HTC Desire series

[ruggedtoast]

The only way to definitely avoid getting a future VF branded phone is to get a completely unbranded one now. You can buy it yourself or get one on contract from a reseller. Do an internet search to check you dont have VF firmware when you get it.

It would be nice to be more positive about this, unfortunately based on my experience the 191 staff sometimes provide information that is at best misleading, and corporate HQ are not averse to rewriting contracts, even if you were correctly advised at POS.

Desire and Galaxy S users have both been clobbered with unwanted branding updates that some users complain have affected their phones.

Vodafone backed down with the Desire but not with the Galaxy S.

I wouldnt bet against another one in the pipeline.

[Pie1862]

Do an internet search to check you dont have VF firmware when you get it.

Do you mean, as in some handsets I've had, that the homepage etc would be already set to VF if it were branded?

If so, and the one I have from VF is currently unbranded, is there any way of avoiding VF bloated updates?
i.e. would it be possible to just download updates from HTC and avoid the VF ones?

[EddyOS]

If your DHD is unbranded Vodafone can't touch you - all updates come from HTC

[Pie1862]

If your DHD is unbranded Vodafone can't touch you - all updates come from HTC

I got the phone as an upgrade from VF, there is nothing indicating it has any branding but could they update anything through the sim or do I essentially have a sim-free from VF?
Sorry if this sounds thick

[EddyOS]

If your ROM version is 1.32.405.2 with nothing after it your have a SIM free DHD

The only branded version I've heard of was on XDA and he has 1.32.405.2-T-MOB

[Pie1862]

If your ROM version is 1.32.405.2 with nothing after it your have a SIM free DHD

The only branded version I've heard of was on XDA and he has 1.32.405.2-T-MOB

It's 1.32.405.6, the latest on I believe.
Does this then mean that even though supplied by VF they can't touch it?

[EddyOS]

You should be OK

[Pie1862]

You should be OK

Nice, don't want any VF logo reminding me of the customer service nightmare to get this phone.

[EddyOS]

And I meant 1.32.405.6 - dunno why I put 2 at the end!!

[GeorgeStill]

I've got that, and got my update from HTC.

[Northern-dj]

Well if you get your phone after the 13th then maybe you will get branding we on the Samsung Galaxy s got stuffed by Vodafone on this and we still have not got this sorted do not believe anything VF tells you the only phone with no branding is the iphone cos apple will not let Vf touch it were hoping we get 2.2 soon cos the branding sucks makes our phone like a wildfire

[Reidar]

Hello Everyone

Thank you for your continued posts and questions.

As pointed out by Trev_Vodafone we do not have any information as yet, however once further information is made available we'll updtae accordingly.

Thanks

Reidar

eForum Team

[malcyL]

Hi Reidar

Thanks for the update - the second from a Vodafone administrator saying "No Information".

However, I have an update which perhaps you could also raise with your supervisors.

I've cancelled my Vodafone contract. Taking a previous posters advice I got a Desire HD from Carphone Warehouse.
But with no official comment from Vodafone, the previous problems with the original Desire, and the ongoing issue
with the Galaxy S, I couldn't risk putting it on a Vodafone contract. It's just not worth the risk. So I've left Vodafone.

While the people complaining about this issue for the Galaxy S are largely trapped into contracts and can not move,
I think Vodafone need to wake up to the fact that people are leaving because of this issue.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

MalcyL

[Reidar]

Hello MalcyL and thanks for posting.

It is indeed a shame that you're leaving, I'm sure you can appreciate that this is not our intention. As in all cases we look to deal with issues as quickly as possible and at the moment there are still no further updates to the above.

We will continue to follow this up, however, and make the necessary announcements as more information becomes available.

Reidar

eForum Team

[cjm1979]

Hello MalcyL and thanks for posting.

It is indeed a shame that you're leaving, I'm sure you can appreciate that this is not our intention. As in all cases we look to deal with issues as quickly as possible and at the moment there are still no further updates to the above.

We will continue to follow this up, however, and make the necessary announcements as more information becomes available.

Reidar

eForum Team

I know that you are restricted by your superiors with what you are told / can say but there is no way that by now the appropriate department does not know the answer.

[Ashimema]

Agreed with the above, I will be cancelling my contract within the 14 day cooling off period now AND my company will not be doing any further business with Vodaphone unless they wise up and come up with a solution for this asap! 

I can fully understand a little branding and for example don't hugely care about the Vodaphone Splash screen on startup, or having the 360 app installed at purchase.  What I cannot abide by is the addition of a whole bunch of tiralware games and apps that cannot be uninstalled!  It's unprofessional to go around with a phone with lots of half working trialware games installed!

I feel it is an insult to the customer paying an obscene ammount for thier contract to have to put up with expired trialware on thier phone's!

[Northern-dj]

There branded all the HTC Desire Hd phones have branding on unless you get it from CPW, On the Samsung Galaxys and any of there range we can de brand the phone. I'm looking into how to do this.

[EddyOS]

DHD can be debranded but it obviously voids the warranty

[d0md0md0m]

I have been told over the phone that it does not void the warrenty, but people on here says it does. So I havn't done it, if I could get an awnser in writing I would do it straight away. Its probably my OCD but whenever I use the apps menu it makes me annoyed that I see these apps and know they are on my phone and I can't get rid of them.

I really can't understand why vodafone would make such a stupid and undesireable mistake. It simply associates their brand with annoyance. I am currently looking for a way out of my contract.

[EddyOS]

Yes, it 100% voids the warranty as it's putting software not approved for it onto the device. If the Vodafone RUU is available you can put back the original software should you need to return it but I don't know if it's not out

This is why I always go the 3rd party route to get unbranded handsets