I finally switched over from GSM to Verizon a few months back because of the Motorola V710 bluetooth enabled phone Verizon touted in its ads. Verizon has the best network bar none and they often take advantage of their network superiority by locking customers into longer-term contracts and now intentionally disabling features on their phone. I wrote about Verizon disabling bluetooth features on the V710 in October of 2004.
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Motorola V710 with Crippled Bluetoth |
Generally I have been unhappy with the bluetooth capabilities of the phone as not only can I not sync with a PC to download address books or photos, etc, I also have problems connecting the phone with a few of my bluetooth headsets. I have searched the web and haven't seen anyone duplicate these problems. Basically, the headset and phone don't work well together, meaning a call can't be answered in the headset but must be manually transferred every time. SonyEricsson bluetooth integration is an order of magnitude better and I am not sure whether Verizon, Motorola or both are to blame. I got to thinking about this when I discovered some California residents are suing Verizon over the intentional disabling f bluetooth features.
Verizon's defense is likely that they own the network and subsidize the cost of the phone so they should be able to disable whatever they want. They have a point. Car companies often disable engine performance in some cars and sell them as entry-level vehicles. Why can't Verizon do the same? The best solution is to allow a high-end version of the phone for more money that has all the bluetooth functions you could ask for. That would solve the problem and keep Verizon from getting trashed on message boards all over the web.
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I tried to send the following to Verizone via their "Customer Support" web page, but that page malfunctioned. Nevertheless here are my thoughts.
BTW How does GSM service via Cingular compare with Verizon? Does Cingular try to "boink" their customers like Verizon does?
"My phone, Moto V710, is good in all respects except for the fact that Verizon felt
the need to disable contacts synching via Bluetooth. Pity; when my wife and
daughter's Sprint contracts expire this fall, I would move them to Verizon but for
Verizon's thumbing your nose at V710 users by denying us full Bluetooth
functionality.
Perhaps I should have gone with a GSM provider. Perhaps I'll start my wife and
daughter with a GSM service and move to GSM myself once my Verizon contract
expires next year.
That sucking sound you hear is your loss of customers whom you have abused.
If I'm wrong and there is a Bluetooth contacts xfer capability for my V710, I would
be happy once again.
Lee"