WHy would a provider NOT want you to be able to upgrade to the latest firmware

[N95 dude]

especially given that it is supplied by the product manufacturer?

I would have thought that Orange/Vodaphone etc would be clammering at Nokia's door saying "Yes please Mr Noika, make our customers experience BETTER"

Seems a little odd to me that a clever phone like the N95 has to be de branded in order to get the latest firmware. Is there no way round it? Could I take it to an Orange shop for example and say "Upgrade the firmware on that you muppet!" have a coffee and walk out with the latest firmware?

I'd buy it for a few quid! <NODS>

Anyway's just a thought. I'm sure it has a commercial reason, but I fail to see how A-GPS on my phone, for example, affects Oranges tariffs adversely!

:waves:

[3Shirts]

To be accurate, you don't have to debrand to update, but if you don't you have to wait longer.
Nokia release their new firmware as soon as it's ready but obviously they only make the 'vanilla' firmware. The networks customise it by adding/changing themes, disabling certain apps or adding their own bookmarks and homepage.
This customisation takes time (longer than it should tbh) so the network branded firmware comes out later.
If you don't want to debrand, you can just wait but personally I want the new firmware ASAP and I don't want my provider screwing around with it.

[The_Vindicator]

some providers dont want to release the v.20 update for the n95-1 because it will encourage people to get the n95 8GB :/

[argh]

They have to QA the devices on their network. If there's an issue with them, they will be held responsible and have to deal with angry customers.

These tests take time and money that are better spent on new handset offerings from the network, so they won't always bother updating to the latest firmware without strong justification (such as a lot of complaints about the existing platform, particularly from businesses with large contracts).

Nokia are rumoured to be releasing another new N95 firmware soon'ish anyway, with Flash Lite 3 support (I think an unreleased version has been available on Nokia RDA for a while). I imagine that they might be waiting for n-gage to be released for the N95, then they'll embed that and release it, but I could well be wrong!

[Pheonix SZ]

Originally Posted by The_Vindicator

some providers dont want to release the v.20 update for the n95-1 because it will encourage people to get the n95 8GB :/

How does that work ?

Surely, frustration with pre-v.20 N95's would encourage N95 sales.
Many providers are slow with updates because they don't devote much by way of resources to writing FW - and the more complex the phone, the greater the release delay.

I fail to see why anyone wouldn't simply debrand and update - given that it takes only minutes and won't invalidate your warranty (unless you REALLY doof up and brick it - in which case, you don't deserve a warranty anyway )

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by Pheonix SZ

How does that work ?

Surely, frustration with pre-v.20 N95's would encourage N95 sales.

I think that's what he was getting at......

Leave N95-1 customers on V13, they get pee'd off, then go and upgrade to the 8GB to get rid of their crippled -1.

[Pheonix SZ]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

I think that's what he was getting at......

Leave N95-1 customers on V13, they get pee'd off, then go and upgrade to the 8GB to get rid of their crippled -1.

My bad.
I shoulda learned to read properly.

[anarchyuk]

The firmware upgrades to networks are in the ways of " if it isnt broke dont fix it" sometimes once a stable version is released they wont ever go any higher unless a network issue is causing problems and reconfiguration can only done at handset level, like when a certain networks N95 custom opera browser started flashing and failing, in most cases you can ask at store even the companys own retail's for generic phones, they will order it in, the n95 hopefully will be a great learning curve for nokia and the n96 will be excellent, but when do they ever learn, 8210 turning off when sending sms, 8310 turning off when sending sms, bla bla and the saga continues

[GordonShowers]

It is PURELY for making extra revenue.

They do this by adding loads of their own links (for downloading premium music, themes, tones, etc) and by removing features that bypass their own revenue streams (such as disabling VOIP).

Absolutely no other reason.

[Pheonix SZ]

Originally Posted by GordonShowers

It is PURELY for making extra revenue.

They do this by adding loads of their own links (for downloading premium music, themes, tones, etc) and by removing features that bypass their own revenue streams (such as disabling VOIP).

Absolutely no other reason.

That wasn't the question.

[GordonShowers]

Originally Posted by Pheonix SZ

That wasn't the question.

No, that was the answer to the question.

Question: Why would a provider NOT want you to be able to upgrade to the latest firmware?

Answer: Because the latest firmware has NOT had all the features that bypass the network operators' revenue streams removed, and has NOT had all the operators own links that generate extra revenue added.

[Pheonix SZ]

Originally Posted by GordonShowers

No, that was the answer to the question.

Question: Why would a provider NOT want you to be able to upgrade to the latest firmware?

Answer: Because the latest firmware has NOT had all the features that bypass the network operators' revenue streams removed, and has NOT had all the operators own links that generate extra revenue added.

Again, that wasn't the question.
All the network providers update their own FW.
I believe O2 and Voda now have v20 FW for the N95-1 - which is the latest version.

[GordonShowers]

That Vodafone call it v20 in no way means that it is the latest firmware. And indeed it is not. It is just Vodafone's latest firmware. It is based upon, but is certainly not the same as, the original generic v20 firmware. It is the original generic software that should be considered the latest firmware.

It is my belief (and I hope I will be corrected by the OP if this is not the case) that the OP was asking why providers would not want you to upgrade to the latest GENERIC software, when it is the version deemed most suitable by the phone manufacturer.

In which case I offered my opinion as to why. If you do not agree with my opinion then that is fine.

[Pheonix SZ]

Originally Posted by GordonShowers

That Vodafone call it v20 in no way means that it is the latest firmware. And indeed it is not. It is just Vodafone's latest firmware. It is based upon, but is certainly not the same as, the original generic v20 firmware. It is the original generic software that should be considered the latest firmware.

It is my belief (and I hope I will be corrected by the OP if this is not the case) that the OP was asking why providers would not want you to upgrade to the latest GENERIC software, when it is the version deemed most suitable by the phone manufacturer.

In which case I offered my opinion as to why. If you do not agree with my opinion then that is fine.

I see.

[N95 dude]

Just to show that nothing changes, here we are, almost 2 and a half years later and I had to wait almost 6 months before updating to 31.002, that was back in April and I bet there is another update available but not according to my phone.
In the Android world, the all important Android 2.2 Froyo update was made available at the beginning of August. Unbranded handsets are all done and now everyone on contract is chomping at the bit, for exactly the same reasons as I was in March 2008. Hey Ho