PSA ? Don?t install Windows Phone 8.1 on the Samsung ATIV SE on Verizon

[robnhl]

Installed the 8.10.14219.341 (05-DEC-2014) update today. I've tried to get the phone to lock up but so far it is behaving. I've tried making phone calls and using the Samsung Shooting Modes camera app. Both typically get the display to stop responding or the device to reboot. Eager to know if others are seeing similar results.

 

[robnhl]

And just like that, my dream that the problems were resolved have been crushed. Had a 15 minute phone call after which the screen was nonresponsive.

Installed the 8.10.14219.341 (05-DEC-2014) update today. I've tried to get the phone to lock up but so far it is behaving. I've tried making phone calls and using the Samsung Shooting Modes camera app. Both typically get the display to stop responding or the device to reboot. Eager to know if others are seeing similar results.

 

[PuckCowboy]

Weird... I've been on the latest version of 8.1 Dev with zero problems after a month of use and even after phone calls lasting an hour. Wonder if those having this issue have an app running that's causing the problem?

 

[vicu9mx]

I have nonresponsive touchscreen after a notification pops, one sms and one wifi needs your attention (this time with location and wifi on, runtastic and big hero 6 game running)

 

[Scottdd]

Seems like the upgrade to 8.1 and the 3 or 4 updates they have done since are working fine except for the nonresponsive touchscreen issue after making phone calls. For me is it not consistent, I get it when my phone is locked and unlocked I also do not have issues in the same scenarios. Has anyone figured out the issue yet? Has anyone figured out how to turn off the feature that turns off the screen when you put it up to your ear.

 

[jonthysell]

Just got my ATIV SE Tuesday, installed DP first then my stuff. First lockup was last night while driving and using maps / here+ and lots of texting via Bluetooth. Could still send texts via Bluetooth but had to pop the battery to get control back (is there a key combination I should know about?) This morning it went unresponsive again while reading Facebook and letting the screen lock. No texts, calls, or notifications.

 

[jonthysell]

Another lock up and I'm seeing a pattern:
1st time was around the time I had a calendar notification come up (while I was driving around, can't remember if it was up when it actually stopped responding)
2nd time was with my morning alarm notification (I could close it with back button but then I was hosed)
3rd time, just now, was with multiple calendar notifications up (again, I could close it with back button but then I was hosed)

It doesn't happen with every "big" notification, so there might be some other factor involved.

FWIW, still happy with the phone and 8.1

 

[Sean Dailey]

I have started getting the touch screen and camera issues. Touch screen happens occasionally after calls, or if the phone has been in my pocket. Seems to be a prox sensor issue.
Camera issue happens mostly when using a 3rd party lens, ie HDR, 6snap, or 6tag. Phone reboots when trying to take a photo. Annoying, for sure.

 

[jonthysell]

I have started getting the touch screen and camera issues. Touch screen happens occasionally after calls, or if the phone has been in my pocket. Seems to be a prox sensor issue.
Camera issue happens mostly when using a 3rd party lens, ie HDR, 6snap, or 6tag. Phone reboots when trying to take a photo. Annoying, for sure.

I hit the camera reboot, after showing some people some old photos in the Photos app, then it rebooted again when I tried to re-open the camera immediately after the reboot. I had to reopen the Photos app before the camera would work.

I also still get the occasional "calendar notification" disables the touch screen.

Still happy with the phone. My old 8X used to have the occasional unresponsive touchscreen issue, and the ever annoying "Can't send text" error that I dealt with for two whole years.

 

[Sean Dailey]

Hold down volume + lock button for ~10 secs to soft reboot

 

[pmocoaches]

Any updates on this? I just changed my wife's phone from Verizon Lumia 928 to the ATIV and immediately added the developer's preview. Getting lots of unresponsive screen issues. I have all of the updates. Any solutions other than constantly soft resetting the phone?

 

[Scottdd]

I wish, it is really starting to be a source of frustration. Is anyone from Samsung or Microsoft monitoring this post, if so can you please acknowledge that someone is working on the issue. The phone and MS OS is great, but together not the Android replacement I wanted to be. Please help us, we have been patient for so long.

 

[Scottdd]

Learned something today, for some reason my phone would freeze after every call, I got so frustrated I pulled the battery out waited 10 seconds and put it back in and no freezing after that. I am sure it will come back, but just wanted to let everyone what I found. Now if someone can only find a real fix that would be great.

 

[Sean Dailey]

It's not so much the reboots themselves that bother me, but the fact that it takes ~90seconds to reboot. Highly annoying when I want to snap a quick photo.
These issues should be fixable with a. Manufacturer firmware update. Hopefully well get one before windows 10 hits.

 

[jonthysell]

I've had my phone with DP installed for a month now, still loving it. Yes, occasionally (2-3 week), I get the unresponsive screen and have to reboot, but it doesn't take away that much from the experience. Every smartphone I've had has had its quirks.

 

[Scottdd]

Traveling all week and used a Bluetooth headset or plugin ear bud type Samsung ATIV SE and not one issue with the phone freezing the screen. Just incase anyone from Samsung or Microsoft are looking at this post, please fix the issue. You are pushing us away!

 

[UncleGrandpa]

Rule of thumb...Verizon and WP...a bad combination regardless of hardware.

 

[berndts]

I can only second this - I've been a loyal WinPhone user since it was available...got the Samsung Ativ SE last year with the expectations that it would be updated to 8.1 soon thereafter...a year later....nothing. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the non-responsiveness of Microsoft, Verizon and Samsung...as soon as I'm eligible to get a new phone in 5 months, I'll seriously consider an Android phone...or who knows...maybe I'll even go to the ubiquitous i-phone 6 - at least I know I'll be getting support, updates and all the apps I've ever wanted to have. Very frustrating to read all about the great 8.1 features...and not being able to use them.

And...waiting for Windows 10...well...who would promise me that I'd be getting any support once I have the Win10 phone??

 

[Keith Pickering]

Installed the 8.1 Developer Preview on my girlfriend's Ativ SE a few months ago. Since then, she experiences the unresponsive screen issue nearly every time the screen is turned on. She also loses her most recently received texts when this happens, so she has to constantly ask people to resend things. Then there are the apps that randomly decide to stop working until reinstalled. It's a mess.

This is unacceptable - it's beyond the point of being a minor nuisance. Is there anything I can do to revert to 8.0, or get the phone replaced (hopefully by the far-superior Icon) without paying for Samsung's mistake?

 

[Sean Dailey]

I'm here to officially admit that it was a mistake to upgrade my ativ se to 8.1. I loved the hardware, so I got a Galaxy s4 to use until the ativ se either gets a firmware update or w 10 fixes all of the problems. I love my first Android experience so far, though I miss the wp8.1 calendar, and the live tile motif. I do find myself suffering from Notification Fatigue on android. If the Ativ gets fixed, I'll be back.