Whirlpool

Continues from: /forum-replies.cfm?t=778585&p=54

This has been asked before but I haven't got time to look back on 53 pages.
Whats with the purple H on the phone in some areas then i get just a 3g in others is it browsing speeds or roaming I am with Telstra. Also is it possible to activate cell info display or dont Telstra want you to know to much.

Whats with the purple H on the phone in some areas then i get just a 3g in others is it browsing speeds or roaming I am with Telstra

That "H" stands for HSDPA= High Speed Downlink Packet. Which means your able to download things much faster off the internet. Pretty sure its something like that. Dont worry if will show from time to time when your have faster download speed coverage.

For cell info display goto>settings>In call setup

Received my second Motorola RAZR 2 V9 from Motorola yesterday, so far so good, no weird noises. Do have a question though, when someone calls me they tell me they can hear high pitch "beep" on their end yet I cant hear it on their end. This phone is unlocked and not branded – generic. I suspect its a network issue or my phone doesnt like the end users phone. Any ideas?

Someone asked in the previous thread, but I couldn't find a response.
When responding to an SMS, the reply to the other person starts with a " Re: Msg".
Can we get rid of that?

Thanks...

Someone asked in the previous thread, but I couldn't find a response.

When responding to an SMS, the reply to the other person starts with a " Re: Msg".

Got to SMS
Press Options -> Reply
Press Options -> Sending Options
Make sure all fields are blank, as you may find one of them has " re: Msg"

Motorola Razr² V9 writes...

Dont worry if will show from time to time when your have faster download speed coverage.

It'll probably show all of the time. Mine does. I've only seen the 3G icon twice so far.

It basically means it is 3G on steroids – designed, as Motorola Razr² V9 says, to download things quickly but carries voice as well.

After a dismal experience getting a used V6 from an Ebay auction I will be talking to Telstra shop tomorrow about getting a V9 and organising an early contract termination (it has 3 months to go).

You should have no trouble in terminating. I did say should as you will be dealing with muppets remember.

One of the insights I got from Crazy Johns when they were Telstra and I got my Nokia N80 was that the two year contract is not necessarily for two years but is actually a contract for 24 payments of $x or the equivalent. So on a $60 plan for two years you are contracting to pay 24 x $60 or $1,440. Once you reach the $1,440 you are within your rights to terminate as your obligation has been met.

That's precisely how I ended my N80 contract (and my wife's) as I has well exceeded that although I had some six months to go. It took me quite a while to find someone at Telstra who was aware of this but eventually through business support I did and the contract was terminated, although for a newbie with the V9 (itself subsequently terminated for the reasons with which you are all familiar). Several people I have informed of this have also followed suit. Again getting someone who understood was their issue too.

Bottom line don't let them give you crap if you have met the payment amount.

Crazy also told me that Telstra will roll over a plan if it is within two months of ending whether the minimum has been met or not.

V9 Man writes...

After a dismal experience getting a used V6 from an Ebay auction I will be talking to Telstra shop tomorrow about getting a V9 and organising an early contract termination (it has 3 months to go). Cancel contract and buy one outright for just on $499 – I'd never go on a contract, all my phones are outright with prepaid sims – this way I get unlocked unbranded hardware and not locked in for 2 years

ADSLNerd writes...

Got to SMS
Press Options -> Reply
Press Options -> Sending Options
Make sure all fields are blank, as you may find one of them has " re: Msg"

You are great. Thanks!
I had "Re:" in my Subject field and the issue cleared up when I deleted it.

Thanks again...

I love the phone by the way. Call clarity is far and away the best quality I have had with a mobile phone. This CrystalTalk technology is the best!

ADSLNerd writes...

I get unlocked unbranded hardware and not locked in for 2 years

It's me, not V9. (replies quoting gone awry..)

I don't have an issue with being on a contract. It doesn't matter as I'll be using Telstra, regardless. Unless Optus pulls a rabbit out of its arse and magically gets the same level of coverage, whether it's 3G or GSM out in the stix then there's no point in looking at another provider.

As for unbranded phones, locked or whatever, from what I've experienced Telstra doesn't lock its post-paid phones. What would be the point? You're not going to go anywhere, unless you like paying excessive termination fees. It would only be an issue if you're overseas and want to buy a pre-paid SIM while there, save paying through the nose for international roaming charges.

I got the V9. I've read the threads on the non-functional features. I'm not overly fussed. I am currently spending around $40 a month now on calls, so the plan is no hassle. I would not be considering it if the V9 was still at $60/mth.

Anyway, today, when I called Telstra I explained to the guy that my phone's playing up and that while I still have a few months to go on my contract what are my options. At first he said that I have x dollars to pay to terminate. OK, I said, I'll have to consider this. What do you mean, he asked. Well, whether to let the contract run its course and buy a cheap phone off Ebay then see what Optus does, for one, I replied. Please hold. He then got back to me and told me that he could waive the fees and put me onto a new contract with a new phone. OK, I said, I'll go with the V9 on the $40 contract.

I should get the phone on Friday.

MJT57 writes...

I don't have an issue with being on a contract.

I have had two Telstra shops and one JB HiFi tell me basically the same thing when I asked why the Telstra V9 outright was around $150 more than at Optus or Vodafone. What did they tell me? Basically that Telstra deliberatley set the outright price high to "steer" people onto contracts. Bottom line to that is they make more from contracts, or in other words, the user pays more.

Pancho and his two amigos don't give anything away; that's for sure.

Can someone clearly list the features that are disabled on the telstra version of the V9 all in one place? I know you cannot read sms on the external screen, anything else?

