lyndarva's Posts

"Much better 3G experience" sounds like a salesman trying to make a sale.  I had one salesman in a store tell me that a certain Verizon phone didn't have 3G but this other (more expensive) one would.... Verizon customer support on the phone was very upset about that.  The Android Ally is comparable to the IPhone and is generally a good phone, but it has some bugs to work out.   You won't know what your experience is until you try it and then make a decision within the return policy about whether it works or not.  I'm having trouble with dropped calls, there is a trouble ticket out to see if there is a specific reason for it.  My personal preference is Blackberry all the way, but I don't like the new Blackberry models on the Verizon market - particularly the Bold.  For one reason, I have difficulty seeing the red numbers and my husband is color blind and cannot see the numbers at all.     I'm on my second new phone too (previous Bold) so I have to decide this week if I am going to stick with it or not.

My experience with Verizon corporate stores is that they don't do anything to help you if you are having a problem with a phone - if it isn't a corporate store, forget it.  The only exception was a manager of one corporate store who did everything he could to help me including replacing a phone.  One thing I don't like is that Verizon expects a customer to know that you have to deal with a corporate store and with all the little stores around, the average person does not know anything about this.  It's all Verizon right?  Well, not as far as some of the benefits are concerned.  Be sure the door on the store says Verizon Corporate Store.   Talk with tech support and customer support and tell them you are going to leave Verizon if the problem is not resolved.  If they insist you go to your local corporate store and you know that isn't going to get you anywhere, tell them that directly on the phone.  You may have to call Verizon 5 times to get the person who will work with you.  Everyone has their own issues, bad days, levels of knowledge and authority.  Ask for a supervisor if you aren't getting anywhere.   I am having trouble again with my Verizon product and I have to decide this week what to do.  I was one of those people who left Verizon to go to AT&T just for the IPhone (I'm an Apple junkie) but the service was so bad I had to cancel.   Now I am having that problem with Verizon for the first time.

Okay, that way of clearing notifications is a pain in the neck, particularly for me since I am disabled.  That was the way Verizon tech told me to do it.  Someone told me tonight to do it differently and it is a lot easier.  Click on your menu key, the horizontal bars at the bottom of your phone.  Touch notifications and the list pops up.  It is much easier to do it this way.  

It is good if you know what you want to specify it to the rep.  I was looking for a rubber case for my Ally, it really helps a lot to prevent it sliding and gives a bit of extra protection if I were to drop it.  They didn't think they had it, but they went and looked and found one.

There is a new backup assistant for Ally.  I didn't have a problem at all because I have Gmail.     I had just updated my Apple address book/contacts a week before I got the Ally.  I tried to clean my Gmail contacts.  I then exported my Apple contacts and imported them into Gmail.  I made a decision about merging options.  Because I had photos on my contacts in the Apple contacts, all those photos imported into Gmail, and onto my Ally.  Now my phone automatically syncs up with my Gmail contacts.   You didn't mention if you have Gmail, but it would really simplify things for you with this phone if you use it, and it is free.

Thanks for the tip to uncheck the Voice Privacy, hopefully that will help me.   I have had a lot of trouble with the 3G on this phone also.  I have had dropped calls, even when on the phone with Verizon tech support.  I have a trouble ticket out on this and the browser dropouts, I assume for the same reason.   I haven't had this problem with other Verizon phones.  I have been concerned that the fact I am under the flight path for the airport 4 miles away may have something to do with it, I don't know why it would -- I have lived here for 5 years and it hasn't before.  I haven't been able to really align the problems with flights, etc., but I was grasping at straws because I don't want to have to change phones again.     I am disabled and I fall a lot as part of the disability.  I have to have a phone that is working online all the time, not only for the calls but because sometimes my husband can't be reached in the hospitals except by text messaging.  

The automatic favorites thing happened to me at first, it does take your frequently called numbers.  All you have to do to remove a favorite, is to touch the yellow star.  When it goes gray, it is no longer a favorite.  It is pretty easy.

The "manual" is just a tips and hints, not a real manual.  You can go to your MyVerizon online and go to your phone portion and go through the simulation of your phone's operation.  That still doesn't answer all the questions, so that is why this forum and others on the internet are good.   

You didn't indicate why it won't connect, the exact message or whatever.  It is pretty simple to do, I don't know why you would need to use an App.  I try to avoid additional Apps so they don't use up resources.   Settings, Wireless & networks Set up Wi-Fi network Add Wi-Fi network (you may be having trouble here if you have security on your home wifi, you need to input the security code, some people lose it) - save the step Go back to Wi-Fi settings, where you just were Turn on Wi-Fi You can also check off if you want to be alerted when a new open network is available -- I prefer a secured network.   The problem I have had is that my phone won't switch between WiFi and 3G mode automatically.  I found out when my home wifi went down.  I was told by Verizon to shut off my WiFi to use the 3G, etc.  I don't understand why that would be necessary (ie., it isn't necessary on the IPhone).  I chose to keep WiFi off.

