reference phone improvements

[Asa Dotzler]

As we star work on the next reference device(s) I wanted to reach out to
y'all and ask you how the Flame *hardware* has worked for you as a daily
driver (dogfooding) device.

What do you like and dislike about the Flame hardware when it comes to
using the phone as a daily driver, and what *one* hardware feature would
you most like to see improved or added in a future reference device.

I'll start things off.

Like: look and feel, build quality and the hand feel of the plastic.

Dislike: the camera quality and the screen quality.

Top Request: I'd most like to have a better screen with more pixels,
better viewing angles, more accurate colors, and a cover glass that's
more touch friendly and less fingerprinty.

- A

[Richard Pappalardo]

Like:
Overall, I love the Flame!
I love the responsiveness, vertical scrolling, UX design
Facebook works well


Dislike:
I wish the email app were more responsive and less 1.0 looking - most people use email a lot, so more TLC should be given to this.
though I do love the messaging system it has for notifying new emails coming in.
LinkedIn is PAINFULLY slow as an app! uggh!
I miss useful apps: AmazonMusic! (don't know how we could get that one)


Top Request:
I hate, hate, hate the fact that when I put the phone in my pocket, the on/off button is so sensitive that the phone keeps power-cycling in my pocket (unbeknownst to me)
(iPhone designed a button that is harder to press for on/off for that reason)
I finally realized that this constant power cycling while the phone is in my pocket is what has been causing my battery drain

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[Diego Marcos]

Dislike: Too Heavy, too thick, that coating on the plastic is a magnet for fingers grease, poor camera.

I would like to have a reference phone that matches the build quality and screen of the Moto G (179 USD unlocked) with the best camera we can get. I would also like to have as many different sensors as we can pack. Good accelerometer, gyro and compass at least so we can do Mobile VR.

Top Request: Is it in the cards to have a truly open phone? From the drivers level. Open and hackable drivers and gonk layers.

Diego.

[Asa Dotzler]

On 11/11/14, 2:56 PM, Diego Marcos wrote:
> Top Request: Is it in the cards to have a truly open phone? From the drivers level. Open and hackable drivers and gonk layers.

Not any time soon. Possibly not ever. IMO, we can only really approach
this in terms of "more open" not "100% open" -- unless something
dramatic changes in the industry.

- A

[Francesco Lodolo [:flod]]

Like: build quality, size of the screen.

Dislike: weight, thickness.

Top request: lighter device with better display (more pixels, but we
need Gaia to manage them first), don't care much about cameras.

Francesco

[Schalk Neethling]

I second all the points you mentioned Asa. Generally it is a really good
device and I have received many positive comments from others about it
overall look.

People like the orange accents on the black and charcoal.

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[Frederik Braun]

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Plus:
- feel of the plastic is indeed quite good.
- USB jack is well placed. e.g., The ZTE Open C requires the usb cable
to be rotated by 180 degrees in the Z axis.


Minus
- placement of hardware buttons
-- holding the phone in one hand, as a leftie I almost always hit the
screenshot combination unintentionally when unlocking the phone. (Maybe
also disabling this could be a good advanced setting?)
-- probably similar for right handed person that holds the phone in the
left and and touches with her right?
- audio jack placement (at top of device) was unexpected for me.
-- I expected this to be beside the USB jack
- screen scratches to easily
- device is generally too big. I'd prefer <4.5". (This ship may have
sailed. Phones are getting bigger and bigger these days :/)

[Jonathan Hylands]

I'd like to see the USB charger switch consume either less power, or a constant amount of power.

Right now, when you turn off USB charging, the USB circuit consumes between 20 and 50 mA (depending on how much power the rest of the phone is taking). This makes it harder than it should be to do automated power consumption tests.

- Jon

[Julien Wajsberg]

Le 12/11/2014 10:26, Frederik Braun a écrit :
> - device is generally too big. I'd prefer <4.5". (This ship may have
> sailed. Phones are getting bigger and bigger these days :/)

and yet the Open C is smaller :)

[Sam Foster]

The people I've shown the Flame too are pleasantly surprised at how it looks, are keen to get a hold of one, and would have no problem making it their primary device. I've been happy with the radio/cellular functions and the headphones-as-fm-antenna works great.

