Samsung A886 Forever
- A
- AoSimon
- 95j
- 05 Oct 2010
First off I think this is a good phone that provides very good value for money. It's technically not a smartphone, but to me it does everything that a smartphone is capable of. The issue I have here is not with the phone per se, but rather how Rogers cripples the hardware so that users are not able to utilize it to its full potential.
I have had a most difficult time trying to enable GPS on this phone. Scoured everywhere online for fixes (most of them for A887 but they are the same phone branded differently), played with a whole bunch of admin settings related to the GPS chip, did the whole TKFE hack and still I'm not able to get GPS to work. It's a fact that the A887 (AT&T branded) can do GPS, at the minimum with the navigation app that AT&T provides by default, and is fully operational with other apps after some tinkering with TKFE. However, there is no app provided by Rogers on the A886, and there is no app that can get the GPS chip working even with heavy modifications. This leads me to the conclusion that Rogers has DISABLED GPS on this phone for good, and nothing short of debranding (which I am not able to find any information on) can un-cripple the phone.
The claim by a user that launching Google Maps will automatically enable GPS is NOT correct. Google Maps is able to triangulate the phone's approximate position using cellphone tower signals, but that's not GPS at all. On the map you'll see a dot centering a large light blue circle, and that's just an approximation of where you may be. The radius of the circle is huge: 1km, 3.8km, or even larger. A functional GPS chip is able to do much much better than this.
Talked to Rogers tech support on the phone and they say they don't cripple their phones, but when I talked to someone at a Rogers Plus he admits that the phone is "heavily branded".
Until someone is able to talk to a Samsung or Rogers phone engineer who brands phones, it seems that users will have to put up with not having their phones perform at a level that it is built to be capable of. Sad really...
- i
- itz AK
- ID6
- 29 Sep 2010
Anonymous, 19 Jul 2010Well, after 1 month of use my A886 touchscreen went for a d... moreworking with touch screen this is all new for me so far so good. my last cell was a pcs of crap nokia
- ?
- Anonymous
- Tbw
- 27 Sep 2010
Got this phone free from Rogers, so far a great phone!
- G
- Graham
- 4Bf
- 25 Sep 2010
This phone is very good!
I got it as an exchange through ROgers warranty plan. The touch screen is nice, just right.
The speaker phone is decent!
The volume on the ear is a bit low even on max, but i can still hear people clearly and fine but if I were say on a bus or in a busy restaurant i'd have a bit of trouble. No 3.5 or 2.5 headphone jack.
The phone comes with samsung connection headphones..the sound is bad for music but they are optimised for voice chat. They are excellent for calling!
Overall a great phone, which it had WiFi or at least easier web browsing. Kinda clunky to browse web, might be Rogers system too, Im not sure how that works out.
- s
- sdcdju
- Yc7
- 22 Sep 2010
I got this new phone from rogers under out f warrenty to replace my broke down LG Eve. Mic didn't work even reset. Speaker phone also didn't work. Not recommand.
- S
- SS
- NN2
- 21 Sep 2010
This phone is terrible! I got it in Dec 2009 for Rogers and by April it was having problems: dropping calls after 1 minute. Sent it to Samsung for repairs...THREE TIMES (so far) and it still does the same thing. Samsung Customer service is terrible, last time I ever buy a samsung product!
- ?
- Anonymous
- j2t
- 13 Sep 2010
Does it have a 3.5mm headphone jack??
- M
- Marc
- kJq
- 06 Sep 2010
lamar odm, 17 Aug 2010how do you put on music ?, and do i need to buy and sd card... moreDownload New PC Studio from here http://www.samsung.com/ca/cons...;tab=support (click on 'software' instead of manuals)
You have to buy the mem card.
- M
- Marc
- kJq
- 06 Sep 2010
Hi, just got this phone as a free replacement from a SONY W580i (which I have never liked...soo complicated).
The forever a886 has very clear reception, better coverage because it goes onto 3G+ network as well. Speaker phone clarity is very nice.
Voice activated commands work very well. I have downloaded and installed google maps for mobile phones (go to m.google.com/maps from your phone). I found that a lot of people are wondering how to use the A-GPS, well this is how. The app works fine, except that you always are asked for permission to let the app get its data.
I easily setup the phone to work with my @live.ca mail account and messenger.
I download the New PC Studio which allows me to add music, get my pictures and manage the phone etc... It can be found here http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/mobile/mobile-phones/all-phones/SGH-A886ZKARWC/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=support (click on 'software' instead of manuals)
Overall very much enjoy the phone
- T
- ToOoOoN
- jE6
- 04 Sep 2010
good phone overall,got it for free so i can't complain
- j
- j
- jnT
- 21 Aug 2010
Anonymous, 16 Aug 2010does this phone have wi-fi?????no it does not have wifi
- l
- lamar odm
- q{K
- 17 Aug 2010
how do you put on music ?, and do i need to buy and sd card for it, or is their one already in it :S
- ?
- Anonymous
- b1k
- 16 Aug 2010
does this phone have wi-fi?????
- S
- S
- 4rR
- 05 Aug 2010
Anonymous, 19 Jul 2010Well, after 1 month of use my A886 touchscreen went for a d... morewhat happened? I want to know as I am getting this phone as an out of warranty replacement for my existing ah36 Samsung.
- ?
- Anonymous
- 01p
- 19 Jul 2010
Well, after 1 month of use my A886 touchscreen went for a dump. P.O.S. phone.
- ?
- Anonymous
- IxX
- 24 Jun 2010
The handset is great!!! But most of Samsung phones (include A886) do not allow intall Jar files transferred from PC with cable or blueteeth, so, I called Rogers, said I have to download java from Web directly to phone and pay for data fee. $1 per day or $10 per month. Does anybody here know what source is best to download some java applications with phone browser? Thanks,
- ?
- Anonymous
- YeT
- 19 Apr 2010
Does anyone know how to delete saved "custom words" that have been added to the T9 list.
Thanks in advance!
- c
- cj
- Ydg
- 08 Apr 2010
ive had this phone since it came out,I have yet to have any battery issues,my phone takes an hour to charge and it will last me a few days, i enjoy the phone very much so.
- g
- gerry
- q}x
- 21 Mar 2010
Big fan of the forever. Much better than the phone I recycled to get this one. Battery life seems reasonable considering the features.
- B
- Brett@vodacare
- fsB
- 06 Mar 2010
Drake,Kanye West,Lil Wayne and Eminem rapped about this phone lol!