By Uh-oh. We’ve all jumped the gun on the JI5 update for the Samsung Vibrant that looks to address issues with the GPS and make other enhancements. T-Mobile’s asking everyone to hold off on updating their Samsung Vibrant until they announce the official OTA upgrade that they’ll be sending out due to known issues. Samsung’s also apparently pulled the update from Kies, so some of you still looking for it today might want to stop.
We’re hoping that you guys who already updated will be able to get stepped up to T-Mobile’s official OTA once the time comes considering this was a blunder on Samsung’s part (it’s not your fault they released official firmware through official channels.) We’ll be contacting T-Mobile to learn the status of those of you who’ve already applied the update.
[via TMobile on Twitter]
And who trusts T-mobile to send out updates? Not me.
what’s your point #1?
If you read on the forums people who have this say this fixes gps, adds voice input on swipe, a lot of things that people have wanted this entire time. So people were updating it as fast as they could.
So yeah, everyone’s in a “uh oh” mode now.
I wouldn’t say it came through official channels. Kies hasn’t be officially released nor sanctioned for use in the USA. Who wants to bet the techs and engineers turned it on to test things on their end, only to have it hijacked by us rabid users? I may not know the entire history of Android at Tmo, but haven’t all updates come OTA style?
Now wondering what is going to happen by me updating it too early. I hope it doesn’t bring problems for future updates. Not cool… cuz the actual Samsung company release it. I don’t see how is that are fault. The fixes are correct I don’t see how can not be beneficial in the future. But hoping this doesn’t make it more difficult for the people that updated & T-Mobile trying to send the update to the people that already updated.
For those early adopters that did apply the update through Kies, is the GPS at least fixed?
Well if we would have info put out to us prior to seeing it then yea no-one would have jumped the gun. Once again this is the carriers fault for not informing their customers of plans or intentions, and I have to say that no-one carrier is worse then others as they all keep there customers in the dark about stuff. no rant or bithcing, just stating a well known fact.
# 1’s point is that since tmobile will be taking forever on their update then we mineswell take Samsungs update. Which I did and although I had to do a master reset to the phone I’m glad that it fixed my GPS and added a couple more features. Next stop FroYo.
BTW if you updated your phone and it is screwed up beyond YOUR repair, Samsung told me that using the UK Kies on my US Vibrant I voided my warranty. Even though the damn software had an update SPECIFICALLY for MY phone!! Fuckers.
There isn’t an issue with the update at all. I wasn’t able to get KIES to connect, however, I do have the JI5 update that is flash-able through ODIN. I also have a version that’s flash-able through recovery. The problem was with Kies, where it would start to download the update, and error out.
For those asking, YES, GPS is fixed, there is still some lag, but thats to be expected when using a RFS file system. It was an overlay update, so it didn’t erase any of your data.
Noticeable changes:
GPS Fixed, HD Camcorder app, Media Hub, New Browser Settings (can control browser brightness through browser settings) Lock screen is full slide to unlock, no more “Battery Full” popup (it’s now just a 100% notification on your notification bar) Task Manager, a new modem which seems to be more stable.
I’m sure there are some more “easter-eggs” that I haven’t found yet. A lot of these changes were included in the JI2 and JI4 leaks.
JI6 was also leaked last night, however, we are still trying to break the encryption key.
Kies is the biggest piece of shit on the planet anyway. I’d rather use the hack update till we get our hand on the real thing.
I think that T-Mobile is just making up a ficitiocious “problem” to scare people into not updating to a firmware not officially sanctioned by them. The choice was to update now and fix the problems I had to live with for two and a half month at this point, or hold on for another who knows how long before TMO gets their head out of their proverbial you know what and finally decide to release an official update. I say suck it TMO, I now have a problem free Vibrant that I should have had on June 15th and it’s no thanks to you…
@ed. The GPS difenetely locked faster, but I drove with it on and it kept loosing and searching again. So, no, it didn’t fix my GPS.
