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- 02-09-2004, 08:44 AM #16TechGeekGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (TechGeek) wrote:
>
> > "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:<[email protected]>...
> > >
> > > = Customers may be better off buying a phone from Costco or a major
> > > Department store chain, who will stand behind the phone for defects that
> > > their carrier won't (or claim they can't cause cellular manufacturer
> > > won't reimburse them).
> > >
> >
> > First of all, the main reason why these wholesale clubs are so lenient
> > on their return policy is because not only are the ymaking money in
> > selling the products, WE PAY A MEMBERSHIP FEE.
>
>
> Major Department stores do not charge a membership fee.
And what magical department store who sells Sprint or AT&T (since you
posted this in those newsgroups) phones is willing to take them back
for ever for whatever reason? You really think wireless companies
just don't exchange any phones? I will invite you to sit a day in my
shoes and see the number of replacements my store processes, even ones
that "shouldn't* be ordered.
We can easily eliminate national chains like Sears, Target, Walmart,
since none of them sell Sprint or AT&T wireless phones, or at least
any of the ones I have been to.
› See More: Other cellular facts FAQ
- 02-09-2004, 08:50 AM #17TechGeekGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (TechGeek) wrote:
>
> > "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:<[email protected]>...
> > >
> > > = Buying accessories from your Carrier is the MOST EXPENSIVE way to get
> > > cases, car chargers, etc. Places like Target or Wal-Mart have good
> > > selections of cellular accessories, typically at half the price or
> > > better.
> >
> > Sorry, I have to disagree.
> >
> > Sure, you can go to Walmart, a gas station, a flea market and but
> > chargers etc.. for much less, but these chargers ar enot tested nor
> > approved to work with the device, and ma cause serious problems.
> >
> > Remember the rash of exploding batteries last summer in Nokia phones
> > over in Europe? The cause? Cheap chargers and batteries.
>
> How many is a rash? 5 out of 50 million?
It was somewhere between 5-10 batteries that were reported, but you
missed the point by a mile.
The point was, since you can't figure it out, that these exploding
batteries were caused by cheap chargers and abtteries.
I see swolen batteries, which means that the battery is improperly
charged and over-charged. What chargers are used? Cheap flea-market
chargers (or Walmart / gas station).
The reason why they're so inexpensive is because they're cheap, they
cut corners, like overcharge protection, trickle charge, voltage
regulatores, fuses etc.
And if they do damage your phone, like you said in another part of the
post, take it to Walmart (or the flea market / gas station) and see if
they'll even exchange your phone since the unapproved product they
sold you damaged it, I'm sure the wireless carrier won't.
- 02-09-2004, 12:33 PM #18planeGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
[email protected] (TechGeek) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] (TechGeek) wrote:
> >
> > > "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:<[email protected]>...
> > > >
> > > > = Buying accessories from your Carrier is the MOST EXPENSIVE way to get
> > > > cases, car chargers, etc. Places like Target or Wal-Mart have good
> > > > selections of cellular accessories, typically at half the price or
> > > > better.
> > >
> > > Sorry, I have to disagree.
> > >
> > > Sure, you can go to Walmart, a gas station, a flea market and but
> > > chargers etc.. for much less, but these chargers ar enot tested nor
> > > approved to work with the device, and ma cause serious problems.
> > >
> > > Remember the rash of exploding batteries last summer in Nokia phones
> > > over in Europe? The cause? Cheap chargers and batteries.
> >
> > How many is a rash? 5 out of 50 million?
>
> It was somewhere between 5-10 batteries that were reported, but you
> missed the point by a mile.
>
> The point was, since you can't figure it out, that these exploding
> batteries were caused by cheap chargers and abtteries.
>
> I see swolen batteries, which means that the battery is improperly
> charged and over-charged. What chargers are used? Cheap flea-market
> chargers (or Walmart / gas station).
>
> The reason why they're so inexpensive is because they're cheap, they
> cut corners, like overcharge protection, trickle charge, voltage
> regulatores, fuses etc.
>
> And if they do damage your phone, like you said in another part of the
> post, take it to Walmart (or the flea market / gas station) and see if
> they'll even exchange your phone since the unapproved product they
> sold you damaged it, I'm sure the wireless carrier won't.
You make good points but; it's the phone circuitry which controls the
charging, not the charger cord, who's pourpose is to deliver current
to the phone circuit. Probably more difficult to design a battery,
esecially with lion batteries---but most of this stuff comes
essentially the same place (s), and even with the tighter quality
control, there is still some failure rate with their products,
batteries, cords, as well as phones.
