A Short List of Problems with My Droid X after GB Upgrade

[bassislife]

The following is a list of problems that I continue to experience on a daily basis after the Gingerbread update.  Please note that I have cleared the cache multiple times, reset the phone multiple times (once while clearing the SD card and turning off auto-reload).  Additionally, when my screen went black last week, VZW send me a new (refurbished) DX.  It is now experiencing this same list of problems, even after doing a reset with auto-load off yesterday):

• Speaker phone – whenever I use the car dock and headphone jack, which I do every time I drive since I output it into my stereo for music and navigation, the phone goes into speaker phone mode when I remove the phone from the car dock.  The only way to turn it off is to make or accept a call and turn it off.  Most annoying!
• My screen won’t timeout.  I’ve tried changing the settings several times and, no matter the setting, the screen won’t timeout.  If I forget to do so and walk away from the phone, it kills my battery.
• Calendar reminders don’t always work.  I have several recurring reminders set to remind me of pills I need to take, bills I need to pay and meetings I need to attend.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  I can’t quite figure out the pattern, but again, most annoying!
• Random reboots – the phone just reboots on its own every day or so, most often when I put it in the car dock or open up a heavy application like google maps.
• Slow keyboard – when tapping into a text box, the keyboard takes a long time to display.  Sometimes it takes so long I’m not sure I even triggered it, but eventually it shows.
• Choppy screens – when I switch from one screen to the next, it’s very choppy.  Granted, this doesn’t really affect usage of the phone, but my daughter’s iPhone sure doesn’t do this.

There are other little things that happen occasionally, but these are the worst.  It’s really hard to believe that my phone is less than a year old and I’m having these problems.  Motorola really screwed up with the GB release for the DX, and Verizon needs to get on them to keep their customers happy.

Unless I see an update with drastic improvements in the near future, this will be my last Motorola phone and probably my last Android phone.  Haven’t decided where I stand on Verizon yet.

-tom

Cross-posted to Verizon and Motorola user forums.

[vereyezuhn]

I haven't had any of the reported problems (or the ones you've listed) with my X and GB, so it's not a faulty update. There are other users on here who also have not had any issues. You'll only see the bad on here though.

Some of your issues are ones I've never heard of before. That leads me to believe you've got a bad widget or app. Are you currently running any widgets? Those are terrible laggers, and could definitely be the cause of your choppiness when changing screens. Also, turn off any screen animations you have on in your Settings as those can cause this as well.

As far as the keyboard lagging - go to Settings -- Applications -- Manage Applications -- Select your keyboard app and select Clear Cache. Also do this for your texting and email apps. Turn off any vibrate/sound on keypress as that will cause it to lag. And if you can't get it fixed, there are tons of good free keyboard apps in the Market that will fix this. I'd recommend SwiftKey Beta X or Smart Keyboard Pro (but this one has a free trial, and then you can buy) those 2 are excellent keyboards.

I've never heard of anyone reporting that their screen won't time out on its own. That's very odd... I would say just get in the habit of turning it off manually. Actually, I've never let mine time out by itself. I have it set to 30 seconds, but I always push the power button when I'm done. So who knows, I might have this issue too and not even know it

Random reboots could also be because of an app or widget. Have you tried removing your apps as a troubleshoot? That would be my first step. Might eliminate a majority of your problems.

As for the problems I've not listed, I haven't seen those reported on here, so I don't know of anyway to fix them. Hopfeully someone else will know.

[Cody21]

"Choppy Screen" issue - Settings / Display / Animation -  turn it OFF    ... that should help.

(PS - I swear I saw this exact same post yesterday  ...)

[bassislife]

The speaker phone issue I've seen on the motorola forums, so I know it's not just me.  I was able to duplicate this after doing a reset without installing a single app.  Same with the slow responding keyboard and reboot when trying to use google maps (which, if a google phone has a problem with google maps, that's just not right).

While disabling functionality that worked fine in pre-GB may fix the issue, I wouldn't really consider it a solution.

I posted this on the motorola forum as well (which is why you may have thought it was a double post), and got a response suggesting I root the phone and start from scratch.  I work on computers all day.  I just want to have something that works the way it's supposed to.

I LOVED this phone before the GB update...now I can't wait to get rid of it.

[droidsw]

Vereyezuhn, the dozens, maybe hundreds of posts in this forum and the Moto forum about issues with gingerbread and the negative opinions on tech sites, lead to questioning how anyone could say definitively that it was not "a faulty update".

