HTC vs. The World

[Rocco Augusto]

Why would the release of the first UMTS Windows Mobile Smartphone be marked with cries of agony instead of songs of joy? Well it wouldn't, as long as you live in Europe or Asia. Unfortunately for all of those on the left side of the pond, a recent blooper on behalf of HTC could leave many new MTeoR owners in tears.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/augusto-2006.08.09-htcbreeze.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/><br /><br />If you look at the circled areas of this image you can clearly see that HTC states that their new handset contains Tri-Band UMTS/Quad-Band EDGE and a jog wheel. This does not however appear to be the case at all. If you look closely to some of the photos Arne Hess recently took over at <a href="http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3232">the::unwired</a> you can clearly see that this device does not contain a jog wheel. Instead it contains a rocker type of dial which on any given day would not have upset me at all. However, the disappointment does not stop there. Closer inspection of the device's packaging (see image below) also uncovers that this handset only has the 2100 MHz UMTS band and is Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900). So if this is a Quad-Band device, where is 850MHz frequency?. That is a huge difference! While this device has not been released here in the North America, there are plenty of places online that will import it, which in turn means we will have people spending $400USD or more on a phone that has been falsely marketed. Do I think HTC did this on purpose? Not at all! I can say though that this is without a doubt a huge typo on their part and since these fliers have been out for a while I am highly disappointed that no one who works for HTC has picked up on this sooner. :( <!><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/augusto-2006.08.09-htcbreeze1.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/>

[rkdiddy]

I am, unfortunately, one of the early adopters that is extremely disappointed. I sold my 8310 and 8500 in order to purchase a Mteor in hopes of 3g speeds and a faster processor.

What I received was a phone that is not only non-compatible with the US's 3g network but also a phone that doesn't work at my home (since the towers around my house are 850mhz).

To say the least I'm a little miffed. I now have a $539 phone that is useless. I've contacted HTC with no avail. This is so disappointing...shame on HTC. :(

I'm now smartphone-less and stuck with a RZR with a blown earpiece.

Suck! :roll:

[Rocco Augusto]

To say the least I'm a little miffed. I now have a $539 phone that is useless. I've contacted HTC with no avail. This is so disappointing...shame on HTC. :(

i am so sorry. words can not express how upset i would be in your situation. have you tried contacting the seller of the handset to see if they will let you return it? if so, the Cingular 3125 should be out sometime in September so your wait shouldn't be that long for a new Smartphone :)

[Kris Kumar]

HTC till now was the best kid on the block - coming out with a new model every six months and frequent ROM updates, what more can you ask for? But this is bad. This blunder by the marketing department, by using the term "Tri-Band UMTS/Quad-Band EDGE" is simply misleading. :evil: It only has single UMTS Band and only Tri-Band GSM/EDGE support.

I see this as a bigger fiasco than the Moto MPx220 ear-piece volume problem. The only thing going in favor of HTC is that not many people would have bought this unit in the States (unlike the MPx220) because 3G is still being deployed.

I feel bad for the folks who paid top $$$ to get this unit. I hope HTC and the vendor refunds the money. That will definitely save HTC's face.

And the Jog Wheel on the marketing brochure, another mis-leading statement. It is just a rocker with up-down and push action. No 360 degree rotation like the Moto Q. :roll:

I know HTC has been trying to market its products and has upped the marketing budget, but this is not the right way. :twisted:

[Rocco Augusto]

Yeah, I'm ticked about the UMTS thing. Even though I detest how unpleasant the phone looks in pictures, it was still a 3G phone and I was even considering not waiting for the Blackjack to grab this bad boy... but then HTC decided they literally wanted to be the bad boy :evil:

Then again, I can easily see how something like this slipped past the "powers that be". Hopefully this little hiccup will just teach them to pay better attention to their marketing material. Also, I hope the vendors will allow North American users (and anyone else that doesn't use the 2100 band) to return their handsets.

[bnycastro]

I think some lazy marketing person just copied &amp; pasted the specs of the HTC Hermes aka HTC TyTn which has the scroll wheel and the Quadband EDGE and Triband UMTS, then another lazy marketing exec did not bother to proof read the material before releasing it to the press/public.
--
:arrow: HTC has fumbled the ball... although it is possible that the units they will be selling to NA carriers will be calibrated with the 850 band [i.e. it becomes triband for the US 850/900/1800], maybe the MTeoR is for EU and Asia only which uses the 800/900/1800 bands more. still this is a big boo boo for HTC.

