Diagnosing Skinny 4G issue with Moto G8 Plus

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Diagnosing Skinny 4G issue with Moto G8 Plus

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HamiltonJack

41 posts

Geek

#2527852 23-Jul-2020 16:34

Hello all

I also bought 2x Moto G8 plus phones - bought them just before lockdown -

I bought them from PB Tech approx $600 bucks each - they are not imported. PB Tech says on the product page that the phone is compatible with Spark and Skinny, but my wife and I, who each have one, sometimes experience issues with the SMS not sending (and sometimes not receiving) - it appears to be random - sometimes it will send and other times not - and to different random contacts. Phone calls and data etc all seem OK but impossible to check 1200% if anything is missing.

I called Skinny to ask what the issue could be and they asked for IMEI number - when they checked the IMEI number, I was shocked to hear that the phone is not supported / not compatible on Skinny or Spark because it uses a different frequency....

So I've written to PB Tech and Skinny - I could also write to Motorola but I guess it's not going to achieve much from any of them... I don't suppose there is a fix if it's the wrong frequency.

Tried restarting the phone, taking sim out and putting back in, updating SMSC number etc, flashed new firmware - all to no avail. The one thing that does appear to help, is to restart the phone and then physically call the number that it won't send SMS to - then hang up - it seems to fix the issue and you can then send SMS again! Annoying.

Hope this is useful for others in the same boat.

Behodar

10504 posts

Uber Geek

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Lifetime subscriber

#2527856 23-Jul-2020 16:44

The official specs list WCDMA band 5 and LTE band 28, which are the two primary frequencies for Spark/Skinny. I suspect that this is a case of Skinny's database being incorrect.

HamiltonJack

41 posts

Geek

#2527859 23-Jul-2020 16:49

Behodar:

The official specs list WCDMA band 5 and LTE band 28, which are the two primary frequencies for Spark/Skinny. I suspect that this is a case of Skinny's database being incorrect.

Could be - but why does the phone have issues with random SMS not sending ? It does seem coincidental !

old3eyes

9119 posts

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Subscriber

#2527868 23-Jul-2020 17:38

Long shot but this is like an issue I had with my Nexus 4 on Spark some years ago. Go to the Play Store and download an app called Go SMS and try that. It was the only was I could send SMS from this phone.

Regards,

Old3eyes

bandicoutts

17 posts

Geek

Trusted

#2528126 24-Jul-2020 12:46

HamiltonJack:

I called Skinny to ask what the issue could be and they asked for IMEI number - when they checked the IMEI number, I was shocked to hear that the phone is not supported / not compatible on Skinny or Spark because it uses a different frequency....

The IMEI compatibility checker is updated every month with a list of TACs - typically the first 7 or 8 digits of your IMEI. It's possible they may not have been provided with the TAC for your phone to indicate whether or not it's compatible. I think from memory there's several dozen TACs for most Motorola G-series phones, to cover different models of the same phone for different regions. You could try putting in the first 6/7/8 digits and seeing if it returns a result - I've attached an image of me checking an iPhone 11 and it will work with only the TAC.

If it has the right bands, it will work.

Your SMS issue sounds separate - I would've initially thought SMSC based on what you're describing, but you've already addressed that. Have a chat with the Skinny team - if you've emailed you can wait for a response, or you can contact 'em on chat or give them a call on 0800 475 4669.

Edited to add: Sorry, you've already talked to them on the phone and they've said compatibility is an issue. The compatibility checker is good but it's not foolproof. I'd say call back and tell them the bands you've got and that you believe it's unrelated to phone compatibility, if they're unable to help ask to speak with Tier 2.

Source: I used to update the compatibility checker for Skinny and Spark

bandicoutts

17 posts

Geek

Trusted

#2528179 24-Jul-2020 12:56

Behodar:

The official specs list WCDMA band 5 and LTE band 28, which are the two primary frequencies for Spark/Skinny. I suspect that this is a case of Skinny's database being incorrect.

Network's not my strong suit, but I thought Spark had band 3 not 5?

HamiltonJack

41 posts

Geek

#2528224 24-Jul-2020 14:35

I emailed them and got the blah blah canned message (below) ...... instructions i already checked and the Message Centre number is fine.

I'm guessing in the end, it's probably a phone defect - I've since found a few people on the moto forums complaining too....

I'm waiting to hear what PB Tech has to say - but not holding breath...

Thanks for contacting Skinny.

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. If your texts are the only service that is not working (calling and data are fine), this leads us to believe that it could be a settings issue with the default messaging app, and, more specifically, the message centre number.

Please follow the instructions I have prepared below to adjust this setting:

1. Go to your 'Message' app
2. Select the Menu icon which should show options like "Settings, Edit. Etc."
3. Select the option "Settings"
4. Select the option "More Settings"
5. Select the option "Text Messages"
6. Enter the +64277438600 into the option that says "Message Centre"

And it is all done - you should be able to send texts from now on. Please let us know how you get along.

If there's anything else we can help out with, please reply to this e-mail or come and chat with us on skinny.co.nz/help. Our Support Team is available Mon-Fri 8am-7pm and weekends/public holidays 9am-5:30pm.

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