All Quiet in the Windows Phone Forum

[MrGecko]

It has been really quiet here. You would think that is because customers are happy & content with their Windows Phone experience. Quite the contrary I think.

How many of us are just frustrated to the point of silence? That if one more person post "Where's my Denim Update" you will go freakin' crazy on them. Has Verizon worn you out? How many are still optimistic that Denim will come out in the next 3 weeks? Are you still happy with your Icon?

How many are just waiting for their contract to run out dreaming of a Windows 10 Phone? I know I am.

[Snn5]

From everything I have read, the missing update and lack of a specific date is of great concern to the Icon owners.  I will say that most everyone loves the phone itself, just not the lack of updating to Demin.  I'll put it like this, I have an Android and am waiting on a major update as well, but I got the phone because of what it could do at the time.  I learned a while back to like the phone for the reason I bought it as I have been in a similar situation a while back with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the total lack of support for that phone on the Vzw network.  Truthfully, I dont see much else regarding the WPs other than, :Where's Denim?"

[grafixguy]

Here's the difference though...most Icon owners bought it on the promise of what it would do once it was updated, not because of what it could do when it was released.

We're going on 8 months of promises and it's apparent to me, at least, that there are some serious issues somewhere with this phone. My beef remains being kept in the dark as to why this is pretty much the only Windows Phone 8 Lumia device that has not received any update.

[rednibkram]

Thanks for the info Snn5, however your philosophy works great on most phones, but not in the case of the Icon.  The icon was sold with a "nod & wink" verson of "buy this phone, the 8.1 update is coming soon" propaganda.  Although you will never find any articles, publications, etc stating this fact, I and many others were verbally told by sales persons, technical support persons, etc that this phone would receive the Windows Phone 8.1 update.  Although many have opted for the Microsoft Developer's Preview version of Windows Phone 8.1, to date, an "official" version has NOT been approved for release by Verizon.  While, yes, the Icon with Windows 8 and Lumia Black firmware is a GREAT phone, a large majority of owners purchased this device in "anticipation" of receiving what was "told" to us we would receive.  In essence, we were lied to!  Now, you might be able to defend not receiving an update if no such update were ever "implied", however for this particular phone, it wasn't "implied", it was "reassured," albeit unofficially.

We Icon users have a very real reason to complain about the lack of support for this device.  Firstly, it is a "FLAGSHIP" device.  Top of the line for Nokia/Microsoft devices.  A phone valued well over $600 with very high spec equipment.  It deserves every bit of respect that a Samsung device or Apple device does.  Verizon's preference to ignore that respect is quite obvious as we are still currently on Lumia Black firmware.

The other real complaint we have is that the lack of the firmware update is preventing many users from utilizing equipment that we should be able to utilize at this point.  Bluetooth LE functionality is unsupported on Lumia Black firmware and is creating Bluetooth connection problems with many people's devices.  I for one am having fits trying to get my phone to connect to my car half the time and this is a "SAFETY ISSUES!"

Verizon needs to stop this product manipulation and release the Denim update like NOW!  We have been patient long enough and we deserve a little reward from Verizon for that patience, although every inclination is that we won't see Denim update until sometime in June 2015 if that soon!  As I have stated many times, if AT&T gets Denim on the 1520 before Verizon releases it for the Icon, I'm so done with Verizon!

[Snn5]

Oh, same was told to me with the Galaxy Nexus...it is a Google phone and was a Flagship in its own rite.  I gave up and upgraded before they "officially" ended support for it which was long after the updates stopped coming.  I hope your update comes through, and quick. 

[SickFreak]

Yea... it's more of a frustrated/angry silence.  I'm really tired of what I perceive as Verizon's "We don't care about what the customer wants" attitude when it comes to devices.  They may have the best coverage, but how they treat the customers is abysmal.  We ask for communication and we get silence.  And when we finally get VZW to actually say something, it's about as anti-Windows as Apple and Google gets.  VZW should be phone tech agnostic instead of pushing a specific phone and saying that Windows Phones don't even exist (as I've been told many times when going into stores all across the country from Charlotte to Seattle.)

