Does anyone have a Windows Phone 8 that works?

[AES2]

Both Windows 7 Phones on my US Cellular account were great.  Unfortunately they died of old age right at the time US Cellular was abandoning Chicago, so I moved to Verizon and gave the HTC 8X a try.

In addition to dropping calls, during a conversation where the contact name or phone number is displayed it would change to "In Call" and then go silent in both directions.  The only thing I could do was hang up and try again.  Nobody at Verizon's second level support had any idea what that meant.  And sometimes when I tried to send a text, words to the effect of send failure were appended to the message followed by a link Try Again.  You could try again forever and keep getting the same failure.  Sometimes you could immediately retype the same text and send it, but the failed one would never go out.  And every now and then, usually more than weekly, it went nuts and had to have its power cycled, and every now and then it had to be reset to factory settings.

I got a replacement, and then another one.  All three HTC 8Xs had the dropped call, In Call, text failure, need to cycle power, and need to reset to factory settings problems.  I never had one long enough to download any apps.  Other than voice and text when they worked, I only used Internet Explorer, HTC weather, and maps.

After three failed 8Xs I asked for a Lumia 928 and got one, reconditioned of course.  My favorite feature was maybe three times per week while I was on a call it would  redial the number I was talking to and create a conference call for both of them.  If it was a business with multiple lines I would get two calls in conference.  If it was a land line with a contact that had a mobile number it would dial the mobile number for a conference.  Otherwise after redialing it would hang up the first call while the second call was ringing, but the other phone was still off the hook, so it returned busy.  After the other party hung up I could redial.

And it went nuts and needed a power cycle to recover more frequently than the 8Xs.  Finally last night it stopped paying attention to the screen, which I could not slide down to turn off.  I called 611 and got a clueless support guy who either was not trained or was untrainable.  He told me a probable cause was the SD card.  I told him the 928 doesn't have one.  Then he told me to remove the battery.  I told him it's not removable.  I didn't know about this forum, so I did not read that power + volume down will shut it down.  I brought it to a store at 10:01 this morning, where a gentleman who knew something showed me how to shut it down.

At least I can use it between power cycles and dropped calls, and a replacement is on order.  Unfortunately I cannot get a new one.  After a bad new one and three factory refurbished to like new that are all what kids call epic fails, as much as I like Windows it's more important to me that a phone ring when someone calls me, that the phone on the other end ring when I call, and that texts go in and out.  Is that too much to ask of a Windows phone?  Has this been a futile exercise and when the next Lumia fails should I just cut my losses and ask for an S4?

[primortal]

I've had my 822 since launch and I have had flawless experience with the phone.  Phone works like it should, text messaging and emails work.  I think it does a random reboot about once a month if that.

I don't know what Nokia or VZW did to the 928's.  It could either be a bad batch of devices they keep recycling to other customers when one sends it back in for being faulty or just poor QA done on the device.

The only thing I can think of is filing a complaint with the BBB and FCC that VZW keeps issuing faulty devices to their customers.

Reach out to one of the executives, http://aboutus.verizonwireless.com/leadership/executive/index.html and voice your anger that you are constantly receiving faulty devices.

[AES2]

Thanks for pointing me to the top dogs.  I sent the above with a little introductory text to John Bianchi, Vice President - National Customer Service.  Putting the frosting on the cake, the first time I hit Send it said

Error 503 Service Unavailable

Service Unavailable

Guru Meditation:

XID: 747815552

The second time I hit Send the window went away with no complaints.  I'll post here if Mr. Bianchi answers.

[LanceAngel]

My 822 works very well.  The Nokia call blocker doesn't work - but that could be Verizon wanting you to pay for this service.  Other than that, I'm happy.   

[jroeder]

I don't know anyone with 928's or 8X's that work well. Escpecially since the new software update. And it's primarily because Verizon keeps sending out refurbished ones that were only returned in the first place because of those issues. I don't get that either, why send out a "refurbished" phone that already has the issues as a replacement for a phone with the same issues?

[SuzyQ]

jroeder wrote:

I don't know anyone with 928's or 8X's that work well.

We have a Lumia 928 - that has worked quite well for the 3 months we've had it. Last weekend it started showing some glitchy behavior, but after a reset (soft reset - no settings or apps were touched) it seems to have settled back to "normal" behavior and is the solid, dependable phone I've come to enjoy.

[jroeder]

Correction, I now know 1 person with a 8X/928 that works well. I know it's a good phone I just wish they didn't keep refurbishing ones that are bad

[demmo86rt]

The 928 I have works just fine as well.

[jroeder]

I can believe that some people have them and they work fine. I find it odd that 2 community leaders commented on this saying their 928's work fine. Sorry but I have a hard time believing you guys now.......the software is the software. It's not the hardware. If it was it would be having the exact same problems on other networks. But it's not. So anyone reading this that's trying to get a W8 phone through VzW. Don't. Get a Android or iPhone depending on your preference.

[JodyAMorgan]

I have had my 8X since February and been a pretty solid device. No real complaints about the actual phone or the OS I do have a complaint against VZW though. They stripped out features that are native to the OS and are forever in getting patches out which I find most disturbing.

[rednibkram]

I have had my 928 for several months now and have had no problems.  I love my 928 and wouldn't go back to Apple or Android!  When the new GDR3 update is released, this will (IMO) put Windows Phone above the other operating systems.   PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Verizon, DON'T DRAG YOUR FEET ON THE GDR3 UPDATE?!!!

[vzw_customer_support]

Hey there rednibkram,

I'm glad to hear that you are loving your Lumia. Software updates keep our devices running smoothly and up to date so I absolutely understand your eagerness to get your hands on the latest software.