ElusiveA writes...

I know you cannot read sms on the external screen

What's the big deal about that? Usually you have to open the phone in order to reply to it, so if this feature is missing, why would it be a deal killer?

I am reading the downloaded manual. In the call timers and costs it says this:

call cost
Show call cost trackers:
s >s Recent Calls, press Options, then > Call Cost

But it doesn't say how the call costs are calculated. ie. on what basis, data or whatever. Can you enter in cents/minute in a config setup? If so the manual doesn't mention it.

Also, it talks about Bluetooth and printing. I take it that you need to pair it with say, a laptop that has a printer attached (network or wired) and you can use that printer?

Finally, any of you use the "Motosync" function to synchronise with "Activesync"? If so how did you set it up?

I would assume that I'd be using Mot. Phone Tools to do this, but if it can be done wirelessly, then hey, all the better.

BUYER BEWARE ON THE MOTOROLA V9

(I had a thread on this but it was deleted by a mod so here's what I wrote):

I entered a contract with Optus about a month ago and got the V9 with it. It was working great for the first 2 weeks and then all of a sudden it just couldn't find a network connection. This went on for a day or two so I took it back into the Optus shop and they said they've sold 6 V9's and 5 people have brought them back with the exact same problem!

they suggested I just get them to send it back to Motorola 3 times (they try to fix it but apparently it never really fixes it) and once a phone is sent back 3 times you get to choose another phone (of equivalent value).

5 out of 6 phones sold all with the same problem suggests a major problem – I wonder how many other phones elsewhere will be effected by this?

Waverley73 writes...

they suggested I just get them to send it back to Motorola 3 times (they try to fix it but apparently it never really fixes it) and once a phone is sent back 3 times you get to choose another phone (of equivalent value).

Normally, under consumer law if the product sold is not fit for intended purpose then the buyer is entitled to a refund. Now, does this come under that rule? Or perhaps it's simply a lemon? Whatever I hope that it doesn't happen to me. And I bought it direct off Telstra any faults will be refered back to Telstra.

MJT57 writes...

Normally, under consumer law if the product sold is not fit for intended purpose then the buyer is entitled to a refund. Now, does this come under that rule? Or perhaps it's simply a lemon? Whatever I hope that it doesn't happen to me. And I bought it direct off Telstra any faults will be refered back to Telstra.

I'm not sure if it does but they said that if any phone is sent back for repairs 3 times in the first year you are entitled to a refund (not sure if this is part of consumer law or an internal Optus policy). He said clearly there was a major issue with the phone so he'll just try and get the refund for me after sending it there once. I'm now going to look at getting the LG KU990 instead.

I'm also willing to bet that the 6th person who bought that phone from the shop probably has the same issue but just hasn't thought to bring it into the shop yet (the other 5 owners all have).

Its not a deal breaker for me personally, thats why I'm asking what else is disabled. I also think it would be good to have a clear list in the thread for people to compare the differences. Can anyone help?

ElusiveA writes...

I also think it would be good to have a clear list in the thread for people to compare the differences. Can anyone help?

Lauzzie has already gone through and posted the things which have been disabled on the Telstra V9. Download the file below & open it. Thats what she posted.

http://rapidshare.com/files/123493762/manual_discrepencies.txt.html

Motorola Razr² V9 writes...

For cell info display goto>settings>In call setup

Well there you go. That must be another thing disabled cause I definitely don't have that option on mine (that is assuming by cell info display we are talking about the suburb etc. that the phone is transmitting from).

Have any of you guys ordered a phone from Telstra and had it delivered by courier? If so, how long did it take to arrive and what courier did Telstra use?

I ordered my V9 on Tuesday, I think it was. The fellow told me that I should get it on Friday, but it hasn't arrived, yet.

It's not that I desperately need the phone. It's that I stayed home all day in case the courier turned up.

And couriers being couriers they'll leave a note saying that I can drive half an hour from here and pick it up between 4.30-4.33pm.

If it's Australia Post doing it then easy, peasy. Rock up to the PO any time to collect it if they leave a card.

Here's an interesting post I just saw on Howardforums.com:

"It's been rumored that a black V9 with the same capabilities as the Euro versions (complete exterior controls etc.) and even GPS will be launched by at&t soon. black is hoping that the V9 showing out of stock on the website is an indicator that the updated V9 will be released soon."

So AT&T seem to be responding to the complaints in the US about the disabled features. Wonder if Telstra will do likewise.

Also interesting about the GPS being included.

ElusiveA writes...

Can someone clearly list the features that are disabled on the telstra version of the V9 all in one place? I know you cannot read sms on the external screen, anything else?

I gave a complete and lengthy listing some pages up. Search my posts in Part 1 of this thread.

Waverley73 writes...

5 out of 6 phones sold all with the same problem suggests a major problem – I wonder how many other phones elsewhere will be effected by this?

You are the first post to mention this out of over 50 pages.

Could be a bad batch. Could be a problem with the Optus network.

MJT57 writes...

I bought it direct off Telstra any faults will be refered back to Telstra.

Good luck!

MJT57 writes...

Have any of you guys ordered a phone from Telstra and had it delivered by courier? If so, how long did it take to arrive and what courier did Telstra use?

My first V9's took about a week.

I HAD to be in the office to sign for it as they WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES give to to anyone else they told me – security, to ensure I got it. So every day I would call and see when it was coming. Vague answer so I'd hang around the office. Finally they arrived. Dropped at reception by the courier who took off without even a signature from the receptionist. So much for their security.

lauzzie writes...