I'm not sure if physical size/form-factor changes are on the table, but FWIW I prefer the Open C's form factor too.

Also +1 to the hardware button configuration comments. As another lefty I also trigger screenshot frequently

And big +1 to fixing the hair-trigger power button if possible

When I look at how I use my iphone, I think I would dogfood more if the camera was better. If you can twist Verizon's arm to release me from my contract, I would dogfood 100% of the time.

Its pretty easy to get at the battery, SIM cards and SD card slot. I do have a problem fitting some SIMs into the Flame's slot, see our earlier thread about this (1). My Peak had the same problem and finally no longer recognizes any SIM I put in there. I worry the Flame will go the same way.

I know penetrations are hard, but personally I'd like to get at the memory card without having to pull off the back. Not sure how that pans out with other devices, maybe its a terrible idea. This would also better support my ghetto profile manager idea if we can store profile data on there, making it easier to pass the device around the family.

1: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.gaia/ghURnj7Nxi4

/Sam

[Daniel Holbert]

Dislike / HW feature to improve: FM radio. It spikes to full-blast when
playing a notification (e.g. when taking a photo or sending/receiving a
text).

(Happens on my flame, but not on my unagi, so I suspect it's a flame HW
issue. See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1087412 and
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=866353 )

~Daniel

[Josh Hoff]

Like:
- Touch is fairly responsive (though this could always be better imo)
- Colors
- Rubberized plastic
- Replaceable battery
- Swappable SD/SIM slot

Dislike:
- Cannot control volume/play/pause w/apple headphones (not sure if this
is possible)
- Music doesn't pause when headphones are unplugged (software thing?)
- It's a little big for my hands (much easier to type w/two hands)
- Lack of colored LED
- 32GB limit on SD card
- Headphone slot on the top
- Buttons are easy to accidentally hit
- The power button only needs to be held down for a little while before
it turns the phone on/brings up the 'power off' menu

Most desired HW improvement:
- 128GB+ limit on external SD cards

[jehan]

Dislike: the protruding camera at the back. The transparent plastic cover on it broke and I can't do anything about it, which means I don't have a useable camera on the phone anymore.

[in...@netsend.nl]

Would like to see a higher end 4" device. I don't have a flame, but a Geeksphone Peak (which is 4,3"). I would really like a device that is perfectly controllable with one hand and I think 4" is the max for that. Currently the best 4" device available is the ZTE Open C but I would be interested in buying a more high end alternative to that.

[Gabriela Montagu]

I'd like to add:

  I like: the feel, the responsiveness, the orange details, the display's size. The FM app is excellent, much better than the Keon's one! The phone's functionality is very good. The radio volume can be managed without unlocking the phone.
I don't mind very much the resolution and the camera quality because I don't use the phone for taking pictures.

Could be better: the weight (a bit lighter would be awesome), a back button would be nice (as it is now, whenever I open a link included in an email, the browser or the rocketbar opens, I read the content, and when I close the browser I find the email app is closed so I have to reopen it).

I don't like: the flimsy battery cover and the memory card inserting system (I'm always afraid to break them), the power off/on button is too sensitive. The battery doesn't last even a whole day in my case, even not really using it fully till 15 hs when I get back form work.

Best regards,
Gabriela
QA Mozilla Hispano Team Responsible


http://www.mozilla-hispano.org
http://twitter.com/mozilla_hispano
http://facebook.com/mozillahispano

On 25 November 2014 at 10:43, <in...@netsend.nl> wrote:

On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 10:05:26 PM UTC+1, Asa Dotzler wrote:

Would like to see a higher end 4" device. I don't have a flame, but a Geeksphone Peak (which is 4,3"). I would really like a device that is perfectly controllable with one hand and I think 4" is the max for that. Currently the best 4" device available is the ZTE Open C but I would be interested in buying a more high end alternative to that.

