Just debranded my n85

car_guy143 · #1 24-02-2009, 05:04 PM

I have just debranded my Orange branded n85...

Well i say debranded but i don't really know what was branded about it in the first place. The startup/shut down screens, menu icons etc were all Nokia. The only thing that looked branded on the phone were some of the links to download content were for the Orange network. One other thing the phone suffered from was the usual lack of silent mode from a long press of # which is said to be a common problem for Orange branded Nokia.

By the way i unbranded using the product code 0555817which is the EURO1 code. Is that the best code to use?

I used NSS to read/write the product code, and then did a quick update using Nokia Software Update. The download was 132mb, and only took 5 mins for the phone to install. After the update, all my games, contacts, messages videos, photos etc were still on the phone too, which is very handy.

Things i have noticed since unbranding:-

The Navi Wheel seems to work much better.
The Silent mode can now be activated using the # key.
The menu seems slightly more responsive.

Is there anything else that would be any different about the phone since unbranding?

dk206 · #2 24-02-2009, 05:46 PM

wow never noticed the #hold doens't work!!!!

but I'm on 11.047 firmware...

were you on 11.047 firmware before too?
what firmware are you on now?

car_guy143 · #3 24-02-2009, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dk206

wow never noticed the #hold doens't work!!!!

but I'm on 11.047 firmware...

were you on 11.047 firmware before too?
what firmware are you on now?

Yeah the # hold thing is a common orange fault from what i've read up on.

I was on 11.047 with the Orange firmware. When i changed the product code and then ran the update i was given a 11.047 firmware update, but it had higher numbers at the end of it but can't remember what these were. The phone does seem slightly quicker though.

I just think it was a bit pointless of orange to brand the phone in such a very very subtle way without adding their own logo somewhere. Does yours have the orange logo anywhere on the casing? The only thing that suggests mine is on Orange is the orange wednesdays sticker on the box lol

car_guy143 · #4 24-02-2009, 08:08 PM

ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT FOUND. The Nokia charger is now detected more reliably.

With the Orange firmware, my phone would think i had plugged a USB cable in and ask which mode i wanted to connect in. Sometimes it would also fail to show "charging" on the screen.

Now it just starts charging without asking me about what UBS mode.

These issues probably went unnoticed by most as there is so many n85 out there and so many different firmware variations for the phone too.

dk206 · #5 24-02-2009, 10:10 PM

So is it working using AC adapters?

Like the one iPhone uses?
And any USB car charger too???

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/1016376...d_Us_Plug_.jpg

car_guy143 · #6 25-02-2009, 04:16 PM

I don't have a USB charger i can test this with as i can't find it right now lol. The only USB charging i have tried is via the laptop.

The mains charger is detected as a charger now and charges as soon as it's plugged in, wheras before it'd sometimes think i had plugged in a USB cable (it used to ask me which mode to connect to my pc using!).

Now i have no problems at all.

dk206 · #7 25-02-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by car_guy143

Yeah the # hold thing is a common orange fault from what i've read up on.

I was on 11.047 with the Orange firmware. When i changed the product code and then ran the update i was given a 11.047 firmware update, but it had higher numbers at the end of it but can't remember what these were. The phone does seem slightly quicker though.

I just think it was a bit pointless of orange to brand the phone in such a very very subtle way without adding their own logo somewhere. Does yours have the orange logo anywhere on the casing? The only thing that suggests mine is on Orange is the orange wednesdays sticker on the box lol

me too, had the orange wednesday sticker. that was it.
So how did you debrand it? and with what Regional code?
EURO1?

Do you personally think its better? overall?
I'm thinking about doing that....but want to know if it'll be worth it or not

car_guy143 · #8 25-02-2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dk206

me too, had the orange wednesday sticker. that was it.
So how did you debrand it? and with what Regional code?
EURO1?

Do you personally think its better? overall?
I'm thinking about doing that....but want to know if it'll be worth it or not

I debranded it by using NSS to change my product code to product code 0555817 which is the EURO1 code. To get the phone to connect to NSS, you need to exit nokia pc suite.

BTW you do this whilst the phone is turned on and connected to the PC(using USB cable) in PC Suite mode(but make sure you have exited pc suite mode). Then re-open nokia pc suite, run a backup if you wish, and then run the normal nokia software update. If you have the most recent firmware installed, then just click the option to reinstall it. The download is about 132mb, and installation takes about 10-20mins.

When i started my phone up, all my settings, applications etc were still on the phone so didn't have to worry about downloading everything again

For me, i'd say it was worth the debranding. I know the orange branding is very subtle anyway, but debranding seems to have sped things up a bit as well as fixing the problems i mentioned before (phone thinking the mains charger is a USB cable, long press # to silent phone not working etc etc).

The menu icons, colour schemes, etc are the same as the orange firmware ones so you wont see anything that looks completely different to what you see now though.

dk206 · #9 26-02-2009, 09:55 AM

yeah the nai wheel is awful on my N85 right now...
is the wheel more responsive? its was too hard to control so i turned it off lol

i'm still not sure if I want to debrand it....it means i'll lose warranty right?
stilll thinking....

transparent_opa · #10 25-03-2009, 10:40 PM

Has anyone been able to unlock an N85 on Orange?

My turbo sim won't work, and the usual unlocking code/service websites don't seem to do N85's other than Voda/T-Mobile.

CarGuy - I'm in Leyland too!

car_guy143 · #11 26-03-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transparent_opa

Has anyone been able to unlock an N85 on Orange?

My turbo sim won't work, and the usual unlocking code/service websites don't seem to do N85's other than Voda/T-Mobile.

CarGuy - I'm in Leyland too!

Wow another Leylander on the forum, bit unusual that! lol Where abouts? I'm near the market.

Not tried unlocking my N85, but i remember hearing that Orange provide unlocking codes for free if you ask them, but only when the contract is up.

transparent_opa · #12 26-03-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by car_guy143

Wow another Leylander on the forum, bit unusual that! lol Where abouts? I'm near the market.

I'm just off Dawson Lane

Quote:

Originally Posted by car_guy143

Not tried unlocking my N85, but i remember hearing that Orange provide unlocking codes for free if you ask them, but only when the contract is up.

I heard that too, but when I rang they said I need £20 credit on a PAYG sim. I bought one and topped it up, then when I rang back they said it needed to have been registered to me and on the network for 3 months. I only bought it off eBay last week

Think I've found a place to do it anyway, need to post it to them...more waiting...time drags when you've no phone!

klargon · #13 26-03-2009, 07:01 PM

I handed £30 over to a phone shop ("Unlocking Specialist"), went back 2 days later to pick it up, and they told me they'd failed due to their software not supporting that phone. Got my money back, took it to a dodgier store (who also charged £30) and picked it up later the same day. He actually took the phone with him somewhere to get it done, so I guess most unlocking places have similar software/hardware and can't do it.

So, it is definitely possible to get the Orange N85 unlocked, but I think you'll need a proper specialist with the latest BB5 hardware and software.

car_guy143 · #14 26-03-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transparent_opa

I'm just off Dawson Lane

I heard that too, but when I rang they said I need £20 credit on a PAYG sim. I bought one and topped it up, then when I rang back they said it needed to have been registered to me and on the network for 3 months. I only bought it off eBay last week

Think I've found a place to do it anyway, need to post it to them...more waiting...time drags when you've no phone!

Most likely Buckshaw Village then i'm guessing, unless you're in one of those odd 1 or 2 houses actually on Dawson Lane itself. lol