I’ve owned a Samsung Glyde for a couple months now, and I’ve had one major complaint. The touchscreen was buggy as hell. Sometimes it worked like a champ. Sometimes it was a nightmare just trying to press a button. Forget taking a decent picture. Not that the camera isn’t any good. It’s that you had to press the button onscreen so many times before the phone actually registered the button press. By then, you’ve either missed the shot or the picture comes out blurry because the camera was moving. Navigating any of the Verizon online apps was useless. The phone almost never registered the button presses on the corners of the screen. More than once, I wanted to throw the phone across the room (I know I’m impatient, but this was getting ridiculous).
After searching the net for firmware updates to the Glyde, I found a couple of sites that mentioned that Verizon released a firmware update on Nov. 4. I stopped by my local Verizon store and asked the support tech if there was anything he could do for the touchscreen issues I was seeing on my phone. He told me he could update the firmware. It took about 15 minutes, and after using it for a couple hours the update seems to have about worked. Not only does the update seem to cure the touchscreen issues I had been having, but some nice changes to the phone came with the update.
- The annoying throbbing square that served as a shortcut has been changed to a small tab on the right side of the screen. The shortcut menu also slides in from the right. It’s a nice touch.
- You now have to drag a key onto a lock to unlock the screen instead of just pressing the unlock icon on the screen.
- The UI has been given a very nice update. No more boring black.
- Scrolling the contacts is now a breeze. A small button has been added to the left side of the contact list that can be dragged to quickly change letters in the alphabet. The current letter is displayed in the center of the screen sort of like it’s done on the iPod when you quickly scroll through a long playlist.
Before the update, I was running version .BF25 of the firmware. Now I’m running version .BI29. I wholeheartedly advise you go to your local Verizon store and get your Gylde’s firmware updated. It’s made a world of difference with my phone. You won’t be disappointed.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Oh my goodness! I’m glad I found your post. I just talked about my problem with the touch screen in my newly created blog yesterday (http://wired-and-wireless.blog.....phone.html). I’m heading for a Verizon store tomorrow for a firmware upgrade.
Do you also own iPod Touch? I don’t have too much problem with iPod Touch’s screen. (It’s on insensitive side and it doesn’t go crazy.)
November 16th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
The firmware upgrade has actually made my Glyde a good phone now. The touchscreen is now what I expected when I bought it.
No I don’t own an iPod Touch. I would love to, but I just can’t seem to break my old 60gig iPod classic.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:59 am
Ummm. I went to the Verizon store to get the firware upgrade. The upgrade didn’t fix the screen problem, so they gave me a new unit (with the old firmware).
November 21st, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Does the new phone perform any better?
December 15th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Is the new firmware free? Do I have to pay verizon or just show up with my phone?
December 15th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Paul, the firmware was free. I just showed up at the local Verizon store and told them I had issues with the touchscreen. The tech did the update. 15 minutes later I was on my way.
December 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
oh im so glad i found this site! not only did i find out if it was free or not, i also got to learn some new information about the newer version! than you so much!
December 20th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Thank you Tim and thank you everyone
for all the great info!
January 27th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Thank god i found this. I will be heading to verizon tomorrow.
thank you so much.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I upgraded yesterday, and now have version .BK14 but my mobile web isn’t working- going to another store today.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Gilbert, make sure you ask for the .BI29 firmware upgrade. That’s pretty lame that the tech didn’t upgrade you to the latest.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Tim you are incorrect. The BK14 is the most recent update, it was released late Jan 09. The BI29 update is from Nov 08.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I stand corrected!
February 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I had basically the same problem, I went in and got the update and about 4 hours later the same problem came back. It didn’t fix the problem for me and I am constantly struggling with the screen and nothing seems to work to fix it. I am going back into my local Verizon store and hoping to get it replaced or get a new phone I recommend anyone with a Glyde where the update doesn’t fix anything do the same.
My phone was updated yesterday, Saturday Feb. 7, and I have BK14, it didn’t fix a d*** thing.
