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Verizon Crippled Bluetooth Features in Motorola V710
djdoubles writes "Apparently Verizon Wireless has put firmware with crippled Bluetooth features in the new Motorola v710 phone. A lot of people have been anticipating a Bluetooth phone from Verizon, only to be disappointed by lack of OBEX. Verizon says they have no plan to add OBEX because it doesn't fit their business model--greedy bastards. PC Magazine doesn't have very nice things to say either. More discussion here."
I recognize the fact that if Verizon tells me I don't need something, then I don't need it.
Would you rather get shoot with by the BlueSniper with a virus-outy BlueSnarf dart? And we wonder why Ericsson is moving on to other projects - highlighted from the greedy bass-turd article ...so wireless carriers can charge people... Gotta get paid ya know.
And if you really want a blue tooth phone there is a nifty niche and free capitalist market called eBay.
They do everything possible to keep people from downloading apps, tones, etc directly to the phone. No J2ME on any Verizon phone, as far as I can tell.
Better to use T-Mobile or Cingular in the US.
My main wishes in a bluetooth phone are dial up networking and cord-free headsets. For those of us who carry PDAs anyway with a SD card slot, there's an easy workaround for picture transfering- just use your PDA whenever your phone gets full, and at the end of the day before you sync your PDA.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
How DARE they refuse to offer me a feature I don't want!
GREEDY BASTARDS!
Is bluetooth not "Beta" to 802.11s "VHS" anyways?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
It's not only the bluetooth support that is lacking. The colors in the camera are really bad to!
oh... and you can use iSync with the usb cable, just not over bluetooth
What I don't see is how their business model suffers when a phone's feature exists by default and an extra effort is needed to reduce functionality. They're the ones setting the price, anyway. (since the firmware is being crippled by Verizon, not the OEM, right?)
It's not like it's a customer service issue. They use flashcards for that anyway.
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
I've been quite happy with this phone since my purchase of it a month ago, I wish it had full Bluetooth support and I was told only yesterday by customer service that an update will be out in 3-4 weeks to enable full Bluetooth support.
Syncing of phonebook here I come!
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
Verizon's business model is to force people to place all communications through *them*, regardless of the sensibility of that network model. They're protecting their wireless empire as hamfistedly as they protected their dialup model, charging people 10x for "data lines" for modems over 9600bps, seeking Congressional protection from "always on" ISPs, crushing DSL competition. Too bad the WiFi genie's already out of the bottle. In the future, circuit-switched landlines and CDMA radios might only serve as backups, when our fibers and WiFi associations fail. With luck, the DSL conquest won't be repeated by Verizon Wireless, since colocation infrastructure isn't as necessary.
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make install -not war
...their crippled version BlueBalls. All that promise of sexy features, getting everyone excited, then not delivering the goods.
This isn't the first time Verizon Wireless has crippled a phone. Motorola's T720 phone was also the victim of a nasty hack. The T720 was designed to use Java and Verizon uses Qualcomm's Brew for their Get It Now service. Java was stripped from the phone, not to mention other features like being able to recieve pictures via SMS Messages or the builtin web browser.
What are *you* complaining about? In fact, *how* are you complaining, by using Slashdot? Don't you know that the Internet can give you a virus? Throw away the computer, and never worry about viruses again. Same goes for dating...
The Ericsson is moving on from *inventing* Bluetooth, to capitalizing on its innovations through mere marketing. That's how tech capitalism works. And since you won't be using eBay anymore, to avoid getting scammed, you might not be interested in learning that Bluetooth phones need a telco carrier, like Verizon. Boy, are you lucky you won't have to make any hard choices anymore.
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make install -not war
I was pretty disappointed to find out they strip midi files from incoming emails. Making it impossible to send yourself free ringtones.. It's even worse that certain polyphonic phones can't receive SMS messages with midi files either. I had to resort to a motorola phone programmer and USB cable. It's unfortunate, alot of people would never go that route to get a dollar ringtone into their phone.
Since when is it such a crime to not implement unprofitable features? If you don't like it, buy a different phone.
..."if honorable business model depends on building a toll-gate where there are open roads to left and right, soon will have new business model involving burgers and fries"
buy unhindered phones.
or well, if you really like the walled garden aproach then why not, sure, give them away dollars for doing some simple stuff like moving data few feet. if their services are otherwise very cheap then as a customer it could make sense to cave into feature reductions like this, but i doubt it.
this is also why on some phones it's a bitch to get the pictures out even if the manufacturer could have very very cheapily added usb or whatever connectivity. it's left out intentionally so the networks that want walled gardens can feel good about them.
and if you claim that things like this are needed to make running a network profitable/possible.. that's just pure bullshit. you don't even need locked phones for fast adaptation, hell, i'd argue that locked phones being illegal make for a faster adaption.. much easier to compare a) handset prices b) network prices (=less bullshit hidden costs pricing).
