The Galaxy Experiment, Day 1 of 20
Apr. 1st, 2011 08:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azuriteOkay, so late yesterday I got and activated my new temporary phone, the Samsung Galaxy S. I did a bit of research beforehand, seeing as it wasn't really my CHOICE to get the phone; I was sick of using the HTC Magic (T-Mobile myTouch 3G) and basically told T-Mobile everything that was wrong with it and how I worked for Apple and could drop them like a hot rock and get an iPhone that day. They looked at my account and my amazing loyalty (always pays bills on time, one time paid a $900 international phone bill) and said they'd get me the latest phone in their line, the Galaxy S for $249.
Sure, it's 16 GB when I would have gotten a $299 32 GB iPhone 4, but it's my understanding that this is fairly close to the full upgrade eligibility price, and since I'm paying it in 3 installments, it's not so bad. If I decide I don't like the phone in 20 days or less (though shouldn't it be 30 since I'm in California? Or is that only with new contracts...?), I can mail it back and get a new phone--whether it's from T-Mobile or not. If I stuck with T-Mobile till at least July, I could reduce my Early Termination Fee to $100; if I wait until September 22, I can make it $0. Right now it's a hefty $200, which is nothing to laugh at, but when you hate your existing phone as much as I do, you might be willing to eat it...and I probably will, if the Samsung Galaxy S fails to impress.
So, I want to tax this phone as much as I humanly can. I want to push it to the limits, but only by doing my usual things--multi-tasking, checking lots of emails, sometimes going on the web, using all kinds of crazy apps...that kind of thing. If you have suggestions for apps or tasks I can do to really test out the phone's capabilities, please tell me!
To start out with, I've already set up my Google account on here and synced all my contacts, thankfully getting them to display just the ones with phone numbers. I wish there were a way to indicate that some numbers aren't "phone" numbers (for calling), but for text messaging only, and should therefore NOT be listed in my "Phone Contacts" list, but I can't find a way to do that...I don't know if it's even possible on ANY phone. Just changing the label doesn't help; there's no other place to put a "text message-only number."
I've added all of my main emails (2 Google accounts, 1 MobileMe, one personal domain), with no crashes thus far; I've both read and deleted emails, but I have yet to compose any new messages, reply, or move emails to folders.
I've downloaded some apps and will be getting the rest to match up with my Magic later today; they are:
* 1Password
* ColorDict (with dictionary app data)
* Daily Horoscope
* Foursquare
* Juice Defender
* TagReader
* Twitter
* Voice (Google Voice, that is. I think it came pre-installed on my Magic, but not on this one...I guess it's because the technology has improved to the point where individual carriers are offering a lot of the same services that Google Voice does? But I like having the Old Spice Man read my voicemail greeting so...)
* Yelp
The apps that come pre-installed are:
* Accounts and sync
* Add to home
* AirSync (OMFG more on this later)
* Alarm & Clocks
* Amazon MP3 (this will be nice to use alongside Amazon's new Cloud Drive, so I don't have to store all my media on my phone!)
* Audio Postcard
* Calculator
* Calendar
* Call logs
* Camera
* Car Home (useless to me; wish I could uninstall it...)
* Desk Home
* DoubleTwist (this is what I use after I've AirSynced to listen to my music/podcasts, watch my videos, etc. I got the app that goes along with it free for my Mac)
* DriveSmart (useless for me but cool idea. You can prevent people from calling or texting while they're driving if it's a phone for a family member, and you can send automatic texts when people text you when you're driving.)
* Email
* Facebook
* Files
* Gallery
* Gmail
* Gogo (I really wish I could uninstall this since "the offer has expired," but I can't uninstall it without rooting/jailbreaking my phone! WTF?!)
* Google Search
* HD Camcorder
* Inception (a direct link to the movie on my phone...it's kind of cool! The quality is amazing, and it has 5.1 surround sound! How is that possible on a phone?!)
* Kindle
* Latitude (which, for some reason, I can't seem to login to...)
* Layar (yay for augmented reality!)