[Kris Kumar]

... although it is possible that the units they will be selling to NA carriers will be calibrated with the 850 band [i.e. it becomes triband for the US 850/900/1800], maybe the MTeoR is for EU and Asia only which uses the 800/900/1800 bands more.

Good point. We haven't seen any announcements related to a North American version. Also HTC currently has two versions of the MTeoR, one for Europe and one for Asia with a front facing camera. So it is possible that they may have a third one hidden in their sleeves.

Europe: http://europe.htc.com/products/htcmteor.html
Taiwan: http://www.dopodasia.com/Dopod/Taiwan/Products/SmartPhone/595/

But overall this marketing goofup is bad. I am sure that someone will be getting fired over this.

[bnycastro]

But overall this marketing goofup is bad. I am sure that someone will be getting fired over this.
Yeah somebody should get fired for that kind of an error.

Also the Asia release has 800/900/1800 GSM and 2100 UMTS [atleast according to dopod Singapore] no mention of Quadband in it's specs at all.

http://www.dopodasia.com/Dopod/Singapore/En/Products/SmartPhone/595/spec.htm

[davidwsica]

I've also been duped by this HTC blunder. Hopefully, I can get a refund. Interestingly, I sent and email to HTC and received the following reply:

Hi David,

I am afraid that the different GSM bands are not as simple as a software update to enable/disable. The hardware of the phone needs to have a separate transceiver for each GSM band.

However, the MtEOR does support the 850 MHz band for North America.
Switching between bands is automatic and no software selection is necessary.

It Supports the following bands:
850/1900/2100MHz UMTS
850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE

CMDA networks such as Sprint, and the older TDMA networks are NOT supported by this device.

If the device is definitely not working on a 850MHz GSM network (I believe Cingular use 850MHz) I would suggest returning it to point of sale for a replacement.

Best regards,
Pete Whiteley
[email protected]
http://www.htc.com

[Kris Kumar]

However, the MtEOR does support the 850 MHz band for North America.
Switching between bands is automatic and no software selection is necessary.

It Supports the following bands:
850/1900/2100MHz UMTS
850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE


WHAT! 8O :roll: :evil:

So which is correct - the package, the flyer or the customer?

[Kris Kumar]

Thanks davidwsica, for providing the product box/manual photos. We used one in the main post and another one I am attaching over here for the benefit of our readers.

This one is from the manual - notice how HTC calls it Quad-Band, they have changed the definition for Quad-Band. :evil:

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-Aug06-HTCFiasco2.jpg

[davidwsica]

However, the MtEOR does support the 850 MHz band for North America.
Switching between bands is automatic and no software selection is necessary.

It Supports the following bands:
850/1900/2100MHz UMTS
850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE


WHAT! 8O :roll: :evil:

So which is correct - the package, the flyer or the customer?

It seems like HTC has some major confusion going on between what some think the phone is capable of and what is actually built into it.

[RoniXt]

This is really messed up. Can't SmartphoneThoughts use some press clout to get an official press release out of them and set things straight?

The product flyer at HTC Europe (http://europe.htc.com/products/htcmteor.html) also says that it's quadband GPRS/EDGE and triband UMTS.

[Mike Temporale]

I'm very dissappointed in HTC. This kind of mistake should never have happened. And now that it has, they should be jumping through hoops to make it right. So far, there has been no response from HTC other than a confirmation that the phone does not have 850 dispite the advertising that it does.

If they can't get the specs right on this ugly phone, I wonder how many mistakes there will be with the Excalibur. :?

[rkdiddy]

Thanks guys for the support. I'm going to contact the vendor I purchased the phone through and see what they can do.

Man it seems like HTC is just really confused...that is a scary thought! :roll:

I'm sure they won't but HTC should give us coupons or vouchers towards the purchase of our next phone. :) I think that would be a step in the right direction to making this right (besides updating their website/advertising materials and customer service people).

[Jerry Raia]

This is a huge mess and the silence of HTC so far is the worst part. Anyone can make a mistake. Now HTC is making it worse by remaining silent. This is a big stain on their reputation.

[subzerohf]

Although I agree 100% that HTC's documentation is confusing and misleading (Quad band), they did not print the number "850" in their literature, manual or brochure, did they? :?

[Rocco Augusto]

i wonder if they have ever head of product training? it isn't just a myth you know! it actually works! i promise!:)

[Sven Johannsen]

I'll likely get flamed, but I think you guys need to step back a bit. Quad means 4. The device covers four bands. The exact same 4 that my JasJar (an iMate branded HTC device) covers. Is that the four I care about here in Colorado? No, but I knew that when I bought it. I researched the purchase. folks in parts of Europe and the Mid East are perfectly happy with the 4 bands supported. Quadband doesn't mean 3G either. You used to buy a quadband phone because you were going to use it overseas. Was it guaranteed to work everywhere overseas? No. Head to Asia with a 'Quadband' phone and you were SOL too.