That must be another thing disabled cause I definitely don't have that option on mine (that is assuming by cell info display we are talking about the suburb etc. that the phone is transmitting from)

Don't know what MotoRazr2 is meanining as I don't have any option to display cell tower details on my totally generic version either under that menu drill down.

V9 Man writes...

My first V9's took about a week.

That doesn't sound promising. I was told Friday (it's now Sunday). I have tomorrow off. Then I'm back at work for the next week (12hr shifts so I won't be home at all).

Dropped at reception by the courier

Who was the courier? Does Telstra use the same one or does it vary from state to state or even region to region?

MJT57 writes...

Who was the courier?

I don't know.

I rang Telstra and complained about the fact I waited around each day for their supposed "security" reasons. They said they used two couriers but didn't tell me which, and reception didn't take any notice I'm afraid. Sorry.

WHOO HOO!!

Just thought I'd keep you guys posted as I promised several pages above.

Just got home from the Box Hill computer swap meet with an 8GB micro SD card and I can tell you that it works a treat in the V9 (subject to comment below).

It is a Sandisk "Wake up your Phone" MicroSDHC card and comes in a pack with a card reader (this is important, see below).

Cost price throughout the market was $60, although I paid $62.

I asked a couple of dealers if it would be compatible with the V9. When I said the manual said it could take 4GB they both said there would be no problems as all 4GB MicroSD cards are the new HC fromat – no exceptions. They assured me that if the phone was capable of 4GB it was capable of HC (high compression/high capacity) and therefore capable of all HC cards.

A third dealer, however, had doubts and said he didn't know if that was necessarily the case (like large size non HC cards do not fit all phones). None was prepared to open the sealed pack to allow me to test it. They would let me test on 4GB HC as many come in reasealable packs, but if the third guy was right that would not prove anything.

However, the fourth dealer I tried was prepared to slice open the pack and let me try. Bingo, the phone said it had an 8GB card in it (actually 7.56GB as a GB is not really a GB). He was two dollars dearer, but worth it to actually be able to put the card in the phone and test it.

My "subject to" is that my phone is generic and the manual says it will work with a 4GB card. As far as I can tell from comments on this forum all non Telstra phones also state they will take a 4GB card. This would tend therefore to indicate they, like generic versions, will also take an 8GB card. There MAY be a problem however, with Telstra branded phones. The telstra specs say the phone will only take 2GB cards. So what, you say, the generic one says 4GB but takes 8 so why wouldn't the Telstra version take more as well.

I always assumed it probably would (but it does beg the question as to why the Telstra specs are different).

Then this morning whilst surfing Howard Forums there was a discussion thread dealing with the fact that AT&T had actually modified the V9 firmware to limit the card size it would accept to 2GB max. Given that it would seem the Telstra version is the AT&T version in a different coloured case (same frequency, same missing features) it may well be possible it has had its capacity reduced as well.

And as for the card reader comment, HC cards need an HC compatible reader. Any reader over about 12 months old is unlikely to have HC printed on it and will not read them. The 8GB Sandisk as I said comes with one but Sandisk's own 4GB card and all the other brands 4GB do not. Of course it can be read whilst in the phone, using the cable to connect to a computer.

PS. If you are really into programming, Howard Forums is where the true geeks go with in depth discussion on editing the firmware and other modding of the phone. One guy had to comment today that he thought he had no life as a nerd until he saw that the guys in the forum virtually lived in their phones. LOL.

MJT57 writes...

That doesn't sound promising. I was told Friday

I was originally told two days. In the end it was actually four working days but there was a weekend in the middle.

V9 Man writes...

The telstra specs say the phone will only take 2GB cards. So what, you say,

Well, I wasn't gonna say it....

:-)

Thing is, 1 gig would be ample for me. I'm wondering what the hell you'd fill an 8 gig card with. Can you watch movies on the V9? And how long would the battery last for whether you watched movies or listened to music on it? It'd be a tad sad if while watching a movie or listening to music you get a call and ten seconds into it the battery goes flat...

V9 Man writes...

You are the first post to mention this out of over 50 pages.

Could be a bad batch. Could be a problem with the Optus network.

It does seem odd that no-one else here has experienced these problems but 5 out of 6 phones sold out of my local Optus Shop are all shizenhousen.

My wife is also on Optus (albeit on a different 2G phone) and she has had no problems at all on the network. I have been using my V3 since I had to send my V9 back and it hasn't missed a beat.

V9 Man writes...

WHOO HOO!!

Good news V9!

Could you do me a favour and post a link with a photo so I am 100% sure which mem card your talking about?
I'll order one myself over the internet, doesn't matter if it doesn't work for me, not risking much.

Thing is, 1 gig would be ample for me. I'm wondering what the hell you'd fill an 8 gig card with. Can you watch movies on the V9? And how long would the battery last for whether you watched movies or listened to music on it

I was thinking the same thing. My phone lasts a long time in standby but when I actually use it for calls it goes flat very very quickly. It doesnt even get a decent amount of time out of the battery to use it for listening to music for any length of time.

lauzzie writes...

Well there you go. That must be another thing disabled cause I definitely don't have that option on mine (that is assuming by cell info display we are talking about the suburb etc. that the phone is transmitting from).

Cell info isn't avaliable on 3G networks, so as a missing feature it isn't really a significant one... :P

MJT57 writes...

1 gig would be ample for me

I used to have a 1 gig card on the Nokia, but filled it quickly. If you take pics and are slack at clearing them off to the PC it's surprising how quickly it fills up.

I'm wondering what the hell you'd fill an 8 gig card with.