* Maps
* Market
* Media Hub (kind of like an iTunes Store for my phone)
* Memo
* Mini Diary
* Music Player
* My Account
* My Device
* Navigation
* News & Weather
* Places
* Settings
* Slacker (radio...even though there are radio options in other apps, too)
* Swype Tips (Samsung's proprietary typing method. It takes some getting used to, but it's pretty easy to learn, once you tap in your most-used words once)
* T-Mobile TV (wha?)
* Talk
* Task Manager
* TeleNav GPS
* ThinkFree Office (a very cool idea in concept, but why not use Google Docs? Hellooooo, this is an Android phone! Shouldn't Google have Docs apps?)
* Qik Video Chat
* Video Player
* Visual Voicemail
* Voice Dialer
* Voice Recorder (I guess it's like Voice Memos on an iPhone?)
* Voice Search
* Web (the browser...we'll see how it performs vs. the crappy one on my Magic. I ended up getting the Dolphin Browser HD on there, and that one's actually pretty bitching)
* Wi-Fi Calling (pretty damn cool. Already tested it out, and it works great!)
* Write and Go (how is this different from the Memo app? I have no idea.)
* YouTube
And finally, apps I have left to get (pending further suggestions):
* AnyStop for LA Metro
* Chase Mobile
* FX Camera (although the rear camera on here does have some pretty cool options...too bad you can't apply them while using the front facing camera!)
* Groupon
* Kayak
* Mint.com
* MuniAlerts
* Movies by Flixster
* Point Inside
* Paypal
* Soundhound
* Southwest
* USA Today
* TopGuest
* Tricorder (yes, I know)
* Tip Calculator
I've decided I won't need/use:
* ColorNote (because of all the existing Memo/Writing apps on here. But I will want to port over my notes, which means digging around on my Magic's SD Card...ugh. Anyone know of a Memo app that syncs, i.e. with Google?)
* Timer (The Alarms & Clocks app FINALLY has timers built in! And they look pretty customizable...)
* Ringdroid
* Google Goggles
* Wallpaper Set & Save (especially since the Galaxy's resolution is so much better. Hopefully I can set my own wallpaper more easily though...it was easy inside the Desk Home app!)
So that's it...for now. The new phone is called "The Galaxy Cauldron" (almost all of my electronics are actually a geeky reference of some sort; I kind of like this one because of its potential for Badass), rather than the very boring "Nullentropy." :P
Let the hardcore testing commence!
Sure, it's 16 GB when I would have gotten a $299 32 GB iPhone 4, but it's my understanding that this is fairly close to the full upgrade eligibility price, and since I'm paying it in 3 installments, it's not so bad. If I decide I don't like the phone in 20 days or less (though shouldn't it be 30 since I'm in California? Or is that only with new contracts...?), I can mail it back and get a new phone--whether it's from T-Mobile or not. If I stuck with T-Mobile till at least July, I could reduce my Early Termination Fee to $100; if I wait until September 22, I can make it $0. Right now it's a hefty $200, which is nothing to laugh at, but when you hate your existing phone as much as I do, you might be willing to eat it...and I probably will, if the Samsung Galaxy S fails to impress.
So, I want to tax this phone as much as I humanly can. I want to push it to the limits, but only by doing my usual things--multi-tasking, checking lots of emails, sometimes going on the web, using all kinds of crazy apps...that kind of thing. If you have suggestions for apps or tasks I can do to really test out the phone's capabilities, please tell me!
To start out with, I've already set up my Google account on here and synced all my contacts, thankfully getting them to display just the ones with phone numbers. I wish there were a way to indicate that some numbers aren't "phone" numbers (for calling), but for text messaging only, and should therefore NOT be listed in my "Phone Contacts" list, but I can't find a way to do that...I don't know if it's even possible on ANY phone. Just changing the label doesn't help; there's no other place to put a "text message-only number."
I've added all of my main emails (2 Google accounts, 1 MobileMe, one personal domain), with no crashes thus far; I've both read and deleted emails, but I have yet to compose any new messages, reply, or move emails to folders.
