Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 Update - VZW FAIL

[Toxicle]

I'm not surprised by any of this. I've had pretty bad service when I needed help over the years, but have stayed due one, and one thing only - as someone said, they have really great coverage, which is what I needed at the time.

But the other networks have gotten better with coverage in my area, and just this whole situation is beyond ridiculous - I bought a flagship phone, on the largest network, and have had been treated like an afterthought. This isn't the first news to hint at VZW skipping 5.1.1 I've seen lately, and god forbid if it's another 4+ months until an update, ANY update. I liked my phone, I really did, but it overheats on the dumbest of reasons - I can't even text without my phone going nuclear, and I shouldn't have to deal with that, and all of the other issues I have, and have my network offer 'Updates are exciting!' as the only answer to our issues. It's like they throw a dart at a board and whatever it lands on is what the VZW support guy says.

It's not just us either, it's many of VZW phones that have been getting screwed. I actually had a conversation on twitter the other day with some small media company - they're actually doing a small video/documentary about how poorly VZW has been doing with not just this, but service in general.

To those here who keep, for some asinine reason, sticking up for VZW - open your eyes. It's not just the Note 4 update -  it's updates across the board, on most devices, poor customer service, high prices, etc. It's being noticed by a lot of people, and if you don't see how shitty of a company VZW is really becoming, then I honestly don't know what else to say to you.

I have my Fi invite, and while I know it's not going to magically solve all of my problems, it will be leaps and bounds better than this, and anything would be updated faster than this. Once I have the money to spring for a nexus up front, and the $ to break up with VZW, I'm gone.

[gnc1956]

Toxile,

I am with you! 
As soon as I am paid-off or I can get a New phone from a different carrier that will pay for me to leave Big Red, I am outta here after 20-years of loyal service (Not to mention - the MOST EXPENSIVE service).

They have screwed with us long enough and as you say they "were" the best but now everyone has caught up and now their service is just a commodity - the least expensive with a good customer support team can easily be found elsewhere.  Verizon has lost their "Edge"!

[vzw_customer_support]

Toxicle, reading this post definitely tells me that you have been through some things and that we have not treated with the stellar service that I know we have and that you deserve. There are so many providers offering the world and by that I mean better service or supposed unlimited data. The last thing we want is for you to leave us as we want you to be happy with your service as well as your device. Please keep in mind that software updates are not governed by us as your wireless provider. It is done via the operating system (Android powered by Google) and the manufacturer. What we do as your wireless provider is ensure that it will work with our network, that is again, if it is provided to us by the operating system powers that be and the manufacturer. I would love nothing more that to ensure you device has the latest and greatest in software if I had the power to do so. What I can do is help you with your current device as it should not over heat at the slightest use or function. If you like, we can definitely try some troubleshooting to resolve the issue. What troubleshooting steps have you taken thus far in regards of the overheating? How many 3rd party applications do you have listed on the device? Sorry to ask this but it is necessary, is there any damage (liquid or physical) on the device?
NatashaA_VZW
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[Hotshoe]

Verizon, can you please stop your insanity. If what you say is true then why did you not take care of the Note 3? And I want an answer, not more garbage. You never updated that phone that had no service. Imagine that, a phone company providing a phone that cannot make a phone call. Do you get it? You stole millions of dollars from your customers while providing nothing. My Note 4 is doing the same thing as are others and where is Verizon, nowhere. You don't care about your customers and we are done with you. You are nothing but liars and thieves.

[Toxicle]

I know, as with the other useless responses from VZW here, you're trying to help, I think? but at the end of the day Natasha, it isn't just me who has issues. This is just one thread of many in this forum, and one mention of many on the internet, of a large amount of people *extremely* unhappy with VZW, and repeatedly asking about the same troubleshooting steps, over, and over, and over, does nothing but make that unrest worse.

Personally, I have tried everything that has been suggested, *many* times, so forgive me for feeling incredibly annoyed when I get the same response yet again. I've tried numerous factory resets, I've tried formatted sd cards, I've tried no sd cards, I've tried a different battery, etc -  I've tried everything under the sun other than just getting a new phone, which I would have to pay for, which is not really an option, since I pay for this phone and it only works correctly half of the time. This is outright criminal. And to answer your other question, there isn't any damage on my phone whatsoever, not even a scratch.

You say that the update isn't up to you, but it's been stated, many places, many times, that Google and Samsung are working on 6.0, meaning 5.1 is already past. *Somehow* other networks have somehow managed to put the update(s) out months ago, yet not a word from VZW, who crams down my throat that it's the 'biggest and best', yet is behind - how would that happen unless it's up to the carriers at that point? I would love to hear the reasoning behind that. Let's face reality - VZW is slow, unresponsive, and hasn't been worth the money in a long time. All you have to do is google 'Verizon 5.1.1' and you'll be bombarded with pissed off customers, across multiple devices. I mean you have threads here that are people begging for their devices to work, and VZW has the nerve to have their mods here in the forums suggest we be ok waiting a while longer because 'updates are exciting'?? On what planet is an answer and response like that anything other than insulting to people who pay money for working products? You would think customer happiness and working devices would be priority, not emails I get about my damn verizon smart points. I couldn't give a care about that.

I really am sorry, but once I have the obscene amount of money I need to break contract and get a new phone, it's going to happen - much like pretty much everyone else on here, if you had taken more than a few minutes to look around. Switching networks isn't about unlimited date, or any other perks, I just want something that I pay for to work, and for the company to actually listen to what's wrong and help with a solution, not respond with 'Updates are exciting!' like a mindless 4 year old.

