Rogers Dream 1.6 Update

Rogers and HTC know they should be doing the upgrades.. period. This "1.5 offers terrific user experience" is nothing but PR-speak crap. I'm almost insulted when I hear that. We are being fed lies - you would have to be completely oblivious as to not know how a smart-phone upgrade cycle should work for it to offer "terrfic user experience". Let me give you a hint Mary, it isn't "terrifc" when I have to root my phone because apps coming out will no longer run on my device (including Google's own). Never mind that we still have yet to get paid apps ..but that's another whole mess.

As a user, and developer of the platform, I'm very angered at the Mickey-mouse operation being run by Rogers.

It all comes down to costs. Rogers' Android users are probably a small fraction of their smartphone customers and they just don't want to pay for this "testing/support" costs. HTC might not even want to release a non-Google branded version because Rogers probably has to foot part of the bill and we ofcourse are no iPhone users in size.

Bottom line is we are second class citizens as far as Rogers is concerned.

What I would like to know is what Google will do about this whole mess? Their beloved platform is catching a whole bunch of dirt over this issue and making Apple's offering look better.

PS. Remove your useless bloody Rogers "icons" from my phone!

Okay, so about 2 hours ago I went in to the Rogers store at Oakville Place in Oakville, Ontario. I spoke to a young man named Ted (at least that's what his name tag said). Looked to be about 20-something. Short dark hair and glasses (in case anyone else goes in to ask, or RogersMary needs some more info to go by).

I pretended to be new to Android and said I was interested in getting the Android Magic, but that my friend said there was a new version of the Android operating system called "1.6" and wanted to know if I would be able to upgrade.

To my surprise, Ted told me first that there would be some new phones coming out in January, or the beginning of the new year, and that these new phones would have 1.6. He confidently informed me that after these phones were released I would then be able to download the 1.6 upgrade... for free!

I asked again, "So if I buy a Magic now, I can get 1.6 in the new year after these new phones come out?"

He assured me I could.

Hey, RogersMary, did you hear that? PROOF that Rogers is misleading customers into buying the HTC Magic under the assumption that they can update to 1.6.

Why would this employee think this (and tell customers this) unless he had been told this by the people who trained him? Unless we are to believe that Rogers employees are left to _guess_ at this stuff by doing their own research online? At the very least it would seem that no one bothered to get a memo out to the stores to tell them that _HTC_ apparently has no intention of releasing 1.6 for the Magic and Dream.

What the hell is going on, Rogers?

Hey, everyone, go in to your local Rogers store, pretend you don't own a dream or magic, and ask them very clearly, "If I buy a Magic/Dream today, will I be able to get the new 1.6 Android update my friend told me is out?"

See what they say. See if they keep LYING to customers about these phones.

@RogersMary

Here is a synopsis of whats been said about why we want 1.6 since you made your post earlier today.

First and formost everyone feels cheated. We all purchased these phones with the understanding that the Android OS and it's apps would be constantly evolving and that we would be able to get updates for the life of the phones. In many cases we specificly asked at the point of purchase about future OS updates and if Rogers was going to cripple any of the functions of the phone. We don't consider minor bug fixes as updates, that's just regular maintenance. Here is a list of some of what 1.6 enables.

1. Google maps navigation (some of us do travel to the US)
2. Voice dialing improvements (bluetooth capability) My old Razr was better. (Handsfree Laws)
3. Improved Text to Speech (and thousands of apps that use it)
4. Improved Camera functionality and speed
5. Google Goggles
6. Access to VPNs
7. Improved Android Market (mainly screen shots submitted by developers in addition to reviews from other users)
8. Improved functionality of the search bar
9. The added functionality of Gestures (and thousands of apps that use it)
10. Useless Rogers icons on the phone, Sites they point to have no use whatsoever.
11. Battery usage indicator (Battery life on this phone sucks, this could help manage it)
12. Accessability functions

mjschmidt said:

What the hell is going on, Rogers?

Click to expand...

What has been happening for many years. Misinformation, incompetence and blatant lies. It gets worse and worse every day.

The BBB in Burnaby, B.C., has received 581 consumer complaints about Rogers Communications in the last three years. It has given Rogers an "F" rating for failing to resolve many of those complaints to the customer's satisfaction.


Rogers also has an "F" rating at the BBB's Toronto and North York locations, where 1,045 complaints were logged in the same period. Approximately half of those complaints were about billing.

Click to expand...

