I was considering getting the HD2 on T-Mobile and i was hoping you guys could answer a question, just how much have T-Mobile customised/branded (or plain messed up) the software on this handset?
I don't really fancy slapping another ROM onto it straight away and losing my warranty, I'm going with T-Mobile primarily out of cost.
Thanks,
Sherbet66
i know some who has the tmob version ! i didnt notice anythin different, apart from the youtube restriction!
which you can remove by calling customer services
in other words ther is no customisation /rebranding !
great stuff, thanks.
Im afraid that isn't quite right. T Mobile have removed the you tube app and also the jetcet printer app and the Co-pilot trial.
If you add the you tube app back in via a cab available on this site it affects the video playback on the phone.
I managed to flash 1.48 via the goldcard method and so got the above apps back. I dont think it will invalidate the warranty but Im not 100% sure
deeky1 said:
Im afraid that isn't quite right. T Mobile have removed the you tube app and also the jetcet printer app and the Co-pilot trial.
If you add the you tube app back in via a cab available on this site it affects the video playback on the phone.
I managed to flash 1.48 via the goldcard method and so got the above apps back. I dont think it will invalidate the warranty but Im not 100% sure
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does invalidate the warranty I'm afraid. You just need to track down a version of the original T-Mobile ROM and reflash if you ever need support. Also, bear in mind that they can do some wizardry at their end which basically puts the system into debug mode, and they can check your ROM version while you're talking to them. It happened to me when I was with Orange and they were almost laughing when they asked me to read out the ROM version. It was Miri WM6.5 etc..
It does invalidate the warranty I'm afraid. You just need to track down a version of the original T-Mobile ROM and reflash if you ever need support. Also, bear in mind that they can do some wizardry at their end which basically puts the system into debug mode, and they can check your ROM version while you're talking to them. It happened to me when I was with Orange and they were almost laughing when they asked me to read out the ROM version. It was Miri WM6.5 etc..
LOL! So I've had my phone 2 weeks and I've invalidated the warranty already?
I read on another thread that you were unlikely to void your warranty by replacing the ROM bearing in mind its an HTC ROM and not a homemade/cooked one
To be honest the things they have omitted are actually things i could live without, with the exception of the youtube app which is a bit of a pain. Certainly not enough of an issue to potentially void any warranty by installing a cooked ROM though.
Thanks guys,
Sherbet66
I wish they wouldn't do crap like that!
It's like buying a car from a dealership, and the dealership deciding that you only need 3 wheels and a great big sticker on the bonnent advertising themselves...
Look at it this way though, if your in a forum like this your obviously here because your prepared to fix your own phone issues where possible so if it's software you can properly get it fixed by the resources available (not got my hd2 yet but already got the camera fix downloaded, and have a few other bits in mind) or that will be available in future if you don't mind waiting.
If it's a software issue you can't get fixed on here then you probably will still be able to reflash to tmobile before calling tmobile.
If it's a hardware issue then it shouldn't matter what rom you use, and USUALLY as long as it's clearly a hardware issue (I dunno purely say for example a button falls off) then they should still honor it.
deeky1 said:
LOL! So I've had my phone 2 weeks and I've invalidated the warranty already?
I read on another thread that you were unlikely to void your warranty by replacing the ROM bearing in mind its an HTC ROM and not a homemade/cooked one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you've got (for example) a T-Mobile phone and you flash a non T-Mobile ROM onto it, then yeah, they won't support it any more, which I kind of get. The idea is that they eventually release the same ROM themselves, with their changes to it (removing this, that and the other and putting a "really lovely" splash screen on it.) When they release that, you can flash that one and they'll still support it.
Basically, if you do anything that they themselves have not recommended, don't expect any help ever again. (You may get it, but don't expect it.)
I've not had a HTC with T-mobile, but do they keep the rom releases coming or do they get one 'they' are happy with and stop releasing new ones? I had to debrand my old n95 (oh my old friend why did that puddle have to claim your life) because of that. They never gave me any grief about the warrenty issues though because of it.
I hate to say it but i strongly suspect that flashing the phone invalidates not only the warranty but also invalidate any insurance i might get too. Don't get me wrong, i am all for flashing phones (and have done so countless times, my current handset was unlocked and flashed 32 minutes after the Courier handed it to me, surely a record) however its the sheer cost of replacing the HD2 which makes me nervous. If T Mobile produced a half decent ROM without buggering it up i'd be happy to run with that knowing i've got some fall back if things go wrong. Maybe I'm getting too old for this game ...
Thanks again.
Sherbet66
Well really your insurance is for accidental damage and I can't see a rom affecting that. If your phone gets run over by a truck the rom won't have made it more or less likely to happen. If it gets stolen I'm fairly sure the thief won't have checked to see if it was running an official rom or not before stealing it. Besides if it gets destroyed or stolen how will they know what rom version it was running
Look I'm not saying there is no risk at all, or that you definately will or won't get warrenty cover if you flash, IT IS a risk but imho it's a very small risk that you'll be completely caught out.
guys, i beg to differ i am queit sure (deffinite actually) my mate has co pilot trial and you tube installed as standard. not sure about the printer bit!
this i am sure of ! and he got from t-mobile with a staff discount
unless his escaped the rebranding, this cannot be!
