SOFTWARE ERROR ALERT FOR THE T720 CDMA

[Cellman95]

I HAD PURCHASED MY T720 ON SEPT 23 ON THE FIRST DAY IT WAS RELEASED. I HAD BEEN TRACKING IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE IT'S RELEASE. WELL WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED MY V60C I GOT ONE OF THE FIRST ONES AND HAD NOTING BUT SOFTWARE CLINCHES AND I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON BUT I DIDN'T. AFTER HAVING MY T720 FOR NOT EVEN 2 WEEKS I NOTICED I WAS GETING A LOT OF NO SERVICE IN SOME AREAS WHERE MY V60C HAD AT LEAST 1 BAR SO I FIRGURED THAT WAS NORMAL. WELL TODAY I GO TO FLIP MY PHONE OPEN AND THE SCREEN WAS COMPLETY BLACK AND THE BUTTONS DIDN'T EVEN BEEP OR LET ME TURN IT OFF. SO I WENT TO THE VERZION STORE AND THE STORE MANGER SAID DID YOU GET THIS PHONE IN THE FIRST WEEK AND I SAID YES AND HE SAID YEA THERES A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. HE GAVE ME A BRAND NEW ONE THAT THEY GOT IN AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS THERE 3RD BATCH AND THIS ONE SAID VERIZON ON THE BANNER ABOVE THE CLOCK NOW I DON'T KNOW IF MY FIRST ONE SAID THAT BUT I DON'T THINK IT DID. I WAS IN A SECTION IN THE MALL THAT I HAD GOTTEN NO SERVICE IN WITH MY T720 AND NOW WITH MY NEW T720 IT WORKED SO I RAN BACK TO THE STORE KNOWING THE MANGER AND TOLD HIM AND HE SAID IT WAS ALL REALTED TO SOFTWARE THAT IT WASN'T SET CORRECTLY FOR NORTH AMERICA. ITS ONE OF THOSE QUIET PROBLEMS YOU KNOW. ITS JUST LIKE MY EXPERICENE WITH MY V60C THE FIRST ONE I HAD WHEN IT CAME OUT WOULD NEVER CHARGE RITE AND WHEN I CALLED MOTOROLA THEY TOLD ME THEY WERNT RECALLED THAT IT WAS JUST A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. WELL HOW COME THEY NEVER NOTIFY US ABOUT THESES PROBLEMS THATS THE ONLY THING I HATE. I ALSO HATE HOW ME A BASIC GUY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE PHONE THEN THE VERIZON PEOPLE. IF I DIDN'T KNOW THE MANGER I BET HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE "O IT'S JUST FLUKE IT HAPPENED TO YOU". WELL IF ANYONE HAS THEY PROBLEMS AND PURCHASED THE PHONE IN THE FIRST WEEK.I RECCOMEND TAKING ADVATAGE OF VERIZON WIRELESS GREAT RETURN POLICY.

[Chip]

What software version does your phone have??

Chip

[mjaffe]

please do not write in caps...it is hard to read
marc

[nightofdreams]

I've also experienced a similiar problem. I was using the VX1 before, and when I put my t720 next to it on 9/23, the t720 only have 2 bars of signal while the vx1 has 6!!

I've changed 2 more different t720 since then, and the recent one I am using is the one I got last Wednesday. Now I am getting 4 bars of signal on average (range between 3-5 bars, but more toward the 3.7 I would say) I don't know if this is a problem with just the configuration of the phone or there is a software update on it.

My brother got the t720 on 9/23 also, and I checked the software version of my phone with his, both are the same, so one can't really tell any difference except that the signal is better now.

Can people post their phone's software version just for comparison? Mine is 01.02.22.17p prl is 50049

ps. turn on multi-key answer, have someone call you, when the phone is ringing, press the voice-recording key on the right side, then press any key to answer (except the end-call key of course) This should make the phone answer the incoming call, but this also make the phone keep beeping. Is this a bug on my phone only, or every t720 are experiencing the same thing?

My software version is the same. but my PRL is 50048. what does PRL mean?