[ghnote]

I just bit the bullet and paid off my Note 4. Preparing for the exodus.

[Jhahn01]

There is a lot of leaving!  The CEO will probably wonder where all his customers went!

[gnc1956]

Congrats ghnote...

Finally out from under the "claws" of the "devil".

Best of Luck ... Let us know how you enjoy your new service provider.

Interestingly enough, that is a title that I hasn't been functional at VZW quite sometime - "Service Provider"!!! Ha...

I would love to make the switch ASAP, if you have any luck with your new provider, kindly drop is a line so we have some idea where we should go.  You are a leader and I am sure MANY will follow Very Soon.  This is the beginning of the end of Big Red.  At least the name will remain the same with all the bloodshed in their equity valuation once the exodus starts!

Innovation is gone, service is gone, competitiveness is gone and now the customers will be gone, VZW will be history!

Best of Luck...

Their BS is just exhausting, looking forward to something new & refreshing!

[Snn5]

Sensationalism.

[Doing_work_son]

Warning : bust out some popcorn or a spritzer for this....very legitimate points made here.

The situation is becoming comical and absurd! Here's a fun fact for everyone, the original Moto G (2013) is receiving Android 5.1.1 today! This puts it all in perspective as to where Verizon puts us Note 4 users. The Note 4 is Verizon's Red Headed Step Child! If the 2nd leaked Samsung Marshmallow schedule from today is accurate (looks promising though as the Note 5 is scheduled to get Marshmallow in December and a T-Mobile Carrier Note 5 user already has a Marshmallow OTA build running on his Note 5, as of a few days ago) the Note 4 is scheduled to receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in February of 2016.

So for those of you hoping that Verizon skips an update of 5.1.1 and jumps to Marshmallow for our Note 4's, we are in for a seriously long wait then! Not only do we need to wait until February of next year when Samsung pushes it out to the International and Unlocked models first, then most US carriers will push it out around that time frame. Verizon will "thoroughly" test and test and test it until late April or May (basically what happened with the Lollipop update, I'd use that slow time frame as reference) and then we could see it roll out OTA (only around 2 months after the other big 3 carriers push it put).

By then though, Google will have already pushed out a new build of bug squashing updates for Marshmallow (perhaps 6.0.1 or 6.1, who knows) and then I'm sure instead of releasing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for our Note 4, we will have to wait some more for Verizon to receive that new bug fixing update, because now the new build is out and they will test that for another wait (from development to OTA) of 3 - 4 months before we hopefully see any kind of meaningful update.

In the mean time we might get one tiny update that Verizon posts as 'security enhancements', just like this last previous update we received back in August that was a Stagefright patch, which we are still vulnerable to, as a new 2.0 Stagefright version is out that leaves our Note 4's vulnerable (how about at least releasing that for us Verizon??).

Sprint received Android 5.1.1 way back in August and has had a second 5.1.1 update pushed out recently as a security / bug fixer update and checking forums customers overall seem pretty happy with their Note 4's now. AT&T released 5.1.1 for their Note 4 back in October. T-Mobile and Verizon are left now.

Well, it doesn't look promising for Verizon, no OTA 6.0 Marshmallow updates have leaked or been accidently pushed to phones, while the T-Mobile Note 5 user received it just the other day and most who have encountered it say it's close.

But at least Verizon has been working on 5.1.1 updates for their 2013 Moto G! Our lovely 2014 Note 4 sits silently on the buggier 5.0.1 build of Lollipop, there is a clear showing on Verizon's part as to the priority they give us Note 4 users.

MANY months after all other carrier Note 4's received the 5.0.1 build of Lollipop, they finally pushed out old 5.0.1 to us, not even 5.0.2 (minor leap I know, but it still included some more bug fixes, enhancements and patches) that probably would have helped or would have been a nice gesture to receive while waiting a few extra months over the other Note 4 carrier models. At least with the other carriers, if a build is a bit buggy (which I can handle and expect smartphones running complex OS's to encounter, I know that no OS will be 100% bug free), they are capable of testing and pushing put another update of the same build 5.1.1, within a month or two, which is reasonable and appreciated (Sprint Note 4, Android 5.1.1 as a great example, 2 updates of 5.1.1, the initial 5.1.1 update then a bug fixer shortly after).

Anyways, thumbs up big red!!! Golf clap 🙂 Moto G.....Golf clap 🙂 LG G3...Golf clap! Oh the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 and Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 on Verizon... Golf clap!! Let's see who else has Android 5.1.1, the Verizon Ellipsis 7 tablet!! The Nexus 7 (2014) Tablet, the 2013 and 2014 Moto X, the Verizon Galaxy Core Prime and list keeps going on for devices that have been stuffed with Android 5.1.1 on Verizon.

There is a very short list of high end or mid range devices on Verizon that don't have 5.1.1.......Guess I should have bought a 2013 phone or better yet, a Tablet, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW ON MY 12.2 INCH PHONE??!!

Sorry to all of you Note 4 and S5 owners on and very few other high end and mid range owners on Verizon, we are left out in the cold, only 6 more months (for us Note 4 owners, I'm sure other phones on Verizon will see it a little earlier at least and other same carrier phones much earlier) until we might see another big update and be able to take advantage of all the new API's, enhanced securities, refined battery and app management improvements, any memory leak or multitasking fixes, bug fixes, a patch for Stagefright 2.0, animations, stability and general speed improvements as well as apps that require Android 5.1.1 or higher to work at all or properly. Sweet!!!! Good day to you all 🙂