yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
Actually, I have been quite vocally critical of the GPS issue on the Samsung Galaxy S series. And I have not said there is no GPS issue on the Epic. I have only said we don't know yet. I am attempting to distinguish credible scientific tests from extrapolations derived from guesswork, conjecture and loosey-goosey facts.

And to my knowledge, Samsung has not "said its a driver issue and the epic does not have the new driver." If you can find such a statement, please provide a link to the quote.

I still have seen no convincing tests of the GPS on the Epic -- one way or another. If you are referring to the so-called tests of "the GPS fix on the Epic" that you were quoting on the linked threads above, those were not tests of the GPS on the Epic at all, but tests of hacked pieces of software, copied by developers who candidly admit that they don't understand what all the pieces do, installed experimentally on other hardware.

Thanks. I had not seen that video, which does show a failure to get a GPS fix from inside someone's home. That does not prove anything definitive. Standalone GPS is not designed to work inside buildings. (There are aGPS methods using networks to help find location, which can work inside. That may have been what the other phone, a Vibrant, was running, since the narrator said that Vibrant "has the GPS hack on it." Most of the hacks trying to "fix" the GPS have enabled network-assisted modes somehow. Comparing them to standalone, pure satellite GPS would be completely invalid.)

I do look forward to being able to test the Epic's GPS rigorously, which may be difficult without buying one. I certainly will not buy one -- at least commited under contract -- until I am convinced that the GPS issue is in fact corrected. But I don't know the answer to that yet.
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
They gps icon is on showing the gps is on. People are saying he didn't turn on My Location thats turned off by default. As soon as you open any app that uses my My Location android asks if you want to turn it on. So before he used google maps it would of asked him to turn it on. I can use my evos gps with My Location turned off anyway.
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
Im in the same boat. I returned my captivate today due to the gps issue(30 days was up). I am reordering the captivate from amazon for $60. That way I get 30 more days to see if Samsung can fix the gps.
[Epic 4G General] ben7337:
I thought the No TV out thing was just a software accident so to speak, and not really a purposely removed feature. Also can you show me proof of bluetooth 2.1 or 3.0? It seems even people reviewing and being advocates at sprint stores with this phone go back and forth on this issue, not that it really matters much to me.

What is virtual surround sound and why would i want it? last i checked if i want ****ty fake surround sound, my receiver can do that for me, and if I didn't have a receiver I wouldn't have surround sound or care about it because fake surround sound on 2.0 speakers is just bs. Also some people are saying that true 5.1 surround sound can be output.

What lesser video quality recording/picture quality? Dude seriously, I guarantee you that samsung used the same ccd sensor in all the galaxy s phones, there is not a single reason possible for them to change that, and the epic 4g does 720p and I can link to many different sample videos if you would like, so idk where you are getting lower image quality/video recording. If you have irrefutable proof then I would love to see it.
[Epic 4G General] kgold708:
In regards to the memory issue, 1gb vs 8-16gb the 1gb nand will be much faster than 8-16gb nand( provided of course that your accessing >1gb of data) for loading the small app/data files used by an android sys. Media files/games should be stored on SD. Save the nand for critical device resources and 1gb is more than enough. Also all of these "shortcommings" seem like software fixes to me, I have faith in the devs ability to fix these sort of issues.YMMV.

Posted from T-Mo G1.
[Epic 4G General] mightytightywty:
Anyone know if the Epic 4G includes an anchor for a handstrap/tether? I've lost two different phones on my motorcycle already.

Maybe I can save someone else's phone by explaining my stupidity.

1st Phone: Forgot to zip my pocket!

2nd Phone: Velcro'd it to my bike - hit a bump, and the battery cover came off (still have it!)
[Epic 4G General] shotcalla:
How is the quality of the screen? My last two phones (HTC Mogul and Touch Pro 2) seemed to have very poor screen quality IMO..

Also, does it come with a screen protector?
[Epic 4G General] gamescan:
No obvious anchor point. Motorcyclists and fans of Hello Kitty charms are out of luck.

