Samsung Captivate :: Applications Review Thread
Jul 21, 2010
I thought it might be useful to create a thread to suggest apps in. The nature of the forums will determine if this is a good idea or not by whether it gets stickied or buried. I'm new to Android and we're all new to the Captivate (sans Galaxy S owners). I suggest that we keep to 4 simple posting guidelines to make this thread as useful as possible. You can add material, but give us these as a minimum guideline. If you can, update your post if your experience changes after you post. 1. 1 app per post. The idea is to give a single post that gives at least a basic review of a given app. Not a 10 thread "discussion". just a single post. Please dont repeat app reviews. We can start a thread for individual apps. 2. Please only review apps you have personally installed and used a bit. Not "some guy you know", not "this friend of mine", not even "I knew this alien once who...". Personal experience, with the app, on this phone only. 3. Please avoid commenting on other posts. By definition, this isnt a "right or wrong" thread and if the posting rules are followed, at least 1 person had those actual, literal results. 4. If you can give a very brief description of what type of user you are (heavy, lite, etc) and what kind of environment you're in most of the time (Inside office, driving, etc), this will help others adjust your experiences based on their environment and usage.
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Jul 18, 2010
Just wanted to start a hard case review. Anyone got a hard case yet? Will seidio make one for this phone? How about screen protectors? I'm assuming the steinheil crystal for the regular galaxy s they have on the website won't fit?
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Sep 24, 2010
Attack of the Show is going to review the Samsung Captivate on G4 at 7p.m or (4.pm eastern) I predict they will give it a 4 out of 5 simplt because of flash..because thats what they gave to the Verizon version just because of the lack of flash...but who cares about flash? it deserves a five
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Oct 14, 2010
I just got a Captivate on Tuesday and I thought I'd give my initial impressions and review of it. I noticed I couldn't find a lot of information about users going from the iPhone 3GS to the Captivate, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation, so what the heck. Here goes:
Why I Switched:
I'm no noobie to the iPhone/iPod touch OS. I was a 1st gen owner of an iPod Touch, and then I bought a 3GS last August. For starters, I was never "disappointed" in my iPhone. Everything worked as advertised: it was relatively quick, very reliable; it basically did whatever I wanted it to do. It was also one of the most polished devices I've worked with. However, being the power user that I am, it got boring. I jailbroke it, and while that was fun, I just wanted something more. Little things like changing my icons, or making my iPhone look different than everyone else's were things Apple didn't want me to do. iTunes was a PITA overall. I want to drag and drop stuff, not sync this and sync that and lose everything else that it overwrites. Quite simply, the phone was just too watered down for my likings. One of my biggest pet peeves about it was the home screen. You have the app icons and your dock. That's all. It was TOO simple.
I've been drooling over these high-end Android phones since mid summer when I realized how much more I could do with an Android phone. Too bad ATT didn't have any of them, that was, until the Captivate. Sure, touchwiz didn't look all that appealing (why on earth would I want to move from an iPhone to an Android, only to be greeted with an iPhone-like interface?), but overall, it still looked quite promising.
First Impressions:
AMOLED. Enough said. It is a gorgeous screen. The colors pop, it's perfect sized, I love it. The build quality was respectable too. It felt solid in my hand. I love the low profile look of it to be honest. Very sleek. After admiring the outsides, I delved into the beauty of Android customization. Finally, I could chose which apps stayed in my Application menu and which went to my homescreen. No more clutter, pure organization to MY tastes. I can put Widgets? This is great! Within 20 minutes of playing with my phone, I called my friend (who kept telling me to dump the iPhone for an Android phone) and said "Why didn't I get this phone earlier?". It was clear, I'd been converted. I knew that this phone was going to satisfy all the hungers that the iPhone had left me with. Needless to say, I've been converted. Goodbye IOS, hello Android
The Switch from IOS to Android:
The switch wasn't perfect though. It took time to get used to the Menu/Options capacitive button. I kept forgetting that I had to press that within each app to see that app's specific settings menus. The keyboard also felt a bit different, but I soon was typing close to the same speed. Also, Android doesn't feel as polished as IOS in some ways. Things are a tad clunkier, less smooth and fancy animations, etc. The browser is very "featureless" compared to Safari also. I miss the tabs style and overall fluidity of Safari. It seems to take 5 clicks to do what I could do in one in Safari. Most noticeable though, what's up with the stock SMS app? IMO, it's garbage. It felt so unpolished and undeveloped. By my second day, I downloaded Handcent SMS and configured that to my likings. That's what I love. I don't like something? Change it. It's Android, you can do that Despite these minor annoyances, I've grown accustomed to the phone in a matter of 2 days.