[Cédric de Saint Martin]

On 26 nov. 2014, at 14:46, Gabriela Montagu <gmon...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'd like to add:

  I like: the feel, the responsiveness, the orange details

The orange details are awesome. I love the design of my Flame, don't change it. :)

, the display's size. The FM app is excellent, much better than the Keon's one! The phone's functionality is very good. The radio volume can be managed without unlocking the phone.
I don't mind very much the resolution and the camera quality because I don't use the phone for taking pictures.

Could be better: the weight (a bit lighter would be awesome), a back button would be nice (as it is now, whenever I open a link included in an email, the browser or the rocketbar opens, I read the content, and when I close the browser I find the email app is closed so I have to reopen it).

It's more about having a back button inside of the application, not a physical button, right? I feel a physical "back" button has no reason to exist when we can have virtual buttons on the screen (and the Android devices always have seemed nonsensical to me from this point of view, "back" doesn't always mean something in the current application/state). It's like having a physical keyboard whereas you can have a virtual keyboard adapting to every situation. So for me, the solution is software, not hardware (see iPhone).

Wanted improvement; although the touch screen is nice (and far better than the previous FxOS phones), I would like it to be even "touch friendlier". Higher resolution would be nice but is not a must-have for me.

Also: when I want to unlock my Flame, I press the power button by taking the phone with my right hand. By doing this, I often press the "decrease volume" button and... tadaa, a screenshot. I have hundred of screenshots in my Flame, all showing the lockscreen. Maybe moving the power button might be nice, maybe it's just me. :)

Although I don't care, most people ask me for one feature : 4G support (it probably supports the "higher-end" previous requests).

Regards,

Cedric

I don't like: the flimsy battery cover and the memory card inserting system (I'm always afraid to break them), the power off/on button is too sensitive. The battery doesn't last even a whole day in my case, even not really using it fully till 15 hs when I get back form work.

Best regards,
Gabriela
QA Mozilla Hispano Team Responsible


http://www.mozilla-hispano.org
http://twitter.com/mozilla_hispano
http://facebook.com/mozillahispano

On 25 November 2014 at 10:43, <in...@netsend.nl> wrote:

On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 10:05:26 PM UTC+1, Asa Dotzler wrote:

Would like to see a higher end 4" device. I don't have a flame, but a Geeksphone Peak (which is 4,3"). I would really like a device that is perfectly controllable with one hand and I think 4" is the max for that. Currently the best 4" device available is the ZTE Open C but I would be interested in buying a more high end alternative to that.

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[Synp...@aol.com]

Echoing much of the above:

+CPU/GPU fairly quick
+Good Radio diversity (NFC, BT, WiFi, GPS, FM, 2G/3G)
+Orange Accents
+Decent touch accuracy
+Dual camera
+Autofocus+Flash on main camera
+microSDHC expansion
+Charging Light indicator
+Proximity+Light Sensors
+Acceptable front camera quality, good rear quality
+Sleek design (No front facing branding)
+Accurate, if slow, GPS
+Clean microphone
+Good earpiece
+glass sturdy, but not amazing
+Screen has good color

-Could use more RAM
-Battery life is atrocious
-Power Button is way too easy to actuate accidentally
-Lack of a physical camera shutter button
-Touchscreen is really inaccurate towards the edge of the panel
-Glass is not oliophobic
-Glass is not very scratch resistant, chipped too easily after a fall with screen protector on
-Home Button/Orb does NOT light up like on the Open/OpenC (this should be mandatory)
-No fitted silicon cases available
-Phone is very slippery
-Phone is too large (Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is about perfect, IMO)
-Screen viewing angles are crap
-No Wireless charging support
-No physical QWERTY keyboard
-Speakerphone is far too quiet
-No dust covers for ports
-No IP67 certification
-No 4G Radio
-Slow HSDPA performance
-No Bluetooth 4LE
-No A-GPS+GPS+GLONASS support
-Too much empty bezel space around the screen
-Small screen resolution (prefer 720p)
-Flash placement means halo/orb shows up in images taken with flash on
-Only mono speaker
-Should be microSDXC, not only microSDHC

In short, the phone was an amazing deal for the $95US I paid for it open box with a dead pixel, but it is not a device I can't live without.

