- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
why does verizon cripple bluetooth in all of its phones?
{keep it relevant}
i am trying to solve the following problem: should i or should i not stick with verizon in light of its anti-consumer standpoint?
- « Previous
-
- 1
- 2
- Next »
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
If I was that unhappy with VZW, I would just switch.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
this topic seems to be highly debated, do they cripple phones? why? should you leave vzw? to answer ur question!
yes they cripple phones, they do anything they can to make an extra buck off of us, but so do the other carriers, tmobile
sells there svs for more money then vzw does, and there network SUCKS< at least vzw has an excelent network. i an being forced to pay ten dollars a month if i want voice nav, because my ability to download other free third party aps is being blocked by vzw. why do you think carriers stray from wifi phones, there has bin a backlash to bring wifi phones to carrieres< IE the new universal rule is: in order to purchase a blackberry you MUST buy the data pkg (or they wont sell u the phone). my prodiction is which ever carrier produces a reasonably priced and reliable prepaid(no contract) pay per use or per day data svs will eventully win the carrier wars.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Forced to pay $10 for GPS finder / locater map? I use free Poynt and it works very well and it's free. It was in my BB application package as far as I remember. The only app. I may buy comes from Crackberry, and it is Berrybuzz because it lets me know so much without having to pick up my phone every few minutes. I also use U-Mail as I no longer have to dial *86 to get my voice mails and it was free too.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
OK,, i also use point, its a great app, but its not turn by turn gps navagation( ur comapiring apples to oranges).
go to (Amaze.com) download the app to ur blackberry, its a totally free app for turn by turn gps nav, you will find that
vzw blocks your gps reciver so you cant use the app to locate yourself. i paid for a phone with a gps reciver, so i should be able to use it where and however i choose, the problem is that vzw sells the the same free svs for ten dollars a month, so why shouldnt they take an extra ten bucks a month from me??? i am locked into a 2 yeay contract. i know, your going to tell me, that if i dont like it then go somewhere else, maybe i will maybe i wont, but one thig is for sure, in almost any other industry, this would be deemed unethical and propably ilegal!!!!!!
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
It would only be illegal if they promised GPS outside of navigator and force you to buy navigator.
Not sure which blackberry you have but the storm is open gps and the tour should be too. curve does not have a true gps chipset--it uses aGPS and not gps.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
I am glad that this issue sparked debate. The global trend of technology is that open technology makes happier people and restricted technology foments frustration. For the people that think switching carriers is the answer, I ask you this: Why aren't you telling the carrier to straighten up instead? I think that we, the people, that pay good money for services should get what we want. Not just what YOU want, but solutions that truly meet the needs of the largest amount of people possible, hence the trend for open technology making people happy.
If we never speak up about our wants/needs, then no company would ever know them. If we simply switched carriers, we would only be abused by the next carrier. The best thing to do is make your voice heard and speak loud enough for the rich people to hear us. As far as they're concerned, they have the best product available on the market and their customers are the happiest. This is not always so. Switching carriers is the cowardly way out.
With our money, we should get the best network, the most versatile technology, and the most responsive customer service. Anything less, especially in the name of cost-cutting, is a travesty to the people. You may think I'm being over-dramatic, but the fact is, we deserve more. Companies like this do everything they can to save money: automated customer service phone systems, online billing instead of paper, driving business to their content providers, selling phones with features and hardware pruned - all in the name of cost savings. This is why VZW phones come with less memory, proprietary software, and customized interfaces. It forces you to use the phone the way they want you to use the phone instead of the way you need to use the phone.
Two specific cases come to mind:
1. The Blackberry Tour has full suite bluetooth services by design. Verizon had RIM design a phone with less so they could sell their services.
2. The HTC Titan (aka XV6800) has 64MB of RAM. In real life, it has 128MB, but Verizon cut out half of that for two reasons that I can conceive: saving money on the hardware so they could make an extra few bucks off each handset, and making it so people couldn't download and simultaneously run a bunch of apps that use their bandwidth, thus making it look like Verizon's network was able to handle more than it really can. The truth is, if the iPhone ever comes to Verizon, they'll have as many bandwidth problems as AT&T.
We want better, more versatile devices. Just Google 'Verizon Bluetooth' - all you will see is how Verizon lauds it's bluetooth availability, and everyone else condemns it. You'll even see that some people sued for false advertising. It's a simple fact that Verizon tells you they are oh so bluetooth-loving when, in fact, the rest of the world is calling their bluff.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
"I ask you this: Why aren't you telling the carrier to straighten up instead? I think that we, the people, that pay good money for services should get what we want."
People did thats why after the Curve debacle with a gimped GPS people threatened and petitioned for lawsuits on the matter and VZ decided they were going to have to do something at that point.
"The truth is, if the iPhone ever comes to Verizon, they'll have as many bandwidth problems as AT&T."