I've downloaded some apps and will be getting the rest to match up with my Magic later today; they are:
* 1Password
* ColorDict (with dictionary app data)
* Daily Horoscope
* Foursquare
* Juice Defender
* TagReader
* Voice (Google Voice, that is. I think it came pre-installed on my Magic, but not on this one...I guess it's because the technology has improved to the point where individual carriers are offering a lot of the same services that Google Voice does? But I like having the Old Spice Man read my voicemail greeting so...)
* Yelp
The apps that come pre-installed are:
* Accounts and sync
* Add to home
* AirSync (OMFG more on this later)
* Alarm & Clocks
* Amazon MP3 (this will be nice to use alongside Amazon's new Cloud Drive, so I don't have to store all my media on my phone!)
* Audio Postcard
* Calculator
* Calendar
* Call logs
* Camera
* Car Home (useless to me; wish I could uninstall it...)
* Desk Home
* DoubleTwist (this is what I use after I've AirSynced to listen to my music/podcasts, watch my videos, etc. I got the app that goes along with it free for my Mac)
* DriveSmart (useless for me but cool idea. You can prevent people from calling or texting while they're driving if it's a phone for a family member, and you can send automatic texts when people text you when you're driving.)
* Files
* Gallery
* Gmail
* Gogo (I really wish I could uninstall this since "the offer has expired," but I can't uninstall it without rooting/jailbreaking my phone! WTF?!)
* Google Search
* HD Camcorder
* Inception (a direct link to the movie on my phone...it's kind of cool! The quality is amazing, and it has 5.1 surround sound! How is that possible on a phone?!)
* Kindle
* Latitude (which, for some reason, I can't seem to login to...)
* Layar (yay for augmented reality!)
* Maps
* Market
* Media Hub (kind of like an iTunes Store for my phone)
* Memo
* Mini Diary
* Music Player
* My Account
* My Device
* Navigation
* News & Weather
* Places
* Settings
* Slacker (radio...even though there are radio options in other apps, too)
* Swype Tips (Samsung's proprietary typing method. It takes some getting used to, but it's pretty easy to learn, once you tap in your most-used words once)
* T-Mobile TV (wha?)
* Talk
* Task Manager
* TeleNav GPS
* ThinkFree Office (a very cool idea in concept, but why not use Google Docs? Hellooooo, this is an Android phone! Shouldn't Google have Docs apps?)
* Qik Video Chat
* Video Player
* Visual Voicemail
* Voice Dialer
* Voice Recorder (I guess it's like Voice Memos on an iPhone?)
* Voice Search
* Web (the browser...we'll see how it performs vs. the crappy one on my Magic. I ended up getting the Dolphin Browser HD on there, and that one's actually pretty bitching)
* Wi-Fi Calling (pretty damn cool. Already tested it out, and it works great!)
* Write and Go (how is this different from the Memo app? I have no idea.)
* YouTube
And finally, apps I have left to get (pending further suggestions):
* AnyStop for LA Metro
* Chase Mobile
* FX Camera (although the rear camera on here does have some pretty cool options...too bad you can't apply them while using the front facing camera!)
* Groupon
* Kayak
* Mint.com
* MuniAlerts
* Movies by Flixster
* Point Inside
* Paypal
* Soundhound
* Southwest
* USA Today
* TopGuest
* Tricorder (yes, I know)
* Tip Calculator
I've decided I won't need/use:
* ColorNote (because of all the existing Memo/Writing apps on here. But I will want to port over my notes, which means digging around on my Magic's SD Card...ugh. Anyone know of a Memo app that syncs, i.e. with Google?)
* Timer (The Alarms & Clocks app FINALLY has timers built in! And they look pretty customizable...)
* Ringdroid
* Google Goggles
* Wallpaper Set & Save (especially since the Galaxy's resolution is so much better. Hopefully I can set my own wallpaper more easily though...it was easy inside the Desk Home app!)
So that's it...for now. The new phone is called "The Galaxy Cauldron" (almost all of my electronics are actually a geeky reference of some sort; I kind of like this one because of its potential for Badass), rather than the very boring "Nullentropy." :P
Let the hardcore testing commence!