Like every thing else, absolute perfection is impossible, and to
approach it is very expensive; thus with the greatly reduced price for
the cheaper products, there will be more problems, but if there are
only slightly more failures, then the reduce costs makes them worth
while.
I do not encourage someone to use a after market product, but the cost
difference in a $30 cord and one for $5 is too much ----I usually get
2 or 3 of the cheaper ones, so that I have more of them to lose or
look for.
The biggest problem I have had with batteries is a misrepresentation
of their capacity---but the last one(s) I bought were perfect, and
very affordable, in my view.
- 02-09-2004, 08:09 PM #19TechGeekGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
[email protected] (plane) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>>
> You make good points but; it's the phone circuitry which controls the
> charging, not the charger cord, who's pourpose is to deliver current
> to the phone circuit. Probably more difficult to design a battery,
> esecially with lion batteries---but most of this stuff comes
> essentially the same place (s), and even with the tighter quality
> control, there is still some failure rate with their products,
> batteries, cords, as well as phones.
>
While that's partially true, in the charger itself is the curcuitry to
turn the wall plug's 120V AC at (I forgot how many) 1Amp, down to the
5V DC 1Amp that the 'standardized' charger suppies. Even in the past,
the desktop chargers, and regular plugin chargers, open them up,
you'll see the curcuitry I'm talking about (unless it's one of those
that the charger for the phone plugs into a base unit, like with the
9155 base charger Spirnt stores sold seperately).
It's very similar with car chargers, it has to get down form the 12V
DC to the 5V DC that the phone can use, the phone can't have the
curcuitry inside to convert the power from what is supplied to what is
needed (one way they kept the size of the phone down).
The power coming out of the charger should be consistent, and with
these cheap chargers, you run a higher chance of it not being
consistent, and you run a higher chance of it causing an issue with
the phone.
Not only that, you're dealing with lower quality wiring, possibly a
higher resistance wire which would generate more heat, and require
more power from the wall plug or car charger. Also factor in thinner
wires, which would also generate more resistance and possibly break
(open circuit) much sooner with normal use.
> Like every thing else, absolute perfection is impossible, and to
> approach it is very expensive; thus with the greatly reduced price for
> the cheaper products, there will be more problems, but if there are
> only slightly more failures, then the reduce costs makes them worth
> while.
>
I'll agree there, but buying a $5 charger to save $25 then less than a
yeat later have to spend $200+ on a new phone wouldn't be worth it.
>
> The biggest problem I have had with batteries is a misrepresentation
> of their capacity---but the last one(s) I bought were perfect, and
> very affordable, in my view.
I've seen many aftermarket batteries, and my customers are usualy
complaining about their life, I'll admit, I am sure I don't see a
fraction of them, but (industry standard of a "good" battery is 80%
max capacity or more) when testing the ones that come with the phone
or that we cell, I rarely see a failure below 70%, while with these
3rd party, I see some as low as 10%, even 30% for "extended" batteries
(and the % is in comparison to a "perfect" standard battery).
I'm sure a lot of these chargers work fine, but I am consistently
seeing people screaming because their $3 flea market charger won't
work from someone claiming to be a Sprint PCS kiosk, and we won't
exchange it.
People don't realize that companies are out there to make a buck and
don't care if it breaks your phone, they make it, sell the bulk to a
marketing firm or wholesaler, they package it and send them out to
make a buck for themselves.
If you but a 3rd party / aftermarket accessory for your wireless
phone, be prepared to have the provider not exchange it or your phone
if problmes arise because of it.
- 02-10-2004, 12:11 AM #20JosephGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 22:55:35 GMT, "Robert M." <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Where you buy a cell phone need not be where you have it serviced.
>
>Any cellular carrier will provide firmware upgrades and PRL updates to
>their phones regardless of where purchased, so there is zero
>contradiction.
Many carriers do *not* do firmware upgrades. Voicestream used to do
firmware upgrades, but do not do it any longer. When they did do
upgrades only the major stores would do it.
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- 02-10-2004, 10:35 AM #21Jason VigoGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
FAQ? Where are the questions?
- 02-10-2004, 10:40 AM #22Bob SmithGuest
Re: Other cellular facts FAQ
"Jason Vigo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> FAQ? Where are the questions?
The creator of that alleged FAQ doesn't answer questions ...
Bob
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