More detailed specsReviews:GSM ArenaEngadgetSamsung Galaxy S vs iPhone 4And a review from LYN member/moderator, mengsuanPrevious threadsV1V2V3V4V5V6FAQ:Is the Music Player good enough to take the place of my MP3 Player?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Well, the Music Player has pretty basic functionality & can’t be synced up to iTunes. But, you can download doubleTwist on both the Galaxy S and your PC. doubleTwist allows you to sync all your iTunes Playlists, Videos & Images, so think of it as an iTunes for Android
. I could certainly use the default Music Player or doubleTwist as my MP3 Player, no problems. Just don’t expect anything special from it.
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
I was also asking myself this as well. After reading the User Manual, for the first time, I found out you have to down “Samsung Kies”, which is a 140MB program, that allows you to sync stuff to your phone, as well as allowing wired tethering. This is the stupidest move by Samsung, 140MB just to get your Galaxy S to mount it’s internal and external memory to your PC. Which leads on to the next question..
I have hosted “Kies” locally for you guys if you want to download it faster: Download Kies
How do Internal & External Memory mount to your PC? Are they Separate?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Yes, the Internal Memory, be it 8GB or 16GB, will mount to your PC as a separate drive from your MicroSD (External Memory). This allows you to have all your music/videos/images on your MicroSD which you can then put into any device, and all the stuff you want always on your Galaxy S to be placed on the Internal Memory.
In the Galaxy S’s file system, the Internal Memory is mounted as /sdcard and External Memory is mounted as /sdcard/sd
Did you have any problems connecting to WPA2-Enterprise?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
No, it connected just fine. Although a few people who visit this site have contacted me to tell me they have had troubles with it. But it’s working fine for me.
Super AMOLED, AMOLED or TFT – Which do you think is better?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Depends on what you mean by “better”, but I am a massive fan of TFT. Well, that was until I tried Super AMOLED. Super AMOLED makes TFT look washed out & nowhere near as vibrant. It also puts AMOLED to shame when under sunlight, as you can actually see it.
So my verdict: TFT is better for crispness, Super AMOLED is better for deeper more vibrant colours. Super AMOLED just needs greater pixel density and it’ll be a winner.
What is a ROM/firmware?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
The firmware/ROM is the software that runs on the phone. In case of the Galaxy S this is (currently) Android 2.1 Eclair
Can I update my firmware?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Most likely: Yes. If you are from Europe or Asia, you will find new firmwares, made by Samsung, here or here. You will also find guides to flashing your firmware there in several languages.
Please also keep in mind that not all firmwares that come with phones are available. Reflashing to stock may not be possible because the specific firmware isn't available!
Do I need to root first before flash the firmware?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
No. You can straight away flash your firmware without root.
Why are there multiple files in the firmware archive/folder?/Why do I get three different versions when using *#1234#?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Galaxy S firmware updates come in three parts:
-The "ROM" itself (called PDA). This is android and all the applications that come with it. (The archives/folders will be named after the version of this file)
-The Modem (called Phone). This is the firmware of the wireless chipset of the device and will operate you WiFi, Blutooth and 3G/2G/GSM connections. (ie Radio ROM)
-The CSC (short for Country/Carrier Specific Code). This includes connection data for the broadband networks as well as apps that are only available in certain languages/intended for a specific area.
If we ask for your firmware. We mean all three!
Can I mix PDA/Modem/CSC files from different firmwares without bricking my phone?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Yes. Most Modem/CSC files will work with any PDA. However, there may be compatibility issues which may force you to reflash your phone. Note also that newer CSCs usually include newer versions of the software that comes with them.
My phones software version says I9000XXJF3/XXJF5/xxxxx. What does this mean?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
A complete list of the meaning of of the codes at the end of the firmware-names can be found here. The first two letters describe the country while the third gives the year, the fourth gives the month and the last number/letter is the version of the firmware (from that specific month. Numbering starts at 1-9 and then uses letters from A-Z)
How can I reset my phone?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
On the Galaxy S the soft-reset is achieved by pressing and holding the power button. A hard-reset can executed by pressing and holding VolumeUP+Home+Power. There you will find the options "reboot", "apply sdcard:update.zip", "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition".