My phone does the same beeping noise

[rrypma]

People, it NOT software that gives this newer phone better performance. It is the phone's upgraded ERI-capable PRL number 50049 that gives it its newfound life. After 2 days of purchasing my phone, I brought it into the store to have it upgraded. It took around 10 minutes or so, and now it averages about 4.5 bars. No one has anything later than .17p, but word has it that there is another release but the stores do not have it yet.

[Cellman95]

I am sorry for the caps.!!! The version of my software is 2100.03.31.05 and the version of my old phone I think started with a 1 possiably the one listed in someone elses repsonse. My PRL is 50052. Hope this info helps you.

[mobilestoreny]

I own a mobile store and there were some software
errors with the phone.
I was told that any phone made before AUG 23
could have these problems. The one I hear about is
when the phone is on VIB and you go to charge it
even though it says it's swicthing to alert loud, that
it doesn't at all and it stills VIB. Also that the keys
some how get jammed and it won't stop beeping.
Now you can tell if your phone was made before
AUG 23 by taking the cover off the back of the
phone and looking at the date. Theses are not
recalls at all so I think you would have to wait
for the software upgrade. Like the first v60's
it started off around 1.0????.???version and
quickly got upgraded to the two versions.
I gotta see if it's out I am getting a shipment in
today. I guess it is in the new batch if people have
the 2.0?????.???? version software already.

[rrypma]

Wait a minute.. Are you sure that's your software ver.? There 2 extra digits in front, and I have never seen anything like that before...Does anyone else have that ver., and did that PRL number come pre-installed on your phone or did you have that upgraded. My PRL and ver. are the same as nightofdreams.

[jcage89]

Does PRL version have something to do with locality? I'm in Seattle area...

My S/W Version: 01.02.22.17p
PRL Version: 42004
My phone has July 31, 2002 on back of Battery door and I bought it Sept 23 at a Verizon Store.


Let me know if anyone is the same, haven't had too many reception issues.

JC

Also, does anyone know if it is necessary to update version at Store or can it be done through internet from Verizon or Motorola?

[jcage89]

PRL Version just means "Perferred Roaming List" and is based on your locality and plan to determine when you are roaming. Here are some Verizon PRL examples...


The following PRL appeared Oct. 1, 2002. See: What's changed on Oct. 1, 2002. These PRL's are indentical to each other as far as the carriers and their access priority. The difference is the behavior of the roaming indicator.

50056 All-Roam Indicator Default
50057 America's Choice
50058 America's Choice w/ERI*
50059 National Single Rate
50060 National Single Rate + Canada
50061 National Single Rate w/ERI*
50062 National Single Rate + Canada w/ERI*

The following appeared July 22, 2002. See: What's changed on 7/22/2002. These eight PRL's are identical to each other as far as the carriers and their access priority. The difference is the behavior of the roaming indicator.

50047 All-Roam Indicator Default
50048 America's Choice
50049 America's Choice w/ERI*
50050 National Single Rate
50051 National Single Rate + Canada
50052 National Single Rate w/ERI*
50053 National Single Rate + Canada w/ERI*

42004 Single Rate West and Western Local
42005 Single Rate West and Western Local w/ERI

*ERI: Enhanced Roaming Indicator, words instead of an icon to indicate roaming.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following appeared May 15, 2002. They are identical to each other as far as the carriers and their access priority. The difference is the behavior of the roaming indicator.

50036 All-Roam Indicator Default
50037 America's Choice
50038 America's Choice w/ERI
50039 National Single Rate
50040 National Single Rate + Canada
50041 National Single Rate w/ERI
50042 National Single Rate + Canada w/ERI

42002 Single Rate West and Western Local
42003 Single Rate West and Western Local w/ERI



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following appeared April 19, 2002. See: What's changed on 4/19/2002. They are identical to each other, and they are different only by the behavior of the roaming indicator. There are now more roaming partners for the America's Choice plan, but Sprint PCS is no longer a partner in Southern California and the area around NYC.

