Details here: http://www.motorola.com/blog/2012/1...-smartphone-and-you-may-qualify-for-100-back/
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Old news, actually, and it's useless since you're out of pocket for the full cost and they'll reimburse you whenever (could be weeks, months later). Motorola blew it with this ICS fiasco and screwing people in the process. It's already been worked out that the so-called $100 rebate thing works out to like $25 or so in the long run, and it's just a joke overall.
You'll note that page linked above says "we’re planning to roll out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to most of our devices first offered for sale in 2011 or later." and was just updated today, yet there is another page that's been up for weeks now that says the same thing but doesn't use the words "most of our" so, it's Motorola being stupid again. And it's not some damned typo either, but they can't be held to their own word and I and many other people are simply done with them for the most part.
I own a Photon and it'll be the last Motorola hardware I ever put actual cash into owning because of their flipflopping and basically lying to people over this whole situation.
If they want to give me a RAZR MAXX HD for all this crap, fine, I'd be happy to own one I suppose (even in spite of the many failings it has), but that's a foregone conclusion at this point.
Also, they changed it again apparently: originally it was going to be cash back to you in the form of a check and now they added that second section:
Provided in the form of a Verizon Wireless Gift Card, Motorola Visa Prepaid Card, carrier credit, or other equivalent at Motorola’s sole discretion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it ain't actual cash in the pocket, it's pretty much useless to me.
Now it looks like we could only buy photon q if you stick with sprint
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motorola no more
This is total BS. They came up with win-win solution. Sell more new phones making $100 less in profit on each, and make it a lame excuse for eliminating upgrade development costs. This is such a blatant disregard of the existing customers. How is it possible that a phone released on August 19, 2011 became and stayed outdated exactly 2 months later, when ICS was announced on Oct 19, 2011
---------- Post added at 08:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:18 PM ----------
Funny... I just posted a comment on the motorola-posts-list-of-phones-not-receiving-jelly-bean-confirms-which-phones-will-get-the-update page of the droid-life . com site. I said that JB upgrade table looks like ICS upgrade table a year ago. The one that got edited in Q3 2012 with Photon 4g no longer in it. My post stayed visible for 30 seconds and then was promptly removed
No real surprise, they can't even get the entire division on the same page, literally: one place says "most phones offered in 2011 and later" (which by using the word "most" gives them some room to maneuver with) and another page says "phones offered in 2011 and later" which means every phone they released in 2011 and up to this point in time.
That really irks me for some reason, it's the literal interpretation of the left side of the mouth doesn't know what the right side is saying.
Why even worry about that BS buyback program? If you have a MoPho, you're on Sprint and you have nothing coming from Motof**k. And the fact is, if you really want ca$h for your device, you'll get $150+ from eBay. Instead of whini g, we should do what we can to supportmymoto.com
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JohnH4 said:
Why even worry about that BS buyback program? If you have a MoPho, you're on Sprint and you have nothing coming from Motof**k.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, no, I'm not on Sprint, and many people like me aren't either considering the Photon is unlockable for domestic GSM use in the US (even though Sprint really didn't/doesn't like that happening). I use T-Mobile without issues, and I didn't get this phone from Sprint either so for me, Sprint is 100% irrelevant in this situation.
As for selling it, I've got mine listed on craigslist for $100 right now because I don't deal with eBay/PayPal and their ripoff tactics, plus I'd prefer cash in the hand but, still no bites. Sooner or later someone will most likely contact me about it - I mean a dual core smartphone for $100... what's not to love?
I'm just curious as to whether I'll be able to trade my Photon for $100 toward a Verizon Moto phone; if they'll allow me to get the rebate while crossing carriers. I'm done with Sprint in March when my contract comes up, but I still love Motorola. Not even sure if I'd need to root, as the main two reasons I root are for free hotspot and titanium backup, and I didn't even use titanium backup last time I went back to stock. I do love the Razr Maxx HD for its battery life and screen, and I still like Moto for the quality and reception.
^ Motorola doesn't care if you cross carriers. You just have to send in your Photon. So as long as you buy the new phone, they don't care. I'd leave under good terms, they might not honor the rebate if the ESN is bad. So yes, you could trade it towards a Verizon phone.
fester30 said:
I'm just curious as to whether I'll be able to trade my Photon for $100 toward a Verizon Moto phone; if they'll allow me to get the rebate while crossing carriers. I'm done with Sprint in March when my contract comes up, but I still love Motorola. Not even sure if I'd need to root, as the main two reasons I root are for free hotspot and titanium backup, and I didn't even use titanium backup last time I went back to stock. I do love the Razr Maxx HD for its battery life and screen, and I still like Moto for the quality and reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100 bucks is a horrible trade in value
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What if you could apply it towards an HTC instead?
LexLuger82 said:
100 bucks is a horrible trade in value
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not when your phone has cracked housing and scratched screen and you are very definitely in a Verizon area with not a lot of Sprint customers (Arkansas used to be Alltel headquarters until VZ bought them). I've seen photons nearly identical to the condition of mine on ebay for 125. I won't be able to trade mine in until March when my contract is up and the phone will devalue further. At that time, if the phone is still in the same condition it is now, I might be able to get a few extra bucks off ebay or maybe Craigslist if I get someone stupid, but the convenience of just handing it to the VZ person and getting my 100 bucks off a RAZR MAXX HD beats the effort behind making an extra 10 to 20 bucks.
