Help Phone 'App' is Slllllooooowwwww

[RJB]

So this may sound absurd, but I use my phone as a.... Wait for it... Phone!

Sometimes, when I try to make a call, and I hit the green "Phone" button, it can take anywhere from a few seconds to nearly a minute to "launch" the diaper. And, then, it can take up to another minute between punching in the number and seeing the "dialing" screen.

This happens regardless of where in the world I am - indoors, outdoors, busy cities, middle of nowhere - it doesn't seem to be exclusive of any one location or type of location.

I've had this particular phone for a little over a year, but I don't know when I first noticed having any real issues.

This happens whet here or not I am also connected to a WiFi network or also connected to TMo's data network. This is when I am placing cellular calls, not using WiFi calling (which has never worked on this phone). This happens whether or not I have recently rebooted my phone.

I have removed a significant amount of apps off the phone, and frequently clear the cache. My phone is showing that the "device memory" is using 1.4 GB with 537MB free? RAM is showing 619 MB of 719mMB.

I'm running 4.0.4, which, according to the device, is up-to-date.


Thoughts???

 

[tdodd]

I don't know where in the world you are, but I am very surprised to see that 4.0.4 is the latest version for your phone. There is a list of stock ROMs for various regions at this website - Firmware archive | Samsung Updates. 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) was first released a year ago and trickled out across the regions over subsequent months. The ROM I have was released last June.

As for the problems you have with 4.0.4, I don't recall ever suffering problems like that. With my 4.1.2 ROM the phone app appears in maybe 1/2 a second or so and inputting digits is near enough instantaneous.

One thing you could try is removing the memory card and running the phone without that, just to see if it fixes the problem. If not, the next step would usually be to fully wipe (factory reset and format internal storage) and start again with a "clean" phone. Otherwise it is going to be tough to track down the source of the problem. My guess is that the phone itself is fine, but something has got screwed and needs clearing out.

Obviously you will lose everything on the phone, so back it up for safety and run the phone as clean as you can just to get you started again. You might also find that the full wipe allows the phone to discover the 4.1.2 upgrade it should probably be due. Note that a ROM needs time to settle following a reset or upgrade and will always be slow immediately following a boot. Also, apps such as phone can be slower on first start after a boot, but then quick once cached into memory and available almost instantly thereafter.

 

[RJB]

Yeah, I was afraid the answer would be a full factory reset.

(Of course good practices of troubleshooting would call that the last resort, not the first...!)

I'm running TMobile in USA. Thought I'd mentioned that in OP, but I'd left out the USA part. I guess I assumed my well framed argument, charming personality, and movie star good looks implied I was American.

Here's a question about backups. I bought, years ago, Titanium Backup Pro. But what's the point of a full backup? I only need to save data files, because if I do a full reset I have to resinstall software from the "source" (ie the Play store). So it's really just my call history, contacts, etc., that needs to be saved, right?

I'm not going to do a reset for another 24 hours, so if anybody else has any ideas, I'll take 'em!

Thanks, Tdodd.

 

[tdodd]

The only reason to suggest the reset is for expediency since nobody but you knows what you have or have had installed, what possible file corruptions there might be and do on. By all means try more specific troubleshooting, but where to begin?

By the way, isn't the T-Mobile phone a different model with a different model number. This forum is for the international Note - GT-N7000. I'm afraid I have no experience of your version of the phone or its ROMs if indeed it is a different model. I think there is a separate forum for that version.

 

[RJB]

As far as I can tell this is the forum for all Galaxy Notes? What would indicate this isn't for USA phones?

 

[tdodd]

Sorry, my bad. The AT&T Note 2 & 3 have their own sub-forums. The original Note is lumped into one forum for all variants. The fact remains (I think) that your Note differs from mine in both hardware and the ROMs available and thus my earlier remarks have no more relevance to your Note than to any other random phone.

Over on the XDA Developer Forums the AT&T Note is kept separate from the international Note which, given the differences, is probably a better approach.

 

[tdodd]

If your phone is the SGH-I717 look here for newer firmware - Firmware archive | Samsung Updates

 

[RJB]

I am so sick of this POS phone. It seems every other Samsung I own is a turd. LOVED the original Galaxy S, tried to love this one, and it just keeps getting worse. It can take minutes to connect a call; the MHL output is sporadic (sometimes it works, sometimes "no signal"), Web takes forever (WiFi or cellular) and I never did get WiFi calling to work.

Nothing to gain here, just have to vent how I am so ready to throw this thing against a wall as hard as I can. The only thing holding me back is, once would not feel like enough.