My Story so far

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

So far:

The first one:

- 'Slack' screen on the bottom when closed.

- Issues typing when first repling to text messages.

- When listening to a call, the internal earpiece speaker vibrates when on a call

- Won't connect to my netgear router (could be router at fault)

- Reminders volume doesn't come back on after switching back to Normal profile after using Vibrate or Silent

- Vibrate function heard through the case instead of just the motor vibrating as on most other phones.

Returned this one to orange, primarily for the slack screen and in-call speaker vibration.

The second one:

+ Screen nice and tight, great.

- Issues wth numbers appearing instead of letters when first repling to a text message and creating new appointments

- When listening to a call, the internal earpiece speaker vibrates when on a call

- Won't connect to my netgear router (could be router at fault)

- Reminders volume doesn't come back on after switching back to Normal profile after using Vibrate or Silent

+ Vibrate function seems fine.

Returned this one to orange, primarily for the in-call speaker vibration.

The third phone

-'Slack' screen on the bottom when closed, as per the first handset.

+ No issues typing when first repling to text messages.

+ When listening to a call, the internal earpiece speaker seems to be ok so far.

- Won't connect to my netgear router (could be router at fault)

- Reminders still don't come back on after switching back to Normal profile after using Vibrate or Silent

+ Vibrate function seems fine.

- Up direction key creaks when it's pressed.

As you can see, i've yet to have an E650 that doesn't have issues in one form or another. Shame, as I really think overall it's a great phone. Maybe i'm just being picky, but if Orange are going to get at least £360 for this year out of me, i want a phone that does what it says on the tin (or the manual for that matter).

2 out of three screens with play on them, 2 out of three in call speaker issues, seems like the build quality could be better.

Even with having a C500, and two C600's, I think i'm going to try and something else, maybe an N95 if they'll let me swap (no doubt they have their problems too) and come back to Windows mobile next year once the new handsets have been out a while.

Anyone any comments or anything to add?

Edited May 6, 2007 by Griff_FFOC

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

Well, can't have a different handset until i've had three faulty handsets logged with them, all with the same fault code.

However, two of mine have been logged with different codes.

I've got another one on the way, and O say 'if' it has the same fault, or the same software issues to ring them up and they'll deal with it.

Of course it's going to have the same software issues, its in the OS.

Unless I get a registry editor, it also means I can't use my phone on Silent or Vibrate profiles either.

Edited May 6, 2007 by Griff_FFOC

[Guest Looby]

I have an E650 and I think it's gorgeous however there are issues with the OS as you describe. Are these probs unique to the E650 or are they the same with the HTC Vox version? :rolleyes:

[Guest Newchurch]

Are these probs unique to the E650 or are they the same with the HTC Vox version? :rolleyes:

Hi,

I use a HTC Vox the last two weeks - no problems :P

Newchurch

[Guest Looby]

Well, if that is the case why didn't Orange just brand the phone , add Orange world and leave it as that?

Edited May 6, 2007 by Looby

[Guest zen123]

Well, if that is the case why didn't Orange just brand the phone , add Orange world and leave it as that?

That wouldn't be Orange now then would it. I returned my E650 & got HTC Vox instead because I didnt like the Orange customisations & lack of Messenger didn't get chance to discover any glaring faults. But the biuld quality on it was excellent. no wobbly screen or sticky keys. The Vox I have now however does have a wobbly screen.

Like most HTC devices I've owned or read about on the net their QC is still lacking.

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

That wouldn't be Orange now then would it. I returned my E650 & got HTC Vox instead because I didnt like the Orange customisations & lack of Messenger didn't get chance to discover any glaring faults. But the biuld quality on it was excellent. no wobbly screen or sticky keys. The Vox I have now however does have a wobbly screen.

Like most HTC devices I've owned or read about on the net their QC is still lacking.

I know what you mean, my first and current one has a bt of wobble on the bottom of the screen. My second one was fine so I know they're arent all like that. I find t hard to believe that things as simple as the reminder notification volume not being reset correctly after a profile change would have anything to with an orange customisation, but f the VOX's aren't having this issue, then it seems to be the case.

Lets see what my 4th is like when it turns up in an hour or so. :rolleyes:

[Guest tkao2025]

My slide out keyboard is a bit loose, but it was like that on my P4350.....when you make a call sometimes it feels like the slide out keyboards going to pop out. Also I would like it if HTC started making a clip for the battery cover...it always feels like it's going to get loose over time.

[Guest peekie]

Customisation seems to be different on each orange country , dont forget if t-mobile ever release this phone that too will be customised in pink crap , which is the only reason i have never picked that network :rolleyes:

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

Well, you guys will no doubt be getting sick of my whinging (me too), but my 4th was delivered today, and the keypad wobble is slightly better than the previous handset when closed, but worse when open on this one.

