[Podcast] Let's talk about the U.S. Galaxy S Froyo update

[whippingboy]

OK for starters- is the IPHONE subsidized? I ask- because it is the #1 SINGLE most successful smartphone model -there's only 1 current sku out there. And theres NO BLOAT. So if Apple- who CLEARLY started with ZERO brand as a smartphone maker can sell 16million handsets in a year without bowing to carrier pressure and STILL sell a $200 phone- so then can everyone else.

As to the free market comment from earlier- cellphones ARE NOT A FREE MARKET! If I could use ANY phone on ANY carrier and have no contracts- such as driving a car on any road using anyones' gas- THATS free market. Most of us are lucky to have 2 of the 4 major carriers even offer decent service in our area- then our carrier may be lucky to offer 1 to 2 smartphone options that works for our needs. ATT was STUCK With the Captivate, Sprint users NEEDING a keyboard had ONLY the Epic (and EVO in the 1st 30 days was bug ridden!) So this free market in which you speak of is NONEXISTENT in many of our cases.

We buy a phone that is usually not working 100% as advertised due to bugs or glitches that is not updated within the 30 (or in verizons case 15) day return window) and we have to SETTLE for it. If I returned my Epic after I already had 30 days of 3 constantly rebooting EVOS do I go back to my Pre that was literally broken? My Palm 755 that's collecting dust? I was literally buying a $50blackberry on contract with the full intent of returning it just so my wife had email access for 30days while we waited for the EPIC to launch.

So when you say we have OPTIONS- and speak with our wallets and not buy Samsung- yet we have no other option on the 1 or 2 carriers in our area that works for us- you CLEARLY are not in the same situation as many others on this board.

Verizon is the only carrier with multiple top tier droid phones that has decent nationwide service- they also have the slowest 3g in many regions- and the most expensive service plans BY FAR. What sort of message do we give by "speaking with our wallets" supporting the free market if we go to the most expensive carrier with the worst customer loyalty programs simply because they have the best android selection?

Free market indeed.

 

[ChuckG73]

I would love to be able to buy a phone that was stock android....If I buy it from Verizon then have a Verizon app place in the market place that I can choose to download or not download their bloatware apps. If it is a motorola phone, have motoblur on the SD Card and allow me to choose if I want to use that, stock or something else like ADW EX....Then allow for the OS to be completely controlled by Google.

 

[BSG75]

OK for starters- is the IPHONE subsidized? I ask- because it is the #1 SINGLE most successful smartphone model -there's only 1 current sku out there. And theres NO BLOAT. So if Apple- who CLEARLY started with ZERO brand as a smartphone maker can sell 16million handsets in a year without bowing to carrier pressure and STILL sell a $200 phone- so then can everyone else.

As to the free market comment from earlier- cellphones ARE NOT A FREE MARKET! If I could use ANY phone on ANY carrier and have no contracts- such as driving a car on any road using anyones' gas- THATS free market. Most of us are lucky to have 2 of the 4 major carriers even offer decent service in our area- then our carrier may be lucky to offer 1 to 2 smartphone options that works for our needs. ATT was STUCK With the Captivate, Sprint users NEEDING a keyboard had ONLY the Epic (and EVO in the 1st 30 days was bug ridden!) So this free market in which you speak of is NONEXISTENT in many of our cases.

We buy a phone that is usually not working 100% as advertised due to bugs or glitches that is not updated within the 30 (or in verizons case 15) day return window) and we have to SETTLE for it. If I returned my Epic after I already had 30 days of 3 constantly rebooting EVOS do I go back to my Pre that was literally broken? My Palm 755 that's collecting dust? I was literally buying a $50blackberry on contract with the full intent of returning it just so my wife had email access for 30days while we waited for the EPIC to launch.

So when you say we have OPTIONS- and speak with our wallets and not buy Samsung- yet we have no other option on the 1 or 2 carriers in our area that works for us- you CLEARLY are not in the same situation as many others on this board.

Verizon is the only carrier with multiple top tier droid phones that has decent nationwide service- they also have the slowest 3g in many regions- and the most expensive service plans BY FAR. What sort of message do we give by "speaking with our wallets" supporting the free market if we go to the most expensive carrier with the worst customer loyalty programs simply because they have the best android selection?