---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:28 PM ----------
Lokifish Marz said:
What if you could apply it towards an HTC instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my personal taste... the Photon is my favorite phone I've ever had, and I have always liked the Moto smartphones (except for the QWERTY's) but I couldn't get them before because I was on Sprint. I didn't like my wife's HTC, and I didn't like my Epic 4g, my wife's Nexus S 4G, or my friend's Epic Touch. All had signal issues. The Photon is awesome with reception, and my buddy's Moto phones have always been the same.
I don't feel so betrayed by the lack of upgrade to ICS. The phone works fine until my contract is up and I can get away from Sprint.
Related
So my wife is up for an upgrade beginning of April. She has an Evo and its running like a dog and battery life sucks. I call up Sprint and ask if I can get her an early upgrade. There response is "No", we can't do that in our system. So I say you will not offer me anything if I pay the $50 termination fee. You would rather lose a 6 year customer than offer an early upgrade? No wonder they can't make any money. Was I talking to an idiot or is that Sprints business mentality?
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ssaggy said:
So my wife is up for an upgrade beginning of April. She has an Evo and its running like a dog and battery life sucks. I call up Sprint and ask if I can get her an early upgrade. There response is "No", we can't do that in our system. So I say you will not offer me anything if I pay the $50 termination fee. You would rather lose a 6 year customer than offer an early upgrade? No wonder they can't make any money. Was I talking to an idiot or is that Sprints business mentality?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats pretty much how it is.
I filed Attorney General complaints against them, I filed FCC complaints against them. I spoke to retention, wrote the office of the president.. I dont think I left any stone unturned.
Thats how I ended up here. I had an Epic 4G Touch and it was awful. Worst radio ever. All I wanted was a reset of my upgrade. I didnt get it. After months of suffering with a complaint failure of a phone, I bought a Photon out of pocket.
Im just waiting for my contract to run out and Im bailing. I may go back to TMobile. I had good luck with them and the customer service there was outstanding.
hell im buying out my contract and going to verizon. atleast i will get what i pay for.
it depends on the date you try to get early upgrades, they can do it, trust me, but if you fall within a certain time frame, they just can't, so just call back and see if you can get another person on the line, if they still give you lip, talk to customer retention *remember them, they are your friends* they'll work something out, especially since you actually want to stay with the company
I buy my phones at radioshack. They told me that usually they can get early upgrades approved if you're within 3 months of your eligible upgrade date.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
good info on the early upgrades! i have to say, i'm not the most pleased w/ sprint either. I live about 20 minutes from their headquarters and regularly get dropped calls from within my hope. their answer is to buy their in-home tower.. granted it costs money and you need internet service to run it (i use my phone to tether my internet so can't use tower anyway)
anyway, when all is said and done, i don't like the coverage, but the price is really unbeatable for what services you do get ... at least that's my opinion
also - they tell you to pay for the tower to boost your signal, but will give it to you for free if you threaten to leave due to poor signal (friends did it)
i know this is off topic but the reception thing is whats getting to me.. i just signed up for sprint today because they had the lowest deposit for my **** credit and i really wanted the photon. the phone should come in by saturday (i hope) but the reception reviews through sprint are both confusing and scary. a lot of people say the reception sucks worse than any other carrier but some say its the best they've had. also in may area some friends say they love the reception and free roaming where sprint isnt available (using verizons towers) and some say they barely get reception at all and if your not in a populated area you can forget about it. i have played with the photon out in the country FAR away from civilization. went through back roads and held a phone converstion for over an hour on the photon from the country all the way to the city taking back roads and it did not drop my call. this was just one area i know but still pretty amazing.
i guess the real question is.. how is the reception when roaming? i live in arkansas and sprints coverage map is pretty poor here with sprint coverage only in the major cities here and the rest is roaming. and like i said the reviews for sprint coverage vs roaming have been mixed. its hard to get an unbiased opinion because i do know that it has a lot to do with the phones radio and the basic phones which dont have as many frequencies as the smartphones
My problem with Sprint is the high bands that they are using. I never get Wimax indoors, and I often roam at work since it's underground.
T-Mobile uses high bands too, and Verizon is too expensive since they don't have a M2AM plan.
AT&T is actually the best fit for me even with their crappy costumer service. First Tegra 3 phone that comes out, and goodbye Sprint.
Sent from my Photon 4G using Tapatalk
I just did an early upgrade from sprint on 2 phone line,one was due to upgrade in june that one costed $45 and the one for july costed $55. and that's how i got the photon's. that was 2 weeks ago.
I find them to be all over the place. After going back and forth with the people at [email protected] I actually secured a 10 month early upgrade, but my wife's line that is out in April I had no such luck pushing for an early so she can get an iPhone. Even though it would only cost me like $35 to terminate her line all together they were willing to let her go than upgrade her. I think if you have a legit gripe (I did) and are willing to go the distance with them (took me 2 months) then you have a good chance at success. But, in the case of my wifes line where I just wanted an early upgrade, no such luck.
I always recommend emailing your concerns to [email protected]. Some one will call you back directly and then you will have a direct number to call back. This way you open a dialog with one rep.
I'm an 8 year sprint customer. I've lived and worked in the same place since I've signed up. The last 6 to 8 months, signal has been awful. Pretty much coinciding with the arrival of the iphone.
I guess quickly signing up almost 1 million new subscribers has taken a toll on bandwidth.
I bet they will get through this in 6 months to a year, but it sucks horrible now.
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Jeff_in_LA said:
I'm an 8 year sprint customer. I've lived and worked in the same place since I've signed up. The last 6 to 8 months, signal has been awful. Pretty much coinciding with the arrival of the iphone.
I guess quickly signing up almost 1 million new subscribers has taken a toll on bandwidth.