I am irritated with Verizon’s lack of help and the Glyde in general. If you guys have any advice besides getting it replaced I would love to hear it.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
So I went into the Verizon store today and they were much more helpful today. They replaced my phone free of charge and it is working much better now.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Jake, I’m glad to see you got a replacement. Did you get another Glyde?
February 13th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
the charger port on my Glyde f’d up and I had to have it replaced but now I have the .BK14 and it’s MUCH better than the .BI29 version.
February 16th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Soo…is the phone good now? i have read many reviews/complaints on how glitchy it is, and how it f’s up all the time. SOme reports says it flat out dies on em. I really like the look and everything about this phone, but wont buy it unless i am 100% positive that it the touch screen works fine. I have heard problems with the original, the updated BI29, but havent heard much on the newest update the BK14
February 17th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Since I’ve updated to the BI29 firmware, I haven’t had the problems I originally had with the phone. I could only recommend the phone if it was a really good deal (like free), but I’m a little biased against the phone because of the frustration I experienced when I first got the phone. I’m also over the whole touchscreen phone thing though too.
February 20th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Hi, i was wondering what features the BK14 update has. I want a new phone and im considering getting the Samsung Glyde – but i want the touchscreen to be very responsive. And does the touchscreen respond to pressure? or the electricity or heat in your finger? Please answer back! Thank you.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Its pressure activated. I believe only iphone is the only electricity one and probably the new palm pre for sprint which is not out yet to public.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I’ll be getting my glyde tomorrow, would the new BK14 firmware be on the phone already or do I have to go out myself for update?
February 24th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I had similar problems with the glyde when I first got it. Unresponsive touchscreen, is the main one. I lost my phone and unfortunately it had to be replace with the glyde. I’m surprise about the new software updgrades. The phone is very responsive and it can stream video, at least Youtube videos. So far I like it. I would recommend the glyde to anyone.
February 24th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I haven’t gotten the BK14 firmware update yet. Is it that much of a difference as compared to the BI29? Thanks for the info!
February 27th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
@Raymond
Im pretty sure that its heat/electricity activation, due to the fact that if you pull your finger away from the phone slightly, you can still control the menus.
I have the BK14 update, and so far I only noticed a few things. Such as a new option for the sound the keypad makes…annoying as hell, and the touch sensitivity setting has a test now and 2 new levels of sensitivity.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Thanks everyone! I’ll be getting my Glyde today!
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
this info was great… i really wanted this phone and finally i found some people who didnt bash it… that is great thanks a million guys….
March 4th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Hi I was going to get a new phone and Im not sure weather to get the glyde or not. Ive heard some bad things about it but also alot of good things too.
March 5th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I just got the update to my Glyde. The response seems pretty good right now.
- I think I wasn’t able to control menus with my index finger before, but now it is responsive to my index finger’s touch.
- The UI looks a lot prettier.
- The bottom bar of the web browser goes away for better viewing area until you touch the bottom and it’ll come up again.
- Drag and drop shortcut menu (only 9 items now vs 12 before)
- Drag and drop unlock sequence
- Moving the cursor in the message window using touch seems easier.
- Get it now is now called “Media Center”
I really wished they had made a “Notes” shortcut to drag and drop. I use it all the time and I have to go through tools every time.
Bottom line, get it. You won’t lose. I’m pretty impressed how Samsung keeps improving the Glyde via firmware when the hardware itself seemed pretty topped out already. That shows how important embedded software programming could be.
March 5th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Great update Neil!
March 5th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Hi Im getting the Glyde on Sunday. I was wondering what software it will have on it? And do you know is the music player is any good?
March 11th, 2009 at 12:32 am
I just got the glyde two days ago and it has .BI29 on it
March 11th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Just to clear something up, there are two basic types of touchscreens: resistive and capacitive.
-Resistive works on pressure and can be operated with any object (LG Dare).
-Capacitive is what the Glyde has, and it works by maintaining a constant (faint) electrical field on the screen.
