LG ENV3

I really like my old LG ENV3 from Verizon.  Awesome texting phone with its flip-open keyboard, so intelligently laid out with a separate row for the numbers and controls on the right without being embedded onto other keys.  But alas, time to once again investigate smart phones because I need to do more stuff.

Long story short, I picked an Android phone.  The Samsung Epic 4G with slide-out keyboard from Sprint.  I’d rather have it flip open, but oh well.  I’ve got to have a real keyboard and it has to have a row for numbers and decent arrow controls on the right.  I know having the physical keyboard sacrifices weight and thickness, but I really, REALLY need a keyboard.

Super amoled screen so I can see it outside in the bright light.  No more shading the phone’s display to see it.  I laugh at you silly huumons who do that.

Oh, and I got it for only, get this, 1 stinking penny.  Sprint wanted $99 for it.  I got it Samsung Epic 4G from AmazonWireless for only .01.

FYI: Sprint REALLY has UNLIMITED data!!!!  NO gigabyte metering. I can watch FULL TV episodes on my phone with Sprint TV. If you have a smartphone, you MUST have truly unlimited data or you’re missing out on so many cool applications and features. GO WITH THE SPRINT NETWORK. BUT, don’t do it from the Sprint store. Do it from AmazonWireless and get your phone for hella cheap! Here, check out these cool phones from Amazon.

Samsung Epic 4G

At first, the battery life SUCKED!  (scroll below to see my SECOND HUGE UPDATE) Even after I unplugged it from a full charge, in a couple of hours with no use, I see the battery gas gauge dropping.  After some searching, I’ve tweaked it so it’s not as bad, but still.  So that means a lot of charging, like every frickin’ night, but  it was driving me nuts how it wakes me up when it’s done charging.  If it wasn’t dinging, it was vibrating, or it was shining all night long.  And with it being a touch screen, who knows WTF I touched to make it do all that.  That’s one of the things I don’t like about touch phones.  You’re not always prompted to confirm your changes.

Turning Off Notification Alert When Charging

So here’s what I’ve discovered about turning off notifications and the display when charging.

1. Turn Off Display When Charging  Applications, Settings, Applications, Development, Stay Awake:  Uncheck it.  If it’s checked, the screen will never sleep while charging.
2. Turn Off Vibration Alert After Charging  Applications, Settings, Sound, Vibrate:  Make a choice.  If you turn off the sound, but ‘Only in silent mode’ is selected, the phone’s going to vibrate and wake you up when it’s done charging, so I just turn it to Never.  I never use vibration for anything, any way.
3. Turn Off Sound Alert After Charging  Applications, Settings, Sound, Notification ringtone:  Set it to silent.  This is a GLOBAL setting, so if you turn it off here, you have to set up sounds on individual apps like Gmail, calendar events and text messaging.

Calendar Ringtone:  Applications, Calendar, Menu, Settings, Select Ringtone

Text Messaging Ringtone:  Messaging, Menu, Settings, Select Ringtone

Gmail Ringtone:  Ok, this one’s deep.  Applications, Gmail, Menu, More, Settings, Select which Gmail account, Labels to notify, Inbox, Ringtone

***** HUGE UPDATE *****

Guess what?  After all that shit, IT STILL DOESN’T WORK!  The sound it makes when it’s done charging is a “badaleeping” tone that’s not on any of the ringtone/sound menus.  That leads me to believe that it’s some type of internal thing, sorta like using a phone locator app to find your phone – even though the sound is off, it will still make a sound to “give up” its location.

If anyone has any suggestions, please leave a comment.  Has anyone contacted Samsung tech support or someone from Android that actually knows what they’re talking about…unlike me, obviously?

***** SECOND HUGE UPDATE *****

1. After the last couple of Android updates, the battery life NO LONGER SUCKS!!!! Using 4G will suck it up faster, but if you can go wireless all day, the battery life is very good, even when I watch full episodes of Hawaii Five-0, brah, on SprintTV.
2. I ended up changing my charging habits. Now I charge the phone in the morning right after I get up so it’s ready to go by the time I start my day… with a badaleep.