And for the hundredth time, just because your phone and the phones of many in this forum don't and aren't experiencing these problems, that doesn't mean that they don't exist, OR the user is doing something "wrong", OR it is an app.

OP, I have witnessed all of the things you wrote about except the calendar notifications and screen timeout issues you describe.

My screen times out, but intermittently doesn't lock.

Maybe, the rumored "patch" for the "not faulty" GB update will resolve some of the issues (that are apparently just in the minds of some of us).

No, based on the number of posts in this forum and other forums, the issues are real. Why some defend this phone and Moto and GB the way they do, is beyond me. It's a phone.

I like it. Not as much as I used to. But, Moto has a long way to go with the way they roll out updates before I even think about a Bionic.

(Did I say that I prefer root canals to updates?)

[droidsw]

Yes, this is a rumor. But, it's great reading. And, the word "Bug" in the title is an interesting choice of words...............for this "not faulty" update:

Rumor: Motorola Puts Gingerbread Builds on Hold for DROID2, Global, Etc. to Work Out Bugs

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/06/28/rumor-motorola-puts-gingerbread-on-hold-builds-for-droid2-globa...

[vereyezuhn]

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droidsw wrote:

Vereyezuhn, the dozens, maybe hundreds of posts in this forum and the Moto forum about issues with gingerbread and the negative opinions on tech sites, lead to questioning how anyone could say definitively that it was not "a faulty update". Really not sure what you're trying to say here. I know the rest of your post is criticizing ME (for reasons I don't know - I was genuinely trying to help the OP) but I was mentioning the fact that I personally (along with many others on these forums) have never experienced any of the reported GB problems (I can post my opinions here, can't I? You seem to a LOT). In fact, if you read my other posts, I mention that I'd like to take a look at the Settings menus of those who DO have issues, thinking maybe it's a setting they all have in common. If some people don't experience problems with the update, I don't see how ANYONE can call it a definite "faulty" update.

And for the hundredth time, just because your phone and the phones of many in this forum don't and aren't experiencing these problems, that doesn't mean that they don't exist, OR the user is doing something "wrong", OR it is an app. I never once in my post said the OP was doing something wrong, or that his problems didn't exist, and mentioned an app problem MAYBE once or twice - and I notice you mentioned an app suggestion for the SAME REASON I DID. My suggestions were completely circumstantial to the OPs problems.

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Please, leave me out of your slandering responses when I'm only trying to help the OP and get their phone working again. When I come and attack you personally, then feel free to attack me.

[droidsw]

The ONLY comment directed at you Vereyezuhn was your immediate discounting the GB update as being the possible source of the issues the OP was having.  You sternly corrected the OP and stated emphatically that the update was "not faulty" (your words, not mine) when it simply is undeniable that the GB update was ripe with issues.  Hence the now rumored patch to repair these new issues it created.

The other comments were about what many first-time OP's face when they post a question. Not you, but others. They know who they are. Many (not talking about Wildman, but others) and either tell the OP that their own phone has worked perfectly, or (practically everything) is an app-related issue, or the OP is doing something wrong. Sarcastic and/or condescending replies, that I agree, help no one.

None of that was directed at you,Vereyezuhn. Slander is a ridiculous word to use.

Why so defensive? I like this forum and I like this phone and I've never called anyone "Nimrod", or attacked them. I merely point out things that apparently hit a nerve and I am the bad guy?

This phone isn't perfect, largely due to bloatware and questionable apps and updates like GB only further complicate things. I am not drinking the Kool-Aid and denying the flaws of this phone. Fanboy by NO means, but I still like the phone.

If THAT offends some of you, sorry.

[droidsw]

Furthermore, if my post, or any of my posts violated Community Guidelines, they would be censored and/or deleted. The only time anything remotely close to that has happened was when I called iphone users (self edit).

I don't think anyone here is a (self edit), just in denial. This is a phone forum, not Facebook. Definitely, some people gather here to talk about their perfect Droid X and how anyone that has a problem that they can't resolve is doing something wrong. THIS HAPPENS, over and over.

And nevermind the attacks that anyone gets if they come in here and make anything near a negative comment about this phone or Motorola.  Why the paranoia?  Every OP with a recent subscription date and very few posts is NOT an iphone owner, or someone just trying to pick a "fight".