I bet they will get through this in 6 months to a year, but it sucks horrible now.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is why i hate the icrap, but some people are too "dumb" to realize that the phone is a huge waste of money
A2CKilla said:
this is why i hate the icrap, but some people are too "dumb" to realize that the phone is a huge waste of money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, how is it a waste of money? iPhone destroys any Android phone in build quality/software besides the fact that it's such a closed ass system.
Only thing that might top the software is Blackberry, when they release QNX to smartphones and make more powerful phones, cause they're really lacking in that department.
---------- Post added at 01:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 AM ----------
Jeff_in_LA said:
I'm an 8 year sprint customer. I've lived and worked in the same place since I've signed up. The last 6 to 8 months, signal has been awful. Pretty much coinciding with the arrival of the iphone.
I guess quickly signing up almost 1 million new subscribers has taken a toll on bandwidth.
I bet they will get through this in 6 months to a year, but it sucks horrible now.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My parents/family has been with sprint since before I was born, I am 22 years old now. And we don't get special treatment from sprint, the only way to upgrade early is if its the main line. The signal sucks in my city/county as well.
Plancy said:
Wait, how is it a waste of money? iPhone destroys any Android phone in build quality/software besides the fact that it's such a closed ass system.
Only thing that might top the software is Blackberry, when they release QNX to smartphones and make more powerful phones, cause they're really lacking in that department.
---------- Post added at 01:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 AM ----------
My parents/family has been with sprint since before I was born, I am 22 years old now. And we don't get special treatment from sprint, the only way to upgrade early is if its the main line. The signal sucks in my city/county as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i look at a phone as a long term investment, if i can't get the most out of something that cost 200-300 bucks that i will be stuck with for 2 years tops, it's a huge waste in my opinion, that's like buying a car and your not able to add all your accessories and spoilers to get the most out of something that's gonna be with you for a while, that's why i stick with android, blackberry is for businesses hands down, can't argue with that, so most people that get the icrap are just isheep or they refuse to spend money wisely...IN MY OPINION
NVM, this is going to become a heated debate. Either of these phones being better than one another is subjective, I personally thing, for my needs, iPhone is better, but I got this Motorola Photon for $250 off contract and I'm really enjoying it.
I got a free early upgrade because I had the Evo and kept replacing them. So I know if you are having issues you can get an upgrade that way.
Sent from my Photon via XDA
Great, here goes the resale of my Photon after I paid $630.00!
http://wireless.amazon.com/f/springsprint?tag=phandroid-20
I feel for you. When I bought my Photon, it was off CL and there was a zillion of them for sale. I seriously doubt the Photon has much resell value which sucks but at least its a solid phone.
I was chatting with another member who has Photon, cardock, HD Dock, smart controller, bluetooth keyboard for $650.00. I dont see this happening!
With the LTE announcement, honestly, I was just going to give my Photon away when the SG Note hits Sprint!
Hello,
At least on my local Craigslist, the Photons still fetch a decent amount. In addition, on Ebay, the prices are not in the gutter.
When it comes to upgrade, I am hoping the fact I also have the HD Dock, Motorola Bluetooth Keyboard, and Mouse, will bring a high enough amount to offset the next phone I get as I am eligible for an Upgrade after May 18th.
As a former Premier Gold Member, I have until December to take advantage of my last Annual Upgrade from what I have been told. I am really hoping Sprint comes out with another Motorola Flagship Handset before December. All I know is that whatever one I get must be LTE. I really hope it does not end up being a Crapple iPhone 5. From what I have read, the 5 will offer LTE and after my EVO3D experience, I am pretty soured from getting another HTC. Thus, the choices by December might be pretty slim.
J
@Jungle Jack, after I read your post I thought of something, my Photon cost $630.00 no contract, you can get Photon for $0.01, but your married to Sprint for 2 years and if you want divorce, it will cost you $300.00 or so anyway. Therefore, you could get a decent price from CL or FleeBay!
With that said, I have been playing with phones since early 2000 (BB!), this is by far one of the best phones currently on the market. We have a ton of Photon users that jump ship for SGII, then a month later come back.
The only thing I'm waiting on is Samsung Galaxy Note! Which when I played with it, is light years ahead of Photon! WAY faster (1.4Gzh Processor), Cool UI that you can draw and cut-&-paste with pen, true 1080P HD, and a beautiful TV for a screen!! (5.4")
I am amazed at the prices people are paying!
They are available on Craigslist in the cities I frequent (LA and NYC) for $200-$250 in NEW condition all the time.
And I agree, it is a GREAT phone. It just works the way it should 100% of the time. And battery life is way better than any other Android phone I have had.
Hello,
This is by far my favorite phone by leaps and bounds. Funnily enough, my second favorite was a Motorola StarTac that Sprint offered for a very limited time it seems.
Granted, being with Sprint since the late 90's, we did not always have access to be latest and greatest handsets.
It has gotten a great deal better starting with the HTC EVO 4G. I just wish Sprint and Motorola had a better relationship as I am quite fond of the Droid RAZR, but do not think we will be getting a Sprint version. I am simply hoping for simply a freshening up of the Photon before my Upgrade is void. With there reported to be a multitude of LTE Devices on their way before the end of the year, perhaps there will be a Motorola Android LTE Device...
Cheers,
J
and another thing, we have dual bands (CDMA and GSM) witch is another selling point driving the price!
dsims7_2000 said:
I was chatting with another member who has Photon, cardock, HD Dock, smart controller, bluetooth keyboard for $650.00. I dont see this happening!
With the LTE announcement, honestly, I was just going to give my Photon away when the SG Note hits Sprint!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when do you think the note will get to sprint?