The "wipe data/factory reset" option will restore your phone to the original configuration of the firmware YOU LAST INSTALLED (including any updates made via update.zip). This will NOT bring your phone back to the firmware installed when you originally bought it unless you haven't flashed your phone.
You can navigate the recovery screen using VolumeUp & VolumeDown and use the Home button to select.
I have flashed a new firmware and now my phone won't connect to 3G. What's wrong?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
The CSC you used is most likely not intended for your area. This means that the broadband provider settings are not included and need to be configured manually. To do this, go to Settings->Wireless and Networks->Mobile Networks->Access Point Names, press the settings-button and select "New APN". You will then need to enter the respective data as provided by you mobile operator. APN settings can usually be found on the operators website.
I'm running Windows 7(Vista) x64 and have installed Samsung Kies, but I cannot get my phone to connect. What can I do?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
This issue is not exhaustedly solved, however, you can try to use the USB drivers found here. Alternatively, reinstalling Kies sometimes solves this problem.
Note that you do not need your phone to be completely recognize when connected to Samsung Kies in order to flash. In order to flash, the USB driver for you phone must be correctly installed when you connect it in "download-mode".
9.What is root/rooting?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
root is the use account in Linux with all privileges. The root user can edit anything on the system. For safety reasons, users do not have all those privileges. When you root your phone, you will gain write access to areas of the phone you couldn't previously access and are allowed to run more commands in the terminal. The latest guide can be found here, however, all current CustomROMs are rooted and can simply be applied via update.zip.
If all of this means nothing to you then you are probably wise to NOT root your phone. Mistakes using root can break your phone very easily. (Usually, but not always, these can be solved with a reflash.
What are custom ROMs? How do I get them?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
As of now, the following CustomROMs are are available (not necessarily exhaustive):
Modaco's R2
Doc's Barebone Galaxy .6 (As of now, V6 has been reported to be severely bugged. V5 receives better feedback!)
Sera's JIT-Galaxy
XQ55 Arab ROM v1.1
SamSet RC2
Most custom ROMs can also be found on my mirror. Downloads from there are significantly faster than one-click-hosting solutions like rapidshare.
How do I install custom ROMs and common mistakes?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Most ROM chefs provide detailed instructions with their ROM.
Common mistakes are:
-Using the wrong firmware underneath the update. (Check your firmware by dialing *#1234* to see your firmware version)
-Putting update.zip on the external SDcard. (The file needs to be in the folder "/sdcard/" and NOT in "/sdcard/sd/"!)
-Naming the update "update.zip.zip" instead of "update.zip". (Windows does not show the .zip ending by default. You will have to enable it by going to Tools->Folder Options->View->Uncheck "Hide extensions for known filetypes" in Windows Explorer.)
I flashed a new firmware and now I cannot download protected apps and Market-enabler doesn't work. How can I still install protected apps?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Some firmwares have that problem. The most promising fix so far can be found in this post.
My phone takes forever to get a GPS-fix? Is there a solution to this problem?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
There is a suggested solution here. For complete discussion on the issue see this thread. However, the problems vary per firmware and the solution may not work for all versions.
I tried using Allshare/DLNA but it will not recognize my device/play any files?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
As of now a lot of DLNA certified devices/software do not work with Allshare. However, Samsung TVs should work and Windows Media Player 12 as well as Samsungs PC Share Manager work in most cases.
I want to install new firmware but I want to have a backup of my original firmware to go back to in case I need to go back for warranty reasons. Can I backup my original firmware somehow?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
As of now, there is no way of backing up firmware that doesn't first require you to root your device. The application RomManager (from the market) does provide for a backup feature but requires root-access (and there have been no confirmations on whether this works so far).
