Orange and Vodafone N95s are crippled

[megakid]

After a few days of good use of my N95 (which I got from Orange) I decided it was about time to exploit my home WLAN a bit more by attempting to setup VOIP.

I installed Truphone and to my knowledge it was working but i was slightly confused at the lack of Internet call options....then I realised (which was subsequently confirmed by a google search) that Orange have disabled internet calling.

Bit peeved off to be honest! Still, cant complain too much I guess - We do get these £500 handsets for free!

 

[Bigsy]

Like most modern nokias can you not just alter the product code and use the online updater to flash it to a generic N95 firmware?

 

[yak.h'cir]

Could you not install skype on the phone instead? Or is it Windows phones only...

 

[Christo]

Its Windows Mobile only for the moment. The best solution you will have is Fring - you can use it to make Skype calls/MSN, this will be released soon (maybe next week).

I would never buy a phone from Voda or Orange for that reason alone. Its pretty disgusting that you sign on a contract for an expensive phone and they cripple one of its main functions.

 

[Dolph]

I would never buy a phone from Voda or Orange for that reason alone. Its pretty disgusting that you sign on a contract for an expensive phone and they cripple one of its main functions.

You have the option of an unsubsidised handset (as the OP has correctly noted). Surprisingly networks do actually like to at least try and get some of their investment back...

 

[mrochester]

I agree that networks should leave the firmware on a phone well alone. Look at the craptastic N73 that Orange had. If Nokia were able to focus their energies on producing one generic firmware for each phone, instead of the multiple versions of firmware that the networks demand, then I bet the products would be better overall.

 

[50/50]

We do get these £500 handsets for free!

Really? were from?

 

[Christo]

You have the option of an unsubsidised handset (as the OP has correctly noted). Surprisingly networks do actually like to at least try and get some of their investment back...

What are you talking about?? Of course you can buy it sim free and of course the operators have a right to get their investment back where does it say that I disagree with that? Like I said will never buy a Voda or Orange handset as they modify their phones heavily - unlike Tmobile and o2, who suprisingly also make money back from their investment.

 

[Vegetarian]

cant complain too much I guess - We do get these £500 handsets for free!

Nothing in life is free - you pay for it each month via your contract - they just fool you its free!

 

[=GAMMO=]

Nothing in life is free - you pay for it each month via your contract - they just fool you its free!

I got an N95 as a free upgrade with an 18 month contract for £26 a month i get 200 minutes doubled to 400 for the first 9 months and unlimited texts for life, now i rarely go over my 200 minutes that i had on my previous contract anyway so with the workings out of £26x 18months =£468 so ive definantly got either the phone or my calls for free

 

[kibblerok]

You have the option of an unsubsidised handset (as the OP has correctly noted). Surprisingly networks do actually like to at least try and get some of their investment back...

At the very least they should explain they have crippled the phones before you buy them though, before committing you to 12mths+

A reason why I stick with o2, unlocked, unbranded and not messed about with. At the very most I see these days are bookmarks and screensavers, which you can delete.

Plus they don't take months and months to release software updates for their product codes.

 

[mrochester]

At the very least they should explain they have crippled the phones before you buy them though, before committing you to 12mths+

A reason why I stick with o2, unlocked, unbranded and not messed about with. At the very most I see these days are bookmarks and screensavers, which you can delete.

Plus they don't take months and months to release software updates for their product codes.

Yeah - people see the N95 advertised by Nokia with this feature, that feature, etc, and any normal person would expect these features to be in every N95. If the networks insist on removing features, they should be required to list the functionality that has been removed. It's almost false advertising otherwise.

 

[niteflite01]

Yeah - people see the N95 advertised by Nokia with this feature, that feature, etc, and any normal person would expect these features to be in every N95. If the networks insist on removing features, they should be required to list the functionality that has been removed. It's almost false advertising otherwise.

I agree totally.

 

[Strikeforce]

95% of people that buy the handsets don't care about the branding, and also the Vodafone branding is not that heavy.

Plus its easy to get rid of by a simple change of the product code and to update the firmware.

The handsets need to be branded so that people that are not that technical can still use functions like mobile TV, the service providers can put short cuts in the menu.

Tmobile brand their handsets just as much as Vodafone do.

 

[Tunney]

Yeah - people see the N95 advertised by Nokia with this feature, that feature, etc, and any normal person would expect these features to be in every N95. If the networks insist on removing features, they should be required to list the functionality that has been removed. It's almost false advertising otherwise.

One of the US carriers (Verizon Wireless) got in a lot of trouble over crippling a feature and not advertising that fact. In the end, every user who had bought the phone in question got money back as compensation and an offer of either cancelling the contract or replacing the handset.

 

[niteflite01]

Pity that Orange don't actually mention the internet calling functions on their phone specs page ( http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/handset/nokia_n95/features ) otherwise you'd have a good case to seek some form of compensation.....

 

[llaadd]

95% of people that buy the handsets don't care about the branding, and also the Vodafone branding is not that heavy.

Plus its easy to get rid of by a simple change of the product code and to update the firmware.

The handsets need to be branded so that people that are not that technical can still use functions like mobile TV, the service providers can put short cuts in the menu.

Tmobile brand their handsets just as much as Vodafone do.

hi, yes but if you do this, you are invalidating your warranty as you have tampered with the phone. so that could be £500 worth of phone gone down the drain if anything was to go wrong down the line!!!

 

[Dolph]

At the very least they should explain they have crippled the phones before you buy them though, before committing you to 12mths+

A reason why I stick with o2, unlocked, unbranded and not messed about with. At the very most I see these days are bookmarks and screensavers, which you can delete.

Plus they don't take months and months to release software updates for their product codes.

Presumably you haven't tried to set up wap or MMS on an O2 supplied Sony Ericsson recently for another mobile network then. They may not apply branding, but they certainly do make it very difficult to use the phone anywhere else...

 

[megakid]

Like most modern nokias can you not just alter the product code and use the online updater to flash it to a generic N95 firmware?

Apart from voiding the warrenty, is this illegal? And if not, any more details?

 

[megakid]

Really? were from?

Nothing in life is free - you pay for it each month via your contract - they just fool you its free!

Well when you look at what I'm getting for my contract of £30 a month, I think it's rather good and as someone else has said, you could class it as either the phone is free, or the calls are free.