Standards are different around the world, and you have to do some research to understand what you are getting. It's not false advertising any more than the Tai food you burned your mouth on that the resturant owner said was mild.

[RoniXt]

Quad means 4. The device covers four bands. The exact same 4 that my JasJar (an iMate branded HTC device) covers.
Sorry, but I think you should check your sources more thoroughly. The documentation I linked to above says that it has...
Tri-band UMTS 2100MHz
Quad-band EDGE
Which clearly implies that it includes frequencies for the US.

There's no way to mix/match those 4 bands when it clearly states "quadband EDGE". Quadband EDGE means four frequency ranges for EDGE/GPRS and not a mix/match of EDGE and UMTS.

Additionally, 2100MHz UMTS is the US frequency for UMTS so there's no getting around that either.

[davidwsica]

Quad means 4. The device covers four bands. The exact same 4 that my JasJar (an iMate branded HTC device) covers.
Sorry, but I think you should check your sources more thoroughly. The documentation I linked to above says that it has...
Tri-band UMTS 2100MHz
Quad-band EDGE
Which clearly implies that it includes frequencies for the US.

There's no way to mix/match those 4 bands when it clearly states "quadband EDGE". Quadband EDGE means four frequency ranges for EDGE/GPRS and not a mix/match of EDGE and UMTS.

Additionally, 2100MHz UMTS is the US frequency for UMTS so there's no getting around that either.

Even Wikipedia agrees:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad-band

[Kris Kumar]

I'll likely get flamed, but I think you guys need to step back a bit.

Sven, I had been waiting for an opportunity like this to flame you. :wink: :lol: Watch out.

Quad means 4.

Yes it does.

The device covers four bands.

Quad-Band means four band. That is true. As RoniXt mentioned, I wouldn't call it misleading if HTC mentioned "Quad-Band" on the flyer. NO! They chose to say "Tri-Band UMTS / Quad-Band EDGE". That is definitely making false claims.

You used to buy a quadband phone because you were going to use it overseas. Was it guaranteed to work everywhere overseas? No. Head to Asia with a 'Quadband' phone and you were SOL too.

Probably they have CDMA. But most parts of Asia is on GSM.

It's not false advertising any more than the Tai food you burned your mouth on that the resturant owner said was mild.

Quad-Band EDGE or Quad-Band GSM is accepted industry wide.

As for Thai food, wish they could also standardize their star/spice rating; wouldn't that be something? :lol:

[Rocco Augusto]

I'll likely get flamed, but I think you guys need to step back a bit.

Oh! now you're going to get it! :twisted: (just kidding!)

Normally, I would agree with you 100%. When the story first broke on the Interweb, I was a little confused as to why everyone was so upset about it. I mean, it is just a tiny typo. No biggie!

Then the horror stories started pouring in and I started to hear about how many people out there purchased these handsets, at almost $500USD a pop. That is a fair chunk of change to just sit back and let it slide without saying anything. Think of all the users who grab their Smartphone news from sites like this one who would have most likely ran out and picked up this phone if we didn't give them the heads up :!:

I don't think this really is false advertising. That would mean that HTC did this on purpose and I love them too much as a company to even believe, in the slightest, that they would stoop down to that level. I mean, right now they are on the top of the Smartphone world. HTC is the company that all other companies strive to beat. I just think this was a stupid mistake that should have been caught months ago. I mean how long have these fliers been out? Doesn't anyone over there take a look at the collateral before its passed on to the potential clientele?

It's not false advertising any more than the Tai food you burned your mouth on that the resturant owner said was mild.

Oh, so now you're following me! 8O ;)

[Squanix]

Yes, the PDF files in the HTC Europe Web site have the wrong info about the frequencies supported. The info on the box and manual is correct. I do not know if Quad-band was the correct term to use or not. I guess if Quad-band means 4 bands regardless of the frequencies then it's correct but if we are to follow Wikipedia then I guess it is wrong. Looking at the manual, it says Quad-band module not Quad-band phone so don't know.

The MTeoR can only support

UMTS (2100 MHz)
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800/1900 MHz)

---------------
Additionally, 2100MHz UMTS is the US frequency for UMTS so there's no getting around that either.
----------------

RoniXT, I think the UMTS frequencies in the US are 850 and 1900 (Cingular). 2100 MHz is for Europe only. I may be wrong but this does not excuse the info in the brochures.