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Equalizir said:
when do you think the note will get to sprint?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who knows but if I had to guess, this summer. At CTE, they stated Sprint and Verzion were getting it. AT&T has it. Rumors are hell! If they don't have it by beginning of July, I'm going back to AT&T!
dsims7_2000 said:
Who knows but if I had to guess, this summer. At CTE, they stated Sprint and Verzion were getting it. AT&T has it. Rumors are hell! If they don't have it by beginning of July, I'm going back to AT&T!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the notes awesome but I just can't see rocking that as a phone. Its so huge!
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Equalizir said:
the notes awesome but I just can't see rocking that as a phone. Its so huge!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but it IS a phone! (Its really not as big as you might think, I played with one at AT&T last Saturday) Yes bigger than a phone, smaller than a tablet. 99.9% of the time, Photon is in my pocket and the note fit into my pocket.
Not to mention, the Note has so many atvantages over Photon (and I mean noticable!) that, given one had the money or upgrade available, we be stupid not to IMO.
Except the Note is still a Samsung, so will gps/data/actually acting as a phone still suck?
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Edited to add:
Well if what they're saying on this thread about the AT&T version carries over to the CDMA version, Samsung may finally have figured out GPS...
dsims7_2000 said:
but it IS a phone! (Its really not as big as you might think, I played with one at AT&T last Saturday) Yes bigger than a phone, smaller than a tablet. 99.9% of the time, Photon is in my pocket and the note fit into my pocket.
Not to mention, the Note has so many atvantages over Photon (and I mean noticable!) that, given one had the money or upgrade available, we be stupid not to IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might pick one up next year if it comes to Sprint. But only if I can get a holster for it cuz I wear my Photon on my belt. Too much stuff in my pockets already lol.
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Equalizir said:
I might pick one up next year if it comes to Sprint. But only if I can get a holster for it cuz I wear my Photon on my belt. Too much stuff in my pockets already lol.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen a few on FleeBay but nothing really flips my wig? To be honest, I rarely use clip on Defender (Likely because it winter and I have a coat and need quick access?)
I'm really digging the Galaxy Note Presige Vintage G-Note Diary Series. Room for money and Credit Cards. And if it does not add too much bulk and still fits in pockets.................otherwise, I will continue to look at holsters also.
EDIT: BTW, Photon is not only phone for $0.01, they have a 4G yard sale! With the announcement of LTE, and the 2015 death date, they need to do 2 things. 1. Get you into a 2 year marriage you can jusitify. 2. Dump the inventory of WiMax Phones. I don't have WiMax where I live and will never get it, so a 4G phone means nothing to me over a phone that is solely 3G!
OK, #1, yes I know the forum rules (Not to bash, keep it clean, no religious stuff............) and I have not in my years here, broke them! BUT, I feel every now and then, I should be entiled to a free one? Today is that day!!
I say f**k Sprint! I was over at SprintFeed.com and Sprint has announced the EOL (End of Life) for Photon next month! I will tell you exactly why this pisses me off!!
#1 (Yea I know #1 is above, im starting over!). I went out and got the damm Evo for $500.00 summer of 2010. Last summer, Sprint blasted the TV with the Evo 3D but only one or 2 commercials for Photon. Photon, IMO, was and is, 100 times better than3D in every way, But Sprint blasted the damm Evo. I dont need a toy, I need a bussiness phone that will assist me in getting the job done. So I pay $638.00, no contract for Photon with 4G August 2, 2011.
#2. I work in IT, I have million $$$ ideas all the time, but it takes me 6 months to a year before anything actually gets done (plan, summary, approval, check, delivery) Therefore, with the November announcement of LTE, they knew damm right well when get got our phones, many of us, me included, did not have 4G and never would have it!! So the sales was entierly a lie!!!! (And to be honest, I cannot recall a TV commercial after August but I still see crap for the toy 3D!)
#3. If end of life is next month, then Q3 ICS is more smoke getting blown up our a**es!!
#4. With this announcement, my $638.00 Photon just became a worthless paperweight! Why? How much are you willing to pay me for my Photon, knowing that if it breaks or f**k's up one week later, your SOL? Seriously? This goes for anything in life! Would you pay top dollar for a I.B.M Thinkpad you know I.B.M no longer supports? NO!!!!
#5. Why is the original Evo still supported, but we did not even get a year? How come everyone got unlocked bootloader and ROM's out the a**? What did we get? Not a damm thing!!! (The development team here worked hard, but Sprint showed no support for them at all!!!)
#6. Also on SprintFeed.com, HTC and Sprint have big announcement April 4th where it is expected they will announce the new EVO for June 10th release date. If the spec's are whats expected, I will jump ship. Whats that gonna cost me?
#7. All so on that website, Wall Street had lowered the boom on Sprint. This means 2 things. They don't have the money they claim they have and could go bankrupt. and what happens to the LTE project and will I ever see 4G?
I just think, IMO, that this is a complete slap in the face to every Photon owner!!!
End of Rant!!
dsims7_2000 said:
#4. With this announcement, my $638.00 Photon just became a worthless paperweight!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh, that's so weird, my Photon is still working great. I hope the devs here at XDA can come up with some kind of mod that blocks the worthless paperweight update.
Its not that serious bro, its just a phone. I love my photon and there's nothing sprint can do to change that.
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Dude!!!..... I can't complain abut my Photon, the 4 months or so it has been with me has NEVER let me down one bit, to this day it is the BEST phone I have ever owned, the international capabilities which I was finally able to try on a trip to Mexico last week made me love it even more. I was able to use a Telcel Sim card and used all the features in my phone with no problems no errors no nothing.
