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K700i Firmware Update warning |
smjohns
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
Posts: 105
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Hi all,
Just had the mother of all arguments with Sony regarding Firmware updates......grrr. Won a sim free K700i (lucky me) and as it only had R2A041 firmware installed I thought I would get the firmware upgraded before I started using it....yes this took major willpower.
Anyway I popped over to carphone warehouse and although they had R2L001, they had failed to install it on three handsets already so are now only installing R2E001. As they were not an official Sony Repair Centre I decided to drop my phone off to my nearest one in Birmingham.
They confirmed that whilst on their jig, they connect to the Sony website and download the latest firmware so I should be ok getting the latest.
I phoned up today to find out that they have installed the latest....R2A041. No other firmware is available. I sent them off to check again and meanwhile phoned the Sony Customer Support (errr just a call centre). As far as they are concerned the only software for the K700i is the R2A041. I asked why service centres have newer versions and they did not know about these and they were certainly not going to contact anyone else to find out.
They gave me the number of their central repair centre that handles all postal repairs for them - Hays in Banbury (01295) 662101. The confirmed that they have the latest version R2L001 but could only install this if I post them the phone (10days turnaround). I asked if they could forward this firmware to another Sony service centre...they said no.
Realising that I probably now have to post my phone off to another repair centre, I phone back the company that has my phone at the moment. Their engineer put my phone on the jig again and confirmed that there was R2L available. The recommended firmware is still the R2A041 but they can choose R2L001 except this may not go in. Whilst on the phone, the software went in and my phone is now upgraded !!!
So if you contact Sony Customer Support, they no nothing of the later versions of this firmware and will only recommend R2A041. Also not all their recommended service centres know about R2L or will automatically install this so you need to make sure they know exactly what you want them to do.
Apparently Sony are renowned for their poor support provided to their service centres (and customers !!). Nokia are much much better so don't expect the repair centres to bend over backwards for you as they get little from Sony for their efforts ! |
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Valentiner
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 152
PM |
Same here. Customer support has serious lacks in Sony-Ericsson, compaired with other major mobile producers, like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. Probably that's why they are in top 
Altough I love the features (and the look) of my k700i, I won't probably buy another SE in the future, mostly because of this poor, very poor, customer care.
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mmsman
Joined: Dec 14, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: slovenia
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well i went to the official se service point here in slovenia and they installed r2l for free in 30 minutes, so i guess this depends on where you live, currently the service is here is excellent |
Vlammetje
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Den Haag
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ahem...... just a quick question: does your phone need upgrading? Or could you perhaps live just as happily holding out till this illusive fiormware is simply available all over the place? Just a thought.... but to mail in your phone for anything which isn't major probably would not be my course of action 
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buckle247
Joined: Jan 02, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: UK: OXON
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Hays in Banbury, i phoned them as i live in banbury, and they said it would be a 7 day turnaround as i would need to post the phone to them (this was t610).
But i agree with vlam, what is the point in doing a firmware update if you havn't even used the phone yet. It might be fine, mine is.
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smjohns
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
Posts: 105
PM |
Battery issues are a major concern of mine and a few of the other fixes would make the phone alot more useable....yes I probably could have waited, but then I know what Sony are like and we could be waiting for ages for their online update service to arrive. As some of these bugs would have annoyed me sooner rather than later, I thought I'd take the opportunity to upgrade the phone before I really started using it.
Still Sony customer support still have an issue as surely they should know about new software releases that have been issued to most if not all of their repair centres by their reps..even the none official ones like Carphone Warehouse. In addition to this, the fact that the call centre would not escalate a query if it was not on their computer is just plain wrong.
[ This Message was edited by: smjohns on 2004-08-31 19:16 ] |
Vlammetje
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Den Haag
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Quote:
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On 2004-08-31 20:14:36, smjohns wrote:
Battery issues are a major concern of mine and a few of the other fixes would make the phone alot more useable....
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Oh. I was just wondering how long you have used the phone for?
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Valentiner
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 152
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I have been using it for two weeks, and I have charged it every day, sometimes twice a day. I am waiting untill the batery becomes empty (thus I do not recharge at the first red line, which is a bug under R2A), and then recharge it. This should help me get more battery life, but I have seen no improvements since. I am using the power saving profile for the screen also!
It's the worst battery I ever had. The phone is great, but the battery sux deeply.
As the SE Customer Service does too |
Chazzer3
Joined: Mar 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
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It isn't the battery dude, it is the f/w, with R2L, it fixes the, 'battery meter bug' so the battery is great, it is just R2A/E.
Charlie.
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emlo87
Joined: Jun 17, 2004
Posts: 28
From: UK
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Do you have to pay to havethe firmware upgraded from Hays or anywhere else for that matter? |
kumtaya
Joined: Aug 17, 2004
Posts: 3
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All the people in this post experiencing battery problems on r2a, is your fone unlocked as well? or is it locked/branded? |
701
Joined: Nov 26, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Romania
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It all comes down to where u live and the organisation in ur country.for example,here we do have dealers but not an official SE HQ.For this reason,i dont expect2much from them and u have2pay for upgrades.I still have R1L0013 and works gr8!
This message was posted from a T610 |
boto43
Joined: Nov 23, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Trnava-Nitra,Pardubice CSSR
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As I am reading this thread I don't know why we still buy se phones. F W is bad customer service as well ...
This message was posted from a T610 |
Vlammetje
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Den Haag
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i guess not all of us have bad experiences with  or with firmware. I know my phone still runs the original software after 9 months 
And if you don't experience any problems... you're not vey likely to encounter the customer services 
But you know what they say: a dissatisfied customer is likely to tell his story to ten people and a satisfied person to one. that's about the ratio apparently........ so you're a lot more likely to hear people complain than people who are happy.
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smjohns
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
Posts: 105
PM |
You do not have to pay for firmware upgrades as long as you can provide proof of purchase confirming your phone is within warranty (1yr in the UK). You can either use a local SE approved service centre or use their postal service (takes 10days normally), which will go to Hays.
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Posted: 2004-08-31 17:04