As for my family, we're waiting on the Windows 10 devices. I've been with Verizon since 1998 (back before the merger,) but if Verizon chooses once again to not have a high-end / flagship Windows device (preferably a phablet) while another carrier has them, we're gone.  While VZW wants us to be loyal to them, IMO they have by no means shown that same loyalty to us.

[SainOlaf]

I am in the same boat as you.. waiting on Windows 10 phones. I am not buying another phone from Verizon if it is not a Windows phone. I am a 10+ year customer about to leave. I have several lines and the last contract ends this month.

[MrGecko]

I signed up for the Fast Ring Preview for Developers and running Windows 10 OS build 10.0.10586.71 on my Icon & absolutely love my phone. I have a feeling that Verizon will not entertain another Win10 phone so I may be switching carriers in August when my contract runs out. I am still waiting to see if the "Surface Phone" comes to realization.

[primortal]

Same here, my Icon is running fine on .71 as well.

I have a sinking feeling that VZW isn't going to adopt Windows 10 Mobile being Microsoft wants to push updates without carrier approval.  The way it works per Microsoft is that the updates will not touch the radio(s) in any manor and if drivers and such that touch the radio(s) need to be updated then they would go to the carrier for approval.

[Tidbits]

If the radio, Ril and kernel are touched in a way that would affect signal it will also have to go through the FCC for recertification.

[Tidbits]

Oh I forgot. It will also have to go through Qualcomm since it's part of the licensing agreement for CDMA. You need Qualcomm to sign off on it.

[SickFreak]

SainOlaf wrote:

I am in the same boat as you.. waiting on Windows 10 phones. I am not buying another phone from Verizon if it is not a Windows phone. I am a 10+ year customer about to leave. I have several lines and the last contract ends this month.

As I mentioned in another thread, we finally left VZW and are much happier!  Better devices, better coverage (in my area,) more services and cheaper bill!  And when I went into the store and asked for the Windows Phone, they didn't balk, they didn't badmouth me, they didn't try to get me to get an  - they just went into the back and grabbed the phones and SIMs and set up the account.  (The only problem I had was that they were selling the Windows Phones so fast, that they couldn't keep them in stock. I called ahead and asked them to hold a couple out for me and I'd stop by the next day, but when I got there, they were totally sold out and I had to go to another store.)

[MrGecko]

Where did you go & what phone did you get?

[SainOlaf]

Who did you go to? Coincidently I get horrible service at my house. I wonder if another carrier will let me cancel service if I switch and also have horrible service at home. I don't live in the middle of no-where either.

Did you get 950 or 950XL

[47seijar]

I urge everybody to take a deep breath and think about their coverage before getting all spun up about not having the mediocre Lumia 950. Wait for the Surface Phone, slated to be available on ALL carriers.

I've had all four tier-one carriers, and at least in northern New Jersey there is no comparison. Verizon is unrivaled in terms of data speed or network coverage. It's not even close. Sprint is a joke if you're not in a major urban area. Stray outside a major city and your Sprint phone becomes a paperweight. T-Mobile is not much better. There is simply no network coverage in even SEMI rural areas. AT&T has about 70% of the coverage of Verizon, and speeds are considerably lower than Verizon. And those deals on monthly bills offered by "the other guys" are a joke. What good is paying half of what you do on Verizon when you get only 5% of the service? No thanks - I'm sticking with Big Red.

[Tidbits]

Should just let them go. It's the only way to keep the market going. If they think it's better they should go. $$ talks.

[47seijar]

Everything has gone quiet in anticipation of the Surface Phone. The Lumia 950 is having all kinds of issues and is NOT the "flagship" device folks were hoping for. Want proof? Check out the Windows Central Forums.

Windows Phone/Mobile has a 1.7% marketshare world wide, and that number is much lower in North America. I don't think the 950 on Verizon would have helped at all. In fact, it would have mollified a handful of users but would have ended up infuriating them when it gets abandoned in a couple months for the Surface Phone. The 950 was nothing but a half-baked placeholder for the SP. Owners are going to be ripping mad when their latest/greatest purchase gets shunted to the back burner so quickly after they bought it.