50027 Tri-Mode Default
50028 America's Choice
50029 America's Choice, ERI version
50030 National Single Rate
50031 National SR Canada
50032 National Single Rate, ERI version
50033 National SR Canada, ERI version



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following appeared February 1, 2002. See What's Changed on 2/1/2002. They are identical to each other as far as the carriers and their access priority. The difference is the behavior of the roaming indicator. These PRL's are identical to 50015, but has the addition of Sprint PCS as a roaming partner in most, if not all, of the nation, and connect to the same link:

50017-America's Choice, replaced by 50018
50018-America's Choice
50019-America's Choice, ERI version
50022-Single Rate National
50023-Single Rate National, w/Canada Roaming
50024-Single Rate National, (Replaced by 50025)
50025-Single Rate National, ERI version
50026-Single Rate National, w/Canada Roaming, ERI version

The following have the same list of carriers and priorities as above, but activate indicators for specific geographic areas:

10010-Eastern Regional & Local
10012-Eastern Regional & Local, ERI version
20010-Midwest Regional & Local
30010-Southeast Regional & Local
42000-Western Regional & Local
42001-Western Regional & Local, ERI version



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Older PRL's:

-50011 from 2000
-50013 not released
-50014 from 2001
-50015 from 12/2001
-50016 not released

40007 This is a PRL for Dual-Mode phones and is roughly equivalent to PRL 50017, minus the PCS-frequency carriers.






WHAT'S CHANGED IN THE OCT. 1, 2002 VERIZON PRL's:
Newsgroup contributors report the following changes:

Michigan: The America's Choice footprint has expanded to include certain Alltel(formerly CenturyTel) properties. In these areas, the roam light will flashand have a higher priority than Sprint. *Please note- the Michigan Local Digital Choice plans do not include these. MI roamers report that only a few Alltel/CenturyTel sites have been added and only in the Lower Penninsula.

Wisconsin: The America's Choice and Local Digital Choice footprints have expanded to include certain Alltel/CenturyTel and US Cellular properties. In these areas, the roam light will flash and have a higher priority than Sprint.

Illinois: To address in-market roaming issues, Sprint SID 4389 (covers NE corner of the state, Chicago) was pulled.

Indiana: To address in-market roaming issues, Sprint SID 4135 (covers northern 2/3 of the state) was pulled.

MN/ND/SD: The America's Choice and Local Digital Choice footprints have expanded to include certain Western Wireless (Cellular One) properties. In these areas, the roam light will flash and have a higher priority than Sprint.

We believe this PRL has many errors or 'irregularities' that don't fit normal patterns, such as Alltel being shown as a Preferred partner, but listed as a lower priority than other less-preferred carriers, especially in the south-central states. Expect these issues to create the need for updated PRL's soon. In the meantime, we suggest you check which carrier you are roaming with, usually by calling 611. Roaming on Alltel, 611 is normally answered by Verizon.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT'S CHANGED IN THE 7/22/2002 VERIZON PRL's:

Roamers report Sprint PCS has been removed as a Roaming partner in the following Sprint markets:
-NYC (SID 4162*) and Southern California (4145), which were already removed in April 19, 2002 PRL, also:
4106* -Boston and New England
4168 -Philadelphia
4195 -Washington DC & Baltimore
4274 -Atlanta, most of Georgia, and may affect some markets in Colorado and New Mexico
4376 -Charlotte, NC, the Carolinas
4379 -Charlottesville VA
4396 -Cleveland OH
4694 -Knoxville, TN
(These markets refer to large regions of surrounding coverage, not just the cities themselves.)

-The new Cellular One/Price Communications areas have now been added as Preferred Roaming, but will soon become actual Verizon markets.
-We also see what appear to be errors. For example, they fixed the AZ area for the roaming indicator in Valley Telecom to show Roaming, but now (incorrectly, we believe) show Mohave Wireless in AZ as a preferred provider. We don't think so.
-Other changes are considered "housekeeping" issues, i.e consolidating SID's into larger geographic groups and deleting a few SID's that are no longer being used.

*The 4-digit number is the System ID, or SID, transmitted by the Sprint PCS cell site, from FCC records.

