Red Bull Mobile RBM HD/Huawei U8800H Issues

[Lino]

Hello Lars

The last time I wrote an open letter you and CELLC were fantastic, so forgive me for another one but I hope I will be lucky and get another response.

As you know I have two RBM HD 200 phones, had them for a while now. I have had issues with them for quite a few weeks but I never complained about them, however I have had enough that I am stuck paying R500 a month for 2 years on something I can't use.

We are having the following issues:

HARDWARE:

These phones have serious issues with wireless, losing connection, struggling to get a DHCP address, wireless not working once phone has gone from standby mode to normal mode (even with power saver disabled)

Plugging in a pair of headphones for audio only gives me mono at best, in other words only one ear of any pair of headphones works. Believe me I have tried a lot of pairs and the same issue with both phones. I assume it has to do with the contact the headphones jacks and the phones.

Battery life is disgusting, if I fully charge it and leave the phone by its self doing nothing, neither lasts longer than 4 hours at most. If I am using the phone then I am lucky if I get 30 minutes out of it. In an act of desperation I flashed the original OEM firmware onto my phone (left my wifes the RBM firmware) and I still have the same issues.

NETWORK:

Calls are dropped the whole time even while I am standing still and have full coverage. Other users can't hear me or I can't hear them, sounds like a fax on the one side. Not sure if this is these phones or the network?

Data constantly goes from CELLC network to roaming where I can't get any data. Again this issue both phones different locations, however my CELL C blackberries don't have this issue. So once again network or phone?

I am not someone to moan and in fact I praised you personally Lars for organising these as I know it was a headache but I actually regret getting these phones as they are as good as a door stop. I haven't spoken to my local CELL C store as they became even more rude once your staff got personally involved so as a result I refuse to even look at Somerset Mall store again.

Any assistance would be appreciated

 

[Ockie]

I dont mean to rub salt in your wound meneer...but the Moto Defy is a great little phone. Love it to bits...even if I still make constant typos with the touch screen lol.

No problems whats so ever with my lovely Defy

 

[Sl8er]

I dont mean to rub salt in your wound meneer...but the Moto Defy is a great little phone. Love it to bits...even if I still make constant typos with the touch screen lol.

No problems whats so ever with my lovely Defy

I second that. I WAS totally set on the Huawaweaei, but after "researching" a bit, I decided on the Defy. Haven't looked back since. (Phew! Glad I dodged that one.)

L, hope you get it sorted!

 

[Lino]

Just to add some of us are also having issues with free minutes and free sms's now showing.

 

[ginggs]

These phones have serious issues with wireless, losing connection, struggling to get a DHCP address, wireless not working once phone has gone from standby mode to normal mode (even with power saver disabled)

My wife hasn't been able to connect her RBM HD to our wifi network at home since she got it at the beginning of April.

Calls are dropped the whole time even while I am standing still and have full coverage. Other users can't hear me or I can't hear them, sounds like a fax on the one side. Not sure if this is these phones or the network?

She's complained about dropped calls, being unable to make calls and people she speaks to have complained about a sound like a dot matrix printer in the background, possibly the fax noise you refer to? We have been able to establish that this noise only occurs when the phone has switched over to 2G.

Any assistance would be appreciated

Ditto, please.

Just to add some of us are also having issues with free minutes and free sms's now showing.

She had the problem with the free SMS not showing up when checking the balance from May 1, [-]but it seems to have been resolved on May 13[/-] and it is still a problem.

She is unable to register on the self-help website, she gets the message 'account does not exist', although she was able to register on the MyTools site and can still use it.

 

[Dixie]

I think the OP should have posted this as a PM to Lars...

 

[Budza]

I think the OP should have posted this as a PM to Lars...

better to let us all know... thanks linoman!

all fair comment, playing the ball and not the man.

looking forward to any response.

 

[Cell_C]

Hello Lars

The last time I wrote an open letter you and CELLC were fantastic, so forgive me for another one but I hope I will be lucky and get another response.

As you know I have two RBM HD 200 phones, had them for a while now. I have had issues with them for quite a few weeks but I never complained about them, however I have had enough that I am stuck paying R500 a month for 2 years on something I can't use.

We are having the following issues:

HARDWARE:

These phones have serious issues with wireless, losing connection, struggling to get a DHCP address, wireless not working once phone has gone from standby mode to normal mode (even with power saver disabled)

Plugging in a pair of headphones for audio only gives me mono at best, in other words only one ear of any pair of headphones works. Believe me I have tried a lot of pairs and the same issue with both phones. I assume it has to do with the contact the headphones jacks and the phones.

Battery life is disgusting, if I fully charge it and leave the phone by its self doing nothing, neither lasts longer than 4 hours at most. If I am using the phone then I am lucky if I get 30 minutes out of it. In an act of desperation I flashed the original OEM firmware onto my phone (left my wifes the RBM firmware) and I still have the same issues.

NETWORK:

Calls are dropped the whole time even while I am standing still and have full coverage. Other users can't hear me or I can't hear them, sounds like a fax on the one side. Not sure if this is these phones or the network?

