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Samsung Galaxy S4 announced |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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Yes,when I had the Samsung Ativ S WP8 that had very quiet call quality and poor microphone. The Note 2 was quiet aswell till I discovered the in call sound booster  and Tsepz_GP mentioned it too!!!! The creaky back cover on the Note 2 is a known issue with some units even though generally build is great. The Note 2 does have some issues with some memory cards too. Causes camera freezes etc
[ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2013-08-10 17:01 ] Phone?? What phone?? | |
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Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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On 2013-08-10 14:33:57, Dups! wrote:
Thanks Tsepz_GP!
Clear sound works just the way I wanted it, the phone sounds like it should.
As for the Call and sms blocking, I've tried the options you gave when I got the phone but they aren't what I was looking for. With the P1i I can limit the calls and text messages to the contacts in my phone book. I don't think those options in the S4 give me those options. The Call Blocker app does the exact job I was looking for.
Another thing I am not too pleased about is the signal reception of this phone, I find that it easily loses signal. Where I am currently residing I have a rather unstable signal and the Samsung is the first phone to constantly lose signal. Mind you I have had Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and even BlacBerry with no issues whatsoever.
I have always felt that if it is not a Nokia, Motorola Ericsson/Sony Ericsson it will struggle with reception and I seem to be proven correct- the only other exception is BlackBerry which is quite good in that area, on par with the originators (Motorola, Ericsson and Nokia) of the mobile phone technology.
Hi Dups!
WRT, Call and SMS blocking, you can block Contacts.
For calls, go to Settings -Call -Call Rejection -Auto Reject list -Create -then select the Contacts icon on the right, next to the text field, it allow picking from Contacts and Log.
For SMS, go to Messages -Menu button -Settings -Spam message settings -Add to spam numbers -Add -select the Contacts icon. Hope that helps.
WRT signal, haven't had any issues with my GS4, reception has been great even in areas where Vodacom has bad spots, I've seen it keep atleast 2bars.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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I must admit the latest Samsung phones in my experience have been alot better for solid signal than Samsung used to be.
Phone?? What phone?? |
Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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@Tsepz_GP
I have decided to go with the Call block app, I find that Samsung's way of going about this issue is too long for my taste.
I have moved from Vodacom, as you might recall me mentioning it some time in 2010. Cell C is spoty here and there but I have never experienced problems I am experiencing with the S4.
also, what is it with the S4 adding a "b" in front of a number in my phonebook? I had to edit almost all my numbers because of the irritating b's on my numbers.
It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Long as that works for you Dups
That's very odd, mine has never added 'b' to any of my contacts, that could be due to an app that deals with your contacts, very weird though.
All
Anyone finding themselves using the IR Blaster on their GS4 or Htc One more and more? I mean at 1st I used it to mess around with friends TVs and Home theatre systems  but lately? I've actually setup our Technics and Yamaha home theatre systems, Samsung & Sony bravia TVs and Samsung Blu-ray player, all thats missing now is my own Euroline tv and Multichoice set-top box, once WatchOn supports both I won't need any remotes, just my GS4 madness! Tech is going to make us super lazy, so weird, my smartphone quite literally controls other gadgets now. 
I hope the smartphone makers don't abandon the IR Blaster again, in the long run it's going to be very useful.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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Out of curiosity, Tsepz, do you save your numbers in the interantional format, ie, +27...? All those numbers that were saved in that format inherited the "b" at the beginning just after the +.
I sometimes use my phone as a remote, used to use that function on my P910i. I, however, use the phone less than my remotes.
It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Dups
My numbers are saved in both ways depending on how I get them, some with the +27 and others without it, never had the ones with international code do that though.
All
So the Premier League is back (MAN UNITED FTW!!!! ) and with it has come a motherload of Samsung GS4 advertising  I have NEVER seen so much marketing go in to a phone, has anyone noticed the 'GALAXY S4' branding sitting at the bottom left during games, opposite the BPL branding? It switches between 'SAMSUNG' and 'GALAXY S4' every few minutes and then every ad break you see a S4 and S4 mini advert. The Group Play advert especially has been done to death, lol, and then there's Chelsea, who are sponsored by Sammy, and with Mourinho back are season favourites for many, that entire game yesterday was a bombardment of Samsung marketing.