This company has got to be the worst company I have ever dealt with. I really do not envy Mary's job.

It is time someone is held accountable for the Circus that has become Rogers.

@mjschmidt: LMAO! Ted is the guy that sold me my phone at Oakville Place! LOL!!!

GreatBigDog said:

6. Access to VPNs

Click to expand...

Perhaps we need to explain to Rogers what a VPN is (in very easy, small words if possible) because they just don't seem to get that these phones are more like little computers than just phones.

@rogersmary: I have all of my services through Rogers: home phone, two cells, internet, digital cable. I was itching to switch over from bell back In June when I bought my magic and switched the last of my services to you. I left bell after about 9 years because of this kind of nonesense. I am extremely disappointed with rogers support for android. It is completely unacceptable. I am trying to type this out (slowly) as the on screen keyboard lags behind by about 8 keystrokes. This is supposed to improve in 1.6. I have no contract left on any of my services except this phone. I am now seriously considering switching all of my Rogers services. While we appreciate the response, it is simply not good enough. Please put pressure on htc to release 1.6 to Rogers if they are the problem. You are their customer, and we are yours. I would like to think Rogers improves services / products for their customers, so why shouldn't you expect the same of your vendors? A response would be appreciated. My real name is Ryan by the way.

I do have one suggestion that RogersMary could take back to the Big-Wigs...

Don't take the standard Android ROM and customize it!! That way when a new update is available HTC can just release it to everyone through their website and the responsibility would no longer be Rogers. Similar to the way the iPhone and BlackBerry works with their updates.

Just throwin' in my two cents.

As a side note I also left Bell three years ago so that I could switch all my services to Rogers, (Home Phone, Cell, Internet, Cable) and judging by the letters that I get every month from Bell, I'm sure they would be more than willing to cut me a deal to switch back.

Well, looks like the news I knew was coming has finally become official. It is very disheartening that I too was lied to when buying this phone about the updates that are non existent. Figures that Rogers is able to do whatever it wants when it comes to our contracts but when we have a legitimate problem that Rogers will not fix we are left holding the bag. Color me surprised.

First, Mary, thank you for replying to the thread. Please pass along that you will be at least losing me as a customer because of this "mixup" for good. It is unfortunate that Rogers cares so little about its customers, especially since new companies are coming to the market. Contracts are going to be a thing of the past and real competition will come. What you do now will pretty much determine your future as a company. Im sure you saw what happened when Koodo came to the market (w.r.t. your customer base), and even though it was just Telus in disguise it was pretty obvious that a lot of people (especially people in their early thirties or younger) were fed up. Just think what will happen when a company comes and only screws us half as bad as the big three have over the years. I applaud the effort to lock in as many people as you could before the new companies entered the market, but it's over. People will not forget how they have been treated.

Second, HTC should carry as much of the blame as Rogers. To keep it simple, they are profiting off of free updates from Google and dont care one bit as long as the telecoms keep buying the handsets from them. At each step, Rogers and HTC wash their hands of any responsibility we think they have to support the devices we are locked into for three years. The only way any of this will ever change is if people vote with their wallets. In my case, no more HTC phones. Ever.

So, what has this very expensive lesson taught me? Well, I guess never to buy a locked cell from this point forward is a start. Also, that smart phones are a privilege and can be done away with if nothing changes. The Magic was the first real smart phone I have ever purchased and will probably be the last Android phone I buy because of the bs that companies like Rogers and HTC are pulling. It doesnt leave me with many choices, but again I can do without them completely if need be. Dont get me wrong, I love Android and was quite excited to grow with the platform over the years but until Google changes their business model (and with the Nexus One I hope they do) I will be looking at Apple or Palm for my future phone if any at all.

As for everyone else, contact the BBB about this and possibly your MP. Let them know how you have been cheated out of your hard earned money and how upset you are at the indifference shown by both companies involved. Tell your family, your friends, your co-workers; basically tell anyone that will listen. The iPhone got to where it is by word of mouth, never underestimate it and how quickly news can travel.

Oh, and Happy Holidays all!

I think I've come up with ONE way (other than actually giving us 1.6) that might make thos eof us trying to get out of our contracts stay.

RogersMary, if you're reading, take this to your "group"...

Since we believe we were mislead by Rogers into getting the Dream and Magic based on the assumption they would be kept up to date with Android OS versions and applications, Rogers should 1. get some of the new Android phones that come with ver 2.0 installed; and 2. give each of us with a Magic, Dream, or LG Eve a one-time hardware upgrade of FREE to the new 2.0 phone with NO extension to our existing contract.

