Samsung Sent Me A Letter

AS I have already posted, I'm not real happy about how I bought a Samsung Behold II and just 4 mos later found out that they will not be upgrading it beyond Android 1.6 when I was counting on being able to running Android 2.0 at least. I sent Samsung an e-mail about it and here is a response I recently received:

Dear Marcus,
We want you to know that Samsung appreciates you helping to bring this matter to our attention. Samsung is immediately releasing the following information to clear up any confusion regarding planned upgrades for the Behold II: "Samsung Mobile and T-Mobile USA are updating the Behold II to Android 1.6 which provides access to Google Maps Navigation, Google Voice Search capability and quick search box for Android. The update also supplies additional benefits including Swype, an improved Media Player, updated core Android applications and improved Bluetooth capabilities. However, the Behold II is not upgradable beyond Android 1.6."
Additionally, we are researching any previous statements made about the planned upgrades for the Behold II to rectify misstatements, if any, that may have been made. Please know we review and appreciate comments, positive and negative, made by people like you, our customer, and we take them to heart. Our goal is to always provide the best possible handsets that not only meet but exceed your expectations, both in quality and functionality.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may present.
Do you have more questions regarding your Samsung Mobile Phone? For 24 hour information and assistance, we offer our new FAQ/ARS System - Automated Response System
.
It's like having your very own personal Samsung Technician at your fingertips.
We thank you for your continued interest in Samsung products.
Sincerely,
Technical Support

Translation: They are going to do nothing to fix my problem. However, T-Mobile did take a step in helping me. I'm not entirely happy with the situation, but at least it is something. I will be posting on that later. Basically this is the same answer I got when I called Samsung and I kept having to bug T-Mobile to get them to do something...even half-heartedly.

Samsung May Not Care About Customers....But They Make Good Phones!

As you probably remember, I posted a blog post a couple of weeks ago about how I felt cheated that I bought the Behold II because Samsung said that they would be upgrading nor supporting the phone at least up to Android 2.0 (phone hasn't even been out a year!) and now have said that they will not. Well, I'm still not happy about it but I now have a resolution that I can live with. T-Mobile agreed to sell me a better phone at a low discount. At first I was upset that the best Phone I could get from them was a Samsung model, but I have to admit that it's a great phone and now I can do all things that I need to do with the Phone that I could not do with the Behold II - such as make real good use of Bluetooth! So I thank God for allowing me to find a solution. It's not the solution I wanted but it is the solution I needed.

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Cheated by Samsung and T-Mobile - Behold II

Back in November 2009, Samsung's Behold II; was released. During that time, it was promised that it would be updated to Android 2.0 when it becomes available.






I bought mine in April 2010. At the time I was told by the T-Mobile representative that the Behold 2 would soon be updated. Hasn't happened yet. To make matters worse most newer apps are written for Android 2.x but the Behold 2 will never be updated to Android 2.x.

Again, I purchased my Behold II back in April 2010 and I believed the hype at the time that it would get Android 2.0 update. Samsung said it.T-Mobile said it. And now that its been confirmed that T-Mobile won't be selling it anymore and the Behold II will be getting no update. When I called both companies, they said the same thing: buy another phone. Neither company will help me. I've decided that when my contract is up I will not be buying another Samsung phone and I will be switching cell phone companies.

Here is the information I have found so far. I have found that Samsung has officially stated in May:

“Samsung Mobile and T-Mobile USA are planning to update the Behold II to Android 1.6 which provides access to Google Maps Navigation, Google Voice Search capability and quick search box for Android. The update will also supply additional benefits including Swype, an improved Media Player, updated core Android applications and improved Bluetooth capabilities. However, the Behold II is not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6.”

I did get that update but it is really less that what I expected. So where does this leave me and the several folks who bought the Behold II? We are stuck in a two year contract with a phone that is now obsolete in under 10 months! Or we can spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone! This is completely unfair and should be unacceptable but T-Mobile and Samsung don't seem to have a problem with it.

Well in the meantime there is an online petition. I'm signing that and I have heard some rumors of people being allowed to switch their Behold II's for a better phone: Stuck to my guns. My Behold II replaced with Samsung Vibrant.

Controversy

While marketing the Behold II, Samsung created a promotional video highlighting the features of the phone. Among these, the narrator states the device will update wirelessly to Android 2.0 "when it becomes available". In May, after many inquires into when the phone would get the update, Samsung Mobile issued a response stating they would not be updating the Behold II past Android 1.6, claiming the Behold II is not capable of upgrading to 2.0. The development community has countered this by running a 2.1 ROM on the Behold II. This ROM is missing only proprietary drivers from Samsung.[7] In further response, a group of users has begun considering legal action. No case has materialized yet. More recently, a number of Behold II owners have worked out arrangements with T-Mobile to replace the phone with other Android devices that are also capable of running Android 2.0 or higher.[8]

- Samsung Behold II - Wikipedia

I'm going to keep looking to T-Mobile for a solution. I need to talk to the right person. I'm posting this information at this blog as a paper trail. I firmly believe that even if i don't get a replacement phone and i am stuck in this contract, I thank God. God will still take care of this even if it does not go the way I think it should.

More documented links:
Samsung Behold II owners consider legal action over lack of Android 2.x upgrade

Samsung Mobile not deaf, responds to Behold II owners

Update May 27: Samsung Behold II not Getting 2.x – Legal Action Being Considered

Farewell to Samsung Behold II?

I don't feel like T-Mobile is sticking with me at all...more like I'm being thrown under bus. Good thing I have Jesus.

6 month old Samsung Behold 2 not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6 | Widgets Lab

I have a personal stake in this story. I just got the Behold II myself just bout a month ago. This truly is a problem for me if it can't be upgraded past Android 1.6 and Android 2.2 is about to hit. In my opinion it does make me feel cheated. I will definitely be following up on this.

6 month old Samsung Behold 2 not upgradeable beyond Android 1.6 | Widgets Lab