(Actually to my surprise Telcel's 3G speeds are awesome compared to Sprint's)
But sadly every phones has an EOL and technology is improving every second..
I don't really see the point of even have a fit about it LOL
Seeing that I no longer work for Sprint I have no issue saying this. Sprint half-assed the handling of the Photon since day one. Considering Sprint's history with Moto Android phones they had no faith in Moto's product and made no real effort to support or push the Photon. This started before the phone was ever released.
Sprint had the update fix for the silent call bug over a month PRIOR to the release of the Photon. Instead of pushing the update on launch day they held off for a month before releasing the fix. So you have a new phone with a major bug that didn't get fixed til after the crucial launch month window had passed. Result, a new phone that doesn't work for enough people to kill sales.
Sprint advertising and sales training was also almost nonexistant. In many cases it was "and Moto makes phones too but who cares" kind of approach. I had setup a live WebTop display running Firefox streaming HULU in the store I worked in. Customers thought it was the Evo 3D and didn't even know the Photon even existed. The first response when told it wasn't the 3D was "Yeh but the 3D can do that too." and very rarely could you convince them otherwise.
In short, Sprint could care less if they ever sell another Moto Android phone and have treated the Photon with that mindset from the start. They can now go back to Moto and say "Look, your crappy phone doesn't sell so no Sprint for you."
Just because it will reach EOL status doesn't mean a whole lot to me. I started with the original Droid on Verizon and EOL was reached a loooong time ago on it and a small update was recently available for it! And there is still development going on for it as well. As long as we have some good devs that still care about it, EOL status is irrelevant.
oh well, fun while it lasted, i upgraded to the photon over my OG evo, loved it since day one, i recently went back to my EVO 3D, so when the ICS update comes out (as promised i hope) i'll update my photon and go back to it, but when it's completely gone, all i'll say is, i have a rare sprint phone (just like my echo) that not a lot of people have, and wait for the newest smartphone to come out
You do realize that all Wimax phones will be going EOL come about Summer when lte launches. And everybody else is right EOL just means they start to pull inventory from the stores no biggie. like the evo shift, epic, nexus, and trender i work at a store and we haven't gotten a shipment for them in 2 weeks and we are out.
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Agreed
As I'm sure MOST people who own a MoPho agree, this phone needs much more love from the dev community, I love this phone in it's natural form! I had an OG Evo 4G and modding it was the only thing I could do to keep it up and running. This phone KILLS IT out of the box! The Tegra 2 is incredibly smooth.
I really want ICS for it, but I'll have this MoPho for A LOT longer than my crap EVO.
Signed,
A faithful first time Moto owner
---------- Post added at 09:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:43 PM ----------
Also, If this phone IS EOL soon, does that mean it WILL get unlocked? Just curious if they didn't care about a phone anymore, they would UNLOCK the bootloader for us.
cman1084 said:
Also, If this phone IS EOL soon, does that mean it WILL get unlocked? Just curious if they didn't care about a phone anymore, they would UNLOCK the bootloader for us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. It means no updates,support or unlock from official channels. Sprint will still repair/replace it but short of PRL and critical security updates, the phone doesn't exist to Sprint after the EOL date. I'd also expect this to kill the ICS update as well as it will not have passed Sprint's internal "QC and testing" and I do not believe Moto has authorization for a direct push.
Lokifish Marz said:
Nope. It means no updates,support or unlock from official channels. Sprint will still repair/replace it but short of PRL and critical security updates, the phone doesn't exist to Sprint after the EOL date. I'd also expect this to kill the ICS update as well as it will not have passed Sprint's internal "QC and testing" and I do not believe Moto has authorization for a direct push.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope that's not true - since they've officially announced the ICS update for the Photon, I would hope they keep their word. Although I've been frustrated with all the dead links throughout the forums here, I have been still very happy with the Photon vs the Evo so far, it's an amazing device.
Sprint's got me barely hanging on by halving my bill while the network upgrades supposedly happen -- but if speeds don't increase and awesome devices like this aren't supported, I'll be joining the hordes jumping ship to Verizon.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
No religious stuff? Everyone knows Jesus is the way! If ya don't l, he is!
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
I hope this works out for Sprint. In two years, no iDen or WiMax networks. That should greatly cut costs.
I use to love Sprint, but now it's just like they're in the business of hooking you in for the business and then coming up with ways to increase your bill. I use to have 5 lines, all qualified for the company discount, then only 2, and now only 1. I've transferred my phone over to Google, so that moving forward I can switch between companies with minimal inconveniences. Sprint essentially has no high-end world phones....
OK, Most of you are missing the entire point! I have NO problems with my Photon. I LOVE MY PHONE!!!
Go back and read post #5 and #10 by lokifish Marz. Sprint s**t on this phone from day 1!! I said it in my OP, he confirmed it as a ex-Sprint empolyee!!!
I will tell you a funny story. August 20th 2011 my power button fell out, so I had to use my finger nail to cut it on/off. Me and 2 co-workers took it to Sprint at the Garden State Plaza on RT4 in New Jersey. Chick tells me, "I have one of the tech look at it!" No problem. This idiot comes from the back and the first thing out of his mouth, "Have you had this phone for 30 days or less?" Just like lokifish Marz said, no training and no marketing!
As for XDA Development, most of the heavy hitters have jump ship and do cleanup work here (which we are thankful!)
Now the new EVO is something to brag about, no doubt. But August 1st of 2011, This was by far the best phone available from ANY carrier, and Sprint gave it no love!
