Gingerbread on atrix from Eking

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pwapwap

101 posts

Master Geek

#88314 13-Aug-2011 10:43

I purchased a Motorolla Atrix 4G from eking a couple of months back.

It is a AT&T phone, which appears to be ROMed with the HK software rather than using a unlock code.

Today I got a message saying that a system update was available, I assume that this is the gingerbread update that just came out and have read about.

Does anyone know if it is safe to upgrade? Eking are being douches and saying "I think you’ll have to do the update manually if you want, it won’t work with the automatic update from the moto website. Please be aware there’s risks updating your phone, it might cause system failure"

Model number: MB860
System version: Version4.1.83.MB860.ATT.en.US

Let me know if there are further specs you need to help me out.

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693 posts

Ultimate Geek

#506567 15-Aug-2011 09:11

I bought my Desire from Eking, when I received the Froyo update notification I downloaded it, but it just wouldn't install at all, the phone would just reboot into the old OS. Eric at Eking didn't care and even tried to put me off trying to upgrade to Froyo, saying it was bad for the HTC Desire in any case.

Eking are great at selling phones but don't want to know you after the sale is complete and certainly offer no problem resolution. I don't know what they do to the phones before they sell them but they aren't keen on people trying to upgrade the OS.

DLS

Pluralsight

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oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

#506592 15-Aug-2011 09:43

XDA forum should be able to answer your questions.
There is a good link in the DEFY pages on geekzone that explains clearly the issues around different ROMs and regions and firmwares for that product. It maybe helpful

testing123

176 posts

Master Geek

#506727 15-Aug-2011 13:03

root your phone, manually install a custom or OEM rom yourself. Don't rely on eKing.

That's what i had to do with my wildfire. Zero help whatsoever. Not buying anything from them again.

pwapwap

101 posts

Master Geek

#507408 16-Aug-2011 16:00

Check it out, looks like they have closed.

http://eking.co.nz/

I was just trying to look up the detailed invoice I got from them as I am a bit disgruntled. Can't access it as they have closed shop (except for warranty claims).

I believe that how they were selling was misleading, they were selling phones as unlocked (as if by using codes) but were really ROMing the OS with another to get around the locking mechanism.

Mutter mutter mutter.

justjay

93 posts

Master Geek

#507850 17-Aug-2011 12:25

Hmmm... looks like they've given up. Prices were good but service was pretty poor. I had a similar problem to you they just weren't interested in helping at all, in fact they told me not to upgrade as it would stuff up the phone and void the warranty.

ANyway eventually the phone bricked itself and although they honoured the warranty it took them 3 months to replace it! When it came time to replace that phone (because it crapped out again) I couldnt be bothered dealing with them so bought a replacement from Parrallel Imported, cost a bit more but the service was top notch.

If I was you I'd root it and go for a custom rom. If Eking are gone not sure how much use any warranty would be anyways.

kobiak

1615 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#507862 17-Aug-2011 12:40

don't get me wrong, but why the hell on earth shop should care about YOU upgrading YOUR phone?

They sold you one - do what ever you want with it. They are not manufactures, they don't need to be phone and andoroid geeks to answer all these update issues...

Contact motorola, htc, samsung, whaever manufacturer of your cellphone and ask them why your phone bricked after you attempted to install downloaded firmware from somewhere.

Do you really expect real easte agent give a damn about you painting your black walls with white paint when you get them grey in the end? I don't think so.

helping others at evgenyk.nz

Kiwi1971

693 posts

Ultimate Geek

#507883 17-Aug-2011 13:09

kobiak: don't get me wrong, but why the hell on earth shop should care about YOU upgrading YOUR phone?

They sold you one - do what ever you want with it. They are not manufactures, they don't need to be phone and andoroid geeks to answer all these update issues...

Contact motorola, htc, samsung, whaever manufacturer of your cellphone and ask them why your phone bricked after you attempted to install downloaded firmware from somewhere.

Do you really expect real easte agent give a damn about you painting your black walls with white paint when you get them grey in the end? I don't think so.

I'd say you have the wrong end of the stick

Eking sold Android phones which as part of their normal function have the built-in ability to upgrade to new versions of the Android OS as and when they are officially released for that model of phone. Not "downloaded from somewhere" as you say.
This is a feature of Android phones that purchasers reasonably expect to have. It is in the spec for that phone.

However Eking did something to the phone's software prior to shipping that prevented the phones from being able to upgrade. This is an issue they [Eking] caused and refused to rectify. Furthermore they lied to users about the reliability of the upgrades on their particular phones in the hopes that the customer would drop the issue.
I would not have bought mine if I was told in advance that I would be unable to upgrade OTA and would haveto make do with an old version of the OS for the life of the phone.

Since you like analogies, answer me this, would you take the same attitude of "but why the hell on earth shop should care.." (sic) if they sent you a phone with a disabled camera or no audio playback when they were both advertised features of the phones?

*As it goes I rooted my phone and am now enjoying a bit of Gingerbread on my HTC Desire.

DLS

kobiak

1615 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#507908 17-Aug-2011 13:40

Kiwi1971, I think it's wrong expectations buying imported phone with designed firmware for AT&T and expect OTA worked. But I might be wrong here.

Anyway, if something won't work out of the box related to hard ware - I would assume it's hardware problem and would send it back for warranty issue.

But updating firmware is totally on manufactures side. and shop has little to nothing related to this issues.

another example with firmware update:

not so long ago I bought samsung tv. updated firmware via internet - fine. few weeks after I spotted new firmware on samsung nz site. tried update via build it function over internet - no new firmware found. Thus as you guys suggest here I should blame BOND AND BOND and send my tv back as they don't bloody care about me or my attempts to upgrade tv's firmware.