Thats why they are waiting on LTE and rolling out LTE in one huge chunk instead of individual areas. Now could this be a problem..oh yea. I hope not but I feel it is a risky gamble for VZ to do this. An area outage is bad but can you imagine a huge outage all at once, if one thing hiccups on this....ouch!
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
GPS on the Tour isn't restricted in any way.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
basspro,
reed my prior post on the Amaze.com free voice nav app and try it, let me know if it will locate you position.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
I also downloaded amaze GPS, and it works like a charm. No problems so far.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
ok, i redownloaded the app, it works but still wont locate me, says no satalite reception, but i know there is because bb maps locat me right away. if that is true that you both are being located with your bb, then i cant explain what is going on.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
I downloaded amazegps on my Tour and it works great.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Im not trying to be a smart*** but you do have the GPS services set to Location ON and Location aiding enabled. BB maps will work with only GPS services set to Location On but third party apps have to have the Location aiding enabled also.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Did you download the version for Verizon users which contains a fix? Scroll down on the download page to find this version.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
I guess this heinous scheme to block every ones GPS is all peaches and cream now. Once we calm down and realize that WE didnt DL the right app.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Super-huge thanks to everyone that responded to my post!
The Tour does have unrestricted GPS (though the VX6800 - my only phone with such experience - does not in addition to crippled bluetooth), so I definitely want to point that out. My biggest issue is with bluetooth at this point. As for the supporting third-party apps notion, I say that, as a systems administrator having worked in IT for the better part of 14 years (not bragging about anything or trying to be pedantic in ANY way), I think that stating 'we don't support third party apps' would be very accepted in this day and age. Just as Apple doesn't support anything non-Apple in their app store, it would be ridiculous for Verizon to assume they would be on the hook for supporting third party apps. I hate using the term ridiculous in such a way, but I think that the cellular phone market and the user demographic has gotten used to the idea that when you install something not provided by X, then X would not provide support for it.
This goes to my general point that Verizon is not exactly thinking about their customer too much. We're getting smarter, more accepting of what a company can and can't do. As for what they can do, they can give us open platforms. As for what they can't do.... it's more like what they won't do. Either it's about money or it's about assuming the customer is not savvy enough to make such decisions on their own. I might be wrong about that point, but with the nature of these restrictions, I can't think, in all the time I've spent thinking about it, of many more reasons.
Do they not think we're smart enough to install apps and go to the web (where we downloaded those apps) and find a forum to seek out help? Or do they think that MMS, the money maker, should be used instead of bluetooth? Do they think that transferring mp3's to your phone should be so difficult that you would instead want to by a ringtone from Get-It-Now? Is it a contractual obligation of some sort? If so, why did they place a higher value on the contract than the simplicity of their devices and therefore the happiness of their customers?
Of course, these questions are rhetorical, but it's the confusion and disappointment that really hits me hard. We know where to find support, and those that don't are highly unlikely to download a third-party app. Those that are not savvy, but do have third-party apps, probably had them installed by a savvy family member or co-worker that (accidentally or not) branded themselves the go-to person for support on that app. In fact, those that are not savvy, probably got their blackberry from work, or don't have a blackberry/windows mobile at all.
If you are going to give us something so capable, please don't bust it's kneecaps before the big game. Nobody wants a car that only support 1/16th inch proprietary brake pads that cost $1600 each to replace. We want the one that has 5/8th inch brake pads that are $29.95 for a pair. That's the best metaphor I can think of. Even Mercedes and Rolls Royce's have brake pads you can buy at Pep Boys.
So, I truly appreciate all the feedback I got on this topic. I can only hope that someone at Verizon that has a hand in the decision-making process really takes this to heart. We love your service. We really do. It's the reason I haven't left you for another provider. I have Verizon Wireless, FIOS internet, telephone, and television. While I know for a fact their internet can be made faster at no cost to them, that's a rant for another day :^)
Thanks, everyone!
(can i/how do i give kudos to those who gave great feedback?)
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Click on "Kudos" under their name on left side of post.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Same reason that the GPS in my 8130 was and IS still crippled... shortsightedness.
It took a lawsuit to get them to turn on the GPS and it now only works with Blackberry maps. No third party mapping software can access the GPS.
It seems that the latest Google(Andriod) & VZW partnership might turn out better. We will see.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
I gave out some kudos & hope I did not inadvertently snub anyone that deserved one. If I did, let me know and I'll be happy to pass them out! I obviously can't mark any comment as a solution as the only reply I would mark as the solution would come from Verizon itself in the form of an explanation and sincere promise to change their ways in the future. Since that would be the hallmark of a total business model overhaul, I doubt, but remain hopeful, that it is forthcoming.
Again, I extend my most sincere thanks to everyone that participated in this thread and I implore the powers-that-be at Verizon Wireless to take to heart the concerns of its customers.
Thanks!

- « Previous
-
- 1
- 2
- Next »