[rfeinberg]

Ok....After using my Storm in the real world since its launch date (.65 > .75 > .83 > .85 < .83), I have come to the conclusion that the accelerometer is the biggest single problem that I have with the Storm. Why.....becuase its WAY TOO SENSITIVE!!! On any of the aforementioned OS's, its just too sensitive to use in the heat of business in the real world, when the phone is not a toy, but a vital business tool.

I am not a robot. I do not, in the heat of business, hold my phone at perfect 90 degree angles ALL THE TIME....getting in and out of my car, juggling my brief case, papers, phone, coffee cup. I am human, and hold the phone however the **** I happen to hold it at any given moment. Sometimes thats all over the place!!! Looking at the phone while getting in or out of my car, for example, the thing is switching views 4 or 5 times in 20 seconds as it reacts to my moving around. If I am on a call, or trying to answer a call, or multi tasking while on a call....all I am doing is chasing the view around which is switching faster than I can react to it! And until its settled into a firm view, where I have let the phone stop switching views by holding the device at a perfect 90 degree angle for several seconds, the phone is locked up and non-responsive. In the heat of the moment, while on a call, or "on the move"....its TRULY frustrating and really not functional! I am trying to check a text while on a call and getting out of my car, and I CANNOT press the SMS button because the phone will NOT stop switching around!

There are times when having the auto-switch is great...when I am being deliberate with the phone, or sitting and paying strict attention to my beloved new toy. But this is a Blackberry after all, which means business first! Right!!!!??? There absolutely MUST be an update to the OS which allows 1. the OPTION of manually switching the view, and 2. a Sensitivity setting for the auto-switch.

I have played with the I-Phone (and I have an iPod touch), and even though the accelerometer implementation on that device is much less useful overall than on the Storm, it is WAY BETTER in this way: If you are in portrait view on the main screen, or on a call, it WILL NOT swap views on you unless you deliberately choose to go to a browser or other relevant function where landscape view is useful. I don't EVER need to be in landscape view while simply holding the device in my hand (which is a natural portrait view orientation under any circumstances), unless I have a deliberate need to USE THE DEVICE for a function where landscape view would be relevant! Having this thing jump around irratically at every little human movement is just silly, and completely detracts from what is otherwise a sophisticated device in every other way.

Regardless of RIM adding such features and adjustments to a future OS build (which I find unlikely, or they would have considered it by now), what is the possibility for a third party app to intervene with the accelerometer? Does the API allow this? I see this as a similar situation as the Screen Lock app that was recently put out by an awesome Crackberry memeber. Its a seemingly essential OPTION that many would want....but the option is missing from the OS. I cannot believe that I am alone in this experience, and will bet that a third party app to allow this feature (manual view switch, and/or sensitivity adjustment) would be in demand by the masses.

Your thoughts.............???????????

Thanks!

[bradoneill]

I think all they need to do to fix this issue is to add the option to turn off landscape mode for the home screen. I have no issue with the accelerometer otherwise.

I hate taking the phone out of my pocket and it's in landscape, I also hate having to carefully put the phone down on my desk to make sure it stays in portrait.

[Irish_Spark]

somthing I would like to see and im betting somewhere someone has a 3rd party app, but is a screen lock that keeps it in the vertical menu.

[hiennguyen]

Um anyone know why i cant switch to landscape view on my storm when im in sms texting it only let me text in portrait view

[chuckh0308]

You're not alone. There are quite a few of us who would like to have the ability to lock the screen orientation.

[bbhooked]

Disable on Phone app all together.

Disable on Home screen completely.

If you hit menu button or screen button to show all icons…. Then let it switch.

They have to change it to save the storm.

Other than some folks on these forums, I have yet to meet anyone even in stores that thinks that was a good idea. Who were the testers…? They should have included 100 crackberry folks…

In the beginning the screen etc… out ways everything, but after a good month… that wears off and you realize how frustrating these things are.

I think VZW is going to get more of these back as 15th approaches. Not a great time for them to extend out normal 4 week test period.

[SeattleGrace]

I don't mind it, really. Mine doesn't seem to be overly sensitive. I hate the pocket thing, but other than that, I guess I don't think it's that big of a deal to have to turn it a few times to get which mode I want it in.