Can I disable 2G broadband like on the Desire/N1?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
There is no permanent solution for this problem yet. This fix will have to be executed after every reboot. Dial *#*#197328640#*#* and go to "debug screen"->"phone control"->"network control"->"band selection" and chose WCDMA to disable 2G.
I am experiencing long loading times when opening apps/intermittent lags when switching screens. What is the problem?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
The Samsung Galaxy S uses the internal SD to store cache data by default. This storage is significantly slower than the ROM and thus it takes longer for apps to load data from the cache. If your cache isn't too big and your phone is rooted, there is a fix which will place the cache on the NAND. However, storage-space there is very limited and some apps will not correctly install because they need too much cache. Please note that some users are reporting that the lag becomes less in newer f/w versions and that most CustomROMs have the lag fix included but you may have to execute the script yourself by opening the application "MCR Scripts" and executing "LagFix.sh" (or something to that effect).
An alternative fix has been introduced by Mimo using the external SD card. It reportedly delivers better results and is capable of supporting a lot more data (theoretically limited by the 32gb microSDHC size limit)
I have a SIM-Locked phone. Is there anything I need to look out for?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
It has now been confirmed that also SIM-locked phones can be flashed at least once. If you flash your SIM-phone, please drop a message in this thread.
This means that as of now (there seem) to be no specific restrictions for SIM-locked phone except the lock itself.
WHAAAA! I think I bricked my phone. My flash was unsuccessful/My device boots to a black screen/similar scenarios. Can I still save my device?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Most likely: YES! In almost any case, you should still be able to turn off the device (if necessary by removing the battery) and start into download-mode (VolumeDown+Home+Power) or recovery-mode (VolumeUp+Home+Power). After (for example) an unsuccessful flash, you can retry the flash in download-mode (same steps as when flashing a functioning device). If a flash to a function f/w (without apply any update.zip) doesn't help or you cannot get you PC to flash at all, you can ask for help here. (Please try to reboot your PC as well if you cannot flash and try FAQ8 if you have trouble with getting the phone recognized on Windows 7/Vista x64)
When will Froyo be released for my shiny new phone?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
As of now, the best estimate is somewhere around the middle of August. Samsung has confirmed that the Korean variant of the Galaxy S will be update during early August. Since the International Version is almost identical hardware-wise the international version is likely to be updated soon after the Korean one. But expect the Asia(Malaysia/Singapore) version will be longer than Europe version
Can I flash an Asian ROM on my European device or vice versa?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Flashing should work without any problems. There are no known compatibility issues as of now. If any should arise, flashing back to Asian firmware is always possible.
Check your current ROM by dialing *#1234* to make sure you do not have a Korean variant of the phone (which is NOT compatible!).
Can I get Asian language support in the European firmwares?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
There is (as of now) no way to reintegrate Asian language support in the European firmwares. The possibility may exist in the future, however, there are currently no devs working on it. There is of course always the possibility to flash back to an Asian firmware. Note that this means that you cannot set the interface to Asian languages (except Korean). You can still receive and send text messages in chinese/japanes etc (you will only need a new keyboard that supports inputting characters)
I'm running Linux. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to install windows?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
You do not need to install Windows. However, you do need to install VirtualBox with full USB support (or an equivalent) and create a Windows-based Virtual machine in order to run Odin (the flash program).
Any quick fix for GPS issue?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Any recommended apps to check my data usage?» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Try to find "3G watchdog" on Android Market.
Tips to pro-long battery» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
1) Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a device is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.
2) Batteries with fuel gauge should be calibrated by applying a deliberate full discharge once every 30 charges. Running the pack down in the equipment does this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less accurate and in some cases cut off the device prematurely.
3) Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.
4) Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing dates. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.
5) If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool by placing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the battery. For best results, store the battery at 40% state-of-charge.
Thanks to
Ausdroid website and also
XDA forum.
I will add more if you guys can contribute some
Nov 9 2010, 10:14 PM, updated 16y ago
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