Razr thoughts up to this point

[beaton3344]

I have had trouble with smart actions, the launcher that came with the razr I think it's blur...

Here's what I did to fix it.

Deleted every profile I had with smart actions I blame slot of my data drops on smart actions... Why because I don't have hardly any after I quit using it.

I started using GO Launcher instead, my battery life has doubled since I switched.

For those having issues try the above and report back... Also I'm not rooted I was once but decided not worth it with this phone.. I used launcher pro for awhile as well same great battery life. I would post a screen shot but to cheap to buy the non root version of screen capture... Since I dropped the stock launcher I'm getting 20 hrs plus.. Droid Razr XT 912... Not max with quite a bit of use...

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[dillont]

I feel the exact opposite way. I used to have issues with the smart actions b/c it took to long for the data to come back on when i had data turn off when the screen off. Since the .173 update I have had a lot less data issuses and find that smart actions work well. I save a lot of battery using smart actions, especially turning data and wifi, bluetooth, etc off when the screen is not on. I also really like the ability to have my ringer off when I am sleeping, but have a list of VIP callers so the phone will ring if they call. I use a lot of smart actions and have tried out various ROMS, including most of the ICS roms, but I always come back to stock GB b/c I like the smart actions and that I find that the stock launcher is smoother, looks better and everything just works well. ICS is nice and I enjoyed having something different, but I always go back to stock b/c I like having everything working like it is supposed to and being able to use smart actions. I have tried go launcher and launcher pro, but again i always go back to the blur launcher. Although 3rd party launchers give you more options, I don't think they look as good, run as smooth and I seem to have more problems when I am running a 3rd party launcher. I came from a DX to the razr and I have grown to actually like blur. I could definitely do without all of the bloatware crap, but I think that motorola has got it right with the more recent versions of blur. I like the options and speed that you can gain from running polished custom roms, but I usually end up eventually going back to stock b/c I prefer the elements of blur that I lose from flashing custom roms and i think stock just looks cleaner and better.

 

[FoxKat]

I appreciate that we have two very differing experiences and opinions. The fact is that the stock launcher is very smooth and I agree that Motorola has made strides in the Blur interface, both by toning it down and also making it far more efficient and productive. I also agree and have experienced myself the added benefit and increased user experience provided by the third-party launchers. For me, it's been Launcher Pro that's given me what I wanted in customization without being too overwhelming. Still, the stock launcher is good. I just wish it had some of the Launcher Pro features such as vertical scrolling of the app tray and the ability to increase the number of home screens, number of columns and rows of icons, sizing of widgets, scrolling tray buttons at the bottom, etc.

Perhaps the reason the OP had a lack of success with the Blur launcher is that it pre-populates several screens with widgets, and in particular the one for the social networking. It stands to reason that the widget which pulls from those social sites is active in the background and on an infrequent basis is polling those sites for updates. Just that polling alone uses power since it has to transmit and receive either over the 3G or 4G radios, or if fortunate will be doing so over the less power-hungry WIFI, not to mention increased use of the CPU, supporting chips and RAM. Add that to the level of activity that a user's personal facebook page has, which is related to how many are in their personal network and how active those "friends" are in their own pages with postings of comments, quizzes, contests and pics. If those friends are constantly updating their pages, and posting large-data content (i.e. photos and contests), even just the widget can be a huge draw.

Since the third party launchers don't pre-populate these social networking and other widgets, it then stands to reason they will have less draw on the system's resources, and thereby will ultimately consume less power.

I would love to do a study of the difference in overall performance from a vanilla Blur launcher and those various custom launchers that are popular, Go Launcher, ADW, Launcher Pro, etc., and see if without the widgets does the stock launcher actually perform better or worse from a system resources standpoint. I would wager money on the Blur launcher being more power-efficient overall, and it's certainly smooth and rock-solid stable.

As for Smart Actions, if used carefully it can provide huge benefits, but it is easy to go overboard and what you wind up with is what the OP experienced...data drops as one example, not to mention conflicts, missed calls due to volume silencing, the phone going into a low-battery mode before you're really ready for it, and much more. It's like any tool, if used (and cared for) properly and for the purpose intended it will provide years of quality performance, but if you use a knife to turn a screw head, be ready for a dull blade and hacked up screw head.

 

[Trash Can]

Perhaps the reason the OP had a lack of success with the Blur launcher is that it pre-populates several screens with widgets, and in particular the one for the social networking.

And thus the beauty of Android, even for stock non-rooted users like myself. If you like all of those widgets and such, keep 'em. If not, drag them to the trash and try something else.

 

[beaton3344]

Yeah to each there own.. Something that's works for me may not work for you... I personally don't like my data to shut off ever.. I shouldn't have to have my phone to shut down data to make it through the day.. I have zero issues with 3rd party launchers versus blur ... I'm happy with the way my phone is running now it worked with my phone anyway. Also I only use 3 widgets calendar, google tasks, and clock widget.. On both blur and go launcher...

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[Gleason81]

I have had trouble with smart actions, the launcher that came with the razr I think it's blur...

Here's what I did to fix it.

Deleted every profile I had with smart actions I blame slot of my data drops on smart actions... Why because I don't have hardly any after I quit using it.

I started using GO Launcher instead, my battery life has doubled since I switched.

For those having issues try the above and report back... Also I'm not rooted I was once but decided not worth it with this phone.. I used launcher pro for awhile as well same great battery life. I would post a screen shot but to cheap to buy the non root version of screen capture... Since I dropped the stock launcher I'm getting 20 hrs plus.. Droid Razr XT 912... Not max with quite a bit of use...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums

I am also using GO Launcher EX and having great battery life. I have done as much as I can to give it an ICS look.