Independent, open source phones are terrible. Suggestions on how to improve

[kevg 14]

This post isn't specifically about F(x)tec as I had the same problem with Unihertz.

I got my Pro¹X about a month ago. I was excited. I love the keyboard. It's fun to whip out at parties. But it simply doesn't work. I mean, the most basic function of making a phone call: sometimes, the caller can't hear me.

My issue isn't with the technical problem. It's a new phone, and hardware and software are hard. That's understandable.

My issue is the lack of working with users to solve problems and the poor prioritization of issues. Companies can be forgiven when a user reports an issue but the user can't reproduce it and gather diagnostics..

This is not an excuse with me. I've been a programmer for 20 years and I made it clear I'm glad to gather diagnostics or run custom diagnostic builds. I can reproduce the problem easily. I opened a support ticket in mid-February with logs. It was acknowledged, and I haven't heard back since. I have continued to send logs and new details as I've discovered them myself, and I've heard nothing.

Again, this isn't about F(x)tec in particular. I had the same problem with my Unihertz. I had a Titan Pocket and the WiFi would constantly drop out. Again, I understand these issues are complicated, but I gave them the same offer: I wanted it to work and I'm a professional that can run debug builds and diagnostics for free. I heard back essentially nothing. I escalated to any email I could find at Unihertz and heard back nothing, so I returned it.

If a phone is failing at a core function, and a user shows up at your door who can reproduce the issue, is technically competent, and is eager and willing to spend their precious time to help fix the issue for free, you should prioritize this issue above nearly everything else. You should respond to them and send them a diagnostic build to gather additional logs. We know you all have limited resources, but this isn't complicated (in the sense of how to interact with users and prioritize issues). This isn't just my issue and has been confirmed by other users.

I spent most of yesterday adding pr_warn log statements to kernel/fxtec/sm6115/techpack/audio/dsp/q6voice.c to try to figure out the "voice_get_cal: No cal data for cal 8" and "voice volume failed" errors (which are not seen when the issue doesn't happen), but ultimately the calls go to apr_send_pkt and I don't know where to find the source of the other side of this call. More broadly, reverse engineering all of DSP and APR is just too much for me right now. I already tried switching to fluenceplus which didn't work.

I bought another phone last night. I won't return or re-sell this phone in case F(x)tec wants to gather more diagnostics, and I can pop the SIM back in and gather data.

The independent, open source phone industry will die or be totally irrelevant unless it works with eager users like myself and properly prioritizes issues by severity.

Edited March 6, 2023 by kevg
Clarify

[Hook 3,015]

I guess, let's see if we can get @Casey's attention.

Did you join the beta group on Telegram?  Not having my Pro1x yet, I haven't, so I don't know what is being discussed there. 

 

[kevg 14]

2 hours ago, Hook said:

I guess, let's see if we can get @Casey's attention.

Did you join the beta group on Telegram?  Not having my Pro1x yet, I haven't, so I don't know what is being discussed there. 

 

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that, but my complaint is specifically about the support process and F(x)tec's responsiveness and development prioritization. I paid $865 for this phone. This isn't some random open source library on github that's purely run by volunteers (which is why I have no bad things to say about XDA... unless they are getting a cut of Pro1X revenues). In addition to contacting them through their support email, I think I've made sufficient posts in unsupported places (posted in both F(x)tec and XDA forums) and I don't have the time to post in more places. If F(x)tec wants to solve this problem, I'm here waiting to run debug builds and they know how to contact me. If they want to do it out in the open, that's fine too, and they can tell me where they want to do that.

Edited March 5, 2023 by kevg

[Hook 3,015]

5 minutes ago, kevg said:

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that, but my complaint is specifically about the support process and F(x)tec's responsiveness and development prioritization. I paid $865 for this phone. This isn't some random open source library on github that's purely run by volunteers (which is why I have no bad things to say about XDA... unless they are getting a cut of Pro1X revenues). In addition to contacting them through their support email, I think I've made sufficient posts in unsupported places (posted in both F(x)tec and XDA forums) and I don't have the time to post in more places. If F(x)tec wants to solve this problem, I'm here waiting to run debug builds and they know how to contact me. If they want to do it out in the open, that's fine too, and they can tell me where they want to do that.

While I understand what you are saying, they are not spending a lot of time checking the user-to-user forums. It would seem to me that the beta testing group is probably where they are working problems, though I don't know for sure since I haven't been there.

[doubleddav 34]

I completely agree with all of @kevg's points. I'm not a programmer, but I work in an IT company that provides exceptional support. I'm telling you that this sort of behaviour wouldn't fly at our company. If there are weird issues with our platform we're onto it, we let the client know what we're doing and get support directly with the developers. Even if it costs us in the short term, the benefits to reputation far outweight it.

I'm part of that Beta Telegram group, it's a waste of time. Good people on there trying to figure things out, but little response or movement from staff at Fxtec. Just a bunch of us stabbing in the dark with a problem that's clearly over most of our heads.

I'm at the point now where I'm thinking of returning my phone. I'll start the process, but I'm preparing for the inevitable get ghosted by Fxtec, then by Expansys and then having to work my way up the legal stack until I get a response. Sad and a big stressful waste of my time.

Edited March 5, 2023 by doubleddav

[kevg 14]

4 hours ago, Hook said:

While I understand what you are saying, they are not spending a lot of time checking the user-to-user forums. It would seem to me that the beta testing group is probably where they are working problems, though I don't know for sure since I haven't been there.

The primary support source is their support email address. I emailed them on 2/16. They responded on 2/17 acknowledging receipt of the logs. I've sent them 5 emails since then, one of them emphasizing that I'm very technically competent and glad to try diagnostic builds, and that the core function of the phone is not working and politely telling them this should be one of their highest priority issues. I haven't heard anything since the first acknowledgment email. The last comment by doubleddav is even more reason not to bother with Telegram. They have the support ticket on Zendesk and aren't responding.

[PoongZY 15]

4 hours ago, Hook said:

While I understand what you are saying, they are not spending a lot of time checking the user-to-user forums. It would seem to me that the beta testing group is probably where they are working problems, though I don't know for sure since I haven't been there.

Beta testing group had been silent for few weeks while waiting for guide how to debugging LTE band 3 problem.