Blackberry Bold 9650 Dropping Calls When Driving

[jcioban1]

Have a new BB Bold 9650 (6/10/2010) and have HUGE problem with dropped calls in zones where my 8830 never had issue. Lost calls 12 times between Brookfield, CT and White Plains, NY yesterday. Phone is useless if you are a mobile user. Software update seems to be at my current level, but may try that. Went into store yesterday and spoke to the flextronics Contract Service Tech who said, "Gee that's the first I heard of that. Or, wait, there was a women here about 1/2 hour ago with a similar complaint. But there is still nothing I can do. Maybe you can call RIM."

Phone seems to have problem on tower-to-tower handoffs. Right now, STRONGLY recommend that users be cautious about 9650 until someone at VZW acknowledges what is happening here. Look at signal strength indicator in car and it is bouncing all over. Yesterday got "SOS" indicator in downtown Danbury which is a normal strong (5 bar) signal area.

Unless someone at Verizon helps, this junk is headed back to the store....

I love Verizon (customer since the company became Verizon in 1999), but this is maddening and makes me think about getting an iPhone. Heck, can't work any worse than this device. 

[nutnut]

This has been happening to me ever since I purchased my BB Bold in April 2011 - I have 5+ email account and I never use any apps. The problems detailed in this tread have happended to me while in Florida - from Orlando to Miami and also from North East PA to South East PA. The PA route I have been taking for years with my old BB never had a problem - maybe one call drop when I was in a dead zone. Now with my 9650 guaranteed a min of 10 dropped calls. I went to the Verizon store to get help - that was useless - they suggested the reboot like I was an idiot and not lived with the BB reboot for almost 6 yrs. I have emailed my Verizon rep who said he was going speak with the BB sales rep and have not heard from him in several weeks. Since then I reduced my email accounts - which is annoying and deleted the remote backup utility which by the way was useless - it kept failing any how. That seems to have decreased the frequency of the freezing of my BB. The dropped calls still happen every day. Even when I am in my office wtih 3-4 bars showing as a signal - then the bars drop to zero and  my call gets dropped and sometimes it locks up and I have to reboot. This is escpecially handy when i am on a business call and then have to wait forever to get back to my clients. The BB used to the be businessmans phone , now i am considering changing to another phone brand and potentially another phone carrier. I have been with Verizon for somewhere around 12+ years. but with the customer service i have experienced i am not sure i will stay. Would love to know if there is an actual solution to the dropped calls and freezing up of the phone. 

[SuzyQ]

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nutnut wrote:

.... Would love to know if there is an actual solution to the dropped calls and freezing up of the phone. 

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Check to see that you have the 1EV set as your Network Technology - go to Manage Connections, set up, Mobile Network Options - you should have option s for GLobal, 1EV, or GSM, and the choice you want (as long as you are in the US) is 1EV.  You can also remove or reverse the SIM card to prevent it from trying to connect, and DIS-connecting your calls in the process.

This seems to have helped in a number of cases.  I have the Bold, upgraded from OS5 to OS 6, and have had these settings since day 1 without a dropped call or shut down.

HTH,

[caymarie]

ive dropped calls left and right, not recieved texts, people arent receiving them from me, people arent getting my calls, ive had 7 since november. there is a huge issue with this phone that verizon is just completely ignoring. 

[JHiker]

I already returned my first Bold because it went to SOS in a 5 bar area. Yesterday, while driving from Burlington, VT (on I-89 and I-91) to Connecticut, I had six dropped calls and the strength indicator would go from 5 bars to nothing within seconds. Either the antennae or the software or both aren't working. I did the *228 /2 and battery pull twice and still keeps losing the signal. 

Been a Verizon customer for 10 years and my previous Curve worked just fine. Either Verizon steps up and admits there's an issue with the phone or I move to AT&T and an iPhone. AT&T's network isn't the best, but at least the phones work where they're supposed to.

[litttlelaura]

I have had issues with this phone dropping calls while driving, while parked, while walking...  I am losing signal in places that I have never had issues before.  I have updated using the *228 feature several times and nothing seems to fix the problem.

What can be done to fix this?!  I miss my Curve - It never had this many issues.

[hallcp1019]

gotta love drivers who are this wrapped up in using a phone on the road

[mylevel2]

I have been experiencing the same issue with my new BB Bold. It is constantly dropping calls and I did not have this issue with my BB Curve.  I just received a replacement Bold and it doing the same thing.  

[sassygirl]

Im having the same problem with my Blackberry Bold 9650.... I have experience so many drop calls that I normally did not experience.  I travel the same route to and from work, and have been a Verizon customers for years.  I never have an issue until I go the blackberry bold.  They have sent out 4 phones and the problem still exist.  They keep inform my that it is not the phone, but what else could it be... If the drop calls never exist before.   Yes, I have dial the *228 and option 2 and this have NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.....This is my first and last blackberry......What good is it to have a phone and pay the bill and cannot use the phone........ Please let me know if your problem was resolve and how do you fix your phone.  Thanks in advance

[VAndring]

As of Nov. 10, 2010, I am on my 5th Bold replacement.  Only yesterday did I stumble across these threads and found the problem is known and has existed for some time.  As yet, the issue is unresolved.  I am running the latest software (.975) and have updated roaming.  What is Verizon doing about this? 

We are paying a premium for services that are not reliable.  Not only do I have dropped calls, but the phones I've had all search endlessly for the network--which renders the phone useless.  Were someone in an accident, or otherwise in danger and the phone malfunctioned where it should not have, and were it the case (as it is) that Verizon was aware of the issue and did nothing to effectively resolve the known issue, it sets the stage for a plaintiff attorney's dream. 

[Cracker]

I'm on my second 9650 and its dropping calls like crazy, dropped 4 this morning... I had wifi on and off and still the same result... Nothing better than on the phone with a client and having the phone cut out .... We'll find out in a year or 2 there was a defect and they didn't want to admit it... Maybe going to a different carrier would help ?

[peligro911]

dont know why my posts are showing blank ....

What i said was

MAybe try OS 6 see if that helps may help rule out the radio file ... also maybe set phone on 1XEV not Global and remove sim or flip upside down so phone dont auto try to but back on Global or Search for GSM networks. MAybe worth a try