Orange San Francisco review

[Guest jonesian]

Hi - complete noob here, having read the review I'm going to get one of these to replace my Motorola Razr. I haven't got a clue about Android and alot of the posts on here look like astrophysics to me, but I will try unlocking and removing all the Orange crap. I then want to use it with my virgin sim.

One thing - will this void the warranty?

Can I sync a calendar with my XP computer and does the phone have to be online to use the calendar?

Also is there a way to make notes?

I'd also like to use GPS - is this hard to do?

Sorry to be such a numpty, but I'm not exactly brain of britain when it comes to technology.

Thank you!

[Guest Davey7]

I'm hasintating between 2 phones... Orange SF and Samsung Galaxy Apollo i5801...

Can anyone help me decide? I would go with the SF but i don't know how fast is the processor... I've tried the samsung an it's ok with that resolution.

I have an Ipod touch 1G,so I like if the software is fast...

Does the SF has a landscape keyboard?

Edited October 2, 2010 by Davey7

[Guest myfeetsmell]

Yeh Paul

Thats my current ride, gotta love the dubs huh

haha

Phil

Nice avatar! :lol:

P

[Guest cipster]

Hello to all,

I have just bought my San Francisco. I'm amazed at the price. I was so undecided between this and LG Optimus 540 but finally decided for the San Francisco. I already unlocked it and getting ready to root and install the MoDaCo rom. Only one problem the colours are very very bright and fluorescent. Photos are glowing, icons as well. It's not a very big thing but it is disturbing.

My question is : Is it a software issue or a hardware issue? If it's software related maybe this will be resolved by flashing it with MoDaCo rom, if it's harware I would have to use the warranty to fix it but it takes time. I don't want to flash it yet maybe I'll lose my warranty. Anyone else has this problems.

Many thanks for your help!

[Guest neologan]

Only one problem the colours are very very bright and fluorescent. Photos are glowing, icons as well. It's not a very big thing but it is disturbing.

Click menu / settings / sound & display, then scroll down to brightness. Try lowering it from what it is. My guess is it's high on yours maybe?

Edited October 2, 2010 by neologan

[Guest ernok]

Hi

Liked the review. Went down to my local Orange store and had a feel of the phone like it and bought it

Now been playing with it all afternoon. Much improved over the Pulse i had before

Only issue so far is the WiFi not auto reconnecting other than that very happy with the phone

I have unlocked and a 3 sim and O2 sim work fine

ern

[Guest sipart]

I'm hasintating between 2 phones... Orange SF and Samsung Galaxy Apollo i5801...

Can anyone help me decide? I would go with the SF but i don't know how fast is the processor... I've tried the samsung an it's ok with that resolution.

I have an Ipod touch 1G,so I like if the software is fast...

Does the SF has a landscape keyboard?

The SF is a better all round phone. SF screen is higher res, bigger (3.5" instead of Samsung Galaxy's 3.2") and AMOLED. SF processor is similar speed to Samsungs.

I have just bought a SF and also have a Samsung Galaxy Portal i5700 (which is the similar older version of the i5801- but strangely the i5700 is higher spec). I also have a 1G ipod touch and the SF is much better screen wise and faster but obviously the SF and Galaxy run Android so dissimilar in that sense (but assume you know that) :-)

As for the landscape keyboard - a software one yes.

Only minor gripe I have is no four way rocker key on the SF (or trackball), so if you want to move along a line of text or url you have to prod around with your finger rather than be able to move the cursor with the hardware keys.

Another thing I hoped was going to be better on the SF was game and app graphics performance - but not had chance to try this out yet (the Samsung i5700 has a very poorly written GPU driver so some games don't work).

Can't see Google Earth in the Android Market to try this - which was something I was hoping was available on the SF due to it's high res and larger screen :-( Tried one download of the apk from the interwebs - but after install it doesn't run :-(

Recent Samsungs are always divx certified so playback divx files out the box really well but RockPlayer from the Android Market sorts that out on the SF and looks great on the SF's screen

Cheers

[Guest jsmith07611]

You can use 'MoreLocales' to switch it to German. I just tried it and it works. :lol:

P

Dear mr Paul

please can you give me some instructions on how to make my san francisco into hebrew language. please tell me which files i should install. thank you very much

[Guest bandreasz]

Hello everyone!