Sure thing I manage to install update via USB :D

as I stated above shops should not care about firmware updates done by users, it's all done in your own risk and might not work and might brick you cell, tv, coffee machine.

helping others at evgenyk.nz

Kiwi1971

693 posts

Ultimate Geek

#507947 17-Aug-2011 14:20

kobiak: Kiwi1971, I think it's wrong expectations buying imported phone with designed firmware for AT&T and expect OTA worked. But I might be wrong here.

.

These were sold as new and unlocked so as far as we knew these were factory vanilla and should reasonably be expected to upgrade.

Your issue with the TV is slightly different as my phone found the OTA upgrade and downloaded fine but would not install due to something Eking had done to the phones software.

I would myself still ask Bond & Bond in the first instance in case they are aware of a problem [long shot I know]
DLS

kobiak

1615 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#507967 17-Aug-2011 14:49

Kiwi1971, was the box opened? all parts assembled? Finger prints on phone? how do you know Eking done anything to the factory manufactured phone? I would think it's factories firmware issue... when phone's sees something in the wild, downloads it and unable to install it.

still if there's no proof Eking opens boxes and uses the phone - they got nothing to do with firmware updates. and how BOND AND BOND would help me with samsung's own software update tool?

helping others at evgenyk.nz

pwapwap

101 posts

Master Geek

#507976 17-Aug-2011 15:03

In my case eking told me (over the phone after I had purchased) that they purchase AT&T phones (locked to their network and partially subsidised by AT&T) and then send them to Hong Kong where they ROM the phone with the HK software. This process was not described on their website - they just stated "unlocked to work on 2degrees and XT"

This appears to mean that the OTA updates won't work.

In any case, under the CGA in NZ, if something is not working as advertised or intended, it is the seller who is responsible for any claims, not the manufacturer.

kobiak: Kiwi1971, was the box opened? all parts assembled? Finger prints on phone? how do you know Eking done anything to the factory manufactured phone? I would think it's factories firmware issue... when phone's sees something in the wild, downloads it and unable to install it.

still if there's no proof Eking opens boxes and uses the phone - they got nothing to do with firmware updates. and how BOND AND BOND would help me with samsung's own software update tool?

Debin

111 posts

Master Geek

#507981 17-Aug-2011 15:09

I'm going to sound mean but all this talk is somewhat irrelevant - Eking, and places like it, won't lift a finger to help you unless you go through the motions of taking them to Small Claims/whatever.

klyster

104 posts

Master Geek

#508196 17-Aug-2011 19:58

Hi there, this is my first post here after lurking for a long time.
Eking are dodgy IMO.
I purchased an LG Arena off them last year, it took a while to get here, like 2 weeks ex HK, that wasn't really to much hassle.

The phone I got came in a box with two different product codes and serials on it, there was a fingerprint behind the camera lens, the LG stickers fell off, the touchscreen didn't work, screen freaking out, banded lines and so on....

I contacted them and asked if my phone was a refurb, and why was the packaging all messed up, and they replied that it's normal for the phones not to be kept in the boxes, and reassured me that it wasn't a refurb.

I told tham of the other issues so they got me to send it back (at my expense) and then after two weeks! (this was during the first CHCH earthquake, I had to buy another phone in the interim), I rang them ( as they never bothered to ring me) and they told me there was nothing wrong with it, and it had been sitting there waiting for me to contact them for week? Anyhoo, they send it back, and it's even more unresponsive to the point of being unusable. They tell me I have to contact LG NZ, and I did, they didn't want a bar of it, so I made a video of the phone skitzing out, contacted eking, showed them the video and threatened to post it on youtube with a whole lot of links pointing to them.

They promptly asked me if they had another phone in stock that I would like (this is after about half a million emails, which I still have), so I chose the X10 mini, had to pay freight again, but they basically had me against a wall.

The X10 mini turns up a week later in a X10 box(the big X10) with instructions for a big X10 and set to Chinese language.
I asked them how to change it and they basically told me to go swivel.

I strongly recommend anyone to steer well clear of Eking for out of town, online purchasing, you might get a sweet deal and be happy, but if it turns to custard, I'm sure you'll be treated with the same indifference that I was subject to.

I don't but phones online anymore, I buy somewhere where I can go back if something goes wrong, it's just not worth the dollars you save online, for hassle of getting royally jerked around.

Their loss too, because if the initial sale had gone well, I may have purchased my i9000 and i9100 off them and recommended them to lots of other people.

Klyster

SOme reading about Eking: http://pricespy.co.nz/forum/index.php?showtopic=806

edit: Looks like they are closed now anyway....good riddance.

venomio

178 posts

Master Geek

#508633 18-Aug-2011 16:09

I bought my Samsung I897 AT&T Captivate from EKing last November for a steal.

The good thing for me, was that their store was located right in-front of my old workplace, so I kept popping in from time to time to make sure I got what I ordered.

My phone said that it was an AT&T refurb on the box (I didn't really care), and definitely had a custom ROM on it (as it had been rooted too).
Again, for myself (being an Android geek), I just flashed my own custom ROM and was a happy camper (and still am! I love this phone).

I had a problem where the headphones they provided me didn't work properly with my phone, so I went into their store and bugged the hell out of them until they gave me ones that worked properly.

If people have a problem with them (provided they reside in Auckland), I suggest just walking into their shop and having a talk with the dude there.

I haven't been there in the last month, so I can't be sure if they're still at the same location still... But I can provide the address if people require it.

PhoneCareLtd

11 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#508923 19-Aug-2011 11:59

is a risk buy parallel import phone, so you may get cheap price and poor service. As technician I like to suggest don't upgrade phone specially parallel import phone.

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