Watch How You Update Your Firmware

I've reposted this article to show some updates below. Whilst the replacement phone that I received has been working quite well, I can't help but want to get to the bottom of this mystery.. does Nokia recycle IMEI numbers or is there another explanation? For example, did someone at Nokia Care swap THEIR E72 with my new one before I went to pick it up?

One moment it was sending emails, calling people, checking the weather, giving directions, looking up Bible passages and the next moment it was lifeless. This was no crash which I had started to get used to on a daily basis. There was no turn off, turn on, wait 30 seconds and watching the hand shaking. The phone wouldn't even turn back on!

My Nokia E72 as dead as this

After experiencing numerous crashes, I finally decided to reload the firmware, yeah, the one that we have been waiting for, for so long! However, half way through the update, the phone died. After efforts of googling for solutions, changing batteries, leaving the phone out for 5 minutes and then trying to turn it on again, I realised the phone was very, very dead.

I took it to the Nokia Care Centre in Perth, or rather Morley and after 15 minutes, I walked out with just my memory card and a pamphlet from Nokia Care suggesting we stay connected. I checked my E63 and I had received an SMS from the care centre, probably straight after getting my details.

b. Nokia Care Morley. Job #_____. Your product has been booked into our system. We will contact you when it is ready for collection. Thank you.

The phone is now with the Nokia doctors and hopefully I can get it fixed, or even better, a replacement because I am sick of the crashing. Noka, you can do better than that, I know. We'll wait a few days and continue posting here. For now, this blog as with the phone is "under construction".

Update: I received an SMS from Nokia Care Centre a few hours after I went into the store. It seems that the software update well and truly bricked the phone because the SMS said

d. Nokia Care Morley. Job #____ is awaiting delivery of your replacement Nokia handset. We will contact you when it is ready for collection. Thank you. 


Update 12/7/10: Called the Nokia Care Centre to find out the status of the replacement phone. They said that they usually receive replacement handsets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They double checked my mobile number and said that they will send an SMS when it is available.

Update 15/7/10: Received a replacement phone but when I tried get the phone unlocked to go overseas, I found out from my phone provider (Three Australia) that the replacement phone had an IMEI number belonging to someone else!!

Update 28/9/10: I called Nokia Care and after "investigating", the guy contacted me again telling me that they could have given me a NEW phone with a RECYCLED IMEI number! I don't believe this is the case and have even asked some higher-ups in Nokia (face to face in London during Nokia World) whether this is possible and they have said that there is no such thing as recycling IMEI numbers. I tweeted @NokiaHelps for a better explanation. The answer: @My_E72 When repairing/replacing Product, Nokia may use products/parts that are new,equivalent to new or re-conditioned http://bit.ly/bzfbxL. I am not sure of the legal ramifications of having a phone with the IMEI pointing to someone else but at least we all know now that the call centre's explanation that Nokia recycles IMEI numbers was proved to be absurd as we thought it would be.