Free market indeed.

I certainly agree from the carrier side that we are pretty locked into one of two camps. There isn't much of a free market there. Maybe that will change in a few years with LTE adoption. Dunno.

If you were responding to my post, I was referring to the market of cell phone manufacturers. hTC, Moto, Samsung, LG, Sony and more every day. Leave the manufacturer that is giving you fits. For now at least, we have choices when it comes to manufacturers. hTC is looking more and more like the best choice for tinkerers, to me.

 

[DrWu]

I have a Captivate and I'm fairly frustrated with this issue like everyone else. I got my phone just before Christmas and expected an update by now. I also purchased the samsung car holder which has audio disabled until 2.2 is released.

There is something here I can't figure out, being in the technology industry myself, it seems to me that Samsung and possibly even AT&T won't be able to recognize a single penny of the revenue they've collected so far on the sales of the phones. The reason being that both companies promised in every peice of literature "Upgradable to 2.2" In accounting law, thats known as a side letter agreement. Legally, when a side letter agreement has been established, the company recieving the revenue, can't post the revenue until the agreement has been satisfied, in this case, until the purchasers who were promised an upgrade, have been provided that upgrade.

Since Samsung's fiscal year matches the calendar year, it seems to me, Samsung has a whole lot of revenue that they can't claim as profit - and if they did, they've broken some very stringent accounting rules - here in the US anyway. Might be worth looking into.

edit: Just had a look at Samsung's Q3 earnings statements - appears they have $12.9B in unearned revenue..that could be tied up in the 2.2 debacle. Will be interesting to see their Q4 statment when its released in a few days.

 

[jpinks]

Its great to see some of the Mobile providers saying something about Froyo. But I think its the 800lb Gorilla of ATT whose going to be the problem. The fact that the others are releasing tomorrow (I hope for them). And ATT arent saying or doing anything I can find. Makes me wonder if they will do anything at all. Are they still the largest carrier anymore and if so what carrier sold the most Galaxy S devices? That recent report which I know you have issues with really makes me wonder about my Captivate or if I should even stay with ATT with there track record. Didnt the head of there mobile division (ATT) get an online award about being the worst android supporter?? Someone sent me something about that but I cant find it now LOL

 

[whippingboy]

posted by BSG75: ....I was referring to the market of cell phone manufacturers. hTC, Moto, Samsung, LG, Sony and more every day. Leave the manufacturer that is giving you fits. For now at least, we have choices when it comes to manufacturers.

Not really accurate-
Sony is on which carriers?
HTC has 1 phone on verizon, 1 on Sprint, 2 on Tmobile, 1 on ATT, Moto is Verizon exclusive (decent droid phones) LG only has good phones overseas...

Where's the top tier CHOICE?

If ALL handset makers offered each phone on ALL CARRIERS ie: the Galaxy S attempt (which still were still too differentiated- REALLY no camera flash on some models?) THEN we'd have a "Free Market" and more choice.

But the deck is heavily stacked so that you have extremely limited options- and the one you buy is usually the lesser of 2 evils. After trying a 4.3" screen- the wife and I decided we HAD to have keyboards still- and at the time- EPIC was the ONLY option- looking at the Shift today with it's 3.6" screen- to me too small after having 4.3 and now a 4...that's no option to us either- so I finally caved... bought a PC just to root my phone!

 

[Raiders76]

What I see is ATT doesn't want the 2.2 update. The tethering and the data that can be disabled would hurt there business. I am waiting for the Bluetooth voice dialing.

 

[Sky.Jokiel]

And the process continues

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that 70-85% of people that want the update to their galaxy s's are techies and put custom roms on their device anywhy. So even though there is the principal that yes samsung said they would release it and so they should... Most people that are going to take advantage of these updates aren't gonna be satisfied, put the custom rom back on and complain that they don't have gingerbread... and so the cycle continues. I personally am from Canada and am running Froyo on my Rogers Captivate and it is better but I am going to root my phone to make it faster just because I can. Besides the 4 hour process just to connect to kies was hell in its self (I still don't no how I did it and I have yet to get it to connect again)... plus I bet 90% of the people reading this could root the captivate a few hundred times at least in 4 hours lol.

Skyler