I'm not sure if this is all just here in SA or globally, if globally then it makes me wonder what Samsung's competitors are thinking, I'm pretty sure as I write this many European, Middle Eastern, Latin and African HQs of OEMs such as LG, Sony, Htc, Huawei, Nokia etc...Are holding major meetings on how to tackle this.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Got a call this morning from Samsung customer service who were:
1. Following up on my ADH Registration to see that I understood how the ADH cover works WRT water damage, cracked screen etc...and where to go to claim.
2. Selling ADH Plus service, this is to cover loss and/or theft of your Galaxy S4 at just R49pm.
Fortunately my GS4 is already insured from day1, that's one of the 1st things I do after getting such an expensive gadget, but I must say, that R49pm is a great deal, very tempting, Samsung should've launched the GS4 with both ADH and ADH Plus, not just the former, as many of us would've signed up on launch day, but whatever, it's never too late, I hear this thing is flying off the shelves on all local networks.
Hmmm...very tempted to drop my insurance and get Samsung's ADH Plus coverage.
Dups, have you got ADH for your GS4? If not, go to Play Store, download the ADH app and register, customer service will then call you within about a week or so.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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No, I don't have the insurance, but the ladies I work with definitely need it
Three ladies, one with the S3 and two with Notes I, have already cracked their screens. I dropped mine once but on the carpet and it suffered no scratches or dents.
Sadly, this will be my first and last Samsung due to poor signal reception. I have tried someone's S4 and even the S3 and both are not up to scratch in terms of signal. A phone has to be a phone first for me and then it can be all other things thereafter. Eircsson/Sony Ericsson's dead, BlackBerry's as good as dead, Motorola is waiting for whatever and Nokia is struggling. This leaves me with Sony, partly because they are still using Ericsson's patents and technology in the area of telephony.
For the time being I will use the S4 and will be getting the Q10 but afterwards I guess I will have to go for Sony and maybe Nokia if things pick up for them.
As a mobile device the S4 is a fine device but as a phone it is not quite there.
[ This Message was edited by: Dups! on 2013-08-20 17:02 ] It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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@Dups your now running out of options Sony do have great reception and call clarity on many of their latest handsets & their microphones that you speak into are very sensitive and pick up voices well. I noticed this when I had the Xperia T(HD voice) and Xperia P & U. Some of the worst handsets now for signal are Nokia Lumia's which surprises me but I always get crap reception with them.
Phone?? What phone?? |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Dups, funny enough, me and the Samsung employee had a bit of a laugh about that, talking about how the latest smartphones can just shatter with one drop, they just aren't built like they used to be anymore, gone are the days of the tough resistive displays and large bezels. I like how Samsung are dealing with this though, most other phone makers don't even have the resources to be considering such services.
Sorry to hear about the Galaxy S4 not working out for you, personally haven't had any signal issues with any of my Samsungs.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Miss UK
Joined: Jan 11, 2003
Posts: > 500
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@ dups. iPhone 5S or 5C lol
An "Apple" a day keeps the Doctor at Bay! |
Dups!
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: GMT +2
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@Bono
Yes, I am really running out of phones which saddens me. I am actually surprised that you say the Lumia experience you had is one of poor reception. I trust Nokia in the reception stakes, in fact, even in call quality I rate the best. The Lumia 920 my brother has has the best quality I have heard on a phone. I agree with you on Sony, the Ericsson technology serves them well in signal quality, I can't believe how my old P1 can hold on to a signal better than some of the newer phones.
@Tsepz_GP
You don't know how I tease the ladies about their cracked screens. I sometimes feel bad cause they love their phones. Only one of them has insurance but I don't know if it the one you mentoned. At this stage, only Samsung can stop the Samsung runaway train. Nokia killed itself while Sony Ericsson imploded so it is still possible for Samsung to screw up. If, one day, they manage to fix their signal issues I may give them a try again.
@Miss UK
There's another phone that is a wonderful mobile device but not quite there as a phone.
It's not what you do or even how you do it but in what state of mind you do it: Dups! 2009 |
Miss UK
Joined: Jan 11, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Lol dups then your out of options best stick to
Those Samsung's then 
An "Apple" a day keeps the Doctor at Bay! |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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Well,am unsure why it's that way but Lumia phones i have had all have had average to poor reception compared to Nokia of old. The worst was the Lumia 800.
Phone?? What phone?? | |
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Posted: 2013-08-10 17:43