Music mainly. I'm sick of carrying a phone and an ipod. With 8Gb I can load quite a few songs and listen with my bluetooth headset, especially on the days I get the bus to work. Battery? Doesn't matter. I have it on the charger at night anyway and I have a charger at my desk as well. I doubt it would use up all the juice on a 50 min bus ride.

Also thought I'd try out the video capability. May be just a laugh and interest quickly subside but videos do suck up the space.

Plus calendar entries tend to sneak up on you with space issues.

At the end of the day, bottom line is if I find 8GB is way too big I can always put the 2GB back in use the 8GB as a data stick for work. When it is in the reader it is VERY small. And at 60 bucks it's a cheap 8GB USB stick. Although I saw some at tjhe swap meet today for $40, they were "no name" and for work I would want the reliability of Sandisk. They were also three times the size physically.

And of course if it does prove its worth in the phone, then the 2GB card can slip into the microSD to SD converter that came with it and go into my small digital camera replacing the paltry 512MB card in it now.

So I figure there's no downside.

Waverley73 writes...

5 out of 6 phones sold out of my local Optus Shop are all shizenhousen.
I have been using my V3 since I had to send my V9 back and it hasn't missed a beat.

Seems pretty clear it was a bad batch the shop got.

My wife is also on Optus (albeit on a different 2G phone) and she has had no problems at all on the network.

Different network though (2G v 3G) so apples & oranges.

PS. by the way, it's Scheißehausen. LOL.
(ß is similar to double s) more LOL

Oi³ writes...

Could you do me a favour and post a link with a photo

This is from the Sandisk site

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2621)-SDMSM2Y-8192-A11M-SanDisk_Mobile_Ultra_Memory_Stick_Micro_M2_8GB_Card.aspx

Site Shows that readers are available for 4GB and 2GD SDHC versions as well but none of the dealers at the meet had any. No photo of packaging as this may be country dependant.

doesn't matter if it doesn't work for me, not risking much.

As I said in a post above, the worst you get is an 8GB USB stick so there really is no loss, as I'm sure you can use one of them.

lauzzie writes...

It doesnt even get a decent amount of time out of the battery to use it for listening to music for any length of time.

Might help?
/forum-replies.cfm?t=778585&p=48#r959

V9 Man writes...

Different network though (2G v 3G) so apples & oranges.

Yeah, I know that but my V9 normally switches between the 3G network and 2G depending on where I am. Even when I changed the network connection option to only look for the GSM band it didn't pick anything up so that eliminates any issue the Optus 3G network may or may not have being an issue here.

As you said it just sounds like a dodgy batch the shop got.

lauzzie writes...

It doesnt even get a decent amount of time out of the battery to use it for listening to music for any length of time.

How long do you get lauzzie?

Moto specs say standby 330 hrs (13 days) and talktime 470 mins (7.8hrs).

It is hard to determine how accurate those figures are as the phone would have to be left totally idle to measure it in standby and that aint' gonna happen as we all use our phones, and we would need to talk constantly without stop to measure talk time – also not going to happen (OK maybe we can get our kids to test that one!).

Before I got the charger for the office I was recharging about every three days. That included a combination of call and standby time so I guess it's not too bad. Definately better than my Nokia N80 that HAD to be charged daily.

Now I have the charger at home and one in the office so I don't ever end up leaving it in the wrong place when I need it I try (but don't always remenber) to plug it in when I get home. I Forgot all this weekend and Friday too as was out and about and it only beeped at me late yesterday arvo to say it was running out.

Based on that overall performance I would say that whilst Moto's specs of 11 hrs music play time may be optimistic (and will be affected by calls, etc) it would still be quite acceptable.

V9 Man. There is no way I would get 11 hrs of music play time out of my battery.

If I am just using the phone for texting then I get a long time out of the battery but as soon as I start using it for calls, music or going on bigpond it runs out very very quickly. I have never actually timed it but I do remember thinking quite often that I only just recharged my battery.

I am very happy with the phone but I certainly dont think that I get anywhere near the battery life that Moto says I should.

V9 Man writes...

They said they used two couriers but didn't tell me which,

Today I called Telstra to ask if I could change one of my bonus options. My wife has a phone with Telstra and it was programmed into my mobile so that when it rings 1244 it calls her phone and it's free for 3 minutes, no flagfall charges.

Anyway, she got a new Nokia N95 today with Optus so that bonus option is no longer any good. I asked to change to 50 free SMSes.

While I was there I was asked how the phone was going. I told the guy that I haven't received it yet, that it was s'posed to be here last Friday. He checked it for me. In queue, still. Apparently the first guy that I spoke to forget to get my licence details. I asked him that if I had not have called to see about the bonus options, and they didn't discover this mistake when would I be contacted regarding this info that they needed. Er, today? he sorta said..

Yeah, right. I'd be waiting a week or more then I'd call up to find out where it was, etc...

Anyway, they tell me that it will be here tomorrow. I said, half ya luck mate. If you're using Australian Express (that's what I was told when I asked), then I'd be lucky to see it this week. We've had nothing but problems with that mob. That and McPhees. I try my best to avoid private couriers. They say that private enterprise runs better than government ones, but in this case, Australia Post has them beat.

I've never had any problems with AP, except having to queue in the local PO while luddite women or old guys who come in to pay ten bux off their power bill, 15 bux off the gas bill, 7.50 off the phone bill and 14.82 off the water bill.

So, with a bit of luck I'll be able to start fiddling with my new toy on Thursday (I work 12hr shifts so I won't be able to get the phone til Thursday on my day off. That is unless the courier will accept my wife as a valid person to accept the parcel.