[dylanbb]

A trick I've learned is to tilt the phone. If I'm in portrait and the phone is in landscape I tilt it away or towards me and it immediately.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[dc5dave]

im having the same issues lol.. i hate how it loves to get stuck in landscape

[carl.livesay]

I agree completely. Well said.

[coilone]

Same issue here! Hopefully RIM will include said options in future releases!

[mdude85]

I too hate the fact that the menu switches to Landscape when you tilt it. I think BB was a little trigger-happy and wanted to experiment with the novelty of the accelerometer by implementing it in as many ways as possible, but I think you'll see future OS builds that allow you to tailor the accelerometer to your needs. For instance, Landscape mode is virtually useless in every native application on the phone except messaging, web browsing and multimedia (pics, videos, etc). Accelerometer needs to be turned off the others!!!!! Maybe we'll eventually see an accelerometer sensitivity toggle even??

It would be different if the Landscape menu added some functionality to the phone, but it adds nothing, it only subtracts.

[tkennedy]

im having the same issues lol.. i hate how it loves to get stuck in landscape

BUT.........
EXCEPT when u want to reply to a txt or mms...U CANT use landscape then

talked to a tech today...said u should be able to reply to a sms in landscape, was trying to tell me I had to hard boot, ??could be MY phone ??

[Colonel.Beck]

I agree also. At minimum there should be an option to control the home screen. The constant bouncing around while on the go can sometimes be frustrating. Hopefully a 3rd party app. will be developed.

[Roscopcoletrain]

I don't mind it, really. Mine doesn't seem to be overly sensitive. I hate the pocket thing, but other than that, I guess I don't think it's that big of a deal to have to turn it a few times to get which mode I want it in.

agreed. Not really an issue for me.

[mdude85]

BUT.........
EXCEPT when u want to reply to a txt or mms...U CANT use landscape then

talked to a tech today...said u should be able to reply to a sms in landscape, was trying to tell me I had to hard boot, ??could be MY phone ??

It probably is. SMS/MMS does work fine in Landscape. I don't know what "hard boot" means, but he probably means that you should remove the battery and put it back in, thus restarting the phone.

[mdude85]

I agree also. At minimum there should be an option to control the home screen. The constant bouncing around while on the go can sometimes be frustrating. Hopefully a 3rd party app. will be developed.

HOPEFULLY a buggy, probably too expensive, memory leaking 3rd party app won't be necessary .. hopefully RIM will fix this issue once and for all.

[Carbon Coupe]

I would like the option. A setting for auto or assign it to a side button to control it.

[bgunckel]

The iPhone/iTouch has this same problem. Actually, I thought it was a problem at first, but I eventually learned to hold the phone (or my iTouch) at more of an angle. If this is too much trouble for you, or you're simply not trainable in this respect, get a different type of phone. The Curve and Bold don't require this. Personally, I don't find it to be an issue.

[Terrigno]

Welcome to the touch screen world boys when replying to a text I always use Landscape mode. It works fine.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Terrigno]

The iPhone/iTouch has this same problem. Actually, I thought it was a problem at first, but I eventually learned to hold the phone (or my iTouch) at more of an angle. If this is too much trouble for you, or you're simply not trainable in this respect, get a different type of phone. The Curve and Bold don't require this. Personally, I don't find it to be an issue.

100% agreed

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[gabeevans6364]

I would love to see a feature that lets you disable landscape mode all together, as i never use it because i dislike qwerty so very much, i cannot type on it because its to small, and suretype is probably the greatest thing ever created

[MikeNasty]

BUT.........
EXCEPT when u want to reply to a txt or mms...U CANT use landscape then

talked to a tech today...said u should be able to reply to a sms in landscape, was trying to tell me I had to hard boot, ??could be MY phone ??

I had this same issue the other day. Do a battery pull and you should be alright.

[kfischer009]

An option to only manually switch between views on the home screen would be great. Along with sensitivity adjustments

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[S3th13]

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but you'll never see a 3rd Party Application solve this problem. A RIM developer responded in their Application Development Help forums that the accelerometer is not accessible outside of the developers application.

Also, I agree that the accelerometer is way too sensitive.