Worst of all, I can’t seem to download or access my yahoo email through the email clientele while WIFI is on. I used to before
Since all of the carriers seem to have included some unique “tweaks” in their phones, I hate to do an update that comes directly from the manufacturer without it being sanctioned by the carrier. Yes, that means waiting longer. But, I am overly cautious. I don’t root either, I look for the best phone for my use and buy it. If it gets upgrades later, good. If it doesn’t work as advertised, I return it, not wait for a fix or try to find an unauthorized fix.
flashed the bionix 1.3 rom with kingklick’s overclock kernel to my vibrant via rom manager last night. it took less than ten minutes. no lagfix needed, gps works much better, i can overclock to 1200mhz and best of all, there are ZERO issues. everything just fucking works.
i find it funny that a guy on xda forums that codes in his spare time for whisky donations can fix this and samsung cant..
Ok so if I want to uninstall the update how do I go about doing it? I did a factory reset and that didn’t seem to work. Any ideas?
People are too impatient and those people who did update through kies, have nobody but themselves to blame if any issues arise due to installing an update that was not announced by either samsung or tmobile. It was found by someone who is too impatient to wait for an ota update from tmobile and then plastered the link all over the internet for the sheep to follow suit,and of course, had a domino effect. People and to take a chill pill and just wait for any ota’s instead of being impatient and jumping the gun and installing an update which is apparently NOT the official update, under the asumption this was specifically for the Tmobile Vibrant.
@Kosherpork:
I’m about ready to return my Vibrant so you can call me impatient all you want. Problems with GPS, Calendar, and Contacts are all software-based and if fixed by software before an OTA release then “good for us.”
As for possible problems: my battery just died after 6 hours of use – yesterday I went over 15 hours. Will be an interesting trip to Hawaii for the next 10 days. :-| Yep – I accepted that risk so “good for me.”
How the hell are we impatient,,, we buy the phone thinking everything is fine and dandy with the phone like they advertised but then the gps is not working… 3 months going and still no fix wtf is that… They should put in their advertisement saying gps not working see how many people buys it then… somebody needs to take them to court,,, ahahaha…
Turbosix.net has made the most pertinent point so far in the months we’ve all been waiting for an update to fix the Vibrant’s issues. A company of this size and with such resources doesn’t seem to have someone competent enough to fix these problems in a timely manner, yet someone who writes code as a hobby can do it. I don’t think anyone expects these devices to be problem free but I do think that we all expect the manufacturer to be able to come up with a solution in a fair amount of time. In case you are wondering, I am one of those with no GPS problems but I would like the other issues and the extra features that an update would address. We have heard enough of “An update is coming out OTA soon.
Sorry, my finger slipped, I wasn’t finished commenting. I intend to wait until the 6th of October, then I’m flashing and I’ll dare anyone from T-Mobile or Samsung to tell me my warranty is voided! If that’s so then just refund me right now even though my 30 days are up. If your GPS doesn’t work and you depend on it then I don’t think you can be held to the 30 day return policy since this has been a problem they have yet to officially fix! Nuff said!
T-Mobile does not prevent the updates since they all come from the manufacturers of the phones. All T-Mobile does is provide the phone service in regards to making and recieving calls, sending and recieving text and data services. I get sick of everyone blaming the carriers when they are just the ones that get the phones from the manufacturers and the problems with the device is from the manufacturer. I admit I am impatient also for the update to fix the phone but i would rather wait for it to come from those who made the phone than to use a code that someone created that may turn my phone into a brick “as per the manufacturer” once the update is pushed to it.
VERY IMPORTANT ! I REALLY NEED YOUR EXPERIENCE / OPINION.
Guys,
I just got today Sept 30th, my Samsung Vibrant, I hope that this GPS problem that I have it’s just SOFTWARE and not HARDWARE problem and you can tell me with your experience / suggestions about this issue.
I was using before the Samsung Vibrant a HTC mytouch 3g slide, the GPS is on my slide is very accurate, what I can tell you is that from my bedroom it detects properly my home address, with samsung vibrant usually gives me UNACCURATE information using Google Maps on both phones,
I have turned on the wireless and the GPS on samsung vibrant as it was the same on my htc slide and on samsung vibrant it gives me around 40 to 50 meters innacurate or difference.
