All about Smartphones and Tablets...

[Stuart]

Okay guys, seriously now, I eventually rooted this phone and installed a custom ROM and it's still freezing and rebooting all the time.

Does that automatically equate to hardware fault, or can something else be investigated first?

[Tribble]

What apps do you have running on it? I know many people with SIII and they do not have your problems.
Send it in and tell them to fix it.

[GreyWolf]

Okay guys, seriously now, I eventually rooted this phone and installed a custom ROM and it's still freezing and rebooting all the time.

Does that automatically equate to hardware fault, or can something else be investigated first?

• You're holding it wrong
  Stop trying to access iTunes and/or the Apple app store, use Google play
  It uses the standard usb connector, stop forcing the Apple one into it

Otherwise yeah, you probably have a faulty device. Not even my Arc rebooted unexpectedly.

[SykomantiS]

Okay guys, seriously now, I eventually rooted this phone and installed a custom ROM and it's still freezing and rebooting all the time.

Does that automatically equate to hardware fault, or can something else be investigated first?

Of the 6 poeple I know who have S3's, none of them have ever said a word about rebooting, or any issues or errors, so I'm going to say its hardware.

[Anakha56]

Yeah Stu I think it is hardware as well. Mine has never rebooted or froze when on stock firmware with a stock kernel. I do have something to add though about the contacts situation. I recently made the jump to CM10.2 and all my contact issues are gone hell even the dialer is better. So bye bye Samsung Touchwizz and hello CM10.2 .

[Stuart]

Huawei open to Nokia deal but says Windows mobile remains weak

Huawei would consider buying Nokia to help it become the world’s leading smartphone maker, according to the head of the Chinese telecom group’s consumer business.

“We are considering these sorts of acquisitions; maybe the combination has some synergies but depends on the willingness of Nokia. . . .”

. . .

“Whether Windows Phone [will be] successful is difficult to say – it has a very small market share. [Windows Phones] are weak but still require a licence fee. That’s not good. Android is free.”

[GreyWolf]

Say what you like about the Nokia / MS partnership, the Lumia 1020 is an AMAZING piece of kit

It’s almost shocking in 2013 to see real engineers pushing the limits and producing something with the capacity to startle.

Last week we saw one of Europe’s biggest tech companies, Nokia, do just that, with its Lumia 1020 phone.

Link to article.

[wit_skapie]

Okay guys, seriously now, I eventually rooted this phone and installed a custom ROM and it's still freezing and rebooting all the time.

Does that automatically equate to hardware fault, or can something else be investigated first?

Which ROM did you load? And did you use Odin? Helly Bean isn't too bad, just a bit behind on the Note 2.

[ryanrich]

So my damn iPhone 5 was lost/stolen on Saturday night.

Using my old iPhone 4 for now, but it's just not cutting it, can't go back to that. Luckily my contract is up for renewal, but the only decent deal is the Galaxy S4, so looks like I'll be trying out Android again.

Was so damn depressed yesterday, lol, definitely getting cellphone insurance now.

[Stuart]

So my damn iPhone 5 was lost/stolen on Saturday night.

Using my old iPhone 4 for now, but it's just not cutting it, can't go back to that. Luckily my contract is up for renewal, but the only decent deal is the Galaxy S4, so looks like I'll be trying out Android again.

Was so damn depressed yesterday, lol, definitely getting cellphone insurance now.

I'd get another iPhone 5.

And insurance.

And update my sig.

[StarBound]

You have an ipad. Why not track your phone?

[ryanrich]

You have an ipad. Why not track your phone?

Have done so, it was off within 10 minutes of me noticing it was gone. I set it to erase when it connects to the net but so far it still hasn't been online.

iPhone 5S should be announced next month so I might just wait a bit...

[Stuart]

iPhone 5S should be announced next month

and then released in SA . . .

[ryanrich]

iPhone 5S should be announced next month

and then released in SA . . .

Normally 2 or 3 months after announcement.

[Stuart]

iPhone 5S should be announced next month

and then released in SA . . .

Normally 2 or 3 months after announcement.

Which means you'll wait till Christmas? I repeat: I'd just get an iPhone 5.

[GreyWolf]

I had a good go with an 820 this weekend. All I can say is: wow! That is one SLICK interface! I really really like how things flow. iOS and Android feel like something made in the last century with their icon grids. MS just have to work on their app store and peripheral integration and I honestly think they will have the best mobile OS. No troll.

[ryanrich]

I had a good go with an 820 this weekend. All I can say is: wow! That is one SLICK interface! I really really like how things flow. iOS and Android feel like something made in the last century with their icon grids. MS just have to work on their app store and peripheral integration and I honestly think they will have the best mobile OS. No troll.

I agree, it's a slick interface but the lack of apps is a deal breaker for me.

Ended up going with a Galaxy S4 for now. Played around with a few and the HTC lost out because of my previous experience with them updating the OS, or should I say not updating it, and also the lack of accessories and replaceable battery.