Last Words:
Am I happy with my decision, despite the road bumps? I certainly am. The phone is an eye-popper. I pulled it out to show my friends and they are like "Oh hey that's pretty coolOMG" as soon as I turn the screen on. I've certainly impressed quite a few people, Droid owners, and even some iPhone owners. There are still some things I prefer about my iPhone, but after using this phone, the pros of it definitely outweigh the cons. There is always room for updates and improvements to fix the minor annoyances.
Within the last two days, I've really fine tuned the phone to my tastes, something the iPhone wouldn't let me do. I've downloaded LauncherPro (which is fantastic), put some new widgets on my screen, downloaded the right apps. It's the little things that count, especially for me.
Change the scroll speed between screens? Check
Change app icons on the dock? Check
Change the amount of docks? Check
Fine tune the look of the phone to your preference? Check
The list goes on and on. It's these little things, along with the big things, of course, that drew me towards the Captivate (Android) and away from the iPhone.
Is the Captivate for you:
Very simple:
Do you want a powerful phone with games and apps that you can customize to nearly any way you want it? Get the Captivate
Are you a power user? Get the Captivate.
Do you want a phone with games and apps, but didn't understand half of the stuff I talked about in the previous sections and don't want to deal with all the technical mumbo jumbo? Get the iPhone.
Last, I thought I'd finish it off with a list of pros and cons if you don't feel like digging through all of the information above. Also, I missed some smaller stuff that I figured I'd just toss on this list.
Pros
The AMOLED screen is amazing
Customization
Very open (compared to the iPhone)
Camera is very good for a cell phone (video and pictures)
Feels solid in hand
Customization
Battery life is close to my 3GS (with a couple of hours of "hard" usage, I'me at 20% by the end of the day)
Customization (getting the hint?)
The notification bar is awesome
Lockscreen (I like the puzzle pieces and music integration)
Cons
Some parts feel unpolished compared to the iPhone (browser, SMS)
Touchwiz (it's good for what it is, but it's a bit sluggish and much too iPhone-like)
Facebook (the app is very underdeveloped coming from the iPhone)
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Jul 21, 2010
I picked up a gadget guard (full body) for 13.97 from eBay user jusage. You can also order it from iPhone, iPod, Cell Phone, Cases, Screen Protectors, Shields, Covers by Invisible Gadget Guard.
So I received this, steamed up a room for 10 minutes and then made a little bit of a solution (water and a drop or 2 of dish soap) I then began the process to apply it. Trust me, this isn't easy to apply. The video makes it seem easy but it is actually pretty hard. Now as of now the screen has some soap/water bubbles that are under, but it was pretty easy to squeegee out the big air bubbles. I finished that, but then it slid off again so I had to reapply. After this, I went to the battery cover and I put it on. The back was really easy to apply, I just put it on right onto place and it fit perfectly. The bottom of the back was fairly simple to put on because it runs a little bit small. Now the camera one comes attached to the sides and I tried to put it on. It was WAY to big. The hole for the camera was pretty big, but the sides went way over and just didn't fit at all. Then I tried to put the front cover (over the 3.5 and the bottom) and it just didn't fit at all. The actual product itself is okay ( I honestly hope that the bubbles go away) and it isn't to resistant. It is just about the same feel of the invisible shield.
Overall- I would recommend several other products over this. Personally, I would choose the invisible shield over this. It is much easier to put, and just a better product (the invisible shield is what I mean). I would also suggest the screen protector's from AT&T because I have put them on my past devices. So would I buy this case again? Probably not...