apoc286 said:
Well really your insurance is for accidental damage and I can't see a rom affecting that. If your phone gets run over by a truck the rom won't have made it more or less likely to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whether or not flashing the rom makes it more or less likely that it got run over is irrelevant - any terms put in insurance contracts are strict and under UK law, insurance is a contract of utmost good faith. If they ask you "did you ever pick your nose as a kid" and they find out you lied when you said no, well then they can refuse to pay out on the cover. Doesn't matter that the question or issue is 100% irrelevant to what happened. (EDIT: maybe too extreme an example - I think they have to be able to say a different answer would have affected the premium. The back example below is better )
The best example is with critical illness and life insurance policies. If you said no, I've never had back problems and then they find out you had problem as a 12 year old due to growing pains, they can refuse to pay out when you're diagnosed with breast cancer... (sorry for slightly off topic rant, but insurance companies are bad )
On topic - I got my HD2 this week on T Mobile, but via an internet company rather than direct from them. It doesn't seem to be altered to be t mobile in any way, and seems to be functioning mostly fine. I got a text message from t mobile saying: "To make the most of all the great T-Mobile services on your phone you'll need the correct settings. Simply reply to this text for free and we'll send them to you."
I've ignored this, as I was worried it may end up installing nasty t mobile firmware or something. It usually connects to the internet etc.. fine. The only issue I've got is that sometimes the weather doesn't update and it sometimes seems to lose the data connection. Should I reply to t mobile's message?
Related
Hi all,
This is not so much of a ranting thread (although I am really frustrated), but just a gentle reminder to please check your screen for dust, as well as any other known issues BEFORE rooting. Thankfully, I did that, and my phone had dust under the screen UPON arrival. I got it at 2pm, and returned it to HTC by 5pm.
The other problem is, do remember Google takes no responsibility with hardware related issues. As much as I hate it, find HTC. I had a horrible experience with them, and I just want to share it with the rest of you. Also, I'm from Singapore, just in case.
I got my phone at 2PM from DHL, and was really happy about it (who wouldn't)? I opened it, booted it, and it was really fast. Then I checked the screen. There was not one speck, but at least 5 specks of dust under the screen. I immediately called HTC Singapore's hotline, and it was outsourced to another country (I'm guessing China, cause when they called me back it was +86). I can speak Mandarin, but only barely, and it was really difficult trying to tell them my problem in English. They really tried to help, but the communication barrier proved to be very frustrating. In the end, I was told to go down to HTC Care (at Keppel Bay Tower) to return the phone.
At this point in time, I didn't really want to make a huge fuss or anything. **** happens, I can accept that. All I want now is my phone replaced, as quickly as possible. I reached HTC Care around 4.15PM, but was only served at 5PM. Even worse, the staff at HTC Care Singapore had NO idea what to do with the Nexus One. They told me it was dealt differently from other HTC phones. As a consumer, I seriously do not care. I just want my phone fixed/replaced/whatever. I then waited for 20 minutes while they tried to log into the Nexus One system of theirs or something.
As though that was not bad enough, they had no idea what to collect from me. Some of them said I should return only the phone, while others said the entire box set. In the end, I returned the entire box set. They did not even bother to check the contents inside. Also, the courier service used this time is M3 express instead of DHL, and I was not given any tracking number despite them telling me the order has already been placed.
Also, there were other discrepancies. The phone staff told me to expect it within 3 working days, while HTC Care staff said to expect it within 3 to 5 working days. To be fair to the HTC Care staff, I doubt they were even briefed on what to do with Nexus Ones.
Below is the email I've sent to HTC, although at this point in time I doubt the response will be good:
To whom it may concern:
I placed my order for Nexus One with Google on January 9, and finally got it today, January 15, at 2pm. I understand that weekends are not considered work days, so effectively it took 5 working days to reach, which is reasonable to me.
I opened the Nexus One only to find dust under the screen. Doing a quick search on Google shows that it is a common problem. In fact, I read on some posts that it is considered to be a DOA problem by HTC, as seen from http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=29bc1e80107f01f7&hl=en. The first thing I did was to call the Singapore HTC helpline. I had a hard time communicating with them, but they did their best to help. I was told to go down to HTC Care (Singapore) at Keppel Bay Tower. The person on the phone had also opened a ticket for me.
I reached Keppel Bay Tower at 4.15PM, and was only served at 5pm. The service staff were polite but very unsure of what to do with the Nexus One. Apparently, Nexus Ones are dealt with differently from other HTC phones, though I do not see the point of them informing me of that. I have already accepted that there is dust under the phone and instead of making a big fuss, my main aim is to get my phone replaced on a one-to-one basis since I am still within the 14 days.
Once the staff managed to retrieve my information using the ticket number given to me earlier by the person over the phone, I was told I had to return the phone, but they were unsure whether to collect the phone, or the entire box set. In the end, they collected the entire box set. I had been told to expect it within 3 days by the person over the hotline, but the staff at HTC Care informed me that it was 3 - 5 days.
I am now requesting that you replace the entire box set, and deliver it to me within 3 days. In addition, I would like to know why the courier service used
is M3 Express instead of DHL (which was used when I first got my Nexus One). Moreover, I was not given any tracking number to track the status of my delivery, despite the service staff telling me that the order has already been placed.
I find it disappointing that the service staff had no idea what to do with Nexus One cases. It seems to me that HTC does not care because it is not really HTC's phone and more like Google's phone in this case. I hope you understand where I am coming from. It is my first time dealing with HTC's service, and the experience has been a let down. I have always thought highly of HTC's products since my previous HTC phones were all well-built, and I never had to visit the service centre.
I will appreciate if you could get back to me by Monday.
