Hi all,
I have recently switched from iphone 3gs to Galaxy S ii as I was really getting annoyed with Apple's software, a few bugs and the general 'nannied' feeling, but I am really struggling with it. I'm not a terribly technical person, but nor am I a total dumbass, I can usually find my way around phones and computers etc, but I am finding certain issues impossible on this phone, and there is little to no help in the user manual (which it took me two painful hours to track down). If anyone can cast any light on any of these, please do, because this has to be the least intuitive phone I have ever owned, besides the last Samsung I had for a day before returning it, back in the early noughties. I'm with O2 if this helps.
1. When making a call, there is an 'end call' button, but a few times I have pressed the home key out of habit. However, while this takes me out of the phone menu, it doesn't end the call. I get a green bar at the top (rather like the iphone does) that indicates I am still in the call, but then I can't get back to the 'end call' screen/button by either clicking the green bar as you would on iphone (and this is despite it seeming to show a drop down tab when you do this, that simply doesnt drop anything down), or by going back into the phone menu, which then presents itself as though no call was happening. How the hell can I end the call then, without turning the phone off and on again??!! I can't be the only person to have done this surely, and what is the point of the green bar to tell you you're in a call, if you can't then reconnect with the call?
2. Is there seriously no visual voicemail?? Having had iphone for 18 months, this feels like a huge retrograde step. Again, if it's there, I can't find it.
3. predictive text- appalling. I have had to choose between that and its predictive accuracy rate of around 1/10 words, or the godawful swype system. Try using swype with a toddler yanking at you and distracting you, or hesitating in the middle of a word. Is there no better predictive system available? I got frustrated with Apple's, but it seems psychic compared with this rubbish.
4. Icons- WHAT DO ALL THE ICONS AT THE TOP MEAN???!!! Some I have managed to figure out, but some don't seem to relate to anything obvious and they don't appear in the manual! Helpful! There is one that looks like a suitcase with a tick in it- sometimes I've ended up with about 5 of those across the top. There's another that looks like a screen with lines on it, and a red '1' in a circle, clearly indicating some kind of incoming message or update, but no clue whatever about what it might be.
5. Disappearing messages! Several times now, people have sent me texts that have flashed up briefly on this top bar that appears, but there is no trace of them in the message area, in the conversation I am having with that person, even though all their previous messages appear to have come through.
6. Social hub- has failed to show facebook and twitter although it shows windows hotmail. Admittedly I haven't looked deeply into this one.
7. pages of guff such as weather, news headlines etc on my home page with no way to remove them, and all the applications sitting behind it. i don't want all the apps behind, I want them on the home screen so they can be accessed straight away. I can't see an obvious way to do that, but again I've not looked too closely at it as I'm just so hacked off with the whole thing
8. Kies- what is Kies? How does one use Kies? I have an app for it, and through accidentally looking at information on forums, I gather its the equivalent of itunes. The literature suggests that if I simply plug in my phone to the computer, Kies will appear and be updated, but that did not happen. again, not in the manual.
9. Google mail- I was forced to set up a google account on switching my phone on for the first time, which I am rather annoyed about, but what is the deal with google? It says I'll be able to access many marvellous google things (none of which i've ever used anyway) but doesnt explain what or where these are
10. ARRRRGHHH!!! Just the general crappy unintuitive annoying interface. I don't want to have to be on forums every day to find out how to end a call ffs!! I am a busy person, i have a life, which is now approximately 5 hours shorter due to trying to find information on all the cacky issues on this phone. I just want it to do its job and leave me in peace. Only twice have I had to consult other people to do anything on iphone, there is a detailed manual available, its intuitive, it works. I had everyone telling me android was so great and the galaxy was cutting edge, and it has just been the most appalling experience. I am prepared to believe it is partially my conditioning to iphone and to an extent lack of technical knowledge, but surely it shouldn't just be for techies? Does anyone genuinely want to have to try this hard to make a phone work? It should be easy and user friendly.
11- battery life. One word- abysmal. I've had to charge it twice today. Is there anything I can do? I've turned screen brightness down, not that it made much diff.
Please can anyone either give me a good talking to or restore my sanity with information? I do actually quite like certain things on this phone, the screen is great in terms of colour, and the camera, which was the chief reason for getting it, is fantastic. Can't fault it. I also like the greater range of free apps compared to apple. However, the basic lack of user-friendliness is making me want to plug my iphone back in and feel myself wrapped up in Steve Jobs soporific paternal embrace. Customising may give me freedom, but the Apple Matrix is eaaaasy.
HELP!! Please *begs*
and thank you if you've got this far!!!
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Originally Posted by clax6:37057
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