Was between the Xperia Z and GS4 and the GS4 won in the end because the deal was just better. Xperia Z very similar in a slightly different form factor. I also found the Xperia has a good direct viewing angle but as soon as you turn it slightly that goes to crap. GS4 was just a better all rounder in the end.

Looking forward to trying out Android again, because man alive it's gotten much better since my GS2 days. If I don't like it and somehow the iPhone 5S is amazeballs, my other contract is due for upgrade next month.

[KALSTER]

I am looking to get a Tablet. I started out looking for one just to do some reading, but the more I research, the more I want better and better specs for as little money as possible.

As it stands I have a few options: either buy in SA with greatly reduced specs, or buy from China or such with much better specs.

Having read about the various chipsets, the sweet spot atm for me in terms of OK performance and reduced price seems to be either a Rockchip RK 3188 chipset or an Allwinner A31 or A31s chipset.

The RK3188 runs a quad core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU at various speeds in the range of 1.5GHz and with a Mali-400MP4 GPU running at 533MHz.

The Allwinner A31 and A31s runs a quad core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU at 1.2GHz (the same as the second power saving CPU in the S4), with the PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU.

Looking at benchmarks, the PowerVR SGX544MP2 is quite a bit more powerful than the Mali-400MP4 GPU, but the Cortex-A9 CPU is again quite a bit faster than the Cortex-A7 CPU. As I understand it, the A7 is a newer CPU than the A9, so I was seriously thinking of just overclocking it a bit, which would make the Allwinner A31 chipset the clear winner.

I can get fairly decent looking 10.1" or 9.7" versions of either for less than $200, which would exclude import duties and such, but the expenditure would be split overt two months (month delivery time in my experience), so that doesn't bother me.

It means though that if I decided to go for one of these chipsets, then I could get a fairly decent tablet for less than R2.5k. These tablets all come with IPS screens, some of them even with Retina displays, and come with Jelly Bean 4.2.2, or are upgradable, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 16GB storage. Only problem is with Warranty. It would probably mean I'd have to post the broken tablet to China to get it exchanged.

If I go local, I'll have to settle for a much slower tablet. TakeAlot has a 9.7" Proline RK3066 based tablet with duel core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP2 GPU, 1GB of RAM, weak 3000mAh battery and 16GB storage for R2,099.00 and it comes with a 1 year warranty.

Do any of you have experience with various chipsets or have a better local deal for me?

Thanks!

[GreyWolf]

the Xperia has a good direct viewing angle but as soon as you turn it slightly that goes to crap.

I don't understand this about Sony. We all know that they can make great screens, so why not put one in your flagship phone?

On another note, got updated to 4.2.2 about 3/4 weeks ago. So happy about that.

[SykomantiS]

Kalster,

I'm not so sure about tablets, their software upgradeability and how well they integrate with the whole Google framework. I'm saying this because my aunt bought a Chinese phone with ICS on it. Similar in spec to the newer phones, though I'm not 100% sure on the details. The problem is, for instance, no support for Playstore or even the Google Services Framework (they basically stripped out some of the core software functionality). She wanted some apps that I can't remember now but needless to say, it was a ***** getting any kind of solution. In the end I did manage to install AppBrain so she has at least some sort of an option to download apps. If I had the time and resources I could probably root it and get to to resemble a more 'normal' phone but then I couldn't risk bricking the phone as there were no rooting kits I could find for it.

So just keep that in mind when looking at the Chinese stuff- it may say Android on the box but in my experience it's not quite Android like we know it.

On another note, 4.2.2 is so yesterday

[KALSTER]

Thanks SykomantiS

I have heard of problems like these, but the option I am considering all have proper websites where updates are published and Youtube reviews showing that things like the playstore work.

You can never be too careful! Think I'll buy locally though. The possible hassles of ordering from China are just not worth it.

Looking at tablets for sale on Carbonite at the moment that are not the best, but at least come with local warranty, specifically this one: http://www.digitalwolf.co.za/10-inch/ai ... ips-tablet

[SykomantiS]

That's actually not half-bad. Is that thing on vanilla Android or does it come with manufacturer bloatware?

[KALSTER]

That's actually not half-bad. Is that thing on vanilla Android or does it come with manufacturer bloatware?

Not too sure. I'll probably uninstall any bloatware though. I think it is already rooted, if I am not mistaken.

The GPU it uses is not the best though, so it won't play any hard core Android games properly, but it'll be fine for movies, flash and browsing etc.

[SykomantiS]

Well, if the software can be updated indefinitely (4.3 and onwards), and it really has full Android functionality it would make things really interesting.

If you do end up buying one, I'm really looking forward to your in-depth and extremely detailed review

[KALSTER]

Well, if the software can be updated indefinitely (4.3 and onwards), and it really has full Android functionality it would make things really interesting.

If you do end up buying one, I'm really looking forward to your in-depth and extremely detailed review

Haha, I'll see what I can do. It'll be my first brush with Android (and tablets) to be honest, so I'll do my best.