My ticket number, as well as product serial number are as follows:
Ticket No.:
Phone S/N:
Thank you.
Regards,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To end it, please remember to check before rooting!
bro sad to hear this from you.
I also got my nexus one today and i notice the screen's bottom left and right corners are making loose noise when pressed with some pressure..
so i used some pressure on the problemic areas for 20secs and so far, no more loose noise..
Hopefully it will prevent my unit from dust..
I have been consistantly checking mine as well. This sucks
melterx12 said:
man now im really going crazy. it seems that everyone is having this problem. I cant seem to find any dust under the screen but what if im just not seeing it??? Whats the chance that my phone DOES NOT have this problem???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, this is still a problem with a small minority of phones.
People who do not have this problem (as you might have noticed) are not going to be very vocal about not having it.
For the record, I have an N1 and have had zero problems whatsoever, screen or otherwise.
melterx12 said:
man now im really going crazy. it seems that everyone is having this problem. I cant seem to find any dust under the screen but what if im just not seeing it??? Whats the chance that my phone DOES NOT have this problem???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine doesn't have it either. If you can't see it, then why is it bothering you? Mine doesn't have jam (jelly if you're in the USA) in it either but I'm not going to keep checking for jam.
SC
ScaredyCat said:
Mine doesn't have it either. If you can't see it, then why is it bothering you? Mine doesn't have jam (jelly if you're in the USA) in it either but I'm not going to keep checking for jam.
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its bothering me because I REALLY want to root but REALLY will go out of my mind if I see this problem after rooting (because my warranty will then be long in the void ). So I want to track this problem down now and some how be 100% sure that my phone is safe.
Wow, this dust problem is become quite large. Small quantities doesn't sound like a good enough example of the problem. I don't have my Nexus One yet, but I do hope - that when I get it soon - the newer models (if they are starting to correct the issue) doesn't have this problem.
melterx12 said:
its bothering me because I REALLY want to root but REALLY will go out of my mind if I see this problem after rooting (because my warranty will then be long in the void ). So I want to track this problem down now and some how be 100% sure that my phone is safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you either wait for the warranty to expire or you root it before.
If you're really that worried power it off and check it with a magnifying glass. TBH Right now there are 1001 reasons not to root it and only a couple of reasons to root it. Unless there's something you really need/want root for you may as well wait.
SC
I know, I am waiting for now, probably until Cyanogen Mod comes out for N1. However I do not want to wait a year
ScaredyCat said:
Well, you either wait for the warranty to expire or you root it before.
If you're really that worried power it off and check it with a magnifying glass. TBH Right now there are 1001 reasons not to root it and only a couple of reasons to root it. Unless there's something you really need/want root for you may as well wait.
SC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly i think one of the main reason i root my G1 was to apps2sd....and then some themes...but with this much RAM on the N1 i do not see a reason to root...
DKM119 said:
exactly i think one of the main reason i root my G1 was to apps2sd....and then some themes...but with this much RAM on the N1 i do not see a reason to root...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Since we're talking about rooting here, I just wanna root to upgrade to un-released Android firmwares, themes, changing things inside the phone that aren't possible stocked. There are lots of reasons to root in my eyes, and I really don't care about the negatives.
kozm0naut said:
From what I understand, this is still a problem with a small minority of phones.
People who do not have this problem (as you might have noticed) are not going to be very vocal about not having it.
For the record, I have an N1 and have had zero problems whatsoever, screen or otherwise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Zero problems with mine.
Also I don't plan to root until the S-ON/S-OFF issue is either resolved or root without unlock is discovered.
melterx12 said:
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i undertand you point but is not for everybody...like myself i do have wi-fi at home and at work...so i never used the internet tethering....so for me when i rooted my G1 is was only for the apps2sd and themes....
melterx12 said:
Theres more to root than apps2sd. For example, Internet tethering is a feature I really want and only possible through root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are always alternative. Although not as elegant of a solution, PDAnet allows you to connect your phone to your computer so it can use your data connection. Works pretty well.
as someone who had to unroot and use the warranty on my rooted G1 like 11 months after I got it, I definitely will not root my N1 when I get it unless there is a way to revert to the full factory settings. I'm not a dev but I have faith they will figure it out though.
I woke up to find this thread now has 3 pages of useless conversation :|.
Anyway, if you take a torch and shine it it'll be obvious if there's dust on it.
I need root cause of Market Enabler and internet tethering. Will update this thread when I get a response from HTC.
That's a truly depressing story!
The warranty situation is the main reason I use to keep myself from buying this phone. Since I had a hardware issue with my G1 that needed to be replaced (stopped accepting USB input, so it wouldn't charge or transfer data), this is kind of a deal-breaker for me.
Not repairing hardware defects because of a software issue is complete bull****.
My contract comes due in November, hopefully by then, HTC will have changed their policy. If not, the phone I buy definitely won't be unsubsidized! I've had good luck just contacting tmobile and saying the phone broke. Since it doesn't work, I'll have to cancel my contract and pay the ETF.....in the past they've given me a good price on a replacement. This probably wouldn't work if I wasn't on contract with them.
I agree and some of these pointless posts have been reported, so please keep this thread on topic.
I have cleaned this thread up so please refrain from from spamming and flaming. (and will continue to do so!)
Greetz.
i may be sending mine in for a repair soon, i have a stuck/dead baby blue pixel.
I have just got off the phone with a very nice gentlemen from HTC customer services.