When your finger comes in contact, or very close, it alters the current needed to maintain that field, which is then triangulated. This is why sometimes you can ‘magically’ control your screen from a milimetre away without actually touching it.
The iPhone has a capacitive screen too, but it is a much higher quality (ie. expensive) screen and the larger screen helps in calculating where you touch.
Also, excess grease/oil (from your fingers/face) can cause the touchscreen to act erratically. Cleaning with a microfibre cloth will help. Personally, I use a soft non-lotion tissue with some isopropyl rubbing alcohol, as that removes contaminants very well.
March 12th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I haven’t had one problem since I got the upgrade to the BK14 firmware. I’m absolutely happy with this phone now.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Ya got my glyde about 2-3 weeks ago..works great had some minor problems with it ex: sometimes restart for no reason, have to keep pushin on screen to get it to respond but that happened very few times. I would recommend this phone, it fits in your hand very well and perfect for texting. 8.5/10
March 15th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Hey galde to finally find this site… i was at verizon like 3 weeks ago cuz my wife had to pay the bill, so we where looking at the phones and i seen the new softwear and asked about it and they told me “OOH thats is only on the new phones”. so i am going tomorrow to give them a fu*king talking to lol thanks alot guys
April 8th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
We don’t have any way to update firmware at home?
April 8th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Unfortunately I don’t think there is a way to do it yourself at home.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
so which update is better that i should ask for BI29 or BK14? i am looking to buy this phone within the next month.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
again i just thought of this what do i do if bI29 is better than BK14 and it comes with bi29, ask them to downgrade to BI29?
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 am
i have the glyde and it SUCKS!!!! i literaly cried when my mom told me that i cant get a new one!! the cell phone is jst awful in general! im trieng to press send but it presses back, im trieng to press speaker off and it preses alrm! its so damn annoying!!!!!!!!!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Ansley, go get the firmware update from a Verizon store. It’s free and it will help out some. I was right there with you before I got the update. Good luck!
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Ansley, good luck. A firmware update may NOT help. I have BK14 and it’s still crap. It’s “clicks” itself without me even touching it, won’t press the button in the lower left corner no matter whether open or closed and the cursor jumps around in my text messages like it’s possessed. Glydes are crap. I’ve had it for months and I seriously want to stab my own eye out most of the time when using it. I have a Blackberry for work and was lured by the full keyboard (I’m a high volume texter) but this phone has been nothing but a pain in my a**!!
May 4th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
When I first received my Glyde, it had the BF25 firmware installed and that had all the above mentioned touchscreen issues, as well as the “possessed” cursor that Jen is talking about. I noticed that the touchscreen would get some sort of interference (or something like that) and would make selections on its own. It did appear to be “possessed”. The only way I could stop it was to slam it on a table, or on the ground once in a while
. Yeah, I lack the patience… Anyways, after a few weeks of dealing with that, I sent the phone in for replacement (mainly because after throwing it on the floor, the screen would only act as a white light) and they sent me a “new” phone with the BK14 firmware. I was pleasantly surprised with the new look and overhauled functionality, as well as the increased responsiveness and reliability of the touchscreen. I now have the great pleasure of having a phone that decides at random to shut itself off and won’t turn back on unless I tap on it first. Fortunately, it only does this when it’s in my pocket, never when I’m using it. Overall, the phone has more functionality than most phones (aside from the iPhone and Blackberry phones) and is fairly reliable now with the new firmware. I would recommend it, however make sure you get a NEW phone, not a “new” one like I got.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
ok so i bought my phone in like july and ive had touch screan problems ever since. a few hours ago ive received a message that a new version is avalible,V.U0940.11. so im not sure if this is the same version that everyone here has been talking about.pllsss help!