V9 Man writes...

Moto specs say standby 330 hrs (13 days) and talktime 470 mins (7.8hrs).

"3" ships it with the standard battery (BX50 – 920mAh) and performance is

• Battery Standby Time: Up to 161 hours
• Battery Talk Time: Up to 162 minutes

I've ordered a High Performance Battery (BX80 – 1350 mAh) (Requires the high performance battery door)

• Battery Standby Time: Up to 425 hours
• Battery Talk Time: Up to 320 minutes

I just realised you can use the camera with the flip closed and the picture of what your taking appears on the outside screen.

Pity you can't flip the camera around like some other models.

lauzzie writes...

I certainly dont think that I get anywhere near the battery life that Moto says I should

I don't think any one gets what ANY manufacturer says, as the times quoted come from test situations which are in lab conditions, not reality.

However, I am surprised your usage is so low as I am getting a reasonable life from mine.

Would be interesting if others indicate what they are getting to see if there may be something wrong with yours that needs attention.

Oi³ writes...

Pity you can't flip the camera around like some other models.

There's no real need to do this. The only reason other phones have the second (VGA) camera is for when you are doing video calls. The outside screen is minute – often no more than a date – so you wouldn't be able to see the other person's video. To do so you need the big screen which means the flip is open – hence the need for the second camera.

With V9 this is not necessary as the outside screen is the same size as the inside one so you can video call with the flip closed. No need for second camera.

Oi³ writes...

performance is

Battery Standby Time: Up to 161 hours

Battery Talk Time: Up to 162 minutes

Oi³ is this what you have measured or are these times quoted by 3?

They do seem more realistic than Moto's specs. A mix of standby and moderate talk would realistically bring charge intervals down to the three days mine gets.

To get three day intevals for charging based on Moto's numbers I would have to do way more talking than I am currently.

V9 Man writes...

Oi³ is this what you have measured or are these times quoted by 3?

Those numbers are quoted by "3" which I've found are pretty close. Which is why I've ordered the larger battery and cover. I'll take a few pics of it once it turns up so people can see how much thicker it makes the phone.

Only trouble is, I haven't seen any clear covers for the extra thickness to protect the back from scratches and the little extra shock protection.

Picked up my V9 tonight. I've quickly set it up. I'll have a good play around with it over the next day or so.

I managed to source a copy of MPT V5. However, it doesn't recognise the phone so I uninstalled it. I then installed it off the disk that comes with the phone. It is Ver 4.6something. During the installation process it downloaded and installed updates. Now it's Ver. 5.07a or similar.

Initially I had problems getting it to recognise files that I was trying to copy to the 512mb microSD card that it came with til I realised that I had to drill down to the proper directories. From there on in it was a breeze.

MPT recognises my Outlook data so I was able to transfer some contacts across. It also transfered calendar data that I wanted moved over.

I sent an SMS with it. I think it works. I haven't received a reply yet.

The phone, which I ordered over the phone through Telstra and was a new contract with my current one being terminated with the ETCs waived, also came with a new SIM card. I wondered why. The packaging list said that it was there with my number, etc. However when I inserted it into the phone, a chore in itself as the diagrams that come with the "getting started" guide must be for a Nokia or something, as it didn't look anything like the V9's guts. Whatever, I soon figured it out. The SIM is "unregistered". So out it came and in went my other one.

A coupla questions, though.

1. How do you set your default city to where you live? It came as Sydney and if I try to change it I have to turn off "auto update" for date and time settings.

2. Can you associate photos or images and sounds/mp3s with individual phone entries. Eg. your wife's photo comes up when she rings and a specific audio track (like that siren that goes off with an alert, "Warning, it's the WIFE!").

MJT57 writes...

Can you associate photos or images and sounds/mp3s with individual phone entries. Eg. your wife's photo comes up when she rings and a specific audio track (like that siren that goes off with an alert, "Warning, it's the WIFE!").

Yes you can do this. But to have images stored in the address book you must set your contacts to phone instead of sim card. If you store it to sim you only get limited options you can apply to that contact.

Motorola Razr² V9 writes...

If you store it to sim you only get limited options you can apply to that contact.

Yep, I know that. It's the same for all phones. SIM cards only have a restricted amount of data inc. phone number and name and SMSes sent and received.

MJT57 writes...

Can you associate photos or images and sounds/mp3s with individual phone entries. Eg. your wife's photo comes up when she rings and a specific audio track (like that siren that goes off with an alert, "Warning, it's the WIFE!").

Scroll to the contact and press the centre button on the Navi key to open it. Select the options button (left soft key) and scroll to "edit contact". Scroll down until you get "Ringer ID". Select and then choose "sound", "music", etc as listed. What you want is likely under either of these two. Select one and browse for the tone/tune you want and select it. If it's not there select the other.

On mine the wav files ended up in "sounds" and MP3 clips in "music".

Similar procedure for the pic. Option for this it is straight under "Ringer ID". Select and you can either take a new pic with the phone or select an existing pic. If you choose "select pic" you get options of "Graphic" or "Picture". Again what you want could be in either depending where you or the system stored them.

Both the tune and the pic can be located on the phone memory or the memory card.

How do you set your default city to where you live? It came as Sydney and if I try to change it I have to turn off "auto update" for date and time settings.

In settings>Initial Setup>Time and Date the first option is to select where you want. I selected Melbourne. Autoupdate is set for time only, not time and time zone. Works fine on mine, so can see no reason why yours would be locked to Sydney. If it is call Telstra support.

Oi³ writes...

I've ordered the larger battery and cover.

