Recently I read
PC Mag's 2013 Fastest Mobile Network story and saw
Sensorly mentioned as the Android software that was used to actually take the measurements.
Intrigued, as I have used a similar piece of software,
OpenSignal off and on in the past.
I installed Sensorly and started collecting data on my commute. The interface and app is much nicer and more polished than OpenSignal. It's also much less prone to the every-other launch crashing that OpenSignal did for me sometimes.
But my commute is only ten minutes long and it's a well sampled path already anyway(a stretch of US-1)
So I decided to try it when I go for walks in the neighborhood as I'm already tracking my path with Google's
MyTracks and
RunKeeper.
My neighborhood also happened to be lacking data samples on the Sensorly map. So why not add a little data collection for the public good while I'm just walking around? I decided to do my part to help keep the mobile carriers honest.
So I turn all on my recording apps and lock the screen, stick the phone in my pocket and start my walk. Every time I go to check my pace or the current time I am accidentally swiping into the camera, this is annoying. When I swipe back and get the screen unlocked Sensorly pops up an irritating bubble telling me it's mapping a trip. Which is information I already know and intended, I started the mapping in the first place and haven't forgotten quite yet.
After 3 or 4 cycles of this, I lock the phone and look at it before I put it back in my pocket. A few seconds later the screen wakes up, again and again! Wtf is going on? I put 2 + 2 together and turned off Sensorly and lo and behold my screen stays locked and dark.
At this point I'm not collecting any data for Sensorly in the "active" mapping mode.
When I installed the app I had checked off to allow "passive mode" which means it will periodically wake up and record signal strength. That's how I intended to use it, collect data while I'm just walking around or out somewhere so the coverage maps are as accurate as possible.
This actually has the effect of bringing back the infuriating screen wakeups, but now they are at random intervals and without me having to launch the app. So I turn off passive mode now and decide this app isn't for walking, only driving.
I submitted a support ticket asking about this apparent problem. Sensorly uses
Get Satisfaction as their CRM.
I got an auto-generated email back and once I understood they were using Get Satisfaction as their platform, did a search to see if anyone else had the issue.
Here's mine:
https://getsatisfaction.com/sensorly/topics/screen_keeps_waking_up_while_walking
Same issue 2 months ago with no official response:
https://getsatisfaction.com/sensorly/topics/please_allow_the_screen_to_turn_off
I injected into each of those conversations that I had the same issue with the screen turning on and that other apps that did similar mapping, gps, and OpenSignal in particular didn't wake my screen up.
I also found a few mentions elsewhere with this issue:
The official responses have been:
Unfortunately, for signal strength to be reported, the screen needs to be on.
So if you don't want the screen on, you need to uncheck the "passive scan" setting
Hi, we'd love to be able to do that but when the screen is off, the phone voice & data information are not updated by the Android OS so our maps would be wrong.
OpenSignal has the same problem we do, as they initially reported the bug to Google : for signal strength to be collected, the screen must be on. So either they're not collecting signal strength data, or they're collecting bogus data or they're doing something else.
And the response to my critical review on Google Play:
All similar apps require the screen to be on, or else data collected is bogus
OK, so this is a well-understood well-know issue for them and apparently the entire signal strength industry
Great!
Except it took me posting to 5 different support cases and a negative review on Google Play to figure that out.
This is the type of know-issue that should be in big bold letters in the FAQ but I can't find it anywhere except in hearsay and urban legends on message boards
The other guy that replied to my issue here:
https://getsatisfaction.com/sensorly/topics/screen_keeps_waking_up_while_walking
Claims he read it in an FAQ, but here's what the
FAQ on Sensorly looks like, as of 6/27 9:34PM EDT:
Nary a mention!
Before any of the official responses or the response to my review I actually went back out and tried using the app again, this time in an area with truly no data on the coverage map. I checked the next day and sure as you're born- it was there!
So not only does the data collection surely work, but the aggregation is quick and accurate as well. This is where Sensorly deserves credit.
In reality, if you turn the brightness down on the screen it doesn't burn enough battery to actually be a problem. I'm generally not out long enough(between 40-70 minutes) for it to really kill the battery.
It would have been fine and I would have happily used the app on every one of my walks, now expecting to be swiped into the camera every time that I pulled the phone out. I would remember to be careful not to touch the screen.
Instead, I'm not going to use it anymore because they borked their customer support and mismanaged my
expectations.
I did not
expect to have my screen woken up continuously while I used the app because it isn't mentioned anywhere in the app, the app's settings or the sparse website's FAQ.
Given that they were using a fully fledged and paid for CRM system, I was
expecting a decent support response and follow-up process.
What I found instead is that when I or others before me lodged this complaint, all they did was toss a in a curt response, which felt like all they were gunning for is First Contact Resolution without a resolution.
No one has addressed my follow up questions.
I only got hand waving about "Anroid limitations" and finger pointing that OpenSignal does it too and their data must be bogus.
Where is a link to the bug? the android limitation? an real explanation?
Wherever the technical details of the problem exist, at the very least publicize that this it is a known issue if it's so well known. That way you set the
expectation that the screen will be woken up, it's not an aggravating surprise the first time someone uses the app.
To Sensorly's credit, at least they had a response.
I submitted the same question to OpenSignal and they've yet to comment. So I suppose they are doing an even worse job than Sensorly at managing their user expectations and support.
In the end what became clear to me is that my use of either of these apps was just predicated on the idea that I was being a good sport and collecting data for the public good. I always run both
Google Maps Navigation and
Waze when I drive anywhere so that the real-time traffic information is accurate in both systems, and it is disturbingly accurate at times. Soon enough I will hopefully only have to run one, since Google in the process of purchasing Waze.
The system only works if we all participate, and I like to do my part by contributing because traffic data benefits me as well as everyone else. But wireless carrier signal data? It really doesn't benefit me, I'm not likely to ever switch carriers. Despite the generally awful coverage almost everywhere, T-Mobile can't be beat with their $30 unlimited plan and when it works, it works well. My only other option is AT&T and they are also pretty bad and way more expensive.
Really only Sensorly and OpenSignal's benefit when I collect data. If I'm doing you the
favor of supplying the data that is your raison d'être the least you could do is make me feel like you care about my issue and explain to me why it is the way it is.
Don't fire back some curt folklore and act like I didn't RTFM.
I'm so unimpressed with both company's response or lack thereof, that I uninstalled both apps altogether.
It's really a shame too because they both have their merits and features and I would still encourage others to try them out. Just be aware of the caveats and know that if you do have an issue no one is likely to give you any real satisfaction.