I peruse four different Camaro forums and Mustang owners and Dodge owners dislike, I mean really dislike, Camaros. They come in and try to pick a "fight", but are met with nary a yawn.  We all, them and us, laugh and kid each other. No paranoia. No personal attacks, no typing in different colored fonts.

They are phones. $200 pieces of electronics. Not worth the time arguing, name calling and being so defensive.

I will try to keep my (written) mouth shut, but I do read this forum to read Wildman's answers. I will try to bite my tongue from now on and keep my obviously highly offending posts to myself.

[gerio]

To the OP:

Regarding the lack of screen time-out, it's possible that you have an app that is keeping the screen on for its own purpose, something like a stopwatch app.

Just a thought. And I realize that solving that one problem wont fix the entire phone.

Geri O

[droidsw]

To the OP, live wallpapers will also cause choppy homescreen transitions. And, THAT would be app-related. If you use a live (animated) wallpaper, try a different one.

(I never said apps don't cause conflicts, but they aren't to blame for EVERYTHING wrong with this phone).

[Wildman]

I have to agree with users that the GB isnt perfect but nothing is but on the same not I think the update is getting blamed for number of bugs that are unrelated to the update.   I have noticed that some issues are not viewed as issues but software and feature changes but as soon as one points a feature as a issue then a number of users scream bloody murder.

@OP I understand you frustration when a device doesnt function as expected but that is the pleaseures of technology.

• Speaker phone – whenever I use the car dock and headphone jack, which I do every time I drive since I output it into my stereo for music and navigation, the phone goes into speaker phone mode when I remove the phone from the car dock.  The only way to turn it off is to make or accept a call and turn it off.  Most annoying!

If you still have unit paired with a bluetooth device why would it disconnect when pulled off dock?  Mine always stayd connected when I pulled of dock when I pull it off to look up a contact for person I am on call with..

• My screen won’t timeout.  I’ve tried changing the settings several times and, no matter the setting, the screen won’t timeout.   If I forget to do so and walk away from the phone, it kills my battery.option under debugging

I believe a app could be causeing this issue. Also have you turned checked the Settings / Applications / Development/ Stay Alive

• Calendar reminders don’t always work.  I have several recurring reminders set to remind me of pills I need to take, bills I need to pay and meetings I need to attend.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  I can’t quite figure out the pattern, but again, most annoying!

Are you using any app managers or task killer apps becuase thes apps are known to close scheldule app on device that is required to activate alarms and reminders. If you are using one of these apps disable, remove or exclude schelduling app from being closed.

• Random reboots – the phone just reboots on its own every day or so, most often when I put it in the car dock or open up a heavy application like google maps.

This comes be from a number of things but commonly random reboots is related to apps installed that is exactly compatible with the OS or other apps..

• Slow keyboard – when tapping into a text box, the keyboard takes a long time to display.  Sometimes it takes so long I’m not sure I even triggered it, but eventually it shows.

Try disabling the Vibration and Audio for the keyboard through Settings / Launguage and Keyboard / Multi-Touch Keyboard

• Choppy screens – when I switch from one screen to the next, it’s very choppy.  Granted, this doesn’t really affect usage of the phone, but my daughter’s iPhone sure doesn’t do this.

The default launcher is smoother than older versions of Blur but I agree its not perfect but like reported by others a number of lags come from resource intensive widgets like Tweeter, MySpace and other networking type widgets..

The best solution is to use a replacement launcher like ADW and LLP because they run better and smoother than  stock ui, now as for comparing to *Phone, that is comparing apples and oranges.  You have to consider the apps that you have installed and other items that would effect performance differently.

[bassislife]

Thanks for the replies.  I was able to solve the screen timeout issue: it was Slacker radio, which I usually set to keep the screen on when playing since my phone is usually plugged in when listening.

The speakerphone issue has nothing to do with bluetooth.  I place the phone in my car dock and run a 2.5 cable from the headphone out to my car's aux in.  I've been doing this since I got the phone nearly a year ago.  Ever since GB, when I unplug the wire and pull the phone out of the dock, the little speaker icon shows at the top telling me my phone  is in speakerphone mode. There's no way to take it out of this mode without making or answering a phone call.  Quite annoying when I answer the phone and everyone can hear the conversation until I remember I have to turn the **bleep** thing off.

Reboots - just this morning I put the phone in the car dock and it immediately rebooted.  I was not running anything and the phone had been asleep all night.  It does this about once a day.