oh and if you start with the "i'd only buy a linux based phone", the 'linux' phones coming are locked up tight - tighter than smartphones available now.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
with the 710 you cannot transfer files via BT or via USB. i have one. you can only do it via messaging (only 25 picture messages/month). or by using a transflash card (a micro sd card) that is nearly impossible to remove (you need to power off the phone and use tweezers). there are people that are working on developing usb hack to do this (as of now they can read and overwrite files on the phone via usb. but this is difficult to do and not officially supported)
furthermore, as of now, you can't even synch you addressbook/appointments via BT, you have to buy a USB cable. motorola claims they will fix this, but i doubt it.
but, verizon is still has the best coverage in the US and this phone is pretty good (flip, 1.3megapixel camera, BT(only headset and modem profiles), mp3 player, video player, upto 128mb removable flash memory, nice screen--though definitely not the best)
just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand!
Verizon does not develop firmware for Motorola phones. However Motorola provides lots of internal software configuration options to allow service providers to customize features to suit their business model.
If you didn't catch this from the nuclear elephant article, he's got a reward pot going for anyone who can provide a hack to enable OBEX on the phone. I think this is a great idea... I would love to see Verizon lose control of this thing. I almost bought one of these things just to be able to sync my address book with bluetooth, and at the last minute my intuition (or experience with Verizon/Moto) saved me.
I first got cellular from U S WEST Cellular, which was sold to AirTouch, which was sold to Verizon.
I'm still on a calling plan from the original U S WEST contracts, so I have three phones, sharing 600 minutes for around US$60 per month after taxes.
Right now, I've got a Nokia from Verizon with a firmware mod to prevent any ringtones or BREW apps from running, except through the Verizon BUY IT NOW! downloader. I'd dump 'em in a heartbeat if I could get service from anyone else for a comparable price, but as it is I just use 'em for phone service and I miss out on the fancy phone features fun.
What phone companies need to realize is that phone are becoming more and more like small personal computers. They have their own set of multimedia capabilities. Take sound for example. First it was a piezoelectric 1 bit speaker, then FM polyphonic sound, now PCM audio. Hell, in Japan, I've seen quite a few phones that have TV tuners. Point being that they now have capabilities similar to desktop computers and need the same freedoms to operatate like them. That includes unrestricted data transfer, creation (ringtones, backgrounds, java games). Imagine being able to store files on your phone in a format not initially supported by it, but then having somebody write software to handle it. (Obvious /. examples being PNG backgrounds and Ogg Vorbis ringtones)
I hope Verizon either adapts or dies in regards to this.
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
Wait a minute... don't get mad yet. They are just a major corporation that has implemented a highly sought after buzzword in a highly profitable market while ignoring open standards so they can make more money.
What's wrong with that?!
The real practical limitation of the lack of OBEX is that the phone can't exchange its internal phonebook over BT, so if you have a BT implementation in your car, you have to re-enter your phone book in the car.
As to the limitation its really dumb for one simple reason: The phone support data exchange via a memory card, so you can move ringtones, pictures, and even MP3's to the phone to be used as an MP3 player.
If Verizon is intentially crippling this phone, its only crippled for people who can't be bothered to copy the stuff via either USB or the memory card. I suppose that means impatient teens.
For the rest of us who want to take advantage of the advanced features, its stupid and insulting, since it doesn't do what they think it does, and it really limits the BT flexibility.
Its still a nice phone though.
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
If Verizon is indeed purposely crippling bluetooth, and has no plans to "fix" it, then they need to be looked at for false advertising. From their own website I quote:
"And with Bluetooth wireless technology, you can make hands-free, eyes-free calls, and connect to your PC or PDA whenever and wherever you want."
I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.
I would rather have my verizon phone get a strong signal at my friends house, then have it turn into a mini computer. Ringtones, and vCards, and blue tooth are all nice, but its completely pointless when I can't get a call. Verizon should spend more money on coverage and making sure that their system works than implementing options, that way maybe I won't randomly get voicemail messages that were sent two days before.
posts here discusses info from motolora saying stating that file transfer is coming in an update in early Sept. First reference is post #6, but it is talked about after that.
Soccer Goal Plans
Bluetooth and WIFI aren't competing technologies, per se. Bluetooth is meant to be a short range cable replacement technology. Hence the new breeds of cordless mice/keyboards, cordless headsets, cordless synching and small file transfers. I rely on bluetooth for synching my p900 with my SUSE 9.1 laptop. It works flawlessly and without fuss. WIFI is poor for cordless type connections, because then every device requires an IP to be programmed. I doubt you'll see any WIFI mice or keyboards anytime soon. (make that... ummm... probably never)
This works, swear to god.
About 3 years ago, one of their account people noticed that my contract had expired and I was a month to month customer. He called me, pushing a new 2 year contract. I didn't really want it, but he swore new bluetooth phones were coming that fall. Since I wanted bluetooth, and none of the other carriers had good coverage in my area, I figured why not... the new plan was cheaper and all. Seemed good.
