PaddleFoot

Hello,

The most popular geezer phone I see, the Galaxy S3 has issues with every single app I try running. I saw the following line at a Support site and was wondering if anyone could shed light on it.

A Bluetooth® enabled Android device on 4.4 KitKat or newer

WT heck is KitKat?

PS. I know.. I need a new phone and it is in the works.

estasnyc

KitKat is just another name for Android 4.4. I believe that Google also referred to this Android K while it was still under development before they came up with a nickname.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 that came with Android 4.4 that also had problems connecting with Bluetooth LE devices, in particular the Wahoo RFLKT. I resolved that problem by replacing the stock Android 4.4 with an open-source version of Android 6.0 called LineageOS (v.13.0). That fixed my Bluetooth problems.

Check out https://www.lineageos.org/ and https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

I see that there's a version 14.1, corresponding to Android 7.0, that may be available for your phone.

A word of warning though: you will need to unlock the boot loader on your phone which will void the warranty. Installing the wrong firmware may brick your phone. "Brick" as in making your phone as useful as one.

Buy a new phone if you find this too intimidating.

CliffordK

Are any of the S3 phones under warranty?

I'm using a S4, and they're a couple of years old now, running Android 4.4.2 (which should run the OP's software).

Seattle Forrest

Your phone is very old, and that's why it's having trouble. As you mention.

Boost Mobile is selling used S6 phones for $99. No contract. I've been using an S6 for a year or two, it does everything I require of it.

estasnyc

What makes it old? Is the CPU within the phone about to die of old age?

Seriously though, it's no secret that the problem with older phones is that the manufacturers refuse to continue supporting these with updates if they can't make money off of it. There IS the legitimate reason that these phones may not be able to use a particular LTE band that a cellular phone carrier has since come to use.

If there's no warranty to void then you may decide that you may have nothing to lose. That's why I updated my Galaxy Tab Pro. I was ready to buy a new tablet if I had bricked this one but I was successful and it never came to that.

It's a judgement call: Would you rather spend time or money to have something that's more up-to-date?

angerdan

Getting Lineage OS for your Samsung i9300 is a free and good solution.
Before Lineage i used Cyanogenmod.
With Lineage, you'll get Android 7.1.2
wiki.lineageos.org/devices/i9300

4.4 KitKat is from 2013...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history

ksryder

I mean, it's not quite as simple. Basically, as the tech and hardware gets better, the developers make apps and functionality that take full advantage of the new tech, which means it doesn't run very well on older tech:

https://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/heres...ime-1821733348

It does seem ridiculous that my 4-year-old phone is on its last legs -- why shouldn't a several hundred dollar mini-computer last longer than that?

However, the Galaxy S3 is almost 6 years old now and... yeah.

On the bright side, if you don't mind a phone that's a couple years old you can get them dirt cheap.

swiftycoop

I have an SIII Mini that I hope will last forever because of its small physical size. Newer phones are so BIG.

Seattle Forrest

The hardware is probably fine, but the software is ancient, and has changed a great deal on newer phones.

It should be able to continue running whatever apps it has, but newer ones tend to be made to run on newer versions of the Android operating system. And if an update isn't available for your phone from your carrier, it's sort of a dead end.

canklecat

If you're pondering a new phone and don't want to commit too much money, check out the Moto E4.

With some prepaid services it's as low as $39 now (with Boost Mobile at Best Buy; $49 with Verizon at Walgreens and other stores). I paid $59 for the Verizon version at Target in early December.

It runs Android 7.1.1. I don't think it's in line for an auto-update to 8 but I see tutorials online for updating. No complaints, good phone, does what I need. Runs every cycling app and every other app I've tried.

The only catch with the prepaid versions of the Moto E4 is the phone will probably be locked to that particular carrier for a year or until you've spent a minimum amount on prepaid service. Or you could pay the full pop for the unlocked phone. But for $150-$200 there are probably better unlocked phones. The Moto E4's main appeal is it's a significant step up from the usual entry level prepaid phones.

In my case Verizon unlocked my phone even before I reached the year/$75 minimum. Their prepaid service list price is $50/mo for unlimited talk/text and 7 GB data, way more than I used in December. The rest rolled over to January with the nominally $40/3 GB data although Verizon charged me only $25, hoping I'd stay on as a customer. And I might. Top notch customer service. A techie friend who works in the telecom industry pooh-poohs Verizon because their network isn't quite state of the art. But it's good enough for my needs. I think he's a T-Mobile guy, but I had T-Mobile for years and found their customer support unresponsive.

I also have an older iPhone 4s running iOS 9.3.5, reportedly the final update Apple will make available. It runs fine with the cycling apps I use, and handier to carry on bike rides. It also fits my existing Delta phone caddy. There are some apps it won't run but those aren't essential to me. And it's a bit sluggish compared with newer phones. Occasionally some activities apps will stop when I run two or more simultaneously, or it will have GPS sync errors. When that occurs it's usually cleared up with a reboot/soft reset.

But eventually the 4s will probably be useful only for voice and texting. At the moment I'm running
it on Freedom Pop's "free" plan (aka, not really free), with generous voice and texting and limited data, but more than I'll use in a year.

CliffordK

There is also the S4 Mini, and I believe also a S5 Mini.

I can't tell if the S6 Mini made it to market.

I like my S4 Zoom that has the footprint of a S4 Mini, but a bit thicker, and a much better camera. The K Zoom has a larger footprint, but I believe is a little thinner.