ps if anyhas any tips how to keep the screan working(rubing alcohol) pllss tell me
May 14th, 2009 at 8:43 am
My phone is crap. I’m on my third Glyde. I have gone around and around with Verizon’s lousy customer service (both on *611 and in the store) and have not come to a resolution. Finally they gave me a “new” version of the phone with a “different” touch screen. They screen is somewhat better, but now less than a month later I have a cluster of 16 pixels that are broken and are bright orange and the surrounding ones are darker. STAY AWAY FROM THE GLYDE!!! I paid way too much when it first came out, and Verizon’s service is so horrible they won’t correct the problem. The best solution I was offered was that I could buy another phone at the 1-year subscription discount. HA! STAY AWAY FROM THIS LOUSY PHONE.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:04 am
how do i change the display from white to black on the glyde.? like it is on the box.
May 29th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I’m very glad I found this helpful information. I have the same touch screen issues everyone else seems to have had. Mine responds better when I restart it as well, but that can be incredibly annoying. It also has an intermittent problem I haven’t seen anywhere else – when I try to use the normal calculator (not the tip), the phone turns itself off. I’m going to go to my local Verizon store tomorrow and beeeggggg them to update the software or I might just lose what’s left of my sanity.
May 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I went to my local Verizon store today and was told my phone could be exchanged for a newer Glyde. I got my old one in September and it was still under warranty, thank goodness! As other people mentioned, this new one doesn’t have the annoying blue box to the shortcut menu so that’s definitely a plus. Hopefully it won’t turn off when I try to use the calculator! The gentleman who helped me said he hasn’t heard any complaints about this new Glyde, so that’s pretty sweet. I lost my ringtones, but they weren’t exactly paid for – that’s the only bad thing so far! I hope everyone else has good luck
)
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Hi im getting a glyde on june 5 of 09. i have done a lot of research about the problems. im a teenager and this would be my second phone. is it worth it with the new updates?
June 4th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
also is the touch screen heat sensed or normal pressure touch. i do know that the original heat sensed touch screen was the major problem. now that the glyde has the pressure touch screen. there hasnt been a single error reported to verizon. its a good phone. it just started out bad. so all of the people who has the old glyde and kept updateing, the reason you dont see much of a difference is because you still have the old heat sensed screen.
July 12th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
everyone who is looking forward to buying this
phone DO NOT GET IT! IT IS A LOUSY PIECE OF CRAP!!
it will last you a couple of months and the lame
bugs will start to kick in, your better of getting
anything but this. Verizon’s service does suck. They’re
limited on good phones and the apps are lame as hell.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
earlier models of this phone were Heat/electrical, like the iphone and pre. However, unlike the iphone, this phone failed at it.
Newer models of the glyde were pressure activated so you could use a stylus.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
when it updated, did it delete all the old text messages, and does the new update give you more inbox capacity than the old version did? because i have 100 capacity and that fills up in a second. please reply back, thanks. i have had this phone for about a year now, the old one, and when i close the screen the phone keeps restarting and it likes to freeze alot too..
August 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I’m looking at ditching my Glyde for the Rogue when it comes out- I’ve replaced my Glyde 4 times…it sucks cuz I like the phone..
December 14th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I traded my Nokia for the Samsung Glyde after my Son recieved a Blackberry for his B-Day ! The Nokia was a very inexpensive model probably the most inexpensive phone Nokia offers ,and I recieved the phone for free when I was added to my families Verizon account ! I checked online prices on the Nokia and it sold for around $50-60 dollares ! Compare that to the $180 Samsung glyde . My Son kept warning me not to switch to the Glyde however I was taken in by what appeared to be a much higher end phone . Well Iam sorry to say I should have listened to my 13 year old son, this phone has more problems then just the touch screen ,the ringer volume set to the highest setting is still hard to hear, when scrolling thru contacts watch out you may call someone you did not intend to call ! Thats just a couple of the problems. What I dont get is do they not give these phones a test drive,if they do whoever gave it a thumbs up must be high on something ! Samsung is a well repected name and this phone is a disgrace to its reputation ! All I can say to Samsung is stay with big screen TV’s ! Iam most likley going to switch back to the Nokia !
Take Care Nick