First impressions of the screen are quite positive. The damn thing looks absolutely beautiful indoors. Will give it a go outside tomorrow.

No screen protector in the box.
[Epic 4G General] kennethpenn:
Working on a GPS YouTube video & article. GPS has issues. :( But very useable.

Screen - amazing. Super AMOLED is better than iPhone 4... better than anything IMO.
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
I tested the epic gps fix and it did make my captivate gps usable but I had issues with it laging then jumping to where I was. If I made turn it would take a good 5-10 to catch up. Are you seeing the same results?

The screen is is great. The color is so much better then my evo when I am comparing games. The whites are blueish but not noticeable unless comparing to evo/iphone screen. The viewing angle is awesome. Its better then my n1 in sunlight.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
I wish you would quit misleading people about that. Whackamole yet again.

You did not test the Epic GPS fix because you don't have an Epic to test! What you tested was an experimentally hacked version of pieces of the software installed on your Captivate. Even the developer of that hack does not pretend that it completely replicates the actual Epic environment on other devices.
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
Dude I tetsed every change the epic has with gps. We have the same gps driver and gps chip. The only thing that could be different would be the radio. Not sure what thread you read but I checked very file related to gps my self from the dump. Yes it does not replicate a epic environment becaus they have different radios. But do you think the put the gps fix in the radio? The epic has been reported to have gps issues just like I did with the gps fix from the epic. Sounds like I did a good job testing the fix to me.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
Really? Please identify the file that contains the Broadcom GPS drivers.

Also, how did the Epic system utility called GpsSetup work for you on your Captivate? What settings were its defaults, and what settings, if any, did you change. (Actually, you and I both know that you don't even have that utility, which seems to be unique to the Epic, installed.)

Since you were not running the Epic kernel, how do you know that it is not reading to the low-level GPS drivers and feeding the Android listeners?

The kind of hacking performed here is basically a blind experiment, brute-force copying files over into another environment without fully understanding what they files do. At least the developer who built the hack is candid about what he doesn't know about the full implementation of GPS on the Epic:

All you did was run his hack and pretend that you do know things the developer does not pretend to know himself.
[Epic 4G General] kaotikevo:
I heard a rumor that the reason the tv-out was disabled on the Samsung Epic 4G is because of Sprint TV and the Samsung media hub. Sprint asked Samsung to remove it specifically. I hope this is just a rumor and isn't the case. It would be a major bummer if something so important is disabled for 2 apps barely anyone will use. Hell, the media hub doesn't even work itself.

If the phone is crippled due to Sprint TV, it looks like another bonehead move on Sprint's part. They never get things right. One f-up after another, and I'm sick of it. They always get my hopes up for a device only to mess it up in the end. This is the reason they lose so much subs quarterly. Looks like I'm officially no longer hyped about this phone unless this is addressed. I'm hopeful it's just a rumor and we do end up getting tv-out.
[Epic 4G General] itsmebryan:
Budda has a point and I get it. Until you have the Epic in hand most of what you are saying is an educated guess. Because it has different hardware then what you are testing. The aGPS may be faster the Epic than, the GSM phones you tested. I have a fuze now and I think even with the epic's "problems" It's still one of the better phones out there. I know it will be better then my 2.8" LCD and WM 6.5. w
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
No I dont have the Broadcom GPS drivers from the epic but if they where the new drivers the epic would not have gps issues. The new driver is not even done and its being made for 2.2. I used Common sense to figure that it does not have the new driver. No i dont have GpsSetup app but it does not fix the gps does it? Even the guy with the epic in this thread said it has gps issue. There are youtube videos of the gps issues with the epic. Can I not ask him if he seen the same issue I seen with the gps files from the epic? I was just trying to comfirm my resaults even if they are not 100% correct i just wanted to know.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
In other words, you are just making stuff up.
[Epic 4G General] othan1:
I've read more posts, reviews and opinions from Advocates and reviewers who state that the GPS on the Epic is pretty close to perfect and does not suffer from the issues the others have.