EOL would kinda suck as I was planning to keep this until March when my contract is up, then re-evaluate if I want to keep Sprint.
On the other hand, I do remember back in September the Evo 4g was on the EOL list for October. It still has not gone EOL. Then again that was a far more popular phone.
fester30 said:
On the other hand, I do remember back in September the Evo 4g was on the EOL list for October. It still has not gone EOL. Then again that was a far more popular phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its back on the list for "Early April". I dont get why EVO 3D is not on the list and Photon is?
Before getting the Photon, I had a Droid Eris on Verizon and I went through the same thing. Thanks to the xda devs and community, I was able to squeeze 2 years out of it. Before rooting and loading a custom rom, using the phone was a nightmare.
I guess I'm getting used to, and have the unfortunate luck, of buying the devices that receive the least support down the road. I chose Sprint, because I thought they were somehow less evil than Verizon but corporations will be corporations.
I still hope the Photon will have a long life after losing official support. I love the phone itself.
knG333 said:
Before getting the Photon, I had a Droid Eris on Verizon and I went through the same thing. Thanks to the xda devs and community, I was able to squeeze 2 years out of it. Before rooting and loading a custom rom, using the phone was a nightmare.
I guess I'm getting used to, and have the unfortunate luck, of buying the devices that receive the least support down the road. I chose Sprint, because I thought they were somehow less evil than Verizon but corporations will be corporations.
I still hope the Photon will have a long life after losing official support. I love the phone itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sounds very familiar to me, except for me it was the Palm Pre instead of the Droid Eris. I'm starting to think I'm a curse - if I like a phone, prepare for it to turn into a stepchild and let the bitterness begin. Maybe I should go buy an iPhone and see if I can kill it...
braindeadracefan said:
Maybe I should go buy an iPhone and see if I can kill it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for it! haha!
abrcrmdl23 said:
You do realize that all Wimax phones will be going EOL come about Summer when lte launches. And everybody else is right EOL just means they start to pull inventory from the stores no biggie. like the evo shift, epic, nexus, and trender i work at a store and we haven't gotten a shipment for them in 2 weeks and we are out.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you feel the Nexus is a good upgrade from coming EVO?
So far, Motorola's best response to us betrayed Photon owners was that they would buy our devices back for $100. After my initial excitement of Motorola's unending generosity died down, I realized that $100 isn't so generous after all.
-- Sprint will give you $63 for your phone.
-- Samsung will give you $75 for your phone. samsungupgrade.com
-- HTC will give you $75 for your phone. htctradeup.com
-- As of 10/2 used Photons are selling on ebay in good condition for more than $100 (search past listings for Photon 4G)
Essentially, excluding what you can get if you go to the trouble of selling your Photon on ebay, Motorola is giving us an extra $25, since they are requiring us to send in a device that does have some value elsewhere. Is $25 enough for you to stay a Motorola customer? That is certainly up to you. But you should at least be aware that other major phone manufacturers are not far off, and may very well provide better support.
jbot81 said:
So far, Motorola's best response to us betrayed Photon owners was that they would buy our devices back for $100. After my initial excitement of Motorola's unending generosity died down, I realized that $100 isn't so generous after all.
-- Sprint will give you $63 for your phone.
-- Samsung will give you $75 for your phone. samsungupgrade.com
-- HTC will give you $75 for your phone. htctradeup.com
-- As of 10/2 used Photons are selling on ebay in good condition for more than $100 (search past listings for Photon 4G)
Essentially, excluding what you can get if you go to the trouble of selling your Photon on ebay, Motorola is giving us an extra $25, since they are requiring us to send in a device that does have some value elsewhere. Is $25 enough for you to stay a Motorola customer? That is certainly up to you. But you should at least be aware that other major phone manufacturers are not far off, and may very well provide better support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. If I stay with Android (in spite of horrendous fragmentation), I go back to HTC. If not Android, I'll reconsider WP8 (had used WinMo up until 1.5 years ago).
I love my Photon HW, so really a shame what Moto has done.
I called Sprint and walked into a store asking if the Motorola credit was offered on top of the $63 they give you. They said they are not aware of any Motorola credit.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
refer them to this: https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/ci/documents/detail/2/motorola-jelly-bean-rebate_en-US
Is it even a credit?
I don't know if getting your rebate is contingent on it or not but on the website they bring up "If your phone is not updated to Jelly Bean we don't want you to miss out." Does this mean that they won't give the rebate if they do update your phone to JB?? Not sure, but I'd watch how they word their rebate contingencies.
It also requires you to purchase, or upgrade to another Motorola. So it's not really a credit, lol. You have to give up your phone, PLUS get another moto device, just to be eligible. I'll never go back to moto simply because they've started doing the stupidest thing ever and designed all they're new phones with built in batteries, my arch nemesis!! lol. They can keep they're money, and I'll keep my atrix.
Sent from my SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app
Agreed ...
It's not 100$ credit but they are actually making you to spend another/more bucks for upgrade ... why we upgrade if they failed to update
I've bought few months back then why i upgrade and spend more bucks for the same failed brand ...
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
Could somebody copypasta this info into the Official Support My Moto Campaign Thread? I've been at it for almost 20hrs and am really starting to pay for it.
Lokifish Marz said:
Could somebody copypasta this info into the Official Support My Moto Campaign Thread? I've been at it for almost 20hrs and am really starting to pay for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As requested, I have copy and pasted it.