That simple. You trade me my now-obsolete Magic for a new 2.0 phone in the new year, with no extension to the 3 year contract I signed to get the Magic, and at no extra cost to me, and maybe I'll stay with Rogers.

I would like to thank all of the people who have tirelessly worked to bring Rogers/HTC vision for the Dream's 1.6/2.0 future to light.
After reading through this thread for the past few hours, I have decided to terminate my contract with Rogers. I think it is truly unfortunate that Rogers/HTC has made the HTC Dream an obsolete phone.

Thank you RogersMary for providing excellent communication.

Pretty disappointing news to say the least. Basically one of our only options left are rooting the phone? (which I REALLY wanted to not have to do)

I will also agree to just give us a stock 1.6. I can't remove the useless Rogers icons on my phone OR edit my custom dictionary on these Rogers phones (who knows why they removed that from settings...)

mjschmidt said:

You trade me my now-obsolete Magic for a new 2.0 phone in the new year, with no extension to the 3 year contract I signed to get the Magic, and at no extra cost to me, and maybe I'll stay with Rogers.

Click to expand...

This is a nice idea, but I don't see this making any economic sense to Rogers ...

Let's assume that the cost to Rogers for a new Android 2.0 phone is about $250. (This is in line with estimates for the hardware cost of the iPhone an other "new to market" Android phones.) Also, let's assume that most Rogers Android users are paying $25/month for a data plan. I'm sure that Rogers is making a healthy profit from the data portion of the contract - probably about $15/month. Finally, recall that under all current Roger's contracts, each customer can update their phone hardware every two years (even if they have a three-year contract for voice/data).

So over two years (24 months), Rogers can plan to make a profit of about $360 (24 x $15) from the data portion of a users contract. However, this is a best-case scenerio as there are many Rogers customer who can upgrade their hardware in less than 24 months. Let's optimistically assume that the average Rogers Android customer can upgrade in 18 months - so this is a profit of $270 (18 x $15). With a new Android phone costing about $250 ... there is no profit left for Rogers to earn before the customer can upgrade again to the "latest, greatest" hardware.

In my opinion - there's no chance that Rogers will be offering any free hardware upgrades. However, the cost of upgrading the software (Android OS) would be much less - likely costing about $20 per user. Is Rogers willing to forgo a $20 profit to keep a customer who will be otherwise earning them and average of $270 (data profit over 18 months)?

Who knows ... but they ought to!

I talked to a friend of mine, who is a Telus rep today and asked him about thier Android phones and if they were getting upgrades. He said the rep from HTC was at his store a few days after 1.6 was released in the States and told them that they were going to get the upgrade to 1.6, and it was a matter of time, since Telus has to do some tests on 1.6 before they release it to their customers. So is HTC telling all their customers (Rogers and Telus) the same thing? That HTC has given them 1.6 and it is in the carriers hands now to release it.
I wonder if Telus customers are complaining to Telus like we are about the 1.6 upgrade.

Hi Folks

First, thanks to RogersMary for posting.

I just sent the following to "Kris Able's Blog" Tech Life section on CTV.ca.

"Hi Chris
There are a lot of upset Rogers Dream/Magic/EVE android phone users in Canada due to the fact that Rogers will not be offering the Android OS upgrade from 1.5 to 1.6 or 2.0 for these phones, although most of the rest of the world has received the upgrade. Many new apps even Google's will not work on versions lower than 1.6. The only way to update now is to root the phone.
I thought you might want to make the Canadian public aware of this before they make a decision on what carrier & OS they choose.
Here is a link to one forum that even Rogers reps are commenting in:
http://androidforums.com/rogers/10647-rogers-dream-1-6-update.html"

All of us second rate customers need to make it be known that we have been swindled.
Contact as many media outlets as you can and never forget this fiasco when using word of mouth as well.

mjschmidt said:

I think I've come up with ONE way (other than actually giving us 1.6) that might make thos eof us trying to get out of our contracts stay.

RogersMary, if you're reading, take this to your "group"...

Since we believe we were mislead by Rogers into getting the Dream and Magic based on the assumption they would be kept up to date with Android OS versions and applications, Rogers should 1. get some of the new Android phones that come with ver 2.0 installed; and 2. give each of us with a Magic, Dream, or LG Eve a one-time hardware upgrade of FREE to the new 2.0 phone with NO extension to our existing contract.