After reading the stories (just today) about the incorrect info, I have brought it to the attention of HTC. Hopefully, the info will be changed sooner rather than later (I know it is already too late for some and I know saying sorry won't help).

[davidwsica]

This may mean nothing at all but it's interesting to note that on the box that my MTeoR came shipped in is written in black permanent marker "1900". Hmm? Does that imply there's more than 1 variant of the MTeoR?

[Sven Johannsen]

OK, I'll back off a bit too. I didn't go look at the flyers that you say indicate "Tri-band UMTS 2100MHz, Quad-band EDGE", but without invoking 'generally accepted', 'industry standard', I'm not sure that still isn't literally accurate. Anyone know if the phone does indeed do EDGE? My JasJar (900/1800/1900/2100) doesn't support it, but my K-Jam(850/900/1800/1900) and SmartFlip (850/900/1800/1900) do. The K-Jam doesn't indicate it in any way, but DSL Reports speed checks confirm it.

I'm not sure I can support 2100 being the US UMTS band though. Everything I find says it's 1900.
http://www.novatelwireless.com/technology/umts-gprs.html
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1771328,00.asp
http://www.cellularaddict.com/articles/cinghsdpaumts.htm

I like HTC products too. Sorry that folks didn't get what they expected, and I will be surprised if some accommodation doesn't happen. While most of us probably have had an HTC device before, it likely didn't say HTC on it. I don't think they can afford to leave this sort of publicity while just starting to market under their own brand. I really expect it is just immaturity in the marketing side. It wouldn't be the first time an oriental company had issues writing copy for occidental consumption.

Thanks for the trouncing BTW. Haven't been beat up in a while. Makes me stronger, keeps me humble.

[RoniXt]

My JasJar (900/1800/1900/2100) doesn't support it, but my K-Jam(850/900/1800/1900) and SmartFlip (850/900/1800/1900) do. The K-Jam doesn't indicate it in any way, but DSL Reports speed checks confirm it.
I don't own the I-mate branded phones so I don't know what the boxes/manuals say, but the info at Club I-mate (http://www.clubimate.com/) for both the SmartFlip and K-JAM both confirm EDGE capabilities.

I'm not sure I can support 2100 being the US UMTS band though. Everything I find says it's 1900.
This article (http://www.umtsworld.com/umts/faq.htm) doesn't really say anything about 850/1900MHz UMTS, but combine it with the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS) article, and you get the sense that 2100MHz UMTS is a definate possibility.

Thanks for the trouncing BTW. Haven't been beat up in a while. Makes me stronger, keeps me humble.
Sorry, I do tend to get overzealous during these debates at times. :)

[TopDog]

Ahh... the joy of being a European :lol:

Sorry for rubbing it in... it's friday night, I'll just go :beer: and leave you guys to the flameing.

[Kris Kumar]

I really expect it is just immaturity in the marketing side.

I am also sure that it happened by accident, more because of the rapid growth, too many product launches and few people to handle all that is going on, read overworked people.

What worries me is that why is it taking so long for HTC to react.

[Kris Kumar]

BTW HTC has updated the specs on its Web site now.

But I didn't see any official statement from them about this error.

How are our readers doing? Were you able to get a refund?

[davidwsica]

How are our readers doing? Were you able to get a refund?

I was unable to get a refund from SamStores.com. However, I got an exchange for the IMATE SmartFlip which is working out well for me now. It'll hold out until I can get a decent Smartphone with a keyboard (i.e. Treo 750/Excalibur/Q).

David

[Kris Kumar]

I guess something is better than nothing. Given the specs of MTeoR, the SmartFlip is a better fit for the US market. Not to forget more stylish. :-)

[davidwsica]

I guess something is better than nothing. Given the specs of MTeoR, the SmartFlip is a better fit for the US market. Not to forget more stylish. :-)

Yea, it definitely has the cool factor going for it.

[Mike Temporale]

I guess something is better than nothing. Given the specs of MTeoR, the SmartFlip is a better fit for the US market. Not to forget more stylish. :-)

Right, but not as powerful. It's a shame, I would love to see and try a 300MHz Smartphone. Arne Hess from the::unwired has promised to bring his MTeoR along when I meet up with him in late September. I'm looking forward to seeing this phone in person and checking out the speed of it. Oh, and don't worry, I'll report back if I find it any less ugly in person. :D

[Rocco Augusto]

Right, but not as powerful. It's a shame, I would love to see and try a 300MHz Smartphone.

isnt the moto q a 300MHz smartphone?