HTC 8x volume issues and Navigation

[justinrassier]

Hey everyone,

I just got an HTC 8x. Most of the features are amazing and make me really excited for the future. I do have 2 issues thought that I really need input on.

1) I use my phone heavily for podcasts. Before I would just sync using the Zune software on my WP7 device, now since there is nice WiFi syncing, I just decided to do it through the phone. I realized after I got everything setup, that all but 1 series of my podcasts have no volume control. They are stuck at one volume and even though I use the rocker and it looks like it should be getting louder/quieter...nothing.

The interesting thing with this is if I stream the podcast from the store, then it works fine, the minute I download it, it loses volume control. I even downloaded the mp3 and added it as music, and still no-go. This is super frustrating. I'm not sure if this is WP8 or HTC, but I need some guidance

2) The other thing I used my phone for was navigation. I had the HTC Radar, which had Bing maps and the so-so turn by turn navigation. It wasn't amazing but at least it was functional. I could start navigation right from local scout or a map location. Now with HTC 8x, they removed that, and added "drive" option. This takes me to the store where I can only use one application, and that is the VZ Navigator...which is a subscription based, crappy app. What happened to my turn by turn? Is it coming back? I don't really want to pay 30 bucks for Garmin, or some other app. I liked how everything was built in. My search would take me to local scout, then from there I could just hit and navigate.

As much as I am loving the improvments of WP8, these are two heavy used features of my phone, and I don't think I can wait months for fixes. Any insights?

Thanks!

 

[philxor]

1) That sounds odd but I don't use podcasts, I'm sure it's a WP8 thing and not something specific to HTC.

2) The only option right now is wait for Nokia Drive to come out for the 8X, which may or may not ever happen, or buy a 3rd party application like Navigon which seems to be the best right now. There are a ton of threads on turn by turn navigation so searching might give you a bit more insight.

 

[justinrassier]

Quick update. I did a reset on my phone and all seems to be better on the side of podcasts and MP3.

As for the navigation, it just seems so strange that they would remove something that was working before. I guess if they have an API and hook ins into the maps application, then it is just a matter of the eco system catching up and supporting it. I just like the integration, there are a few navigation apps out there, and it sucks to not have that nice click and go functionality.

 

[Brian Piirala]

Major failure here. I have no clue how this phone/OS ever got released without navigation, which was really supposed to be the main improvement over 7.5. In fact, the 7.5 navigation already worked perfectly well, and now with the brand new "updated" version of the OS, the phone has no navigation at all! How is that even possible???

 

[berty6294]

Fyi it still has the navigation feature... Just not as well as before.

The way you access it, when your in maps and have a location flagged, instead of clicking on the flag and then pressing directions, while in the map view, pull up the bar from the bottom of the screen and press directions. That's the good ole navi we know and love! It's just a shame that its not as built in like it used to.

 

[lzicc]

It does have turn by turn but no voice.

 

[Dakow#WP]

Fyi it still has the navigation feature... Just not as well as before.

The way you access it, when your in maps and have a location flagged, instead of clicking on the flag and then pressing directions, while in the map view, pull up the bar from the bottom of the screen and press directions. That's the good ole navi we know and love! It's just a shame that its not as built in like it used to.

Oh wow, that's almost worse than just not including it! But thanks for that tip, I had no idea it would work that way. I'm fine with skipping the turn by turn voice, because it was terrible. But when I thought they had removed directions entirely I was super annoyed. That said, I had no idea why it doesn't integrate with the actual flag/POI.

 

[sqrt7]

Yes, I got the same problem. Resetting did indeed help me resolve the issue.

 

[Vimish]

Having the same issues with volume.
Here is the pattern.
IF I just used the phone (actually spoke to someone)...
Ringer volume of 1- 10 is available.
IF I play a podcast
Media volume of 1- 30 is available.
Ringer volume is no longer found. Cannot be changed. If phone is ringing, ringer volume can be changed.
IF phone rings and after hanging up, often Media volume of 1- 30 is is shown but cannot be changed. Ringer volume remains hidden.
(Super irritating if I want to lower the ringer before going to bed)
Rebooting the phone frees up the media volume, but ringer volume remains hidden. Eventually the media player will unload and ringer volume will return.