I've got only one concern about this phone, which is the gsm signal srength as you can see on Paul's pictures in the first post. The signal strength most of the time is 1, sometimes 2 or 3, but never 4 on my device. I put the Orange card into my old unlocked Nokia and that showed maximum signal strength. Anybody else experienced similar to this? What do you think?

Thanks for your help

bandreasz

[Guest David Horvath]

Dear mr Paul

please can you give me some instructions on how to make my san francisco into hebrew language. please tell me which files i should install. thank you very much

You did not find Hebrew language in that application? If there is no support for it, than i think you must wait. The app should have every language supported by Android..

[Guest qwerta369]

Anyone know how to get rid of the Orange branding?

[Guest flash2004]

Anyone know how to get rid of the Orange branding?

see this

http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...deo-now-online/

[Guest cipster]

Click menu / settings / sound & display, then scroll down to brightness. Try lowering it from what it is. My guess is it's high on yours maybe?

i did that first time i opened it, it's the same, fluoroscent colors. i'm going to the shop and going to compare it to another san francisco.

might have to send it for repairs under warranty.

thanks.

[Guest Kuteguy]

thought I already posted this but it seems to have gotten lost

Excellent Review Paul - really indepth and accurate.

Few negative things I am finding though - not sure if its just my handset:

- the speakerphone is REALLY bad; I can hear the caller perfectly but they can hardly hear me. Even in my quiet room the callers complain they hear loud background noise. So much so that I had to switch to normal phone

- the screen gets really dirty really quickly - my Samsung omnia never had this problem

- really miss an optical button - sometimes the fine control comes in handy when entering text in text fields

- definitely miss the hard buttons - start / end call; and also miss the camera button a little bit

- miss not having 8+gb of internal storage (my 16gb is nearly full - looks like I will have to get a 32gb card)

- lack of ability to re-calibrate the screen ("problem" with all android phones); this is a problem becuse I like to use the corner of my nail to use the touchscreen. however, with android its calibrated for the middle of your finger which makes it very hard to see what you are pressing

But no real complaints at £100 tho (besides the speakerphone issue) - loving the phone and missing windows mobile less and less every day.

Just for the record, the things I miss about the windows mobile 6.5 are (maybe someone can tell me how to overcome these):

- reverse USB tethering (allowing the mobile to use my laptop's internet connection via USB)

- true multi-threading (I use to play MP4 videos via coreplayer and then switch back and forth between coreplayer and other apps on the phone); but now when I exit one app - it exits! and I have to restart the session; I have tried Act 1 video player and does allow video playing in the background - but I cannot then control stop/start via my bluetooth headset and also when I try and resume the Act 1 video player session it usually crashes

- a good multi-media player - the thing I use the phone most for; can't beat WinMo's Coreplayer (I have tried Act 1, Rockplayer, etc)

really hope this phone gets froyo 2.2 - if so, then this is the phone I will have for the next 2 years minimum

Edited October 3, 2010 by Kuteguy

[Guest lilim_ac]

thought I already posted this but it seems to have gotten lost

Excellent Review Paul - really indepth and accurate.

Few negative things I am finding though - not sure if its just my handset:

- the speakerphone is REALLY bad; I can hear the caller perfectly but they can hardly hear me. Even in my quiet room the callers complain they hear loud background noise. So much so that I had to switch to normal phone

- the screen gets really dirty really quickly - my Samsung omnia never had this problem

- really miss an optical button - sometimes the fine control comes in handy when entering text in text fields

- definitely miss the hard buttons - start / end call; and also miss the camera button a little bit

- miss not having 8+gb of internal storage (my 16gb is nearly full - looks like I will have to get a 32gb card)

But no real complaints at £100 tho (besides the speakerphone issue) - loving the phone and missing windows mobile less and less every day.

Just for the record, the things I miss about the windows mobile 6.5 are (maybe someone can tell me how to overcome these):

- reverse USB tethering (allowing the mobile to use my laptop's internet connection via USB)

- true multi-threading (I use to play MP4 videos via coreplayer and then switch back and forth between coreplayer and other apps on the phone); but now when I exit one app - it exits! and I have to restart the session; I have tried Act 1 video player and does allow video playing in the background - but I cannot control stop/start via my bluetooth headset and also when I try and resume the Act 1 video player session - it usually crashes

- a good multi-media player - the thing I use the phone most for; can't beat WinMo's Coreplayer (I have tried Act 1, Rockplayer, etc)

really hope this phone gets froyo 2.2 - if so, then this is the phone I will have for the next 2 years minimum

can anyone confirm about the "speakerphone" and the "true multi-threading"?

also anyone have tried 3d games and how is it? laggy or can not play ...