Feel- 7/10
Applying- 3/10 (pretty hard to put on well)
Look- will keep you updated
Look in the sun- will keep you updated
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Aug 29, 2010
well a couple of questions actually. So first is it possible to only view pictures taken by the camera when I press the review button in the camera app? for example, not only do the pictures I take come up but also pictures of wallpapers and other saved images located in different folders show up. I also wanted to know if it was possible to have the take picture button be moved to the hold button.
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Jul 23, 2010
First I recommend installing Home Switcher which will allow you to more easily switch between launchers if you choose to do so. From within the program you can see how easy it is to switch between them and/or make one the default.Once you have set your preferred launcher, go back to the home screen and you should see that your dock has changed to something similar to the next screen shot.To change the settings hit the MENU soft key (beneath the screen) and you should see this:Click on Preferences and that gives you access to all of the settings to customize the look & feel of Launcher Pro.To change the items in the dock, press and hold on the item you want to change. You will see a pop up that looks like the following:To change the item, choose one of the selections in that list and then follow the on screen directions.
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Sep 22, 2010
Has anyone noticed the following after the update?YouTube has a new stock home page widget which shows most popular videos ( that seems to mean that it is constantly checking now)The screen brightness is darker. I always have the screen set as low as it can go (I use quick settings) but now it appears darker then before.
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Sep 22, 2010
We need to keep it down to one or two threads, it's kinda getting out of hand in here For those searching for info, and especially for newbies or non techies it can really confuse.
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May 18, 2010
We are looking for a few people to post one or two or however many they want application reviews. Basically all we ask is that you review an application in the same way that we do and in return you can place a link to your blog, website, forum etc (as long as its appropriate or linked to a competing application reviewing site). You can review any application as long as your not bias and own the application. We get thousands of visitors and so it is good exposure for you and your website.
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Jul 21, 2010
so on top of getting a free version of Quickoffice, we also now have Desk Home and Car Home for the captivate.The Desk home is much like the screen you see when the original Galaxy S was put in the Home station and car home looks very handy to see and works, of course, in both landscape and portrait mode.
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Aug 10, 2010
I have had the Captivate since the first day it launched and love it. It would be nice to have a central area for wallpaper sharing.
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Aug 30, 2010
Sirius XM Apk (awesome 7 day fre trial available)
Sirius/XM app available now - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum
Lets get a list of apks going for everyone keep adding to it and share your favs. Maybe even a sticky pls!
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Mar 11, 2010
We know Google Android phone is best phone where we can use different application without paying anything and here again I come with 4 quality application review for you.
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Jul 10, 2010
When I had my iPhone I always went to a site like ilounge.com, what is the most popular site for the Droid that reviews apps / accessories?
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Aug 28, 2010
They mail app next to the web app? The generic app sux ass
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Jul 19, 2010
I picked up my captivate on launch day and its my first android device, so far I love it!
Anyway quick question, since AT&T blocks off apps such as PDAnet and WiFi tethering apps of the market place, if I were to root, would I be able to get one of these apps? WiFi tethering is really important to me, I always used it on my old phone.
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Jul 31, 2010
I tried to download a program away from the android apps page--ereader from ereader.com and was told that the phone was set to not let it download form anything except android app or att apps. Is this right and is there a way to disable it if it is true? I want to download a St. Louis Cardinals baseball app from the Str. Louis Post newspaper and want to know if it will work before I pay for the app.
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Nov 17, 2010
Looking for help over in the Troubleshooting section. Phone is not able to download apps (has been "downloading" for a long time with no success). I'm assuming I have a setting that needs to be changed. What is preventing me from adding apps.
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Aug 31, 2010
Ive done a lot of searching, and cant find exactly what Im looking for, so Ill turn to the forum. I have a vista machine that has about 400 gigs of music. we are a pc family so my media folders are shared via the wireless network. Is there an app/player that would allow me to browse my shared pc folders and playlist and allow me to stream this music and video? The closest I could find is an app called subsonic. Its not quite what im looking for. samsungs allshare is very basic. subsonic can be a bit complicated for folks that dont know how to set up port forwarding and static lan ip's and also, any apps that would let your phone control windows media player?
