Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
LandLockedPH
Newbie

I (like hundreds of others) have had a call quality problem with the two Droid Incredibles I purchased for my wife and myself when they were released on April 30th.  Verizon recognized that there was a problem and replaced both devices with ones manufactured about a month later (5/02) and the same issue with poor voice quality continued.  

 

We love the device EXCEPT for the lack of ability to understand callers.  So, I asked Verizon to extend our 30-day “opt out” to give them an opportunity to work out the issues with this device.  I just received a call from Verizon customer service (which I could barely understand) and was told they would not extend the 30 day period and my option was to live with the poor sound quality or switch to another device.  Verizon has no other devices that we’re interested in at this time so we’ll be canceling these two lines (and one other) and returning to T-Mobile.  T-Mobile may not have the best coverage, but they do have great customer service, unlike Verizon.

 

Verizon has a mess on their hands and they don’t seem willing to work with their customers.  Too bad.

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
fezzik
Contributor - Level 3

*228 first.  If that doesn't work try ##7764726 type 000000 for the password.  Tap on VOCODER SELECTION.  Select disable.  Hit menu then commit modifications.  It will reboot.  That should help. 

 

Probably not supposed to say that if not I guess they can remove it and you can PM me but best I can tell Android and EVRC don't mesh well. 

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
LandLockedPH
Newbie

I'll give it a try tonight and report back.  We really don't want to give up on the devices.

 

Thank you.

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
AZSALUKI
Legend

is that the instructions to disable the EVRC? and if i try it, can i follow the same steps to enable it again (if no change or it makes it worse)?

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
fezzik
Contributor - Level 3

Those are the instructions to disable EVRC and you can follow the same to reactivate it if you so choose. 

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
LandLockedPH
Newbie

I tried the *228 suggestion with no change in call quality.

 

This reply from HTC confirms that they are aware of an issue with this device:

Hi, I’m Caylen, and I’ll be happy to assist you today. We are currently aware of this issue and working to address this is in the next MR (ROM update). Like all ROM updates, we cannot provide the exact date for an expected release, as there may be delays that are out of HTC’s control. For now, try the below troubleshooting steps in attempts to resolve this issue. When holding the device, you should hold it with your fingertips for optimum strength in signal. Dial: *228 option 1-phone update *228 option 2- prl update After you have completed these steps, soft reset the device. You can soft reset by powering off the phone, removing the back cover and battery, replace the back cover and battery, and power the phone back on. Thank you for contacting HTC America Technical Support. Please feel free to contact us again if you have any future questions. Also, I would like to invite you to participate in a customer satisfaction survey located at HTC Online Survey.

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
fezzik
Contributor - Level 3

We have done some tests and the signal strength is an issue of antennae placement.  There is an option buried in the crazy menus that mentions diversity I forget the term antennae diversity or something anyway I read about it and it usually has to do with multi-frequency capable phones.  I believe this one is tri-mode.  I seem to have gotten a better signal by enabling it but I don't know for sure.  I got the same response which cracked me up.  You can place your hand in different positions on the phone it changes the signal strength.  That doesn't indicate a software problem.  Any software solution to the issue would be artificial and at best minor.  To a certain degree you can make more use of the signal you get but I wouldn't count on a new ROM fixing the placement of the antennae.  Now the extended battery when it comes out could help in theory.  IF they built in a system for amplifying the signal or rerouting or extending the antennae higher up on the phone.  That could help. 

 

 

Seriously though the sound quality is night and day to me any way just deactivating EVRC. 

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
AZSALUKI
Legend

i got into the menu but VOCODER was not an option? am i missing a step?

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
AZSALUKI
Legend

i got this from another thread:

 

Have you tried doing this (For call quality only)

Dial ##778

Edit

0000000

CDMA Settings

Change Home Page,Orig and Roam Orig to EVRC-B

Menu -- Commit

This may work for you guys, It did work for me. If it does not then go back and switch them back to EVRC

 

 

I actually didn't disable EVRC.....instead i put mine on EVRC-B.  It now sounds as loud and clear as my env did!!! i only made 2 calls, but it sure seems like a difference. i hadn't really even noticed how bad the sound quality was until yesterday when i used the speaker phone and had to turn it all the way up in my car. i'll go with this for a day or so and see if it really does seem to be better (or if it's just in my head....like i said, only made 2 calls so far).

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Re: Poor Incredible Sound Quality AND Poor Verizon Customer Service
LandLockedPH
Newbie

Verizon "customer service" informed me this evening that they would not extend the 30 day return policy on my wife's and my Incredibles and that my option was to pick another device. I had hoped to give HTC and Verizon time to work out the issues with the poor sound quality. 

 

So here's my lesson learned... never jump on a new product from a carrier until at least 30 days after it is released and the reviews have come in.   We paid early termination fees to T-Mobile to purchase these two devices from Verizon and switch to their “service”.  This will be an expensive lesson.  T-Mobile may not have top Android device, but they have excellent (American) customer service.

 

Good luck to everyone experiencing issues with the Incredible or any other device from Verizon.

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