I will take their word over someone who doesn't have a phone and has attempted to hack pieces together. Just because you take a Fiero and use a Ferrari kit on it doesn't make it a Ferrari.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
For the record, at this point I am unwilling to take the word of either one. Until I see some rigorous testing with peer-reviewed results posted here on the forums, and hopefully get a chance to field-test an Epic myself, I withhold judgment.

I have seen too many "reviewers" or end users who haven't a clue about how to put the GPS though its paces post half-assed anecdotal impressions that "it works perfectly" or "it's broken." Recall that all the "reviewers" missed the GPS problems on the Vibrant and Captivate for weeks, because their "reviews" were little more than glorified unboxing events.

At least Samsung has made the public statement that the GPS on the Epic has been "tested and validated," apparently differentiating its status from where the Vibrant and Captivate variants stand today -- they are still awaiting firmware in September. But neither Samsung nor Sprint will confirm that the "tested and validated" version has, in fact, been installed on the Epic units being shipped for Aug. 31 delivery.

So I will wait for more evidence before deciding.
[Epic 4G General] a454nova:
Agreed, and that really goes for most of the other items up for debate. Same deal it seems. We'll find out by our own on the 31st.
[Epic 4G General] ickwonder:
So I'm confused now what does and doesn't the epic have compared to the other galaxy s phones
[Epic 4G General] othan1:
Sorry I wasn't clear. I was saying that given a choice only between the two (there are three choices), I would choose the others. However, like you, I will choose the third option and believe the truth when I see the truth for myself.

That truth will be revealed after the longest seven days I've encountered since I believed in Santa Claus.
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
Yup you are right. The gps is fixed with the new driver thats not released and the epic has no gps issues.

LOL!

"nice feature set, 4G, but GPS is worst of any smrtphne."

by NJDriver on August 17, 2010

Pros: 4g, sweet screen, decent battery life, keyboard when you want it, good camera, video calls. Sprint's reasonable voice and data rates, unless you live in an area without their unique 4G, Wimax

Cons: GPS has many problems. Fixes currently suggested by Samsung do not persist after a reset, and do not affect actual GPS problems but just help get inaugurate estimated fix

Summary: I don't have anything to add to all the good reviews of the features of the phone, they are spot on. But GPS is a mess.I was worried about GPS so I did some testing over at my local sprint store with the person there who gets assigned a phone early. The Epic for a fact has the same two different GPS problems as the other Galaxy phones, nothing has been fixed. it is essentially useless for accurate GPS. You can go into the settings and get teh approximate location working but you cannot get the Epic to constantly performed with real aGPS. It is not getting position form satellites, but only a poor estimate from Sprint. We checked through a couple of device resets, and giving it time in case the problem was just a a startup problem. It is more than that. Samsung says it is testing some fixes, but that begs the question of why this phone is now being sold if the fixes will be easy, given they have been known for months in the other Galaxy models.

"Costly data plan?"

by vansmackCA on August 19, 2010

Pros: Obviously, if you need/want a full keyboard and a 4 inch screen, this phone has the market cornered.

Cons: TouchWiz UI is not a slick as other UI's, but it's not awful. The GPS error is a little unforgivable in 2010, but they promise a fix soon.

Summary: I have some concerns about the use of "costly data plans" as a con for the phone in the CNET review. It's only "costly" if you're a current Sprint subscriber, and by "costly" Nicole means $10 more a month. Compare Unlimited plans of Verizon, T-Mobile and at&t, even with the additional $10 charge, and Sprint is still cheaper than the other three. That's a bit unfair, especially as we have yet to see what the others will do with their 4G networks when/if they have them up and running.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08rxVn7YQug

No need to replay boomerbubba I am not going to fight with you any more. There is no point in it. I asked a question to kennethpenn anyway not you.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
Hmm. This review, reporting a test of an early copy of an Epic, was published on Aug. 17.

But the date stamp on all the files of the full Epic dump (the one used in the hack you tried) is Aug. 19!

Sounds like that pre-release sales demo unit already has been superseded by newer software at least once.