He informed me that Vodafone are at current flatly refusing to support the HTC HD2 handset. They have NO plans to release a firmware update for the HD2.
He has had this confirmed by his management team as he gets a number of calls on a daily basis regarding the issue.
I opened a thread on the Vodafone forums informing their customers and am doing the same here on XDA: http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49175
Feel free to comment in either thread.
*edit* update for those that would like to help: contact [email protected] with the subject line "Vodafone UK and the HTC HD2" explaining your own frustrations.
link to my open letter: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5429219&postcount=41
LATEST UPDATE: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5472361&postcount=75
Wow, that sucks. Is this because of the iphone launch?
Apple is meddling in isn't it?
Fooking unts..!!! so VF have just been giving us BS all this time.!!!! i can promise that if this is true i will NEVER go with Vodafone agian..!!!
That's pretty shocking really. I wonder if this constitutes some sort of breach of contract that you could use to get out of your contract without having to pay it out? If not then it should.
It was almost certain from the start.
What is a big deal anyway? Just get a goldcard/SSPL/HSPL and flash any ROM you want.
aszu said:
It was almost certain from the start.
What is a big deal anyway? Just get a goldcard/SSPL/HSPL and flash any ROM you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cus it breaks the warranty
lorin.bute said:
Wow, that sucks. Is this because of the iphone launch?
Apple is meddling in isn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, apparently they said VF had to drop the HD2 to get the iPhone...
aszu said:
It was almost certain from the start.
What is a big deal anyway? Just get a goldcard/SSPL/HSPL and flash any ROM you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue lies with warranty and insurance! Quite a large issue if you are a Vodafone customer.
It shouldnt matter whether or not they are actually stocking the device any longer. After having the HD2 on their books for only two months and it being a new device to market, they must continue to support any firmware updates/fixes for the duration of the contracts of all their customers that have an HD2. This is surely a given?!
If they supply you with hardware that is necessary to use the services they also provide to you then it must be legally binding that they support any fixes (ie firmware updates) for the hardware supplied to ensure that it functions as the manufacturer intended.
beyondthought said:
cus it breaks the warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How? You can always revert to the 'original version' and if device is so badly broken that you can't revert, HTC staff wouldn't be able to check ROM version as well.
Besides, if there is some clear hardware problem with your device (like broken button or speaker, screen not responding etc) I don't think HTC service is going to complain about ROM version, this would be just idiotic.. Has anyone any experience with HTC service and non-official ROMS? Frankly I don't think HTC cares, software modding is the whole point of getting HTC device in the first place for many, many people. I am also sure they are aware that many operators provide atrocious support for new ROMs and customers don't have any options.
Audio Oblivion said:
The issue lies with warranty and insurance! Quite a large issue if you are a Vodafone customer.
It shouldnt matter whether or not they are actually stocking the device any longer. After having the HD2 on their books for only two months and it being a new device to market, they must continue to support any firmware updates/fixes for the duration of the contracts of all their customers that have an HD2. This is surely a given?!
If they supply you with hardware that is necessary to use the services they also provide to you then it must be legally binding that they support any fixes (ie firmware updates) for the hardware supplied to ensure that it functions as the manufacturer intended.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats sounds like it should be, can we get out of our contracts though???
i dont want them to offer a **** iphone 3gs, thats for sure! 4G maybe, but thats not out till may/june..
aszu said:
How? You can always revert to the 'original version' and if device is so badly broken that you can't revert, HTC staff wouldn't be able to check ROM version as well.
Besides, if there is some clear hardware problem with your device (like broken button or speaker, screen not responding etc) I don't think HTC service is going to complain about ROM version, this would be just idiotic.. Has anyone any experience with HTC service and non-official ROMS? Frankly I don't think HTC cares, software modding is the whole point of getting HTC device in the first place for many, many people. I am also sure they are aware that many operators provide atrocious support for new ROMs..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speak to Vofdafone..!
Why don't all the vodafone customers make a letter of protest and send it to them? I know it won't do much (because i'm sure apple is paying vodafone), but you can try.
lorin.bute said:
Why don't all the vodafone customers make a letter of protest and send it to them? I know it won't do much (because i'm sure apple is paying vodafone), but you can try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually there could be enough of us to get on BBC watchdog..!!
beyondthought said:
Speak to Vofdafone..!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vodafone has nothing do to with this, it is HTC who services/fixes these devices. Vodafone may say many things, but ultimately phone goes to HTC service for repair and this whole 'custom ROM voids warranty' babbling is completely up to them.
Again - it would be just idiotic if HTC refused to fix obvious hardware problem because of 'custom ROM'.
It is like getting PC from DELL with Win XP preinstalled, then installing Linux on it and when i.e motherboard of disk fails, claiming warranty from Dell - nothing wrong with it.
aszu said:
Vodafone has nothing do to with this, it is HTC who services/fixes these devices. Vodafone may say many things, but ultimately phone goes to HTC service for repair and this whole 'custom ROM voids warranty' babbling is completely up to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really, who told you that???
Heres the watchdog link. at the very least, even the threat of going to watchdog should get things moving..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/
aszu said:
Vodafone has nothing do to with this, it is HTC who services/fixes these devices. Vodafone may say many things, but ultimately phone goes to HTC service for repair
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true... the phone WILL go to HTC for repair. But that is not the issue. It is an entirely seperate issue that is somehow intertwined. Its all a bit of a mess really.