WHAT CHANGED IN THE 4/19/2002 VERIZON PRL's:
Roamers report US Cellular was added as a roaming partner for the America's Choice plans in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, and New Hampshire. You can roam on these systems without a PRL upgrade, but the Roaming indicator will not be correct. Also, Sprint PCS was removed as a roaming partner in greater New York City, Los Angeles and San Diego, and your Verizon phone won't be able to roam on Sprint in those markets.

WHAT CHANGED IN THE 2/2/2002 VERIZON PRL's:
Roamers and Verizon Customer Service reports Sprint PCS was added as a roaming partner, and the Roaming indicator shows when you are on Verizon, or their America's Choice partners, Alltel or Sprint PCS, to use the America's Choice plan.

[nightofdreams]

PRL means Preferred Roam List, you can just update your phone to the latest one by dialing *228 then choose option 2, there is no secret about this. Also, different area has different PRL. Mine is 50049 and is in Stamford, CT.

Ken

[rrypma]

OK mobilestoreny, where do you get your info about phones made before such and such date are the "older" batch. And furthermore, what makes you think that just because the date on the rear of your plastic battery cover is the date of production of the electronic components of your phone??

Please, if anyone can verify a software version that is NOT the one that ends in .17p, please post it here. I'm sure we would all like to see some sort of consensus.

[OldManBacala]

I'm thinking that firmware version 01.02.22.17p may be pre-production code, hence all the problems. I am having problems with No Service and am missing calls because of it. Sometimes my signal indicator goes to zero bars from three, and locks there as well. Then I have to power off and on and I get three bars back. I also have a problem where the incoming voice gets real chopy, even at five bars. THis is my second one and I am going to take it back. Does anyone else have these problems? Does anyone have the new firmware indicated by Cellman95 below?

[Itech1]

I just purchased my T-720 on Sat. My phones software is 21.03.31.05. I seem to have no problems with service or anything like that. The verizon store seem to have a bulk of T-720 put to the side. Which the salesman walked right by and got mine from the back.Now maybe this is why? I though maybe someone bought all of them for a corp account. I will let you know if I have any problems. O PS my Prl is 50049

[OldManBacala]

That does explain things quite a bit. I'm taking mine back and getting it exchaged asap.

[DMK1974]

My SW version is also 01.02.22.17p

I got mine on 9/24. I didn't know anything about this phone and the Verizon store manager gave it to me as a free exchange for my Kyocera 3035e that I had tons of problems with and they screwed up trying to flash it. I have noticed that this phone is pretty prone to losing a sevice signal when in a store, mall or more rural area. Not unbearable, but still noticeable.

If anyone does know if the Verizon stores have to ability to update the software to a newer version that is more robust, please let us know! I don't know if I can really go to exchange a free phone since it was a $400 valued upgrade.


Itech1, is that SW version right? I am just surprised that the prefix went from 01 to 21.

[jcage89]

I was told by Motorola and Verizon today that 17p is the most recent version and that the statement about pre-8/23/02 manuf. phones is inaccurate because all phones are flashed to same version in batch at warehouse before shipping to stores for 9/23/02 release. They had no explaination for the wierd version posted here beginning with 21.

But before you go rush to take back your phones, think about why would it make sense to release some phones with an inherently weak software version when it is so easy to bring them all up to date prior to release? We all have noted some perceaved weaknesses of the T720 here among which seems to be reception. But reception fluctuates day to day and can depend on a number of subjective factors that are never constant so it virtually impossible to say "whelp I exchanged my new T720 5 times in a week and think I finally got a good one because the reception is better now."

I think the best policy is to evaluate how happy you are with the phone as a whole and not worry that you got a "lemon" based on things that you feel it should be doing when it is impossible to objectively determine how your reception is compared to another T720.