Feels like the silver action button wobbles around, but that's fine, however I also get a dreaded rubber squeaking/creaking when I press left or down on the direction pad:

http://www.griffonline.plus.com/misc/e650keypad.mp4

Yes i know the motions and sounds on the vid sound/look dodgy, lol

I'm just going to go somewhere quiet and scream. Is a phone with a good quality build with good Quailty Control too much of a thing to ask for, :rolleyes: or am I just expecting too much. I never had any of this with M600's or the M3100 I had briefly.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Griff_FFOC

[Guest JamieDow]

Thanks for the heads up, definatly thinking of getting a different phone now.

[Guest Samsonite]

Thanks for the heads up, definatly thinking of getting a different phone now.

dont forget, you can always go to an Orange shop and have a good feel and keypress before you sign on the dotted line.

I cant see them wanting you to spend an hour messing about to make the OS build is up to scratch and the WiFi works with your home router but at least you wont get a friday afternoon build on the handset itself.

I am on my second one cos the first got a clicky # key. The O shop were very good and swapped it over under their 14day in store process. Cant say i've had any OS bugs/quirks that would annoy me enough to get shot of it - part of the WM experience!

[Guest colonel_butt]

most people are excited about new phones and expect perfection. in my experience sliding out keyboard or flip phones always have problems. I actually find HTC quality quite high. Generally if the keyboard wobbles, and thats how it leaves the factory, then its well within tolerance. I remember trying 4 sony mylos out of the box and all their keyboards had exactly the same wobble. this is my experience:

1. Wizard (O2 Mini s) - only phone i have had with firm, non-wobble keyboard. could have been a one off :rolleyes:

2. Universal (o2 exec) - nice when new. Screen starts to have keyboard imprints after a bit and looses stiffness after two months.

3. Sony mylo - built in wobble

4. Motorola V3, V3i and V3x -always stiff when bought. after a few months slight horizontal movement in flip

5. Motorla k1. stiffer then v series when bought, but also slight movement after 2 months

6. Samsung 800 (first slider) - very precise when bought. wobbled after 1 month

7. Nokia 9300i - flip had slight movement from day one (horizontal) - but stayed the same after a few months

8. Blackberry 8800. Creaking and movement on silver sides (common problem I understand)

9. Canon 75-300 USM IS lens. Stiff when bought, after 6 months zoom slides out when hanging round your neck :P

I generally don't have a phone for more then 3 months. so can't comment after this .....

The HTC S710 is fine. The true test is if after 12 month its still working within specification.

In my experience anything that slides, flips or extends will have movement. So don't expect perfection.

If you want nothing to move there is no choice but candybar (e.g. htc s620)

rgds

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

The key creaking on this one looks to be down to the placement of the screen surround (the silver/black piece that looks stuck on over the screen and goes round the top half of the direction pad). It seems to have a slight gap on the right of the D pad, but is pretty much up against the D pad on the left side, hence why it creaks and clicks when you press left. From looking closely, slight marks can be seen on the left hand edge of the d-pad where it's rubbing against something when it's pressed.

Also when you follow the black lines of the screen surround down to the keypad, it lines up with the outside edge of the right soft key, but the left side is not in line with the outside edge of the left soft key. Looks like the screen surround piece is stuck on slightly out of alignment to me. As if it should be over to the left a little.

I'm not sure people should necessarily be put of getting one just because of what I say though. as even I admit, I might be just picky and want that isn't 80% and want that is 100%.

As for "If you want nothing to move there is no choice but candybar (e.g. htc s620)", I think it's more a case of sort these issues out in the design stage. I can accept a bit of play in moving parts after some use, but certainly not when new. As mentioned, my second E650 was fine. Both when it was open and closed.

If you bought a car and the door for example had some play in it when it was closed would you accept the dealer saying it's simply a moving part.

and "I actually find HTC quality quite high". I wonder how many people had dust or jostick issues with the C600, or rocker issues with the C500, and that's just the handsets i've had.

Edited May 8, 2007 by Griff_FFOC

[Guest skazz]

When we're talking "slack" screen, what are we really talking about? I'd love to get some more accurate quantative info about the sort of slack a Vox can really have, to make sure we're all talking about the same thing.