Whackamole again! You already posted that youtube link, and I already responded. That so-called "test" was done inside a building, where pure satellite GPS is not supposed to work.

But playing Whackatroll is so much fun! Have a nice day.
[Epic 4G General] kennethpenn:
Let me clear the air:

GPS - works FINE. Never had a problem navigating anywhere. Tried it lots of places.

BUT, it is slow to lock on occasionally (30-40 seconds) and it shows an "accuracy range" circle around my navigation triangle... showing that the accuracy is still not completely pinpointed.

So, overall, not as fast/accurate as my MyTouch 3G or G1. BUT, works way way better than my Captivate.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
Thanks. When you get a chance, it would be helpful if you do some more rigorous tests using My Tracks for driving and walking tracks (for which you can upload share a link online at My Maps at google.com)? Also test with utilities such as GPS Test and GPS Status? I suggested more detail in a comment far upthread.

Also, would it be possible for you to determine the date of your phone's build? You don't have to root the phone to do that. Just install the free ES File Manager from Estrongs, go to Settings -> View -> Details. Then go to the root of the directory structure the File Manager lets you view by pressing the / icon. Then look at the date stamp of files called init.rc and recovery.rc.
[Epic 4G General] aim1126:
Thank you for everything kenneth. Would you pick the epic over the evo? Im still debating wether I should sell my evo and buy the epic or not
[Epic 4G General] hydralisk:
Here's an idea.... and is also what I'm doing. Buy the Epic. If you like it, keep it and sell the Evo. If you don't like the Epic, take it back and reactivate your Evo. While I love my Evo, I think I'm going to enjoy the epic a lot more. I've never been this anxious for a freakin phone in my life.
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
I am a little concerned to read Kenneth's observation that the GPS accuracy is not as good as the G1. I also have had a G1, with excellent GPS performance, and one key reason I returned two Vibrants was that they could not match the G1 in side-by-side tracking. Especially walking tracks. The rapid motion of vehicular tracks tend to mask the problems.

That is the beauty of using My Tracks. You can capture tracks in detail. And if you have a benchmark device like the G1, you can even do concurrent testing with both, and share their tracks overlaid at the Google My Maps site for all of us to see.

There is always the question of how accurate is accurate enough. Personally, I do want something as good as the G1, the very first Android ever sold to the public.
[Epic 4G General] aim1126:
Haha that's my plan but my gf would kill me if I didn't sell my evo right after buying the epic lol. Haha I wasn't even this anxious about the evo lol. The cpu and gpu on the epic are just too hard pass up
[Epic 4G General] shep211:
Do you have lag issues? Like when you make a turn it takes a few secs to show you turning? Or is it just locking issues? I can handle locking issues but I hate it when I make a turn then need to make one more fast turn but the gps is lagging and I dont know what way to turn. Very frustrating when turning back around can take 1/2 hr due to traffic.
[Epic 4G General] kennethpenn:
I wrote a new article reviewing the GPS and showing the FIXED GPS locking satellites and finding me in seconds. It shows the difference between the Epic 4G and my Captivate.

http://briefmobile.com/samsung-epic-4g-gps-test

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7PBst2OBCw

@aim1226 ---> I would most definitely pick the Epic 4G over the EVO. Much faster, more capable, and more useable with the nice Super AMOLED.

@boomerbubba ---> I will try "MyTracks" tomorrow!

@shep211 ---> No, the Epic 4G's GPS did not have this problem when I test drove it around my city. It was on par with my turns. My Captivate has had this turn lag since day one.
[Epic 4G General] kennethpenn:
Tested with My Tracks... created a new thread with my results, because people might not be watching this one:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=7832784
[Epic 4G General] othan1:
Because you have disparity between two apps, do you think it's more of the app's programming than the GPS itself? If you had time, would you be able to compare between My Tracks and another walking application such as CardioTrainer? If not, no biggie, I'll deal with it on the 31st.