If you have a few months, I would say it will probably be fine.  Those of us who have Ally now have gotten it when it is brand new.  It usually takes time to get rid of bugs and have everybody used to the phone.  Maybe an upgrade will be made by then.  Personally, I hate buying anything when it is new -- car, anything -- but I had to get a cell phone and most of them on the market right now are brand new.

I'm not happy with any of the new phones.  They are too new and untested on the streets, most don't have updates issued yet.  On top of that, support techs don't seem to know a thing about the new phones.  On other phones I have had in the past, they could answer right off the bat.  Now they have to go get one, look at a simulator, read the specs.  I have done all of that before I called.   The LG Ally has potential.  It is in the same ballpark as IPhone - I had one, the coverage not so great due to the provider.   My phone seems to be buggy per Verizon.  There are trouble tickets in on it.  I'm trying to decide what to do.  I just went from a Blackberry Bold (bad, and I love Blackberry), so I have to jump ship or pay full price to get another one.   The issues I have had so far that have no answers yet (unless indicated):   1.  More disconnects than I have had on other phones.  It has cut off on me calling Verizon for help several times.   2.  When using a phone tree (Verizon, push 3), the screen goes black.  I have attempted to try to reset the screen, the timing, etc.     3.  I changed my Gmail password on my computer.  I was told by Verizon and LG that the only way to reset it on the Ally is to reset the phone to factory settings.   4.  The notification bar at the top is very difficult to work with.  You take a lot of time to try to pull it down, another time it rolled down by itself and I had trouble getting rid of it.   5.  The Wifi and 3G Browser don't play well.  I found this out when my wifi at home went out.  It didn't switch over automatically to the 3G browser. I have my wifi set not to connect with any other wifis, for security reasons.  I was told by tech support you have to manually switch between 3G and wifi.  That just doesn't make sense.  Also, I paid for data and I want to use what I paid for so I am not using my wifi any more.   6.  I set the touch pad so it isn't supposed to vibrate when I touch it, but it does.   7.  I have noticed in some Ally forums that people indicate to do various steps that some of us don't have access to, whether it is because of our email type or whatever.   8.  After having the IPhone, I found the Android Apps as being flakier, not being as plentiful and costing more.   9.  I don't like the way the Ally locks and how quickly it locks.     10.  You have less control over the Apps placement on the screens than with the IPhone, and Verizon/LG/Google has quite a few Apps on it that I wish I could delete.   11.  The battery life is really really bad.  I turn my phone off at night (more about that), I have wifi off, I have few Apps that are constantly updating, and it still disappears very quickly.   12.  I turn my Ally off every night before I go to bed.  I did last night, and I confirmed it was turned off per the selection.  This morning the phone was on.   13.  Verizon.   14.  The screen "pages" - besides true lack of control over the icons on the pages, I just pressed the home button several times and it didn't go to the home page.   I am positive I am leaving something off.   Advantages over IPhone:   The volume is much better.  With IPhone, you have to download an App that boosts the sound; seriously.   The Ally is more compact than the IPhone.   The Ally has a choice of keyboards.   You don't have to use AT&T, which has worse coverage for a lot of people.  

I have had a lot of issues with my Ally.  I have tried to play nice with the Verizon tech people but they don't seem to know much about this phone either.  I have decided I will not use Wifi on the phone because it will not switch in and out of Wifi/3G networks without having to turn the Wifi on and off.  Verified that with 3 tech support people.  I think they are trying to make us use Wifi more and more so they can limit our data plans -- but, I am paying for a data plan so I want to use my data plan.   I have a "black out" on screen when I am trying to do a customer service phone tree -- like when you call Verizon, push whatever.  No matter what they tell me to do, it doesn't work.  Using the regular keyboard for this function has not worked for me.   I have set my keypad not to vibrate when I push the buttons, they vibrate.   The battery is sucked dry incredibly fast, I normally have to recharge it at least once-twice a day and I turn it off at night completely.   I have had/or are having other issues.     I really really want this phone to work correctly.  It is relatively new and tech support with Verizon and LG have not been very helpful.  I have talked to them about dropping the phone and Verizon service altogether and they have promised they are going to get me some answers but I am not holding my breath.  I have become more and more upset with Verizon to the point I am afraid to set foot in another store, that I may go ballistic.  Seriously.

Do you use Gmail?  The reason I'm asking is that this happened to me this past week.  I had to go to this site:   http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=6d1eb0f502ef4a58&hl=en   I hadn't changed my Gmail password, but I did this anyway.  I had to change the "Captcha."  It made absolutely no sense, but it worked.

I'm sorry, but I absolutely hate the Mac sync software.  The Backup Assistant is very slightly better.  The software still functions like it is made for PC not Mac.  For instance, when you sync an IPhone with a Mac, it is a true sync with options.  The first and last time I used the Mac sync software from Verizon it wiped out my contacts.

I went from an IPhone to a 9650 because of the coverage issue.  With an unlimited data plan, it seemed odd to have Wifi on Verizon phones.  The answer I got is that it is supposed to be faster.  IPhones had limited data plans, so I could save my data usage with the Wifi.  At home I have a secured wifi network so I feel safe using the Wifi here.  I don't feel that way when I leave my home.  Security issues are a factor when using a Wifi.