[topcat56]

Having got tired of waiting for the N80 fw from Orange, I eMailed their support line and got the following:-

________________________________________________________
I am sorry to hear that you have been experiencing difficulties with your handset.

I can confirm that Orange have not released a software update for the Nokia N80, and we have no plans to release an update at present.

You may be able to download the software update from Nokia directly, however we do not support this, and cannot guarantee the stability of this update. Updating the software is done entirely at your own risk and we cannot be held responsible for any part of a non-Orange software
update.

I trust that this information is of assistance.
_______________________________________________________

A couple of points here; Orange ALWAYS says it "has no plans....." (I don't know why they would think this is reassuring in any way). Second, this looks like a way of getting the "unbranded" version of the software provided you are prepared to "take the risk(?!).

I would suggest that Orange Network users that want the v4 firmware eMail the ORANGE support site requesting it. Clearly Nokia can do nothing about it (except put the generic firmware on the software update?).

[sosul]

The firmware on the Nokia updater is not generic. It is the network varient that will be loaded onto your phone if that is what is already there.

[topcat56]

I know, but there is no harm in asking is there? Particularly as Orange appears to have invited it?

[bigguy]

Excellent! What kind of customer loyalty do you think that will encourage? None. So let me get this right, if you are an Orange customer your phone will have outdated software on it. If I'm prpared to take a chance, I can have the latest Nokia software on it. Hmmm, not rocket science is it? If that wasn't bad enough, Orange called me today to offer me free broadband......as long as I extend my contract for a further 18 months! I don't think so. This situation with service providers having a stranglehold on the market is really not good enough, whatever happened to consumer demand? Still love the phone though, just not enough to keep it for two years.

[getsurfers]

I feel another email to Orange exec office coming on.

They really are looking to loose customers. Been going down hill since Voda and French Telecom got their hands on the firm.

[darrengf]

Please bear in mind that the Nokia Forum isnt for having a go at the networks.

But to answer your question.

Orange general customer care dont know when the firmware would be released.

Orange and it isnt just Orange, All the networks are the same. Have to approve the firmware as some features on the phone may be network dependent.

Orange have there own photo blogging service.
The features are away of making there monies back on the mobile phone.

We all moan that the networks brand there phone etc.

However the Networksin the UK subsidise there phones extremely heavy. Ireland and other European countries charge for the handset, brand and lock there phones and dont give you half the benfits as uk networks.

US networks 99% of contracts are based on 2 years and they have to pay for there phones and there expensive too.

I was there in Dec and the V3i on contract was $199 (T-mobile and Cingular branded)

The guy asked if i was interested and when he heard my voice just smiled and said whats the latest phone in the uk and are they still free.

[rich_enduro]

unfortunately this issue is going to run and run until the networks start to offer us branded handsets that actually offer us useful enhancements above what we'd get from an unbranded phone, surely by now, orange and nokia must start to think that offering customers up to date phones that work is better than offering them phones with features that most of there customers will never use or find annoying?
so how many people use the orange photo uploader feature then? and how many would say they'd rather keep that feature along with all the bugs than loose the uploader and have the phone working correctly?
would it be that hard to make the network enhancements into SIS files and host them on there websites? then if a firmware update removes such features and the customer wants them, they could just download it again. i see no reason why on a S60 handset that these options have to hard written to the phone along with the firmware?

[karym6]

---

23-Sep-2006
11:46 PM
darrengf wrote:
Please bear in mind that the Nokia Forum isnt for having a go at the networks.

But to answer your question.

Orange general customer care dont know when the firmware would be released.

Orange and it isnt just Orange, All the networks are the same. Have to approve the firmware as some features on the phone may be network dependent.

Orange have there own photo blogging service.
The features are away of making there monies back on the mobile phone.

We all moan that the networks brand there phone etc.

However the Networksin the UK subsidise there phones extremely heavy. Ireland and other European countries charge for the handset, brand and lock there phones and dont give you half the benfits as uk networks.

US networks 99% of contracts are based on 2 years and they have to pay for there phones and there expensive too.

I was there in Dec and the V3i on contract was $199 (T-mobile and Cingular branded)

The guy asked if i was interested and when he heard my voice just smiled and said whats the latest phone in the uk and are they still free.

---

this is true, the Uk networks spend so much money to keep hold of us that they can barely make it themselves.

when you have substandard networks like orange with barely any staff then issues like this will cause problems for their customers in the long run.

if you look at 02 and voda, their netowork alteration is very very subtle compared to that of tmo and orange.

[topcat56]

I agree the forum is not the place to have a go at the networks, but, it IS a place for N80 owners to exchange information. My reasoning for the existing post was simple; there had been many comments about when v4 would be available, so I contacted Orange. When I got the answer, I thought it would be of interest to the N80 Orange users of the forum.

To slightly miss quote the forum moderators, if you have a beef contact them (Orange) direct, which is what I suggested the N80 Orange owners do.

Orange don't provide a forum for discussion (at least I don't think so).

The thing that totally amazed me about the answer from Orange was one of economics. How many N80 uses have posted on this forum saying words to the effect "I'm on my nth handset and the problem is still not fixed". Orange, and maybe the other operators as well, take a knee jerk reaction to any "handset" faults - replace the phone. How much does it cost them to do that? If it is a firmware fault, then a new phone with the same firmware will not fix the problem (and it will inconvenience and annoy the customer). It strikes me that it is CHEAPER to certify the new firmware as a matter of urgency rather than keep replacing phones with ones that will still have the original fault. I guess they don't do any analysis on the causes of handset replacement. It's a shame that their financial controllers don't know about the the problem either as it must affect the bottom line (costs to replace, and re-test the returned handset; customer attrition).

Anyhow, I stick to my original suggestion; hit ORANGE (not Nokia in this instance) with enough complaints and maybe they will take notice.

Message Edited by topcat56 on 25-Sep-2006
09:38 AM

[marquis]

What is the latest firmware released? and the latest released by Orange?

I'm on v3.0617.0.6 and was wondering how I could get it updated anyway.

[steve_p]

---

25-Sep-2006
03:14 PM
marquis wrote:
What is the latest firmware released? and the latest released by Orange?

I'm on v3.0617.0.6 and was wondering how I could get it updated anyway.

---

The latest is V4.xxx see my sig, the latest by Orange is as you mentioned.

S.