Did you order this off the Moto site? If not, from where and how much?

V9 Man writes...

so can see no reason why yours would be locked to Sydney.

Once I had the local time zone/date etc. set to "Melbourne" I was able to reset the auto update back to "on".

Anyway a mate has a V3xx. He showed me how he reprogrammed the two "soft keys" on the unit. I set what was the Bigpond key to open the calendar, which will be the second most used function after either phonebook or messaging.

I cannot get a jpg file to display as wallpaper or as a photo in a contact. It might be too big. Is there a file limit size for photos or jpgs to be used as either wall paper or in a contact?

In any case, so far so good. still getting used to where things are in the menu structure. But this has always been the case when moving to a new brand. It was like this when I went from Nokia to Samsung, and now to Motorola.

MJT57 writes...

I cannot get a jpg file to display as wallpaper or as a photo in a contact. It might be too big. Is there a file limit size for photos or jpgs to be used as either wall paper or in a contact?

I can't see anything written in the manual that refers to size, but that's no surprise as the manual leaves a lot to be desired.

I have tried a range of pic sizes. Works OK for a pic up of 360KB. My next smallest size was 600KB and it kacked itself. In the view mode under multimedia you just get a big red X. So clearly there is a limit.

Keep them to 300KB or less and you will be fine. For the size of the screen there's no need to be larger anyway.

V9 Man writes...

Keep them to 300KB or less and you will be fine. For the size of the screen there's no need to be larger anyway.

I've got to check the images that I want to use. What are the dimensions of the outside screen and the inside one? I'll rescale or resize the images to suit.

Another one. I changed the wallpaper for the main screen. It appears on the outside one as well. Can I change it so they display different images? And when I changed the wallpaper setting to display in mosaic or whatever the term is, the outside screen stopped displaying it (just displayed the default Telstra one).

MJT57 writes...

What are the dimensions of the outside screen and the inside one?

It's in the specs on the Moto/Telstra web sites. I just select fit to screen and it will adjust; but clearly there are upper limits.

Can I change it so they display different images?

No

the outside screen stopped displaying it

The outside screen when opened will always display a logo. Usually this will be the carrier logo but on a generic version it is the [rather nice] Moto logo. That is programmed into the firmware.

If you really, really want to change this, you will need to go to Howardforums where the geeks live. There are many, many pages of people getting in and "modding" the phone's firmware or "seems" as Moto calls the applets that control all of these things. You do need to be computer savvy or risk frying the phone. Modding is not for the novice or the faint hearted – they do give warnings to this end.

V9 Man writes...

Did you order this off the Moto site? If not, from where and how much?

I ordered it from http://www.cellpower.com/

$39.95 for battery
$14.95 for the larger battery door

---------
$54.90 Sub
$21.95 Postage

---------
$76.85 Total $US

---------

[EDIT} Forgot to adjust postage cost, slightly more than the standard international $17.95

Yesterday I plugged the power pack into the phone to charge it up and got no result. Bugga I thought that silly Mini USB port has stuffed up. So to make sure I plugged the USB port in via the computer and low and behold I got a connection and it began to charge so I thought, well it must be the AC power pak.
However on the way to work I tried to plug the car charger in an no result there either.
Has anyone else had this issue and other than taking it back to Phonebiz and being without a phone for a week is there a simple solution to this.

Cheers

TonyE writes...

and being without a phone for a week is there a simple solution to this.

This is why I'm keeping the phone that the new V9 has just replaced. If it faults then at least I'll have that as a backup.

Games – where's the best place to get them? Or any sort of application for that matter?

Oh, I'm talking about freeware or shareware, too. I don't consider the V9 as that critical an entertainment unit where I need to pay for them. More like something to while away the time while stuck in the waiting room at the doctor's or wherever.

Another question. How can you browse the V9's memory and storage card other than connecting it to a PC?

I just bought a 2 gig card for it. I took out the supplied 512meg card. It had some files on it, sounds and images for contacts.

I had to copy them across to the new card. Unforunately I could not find them. Until I discovered that they have different names.

eg: one file, daughter.mp3 is now called track 9. Another, son.mp3 is called something else, the name of the program that recoded it, actually.

The phone is getting the filename from tha author/album info encoded into the mp3 file, which is annoying as most of them are converted files using Cool Edit Pro or other converter programs.

Regarding images as for file size I have two images that I used for "speed dial" images on my other phone. One of them is OK at 312x292 and 42kb. the other displays as a red "X" when previewed. It is 457x531 and 144kb.

So, yeah, as far as photos or jpegs go there must be a size limit. I'll read the manual later on to see what I can find. I s'pose an email to Motorola would be a waste of time, huh?

MJT57 writes...

How can you browse the V9's memory and storage card other than connecting it to a PC?

I don't think you can.

I discovered that they have different names.

I copied my stuff from 512Mb card initially to 2Gb card and on the weekend to 8Gb card. In each case everything copied without ant alteration. I also had the entire contents of the card on a folder in Windows.

I s'pose an email to Motorola would be a waste of time, huh?

Call Motorola's help line. They are very friendly even though they are outsourced (Manlia). They don't know everything, as I found out, but it's a good starting point. If a call to the online person doesn't help email should as it gives them the time needed to research the answer.

V9 Man writes...

I copied my stuff from 512Mb card initially to 2Gb card and on the weekend to 8Gb card. In each case everything copied without ant alteration

With respect to that, what I discovered was that the V9 is using the mp3's "author" and "album" info that's encoded into the file to display the media file's title. If it doesn't have that info then it displays its "DOS/Windows" filename.