Thank you for taking the time to post all the information you have.
[Epic 4G General] larryccf:
i mentioned this in another thread - on my Vibrant (totally stock), and suffering the GPS issue badly

when i open google maps (vs 4414) it shows a 500 - 700ft accuracy circle), and locates me way off from actual location. If i open Trapster it locates me spot on, exact. This was all done testing while walking. Trapster is apparently using an earlier version of google maps as the version it opens does not show my street having been "cul de sac'd" at one end - it was closed off about 2 yrs ago. The latest version of google maps does show the cul de sac.

over the past couple days, i've repeated the above comparison with the same results 3X now

before anyone jumps on me, i know this does not address the issue of the bad nmea data output, but something is going on with different mapping apps interpeting the data
[Epic 4G General] boomerbubba:
Thanks. My own GPS-related comments are in that other thread.
[Epic 4G General] xXSecretAgentXx:
Please do a video recorder comparison with the epic vs another galaxy s(captivate/ vibrant) together at the same time so that we can tell how much of the compression has changed
[Epic 4G General] ravizzle:
I heard that it also has a blue notification light when connected to bluetooth, can u confirm?
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gotimekill:
http://www.techtechies.com/20100816...-calendar-problem-with-android-2-2-froyo.html

I am experiencing this issue and wondering if I am not alone...funny thing is that I dont think this was happening on the .3 build but I may be wrong.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gotimekill:
I have verified this issue on another EVO with Froyo.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gotimekill:
Any thoughts on this? Is there another calendar app I can use that is similar?
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] fachadick:
it's a froyo bug on every evo. Try touchdown?
[Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ZeCoder:
Hello,

I would like to know is it possible in someway to use the fonts in windows PC on Galaxy S?

I already tried to copy and rename the fonts then replace but no luck.

What changes I have to do to make this work?

Thanks :)
[Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Bynar010:
Do a search there's already a thread on how to do this.
[Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ZeCoder:
Thanks

I already did that, but what I am looking for is how to make the windows fonts from my pc work on android. Because if I copy the fonts to system/fonts on android it will not simply work. I think it should be converted/changed. I really want to know.

Thanks again
[Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Bynar010:
Again, theres a thread on how to do this, involves a script. No idea what you are doing using your method.
[Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ZeCoder:
Do you mean this

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=735148

?

I know how to change the android font. I use the Root Explorer for that and it did the trick. My problem is when I use a ttf font from any source it will not work while when I use any font that are taken from an andoid ROM and posted in the web it work.

So, what does make the android fonts special? and what I have to do to make any font taken from my PC the same?

Thanks
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] wildcard:
Do new / refurbished EVOs come with 2.2 or do you need to do an OTA update to get 2.2? Reason I ask is that I have 2.2 rooted on my phone and I might have to get a replacement phone... will it come with 2.2 and if it does, I guess I am stuck on unrooted 2.2 until they come out with a root for 2.2?
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] MrWizzu:
i just got a brand new evo today, and yes they are shipping with 2.2.

no root for me till they release one.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] stevako:
my warranty evo came with 2.1 and I did the OTA update
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] sombdy:
Just from reading posts on the forums, most people are reporting getting 2.2 pre-installed on any new or refurbs. It make sense that they would shop with the most up-to-date software package. And unfortunately the root for Froyo may be awhile (if ever with Gingerbread 3.0 just around the corner).
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] mrjkwik:
I just got an insurance replacement, and it had 2.2 preinstalled.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] awesomerobot:
Yeah, I was having issues with my EVO and had to order a replacement - luckily free of charge, but the rep told me that if they get shipped any replacement devices without 2.2 that they are required to update before giving us the phones - total bummer until we get root. I basically had to stand there and watch the guy destroy my hopes of CM6.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Albaholic:
Was this at a sprint store? When I picked mine up, the guy asked me if I wanted him to do the update. I told him no & that I was in a hurry and would do the update later.
[EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] rosario1187:
I pray that it comes with 2.1. I actually lost my fully rooted EVO (long story) so i had to go through Insurance. That was on Tuesday. I STILL DONT HAVE MY PHONE!!!! everyone cross your fingers because i would really miss flashing every ROM and kernel that comes out lol