Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (
More info?)
"Roger Binns" <rogerb@rogerbinns.com> wrote in message news:<fhiin1-mlb.ln1@home.rogerbinns.com>...
> > 1. There's no way to download pics directly to your computer
>
> That is officially true of all phones Verizon sells. However
> the phones usually have some means of at least accessing the
> phonebook over a cable. This is supported to varying degrees
> by 3rd party software.
>
> > 2. The USB port is useless
>
> You can use it as a modem, like all phones using Qualcomm
> chipsets.
>
> > because the internal software is so fragile
> > that even trivial operations can render the phone inoperable
>
> BTW I am the author of BitPim and have the 2nd dead CDM8900 on my
> desk (and returned a Thera a few months ago).
>
> The problem is that all these phones have software that runs
> inside them. That software implements the phone's housekeeping,
> functionality, sync protocols etc. The internal software in
> the CDM8900 is the worst I have every come across, and it is
> trivial to crash the phone, and have it unable to even boot.
> For example I most recently did this by changing the group
> a phonebook entry is a member of on the phone itself. Ask
> any programmers how they would write code that on doing that
> would lock up a device, and then prevent it from ever booting
> again. Additionally the screen may be substandard. I left
> a previously locked up phone on for about 10 minutes to see if
> the software would recover. The screen ended up burnt in
> really badly (ie completely unusable).
>
> (The functionality on the phone was also below par. For example
> phonebook entries are limited to 16 characters each, you only
> have 6 groups and it will only let you rename 3 of those, you
> can't store two types of the same number for people such as
> two work numbers or two home numbers, the voice dials don't
> link directly to the phonebook and have to be seperately
> maintained, the design of the phonebook didn't have a
> few simple feautures which would make syncing easier etc etc).
>
> For a previous Audiovox product, the Thera I found similar
> issues. They had taken a pre-release version of a Sierra
> Wireless cellular modem and frigged it, done something similar
> with the SW software, and then made a bastardised version
> of PocketPC, instead of using PocketPC Phone Edition. The
> resulting device can never be upgraded, and no standard PocketPC
> Phone Edition programs can work with, nor can you write anything
> since the SW SDK will not work due to the cellular modem and
> software being frigged.
>
> Taking a step back, you will realise why this is. Audiovox is
> more of a marketing company than a products company. They spot
> market opportunities, source a product from somewhere else, do the
> minimum necesary to make it look good on paper and then sell
> it. They don't have an incentive to worry about the long term
> life of their products, and to be early in the market they don't
> have an incentive to do a thorough and deep job on accompanying
> bits like internal software.
>
> The funny thing is that the CDM8900 and LG VX6000 actually have the
> same circuit board, designed by Curitel. LG went ahead and put
> decent software inside. Audiovox just used whatever Curitel
> had. Despite that, LG beat Audiovox to market by several
> months. (Audiovox also included analog which may have
> contributed to the delay).
>
> > It seems that VZW has done something to the software to cripple the
> > ability to communicate with your PC.
>
> VZW had nothing to do with it. The cell phone manufacturers
> are hardware people. Internal software on the devices is
> just a time and cost centre to them. They get the CDMA phoneset
> chips from Qualcomm, slap together the reference software and
> their own "value adds" and release it. VZW doesn't mind this
> as most Qualcomm chipsets in that Brew nonsense so they can
> sell apps to do the ringtones etc that way.
>
> Roger
The Audiovox handset division is up for sale, see below.
The last Nokia (3595i), may have the best digital reception of ANY
Verzion phone. The Nokia's ability to rapidly aquire a usable digital
signal/network, is a cut a above. Their use of Texas Instruments chips
may be one reason for improved performance. Keep your eyes out for the
next Nokia that Verizon releases. If Nokia can put that great digital
signal performance, into a professional looking flip exterior....they
could have a big winner!
I'd agree the current crop of Audiovox's, (and many others) may not be
the best picks. I'd wait just a little longer. There are going to be a
lot of new releases... soon. Eventually, there's got to be a standout
(like the LG 4400)!
Verizon propriatary handset features, designed to create more kinds of
additional pay services, are the driving force behind new handset
releases.
Not all the Audiovox's are "bad" but every phone does have a mix of
strengths and flaws.
For example, there are some stand out features on the Audiovox 9500,
besides a few faults...
Well built in Japan, by Toshiba.
Has the best analog reception of any Verizon phone.
Can be hard wired to even better antennas, for max reception.
Very large, bright, clear, easy to read, color display.
Holds 100 voicedial locations, requiring only ONE headset button
press, to make a call.