Another question (I've got heaps, haven't I?). The option for MMS settings "Hidden Sender" the options are to accept or to reject message.

Now, what does it base the "hidden" on? I'm assuming that this is to stop anonymous MMSes being received. But I'd hate to have any from known senders being rejected if this setup doesn't recognise them.

And it doesn't have the same option for SMSes, which I do tend to get a few. Such as one from Telstra today about "free" AFL scores, etc.

Have any of you guys used the 'SyncML' server setup to synchronise your phone's data? If so, which one do you use?

Also, the manual talks about checking call costs. But that option is missing from the Telstra NextG V9. I'm wondering if it's enabled on other Telco provided V9s or the generic ones.

As for software versions my details are below:

Flex Version: USEMERALDAUTELSMOLR26331019
s/w Version: R263311-AS_U_9C.16.36R
DSP S/W Version: 531E0000

There is a Software Update menu option. Presumably this downloads via the 'net, direct to the phone firmware updates. Now, have any of you guys done this and if so has it worked out OK? Given my software versions above is what I have the latest?

I *think* that this is the last question that I have about the V9, for a while, at least.

lauzzie writes...

That must be another thing disabled cause I definitely don't have that option on mine (that is assuming by cell info display we are talking about the suburb etc. that the phone is transmitting from).

Same here, too. A basic feature like that and they disable it. What are these Telstra people on?

MJT57 writes...

How do you set your default city to where you live? It came as Sydney and if I try to change it I have to turn off "auto update" for date and time settings.

It's set to Sydney cause your in whats globally accepted as "Sydney GMT+10" time zone.

Its part of Telstra's Network Interrogated Time Zone feature. Its setup to automatically update what time zone you are in as well as Daylight Savings etc.

MJT57 writes...

Same here, too. A basic feature like that and they disable it. What are these Telstra people on?

It's known as Info Services now.

My Experience with Motorola Phone Tools.

Today I got the chance to sit down and thoroughly explore MPT and to fix up the phone's phonebook. It was imported across from another phone and as it happens, lots of outdated entries, duplicated ones, etc.

I spent an hour going over all of them, editing, deleting, etc..

This is what I found.

1. Not all fields are available to be edited. These include email address field (it shows an email address in the overview pane but nothing is in the editing pane. Some phone numbers such as second home or second business number can't be edited. They are greyed out. No category is able to be edited even though the category is displayed in the overview screen if one has been assigned to that entry.

2. It messes around with Outlook. I had it open while I was doing work in MPT. When I went to check an email address and to send a message it couldn't find the PST data file. I had to restart the PC when I finished with MPT in order to fix it.

3. When I finished editing and saving the phone book I disconnected the phone and opened to check the contents of the phonebook. A lot of them were unchanged. Some were. Some had different info (mobile instead of home phone).

I don't know what happened here. I saved each change as I went. Sometimes though, I did it in batches. ie. edit a number of entries then click on save.

4. I can't view, edit or add/delete photos from the contact details. I can't assign ringtones from MPT. This all has to be done in the phone itself. I can't assign categories to the phone entries in MPT. Again, a phone-only function.

5. There is no option for me to enter a business name. If I want the Red Dragon Choinese restaurant I have to enter it as either "first name" or "last name" or "full name".

6. There is no "6". But trust me, I'm sure to add an item 6, 7, 8, 9, etc.. as I continue to use this program.

I've used various phone programs over the years. They've all had their levels of greatness. MPT is bloody good in concept, but it is lacking in areas. The best phone program that I have used was Nokia Data Suite that cost around $200 and came with a cable. It was used on old phones such as the 5110. It had full functionality. What you could do on the phone itself could be done in the program. Then Nokia released that crap PC Suite and given that it's free it's easy to understand why. I could never get it to work properly with my Nokias.

MPT is heaps better, but it still has some way to go. I wish to forward these comments to Motorola. Where's the best place to do it that's sure to get a response?

MJT57 writes...

I wish to forward these comments to Motorola. Where's the best place to do it that's sure to get a response?

You can forward your comments to AvanQuest the makers of MPT.

salesadvice@avanquest.com

MJT57 writes...

MPT is heaps better, but it still has some way to go.

Might be their idea of a way to charge for a version 6.0?

Oi³ writes...

Might be their idea of a way to charge for a version 6.0?

If that's the case it appears that MPT's maker has a business model different to that of the other phone manufacturers' phones. I've not heard of any of the others who charge for their software. And in MPT's case, it should be freely available. I've already seen that it is limited in function and flawed in operation.

Certainly if I had to pay for it I'd be asking for my money back.

After editing all the phone book entries I now have to go into the phone itself and fix them manually. I might as well have done it like that from the start.

About the only benefit that MPT has had for me is the initial setup of the phone after I bought it – transfering contacts and calendar data over from Outlook and from the my previous phone's SIM card into the handset.

MJT57 writes...

If that's the case it appears that MPT's maker has a business model different to that of the other phone manufacturers' phones.

Sorry, I was just being sarcastic.

Yeah, it's hard to tell on forums when someone's having a go or being serious. The use of "emoticons" can help, though...

Anyway, I have fired off a letter to Avanquest detailing my experiences with MPT. The thing is, the most useful and basic function, the ability to manage the contacts doesn't work. Well, it works on the PC, it just doesn't translate to a similar result on the phone itself.

I will have another play with it today with a few contacts, see what happens. Otherwise I'll have to do them manually, on the phone. Not something that I look forward to...

Last night I was at a party. I was able to try out the MMS and SMS and camera features of the phone. So far it's looking good. My sister could not go so I was SMS and MMS'ing her video and photos of the party.