I'm probably switching carriers, and probably going to get another Moto device. I love the radio/antenna/whatever it is that helps with reception, and the feel and build quality. I'm loving the way the droid razr maxx hd looks. I'm loving the other carrier at the moment. I know they screwed us on the Photon, but for the new phones they already seem to be doing better. Samsung took over a year to upgrade Epic 4g to gingerbread. They appear to have learned from that as the galaxy s3 looks to be getting JB before too long. Moto upgraded the Razr to ICS a couple months ago, and the Razrs are all supposed to get JB by the end of the year. The Photon Q is one of the three phones on the first round of devices that get officially unlocked bootloaders. You have to go to a website and enter a device ID to get the files, or something like that. But it has the unlockable bootloader like the developer edition. I know VZ hates unlocked bootloaders, but other than the RAZR maxx, I'll be looking at the next nexus devices. I don't dev much anyway. I have always like stock kernels with custom ROMs. They have always seemed more stable to me anyway.
I guess my point is this bad experience isn't enough for me to give up on Moto, because I'm not willing to go back to flimsy loss of signal phones, and I think in the future they'll be better. Just takes some time for them to get their crap together with the problems and then the Google purchase.
fester30 said:
I'm probably switching carriers, and probably going to get another Moto device. I love the radio/antenna/whatever it is that helps with reception, and the feel and build quality. I'm loving the way the droid razr maxx hd looks. I'm loving the other carrier at the moment. I know they screwed us on the Photon, but for the new phones they already seem to be doing better. Samsung took over a year to upgrade Epic 4g to gingerbread. They appear to have learned from that as the galaxy s3 looks to be getting JB before too long. Moto upgraded the Razr to ICS a couple months ago, and the Razrs are all supposed to get JB by the end of the year. The Photon Q is one of the three phones on the first round of devices that get officially unlocked bootloaders. You have to go to a website and enter a device ID to get the files, or something like that. But it has the unlockable bootloader like the developer edition. I know VZ hates unlocked bootloaders, but other than the RAZR maxx, I'll be looking at the next nexus devices. I don't dev much anyway. I have always like stock kernels with custom ROMs. They have always seemed more stable to me anyway.
I guess my point is this bad experience isn't enough for me to give up on Moto, because I'm not willing to go back to flimsy loss of signal phones, and I think in the future they'll be better. Just takes some time for them to get their crap together with the problems and then the Google purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately for Sprint users many of your pluses don't apply. I haven't had a good signal in at least 4 months. I keep hearing the wonderful line "we're doing networks upgrades so there's nothing we can do ". The other day it took 7 minutes to make a phone call when I had a strong signal showing.
In addition to that the photon is now 2 OS upgrades behind. Many of us purchased a Motorola phone because of the promised upgrades. Piss poor customer service makes many of us quite hostile and unwilling to forgive the lies.
I guess I didn't realize that you had to turn your phone in to get the $100. That is pretty worthless then.
xNicoyAx said:
I called Sprint and walked into a store asking if the Motorola credit was offered on top of the $63 they give you. They said they are not aware of any Motorola credit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint wouldn't be. It's not a Motorola credit, it's a Verizon credit.
To qualify, you have to trade in your phone, as others have said... and you have to buy a Verizon-exclusive Motorola smartphone. The plan will be fully realized by the end of the month -- it is not currently available in any case. But I imagine it will actually be done through Verizon. That is, you sign up for service, buy the phone, and Verizon gives you the Motorola form, and you mail in your proof of purchase, the barcode from the phone box with ESN/IMEI, and your Photon/Atrix/Electrify, and Motorola mails you $100 (in the form of a Visa/MC gift card with nasty fees of course!). US Cellular does a similar song and dance with its rebates. BTW, US Cellular has a standard rebate of $100 off a new smartphone. This can vary but that's the usual amount. Although their advertised prices are minus this rebate, so you pay the advertised price plus $100 up front and get the $100 in two months. I was lucky and got an instant rebate sale -- Electrify for $150 out the door. At tax time. Yeah, I scored. :victory:
Dark Reality said:
Sprint wouldn't be. It's not a Motorola credit, it's a Verizon credit.
To qualify, you have to trade in your phone, as others have said... and you have to buy a Verizon-exclusive Motorola smartphone. The plan will be fully realized by the end of the month -- it is not currently available in any case. But I imagine it will actually be done through Verizon. That is, you sign up for service, buy the phone, and Verizon gives you the Motorola form, and you mail in your proof of purchase, the barcode from the phone box with ESN/IMEI, and your Photon/Atrix/Electrify, and Motorola mails you $100 (in the form of a Visa/MC gift card with nasty fees of course!). US Cellular does a similar song and dance with its rebates. BTW, US Cellular has a standard rebate of $100 off a new smartphone. This can vary but that's the usual amount. Although their advertised prices are minus this rebate, so you pay the advertised price plus $100 up front and get the $100 in two months. I was lucky and got an instant rebate sale -- Electrify for $150 out the door. At tax time. Yeah, I scored. :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really need verification on this! If anybody has a PDF or screencap PM me. If this is true then we may be able to step things up a bit.
Hello,
I got absurdly lucky and sold my Photon for $250. I included a 32gb SD Card, and Otterbox Defender. I still cannot believe I got that as Sprint offered me $67 for it. I am still so pissed about ICS as I actually was going to hold on to the phone even though I purchased an iPhone 5.
Cheers,
JJ
Hey!
Not sure if anyone cares anymore but, the MotoX was added to the Motorola Trade up Program so if your still sporting the Photon 4G might make it more attractive and $100.00 less...
My update period is around x-mas so I am hoping the the rumors are true and that the phone will drop to $99 around that time, and I can get me a free phone, the MotoX for free would work for me over a $200+ G2 (still waiting for info on future Nexus 5 device.)
