Android

[Ahmato]

I've been using the Galaxy S 3 for almost 2 weeks now. Although it's one of the most fluid Android phones I have ever used, my experience has not been flawless.

I've been facing some severe software issues that are increasingly diminishing my user experience and ruining the good feel of this handset.

Since this handset is based on new software, I figured It would consist of minor bugs. But as it seems, I'm the only one facing these issues.

I have reported these issues over in the weekly wrap up and Kieran Kindly directed me here. These software issues are:
· Adding any application to accessibility automatically turns on talkback feature, making the device talk to you when it should, with no way to disable this.
· In edit mode in the app drawer, adding multiple apps to one folder crashes the UI and sometimes restarts the whole device.
· Extreme battery drain in idle mode, even though sync is off.

If these issues are not clear, I'm willing to make a short video to express their severity.

I was hoping the recent update that was issued on the 6th of July would resolve these issues. Unfortunately I have not yet received this update.

According to Kieran (who uses the handset) these issues do not exist on his handset.

Is anyone else facing these issues? What can I do to resolve this?

[Balsam]

Hi Ahmato,

OK, lets look at your three problems...

I am not sure what you mean by "Adding applications to accessability"? The talk back feature can be turned on and off by going to: home>settings>accessability>TalkBack.

I have not had the problem with adding multiple apps to a folder. I have one folder with about 40 apps in it and it has not happened to me, so can't offer any advice there.

To check on the battery drain, go to : home>settings>battery to see what has been using the most charge. Alternatively download a free app called "Carat" which is a battery use monitor and will help identify where your battery is being used. It does take a few days to analyse your usage patterns and identify the apps "hogging" the battery, so be patient.

The recent update is only available via Kies, meaning you will need to connect the phone to your computer to get it. It is nao available Over The Air as yet.

I hope there is something there to help you out, but please explain the first one a bit more if I'm on the wrong track.

Cheers,

Balsam

[Ahmato]

Using an app such as lightflow to manage the notification light needs accessibility access. Giving lightflow or any other similar app access automatically turns on talk back, even though it appears to be OFF. And the only way to avoid this is by deleting light flow or denying accessibility access with renders it useless.

The folder issue is the most annoying and it seems like I'm still facing it even after resting my handset.

The battery stats suggest that Cell Standby is using most of my battery with is odd.

I hope you understand these issues..

[Ahmato]

Also. I know that the update is only available via Kies and I have plugged my handset into my computer ever since the update has been rolled out and still nothing.

[will89]

Have you done a factory reset? It is often needed after updates and on new phones

[Ahmato]

I didn't update. The update isn't available for my handset yet.. and yes I have made a factory reset..

[Balsam]

Well.... I'm not being very helpful so far....

I downloaded Lightflow, and it does the same for me. Looks like it is a problem across the board

http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/564374-sgs3-talkback-freaked-me-out.html

Cell standby using the bulk of the battery would normally indicate the phone continually searching for towers. You seem to know what you're talking about, so I will assume you thought of this, and also that you have had previous phones in the same location and have not had the problem. There are others around these parts more knowlegeable than I on radio type issues, so I hope one of them can help you out.

As I can't replicate the folder problem either, it looks like I've scored a big fat zero in assisting you

As for the update, i have not tried it yet. If i have time tonight, I'll give it a go.

Cheers,

Balsam

[Ahmato]

I live in Tarneit, Victoria. I don't get internet speeds past 100kbs which is disappointing. Vodafone Customer Service told me that the new towers should be done by June.. now it's July and my network coverage is still terrible.

I'm kind of used to the terrible reception. But the other issues are driving me crazy.

[Ahmato]

I have made a video about the Folder bug and posted it on YouTube.. here is the link to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogR5aLQaUoA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Bruno]

Hi Ahmato,

Ahmato wrote:

I've been facing some severe software issues that are increasingly diminishing my user experience and ruining the good feel of this handset.

I can certainly appreciate your frustration, having issues with a new handset can really take the shine off what a great phone the GALAXY SIII is.

It's great to see that our Android experts have been quick to help with their advice and suggestions. We are lucky to have such a broad range of knowledge here in the community!

Ahmato wrote:

These software issues are:
· Adding any application to accessibility automatically turns on talkback feature, making the device talk to you when it should, with no way to disable this.
· In edit mode in the app drawer, adding multiple apps to one folder crashes the UI and sometimes restarts the whole device.
· Extreme battery drain in idle mode, even though sync is off.

We've been doing some investigating to see what we can do to resolve these issues for you.

We have been trying to replicate the folder issue that you're having and have been unable to at this stage. Given that you've already tried a restart and a factory reset, the next step is really to take it into a store so that it can be re-flashed.

The lightflow talk-back issue is a known bug that has been acknowledged by the developer of the app as an Android 4.X bug (please see links 1 & 2)

You battery drainage issue (being caused by Cell standby) is likely to be a result of the coverage in your area and your handset constantly searching for the strongest signal available.  Though there are some steps that you can take to extend your battery life (like turning off fast boot), what I would really like to do is get our network team to take a look at the coverage situation in your area to see if this is a contributing factor.

I've sent you a private message so that I can get some more information from you. Once I've received your email, I can get the ball rolling for you so that we can get this resolved as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, if you have any other questions or if there is anything else that I can help you with, please let me know.

Cheers,

-Bruno.