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Nov 4, 2009
Phandroid's Extensive Droid Review with Video Review
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Oct 4, 2010
Any ideas on how to free up space without deleting apps? I really like One Click Lag Fix, I don't wanna get rid of it just for space reasons. I was just looking using Root Explorer and there are some massive files in /data/fota. What are they? I have 3 files, fota.status, (Size 36) and fota_delta_dp1 and fota_delta_dp2 both size 62914560. That seems like a lot, I'm guessing it's measured in bytes so that'd be 60 megabytes or so, so 120 total. Are they safe to remove, seems like the results from the over-the-air update.
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Jul 20, 2010
I have rooted my captivate, but don't know how to use it yet! I am still a newb to this! But I found and application called "tattachapkinstaller" where it lets you install apps from gmail. But the problem is when I tried to use the app it would say "install blocked: for security, your phone is set to block installation of application not sourced in android market". I thought rooting the phone will allow me to?
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Jul 31, 2010
I'm looking to pick up a Captivate in the next couple days out of contract, hoping an Android phone will give me better Google Apps Premier integration compared to my BB 9700. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of info on Premier users and Android phones, but I'm trying to figure out if the 2 really play well with each other or not. Does anyone here have any experience with this? I've read on a few places that the only way people are getting good integration between phone and Premier is when they use their Premier email to initially set up their phone (which would then become the account holding Marketplace purchases). I don't want to do this since my Premier email is my work email, and I don't want to tie personal purchases (apps in the marketplace) to a work email address I won't own forever.
Has anyone successfully added their Premier email account After they've configured their phone with a default email account? (if that makes any sense). Ideally, I'd like to have my Captivate set up with my personal gmail account by default. Then I'd like to set up my work email (Premier). I'm hoping that if I do this, I'd have my calendar and contacts syncing to my phone from BOTH my personal and work email. Is this something that seems viable? I started looking into Android phones thinking Google Phone to Google Mail would have flawless integration, but haven't found any evidence of that so far.
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Aug 22, 2010
So I just rooted. I am looking for the sweet apps that everyone talks about busybox, SetCPU, Root Explorer, Titanium Backup, WiFi and Wired Tether, etc. Do I have to sideload these, can I find them in the market? Do I need to download something special from the market?
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Nov 3, 2010
I have been having 3G issues on my captivate for a while. I can browse the web just fine and email, text, mms all fine. But downloading apps or things that need continuous internet download (i.e. speed test) will start then stop very slowly. The 3G window in the status bar will then flash occasionally but primarily stay unlit. I've hoped that it would continue to download, but after leaving my phone with the screen off for over an hour with an app downloading (only 2mb) gone from 20kb downloaded to 50kb and my battery went from 80 to 30. This happens for every app I attempt to download over 3G (wifi is perfectly fine) no matter what the size. Any idea why it seems to put the download into the background. I'm currently running cognition mod v2.3b2. This has happened on all versions of cognition I've had. I'm pretty sure it happened while I had stock 2.1 also.
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Jul 19, 2010
For those with the Samsung Captivate, are you able to change the applications that are on the bottom tool bar? I could see switching out the native mail app and putting in the gmail app on that tool bar. Is this possible?
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Jul 26, 2010
Is there a way to view the home screens/apps in landscape? Do I have to install a theme for this?
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Jul 27, 2010
To those sick of seeing the AT&T apps but don't want to root. I bring you a solution! Launcherpro has recently received an update that allows you to hide apps in the apps-drawer. This will allow you to pretend the AT&T apps no longer exist without forcing you to root the phone.
LauncherPro v0.7.1.0 released!
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Sep 22, 2010
I accidentally removed some needed default apps like Where and Gmail. So, I reset the phone via settings and also via boot up menu where you can install update.zip. However, resetting the phone in any way did not bring back the default software! What can I do at this point to get it back?
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