Unfortunately, it also locks me to GSM providers

smith931

Galaxy S3 is a very old phone. I was also used this phone, now I am using S6 edge. Samsung update the phone every time and google update the android version. Kitkat is nothing but an android version name. When you install new updated app on an older OS, this may occur some problem. You can update the OS if possible and see what happen. I think it will be okay, if not then better to buy a new phone.

estasnyc

Like I'd said earlier, this is a judgement call. If there are inexpensive replacement phones available that are better than what he has now then there's nothing wrong with buying one.

A shrewd move may be that he could do would be to get a newer phone, try to install Lineage OS on the older phone and, if successful, keep it as a backup. Depending on how happy he may be with that, he could forgo paying for any insurance for the newer phone on his monthly plan. (I don't know how common that may still be - I keep a backup phone)

angerdan

The only reason to upgrade from an Galaxy S3 are games or other computing power needing applications.
For regular users the i9300 with lineage is good enough.

Galaxy S6 isn't that useful, since the battery can't be replaced.
Galaxy S4 would be even better than S3.
ifixit.com/smartphone-repairability

tagaproject6

You, my friend are a victim of planned obsolescence. If you want a cheap phone and don't want to fuss with relearning the system you currently have, get a Samsung J3 or J7.

Marcus_Ti

It isn't even that...All these phones are built with the best hardware of the day. And "the best hardware of the day", particularly in 2012--was easily superseded within a single generation.


The S3 generation phones are clunkers. Compared to anything they suck. Even when new, my Note 2 (same generation as the S3) ran like a dog. It is like whining about your 486DX IBM Compatible with a numeric processor refusing to run 64-bit Windows programs.

GrainBrain

I'm having a little difficulty in understanding your current setup. Do you have a Galaxy S3 currently, or are you looking at buying one? Because you should not buy one as everyone said it's old

However I had an S3 for a long time, my favorite phone I've had. The S3 was able to be upgraded to 4.4 KitKat. I ran Strava on mine a few months ago.

My wife's ultra cheap $25 new pos "smart phone" from Walmart was even able to run Strava.

estasnyc

We've yet to hear again from the OP. It does read like he was already set on getting another phone but may have been hoping for help that would allow his continuing to use his old phone. Who knows?

Not knowing what "KitKat" meant with Android, I suspect that the notion of his trying a technical solution such as installing a recovery and replacement firmware would have been a tall order.

Without his getting back here for any clarification, everything now would be speculation on our part. I have a little bit of idle time and so I'll add some of mine: Maybe he ran out of storage for installing and running apps on his phone?

Still, from what I see about the S3, these come with a minimum of 16GB storage. This should be enough for apps unless it never occurred to him to install an SD card (micro-SD presumably) for pictures, music, videos and other user data that one might accumulate. Getting one may be the simple solution that he wants and needs.

canklecat

Good point. I haven't used an older Android phone, but the trick to my iPhone 4s is to close all unnecessary apps. And if I refer to a map or take a photo during a ride I need to remember to check the cycling apps to be sure they're still running. Often opening another app will stop most cycling apps, although Strava usually just pauses.

And periodically I have to reboot/soft reset the 4s to be sure it runs cycling apps and syncs GPS reliably. Haven't had those quirks with the newer Android phone running 7.1.1.

angerdan

The better you know about IT/computers/smartphones, the better you know what hardware is suitable for your needs.
But since most people don't have a clue, more than one billion iPhones could been sold.
And by the way, all apps do run on an S3 with current Lineage. There's no logical reason for an update because of the processing power.


So whats the real reason you'd switch?
If something's old that doesn't have to mean anything. With the current product lifecycles of ~12 months nearly everything is old. Important is if something meets the reqirements, and that doen't change just of an release date in the past.

Marcus_Ti

Indeed. Those S3/Note2 phones could barely run Android. They had stutter and lag simply scrolling the app drawer and were best retired years back. NVM compared to anything more recent the screens are junk and the battery life was poor.

LineageOS is a nice effort....But if someone has to ask what it is and how to install it--then doing so is over their head. That they haven't done it on a 5 year old phone already confirms it

Skipjacks

If you have questions about improving the Galaxy S3, go here...

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3

You will not find a better forum with more knowledgeable users to assist you.

Personally my strategy is to buy last year's phone. I just got an LG G5 (last year's $600 phone) for $200 last summer. Overstock inventory sale to make room for the LG G6.

And you can get a brand new current model phone for $100-$150 if you don't want the top notch processor and ultra high res screen and super nice cameras what not that come on the expensive phones. Every carrier has such options. They are fine for daily use and any bike stuff you want to do with them.

Seattle Forrest

I like having a nice camera in my phone. I don't want to carry my SLR with me on bike rides or ski tours. If I crash, it'll break my ribs.

canklecat

Good cameras are common with any decent Android phone now. The camera in my Moto E4 compares well with my favorite teensy sensor P&S digicam, the Ricoh GR4. Ditto my Olympus Tough Cam. For JPEgs they have very comparable image quality, including dynamic range and noise control at high ISO. The main advantages to the Ricoh are better ergonomics and the option for shooting raw files. Lots of good editing apps for smartphones but most are modifying JPEGs, so there's always some additional loss of image quality.

PaddleFoot

Thanks so much for all your answers! I had forgotten all about this post (getting old!)

I have experience with unlocking devices. I once did this to get a device to talk to my wifi telescope. I did not enjoy it.

I will most likely be going with a new device, the battery life will be the best bonus for me.

Thanks again for such great answers... going through each one.