As a Vodafone customer for more then ten years from both consumer and business side i have never seen such a debacle.
aszu said:
Vodafone has nothing do to with this, it is HTC who services/fixes these devices. Vodafone may say many things, but ultimately phone goes to HTC service for repair and this whole 'custom ROM voids warranty' babbling is completely up to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you take out a contract with Vodafone they supply you with a phone that has a vodafone ROM on it. That's basically a stock ROM with some changes, either cosmetic, programmatic, or both. They are then perfectly within their rights to tell you that you will void the warrantly if you modify that ROM or replace it with someone else's. It's like getting a car under warranty and expecting to get it fixed for free, even though you've put a new engine in it.
It has NOTHING to do with HTC. This is part of your agreement with Vodafone.
johncmolyneux said:
When you take out a contract with Vodafone they supply you with a phone that has a vodafone ROM on it. That's basically a stock ROM with some changes, either cosmetic, programmatic, or both. They are then perfectly within their rights to tell you that you will void the warrantly if you modify that ROM or replace it with someone else's. It's like getting a car under warranty and expecting to get it fixed for free, even though you've put a new engine in it.
It has NOTHING to do with HTC. This is part of your agreement with Vodafone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, one size does not fit all. All opperators customise the ROM to suit their needs. Installing a generic ROM from HTC on Vodafone or any other operator for that matter would not only void the warranty but would cause all manner of problems for the support department of each operator. Can you imagine how many customers would brick their device trying to upgrade? Even the most simple of instructions are not often followed correctly.
The Vodafone forum moderators now review all my posts before they display them!! All cus i posted a watchdog link!!
This might come off as me preaching here, but I hope I don't come across as high-handed...
If you have a hardware button sequence locked Vibrant you really need to think long and hard about whether or not you should be messing with custom firmwares, ESPECIALLY NOW.
The last few leaked firmwares (JI2, JI4, JI5) are ALL RUNNING A NEW KERNEL. One that is not compatible with JFD derived builds. Furthermore these great new custom kernels provided by our awesome dev's (Voodoo, JAC, Kingclick, etc...) are not compatible with these new leaked builds. So the likelihood of you ending up staring at a really scary screen on your phone is skyrocketing, unless you have reliable methods to deal with that scary screen.
I've ran across numerous posts here today, with all the fervor over the JI5 Kies leak, where people have Clockwork Recovered themselves into a nightmare because they simply didn't understand these points. Even simpler MOD's (like a few posts I found today where people were installing the JFD version of the MobileAP mod on JIx builds and screwing their phones up) can lead to grief if you don't do your homework.
If you cannot reliably get into recovery *AND* download mode, please please be sure you understand the risks your taking if you fail to be careful and read the information that is already here. Granted, I know few people can keep up with some of us and our ability to soak up info like a sponge. Still there is a process of risk assessment YOU MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR when you realize you are doing things that you probably shouldn't be.
This doesn't mean I won't continue trying to be helpful. I just want to make it clear to some of you that you really need to think things through more thoroughly before you let your excitement drive you into a corner.
I vote for the following statement to be made a sticky in this and the Q&A Forum...
"If you are updating firmware on a phone, and you've already hacked this and that, tweaked this and that, modified this and that...whatever the case may be you should be prepared to have to Odin your way back to stock.
If you are not prepared to Odin your way back to stock (don't know how, have a hardware button locked phone, etc...) then you should really be asking yourself whether or not you should be customizing your phone to the degree that you are.
It's just about risk assessment. Most risks are known, but some are not. Furthermore there can be bad synergies between multiple tweaks, mods, and/or hacks that no one can easily predict ahead of time. So it's not about anyone trying to be elitist. The best way to help people is to help them avoid making critical mistakes."
actually if u have a hardware locked phone, what you SHOULD do is call tmobile right now and complain that ur phone is defective and they'll send u a new one... keep doing this till u get a working phone, i did and i now have a phone that isn't HL'ed... only took one try
ookas said:
actually if u have a hardware locked phone, what you SHOULD do is call tmobile right now and complain that ur phone is defective and they'll send u a new one... keep doing this till u get a working phone, i did and i now have a phone that isn't HL'ed... only took one try
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Indeed!!!
The hardware locked Galaxy S thing appears to be a bootloader bug affecting more than just our Vibrants (some other batches of Galaxy S phones are affected) rather than a real hardware issue, so T-Mobile should be able to get these fixed readily. Not like we should care about T-Mobile here, but what this means also is that T-Mobile shouldn't be making a huge deal about swapping these out either.
I'd encourage everyone with a button-sequence screwed Vibrant to simply go to T-Mobile and get it replaced.
Admittedly, I was one of those fools who installed the wrong MobileAp and also tried to go back to a nandroid that didn't work (different kernel - or so I have learned.) Bricked the phone. But I wasn't hardware locked so I was able to get everything back thanks to some really helpful people here on the forum.
I agree that all hardware locked phones should be returned. If mine were locked then I'd still be staring at a dead phone.
I would like to add that I am new to the android thing. But, I am not a software noob (i did software testing for a living). The thing is that I am sometimes impulsive and that leads to mistakes. Thankfully, I have a way to get out of the mistakes (ODIN and non-hardware locked phone.) I always know the risk I am taking and take full responsibility for anything I screw up.
How can I tell if I have a hardware-locked phone, without attempting to flash a ROM, I mean?