Anyway, during the night we were chatting. We heard a phone ring. eh? Looked around. Hmm. Dunno. Turns out it was mine. I have a particular MP3 file set to ring for all calls that don't have a ringtone assigned. But in this case it was a private caller (anonymous caller). The phone either didn't ring or that it rang something different and I didn't take notice of it. I also received a message to call message bank. Again it was a different ring tone to what I have assigned. But when my sister rang, the proper ringtone worked, as did the mp3 that's assigned for received SMS/MMS alerts. So I don't know what's going on there.

MJT57 writes...

Yeah, it's hard to tell on forums when someone's having a go or being serious. The use of "emoticons" can help, though...

Yeah I should've. You would think if your writing software for the phone, that natural thing to do would be to make sure whatever you can edit on the phone, you should be able to via the PC software.

Anyway, I have fired off a letter to Avanquest detailing my experiences with MPT.

Fantastic! :-)

Had my first (and probably only) video call last night. Have to leave the phone shut and use the outside screen.

The other party was able to hear me but not very clearly, she said. The smaller screen is cluttered with the other person's image as well as your own. Is there a way to only have their video on the screen?

And as for that, WHY did they do this? They built a larger quality screen that would have been much better for video calls but instead they make you use the smaller outside screen, just so they can save on a second camera, or one that swivels from outside to inside.

MJT57 writes...

And as for that, WHY did they do this? They built a larger quality screen that would have been much better for video calls but instead they make you use the smaller outside screen, just so they can save on a second camera, or one that swivels from outside to inside.

The outside screen on the V9 is only slightly smaller than the internal screen (2" vs 2.2"), and the resolution is the same. As such, using the internal screen for video calling wouldn't be a huge benefit.

I'd say they decided to compromise the video calling somewhat in order to keep the handset slim. A swivel camera takes up more space, as would an internal camera.

Anyway, how often do you use video calling...? :)

I find it's mostly a gimic, though it has come in handy once or twice!

Hi all,
this question has been asked before but never answered (I think) so here goes again.
Scenario someone sends me an MMS if I repy it defaults to MMS even though I only want to send text. The other phones I had gave you an option as to how you want to reply. Either I'm blind or the V9 will only let you reply as an MMS which is twice the cost.

Any thoughts on this??

TonyE writes...

Either I'm blind or the V9 will only let you reply as an MMS which is twice the cost.

I thought that when you received an MMS if you reply with no multimedia attached it automatically converted to an SMS. At least that's what I thought happened the other night when I received an MMS and replied with text.

I'll have to test it again to check.

MJT57 writes...

I'll have to test it again to check.

My daughter tells me other wise and also I can see it sends as an MMS on mine anyway

MJT57 writes...

MPT is heaps better, but it still has some way to go. I wish to forward these comments to Motorola. Where's the best place to do it that's sure to get a response?

I agree it definately has a ways to go but there is no comparison with the old 4.x which basically didn't even begin to let the user do the thins you have tried.

Send it to Moto customer support. There is an email link on the Moto site.

MJT57 writes...

the V9 is using the mp3's "author" and "album" info that's encoded into the file to display the media file's title.

Can't comment on that. All my MP3s have the title, author, etc embedded as my computer is set to retrieve that data over the net, so it just happens.

MJT57 writes...

the manual talks about checking call costs. But that option is missing from the Telstra NextG V9. I'm wondering if it's enabled on other Telco provided V9s or the generic ones.

Yes it does exist on the generic version as an option, but it is a crap option and useless, not only on the Moto V9 but every phone make and model that has the feature as it relies on the call rate being input into the phone. That's fine if there is a single rate, as in some countries, but where the rate changes for peak, off peak, local and long distance, etc, it is impossible to track – unless you change the rate before every call.

Given my software versions above is what I have the latest?

As far as I am aware there is only one Telstra version of the software and no updates. As of a month ago anyway.

MJT57 writes...

A basic feature like that and they disable it. What are these Telstra people on?

This is one thing Telstra can't be blamed for [knew there had to be one]. The 3G system overall cannot display the cell information like the 2G system can. I don't understand the technical reason behind it; it's just the way it is – for all carriers.

MJT57 writes...

WHY did they do this?

Refer my post above re only one camera.

smaller outside screen

It is only marginally smaller. Most phones have minute external screens.

MJT57 writes...

when you received an MMS if you reply with no multimedia attached it automatically converted to an SMS.

That is what it does for me.

MJT57 writes...

when you received an MMS if you reply with no multimedia attached it automatically converted to an SMS.

I don't get many MMS messages and it's been a while since I have but I recall that when I last received one and replied with text it actually asked me whether I would like to send it as MMS or SMS.

I'll get someone to send me an MMS today and check it out.

OK. I have just had someone here at work take a pic and MMS me with it. When I select Options>Reply it defaults to SMS. This appears on the top right of the menu bar where it has "Abc1" on the left, "Msg" in the middle and "SMS:0" on the right.

My memory was partly correct. There is an option to make a change, but it is to change the reply TO MMS from SMS not, as I incorrectly recalled, the other way around.

If the Telstra versions default to replying in MMS it could be yet another "mod" by Telstra, as I cannot see any way the user can change the default in the setup menus (Well, I haven't found one yet) from SMS to MMS. So my default is SMS.

That said, if it defaults to MMS check what options there are and see if there is one to send via SMS, i.e. one would expect that if the default is SMS and there is an option to use MMS then if the deault is MMS there should be one for SMS. If there is no such optionit would add weight to the likelihood of this being