Any hints? Retiree newbie orders first non-basic phone (LG Optimus Logic)...

[chuckknight]

Yeah mine had TF WAP for Tracfone instead of Straight Talk for AT&T

You rebooted it, or shut it totally down and turned it back on?

Double check your settings. Triple check. All it takes is a single typo. Precision is important, and it's SO easy to miskey.

And, then do a *hard* reboot.

[maestroteague]

If it's a Walmart bought phone, you shouldn't have to mess with APN settings at all, should you?

[bald1]

Chuck, The new APN settings exactly match those here: http://www.straighttalksim.com/pdf/S...rd_AT&T_R3.pdf
My WiFi via secure router works fine but with WiFi off, nada data network

Tried calling ST customer care last night... the queue was ridiculous, so I e-mailed them. Hopefully I'll hear something soon.....

maestroleague, Yeah one would have thought

================================================== ==============

Okay for the hell of it I called customer care and got connected immediately this morning. First the APN data you provided Chuck is a non-starter. That's only for SIM promotions. They advised that I needed to call from another phone for them to troubleshoot my cell.

I finally went to a friends house and called customer care again. It took 35 minutes to get things fixed. Multiple reboots of the phone and web browser openings. My account was reset twice as well. Lots of machinations at their end. But FINALLY we're up and running. Ironically the TF WAP tracphone APN is still the default.

[bald1]

Thanks guys! I used the recommended Gmail contact entry and synced my phone. Much much better than trying to hand jam on the cell

Also setup my voicemail and installed 4 apps:
--Avast! Mobile Security
--Radar Now
--Auto WiFi Toggle
--1 Tap Cleaner

Time to take a breather

[cooter55]

If it's a Walmart bought phone, you shouldn't have to mess with APN settings at all, should you?

Nope good to go out of the box

[bald1]

Some observations now that most of the dust has settled:

Straight Talk / WalMart
--Customer Care is readily available in non-peak hours. Peak? Queue was too much for me.
--Ordering service plans online from WalMart was speedy. Took about 15 minutes to get the PIN.
--Porting my number from AT&T took right at 2 hours on a weekend. Not bad

LG Optimus Logic (L35G)
--Screen resolution may be low comparatively but it is more than up to the task for this retiree.
--QWERTY input is somewhat problematic due to small strike areas. Going into the horizontal mode makes things much easier. I consider this to be the biggest drawback of the 3.2" screen.
--compact size is a big plus allowing very easy pocket carry
--accessories (screen protectors, cases, etc) may be had using the LG L3 E400 spec as it is identical in size to the L35G
--reception, sound quality both ear and speakerphone, etc. all very good.
--WiFi range as good as my laptop's
--battery life thus far seems more than decent. With all the tweaking and messing I've been doing, I'm at >18 hours with a half charge showing.
--can not register cell as LG's web site doesn't recognize the model number or name of this cell

Overall I'm finding the LG Optimus Logic just as advertised. A very competent entry level android phone perfect for the needs of a retiree like me

[bald1]

FWIW I've added the following apps to date:

--Avast! Mobile Security (haven't installed the optional Theft-Aware)
--Radar Now
--Auto WiFi Toggle
--1 Tap Cleaner
--Street View (upgrade to Google Maps system app)
--Yahoo! Weather (to augment Radar Now with forecasts; data from Weather Channel)
--Battery (by MacroPinch)
--Solitare (by Softick)
--3G Watchdog (to satisfy my curiosity)
--SpeedTest (as above)


Got close to 40 hours before hitting 15% and recharging

[bald1]

For those who might be interested, the supplied 4Gb Kingmax Class 4 tested out with SD Tools showed
5.8 Mb/s Write
20.8 Mb/s Read

[bald1]

Since web searches on this phone cite this thread I thought I'd add some additional impressions after a week with it.

--The LG user manual is far from the best. For example it doesn't include speed dial setup yet web searches reveal that one can use the contacts function to accomplish this. There are numerous other shortfalls. Sometimes looking at the LG L3 E400 manual, which is more expansive, helps but not always

--Speakerphone quality is much better than some cells I've owned before and as good as the best I've had.

--The internal memory is a limiting factor on how many aftermarket apps you can load. Some, that take up a large amount of memory like Sky Maps, will require uninstalling others if you've loaded the phone down. I'm using 10 extras plus having added the Street View enhancement to Google Maps without stressing things.

