I am a phone enthusiast, but I don’t need that much from a device. That’s the reason why throughout the last couple of years I am mostly using a current-gen iPhone as my primary device. But I always try to stay in the Android and Windows loop, so I often experiment with my secondary smartphone.

The connectivity perks I require from each device are not that hard – connect to my car’s Bluetooth hands-free system I use on a daily basis, track my location with enough precision for easier navigation, issue-free connection with my Bluetooth accessory – currently Pebble Steel. It isn’t that much, isn’t it?

So, between those iPhones I had the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Alpha, and currently the Galaxy S6 edge+. All of those devices had a few things in common that I decided to share with you.

My first blue Galaxy S3 was a wonderful device, which had some issues with the cold start of the GPS. Occasionally it’d locked me on a wrong city or street, and today I think those issues were more like due to a faulty cache rather than something deeper.

Then the Galaxy Note 3 came, which I had for almost a year. While it was able to connect to my car’s BT system 8 out of 10 times without me forcing the connection, it couldn’t maintain a stable connection with my other handsfree headset. Eventually I had to give it up in a rage-quit momentum, because it had failed me more times than served me its purpose. And I blamed the headset piece, of course.

But then there is the GPS issues. Google Navigation would often switch streets or cold start me in the wrong city. The weather widget would go crazy often (it was on auto-detect city option) and put me somewhere in Africa. I wasn’t using the navigation that much through the course of the Galaxy Note 3 lifecycle so eventually I let go of those issues.

Then the Galaxy S5, the pretty blue water-proof fella, started reporting I was in Egypt each morning. No matter the type of connection – Wi-Fi, HSPA or just GPS – I woke up in Egypt according to my phone. I needed to refresh it a few times in order to detect my location properly and by the end of the day I was back in Egypt.

Note that I experimented with routers, new IP addresses, even changed the SIM card. But the Galaxy S5 just knew I was in Egypt. It was so frustrating, that I even forgot about the Bluetooth issues with my car (yes, this one, too).

I had the Galaxy Alpha for just two months. Long story short – each morning I would wake up in Iran, while once a week I had to repeat the whole connection process to my BT car system (it is very annoying, because it uses slow voice commands and responses).

Today, while I am waiting to grab an iPhone 6s, I am using the Galaxy S6 edge+. I almost bought this one, because of its amazing camera capabilities and low-light photos. But each morning I wake up in Oruro, Bolivia and my Google Now suggestions are terribly messed up. My Pebble Steel can’t last four hours without losing connection for unknown reasons, while my BT car system is forgottem every three days and I need to do the pairing once again.

I did a factory reset yesterday and I still wake up in Bolivia and can’t use my Pebble.

Am I the only one with GPS and Bluetooth issues? I didn’t sync anything (even app data) on those Galaxies but my contacts (via Gmail), so I didn’t transfer bad data accidentally. And I didn’t have a single of those issues on my iPhones and Lumias.

A quick lookup on the web showed many people are having various Bluetooth issues with the Galaxy lineup. One of my colleagues turned up having similar problems with his Galaxy Note 3.

There are some solutions or tweaks on the web, which will probably solve some or all of my issues on the Galaxy lineup. Or won’t. But because I am paying Samsung a load of money for a phone, I demand a device where at least basic stuff like GPS and Bluetooth works issue-free. I don’t have the time or the desire to fix the bugs of my brand new shiny handset – it’s your job,…

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Another week is now behind us and the past seven days re packed full of action. We got 12 new device announcements, and many exciting leaks and rumors.

The buzz-word is definitely HTC and particularly its new One A9 handset. After numerous leaks and speculations, the handset finally got its formal introduction and is already causing quite a commotion.

While we are on the topic of new devices, the Meizu metal is now official, with a 5.5 inch display and a pretty decent specs sheet, featuring the MediaTek Helio X10. The Oppo R7s also made its debut and gathered a lot of fan attention. It is boasting an AMOLED screen, 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 615 SoC, making it an odd upper-midrange handset. The LG G Vista 2 is another newcomer that stirred up some excitement and the same goes for Xiaomi’s new smart TV.

As far as rumors went, we managed to see a glimpse of the upcoming Huawei P8 flagship, the Galaxy Golden 3, as well as two new Droid handsets and a metal Yu Yutopia. Also, the eagerly-anticipated Blackberry Priv appears to be getting ever closer to user markets.

In other news, Samsung already has its own take on the trendy 3D touch technology in the works, as hinted by a recent patent. Also, the latest iPhone duo isn’t really getting much love in India, despite the hidden bonus of a twice more powerful 10W charger.

If you think you might have missed something interesting from the past week, here is a rundown of the top stories.

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The beautiful all-metal HTC One A9 goes official with Snapdragon 617
HTC One A9 is now official with a 5″ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 617 chip and a 13MP OIS camera.

Samsung Galaxy S7 rumored to sport magnesium build, Hi-Fi audio
The upcoming smartphone is a star in the rumor mill more and more lately, with its expected January unveiling.

Samsung Galaxy S7 could be launching in January
It would be more than a month early compared to any of its predecessors, if this actually happens.

Huawei Mate 8 leak reveals a beastly specs sheet
The eagerly-anticipated device and its custom Kirin 950 SoC might make it one of the most powerful devices on the market.

Oppo R7s goes official with 4GB of RAM and 5.5” AMOLED display
The phablet will debut in Australia and a number of markets in Asia next month. Europe and the United States will follow suit in December.

Apple’s newest iPhones get tepid opening-weekend response in India
Retailers are expecting that sales will pick up following a price slash, something they say most customers are patiently waiting for.

Samsung’s own 3D Touch interpretation revealed in patent filing
The Korean smartphone maker may choose to first use this technology in its upcoming Galaxy S7.

Xiaomi announces 60-inch 4K Mi TV 3
Xiaomi has announced the new 60-inch 4K Mi TV 3 smart TV in China. The TV comes in two parts, the display itself and the speaker box, which does all the work.

Samsung SM-W2016 leaks online, it’s the Galaxy Golden 3
The SM-W2016 model packs a 4.6″ HD screen, Exynos 7 Octa chip and a 16MP 16:9 rear camera.

128GB Nexus 6P now available for purchase from Huawei’s online store
The variant is available in aluminium and graphite color options. As for the price, there’s no difference – each will set you back $649.

Teaser confirms Yu Yutopia will sport a metal body
Last month, Micromax subsidiary Yu said it’s planning to launch what it called “the most powerful…

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