Thanks
aad4321 said:
i have a hardware locked phone that i unlocked and have a custom recovery on. I have only accessed the recovery through rom manger. is there any other way to access it with hardware locked? If so can someone post details. it will be good to know when i mess up my phone and it dosent boot preventing me from accessing rom manager to get to the recovery
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you didn't unlock the hardware. You just simply rooted your phone. Hardware lock can not be unlocked and that's what this thread is trying to address. I have tried exchanging my phone from tmo once and the exchange phone they sent me still had the same problem, so i haven't bother with it. I wonder if i can just walk into a store and do an exchange since i got my phone from tmo online. Anyways, if you have a hardware locked phone, stick with roms that will flash through clockworks. That is the safest way, but keep in mind that there is still a slight chance of failure.
BruceElliott said:
How can I tell if I have a hardware-locked phone, without attempting to flash a ROM, I mean?
Thanks
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Never mind; I figured it out.
Man, I'm glad I read your post on hardware-locked problems. I didn't even realise this was a problem until after I dicked around with my phone a bunch, and then ended up reflashing with odin back to stock. I could have messed up big time.
My problem is that I can't replace my phone at all. I purchased a T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant online, brand new, unopened and locked for use here in Canada on the Wind Mobile network.
After hearing about this defective hardware I called T-Mobile, they said I have no warranty with them since it wasn't a T-mobile store purchase. Alright I guess. So they give me the number to Samsung USA,USA transfers me to Canada, I get transferred back again and this is what I'm stuck with.
My new phone has NO warranty, in either country. Both refuse to honour any sort of warranty, and refer to the other for support. I didn't think I'd get this sort of run around from Samsung.
USA says that because I live in Canada, I voided the warranty.,
Canada says that because it's a USA device, and I didn't purchase an international warranty, they won't touch it.
I'll just have to be careful what I install on my phone, and avoid Samsung products in the future.
Thanks for the warning
I wouldn't say your lack of warranty is any surprise. I don't know about Canada, but in the US, phone warranty is normally tied to the carrier, which means if you're not an active customer using the phone on the account that it was first activated on, you will have no warranty. Nothing special about Samsung here, all brands are the same.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
cwoodworth said:
Man, I'm glad I read your post on hardware-locked problems. I didn't even realise this was a problem until after I dicked around with my phone a bunch, and then ended up reflashing with odin back to stock. I could have messed up big time.
My problem is that I can't replace my phone at all. I purchased a T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant online, brand new, unopened and locked for use here in Canada on the Wind Mobile network.
After hearing about this defective hardware I called T-Mobile, they said I have no warranty with them since it wasn't a T-mobile store purchase. Alright I guess. So they give me the number to Samsung USA,USA transfers me to Canada, I get transferred back again and this is what I'm stuck with.
My new phone has NO warranty, in either country. Both refuse to honour any sort of warranty, and refer to the other for support. I didn't think I'd get this sort of run around from Samsung.
USA says that because I live in Canada, I voided the warranty.,
Canada says that because it's a USA device, and I didn't purchase an international warranty, they won't touch it.
I'll just have to be careful what I install on my phone, and avoid Samsung products in the future.
Thanks for the warning
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Other companies will do the same thing. Warranties are country specific, no?
I don't know how it works with mobile phones, but whenever I've purchased computer parts, the country of origin has never been a problem. Maybe I've just been lucky.
Still have gripes about GPS, and lack of 2.2 though.
Don't misunderstand me though, I love this phone. Just surprised about the hardware issues.
I called Samsung today after tmobile rep gave me a number for warranty. After complaining and speaking to a supervisor, they said i could send it in and they would "fix" it. This is what they sent in the email.
Product Symptoms : Technical Inquiry/Internal Menu/Software Reflash - FOC/No fee. The Samsung Rep said a technician would look at it.
I got a shipping label and everything.
I have one question. How should i go about reflashing to stock? can i just factory reset + remove superusers. please help.
cwoodworth said:
I don't know how it works with mobile phones, but whenever I've purchased computer parts, the country of origin has never been a problem. Maybe I've just been lucky.
Still have gripes about GPS, and lack of 2.2 though.
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PC parts aren't as tightly controlled as mobile phones. That's the difference.
GPS and Froyo should be coming soon. I doubt if Samsung would let their best mobile phones fall behind by much. From the leaked firmwares popping up, it shows they're working on it.
My phone has been half broken for the better part of 3 months because i partitioned the internal sd and lost half my touch screen and the buttons on the bottom of the phone. So i got it fixed thanks to kermit and bongd and now im on 4.1.5.7 and I didn't do the newer update yet. My question is now what's the latest and greatest for the atrix as far as roms go. I used gingerblur in the past but its been 3 months so im wondering what you guys are using now
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
moto 2.3.4
+1
lsxrx7 said:
moto 2.3.4
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Click to collapse
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Start here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1142674
I just can't see losing the warranty on my phone..
They never said it would. Just that it MAY.
ChumleyEX said:
I just can't see losing the warranty on my phone..
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Lol, sux to be you then.
Sent from rooted Atrix on 2.3.4 with unlocked bootloader using xda premium app.
Can always go stock if u need to have the phone fixed through moto. I thought I read that the leaked 2.3.4 wasn't necessarily made for atrix and alot of things didn't work fully? And thanks for the info
Sent from my MB860 using XdA App
4.1.83 is the last official build for att, has been out for awhile and is very stable, no reason not to go to that.
Soon the 2.3.4 update will be out officially, tell then we can just wait.
and the same players are pretty much the same, higher version numbers but gingerblur, grayblur, gladiatrix are still the favorites.