[Guest linkoo]

I wouldn't say call quality is good, it's actually pretty poor as there's a constant noise in the background, atleast on my device. Also my volume up/down does not have a "nice click", but are all quirky and makes a unpleasant noise (only when lowering vol) .

Other than that I'm very satisfied.

Edit: I was able to force the volumebutton up like half a mm. So now it has a nice click instead... not the best quality though.

Edited October 3, 2010 by linkoo

[Guest dj9928]

Hi, can someone tell me the quality of the FM radio? I'm sure its not an Android issue but FM reception was totally dire on my HTC Desire, it struggled with even the strongest BBC signals, and an FM radio is a deal decider for me as I use it for work, had to return my Desire, Is reception is strong?

Edited October 3, 2010 by dj9928

[Guest k0nrad]

Great review Paul, kudos!

I'm in two minds about getting the San Francisco (I can import it via a friend with no sweat I guess). SanFran seems obviously the best choice for me in the low/mid-end.

But I have some reservations about budget devices as a Toshiba G500 and G810 user - they were nice phones, just getting faulty after some time. And I'm not in a desperate need for a phone, as I'm quite happy with my Omnia (thanks to the awesome MoDaCo community as well!).

I ditched the idea of getting Galaxy i5700 cheap on contract earlier this year, but I'm quite tempted to throw some cash and jump ship now.

The main question is:

How big is the gap in quality and performance between the Blade and, say, Milestone or Desire?

Is it worth waiting half a year to get one of these devices* on contract for ~£100-150, maybe little less?

Considering I get 50% off monthly fee for not taking a new phone, or maybe won't need a new contract at all?

Don't be shy, tell me what you think! ;]

*) I have no delusions about buying the likes of Desire Z, Milestone 2 or whatever the next big thing is... Unless I get shitloads of money somehow, but then it really wouldn't matter whether I bought the Blade or not...

Edited October 3, 2010 by k0nrad

[Guest Paul]

How big is the gap in quality and performance between the Blade and, say, Milestone or Desire?

It's there, but imho it's not as big as you'd expect! How the device will last over time remains to be seen of course...

Is it worth waiting half a year to get one of these devices* on contract for ~£100-150, maybe little less?

And then be locked into a 18 (or likely 24 month) contract? That's a pretty big penalty...

P

[Guest jonesian]

Hi - can someone tell me if a) unlocking and :) modding the handset voids the warranty, please?

If so, what happens if the thing goes wrong?

I'm a bit worried as I need a new phone and this would be stretching me financially.

I have searched the forum but I don't seem to be able to find any answers?

Thanks!

[Guest Paul]

I don't think unlocking does, modding might tho... altho that said i've never had a warranty claim returned because of a ROM being different! :)

P

[Guest john306]

Hi, can someone tell me the quality of the FM radio? I'm sure its not an Android issue but FM reception was totally dire on my HTC Desire, it struggled with even the strongest BBC signals, and an FM radio is a deal decider for me as I use it for work, had to return my Desire, Is reception is strong?

Initial impressions very good, I'll know more tonight after I've been out and about with it today.

Had a SE K800i in tha past and that was very good fm, Nokia 5800 was real poor.

Before this SF came out I was gonna go for the Desire but the radio reports of interference put me right off.

[Guest jonesian]

I don't think unlocking does, modding might tho... altho that said i've never had a warranty claim returned because of a ROM being different! :)

P

Hi Paul, thanks very much - I'm think I'm going to order one and attempt to join the 21st Century!

I hope I don't have too many more dumbo newbee questions to bother the forum with!

;)

[Guest jonesian]

Just bought one from Orange over the phone for £81 - including the £10 top up, making the handset £71 - cripes!

[Guest N4V]

linkoo, lilim_ac & Kuteguy.

Ive tagged my comments of the speakerphone onto the following thread. Check it out to see what I got from limited testing. Hope others who have the issue will also respond.

http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...m-deal-breaker/