We test the software rigorously before we release them to the devices to make sure that the software enhances the device and not cause any trouble. I don't have any info on the 928, but you can always visit http://bit.ly/n5snpq for updates.

NicholasB_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[rednibkram]

Thank you for your feedback and I appreciate the fact that Verizon takes the time to fully test the software to ensure the network functions properly, but my complaint is the time frame Verizon takes to test the software.  You can test the software, but it shouldn't take 5 or 6 months to test it.  If Sprint can test and release software updates for their phone and not have any problems within a 1 month time frame, there is NO ACCEPTABLE reason Verizon couldn't speed up the testing process and get these updates to us customer faster!  AT&T also releases updates fairly quickly and all of my friends who are on AT&T here in the New Orleans area do not have ANY problems with AT&T's network.  My point is that if you guys would READ these blogs, you would understand that your customer (the guys who pay your salary) are NOT happy with the timeframe it takes to get these updates.  My point is that Verizon needs to understand that the customer satisfaction with the devices on the network is just as important as the satisfaction with the network.  People will ALWAYS want the "latest and greatest"  AND the "best network.". Verizon would do well to provide BOTH of these to us customers, especially with other networks providing this service to their customers, or Verizon may find itself losing customer base.

[primortal]

The kicker is that VZW had the update for the Lumia phones way before AT&T did.  It took a month or so for AT&T to release GDR2 to their Lumias.

The problem here is VZW keeps sending out broken phones and calling them "refurbished".

[vzw_customer_support]

@Rednibkram,

I can appreciate your sentiment as a fellow consumer myself. We will certainly take your insight to heart as our customers are the reason that this business exist. I truly appreciate your time and insight. Have a great rest of your day.

YosefT_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[muneo]

Another happy 928 user here.  I think you're taking the forums out of context.  If Verizon sold 1 million of these phones, you are going to have a large chunk of people with faulty devices.  Lets say thats 1%.  So we have 5000 people screwed.  Then you account for another 5% that just dont know how to operate a windows phone, downloaded a crappy app, is in a bad area for reception or might have damaged it without knowing.  Thats another 25,000 people.  Now you have 30,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs about how crappy their phones are while the rest of the 970,000 people that are happy dont say anything because they are too busy enjoying their phones.  These forums only need 5% of those angry people (about 1000 angry customers) to flood the internet with threads and reviews about how crappy the phone is.  So far the Lumia 928 only has 430 reviews with .6 out of 5 star reviewers having issues with it (thats only 52 people out of the 430).  Even the WPCentral forums only have about 100-300 or so lumia 928 commentors. This is still on par with the highest rated phones available factoring the number of ratings. 

Dont give in to the negativity.  The phone has glitches but so does every phone.  I think the biggest quality glitch is the blotchy windows symbol that I too have on mine and every other 928 I've seen.

[AES2]

Five out of five phones - three 8Xs and two 928s - all drop calls on me.  My neighborhood was well served by US Cellular until they abandoned the Chicago market and I moved to Verizon, which has the decency to admit my neighborhood has a lousy signal.  Why a well-populated neighborhood in the seat of a wealthy suburban county doesn't deserve decent service is another question.

All three of the three 8Xs, as I wrote above, during a voice conversation changed the displayed phone number or contact name to "In Call" and then went silent in both directions.  End call was the only option.  Likewise, both of the 928s during a voice conversation created a conference call and called the other party back while the first conversation was still going.  I suspect those are different responses to the same problem - signal too poor to keep a connection going but don't drop it correctly.  Those 8X and 928 bugs happened mostly at home, which we know has a lousy signal, and less often in my car, which could have been bad handoffs when moving between cells.

Many others have reported (I also posted on other forums) software problems.  Some reported that the latest installed update made things worse and a new software update was released by Microsoft last month but not yet by Verizon.  Many have reported the screen freezing on several models and requiring the power and volume down buttons to be held simultaneously to cycle power, which the guy who answered my 611 call didn't know.

A surprising number said the 928 is full of software bugs and were hoping the the rumored but unannounced 929 will solve them.

There is clearly a software problem that Windows Phone 8 can't handle in my environment.  Should I wait for Verizon to release the software update that Microsoft released last month and hope it fixes the problem?  Should I wait for a 929 and hope it's better than an 8X or 928?  Should I give up and get an S4?

[Dianne1960]

I have the same problem with the 8!!!! Despise this phone and apparently I'm stuck with it for two years 😕  have been with verizon since 93 and they will not help me

[dondondon]

Dianne1960,I suggest that you move the phone to metro if ,if for sure you can find out if it is not locked to Verizon. If you have to pay to get rid of Verizon it is worth the money to get rid of the frustration of their service.  After I posted my remarks I found that you can get one of Metro compatable (nokia lumia 521) phones for around $70. I paid $98 outright to Metro and just wrote off the cost to get away from the bad service.

[vzw_customer_support]

The last thing we want is for you to feel stuck for 2 years, Dianne1960. What troubleshooting have we done with you so far? Has it ever been replaced?

TamaraH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[AES2]

I started this thread, and I certainly am another one who is stuck for two years with worthless products.  Read my history of my first five of five phones - three 8Xs and two 928s - earlier in this thread.  Number five croaked last night.  The screen is totally non-responsive.  The first time that happened, as I wrote above, clueless support people had no idea what to do, and I had to wait for a store to open at 10:00 to learn the volume+power button trick.  I tried that maybe ten times last night to no avail.  Again I have to wait till 10:00 for a store to open to get a loaner while I wait for phone number six.