Help Vivid = Mistake?

[ChuckyZ28]

I have recently purchased my HTC Vivid from ATT after having some issues with my iPhone sometimes not receiving calls. I am trying really hard to like this phone but I am having issues. I am starting to think that maybe the vivid was a poor purchase decision. Here is a quick rundown of the issues I have been having.

Volume: In general this device is not very loud, but I have had problems with the visual voice mail being so quiet it is not possible to hear at all even in a no or low noise environment. I also sometimes have problems in calls hearing people because of low volume but this problem seems to be intermittent.

Call Quality: I have had multiple people on multiple platforms and cell providers tell me there is an unbearable echo in my device.

Software: I have been having sync problems specifically with linking my phone contacts to their Facebook profile, it just will not work with some of them. I have made sure the names match exactly but it does not matter. I also there is no option to set up my phone with the layout I want. As I have posted I do NOT want any icons cluttering up my home screen, and I want to organize all my applications into one folder and have different category sub folders inside that folder and from what I have seen I can not do this with android.(I was able to do that with a jail broken iPhone though)

Hardware: I plugged in my stock iPhone headset which works great, I have another aftermarket headset that I purchased for my iPhone which does not work on the Vivid, It does not seat properly and will not stay connected even though its only by a very small margin.

I would like to note that this is not just my device. My grandmother, my girlfriend, and myself all purchased this particular device all at the same time with a wide variety of cases and other accessories and we all have these problems with our devices. We have returned to the ATT store to hopefully reconcile our problems and for the most part they don't care and say things like "Well I think its supposed to be like that" or "I don't know what the problem is have you tried to Google it?" I must say when the young lady behind the counter asked me if I had Googled it it did make my blood boil, I am 24 years old and grew up with computers. My grandmother is 70 and she was smart enough to try and look these problems up on Google. I am sorry I am getting off on a segway here because the point of this is to discuss the device not the service in the store.


Added: Is there anyone that has maybe had these problems and might know a solution to them?

 

[dave begue]

I am really happy with my vivid, but then I came from a lower end phone with poor signal...
anyway - give it some time, I am sure it's really different from your previous phone, but a lot of people like it.
as far a volume goes I've not had any problems with it, I thought I remember reading about apps that make the volume louder. Maybe search the market?
No one has complained about how my voice sounds during calls yet - I'll ask the next person I talk to. I imagine signal strength affects sound quality during a call.
I only synched google not facebook so I can't help you there.
I did find this info in the user manual about folders thought it might help you set up your screen:
Grouping apps into a folder
Use folders to group apps on the launch bar or your Home screen to free up space so
you can add more apps.
1. Press and hold an app, and then drag it over to another app to automatically
create a folder.
2. To add another app, press and hold and then drag it over to the folder. Repeat
this process to add more apps.
You can also add shortcuts to settings or information. Add a shortcut first to the
Home screen, and then drag it over to the folder.
Renaming a folder
1. Tap the folder to open it.
2. Tap the folder window

 

[Elessar]

I came to the Vivid from a HTC/Google Nexus 1 and find the my Vivid very positive so far. Let me add that I don't use the verbal voice mail thing that you have complained about and I am not a big FB fan either, so I do not allow linking of my Google contacts to FB.

However, all of my Google contacts loaded flawlessly and my Gmail is working perfectly. I have reloaded all the old "stand-by" apps that I learned to love from my N1 phone and they are all working for well under ICS. The screen is much better and the call quality exceeds my expectations.

I do have a personal hearing problem, and was expecting to have problems with this phone, like my N1, but so far, this one has been very good. I have loaded Audio Manager to enhance the volume control and so far, that too, has exceeded my expectations.

I hope you get your problems worked out, but so far, I'm thrilled with my Vivid.

 

[bruce73]

I, too, find the voice level of VVM ridiculously low. The sound quality in general of the Vivid isn't the greatest to begin with, but you take the good with the bad. I switched over to Google Voice which is marginally better.

 

[Shadowwrath5]

I will start with this is not a mistake of a phone it really isn't. Yes there are a few bugs there always is. The battery and speakers to be exact. The speaker I really don't find low I find that its a common issue but I really think its actually very loud. Have u tries turning the volume up while in a call? I know it sounds dumb but you may have missed that maybe. I can actually hear my phone about a foot or two away from me so I really don't know what's up with yours unless I had it in my hand to look at it.

The head phone jack does mess up especially with aftermarket you have to get it just right and if you keep it in your pocket and run or walk it usually will come undone. Yes I do find this a problem but like you said its usually aftermarket Idk why.

If I'm not mistaken you can manually sync.

Finally the echo is your case. I'm guessing you have the otterbox they are known to echo.

Hope I helped ask if you have questions

 

[ChuckyZ28]

I posted a lengthy review on the AT&T website and I basically stated this would be a good budget phone for someone that wanted a smart phone. Perhaps I was spoiled by the ease of use with my iPhone. I would like to address some suggestions.

Volume: I have tried other apps, and volume control apps, and different VVM apps, and everything you can think of and I firmly believe it is a hardware issue (I.E. that is literally as loud as the speaker goes.)

Echo: I heard that as well but it also does it with the headset plugged into my device.

 

[Shadowwrath5]

Dude I honestly think you got the runt of the manufacture line I haven't had any any single issue you have stated. My phone is very loud (can hear it in the next room not on loud speaker) never echos, really anything just that god bit about the earbuds that rarely happens and the battery.

I would ask for a replacement you obviously have a bug maybe from the ics download I had one from it and had to factory reset. It's worth looking into.

Hope u figure it out I knew this phone would he great I got it the day it released and it never let me down yeah its a budget phone now but I got it for 200 and it was worth every penny.

 

[zflamewing]

I've never had an issue with the volume on my phone either. I can hear it from across the house...at times it might be too loud actually. I also haven't had any issues with Visual Voicemail. The volume quality there has been pretty clear. I'm not sure about nesting folders with in folders as I haven't used folders really. I have put my most highly used apps in circle launcher and cleaned up my home screen a good bit to make more room for widgets.