SE T616 Faults & Poor Software Engineering

Untested wrote:

> Ok, so I bought the SE T616 and thought it was the phone to have
> today. Maybe not!
>
> Some things I DO NOT LIKE:
>
> 1. The screen sucks in sunlight.. However, I will admit the majority
> of my calls are done indoors.
>
> 2. The earpiece needs to be centered on the ear in order to hear any
> convesation.
>
> 3. Although I've read that "<" "<" will display the firmware version
> it doesn't. I've even tried ">" "<" with no luck.
>
> 4. After loading some midi files for ring tones I received a memory
> full notification. That's fine, but why does it take five minutes to
> back out of that condition on the menu screen? Duh Sony -- did you
> test that condition?
>
> 5. Now when making a call at completion of the call it takes at least
> five minutes to return to the main menu. Try to cancel or, imagine
> this, try to shut off the phone and nothing works. God help you if
> you need to make an emergency call after trying to make a call.
>
> 6. To make certain that received calls are not excluded from this
> crappy behavior Sony has also engineered similar results when
> receiving a call. That is, try as you might, it continues to display
> a question as to whether or not you wish to answer the call. At least
> you know that in five minutes you've finished.
>
> Well where do I go from here? If I can backup my contacts I will try
> a master reset, remove the battery and never fill the memory again!
>
> If that fails, even though it's been a month I will return to Cingular
> and make a major complaint about this crappy phone.
>
> Then again, maybe someone has a better solution.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>


To check you firmware you have to do some more than < <
On my T610 it's:

( > = move right with the stick, < = move left, * = the * a/A key)

> * < < * < *

There you will see a SW menu option. (with the version number)

I had R1L013, I had it upgraded to R3C002 (for free @ a SE service center)

Perhaps you should consider updrading your firmware. It could
fix some problems you are having

Some Improvements in the new firmware for my T610:

--30% JAVA speed improvement (JBenchmark test) e.g JAVA applications run
much better and smoother. Now we can load more java games and do not
have to to settle for mophun too much

--New menu in "Send Message" called "Contacts", saves you one click when
sending messages

--When you play recorded conversations, they now play over the
loudspeaker (better quality playback then before (the mms method))

--Pictures taken with the camera appear to take up less memory! (avrg
14kb-19kb for large size photo)

--Pictures taken with the camera appear to be clearer (might have to
play around with shutter speed)

--When choosing word alternative in T9 while replying to message,
pressing the joystick in will no longer send the message, but accept the
word. (Finally!) While not in T9 word selection, joystick in will send
the message.

--When previewing ringtones from "My sounds" they start at maximum volume

---If vibration is turned on, the phone will now vibrate on calendar/timer

-- Camera looks pictures look sharper and better. In R1A, only
brightness control (Up and Down joystick on camera mode) is available.
Now, saturation control (Left and Right on joystick on camera mode) is
already available.

--In checking memory status, My sounds memory usage is now reported. In
R1A, the total memory is reported as "0kb" and you have to click on the
My sounds to get a listing of sounds with the corresponding memory usage
per sound.

-- Menus load a lot faster. Delay in response is hardly noticeable

-- Clock on standby screen has more rounded font.

--Now you can copy individual phonebook entries from the SIM to the
Phone's memory. This is done via Phonebook->Advanced->Call from
SIM->then select the contact you want->More->Copy to phone. No facility
yet to copy individual contacts from phone to SIM.




Maurice - The Netherlands

<Untested<Software@SonyT616.com>> wrote in message
news:6hrlpvkvg5r4v67j1oernp66t43frlh2a0@4ax.com...
> 1. The screen sucks in sunlight.. However, I will admit the majority
> of my calls are done indoors.

To be sorted with the next raft of SE phones (TFT screens) eg. T630 and Z600

> 3. Although I've read that "<" "<" will display the firmware version
> it doesn't. I've even tried ">" "<" with no luck.

> * < < * < * where > = right hit on joystick and < left

> If that fails, even though it's been a month I will return to Cingular
> and make a major complaint about this crappy phone.

IMO nothing beats the T610 overall. Ok some features aren't brilliant etc
etc but with a samsung for example that has it's own problems, poor battery
life, no bluetooth.

"Untested<Software@SonyT616.com>" <> wrote in message news:<6hrlpvkvg5r4v67j1oernp66t43frlh2a0@4ax.com>. ..
> Ok, so I bought the SE T616 and thought it was the phone to have
> today. Maybe not!
>

<<snip>>

To see what your software version is:

>*<<*<*

SERVICE INFO
SW INFO

The > being joystick right, the < being joystick lefts, and the *
being, well, *'s.

However, the T616 only has 1 software version released as of right
now, so no need to really check=)

If your screen is hard to see in sunlight, ive discovered if you put
it in DIRECT sunlight, it's rather easy to see, it's when your in
sunlight and the screen is kinda in a shadow that it almost goes
totally black. Try moving your phones position a bit.

As for your problems after a call. If you press and hold the <-- key
for a couple of seconds it should go back to the start screen. If
you've overloaded the phones memory and thus slowed it down a lot,
then erase some of those ringers, pictures and other stuff and i bet
you'll be fine.

All in all i think it's a good phone!

