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Annoying GS4 Quirks! Fixes?

Technarchy

Technarchy

macrumors 604
Original poster
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
Been living with the GS4 for 3 days, and will get around to the trite and long-winded GS4 VS iPhone 5 review soon. For now, there are some annoying things about the GS4 and I'm wondering if there is some hidden tweak or fix to smooth out these annoying niggles.

Before anyone asks, only Air Gesture and Smart Stay are on, S-Voice is deactivated from the home button because it is horrible.

All that said, if you have a fix, please post it.


1. Flipboard won't stay signed into Facebook. It prompts me nearly every time. (Ongoing)

2. Spotify is incredibly inconsistent sound levels, and sound effects that randomly turn off and on. I'll be at the Gym and suddenly a song will be blasting, then the next will be low and distorted. (First GS4 was defective. Issue resolved with replacement. The EQ still gets turned off by other apps, but the distortion is gone. The 1st GS4 had a bad DAC and right earphone driver)

3. Chrome is sluggish as hell compared to Chrome for iOS. Actual content loads fine, but the scrolling is choppier, as is zoom, and the portrait to landscape transition is slooooooooowwwwwwwww. (First GS4 was defective. Issue resolved with replacement. Not sure what the story was, but the replacement is zippy. Portaite to landscape transitions rivel the iPhone 5 and Chrome overall is MUCH smoother.)

4. Google Now widget randomly turns off and says "No Cards" and the only way to fix it is to open the Google search app, which reactivates the widget. Or certain cards will just randomly turn off as well. (Google is working normally. It only populates data when you "need it". It does not spam and is not persistent. For example the sports card is off, and then suddenly it started showing me the Yankees and White Sox score while the game was ongoing. Pretty clever actually)

5. Sound balance leans left. (Fix: Accessibility settings, and adjust balance) (Defective earbud driver. Fixed with replacement)

6. Drip sound...make it go away. Any way to turn it off without losing all sound feedback. (Fixed in settings)

7. Disable keyboard vibration completely? It's useless and battery eating. (Fixed in settings)

As I come across things I'll update in this thread...

New Issue added 8/6/2013
8. Crackling and static like distortion when listening to music with headphones. Going to try several different models when I get home to see it makes a difference. This noise was present with Spotify and Google Music. (Fixed with replacement)
 
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I'd also love to know if there's a way to change the drip sound. (I'm on a Note 2 but I presume it's the same thing we're talking about.) I keep system volume at 0 because I hate it.

I've found no way to disable haptic feedback specifically for the keyboard. I keep it at the minimum setting in Settings > Sound > Vibration and rather like that very faint buzz.
 
Michael Goff said:
That wouldn't even solve half the problems this person is having. Google Edition doesn't automatically make apps work better. What makes you think it would?
Click to expand...

So you have to add & emphasise /S after a clearly joking/sarcasm/irreverent post otherwise people don't get it, I see...

;)



MacRumorUser said:
Fix for 1-7 .....

Install the GE Rom :)
Click to expand...
/S

..... is that any better now ?
 
MacRumorUser said:
So you have to add & emphasise /S after a clearly joking/sarcasm/irreverent post otherwise people don't get it, I see...

;)




/S

..... is that any better now ?
Click to expand...

See, the problem is when I actually overheard somebody say that exact thing IRL and they were being SERIOUS. It confused the hell out of me.
 
Technarchy said:
6. Drip sound...make it go away. Any way to turn it off without losing all sound feedback.
Click to expand...
I assume you mean the drip sound when you tap the lock screen?

If so then it should be a settings -> sound -> system -> screen lock sound

This what it is on my Galaxy Note that I've been given to play around with anyway which is on stock JB 4.1.2
 
Remove haptic feedback. (Verified on my S3)

Settings > Sound > Vibration Intensity > Haptic Feedback
 
Heavy Fluid said:
Remove haptic feedback. (Verified on my S3)

Settings > Sound > Vibration Intensity > Haptic Feedback
Click to expand...

Or/and...... sound/system/ uncheck haptic fedback and have auto haptic turned off.

To address a few others also from a GS3 (assuming it is relatively the same. Dont have a GS4 yet)

I dont use spotify so no clue there.( i know, helps a ton right?)

For Flipboard, im signed in with Twitter and i never have an issue with it not staying signed in.

Drip sounds, Settings/sound/uncheck touch sounds
 
The only thing that really bugs me about this phone are the pop-ups that appear every time you turn mode on and off. I know I'm turning Airplane mode on/off, I was there when I tapped it.
 
Heavy Fluid said:
Remove haptic feedback. (Verified on my S3)

Settings > Sound > Vibration Intensity > Haptic Feedback
Click to expand...

Found a solution. It's under the keyboard settings. Under advanced there is tap key vibration as an option. Unchecked it and problem was solved.

I've learned to live without vibrating feedback on my iPhone and I have no doubt it saves battery life since that little motor isn't always going off.
 
Technarchy said:
2. Spotify is incredibly inconsistent sound levels, and sound effects that randomly turn off and on. I'll be at the Gym and suddenly a song will be blasting, then the next will be low and distorted.

3. Chrome is sluggish as hell compared to Chrome for iOS. Actual content loads fine, but the scrolling is choppier, as is zoom, and the portrait to landscape transition is slooooooooowwwwwwwww.
Click to expand...

Are you using the i9500 or the i9505 (Snapdragon model)? Got the latest firmware for your phone? I haven't experienced either on my i9505. #2 sounds more like an issue with your headphones or headphone jack, though I think Spotify has an option to normalize volumes between songs.
 