Data constantly goes from CELLC network to roaming where I can't get any data. Again this issue both phones different locations, however my CELL C blackberries don't have this issue. So once again network or phone?

I am not someone to moan and in fact I praised you personally Lars for organising these as I know it was a headache but I actually regret getting these phones as they are as good as a door stop. I haven't spoken to my local CELL C store as they became even more rude once your staff got personally involved so as a result I refuse to even look at Somerset Mall store again.

Any assistance would be appreciated

Good Day Linoman

Please can you PM detail, i'll contact you asap.
to help resolve this for you.

Regards
~AM~

 

[Lino]

WIll be sending you a PM shortly

 

[Budza]

Keep us posted here too. Don't keep it all private...

Hope they sort you out.

Sent from my Desire HD using MyBroadband Android App

 

[ajules]

Sent from my Desire HD using MyBroadband Android App

LOL....Talk about rubbing it in!!!!



Sent from my Desire HD using MyBroadband Android App

 

[Lino]

Thanks guys, have sent CELL C rep on the forum my contact details. Will see what happens from now on

 

[xrapidx]

I think the OP should have posted this as a PM to Lars...

But then it wouldn't be an open letter?

 

[ginggs]

My wife hasn't been able to connect her RBM HD to our wifi network at home since she got it at the beginning of April.
...
She's complained about dropped calls, being unable to make calls and people she speaks to have complained about a sound like a dot matrix printer in the background, possibly the fax noise you refer to? We have been able to establish that this noise only occurs when the phone has switched over to 2G.

Still waiting for a response from Cell-C.

Add frequent switching from 3G to 2G and rebooting to the above problems.
I don't believe the problem is coverage, my Nokia N900 with a Cell-C SIM shows -87dbm (full bars) indoors on 3G, the RBM HD right night to it has switched to 2G. My wife has now removed the Red Bull SIM from the RBM HD and is using it in her old iPhone 3G which unfortunately cannot do UMTS 900. Call quality with the iPhone on 2G is crystal clear.

Cell-C, this RBM HD (aka Huawei U8800 IDEOS X5) is unusable, what are our options?

 

[Cell_C]

Still waiting for a response from Cell-C.

Add frequent switching from 3G to 2G and rebooting to the above problems.
I don't believe the problem is coverage, my Nokia N900 with a Cell-C SIM shows -87dbm (full bars) indoors on 3G, the RBM HD right night to it has switched to 2G. My wife has now removed the Red Bull SIM from the RBM HD and is using it in her old iPhone 3G which unfortunately cannot do UMTS 900. Call quality with the iPhone on 2G is crystal clear.

Cell-C, this RBM HD (aka Huawei U8800 IDEOS X5) is unusable, what are our options?

Good Day ginggs

we have been looking into it, we think must be the firmware.
I'm trying to see what can be done, or to get firmware on the Cell_C site.
keep thread posted.

Regards
~AM~

 

[ginggs]

we have been looking into it, we think must be the firmware.
I'm trying to see what can be done, or to get firmware on the Cell_C site.

Thanks for the update. So Cell-C are able to reproduce these problems? Does an updated firmware already exist, or must this still come from Huawei?

Another problem we've picked up, the 12-key PhonePad setting under Settings / Language & keyboard / Huawei IME does not "stick". At first we found we could enable it, but when we returned to the menu it was disabled again.

I disabled Pinyin and HandWriting under Settings / Language & keyboard / Huawei IME / Input Langs, and then the 12-key PhonePad stayed enabled, but then we found the setting is lost again after a reboot.

The reason this setting is important is that my wife found that with the phone in portrait orientation, the default qwerty layout was too cramped and it often led to incorrect key presses.

 

[morkhans]

There are some custom ROM options over at XDA

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1059753
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056116
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1072552

 

[Lino]

Not a firmware issue, I have the original firmware on my phone and RBM on my wifes and both devices have the same issue. As to the audio issue that is a physical hardware fault

 

[bavmorda]

Hi Linoman,

did you get anywhere with your phone. I'm using Huawei phone and I'm having exact same problems as you. Disconnects while i'm on the call. Suddenly i'm not receiving any calls because the phone goes in emergency mode only and i have to put my sim number. I'm charging the battery at night in the morning battery is flat and i have to charge it again. The list goes on and on i don't want to repeat Linoman again. Going to CellC store tonight i had enough. I'm not using this peace of crap anymore. I'm busy during the day and i need a cell phone that works and that thing just does not. I don't really care if it is a phone problem or Cell C network but im not paying another two yers for that service.

 

[ginggs]

did you get anywhere with your phone. I'm using Huawei phone and I'm having exact same problems as you. Disconnects while i'm on the call. Suddenly i'm not receiving any calls because the phone goes in emergency mode only and i have to put my sim number. I'm charging the battery at night in the morning battery is flat and i have to charge it again. The list goes on and on i don't want to repeat Linoman again. Going to CellC store tonight i had enough. I'm not using this peace of crap anymore. I'm busy during the day and i need a cell phone that works and that thing just does not. I don't really care if it is a phone problem or Cell C network but im not paying another two yers for that service.

In which city are you, and when did you get your phone?

Send Cell_C a PM with all your details, I'm sure he will be able to sort you out.