Well It's Going Back

[chuchnit]

Sadly I'm going to have to swap this out today for a Focus S it seems. I love everything about this phone but the call quality. I was trying to have a conversation a couple times this morning with my boss and he was having trouble hearing me. Sucks because I'd rather keep the Titan, but people must be able to hear me on the other end.

 

[sfleuriet]

Noooooooooo don't do it! I've really enjoyed my Titan more than the Focus S I owned for a couple weeks. I really felt like the microphones on the Focus S were poor quality.

 

[jd914]

No call issues here. It might have been a signal problem on yours or the other persons and. The Focus S though a great device is a step down from the Titan IMO.

 

[DanSmithKY]

I also owned the Focus S prior to my Titan (Nov 7th - Nov 28th), and I think that you should play with one in person before you do this. The build quality of the Titan is far superior IMO. It feels much better in my hand. I also have had numerous conversations on my Titan and nobody has asked me to repeat myself or made any comments to indicate that they are having trouble hearing me. Perhaps you should just swap it out for another?

The only issue that might lead me back to the Focus S is the data speed issue. I never checked my speed on the Focus S, but it did seem speedier than it is on the Titan. Of course, it could just be because I have seen the comments about Titan data throttling.

 

[jd914]

I also owned the Focus S prior to my Titan (Nov 7th - Nov 28th), and I think that you should play with one in person before you do this. The build quality of the Titan is far superior IMO. It feels much better in my hand. I also have had numerous conversations on my Titan and nobody has asked me to repeat myself or made any comments to indicate that they are having trouble hearing me. Perhaps you should just swap it out for another?

The only issue that might lead me back to the Focus S is the data speed issue. I never checked my speed on the Focus S, but it did seem speedier than it is on the Titan. Of course, it could just be because I have seen the comments about Titan data throttling.

i can assure you that the data on the Titan is not being throttled. I have gotten up to 4mpbs on a strong hspa plus area and do an average of 2mbps. The problem isn't with the Titan its with AT&T crappy outdated network. Sometimes I run into areas where It looks like I'm being throttled but that's not the case.

 

[DanSmithKY]

i can assure you that the data on the Titan is not being throttled. I have gotten up to 4mpbs on a strong hspa plus area and do an average of 2mbps. The problem isn't with the Titan its with AT&T crappy outdated network. Sometimes I run into areas where It looks like I'm being throttled but that's not the case.

I would love to see 4 mbps, but the most I've seen is just under 3. I just tested it a few seconds ago, and with 5 bars I got 2.7 mbps. My whole city is blanketed in "4G" coverage, and I am close to being right in the middle of it at my current location.
I'm not considering taking it back now, but if this became a confirmed issue I might. My data speeds have not had any significant impact on my usage of the phone, so I am content right now, not to mention the fact that I love the look and feel of the Titan.

 

[chuchnit]

Noooooooooo don't do it! I've really enjoyed my Titan more than the Focus S I owned for a couple weeks. I really felt like the microphones on the Focus S were poor quality.

My wife is clear as a bell. I do love this phone and will feel as if I'm ever-so-slightly downgrading by switching.

No call issues here. It might have been a signal problem on yours or the other persons and. The Focus S though a great device is a step down from the Titan IMO.

Signal is quite weak in my area. The problem is I was running on the neighbors microcell this morning and he still couldn't hear me clearly. At first I thought it was the case-mate case causing poor audio. I am still getting complaints without it on. Plus the wife's Focus S is clear as a bell; even in low signal situations.

I was also holding the phone with just my thumb and two fingers, so I wasn't blocking the mic or antenna holes.

I also owned the Focus S prior to my Titan (Nov 7th - Nov 28th), and I think that you should play with one in person before you do this. The build quality of the Titan is far superior IMO. It feels much better in my hand. I also have had numerous conversations on my Titan and nobody has asked me to repeat myself or made any comments to indicate that they are having trouble hearing me. Perhaps you should just swap it out for another?

The only issue that might lead me back to the Focus S is the data speed issue. I never checked my speed on the Focus S, but it did seem speedier than it is on the Titan. Of course, it could just be because I have seen the comments about Titan data throttling.

Oh I totally love the heft and build quality of the phone. It's actually just a smidgen too big for my hand, but the Focus S feels kinda small. Data isn't a problem for me since all we have is 3G here. I am generally around wifi most of the day though.

I keep asking people randomly if I sound ok on this phone. The problem seems intermittent, but it is consistent on days like today. Still yet I use the phone for work so people have got to hear me.

 

[klocker2]

I'm in the same boat... love the titan, but i use this for speaking with customers as much as for everything else...so the muddied voice quality (about half of the calls) is causing me to go back to my focus S which sounds much clearer.