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As much as I love Android, and seriously considering the Note III. It was small annoyances like this, and the overall sluggishness of the S4, that had me returning mine to save my subsidy for something better. Why is it that the iPhone nearly "just works" every time, but a high end 2013 phone doesn't? Heck, why is the performance with the S3(the phone I'm currently on) almost better than the S4? I think Samsung needs to seriously tweak Touch Wiz, and get rid of some of the bloat.
 
Response to query 3.

Chrome is ALWAYS more sluggish than the stock Android browser. If you desire smoothness, either use the default browser or download Firefox.
 
Technarchy said:
Found a solution. It's under the keyboard settings. Under advanced there is tap key vibration as an option. Unchecked it and problem was solved.

I've learned to live without vibrating feedback on my iPhone and I have no doubt it saves battery life since that little motor isn't always going off.
Click to expand...

I myself like the haptic feedback but i have it set ever so slightly so it just gives a lil bit. Of course when your swyping, it doesnt give the haptic feedback.
 
You do realize that almost all of those problems are from apps and not from the phone or its software right?

That said, I haven't had any of those issues.

The SGS3 is my first android phone and I haven't seen any strange app issues like those in a year.

If there's a bug it will be fixed in the next update, just like iOS apps have bugs and then are fixed with updates.

Are we suppose to believe iOS is completely bug free and their apps are always perfect without bugs?
 
Sensamic said:
You do realize that almost all of those problems are from apps and not from the phone or its software right?

That said, I haven't had any of those issues.

The SGS3 is my first android phone and I haven't seen any strange app issues like those in a year.

If there's a bug it will be fixed in the next update, just like iOS apps have bugs and then are fixed with updates.

Are we suppose to believe iOS is completely bug free and their apps are always perfect without bugs?
Click to expand...

I don't get the feeling the OP was attacking android for these problems. It seemed like he/she was just asking for a fix.
 
Technarchy said:
3. Chrome is sluggish as hell compared to Chrome for iOS. Actual content loads fine, but the scrolling is choppier, as is zoom, and the portrait to landscape transition is slooooooooowwwwwwwww.
Click to expand...

As someone else has said, Chrome on android sucks. It's kind of funny that Chrome for iOS is so much better.

4. Google Now widget randomly turns off and says "No Cards" and the only way to fix it is to open the Google search app, which reactivates the widget. Or certain cards will just randomly turn off as well
Click to expand...

I think this is just how Google Now works. It occasionally shows "No Cards" on my HTC One.
 
kasakka said:
Are you using the i9500 or the i9505 (Snapdragon model)? Got the latest firmware for your phone? I haven't experienced either on my i9505. #2 sounds more like an issue with your headphones or headphone jack, though I think Spotify has an option to normalize volumes between songs.
Click to expand...

Tried 3 different headphones and all leaned left. Doesn't matter since 2 clicks balance adjustment fixed things. Also, turns out, Apple Earpods sound better with the GS4 than iPhone 5 due to the adjustable EQ. Sadly the remote functions don't work.

I think the inconsistent sound is the result of opening other apps that reset the EQ to stock. As long as I am in Spotify and not doing anything else the EQ and sound settings are fine.

Tested at the gym today. Hour and half of lifting and the sound was fine. Soon as I got home and started playing on the GS4 the sound levels were all over the place again.
 
that's why i went with the GE s4, i heard a lot of lag and overheating issues because of which i felt that the GE s4 was the right option. launchers or rooting your phone may help, it's worth a shot.;):)
 
Technarchy said:
Been living with the GS4 for 3 days, and will get around to the trite and long-winded GS4 VS iPhone 5 review soon. For now, there are some annoying things about the GS4 and I'm wondering if there is some hidden tweak or fix to smooth out these annoying niggles.

Before anyone asks, only Air Gesture and Smart Stay are on, S-Voice is deactivated from the home button because it is horrible.

All that said, if you have a fix, please post it.


1. Flipboard won't stay signed into Facebook. It prompts me nearly every time.

2. Spotify is incredibly inconsistent sound levels, and sound effects that randomly turn off and on. I'll be at the Gym and suddenly a song will be blasting, then the next will be low and distorted.

3. Chrome is sluggish as hell compared to Chrome for iOS. Actual content loads fine, but the scrolling is choppier, as is zoom, and the portrait to landscape transition is slooooooooowwwwwwwww.

4. Google Now widget randomly turns off and says "No Cards" and the only way to fix it is to open the Google search app, which reactivates the widget. Or certain cards will just randomly turn off as well

5. Sound balance leans left. (Fix: Accessibility settings, and adjust balance)

6. Drip sound...make it go away. Any way to turn it off without losing all sound feedback.

7. Disable keyboard vibration completely? It's useless and battery eating.

As I come across things I'll update in this thread...
Click to expand...

Most of these seems like Android problems. I am on a Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 and have seen similar issues in the past.

1. I don't use flipboard, but Feedly and Slice have this issue quite often.

3. There is no fix. This is the nature of an OS that is meant to run on endless hardware combinations. Chrome, and in many cases most Google apps, run smoother on iOS.

4. I have this problem every now and then too. I just don't use a Google Now widget anymore.

7. If you are using the keyboard that came stock with your phone, it should be a setting. Otherwise install a third party keyboard like Swiftkey or Kii.
 
T5BRICK said:
As someone else has said, Chrome on android sucks. It's kind of funny that Chrome for iOS is so much better.



I think this is just how Google Now works. It occasionally shows "No Cards" on my HTC One.
Click to expand...

To answer the first, it is because Chrome on iOS is simply using Safar's engine with a different UI and a few tweaks. It doesn't have anything engine wise from Chrome. No V8, for example.
 
Michael Goff said:
To answer the first, it is because Chrome on iOS is simply using Safar's engine with a different UI and a few tweaks. It doesn't have anything engine wise from Chrome. No V8, for example.
Click to expand...

I understand that, but the funny part is that Google isn't able to get Chrome working on their own OS.
 
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