My E650 out of the box was very tight, not a bit of slack. I was hugely impressed. However, after a few days and some messing around with the memory card (which is rather poorly placed in my opinion), it now has a slight bit of slack. I can describe it as follows:

Slack along the plane of the sliders:

- The springs hold the two halves together irrespective of how I hold the device (i.e. spring>gravity). This is true both when closed and when open. I need to manually press against the top half to wobble the device, and the wobbling occurs as follows:

- When the device is closed and I manually wobble the device along the plane of the slider, we're talking about around 0.5mm wobble at the bottom right corner or at the top right corner. By wobble, I mean that you can move one corner of the top half without the other corner of the top half moving, and letting go of the corner causes it to return to default position.

- When the device is slid open, there is no slack atall.

Slack perpendicular to the sliders (i.e. wobbling in the distance between the two halves of the phone)

- The two halves of the phone only have slack on the right hand side when closed. The left hand side is of course where the slider hinge is placed, and is very tight. I'd say that total wobble is again something like a half millimeter, but fractionally more at the bottom of the phone than at the top (which is again logical given the location of the two sliders)

- When slid open the phone has absolutely no slack.

So basically I am making two comments here. First of all even a really tight phone with no slack will loosen up, and secondly the amount of slack is small and in my opinion is inherent in the design, since the slack onlly occurs when the device is closed, and only on the side furthest away from the slider hinges.

How does this compare to other Vox devices?

[Guest colonel_butt]

The key creaking on this one looks to be down to the placement of the screen surround (the silver/black piece that looks stuck on over the screen and goes round the top half of the direction pad). It seems to have a slight gap on the right of the D pad, but is pretty much up against the D pad on the left side, hence why it creaks and clicks when you press left. From looking closely, slight marks can be seen on the left hand edge of the d-pad where it's rubbing against something when it's pressed.

Also when you follow the black lines of the screen surround down to the keypad, it lines up with the outside edge of the right soft key, but the left side is not in line with the outside edge of the left soft key. Looks like the screen surround piece is stuck on slightly out of alignment to me. As if it should be over to the left a little.

I'm not sure people should necessarily be put of getting one just because of what I say though. as even I admit, I might be just picky and want that isn't 80% and want that is 100%.

As for "If you want nothing to move there is no choice but candybar (e.g. htc s620)", I think it's more a case of sort these issues out in the design stage. I can accept a bit of play in moving parts after some use, but certainly not when new. As mentioned, my second E650 was fine. Both when it was open and closed.

If you bought a car and the door for example had some play in it when it was closed would you accept the dealer saying it's simply a moving part.

and "I actually find HTC quality quite high". I wonder how many people had dust or jostick issues with the C600, or rocker issues with the C500, and that's just the handsets i've had.

I guess its whatever your personal threshold is. I agree that a car door moving up and down would be a bummer. But the metal arms holding the door are much bigger then a small device and a 1mm movement vertical movement wouldn't be noticed.

HTC have had their share of quality issues. But just read the samsung forum about the dust issue on the i600, or the software bugs with nokia's n series, eg. N80. Perhaps the vox is particularly bad, or you have been unlucky, but I stick by my statement that generally HTC phones are in the upper echelon of quality. I just bought a new BMW. Everything was perfect except on motorways there was a distant vibration noise. It was actually the indicator arm which was vibrating slightly. BMW but a new one in. It won't put me off getting another BMW, but that depends whether Toyota can pull off a hybrid-diesel on the landcruiser ......

Edited May 8, 2007 by colonel_butt

[Guest Samsonite]

just as a quick addition to the 'what is normal' question..

I had a Sony 28" Wega widescreen telly a few years ago and the tube had a definite bend in the top right hand corner - the picture seemed to droop. I noticed it but my wife wasnt that bothered but we got the TV man out to it anyway. His response was that it was normal and if we could show him an identical model in the shop or wherever that DIDNT have it, Sony would agree that it was indeed a fault and would look to replace the set - albeit with no guarantee that the new one wouldnt be any different!!!!

my level of expectation for anything mass produced has been lower since that day!

[Guest Griff_FFOC]

By 'wobble', I mean on a couple of the handsets I could move the bottom of the front left and right a couple of mm. Holding the bottom half of the phone in m hand I could gently shake the phone side to side and feel the screen section move.

My existing one is lots better, maybe only half a mm movement when it's closed so that's ok with me. When it's open I can move the screen back towards the closed position about 1 mm on the keypad end before it hits the resistance of the spring mechanism. (If I want to be pedantic I can move the screen slowly towards closing it and have it stick halfway over the keyboard's soft keys without it closing, but that's a bit unrealistic).

I'm going to make do with this one for now, and see if I can live with the left key. If not, i've got 6 months for Orange to change it without me havng to go direct to HTC.

Don't get my wrong, I still like the HTC handsets, which is why I opted to keep the upgrade, I just feel like this one maybe could be a touch better built. (in my experience so far anyway)

It's like most things, you go from personal experiences.