 'Factory Version' mean ? If I have the 'Factory Version' can it be deleted? :thinking:

OK, so the protocol on many forums is one question per thread, is that the rule here? 'cause the above is a different Q but I don't want to post the dozen or so dumbyQs that the Verizon site doesn want to answer- (like the above).
Speaking of Like...

doogald · Jun 26, 2016

Disabling the Amazon apps is fine. The " factory version" is just telling you that it will uninstall the update from the play store as well. You can't delete it, but disabling the apps prevents them from showing up in the app drawer, running in the background, etc.

Einsteindks · Jun 26, 2016

Yep, '.49' means root and unlock are out. You can only 'disable' factory apps. To take the OTA to Marshmallow, all stock stuff has to be there, nothing deleted. You wouldn't gain any space on the user partition, anyway. Helium will help you backup all your installed stuff. I'd recommend grabbing an OTG storage device to store backups and backup the phone storage in general.

CaptainSunset · Jun 27, 2016

Thanks E=mc²-
Well, I don't know if this is 'progress' but I figured if I was going to add other apps I might as well have the OS as up-to-date as possible, and so I let the screen nag have it's way and did the OS update.

The upshot is that I now have version 23.21.49.quark_verizon.verizon.en.usvzw on the Droid.

Funny name for an open source software; does all that mean anything in particular ? I get that the end phrasing means English language, US usage as (understood by verizon wireless); but what the heck is quark_verizon? o_O

doogald- man! I had to read that several times to get the gist- nothing wrong with how you wrote it, it's just I'm coming off a Kyocera toy phone and the Play Store is already feeling like the 'Company Store'... The Droid has already rejected an app that Amazon tried to sneak in- I had nothing to do with it- it was dueling bots I guess...

doogald · Jun 28, 2016

Preinstalled bloatware is a scourge on these phones. I get why they do it, I don't understand, though, why it doesn't drop the price of the phone. Verizon is obviously pocketing a bunch of money while making their branded phones worse, not better, for their users.

Thom · Jun 28, 2016

They do it because it works. Some users actually have no idea that they can add apps to their phone.

With the ability to disable apps and the ability of launchers like Nova Launcher Prime to hide them in the app drawer out of sight ... the only issue left from pre-installed software seems to be the storage they occupy. That is an issue for some older devices with limited storage.

... Thom

CaptainSunset · Jun 28, 2016

Well, I like that well enough that I just went and installed Nova Launcher! The Amazon 'Mother' app also is oversized so big it fills a whole screen by its lonesome. Plus I got my case from Amazon, and now I'm getting emails about 'tempered glass screen protectors' from them, except it's really the Droid's tempered screen they want to stick a piece of plastic sheeting on? :thinking:

A related gripe is all the 'previews' they stick on Netflix DVDs these days. I remember when I enjoyed previews at the movies, but being forced to watch half a dozen or more (and locking out the >> key) is getting old, especially when they cut the Extras off, too.

Thom · Jun 28, 2016

Nova Launcher Prime is the one I use. It is the paid version. It has capabilities not found in Nova Launcher (the free version). I've used it for years ... Maxx, Turbo, Turbo 2.

... Thom

CaptainSunset · Jun 29, 2016

If you don't mind my asking, what other basic apps do you guys use? There is a newbie-confusing load of every type- and they all seem to ask for too many intimate permissions. I still need something to transfer photos to my PC laptop via wire, homemade ringtones & contact ID anigifs to my phone, weather, and whatever level security app you guys'd recommend. (I'm concerned about that warning that any app you install keeps its permissions even if uninstalled.)
Did I say you guys are great? You guys are great!

First Contact: Droid Turbo arrives tomorrow

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