My thoughts on warranty are that unless its obvious that its been tampered with (specifically that it says unlocked when first powered on), then warranty would not be an issue. All reports ive seen say that when flashing back to a stock 1.8.3 sbf, that unlocked disappears, even though the bootloader may still be partially unlocked. On top of that, in most cases, if the phone is damaged beyond the ability to repair with a sbf flash, its probably not going to be functional enough for the unlocked status of the bootloader to be determined in the first place. there is always a chance, but imo its very minimal.
In regards to "whats best" 1.8.3 with gingerblur imo is the best option if you arent willing to do some tweaking and play with the unlocked bootloader and 2.3.4. If you are however, then unlocked, rooted, 2.3.4 is the shiznit.
Conversation is winding up on the Motorola forums, and one of the forum managers, Mark, has indicated a survey will go out very soon, (soon being in the next few days), for soak testing the 2.3 update.
Looks like they may aim for very early July, if not end of this week, to start pushing out soak test beta updates.
pyro254750 said:
My thoughts on warranty are that unless its obvious that its been tampered with (specifically that it says unlocked when first powered on), then warranty would not be an issue. All reports ive seen say that when flashing back to a stock 1.8.3 sbf, that unlocked disappears, even though the bootloader may still be partially unlocked. On top of that, in most cases, if the phone is damaged beyond the ability to repair with a sbf flash, its probably not going to be functional enough for the unlocked status of the bootloader to be determined in the first place. there is always a chance, but imo its very minimal.
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Click to collapse
Unlock does disappear when you flash back, but where do you think all the refurb phones come from?
They go back to Moto, who run diagnostic software and tools to determine what, if anything, needs to be repaired before they send the phones back out as refurbs. They will see right away it is unlocked, and if it voids your warranty, expect a bill from them, or your carrier, after the fact. This happened to an ex of mine a couple of years ago where she was billed the full value of the replacement phone by AT&T after they found she had messed with the one she sent back. That was a Moto phone also.
Sure, if you run over your phone with your car you will be ok, but what if it's something simple like the screen goes out, power button stops working, etc.?
If people are worried about voiding their warranties, they have every right to not risk their warranties, and also to not listen to stupid advice telling them they, (Moto, AT&T, whoever), will probably never know!
CaelanT said:
Unlock does disappear when you flash back, but where do you think all the refurb phones come from?
They go back to Moto, who run diagnostic software and tools to determine what, if anything, needs to be repaired before they send the phones back out as refurbs. They will see right away it is unlocked, and if it voids your warranty, expect a bill from them, or your carrier, after the fact. This happened to an ex of mine a couple of years ago where she was billed the full value of the replacement phone by AT&T after they found she had messed with the one she sent back. That was a Moto phone also.
Sure, if you run over your phone with your car you will be ok, but what if it's something simple like the screen goes out, power button stops working, etc.?
If people are worried about voiding their warranties, they have every right to not risk their warranties, and also to not listen to stupid advice telling them they, (Moto, AT&T, whoever), will probably never know!
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As i stated in my post, that was just my opinion, i never deemed it to be fact. Id also like to add, that i was referring to att tech support, and replacement being done under att insurance, NOT motorola direct.
pyro254750 said:
As i stated in my post, that was just my opinion, i never deemed it to be fact. Id also like to add, that i was referring to att tech support, and replacement being done under att insurance, NOT motorola direct.
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Yup, and AT&T doesn't just junk them. They return them for evaluation/repair. Doesn't matter if your replacement is through insurance. They still repair and sell as refurbs if possible.
ceo.mtcl said:
Lol, sux to be you then.
Sent from rooted Atrix on 2.3.4 with unlocked bootloader using xda premium app.
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How so, I love my phone? I won't suffer in the least from whatever I'm not doing.. lol
I don't have to have the latest and greatest hack or mod that's going around so that I can impress people.. My phone does everything I've needed of it so far (with rooting) and saving whatever money I can if it breaks within the warranty period is a no brainer.. Yes maybe it could look cooler or run just a tiny bit faster (I also can wait for the official at&t update for some of that) but nothing looks cooler than a working phone and $400 in my pocket..
CaelanT said:
Yup, and AT&T doesn't just junk them. They return them for evaluation/repair. Doesn't matter if your replacement is through insurance. They still repair and sell as refurbs if possible.
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Click to collapse
im sure they do. My opinion is based on my experiences with insurance in the past, specifically a phone that was returned due to water damage, but the water sensors did not trip (clearly damage that voids warranty), and yet it was replaced and i never heard anything from HTC or att regarding the water damage. It was inspected by a low level tech support representative to determine it could be replaced under warranty, the inspection consisted of removing the back panel and checking the water markers and determining the phone wouldnt power on. a more thorough investigation by htc would have revealed water damage, so either they did not inspect it, but rather just junked it, or they did not pursue reimbursement for the phone once they determined it was not warrantable. two different comanies, two different problems, but same concept. Just because its not warrantable, doesnt mean it wont be replaced under warranty. I would never suggest someone rely on this happening of course, just pointing out that it DOES happen.
Warranty claims are handled by the carrier. If the phone is deemed to be abused/damaged/hacked during the replacement process, you will be billed for the replacement handset's cost. If they don't find the cause during this process, the phone is grouped according to the level of damage and sent off to be refurbished/parted out/recycled, and you are in the clear.
The insurance process is handled by a third party, and covers pretty much ANYTHING that you could do to your phone. They don't care what you've done to it, because by that time you've already paid for the refurbished replacement via your monthly fee & deductible.