I don't run any task managers or killers because Android's don't need them, right?  There's a whole thread on Motorola's forum about the calendar issue.  Missing meetings at work is one thing, missing giving my daughter her daily medicine is something else entirely.

I don't have any vibration or audio feedback on my keyboard.  Never did.  I don't use live wallpaper either.

[jpshufelt]

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bassislife wrote:

Thanks for the replies.  I was able to solve the screen timeout issue: it was Slacker radio, which I usually set to keep the screen on when playing since my phone is usually plugged in when listening.

The speakerphone issue has nothing to do with bluetooth.  I place the phone in my car dock and run a 2.5 cable from the headphone out to my car's aux in.  I've been doing this since I got the phone nearly a year ago.  Ever since GB, when I unplug the wire and pull the phone out of the dock, the little speaker icon shows at the top telling me my phone  is in speakerphone mode. There's no way to take it out of this mode without making or answering a phone call.  Quite annoying when I answer the phone and everyone can hear the conversation until I remember I have to turn the **bleep** thing off.

Reboots - just this morning I put the phone in the car dock and it immediately rebooted.  I was not running anything and the phone had been asleep all night.  It does this about once a day.

I don't run any task managers or killers because Android's don't need them, right?  There's a whole thread on Motorola's forum about the calendar issue.  Missing meetings at work is one thing, missing giving my daughter her daily medicine is something else entirely.

I don't have any vibration or audio feedback on my keyboard.  Never did.  I don't use live wallpaper either.

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I I have seen alot of these same issues (minus the screen time outs which you figured out). Random reboots are annoying. The speakerphone issues I used to have a lot untill i factory reset the phone, It hasnt happned to me since, but to be honest, i havent put my phone in the dock all that much because I have not been driving that car as much lately. I had even forgotten about the whole speakerphone issue heh.  As for the lagging, i elmiated amost all the widgets from my home screen which seems to help. I havent tried turning off animations .. but I think I will do that as I dont really care for them anyhow.

James Shufelt

[davidmanvell]

For the slow responsiveness to the keypad try going into settings/applications/manage applications/All/multi-touch keyboard and clearing the cache and data and see if that helps.

[Wildman]

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bassislife wrote:

Thanks for the replies.  I was able to solve the screen timeout issue: it was Slacker radio, which I usually set to keep the screen on when playing since my phone is usually plugged in when listening.

The speakerphone issue has nothing to do with bluetooth.  I place the phone in my car dock and run a 2.5 cable from the headphone out to my car's aux in.  I've been doing this since I got the phone nearly a year ago.  Ever since GB, when I unplug the wire and pull the phone out of the dock, the little speaker icon shows at the top telling me my phone  is in speakerphone mode. There's no way to take it out of this mode without making or answering a phone call.  Quite annoying when I answer the phone and everyone can hear the conversation until I remember I have to turn the **bleep** thing off.

You can disable bluetooth connection or most units have a option to disconnect connection..  Now if you speak about the device going to speaker phone when you originally had it connected to bluetooth this is common, the best way to aboid that is press the Bluetooth button before taking off dock and this will have it switch to ear peice..

Reboots - just this morning I put the phone in the car dock and it immediately rebooted.  I was not running anything and the phone had been asleep all night.  It does this about once a day.

This usually comes from the dock app, try using Dock Nothingness from the market at https://market.android.com/details?id=net.geekherd.docknothingness&feature=search_result and see if you have this issue, this allows you to make the dock not auto open when placed in dock..  If you still want dock to work you can use dock simulator...

I don't run any task managers or killers because Android's don't need them, right?  There's a whole thread on Motorola's forum about the calendar issue.  Missing meetings at work is one thing, missing giving my daughter her daily medicine is something else entirely.

There can be mixed opinions on this subject, I still believe it can help and hurt depending on the users, with some users it can cause issue because they dont understand the app and its functions, if you are not familiar with them I would consider not using them...  But System Panel has been brought to my attention again by Ann, Gerio and a number other users that made me look into it to monitor system resources and it works well.

Also you can try clearing Alarms and Timers data under Settings / Applications / Manage Applications / All Tabs / Alarms and Timers / Clear Data and reboot...   I am not sure but there is a good chance this could remove any alarms under app but it may help with your issue..

I don't have any vibration or audio feedback on my keyboard.  Never did.  I don't use live wallpaper either.

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