If I was more certain of my ability to make the port, I'd sell this in an instant and get a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini to run FireFoxOS on as it has what I believe to be the perfect compromise between size, power, features, and battery life.

It is everything the Flame is, but more/better, packed in a smaller package. Though the design isn't quite as fetching as the Flame's orange and grey, and it really could stand to have a light up Home Orb/Button we can use for notifications :)

[Synp...@aol.com]

Addendum:

Extra negative points on the Flame for not having an Infrared Receiver/Transmitter.

That is my most desired feature on a smartphone after NFC.

[No-Jun Park]

Like: grip, simple interface
Dislike: battery life, camera quality

Top Request: I would really love to have a screencast option, where you can record the UI activity as a video (like android phones have.). And to complement that, have a MHL/slimport compatibility so one can pipe the video out digitally through usb connection. This will greatly improve the possibility of automating the UI testing framework and other test harness. (i.e. eideticker)

[Marcelo Poli]

Like: It looks great. Hardware doesn't fail.

Dislike: Camera quality. Camera auto settings didn't fit every situation. Zoom capability should also be welcome.

Feature requests:
Maybe FM radio should have a field to enter the station name when you favorite one.

The led should blink to show there are notifications that you may have missed (Gabriela had this idea).

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[André Jaenisch]

Cédric de Saint Martin <cedri...@gmail.com> schrieb am Mi, 26.Nov.14 15:59:

> Although I don't care, most people ask me for one feature : 4G support
> (it probably supports the "higher-end" previous requests).
>
> Regards,
>
> Cedric

Since 31C3 showed in SS7 talks, that UMTS (aka 3G) is know "broken" (watch the
movies [0] and [1]) I assume, Mozilla should take care to ship LTE (aka 4G) for
upcoming devices if possible.

I don't know, how the infrastructure looks like in target markets, though.

Cheers,


André

[0] http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2014/31c3_-_6249_-_en_-_saal_1_-_201412271715_-_ss7_locate_track_manipulate_-_tobias_engel.html#videohttp://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2014/31c3_-_6249_-_en_-_saal_1_-_201412271715_-_ss7_locate_track_manipulate_-_tobias_engel.html#video
[1] http://media.ccc.de/browse/congress/2014/31c3_-_6531_-_en_-_saal_6_-_201412272300_-_ss7map_mapping_vulnerability_of_the_international_mobile_roaming_infrastructure_-_laurent_ghigonis_-_alexandre_de_oliveira.html#video

[Christopher Lord]

Like:

- The coating on the plastic is nice

- Dual-SIM

- Decent battery life

- Decent performance

- Fast boot speed (handy for dev)

Dislike:

- Too large - this wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so thick, but the combination of it being large *and* thick makes it feel pretty bad for me

- Awful screen - colour reproduction and viewing angles are both very bad compared to any phone of the same price I've come across

- Sensitive power button - I flat-out can't use this phone because it keeps resetting itself in my pocket. The phone shouldn't reboot after holding the power button for 5 seconds, but the power button shouldn't be so easy to press either

- Awful mobile reception - I get terrible network reception on this phone compared to other FirefoxOS phones (e.g. the ZTE Open C or Geeksphone Keon)

If I could change only one thing? I'm not sure what I'd pick - but given you picked two things, that makes it easier :) I'd change the screen and the housing. I'd have a better, smaller, preferably IPS or AMOLED screen (resolution is fine) and I'd put the phone in a smaller, thinner housing. I'd be fine with sacrificing some battery capacity to do this (it's not ideal, but as long as it lasts a full day, that's fine).

The ZTE Open C is a great phone for me, spoilt somewhat by its terrible camera and lack of proximity and light sensors. If we could have something like the Open C, but with a better screen, decent camera with flash, front-facing camera and proximity/light sensors, that'd be more than good enough for me.

--Chris

[Dietrich Ayala]

+1 to better screen. I used Firefox OS on Nexus 4 as daily driver for
a while and have now moved to Nexus 5.

Those screens are both way better than Flame or any supported device.

This makes a huge difference for me.