New bugs on my Xperia Active (4.0.4 build 4.1.B.0.587): screen orientation, memory, sound level, GPS, etc.

[anderfo]

Hi,

I have discovered a new set of bugs in my device after the last update (build 4.1.B.0.587). I've searched the forum without seeing anyone describe these problems. At the same time, I have some older bugs that have not disappeared after the update. So here's the bug list:

1. (since 4.0.4 build 4.1.B.0.587): My choice of screen orientation does not work for the home screen. I usually choose to lock the phone in portrait mode, but now the home screen turns into landscape mode independently of my choice in the settings. As soon as I open an app or a menu, it turns back to portrait mode, but after closing it my screen jumps back to landscape again. This bug makes the phone useless if you're (for example) using the phone while lying in bed.
2. (since 4.0.4 build 4.1.B.0.587): Home screen orientation change takes a lifetime! More than one second! Due to the problem described above (swapping back and forth between portrait and landscape even though I have turned the swapping off), this is very annoying.
3. (since 4.0.1): The sounds only work when set to maximum volume. If I choose the second highest volume, the phone does not make any sound at all when someone tries to call me. This is very annoying - I've missed many calls. And I have tried a bunch of various sounds, but the problem is the same.
4. (since 4.0.2): Some applications say that they cannot be updated since there's not enough internal memory. One of them is Chrome for Android (size 18.94MB), another one is Sleep as Android (size 3.8MB), another one is Widgetsoid (size 1.9MB). There's still 50MB of free space in the internal memory, so it should be more than enough. The updates get downloaded but they're not able to install. I've moved all movable apps to the SD card. Why are the app updates bugging me about not enough internal memory space?
5. (since 3. something): GPS does not work. It has not worked since february, I believe. I turn it on but get no satelite connection. Doesn't matter what app I'm trying (e.g. Google Maps or Strava Cycling).
6. Flickering screen backlight when brightness is set low (mentioned by skela, below). Not very problematic though.
7. The "constant vibration" bug (mentioned by skela, below). Very annoying. Makes the phone useless for a few minutes or sometimes up to half an hour!

Has anyone else had the same problems?

Do you know a solution to any of these problems?

I think I have found more bugs but right now I can't remember them exactly. I'll get back to them when they show up.

cheers

  Anders

PS. The cover of the micro-USB port has also fallen off the phone. I haven't lost it yet though. Has anyone tried to glue it back on to the small transparent rubber flap? Or should I just continue to try not to lose it?

[Johan]

I'm sorry to hear but I suggest that you contact your local support team to have your phone examined and fixed at an repair center.

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/support/contact-us/contact-info/

[#3]

And I suggest thet you contact your developer team to get those bugs fixed... Being a Sony customer is getting pretty embarrassing with all those bugs.

[skela]

1.&2. Oh, is the home screen supposed to rotate when you rotate the device? For me, it only happens occasionally (not every day when rebooting once per day), even though I have enabled the auto-rotation. All other screens rotate fine. It has been like this since the original 2.3.4 firmware. Currently I am using Android 4.0.4, with 4.1B.0.587.

3. I occasionally have had trouble with too low microphone level, no matter if using the internal or external (wired) mic.

I guess 5. (non-working GPS) could be a real hardware problem. Or maybe it affects certain SI only.

You forgot to mention some bugs that have been mentioned on this forum for the past year:

6. Cellular network mode problem: the 4.1.B.0.587 firmware forces the phone to WCDMA/GSM mode on reboot, forgetting my preference of ‘GSM only’.

7. Occasionally flickering screen backlight when brightness is set low.

8. Rare ‘constant vibration’ bug, apparently caused by continuous stream of false events from the 3 buttons under the screen. Fix: tap the power button to turn of the screen, and unlock the screen after a while. Repeat until it has calmed down.

9. Temporary loss of GPS or Wifi signals until reboot. I am not sure if I have seen this with the 4.1.B (Android 4.0) firmware. I might have seen the loss of GPS once.

That said, I am happy with my Active. A system this complex simply cannot be bug-free, and it is amazing what we get for so little money. It would be nice if all hardware manufacturers understood their strengths. I can happily pay for good and durable hardware, but I prefer open-source firmware that is replaceable by the end user. Computers turned into a commodity (bye-bye to vendor-specific operating systems and peripherals) some 20+ years ago. Mobile devices should follow soon. Well OK, I guess Sony already ‘got this’ by cooperating with CyanogenMod and others.

[DGuerra]

a) - Well, for me, it seems that the GPS only starts working if you also turn ON the internet transfers.

If you try to get a GPS signal with internet data set to off, it will just "Search location" forever.

b) - The flickering screen when the luminosity is set to low also happens to me.

c) - Since I updated to 4.1 it seems that whatever I do, my e-mail box wont refresh automatically. Before 4.1 it was set to refresh every 5 minutes and it worked just fine. Now I need to refresh each mail account manually. This one is really annoying.

d) - Sometimes (I'd say 50%) when writing a SMS the pop-up menus with the smileys or the various grammar symbols (, ; . ! ? and so on) do not close after you select the symbol, you have to press somewhere off the pop-up menu for it to close.

[dgales4130]

Did this get relsoved I really want to use this phone to listen to music while I am using strava . I don't mind getting a extra battery to have a phone after a 4-5 hour ride but has anyone been satified with there phone when  compared to there friends  garmin 500 ?

[skela]

I don’t think the bugs were resolved. It would be nice to get them acknowledged, with references to some Sony internal bug numbers.:smileyhappy:

The GPS works fine with me, so I guess it must be limited to certain SI.  I have never used A-GPS, and I very rarely use 3G data. If I haven’t used the GPS for some days, it will take a bit longer to get a fix. If the GPS does not get a fix in a minute or so under the open sky, rebooting the phone helps. This happened to me once with the newest 4.1.B.0.587 firmware, two weeks ago, so this bug (issue 9 in my previous post) has not been fixed.

The GPS accuracy is comparable to the Garmin Edge 705 that I used earlier, maybe slightly worse but often better than 10 meters horizontally. For my needs, OsmAnd does almost everything. In my not so copious spare time, I should write an app that records data from the ANT+Sport sensors as well as GPS and barometer. MyTracks is too bloated for my taste, and I am not aware of any other open-source recording apps. The built-in GPX recording (without ANT+Sport sensors) in OsmAnd is OK for geotagging photos (with gpscorrelate) and such.

[anderfo]

Yes,

(I started this thread),

zero bugs have been resolved so far.

I don't think there's a repair center in my town. And I don't care much about the GPS thing; I have to Garmin devices working way better....

Regarding the other bugs, they are apparently common also among other people with the same phone and software.

Conclusion: I'm still waiting for Sony to fix the bugs. But I'm not holding my breath!

For some reason, this discussion has status "Assumed Answered" although no real answers have showed up. I don't know how to to change it back to the original status.