Phone upgrade

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 4:19 pm

This may go on a bit.......bear with me.

I have been without a phone all this past week.

All I wanted was an upgrade.

I chose the new model, called them up and it was there.....next day, bloody brilliant.

On opening the box, discovered it had what I later believe to be a nano sized Sim card.(The smallest?)

Problem being the Sim card aperture was micro sized, so an adapter was supplied.

The sim card fits in the adapter into a rebate, you then have to turn the whole lot over so the golden bit of the card fits against the phones terminals.Upon pushing them both into the little slot, gravity took over and the sim card and the adapter seperated, leaving the adapter alone to enter it's slot. The wire terminals sprung into place to retain the sim card in its place.......except the sim card wasn't there. To withdraw the adapter now is almost impossible as the wire prongs act like barbs.Destroying the adpapter is the only way of retrieving it.

I called them up, they replaced the adapter and sim card, same again, the terminals were blocking its entrance. Another phonecall and they said we will replace the phone.Next day a new phone, sent the old one back, opened the pack.......no sim card or adapter, only really need the adapter, so ordered one on Ebay 99p.

Phoned them up to tell them they are shite......in a nice way....and I was awaiting a replacement adpapter from Ebay.

Today got the adapter, put the sim card into the much better adapter, pushed it home perfect, assembled the phone, switched it on, Sim card invalid. Oh deary me a say, I shall have to change that card for the other one. Took it out, no bother, put the new card into the adapter, slotted it into phone......they parted slightly....adapter went in, leaving card behind.

Back to square on............getting the adapter out disturbed the prongs of the terminals, lifting them so as to bar the way.

Does anyone know why they don't use micro or nano or standard sized Sim cards in the appropriate size slots ?

The Sim card is issued by the service provider, so supposedly to their own specification not the phone makers............why not supply a card that fits the bloody phone ?

Am I missing something?

Apart from my phone I mean.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 6:59 pm

I presume the carriers do what costs them the least and thus creates the largest profit. If some phones require a nano sim, it probably costs the carriers less to buy all nano sims and supply cheap adapters.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:52 pm

Oh deary me a say, I shall have to change that card for the other one.

Something tells me you didn't say "Oh deary me" .........:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:10 am

The simple solution is to be provided with the correct part for the handset - a standard micro-sim (ie. a standard sim with a pop-out micro-core area). Every service provider is capable of that as a standard procedure, some screwball twerp in their warehouse made a mistake and that's the reason your problem started in the first place.

I think you ought to name names - who's the service provider and which is the handset.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:35 am

I'd like to say "gee never heard of THIS problem before" ..........but alas Bruv is just another. Sorry bruv.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:00 am

Týr;1442224 wrote:

I think you ought to name names - who's the service provider and which is the handset.

I am still in negotiation, thats why I didn't name and shame.

I use the same name on their forum, and am expecting a phone call between 12.00 and 1.00 today.

I don't use the phone much, it is needed for my work mainly.

Its a Nokia Lumia 520 and the provider is Virgin.......there I have said it........hope no employees visit here, else Im doomed.

I have decided that I shall tell them to take it back and provide me one that doesn't need an adapter.

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:51 am

I have a Virgin sim in my phone on their 8p tariff. I quite like the company though their cable operation screwed up a perfectly good online support system when they bought out Telewest/Blueyonder. Their mobile online support seems effective, I created an account there and it hasn't failed me yet.

After what's happened to your upgrade they ought to jump through hoops on your behalf.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:39 pm

I should be getting another phone tomorrow.

I phoned today and went through the story again, was put on hold for a technical guy to chat to me.

I went through the story again, insisted I was not a fumbling idiot, that I earn my living by the dexterity of my hands and my practical ability. At one time he said he couldn't trust the adapter from Ebay not to damage the phone, I thought I had lost him. He went away again.I went through the procedure of putting the sim card into the adapter and it should have an adhesive film to retain it rather than the rebate that did nothing when inverted and angled to press home, and if the idea was to cause problems then they had succeeded.Asked him why they didn't supply sims to fit, and wouldn't it be more reasonable, given the problems I was getting.

He was coming over to my side, they supply only two types of sim cards with adapters, I said I would never want a phone with an adapter, and he agreed.

I selected a ZTE Blade V, I shall bundle the other on up ready to exchange for the new one tomorrow.

Anyone want a gel cover for a Nokia Lumia 520 ?

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:42 pm

that I earn my living by the dexterity of my hands and my practical ability.
:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

You're poor aren't you ? :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:44 pm

fuzzywuzzy;1442264 wrote: You're poor aren't you ?

As a church mouse....

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:46 pm

Yeah me too . Shouldn't rely on that dexterity thing

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:39 am

Update......