JC

I just came back from the Verizon Store, and I asked the techs some questions . First he updated my PRL or something for me, and then he told me that Motorola has not yet sent any updates but when they do it is possible to Flash the phones, for Free of course, and he said while they release newer versions of the phone you can just keep getting it flashed to keep you up to date instead of switching phones . Now that I think of it he said he also updated something else, he typed in a bunch of codes on my phone and then held it up to his ear for awhile, not sure what he did but he was doin something and now I seem to be getting a lot better reception unlike before .

and BTW forgot to mention this, I was talking to some guy who was looking at the T720's and he saw mine . I had an indepth convo with him, and apparently his friend is a Motorola person (not sure what position he has there) and he informed me that with the Data Link you can send your own pictures as wallpaper, he gave me examples, he said you can send a pic of yourself or someone else and set it as the wallpaper, just keeping the uninformed informed [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[jcage89]

for anyone with the 21.03.31.05 version, who is your providor? My guess is it's probably not Verizon.

JC

[OldManBacala]

The gentleman in the post above that has the 21.03.31.05. version of software is a Verizon subscriber. Two different subscribers have reported getting new recent phones which contain this firmware. The firmware has apparently been changed. It is not unusal to release product with pre-production firmware and issue field upgrades. I'm willing to bet that is what is happening. I'm going to exchange my asap and I will let everyone know what happens.

If you spoke to a CSE at Motorola it could be they were not yet made aware of the firmware upgrade, since it may not be fully prepared for release.. It happens. I know because I work in the Telecommunications product development industry. The two occurences of the firmware in two recently obtained phones are too much co-incidence.

[Mistsc]

Just came back from Verizon, and of course the techs know nothing. I pleaded with the tech to open a phone that came in recently. He finally did, but it's the same 17p software

[mobilestoreny]

I opened up the phones I got in today and
I as I though the software was 21.03.31.05. I don't know
where cellman95 got software with an extra two numbers
but the rest of his numbers are the same so maybe
he got confused.The date thing I just noticted that
any phone that was stamped after aug 23 was the old
software. So that clears that up!

[jcage89]

Did anyone understand that last paragraph?

[rrypma]

Is there any way you can sit and compare them superficially? Are the button pushes more responsive? Does the line-by-line scroll in the browser go any quicker? This is my main complaint that I heard could be possible fixed in the latest release - a problem relating to the refresh rate or something.... Thanks....

[FreakinJared]

i called motorola today and asked them if there was any sort of firmware upgrade coming out soon. She told me that right now .17p was the current release. Then she went ahead and told me that as of Oct 1, a new bactch of .19 was released. I have visited a couple Verizon stores and looked at their recent shipment (the stores in Socal generally receive new batches every Friday) and they still said .17p

I hope when .19 is available it is flashable. Cause i've compared my t720 keypad light to the demo phones in-store and my key pad lights are bit more white than theirs. The demo phones has a slight lavendar hue. Anyone else notice this?

Oh and for you that are curious--- .19 will supposedly fix keypad and phone book problems.

huzzah!

Originally posted by: nightofdreams
I've also experienced a similiar problem. I was using the VX1 before, and when I put my t720 next to it on 9/23, the t720 only have 2 bars of signal while the vx1 has 6!!

I've changed 2 more different t720 since then, and the recent one I am using is the one I got last Wednesday. Now I am getting 4 bars of signal on average (range between 3-5 bars, but more toward the 3.7 I would say) I don't know if this is a problem with just the configuration of the phone or there is a software update on it.

My brother got the t720 on 9/23 also, and I checked the software version of my phone with his, both are the same, so one can't really tell any difference except that the signal is better now.

Can people post their phone's software version just for comparison? Mine is 01.02.22.17p prl is 50049

ps. turn on multi-key answer, have someone call you, when the phone is ringing, press the voice-recording key on the right side, then press any key to answer (except the end-call key of course) This should make the phone answer the incoming call, but this also make the phone keep beeping. Is this a bug on my phone only, or every t720 are experiencing the same thing?

Doesn't matter when you press the button for me, it still happens whenever that button's pressed.

[Mistsc]

I'm guessing right now, but it seems I get great reception when my battery has 3 bars. At one bar of battery left my reception does not respond like other phones. Examples-- 5 bars of signal strength and I still get dropped calls. 5 bars of signal strength and the next second no signal appears. Is this what's happening to you guys? It seems that at 3 bars of battery, which is only 3 hours for me so far, I get better reception than with any other small flip phone that I have ever owned. If this is the case we just have to wait for the bigger battery, not new software.