That being said.. I'm not encouraging anyone to commit fraud, nor do I guarantee results, but I work in the industry and have a lot of experience with thes issues. IMO, if you're trying to get a warranty replacement for your bricked phone, you're abusing the system. You knew what you were getting into when you started flashing/hacking/modding, and therefore the problem is clearly not a 'manufacturer's defect', which is what warranties cover.
Insurance on the other hand, is there to cover anything. If you're allowed to plunge your phone into the toilet, or toss it out of a moving vehicle, and still get a replacement, then flashing & bricking are certainly deserving of coverage as well. I have a feeling with all these manufacturers releasing unlocked bootloaders we'll see some more fine print added to our policies in the near future.
Just my experience & 2 cents. Personally i'm waiting for the official GB att release, because at least then when I unlock my phone I'll be doing it with the blessing (and testing) of the manufacturer, and therefore much less likely to screw myself with an incompatible version of GB
zoso28 said:
Personally i'm waiting for the official GB att release, because at least then when I unlock my phone I'll be doing it with the blessing (and testing) of the manufacturer, and therefore much less likely to screw myself with an incompatible version of GB
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Not to mention the 30+ threads at the moment with people complaining about problems with their Hong Kong 2.3.4 build, and looking for solutions!
CaelanT said:
Not to mention the 30+ threads at the moment with people complaining about problems with their Hong Kong 2.3.4 build, and looking for solutions!
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Exactly!! I'm just beginning to learn about android development and definitely not ready for such an experimental build. It amazes me how many people are willing to mess with their ROMs without knowing what they're doing. I'm taking the time to read everything I can find on here before I start experimenting with adb/rsd/fastboot/etc.. Hopefully i'll be ready to go when the official build is released.
zoso28 said:
Exactly!! I'm just beginning to learn about android development and definitely not ready for such an experimental build. It amazes me how many people are willing to mess with their ROMs without knowing what they're doing. I'm taking the time to read everything I can find on here before I start experimenting with adb/rsd/fastboot/etc.. Hopefully i'll be ready to go when the official build is released.
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Click to collapse
One can always flash back to 4.1.8.3. Are you willing to mess with CWM on Froyo?
guyzz,
this is is realy bad. I just send my htc hd2 with out android or hspl, now i am charged with 285,6 euro.
Becouse they found something in the bootloader that did not match with the original windows 6.5
what i did was flash to an original windows 6.5 and then remove hspl.
they also send me 2 pictures that shows that i had illegal software on my phone according to them.
Please can you check the pictures, and tell me if htc is right.
theyre right. your bootloader sir.
oh nice but what about my right ? cus i have a hardware issue and not a software issue !
Replacing the SPL voids your warranty, despite your device's fault to be hardware or software related.
You should have gone with 1.66 I assume?
what is the reason of rejecting an illegal software on any device ? the damage it can cause right, everything has a reason if they could show that the damage was made by the software it would be clear that i do not have any rights for warranty. But this is not the case right now !
It's the same with cars. A car manufacturer cannot void warranty on the engine because you put aftermarket wheels on the car.
SO please give me a clear advice of my rights.
i'm going to elaborate on your "cars" example...
yes, car manufacturers don't care if you use aftermarket wheels...this is because they DECLARE clearly exactly what voids the warranty.
ONE of the things HTC DECLARES as warranty-voiding is the presence of custom firmwares (i am paraphrasing). because this is declared by them and it is assumed that the customer will read and understand the warranty terms before purchasing, it is legally acceptable for them to reject your warranty claim if they can find evidence of any of the declared items that void the warranty.
logically, you are absolutely correct to expect a reason of how the action of HSPL installation could have caused some apparently unrelated hardware issue. but, LEGALLY they have the right to deny warranty. you see, the terms of the warranty talk about the evidence that they will look for...the terms of the warranty do not talk about a legal obligation on htc's part to establish a cause and effect relationship.
i hope that explains things a bit!
P.S. i've been watching waaaaaayyyyy too much CSI...
thnx for the explanation bro,
if i want my phone back without repair i have to pay for service cost 58,- euro that is also ridicules, cause the only thing they did was check if it was legal or not, is it realistic to accept that easily ?
abati said:
thnx for the explanation bro,
if i want my phone back without repair i have to pay for service cost 58,- euro that is also ridicules, cause the only thing they did was check if it was legal or not, is it realistic to accept that easily ?
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i have always found all of these costs to be waaayyy too high. but "thats how they get you!"
most people are instructed here on xda to revert to stock SPL and ROM before claiming warranty. best practice is to note the stock SPL and ROM version numbers before playing with the device. as a general rule, SPL 1.66 is recommended for EU HD2s and SPL 2.08 is recommended for TMOUS HD2s (someone please correct me if i am wrong!).
we remove the evidence, so htc finds no evidence of custom firmware, and so they honor the warranty! thats how we get them!
i understand you verry clear !!
but its just so weird cause the last 3 times i send my htc for repair i always used the same method as i did for this time. but this time it went wrong. shall i just negotiate with them to lower the price for the service cost and at the time i get my phone back fix everything again and send it for the second time ?
abati said:
i understand you verry clear !!
but its just so weird cause the last 3 times i send my htc for repair i always used the same method as i did for this time. but this time it went wrong. shall i just negotiate with them to lower the price for the service cost and at the time i get my phone back fix everything again and send it for the second time ?
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Click to collapse
do u think htc are going to listen they might not accept device again be careful they are clever
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium