Verizon aknowledges DROID Bionic bugs, promises patches in November ~ GoAndroid

The DROID Bionic is one heck of a flagship device, but it’s not without its faults. Early adopters have been complaining about a litany of issues large and small, and Verizon has apparently been listening. They’ve detailed all of the bugs and glitches in a massive official list, but the carrier says that customers will have to wait until November for a patch.

Among the bugs are some real doozies, like the promised 8-device mobile hotspot being mysteriously limited to only 5, and an inability to reconnect to the 3G network. Some bugs can be helped by a little user elbow grease (have you tried turning off and on again?) but most are simply going to be there until the patch comes. Some of the more frustrating issues, like the Bionic only charging via official Motorola-brand cables and chargers, are swept away as design decisions. For example, the popular Exchange client Touchdown is marked as “No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless” – what gives?
Here’s the full list for your perusal.
Issue: 4G/3G Service – Data Connectivity

Marginal 4G to 3G transition: Loss of data connectivity – The device may display 3G service indication but no data connections are possible.
Action: The user will need to power cycle the device or enable/disable Airplane Mode.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: High Pitch Headset Noise:

A customer may experience high pitched “screetches” while using high end wired headsets.
Action: There is no known work around.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Mobile Hotspot User Limitations:

The Mobile Hotspot only supports 5 users.
Action: There is no known work around.
Resolution: This is a limitation of the device hardware and cannot be corrected.

Issue: Non-branded Chargers:

The XT875 can only be charged with Motorola or Verizon Wireless branded chargers.
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless.

Issue: USB Cables:

The XT875 can only be used with Motorola USB cables.
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless.

Issue: Google Talk Video Calls:

Google Video Talk sessions can be established faster if you start a text chat session first.
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless.

Issue: Touchdown Compatibility:

Nitrodesk’s Touchdown will not function on the XT875.
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless.

Issue: Lapdock low memory warning:

With 4 or more windows opened, a user may see low memory warnings.
Action: The user can terminate browser sessions and/or stop running applications (Tasks application in System Tray).
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the second post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is under review.

9. Issue: Mobile Hotspot Security Modes:

Mobile Hotspot does not support WEP or WPA Wi-Fi protocols. Only WPA2 is supported .
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: No resolution required, working as designed and approved by Verizon Wireless.

Issue: Home Panel Application Shortcuts:

Application shortcuts may be removed from the Home Panel without any user interaction.
Action: The User can go in System Tray and manually add them back in Home Panels. The applications are not deleted from the device.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the second post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is under review.

Issue: MMS Media Message View:

The user may encounter “Force Close” errors or delays when opening MMS messages with media attachments.
Action: The user may need to make more than one attempt to view the message.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Recent Applications Display:

If a user presses and holds the Home key, recently run applications are displayed. Selecting an application may generate an error message “Application not installed on phone.”
Action: Access the application from the System Tray.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: 3 Way Calling – Ending Last Call:

In certain infrastructure markets (Motorola and Nortel), pressing the “End last call” button will place the last party on hold and not drop the call.
Action: User should use the “End call” button to insure all parties are disconnected.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: MEID Displayed:

Under Settings > About Phone > Status, the 14 digit MEID is displayed rather than the 15 digit IMEI.
Action: This information is available on the battery cavity label.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Verizon Wireless Media Store Ringtones:

Ringtones purchased through online store cannot be saved when received in an MMS message. User will get an “error saving attachment” error.
Action: The user should use the VCast Tone application to purchase ringtones.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Post OTA Update – Favorites:

The Favorites contacts may be deleted after a software update. The user will need to manually add the Favorites back.
Action: There is no known work around.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: SIM Swapping Blocks OTA Updates:

In another provisioned SIM is inserted into the XT875 and original SIM is reinserted, the device will not get any OTA updates.
Action: The user will need to perform a factory reset to get OTA updates.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Answering incoming calls while in the Lapdock:

A user may not be able to answer an incoming call while the XT875 is in the Lapdock.
Action: This issue can be reduced if the call is answered during the first ring cycle.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the second post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is under review.

Issue: Camera use while in Lapdock:

If the XT875 is in the Lapdock and the user opens the Camera, they may receive a “Camera is unable to initialize” error message.
Action: There is no known work around.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the second post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is under review.

Issue: NFL Mobile – Lapdock Videos:

NFL Mobile videos will not be displayed while the Bionic is in the Lapdock.
Action: No work around required.
Resolution: This is a limitation of DRM protection.

Issue: Sleep Mode After HD Dock Use:

If the XT875 is removed from the HD Dock, the device may not go back into screen saver mode.
Action: Go to Settings > Applications > Development and uncheck “Stay awake” option.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Resets during Visual Voicemail:

User may encounter resets while playing back voice messages or replying with voice messages.
Action: There is no known work around.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Visual Voicemail Power-up Message:

When the XT875 is powered up the user may see “Data service N/A. Select to refresh” as a Visual Voicemail activities alert in the Notification Panel.
Action: This is a false error message. It can be dismissed from the Notification Panel.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

Issue: Message Thread Order – Device Rotation:

If the XT875 is rotated from portrait to landscape then back to portrait mode after a message sent, the message thread jumps from the latest to the oldest message.
Action: There is no known around.
Resolution: A fix for this issue is under review and will be included in the first post launch maintenance release software for this device. The tentative release date is early November 2011.

We’ve had a lot of input from Bionic owners on both sides of the fence – some report multiple major problems, while others say their phones work just fine. If you’re having so much difficulty that you can’t use your DROID Bionic effectively, remember that Verizon has a 30-day refund policy (minus a restock fee) that as of now everyone should qualify for.
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