Is that a hardware problem or software issue?
My HTC Mytouch 3g slide never fails where I’m in my bedroom and this samsung is getting out of my nerves that isn’t accurate at all.
HARDWARE or SOFTWARE problem?
If it is software I will wait, but if it is hardware, I will be very dissapointed.
Thanks I really appreciate your experiences, I have 14 days to test it and if I’m not happy with it I can return it.
I love how people think because they are pissed about something they can ignore a 30 day contract they signed. If you are so anxious and can’t wait for an update just root your phone and install a rom from xda. It’s not like you can’t easily revert back to stock after you root.
You guys are incredible. Anyone who says that after 30 days you are stuck with the phone is mistaken. If the phone is defective at purchase (i.e. the gps) then you have a right to return it anytime. The reason I am waiting is because T-Mobile said they are releasing an update. If they do not, then regardless of how many days it’s been, we can return it. T-Mobile will try and tell you no at first. But trust me if you are serious about it and threaten to leave T-Mobile, they will take it back. They legally have to if they sold a product without working features that were advertised. That 30 days doesn’t trump false advertising and a defective product.
ok i’m just as eager to get my hands on the new update but all i see everyone complaining about is the GPS doesn’t work WHO CARES!!! if you don’t know where you’re going or have a sense of direction “DON’T GO OUT AND YOU WON’T GET LOST”.I have had my VIBRANT goin on 2 months and i simply love it and i don’t use my GPS AT ALL if i go somewhere i don’t know how to get to i’m gonna use a map before my trip and if i get lost well to DAMN BAD NICE NOT YOU!!!
NICE NOT KNOWING YOU!!!!* I WAS SPEED TYPING.LMAO
you cannot say that those of us who got the update through kies are impatient. you cannot blame us if our phones brick on us either. samsung was supposed to check this update before they release it to us. it was an official samsung update over the official samsung kies. meaning, if our phones brick, then it’s still covered by warranty. as for the update… i have had no problems with it. my only gripe was the gps, and it works flawlessly now. at least for me. i haven’t noticed any problems what so ever, and i too believe that tmobile is complaining about the reliability of the kies software!
Kies is really disappointing , but i hope T-mob /samsung wont void the warranty , how could they say that .
I have gmaps on both my HTC Incredible/2,2/Verizon and on my Vibrant S 2.1/T-Mo hand sets. I also have “GPS Status” app. My HTC finds 12 out of 12 satellites and points North with an accuracy of ~ 10 ft. The Vibrant can only find 2 satellites and is 30deg. or so to the west with a location accuracy of 10 meters. After running GPS Status, the GMaps on the Vibrant found my location, but was in another town with no satellites prior to running the companion app. One last thing, the HTC version of GMaps has a menu key on the bottom left “my location” which I don’t see on the Vibrant version. Could be different versions of GMaps?? Just some data. And really, no one gives a leap if you are unhappy. Save the optical packets for information, ideas and questions!
T-Mobile is not living up to their end of the of the agreement. They are responsible for providing the update to fix various issues including connectivity to kies. Not everyone including me trusts Google to sync and store calendar, task and contact in the cloud. Shame on T-Mobile for being so inefficient and inconsiderate to their customers
Have you gotten and update on this will the people with the leaked Kies JI6 update still be able get the now released OTA update?
I received my OTA update this morning (JI6). I’m in the Chicago area. My phone seems to be locking on to more satellites now. I’ll have to wait to check the accuracy on the golf course tomorrow.
is any body else’s battery life less than 8 hours now??? wtf?
The good news is that just yesterday Samsung finished testing Froyo for all Galaxy S phones. Now they just need to release it to the carriers for further testing. Google this, it is true!
I received my update on 10/16 so I assume it was the correct one. I’m one of the lucky (ha) ones to have all the battery issues. Sounds to me like this was not ready either!
Any updates or tips on the battery issues?
Do a factory reset for your update!!!!