Can access Sprint/PCS carriers through a direct "channel number
entry" (in debug menu).
300 locations, having 80 digit, numeric string capacity.
3x300 locations, holding 48 digit characters for notes or email
addresses.
Caller ID ringtones for 1500 locations.
Just depends upon what one values, for their particular handset usage
needs.
BTW Roger, thanks for Bitpim!
-
David
*******************************************************
Audiovox is selling their handset division...
UTStarcom Pushing Audiovox Handset Bid
By Scott Moritz
TheStreet.com
4/30/2004
"UTStarcom (UTSI:Nasdaq - news - research) is battling with South
Korea's Curitel over the cell-phone division of Audiovox (VOXX:Nasdaq
- news - research) , according to people familiar with the talks.
No terms of the discussions were available, but the back-and-forth
heated up in recent weeks after UTStarcom put a bigger bid on the
table. Analysts estimate that the handset business -- known as
Audiovox Communications -- could fetch as much as $200 million. There
is also a chance that other bids may be tendered or that both suitors
could walk away from a deal.
Representatives of Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Audiovox and Alameda,
Calif.-based UTStarcom declined to comment.
UTStarcom, which has had success selling systems for portable
local phone service in China, has been looking to expand into other
areas of wireless technology. Industry observers say the Audiovox deal
would give UTStarcom an immediate entry into the hot code division
multiple access, or CDMA, cell-phone market.
Audiovox's handset unit, which is 25% owned by Toshiba, sells phones
to outfits such as Sprint (FON:NYSE - news - research) and Verizon
Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon (VZ:NYSE - news -
research) and Vodafone (VOD:NYSE - news - research) .
Audiovox put the cell-phone business on the block in February, after
it entered a nonbinding agreement to sell the unit to Curitel for an
undisclosed amount. Audiovox then hired Jefferies & Co. to find a
higher bid.
Word that UTStarcom was exploring the purchase of the Audiovox handset
division was first reported in TheStreet.com's Tech Edge newsletter on
March 16.
Audiovox distributes phones made by Toshiba and Curitel in the U.S.
under the Audiovox name. Industry watchers say Audiovox offers a
complete handset operation, from supply to distribution. Most
important, it boasts a direct relationship with Verizon Wireless, the
nation's largest cell-phone service.
Analysts note that margins on phone distribution are thin, and the
handset operation would make more sense as part of a larger phone
business. Audiovox could cash out on the sales at a time when
cell-phone sales are reaching record-high levels, allowing the company
to focus on its remaining electronics division, which includes a
growing portable DVD player business.
While both Curitel and UTStarcom make their own handsets and could try
to distribute directly to big telcos such as Verizon, industry experts
say the long initial engagement-and-testing process makes that path
perilous.
The relationship between the handset supplier and carrier is valuable.
"It takes a lot of time and effort to build the phone testing and
approval process," says Charter Equity Research analyst Ed Snyder. He
says big players such as Verizon Wireless don't necessarily have time
to start from scratch with a new vendor. "If you don't have access,
you can certainly buy it," says Snyder, who has no rating on Audiovox
or UTStarcom.
UTStarcom makes personal wireless access system, or PAS, networks
that effectively substitute limited-range portable phones for
wire-line local phone-and-Internet service. This lower-cost system has
provided an alternative communication network in areas where there has
been limited phone network infrastructure. UTStarcom gained a loyal
following last year as investors cheered its success in finding a
niche in markets such as China, where it has 45 million subscribers.
But analysts say UTStarcom's growth potential will be limited as
conventional wireless services get cheaper and more widespread.
UTStarcom has been searching for ways to diversify its business.
Last week, for example, UTStarcom agreed to buy Telos, a
Vancover-based CDMA networking gearmaker, for $29 million. The deal
will help UTStarcom expand its infrastructure product offering and
allow it to better compete with large players such as Lucent (LU:NYSE
- news - research) , Nortel (NT:NYSE - news - research) and Motorola
(MOT:NYSE - news - research) in the network-equipment market.
Curitel is South Korea's No. 3 cell-phone maker, behind Samsung and
LG. The company has informally approached Verizon Wireless with the
prospect of setting up a direct distribution arrangement that could
start up early next year, said one person familiar with the two
companies.
For the most recent quarter ended in February, Audiovox's handset unit
posted a profit of $1.9 million on $240 million in revenue. The
revenue number marked an 11% jump from the same period a year ago. The
top-line growth came from the popularity of some of its color camera
phones that were introduced in the second half of last year."
/bitpim.sourceforge.net/testhelp/
That is the point.
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