-- Screen protectors like the XtremeGUARD Ultra Clear choke off the functionality of the proximity sensor. I tried cutting holes where the sensor was thought to be.... no joy. The protector is an otherwise very nice item.

--Both the built in Music and Video Player apps provide much better than expected performance with files loaded from the SD card. Headphone output is respectable as well

--I don't use social network stuff, so built in apps like Google+ I could easily do without. Same frankly for services like Google Play Music and Google Play Books (3.2" screen is really too small for this). I'd be nice to be able to delete them but I'm not going to root the phone so that's a moot issue. Obviously these are personal choices.

--Tried using a stylus from my old Palm PDA.... no joy. Doesn't work on the screen's QUERTY keyboard. As a newbie I'm still developing the thumb jamming technique.

[chuckknight]

A special stylus is required for any phone with a capacitive touchscreen. Happily, they're very common. WalMart sells them at a premium price, but they're even available at some dollar stores. Just look for one for touchscreen phones, including the iPhone, and it won't be a problem.

They look a bit like this...

[Endeavor]

I recommend that you consider going with Ting instead of Straight Talk. Given what you've told us, I suspect that your usage will be very low, and that your monthly bill will be lower on Ting. Ting also have MUCH better customer service. You shouldn't have any trouble getting help from Ting making your Ting Android phone work.

Ting also has a wide variety of Android smartphones, many of which have bigger screens than the Optimus Logic. I'm finding big screens a benefit as I get older...

If you're interested, you can visit ting.com to find all about Ting. Before you sign up with Straight Talk or Ting, I recommend that you call both of them to experience the difference in their level of customer service first-hand.

Never thought I'd go to a Smartphone but with my much younger relatives wanting me to be able to text and send / receive photos, etc. via phone PLUS the facts that the LG Optimus Logic was on sale (looks to be a decent starter smartphone) and Straight Talk's $45/mo plan trumps the what I have with AT&T, I've placed my order. Other retirees tell me that being able to check e-mail, hit the net for emergent needs, etc. makes a smartphone the way to go. As said I've resisted until now

Once I have the phone in hand I guess I need to go to WalMart to buy a service plan. Then go online to get my current number ported over. And once the phone is active, tweak whatever settings are needed on my phone (e.g. WiFi, email accounts, etc.). Am I missing anything? It runs Android v2.3. Anything there that I should look to add?

Like I said, I've been a basic cell user (voice, no texting, etc.) for years. This will be my first smartphone as well as my first experience with Straight Talk, so any all helpful hints and suggestions would be most welcome

[alphamale-b]

i would like to warn that the advice you have been given is not in your best interest.

the service is supported by the sprint network which is the worst network with the most disappointments. their network is slow. I was with them until they lost access to the alltel towers after verizon brought them. sad story.

even if you dont use much data with sprint there will be frequent spans where getting data will give you heartburn.

[bald1]

Ting uses Sprint which is a huge NON-STARTER in the Plains. No Sprint = no 3G and no data.

Besides I never indicated that either AT&T or Verizon, which are the only games played in my area, are problematic save my disdain for Verizon policies and customer service. I also indicated very early on that I was aware and accepting of the trade offs with the Optimus Logic. The issue of the stylus was simply experimentation and I'm sorry if that has caused this thread to drift where it ought not go.

[Endeavor]

That's not entirely accurate. They use Sprint at their primary network and Verizon as a backup for voice and text. If you are in an area served by Sprint, they are a great choice. If you are not, however, I would agree that Ting would be a very poor choice, as you'll have no data services.

i would like to warn that the advice you have been given is not in your best interest.

the service is supported by the sprint network which is the worst network with the most disappointments. their network is slow. I was with them until they lost access to the alltel towers after verizon brought them. sad story.

even if you dont use much data with sprint there will be frequent spans where getting data will give you heartburn.

[Endeavor]

If you want a stylus, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has one....

Ting uses Sprint which is a huge NON-STARTER in the Plains. No Sprint = no 3G and no data.

Besides I never indicated that either AT&T or Verizon, which are the only games played in my area, are problematic save my disdain for Verizon policies and customer service. I also indicated very early on that I was aware and accepting of the trade offs with the Optimus Logic. The issue of the stylus was simply experimentation and I'm sorry if that has caused this thread to drift where it ought not go.