When they changed the previous phone the courier arrived and when I extended my hand to accept the new parcel he smile and said No sir, with a Polish accent and indicated he wanted the other phone back first.

Today same bloke, I went to door with the old phone but he had no knowledge of the exchange, in the end he got me to sign his sheet and took the old phone.

Opened the rather large (by comparison to the size of a phone) box and looked at its contents.

The rifled through them again and again to double check........no bleeding Sim card......who would have thought it?

Phoned customer support pressed through the options, seem to think they were the same as last time, then a dead line, no muzak.......just silence, no "We value you custom" ect.....just silence. Phoned again.....same again, doubted they would be on tea break, perhaps they don't work weekends......when most people would want to call them, as it happens.....but thats OK.

Phone Technical support.....got through....ulrikakakakah.....introduced myself went through the saga.

Apparently the new Sim card will be sent out Monday................you couldn't make it up.

Tempted to try the nano card I have already........with the other adpater from Ebay.......no I wont.....far too risky.....I shall wait, whats another couple of days anyway?

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Sat Dec 07, 2013 8:19 am

They're very different phones, the first had Windows on it and the replacement has Android. Either takes getting used to. Reeding the manual helps.

If they're sending out a new Sim for this phone, why on earth wouldn't they send out exactly the same thing for the old one.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Dec 07, 2013 11:29 am

Týr;1442338 wrote: They're very different phones, the first had Windows on it and the replacement has Android. Either takes getting used to. Reeding the manual helps.

If they're sending out a new Sim for this phone, why on earth wouldn't they send out exactly the same thing for the old one.

It's reAding..........

Anyway.......when I spoke to the nice man yesterday he said they do two sim sizes only. The regular and nano size (if the nano is the smallest)

I told him I didn't want a phone with the need of an adapter, so we both chose this one (I had looked at this as my second choice)

Actually I am glad to change cos I didn't like the Windows part of the deal...........I am a rebel and have my reputation to think of.

I shall have to download the manual.....that must come as an extra.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:18 am

The postman has been and gone, no Sim card.

Phoned Customer Support they confirmed the sim card was posted Saturday, so Christmas post and a lack of urgency on their part means it may arrive tomorrow.

The mobile phones arrive next day without fail by courier.

Got to be getting on for two weeks now without a phone.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Dec 14, 2013 6:06 pm

Update....

I have my new sim card, have had it since Tuesday,went in no bother, have spent some time feeling my way around the phone.

Disabled a few things as I thought Google didn't need to have access to my phone too......every other thing that was pre-installed had Google in its name.

Then I looked around for some Apps........(listen to me)

Found there was a Facebook App, and you can use that to sign in for several things.

Visited here and was advised I could use a proper App designed for forums........so installed it.

Got an App for scanning barcodes too..........so much fun.

Facebook messenger a dedicated messenger all synced to FB...........marvelous.

Somewhere along the line I believe I signed up for Gmail, they made me, it was a requirement......I think.

Tonight I found there was a Skype for mobiles, thought I would put the same info as I have on the PC, but messed the password up so asked to change it. After retrieving the email on my PC and changing the Password on my PC logged in on my PC to Skype only to find the Gmail account was also linked to it......and what really blew me away.......the picture linked to the account was a selfie (a self taken photo for you dinosaurs)......wait for it, that was only taken this week and was the one in my phonebook.......on my new mobile. And logged into My Virgin Media to see and create a bookmark on the phone and thats Googlised too.

It is really frightening, all those different accounts linked, though they call it synced.......they know who I call when I call, what I search for, on wifi or not..........and where I am when I do it. 1984 or what ?

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:48 pm

Well they don't need to clone us anymore . There's a little you inside that machine.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Dec 21, 2013 5:21 pm

Like any Windows PC, my new phone has far too much pre-installed.

I have discovered it is Linux based, and that it is impossible to uninstall stuff that is on it already, you can disable, but it's still there.

I downloaded an App that said it could delete my unwanted Apps, now it says I can't unless I go further into the workings by 'Rooting'.

Apparently it is possible to 'Root' the phone, to get under the built in defenses of the makers and tweak it to your own preferences.

Trouble it is easy enough to 'brick' the phone in the jargon of the tweak masters, and I don't know what is needed to keep and what can be safely wiped.

A lot of the stuff is interwoven with either Google and the makers of the phone or the providers or both as I understand it, tweaking something wrecks something else and voids the warranty.

Why can't you buy a basic phone and add what you want, rather than load the system with 'stuff' that may be clever but you don't need or want.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Sat Dec 21, 2013 9:55 pm

In the US, each wireless carrier adds their own bloatware to the phone, in addition to that added by the manufacturer.

It is possible to buy an Android phone with just the basic utilities installed, but it actually more expensive.