Just wanted to pass this on if anyone had not noticed yet...FYI the program is good till June 2014
CaliMark
CaliMark1 said:
Hey!
Not sure if anyone cares anymore but, the MotoX was added to the Motorola Trade up Program so if your still sporting the Photon 4G might make it more attractive and $100.00 less...
My update period is around x-mas so I am hoping the the rumors are true and that the phone will drop to $99 around that time, and I can get me a free phone, the MotoX for free would work for me over a $200+ G2 (still waiting for info on future Nexus 5 device.)
Just wanted to pass this on if anyone had not noticed yet...FYI the program is good till June 2014
CaliMark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dude! I think i'm totally gonna trade up my photon for a moto x. I bought A galaxy nexus for about 200 bucks and I still have my upgrade.
I thought the trade up program was only for buying off contract?
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
Productzer01 said:
I thought the trade up program was only for buying off contract?
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q: My contract isn't up yet. Can I still trade up?
A: You may trade up at any time but the terms and conditions of your wireless contract still apply including any early termination fees or penalties.
Found @ http://www.mototradeup.com/?q=faqs
Seems like on or off contract is ok....
I'll have to think about it. My Photon is worth more than a $100.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
rbeavers said:
I'll have to think about it. My Photon is worth more than a $100.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you too! But, if you look @ eBay $100.00 seems to be the going rate....so its not that bad of an exchange....
I haven't priced the trade in program @ WalMart for the Photon 4G yet, but I imagine less then $100
CaliMark
CaliMark1 said:
I agree with you too! But, if you look @ eBay $100.00 seems to be the going rate....so its not that bad of an exchange....
I haven't priced the trade in program @ WalMart for the Photon 4G yet, but I imagine less then $100
CaliMark
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You think a phone stuck on gingerbread with a permalock bootloader is worth more than 100 bucks? Why? If you've got an unlocked bootloader, then you have a phone that runs ICS or Jelly Bean without the proper drivers. Either way, why would anyone pay over $100 bucks for that?
Motorola screwed all of us. Big time. Why anyone would even consider upgrading to another Moto phone baffles me.
I had vowed never to buy another Motorola phone again. But everything about the Moto X makes me want to get one. Unlockable bootloader, size and speed. I held one and it feels similar to this phone. It is/was $99 on Amazon, plus you can trade your Photon in to get a $100 prepaid credit card from Moto for purchasing a new Motorola phone. So it would essentially be a free phone. I'm finding it hard to resist even though it's like choosing to stay with an abusive spouse.
retailguy said:
You think a phone stuck on gingerbread with a permalock bootloader is worth more than 100 bucks? Why? If you've got an unlocked bootloader, then you have a phone that runs ICS or Jelly Bean without the proper drivers. Either way, why would anyone pay over $100 bucks for that?
Motorola screwed all of us. Big time. Why anyone would even consider upgrading to another Moto phone baffles me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am looking at it (and using it as a) media device. A 32 gig iPod touch is priced over $200.
Our Photons are twice as good as an apple device.
Google screwed US, they OWNED Moto for 4 months before the no ICS for us was announced.
May 22, 2012
Google takes control at Motorola - http://news.yahoo.com/summary-box-google-takes-control-motorola-224528378--finance.html
September 29, 2012
No Ice Cream Sandwich for Photon 4G - http://www.androidauthority.com/no-...-electrify-photon-4g-motorola-reveals-118844/
I'm hoping the Nexus 5 will be better than the X.
And hoping for a Firefox or Ubuntu OS to compete with google.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I too said I would not buy another Motorola phone but US Cellular does not have anything else I like. I don't like the Samsung S4, they will not be getting the HTC One due to dropping the contract with HTC so the Moto X is the only phone left that is a high end Android phone. I know eventually the Moto X will have a bunch of ROMS and I can unlock it, flash it and treat it as my own. I'm not getting an iPhone...just hate them and how you can't personalize it to speak. Just my 2 cents.
rbeavers said:
I am looking at it (and using it as a) media device. A 32 gig iPod touch is priced over $200.
Our Photons are twice as good as an apple device.
Google screwed US, they OWNED Moto for 4 months before the no ICS for us was announced.
May 22, 2012
Google takes control at Motorola - http://news.yahoo.com/summary-box-google-takes-control-motorola-224528378--finance.html
September 29, 2012
No Ice Cream Sandwich for Photon 4G - http://www.androidauthority.com/no-...-electrify-photon-4g-motorola-reveals-118844/
I'm hoping the Nexus 5 will be better than the X.
And hoping for a Firefox or Ubuntu OS to compete with google.
Sent from my XT897 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Under your circumstances the Photon is probably worth more than 100 bucks to you, but I seriously doubt it'll bring much, if any more than that on the open market.
As to Google/Motorola, the Motorola you and I grew up with is dead. Gone. It's been replaced by Google's new company which is the point Punit Soni keeps making. Unfortunately for him, it's true, but not in the way he hopes. The "New" Motorola, owned by Google is the one entity that screwed us.
It makes no sense to me to get back into bed with them. The only vote you have is your wallet. That's it. The little guy, the individual account does not matter any more. If you give up the only vote you have, then you deserve what you get. There are plenty of other phones out there. You don't need Moto phones. (BTW - that was my general statement and not directed at the poster I replied to, FWIW).
In the other example, I guess I'd leave US Cellular, or buy myself a used phone and wait for something else new. I would seriously no longer have a phone before I'd buy another Moto phone. But that's me. Moto will never take my money again, because they'll never see another dime of it.