"Carl." <KronkKronk@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<5bSmb.6338$xv4.2701@twister.austin.rr.com>.. .

> I keep at minimum 250k free on my t300, and the problems all go away. It's
> a pretty dumb design for the phone to not have enough operating memory
> reserved, but that seems to be how it works on the t300.

It's a pretty standard design though - I know someone who put one too
many large file on their W2K hard disk and windows suddenly had
insufficient space for virtual memory and it never worked again - it
required a full rebuild. In both cases (W2K and T610) it'd make sense
for the OS to warn you that you can go ahead and use the last little
bit of storage but that Bad Things might happen.

"Fred Bloggs" <mrfredbloggs@altavista.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fa2f473d.0310270805.4e914b0e@posting.google.c om...
> "Carl." <KronkKronk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:<5bSmb.6338$xv4.2701@twister.austin.rr.com>.. .
>
> > I keep at minimum 250k free on my t300, and the problems all go away.
It's
> > a pretty dumb design for the phone to not have enough operating memory
> > reserved, but that seems to be how it works on the t300.
>
> It's a pretty standard design though - I know someone who put one too
> many large file on their W2K hard disk and windows suddenly had
> insufficient space for virtual memory and it never worked again - it
> required a full rebuild.

Yeah, that's true. That's why I first figured it out, because I knew that's
how life worked in the hardware and OS world. I guess the real complaint
should be that they should have just put more memory in it (cripes, how much
does 1mb of that stuff cost?), regardless of whether or not it has a
reserved area. It's a little ridiculous to have a phone that needs 250K to
operate and only comes with 500k free. Especially one that is made for
loading color pictures and midi ringers. Also, ALL GIF files take up a
minimum of 10k on the phone, so a few custom pics add up fast.


> In both cases (W2K and T610) it'd make sense
> for the OS to warn you that you can go ahead and use the last little
> bit of storage but that Bad Things might happen.

But it's such a small amount (250k), they could have easily made the phone
fool-proof. Instead they have masses of customers that are angry because
the phone appears to be crap. And it's not unreasonable to ask for a cell
phone to require less knowledge to use safely than a PC.


---
Update your PC at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.530 / Virus Database: 325 - Release Date: 10/22/2003

snoopme@hotmail.com (Maurice) wrote:
> There you will see a SW menu option. (with the version number)
>
> I had R1L013, I had it upgraded to R3C002 (for free @ a SE service center)
>
> Perhaps you should consider updrading your firmware. It could
> fix some problems you are having

Is the version that matters the "ITP Version:" down at the bottom, or is it
the version up at the top 2 lines (..._MARTHA and ..._TAE on my T616)? I
have R1B027 showing up at the top, and R1A030 down at the bottom, on a phone
I bought just yesterday at an ATTWS store. I wonder if I should try to find
out about upgrading to some newer firmware?

-Dan

--
Dan Birchall, Hilo HI - http://dan.birchalls.net/ - images, words, technology

"Dan Birchall" <nobody@imaginary-host.birchalls.net> wrote in message
news:slrnca922h.i84.nobody@malasada.lava.net...
| snoopme@hotmail.com (Maurice) wrote:
| > There you will see a SW menu option. (with the version number)
| >
| > I had R1L013, I had it upgraded to R3C002 (for free @ a SE service
center)
| >
| > Perhaps you should consider updrading your firmware. It could
| > fix some problems you are having
|
| Is the version that matters the "ITP Version:" down at the bottom, or is
it
| the version up at the top 2 lines (..._MARTHA and ..._TAE on my T616)? I
| have R1B027 showing up at the top, and R1A030 down at the bottom, on a
phone
| I bought just yesterday at an ATTWS store. I wonder if I should try to
find
| out about upgrading to some newer firmware?
|

You have the latest T616 firmware then ... the R1B027. The number the
previous poster was quoting (R3C002) wasn't from a T616, it was from a T610.

reply@board.nomail (Jason Cothran) wrote:
>
> "Dan Birchall" <nobody@imaginary-host.birchalls.net> wrote in message
> news:slrnca922h.i84.nobody@malasada.lava.net...
> | snoopme@hotmail.com (Maurice) wrote:
> | > There you will see a SW menu option. (with the version number)
> | >
> | > I had R1L013, I had it upgraded to R3C002 (for free @ a SE service
> center)
> | >
> | > Perhaps you should consider updrading your firmware. It could
> | > fix some problems you are having
> |
> | Is the version that matters the "ITP Version:" down at the bottom, or is
> it
> | the version up at the top 2 lines (..._MARTHA and ..._TAE on my T616)? I
> | have R1B027 showing up at the top, and R1A030 down at the bottom, on a
> phone
> | I bought just yesterday at an ATTWS store. I wonder if I should try to
> find
> | out about upgrading to some newer firmware?
> |
>
> You have the latest T616 firmware then ... the R1B027. The number the
> previous poster was quoting (R3C002) wasn't from a T616, it was from
> a T610.

Oh, okay. I thought they were the same phone, just on different bands
(GSM 900 for the T610, GSM 850 for the T616). I guess the T616 was
introduced more recently, so its firmware versions are lower?


--
Dan Birchall, Hilo HI - http://dan.birchalls.net/ - images, words, technology