I may swap the titan for a tian to see if it's the device but I doubt it seeing as when testing the calls in store on another titan, i heard the same hollow voice quality.

it could well be service in each persons area dictating it as the recording on other apps sounds much better than the calls themselves. but i am in PHX metro area so i doubt it's signal (although titan gets 3-4 bars where Focus S almost always gets 5).


this CNET snipet of voice from titan is what mine sounds like more or less, sometimes a bit better, sometimes worse (page down to audio clip)

compare Focus S audio clip page (mine sounds sometimes like this sometimes better)

 

[kevm14]

this CNET snipet of voice from titan is what mine sounds like more or less, sometimes a bit better, sometimes worse (page down to audio clip)

I wonder if this kind of thing can be fixed in software/firmware. I think it's possible.

 

[swansonp]

If you listen closely to some calls you can tell that the titan goes back and forth between sounding muffled and then clear again. It happens with either speaker but is easier to tell through the ear speaker. I have actually had some calls sound very clear all the way through but unfortunately the majority of the calls sound muffled and it is hard to hear people accurately. Maybe it has to do with the incoming call quality and cell signal. I would like to believe that this could be fixed through firmware but I am stuck with this phone for another 18-24 months on AT&T if I don't make an exchange soon.

One thing that I noticed about the Samsung Focus S is that it gets really warm with even the slightest use and while testing the phone in the store, people I called said my voice was not coming through as loud as with the titan. I am starting to think even with the flaws, the overall call quality of the focus S will make for a better everyday experience than the titan.

 

[chuchnit]

Well that was fun. I went to the AT&T store today to swap for a Focus S. That didn't happen. The sales rep inserts my SIM, looks up and says "You are ok with paying $200, right?"

He tries to tell me that since I got the phone on promotion, I have to pay today's on contract price. I proceed, nicely, to explain how someone needs to lay off the pipe. Both phones were 99 cents that Saturday, and they both sit at $199 today. Same price bracket so six of one, half dozen of the other. He procedes to call the store manager and he says I can have $100 in free accessories or $100 off the phone. Ummm **** NO!

Just got off the phone with ATT Premier customer service and they are going to swap me out for the Focus S for 99 cents with no $35 fee. All I got to do is return my Titan to the store so they can process the order. Fair deal I guess although I'll be running this garbage blackberry for a few days until the Samsung gets here.

I hate to see this phone go. I played with the wife's S last night and this morning and I do feel they are on two different levels as far as build quality. Yet her phone has at least one more bar signal at all times, and her voice is as clear as a land line when she calls me.

 

[aubreyq]

Nice fast one that AT&T tried to pull, there. Good on you not backing down. At least you had your wife's S as a reference so you knew what you were getting yourself into.

Sent from my Samsung Focus using Board Express

 

[palandri]

...
this CNET snipet of voice from titan is what mine sounds like more or less, sometimes a bit better, sometimes worse (page down to audio clip)

compare Focus S audio clip page (mine sounds sometimes like this sometimes better)

That Titan sounds bad.

 

[chuchnit]

Nice fast one that AT&T tried to pull, there. Good on you not backing down. At least you had your wife's S as a reference so you knew what you were getting yourself into.

Sent from my Samsung Focus using Board Express

The best part is that the lady at ATT Premier couldn't understand me since I called her from this phone. I kept having to repeat myself and she quickly stopped hinting at a replacement. She went ahead and escalated it to her supervisor. Both were a pleasure to work with.

 

[power5]

I notice that my pinky is very close to the mic hole since I use mine left handed.

 

[chuckk9032]

Had exactly the same issue with a new Titan I bought last week. It went back today. I did notice that taping over one of the rear audio sensors (for noise suppression) improved the mic reception. But the main purpose of a phone is to be a phone!

The lack of VPN on the Windows phone is another reason I returned it, but I would have been wiling to wait for that.

 

[Duvi]

Sorry to hear that folks. I love mine and hopefully you all will return soon.

 

[Billone]

I notice that my pinky is very close to the mic hole since I use mine left handed.

Wow, I just picked up the phone & held it as I normally do (at least some of the time), and I did have my pinky pretty much covering the mic hole. I think that this could be contributing to at least some people's clarity issues.

 

[HeyCori]

Wow, I just picked up the phone & held it as I normally do (at least some of the time), and I did have my pinky pretty much covering the mic hole. I think that this could be contributing to at least some people's clarity issues.

I didn't even think about that until now. When I hold it with my main hand I subconsciously wrap my pinky around the bottom without even thinking about it. However, I don't do that when I'm using my off-hand, but of course I never use my off hand when making a call.

 

[chuchnit]

Mine definitely wasn't a covered mic. It was the phone. I consciously held the phone in the middle of the body with two fingers and a thumb. It made no difference how I held it. Got the Focus S and am very happy. The OS is just a buttery smooth experience.