Cut to 2 years later, with 6 months left on my contract. I have a Bluetooth PDA, laptop, and the car I was expecting delivery of (Prius) had the Bluetooth Handsfree in it. There were rumors of a Motorola with bluetooth coming soon on the Verizon network, but I couldn't risk it. I had to get out. Here's what I did...
I emailed customer support. Sounds simple, right? But the beauty of this is, a real live person emails you back. Sure, it's a form letter at first, but if you keep emailing back, and keep bringing up your original points (bluetooth, customer rep lied to me, etc), they'll go off script.
And clearly they underestimated my resolve to keep hammering at them. It cost me nothing to email them. They had customer service reps spending time trying to figure out how to respond. The time they spent with me couldn't be used for other customers... And, honestly, it was funny as hell for me.
After nearly 2 dozen back and forth emails, they agreed to let me out of the contract early. I switched to Cingular, and now have an uncrippled and fully functional bluetooth phone. And a signal. Life is good.
the only thing VZW wants to 'secure' is their get it now, text messaging, and data traffic revenue.
if this was purely because of security concerns then why don't they support the transfer of files via USB?
the reason is that they don't want to is because cellular voice traffic is commoditized and a loss leader these days. their business model is to offer competively priced and widespread availabilty of voice plans then ream everyone on data, picture messaging and other features.
this isn't necessarily bad. but when i buy a $350 phone that claims to synch and x-fer files via BT i want it to perform as advertised.
that being said, i'm still keeping my v710. furhtermore the v710 made me switch from sprint. verizon is definitely shrewd.
just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand!
Verizon is releasing thing phone with some features disabled, they will be enabled in November for full compliance including OBEX come November. Will someone fact check before this is posted. They released that information last monday. -GReg
OBEX is really useful for transferring phone numbers to a friend's phone. While you can do this fine with IR, the non-hassle of not having to aim up the slightly illogical parts of the phones where the IR ports have been hidden suddenly makes this a useful feature. Bluetooth headsets and so on are also useful.
In soviet russia stale jokes recycle you!
1)Only GSM phones use Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. IIRC, ATT Wireless, T-Mobile, and Cingular use GSM (IANAAmerican so I could be wrong)
2) CDMA providers activate your phone by entering the Electronic Serial Number into their system. Sometimes you can pull a fast one but generally they will not activate a phone you purchased yourself
Verizon will activate any old device as long as it's one they sell and have approved for their network and even then I have seen other non Verizon affiliated dealers selling other phones for the verizon network like a older Sony Ericsson CDMA Phone. You are correct on teh American GSM carriers...at least the major ones.
Gorkman
CDMA phones can also be activated online, given the ESN. The online forms will return the subsidy lock (either an MSL or an OTKSL) as well as step-by-step instructions for entering your phone number (the MIN).
:o)
Those phones with an MSL can be reprogramed to any MIN, and can be reprovisioned to any network. Those with an OTKSL probably cannot, as the subsidy lock is one-time.
Some cell phone shops can unlock any phone in exchange for a small fee, though.
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Me spell chucker work grate. Need grandma chicken.
Just got the v710 with Verizon Wireless and am horribly disappointed after I got over the novelty of having the phone connect to my car. The "obeymoto" voice command is the only good thing about this phone. Otherwise it's heavy, expensive, the camera is abysmal, the UI is awkward, and the bluetooth is crippled. I don't want all those extras (SMS, MMS, games, songs, movies, ringtones, etc.), just want a good phone to talk on!! The main reason I bought the v710 was to use hands-free in my car without a cumbersome headset, but that doesn't work very well. Already I've missed some incoming calls since neither the car nor the phone announces incoming calls when they're connected via bluetooth. The lack of bluetooth obex implementation to transfer the phone book is a deal breaker. Does Verizon really expect us to spend the rest of our lives manually reentering our phone books everytime we buy a new phone?? Without obex, "bluetooth handsfree" is no different than plugging a headset directly into the phone. Wait, it's worse since you can't use obeymoto voice command over bluetooth, and the phone doesn't ring for incoming calls when bluetooth is active. Too bad I can't plug the car's microphone and speaker "handset" directly into the phone. After reading Jonathan's interview with Verizon's Brenda Raney, I'd be shocked if Verizon ever enables obex on the v710. It's easy for Verizon's sales and service reps to promise upgrades and fixes so that people don't cancel their contracts within the 15 day grace period. But after that interview we all know how Verizon does their math. The Verizon v710 is for suckers. I'm cancelling.
Two years ago, I was a Verizon fanboy. Loved the system because the service in NJ was so damn good. Then came the camera and Bluetooth phones. WHen I saw that Verizon didn't support them, I jumped ship to AT&T and got a Nokia 3650. It's a damn fine phone and AT&T doesn't cripple it. Now I can send and receive pictures to/from my phone, set wallpapers, dowload apps, and create my own wav-based ringtones. Why Verizon won't allow this is beyond me. $0.99 for a song on the iTunes Music Store and $2 for a ringtone from Verizon, AND you have to pay to transfer it? What "business model" does that fall under other than "greedy bastards"?