That simple. You trade me my now-obsolete Magic for a new 2.0 phone in the new year, with no extension to the 3 year contract I signed to get the Magic, and at no extra cost to me, and maybe I'll stay with Rogers.

Click to expand...

That woud be my prefrance as well. But, I don't want an on screen keyboard. That is the reason that I got the Dream instead of Magic.

I'm now in the process of contacting CBC.ca also.

I hadn't noticed this before, but did you know you can write a review of Rogers phones on their website.

http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wire...oductId_Detailed=DREAMBLKR&N=52+11+4294965972

I wrote a review but the site says it could take up to 72 hours to be posted. I'm thinking they'll probably use their ToS as a reason not to post it but I figured I'd take the chance.

Sent an update to Engadget.

Rogers’ HTC Dream and Magic to be deprived of Donut Boy Genius Report

TBGR posted my tip!

http://mobilesyrup.com/2009/12/19/confirmed-rogers-htc-magic-and-dream-not-getting-android-1-6/

Were screwed

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a Rogers HTC Magic customer who is very disappointed that HTC and Rogers have collaborated in making my three-week old HTC Magic obsolete in the Android world.

The Hardware within the Magic is from what I gathered is practically and virtually parallel to that of the Telus HTC Hero; Qualcomm 528MHz Processor, 512MB ROM, 288MB RAM, 3.2" HVGA Capacitive touchscreen. The differences in these phones are superfluous and made-up. They are the same phones in different shells with different software. However, one is being upgraded to Android 2.0 while the other is forcefully being kept at Android 1.5. Is this fair?

Software-wise, the Telus HTC Hero runs android 1.5 with a proprietary software "overlay". This software is known as HTC's SENSE UI; which was recently promised and delivered for the Taiwanese market as well as Vodaphone subscriber's HTC-branded Magic's. Further upgrades are in the works for the Telus HTC Hero; upgrades to Anroid 2.0, which can only lead us to believe that the Vodaphone and Taiwanese Magic's will also be upgraded to Android 2.0 in due time. T-Mobile has the HTC myTouch3G, a cousin to the Rogers' Magic. With lesser hardware (192MB RAM, instead of 288MB on Rogers' Version) the T-Mobile myTouch is already running Android 1.6 and has been for months.

How is it that the same hardware or sometimes more capable hardware is incapable of running Android 1.6 on one carrier when it is possible and promised for another? How is it that because of not being a Google-branded on one carrier disallows you from obtaining a significant upgrade when non-Google-branded hardware (Telus HTC Hero) on another carrier is?

Rogers as well as HTC have not only disappointed myself but the hundreds of thousands of other Android users in Canada who were promised a "Revolution" in earlier this year with the launch of the HTC Magic and HTC Dream.

These Android phones were pegged as iPhone competitors, and as an ex-iPhone user I find it difficult to believe that Rogers cannot provide a significant update to its Android customer base when it bends over backwards for it's iPhone customers. Rogers, are we not as valuable to you?

I hope that Rogers and HTC can rethink their strategy for their Android phones in Canada, especially since we are not ones to stand by and get treated worse than our brethren's around the world. This is not fair and we will not tolerate it.


~ Idris M. Abdullahi

ace862 said:

I hadn't noticed this before, but did you know you can write a review of Rogers phones on their website.

http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wire...oductId_Detailed=DREAMBLKR&N=52+11+4294965972

I wrote a review but the site says it could take up to 72 hours to be posted. I'm thinking they'll probably use their ToS as a reason not to post it but I figured I'd take the chance.

Click to expand...

I have left my review of the HTC Dream on Rogers site as well. However, I have a feeling that none of our reviews will be posted.

I feel very burned by HTC/Rogers.

I have just upgraded my hardware from Rogers to the HTC Magic, having a choice between this phone and and iPhone. I chose the magic because of the so called Revolution and being that it was supposed to be the iPhone killer. The only Revolution here is the Revolution of Rogers' customers. I was very excited to get his phone, as with many others, but after reading this forum, I feel cheated into getting a device that is now out of date (and only owning it for 3 weeks) and will have to use this out of date phone for the next 2 years until I can have another hardware upgrade.
I want to congratulate and thank all of the hard working people on this forum taking the fight to Rogers and HTC for the rest of us. I truly hope that all of your work will not go to waste and that Rogers and HTC live up to their promises and upgrade the Andorid OS.