Who were the geniuses that developed, tested, and approved this amazing Houdini trick?

Note: Microsoft Windows Phone team... fix it soon or I will return to iPhone.

 

[aaronarnwine]

I am having the same problem with my HTC 8X. volumes of podcast will be stuck at a certain level and changing the volume of the phone doesn't change it.

I am curious if it has something to do with the Beats Audio. But I've also noticed it without anything plugged into the device.

 

[shawnyp26]

Ya me tooo. I am having the the same issue where the volume is no longer working and I have to restart the phone in order to have control over the volume settings. Fix this Microsoft !! also pretty stupid how there is no individual volume settings for ringer notification and text. Lacking in features this OS and not overly impressed.

 

[RonZimmerman]

Sign me up for the same problem. If I am playing a podcast, and take a picture, the audio goes off and won't return unless I turn the phone off and reboot. Also, sometimes I can't change the volume.

 

[Schmuckle]

Same problem here. I had had my phone not able to change volume of both the ringer and the music and only a reboot would fix it. I have also experienced a problem where I couldn't hear a phone call and had to reboot to fix it. Plus I have had the invalid sim card as well. I am thinking it is time to bring this one back.

 

[waraukaeru]

I am experiencing similar volume issues, but with all music on my device. So frustrating because my HD7 never had these sort of issues and didn't need some dumb beats audio to get adequate volume.

I've got the answer to your navigation issues though. During the development of WP8, Microsoft struck a deal with Nokia to integrate their mapping technology in the OS. This is how you can download maps for offline use that are shared among other mapping apps. As part of this agreement, Microsoft removed the voice navigation from their mapping app and developed an API for integrating other mapping apps.

If you remove all your other mapping apps (like that awful VZ nav), the default behavior of the MS maps app should be to pull up (non-voice) directions right in the app. Better yet, if you install HERE Drive or HERE Maps (Nokia's rebranded mapping applications, another aspect of that deal), they will integrate with the OS and you will have stellar turn-by-turn voice navigation. They are free.

It might be kind of annoying, but this is actually way better than WP7 when you get it setup right. On WP7, if I wanted to get directions to something I found on local scout in the Drive app, I would have to open the address in the MS maps app, copy it, open Drive, and paste it in. In WP8, since it has the mapping API, I can pull up the directions in my favorite nav app directly from search or local scout.

So, you can get HERE drive and love your phone again. ^_^

 

[Theuns Steyn]

With the latest update of Here Maps, Here Drive+ was released in the Windows Store in South Africa.


Sounds like good news, doesn't it ------ WRONG!


While Here Drive and Here Drive+ was released in certain countries, free of charge, We here in South Africa and else ware have to fork out almost R500 for something Microsoft promised will be available on all Windows 8 phones and witch it gives away for free in other markets!!!


See: HERE to introduce HERE Drive+ for all Windows Phone 8 smartphones ? Nokia – Press


What does not make sense to me is that if you look at the analysis of where Windows Phone is doing well in the world, South Africa is one of the countries it sells a lot of devices!


All the HTC owners, like me were patiently waiting for this feature to be released here now can truly feel cheated!


Moreover, I do not understand that HTC would still choose to make Windows Phone 8 devices (Don't know about Samsung) if Microsoft withholds such an important (free to certain countries on the same device) feature!


I certainly would not have bought a HTC Windows Phone 8 if I had known this from the start and will NEVER make the same mistake again!

 

[foxbat121]

No one gives you off-line navigation for free. None. You can pick any phone/os you want, don't expect such free service. Navigation licenses are always expensive.

Nokia/MS did what others like Google and Apple ddn't offer: free offline navigation in a few selected countries.