Xiaomi Mi 9 owners furious after dodgy Vodafone software patch bricked their mobes
- Reference: 1589446806
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/14/xiaomi_mi_9_vodafone_patch/
- Source link:
The issue was brought to our attention by regular Reg reader Tim Allen, who accused Vodafone of "spannering" his phone and leaving him in the lurch.
"Vodafone released an update for the Mi 9 phones on their network on Saturday night (9th May), updating them from MIUI 10 to MIUI 11. This update has stuffed every updated phone, including mine," he claimed.
Allen says that when he tried to use the phone, an error message appeared saying it could not activate the SIM card.
"The SIM itself appears to be OK as it works in my spare phone and my daughter's working PAYG SIM doesn't work in the Mi 9," he added.
Affected punters were initially advised by first-line tech support staffers to factory reset their phones, which proved utterly ineffective at solving the problem — although it did a cracking job at wiping their apps and photos.
Others on the [1]official Vodafone support forum , which at the time of writing had stretched to six pages worth of comments, were told to wait for a software fix, or alternatively return their phones to the mobile giant for repairs that could take as long as three weeks.
Vodafone has yet to respond to our requests for comment. However, a company representative has [2]confirmed it's aware of the problem, via a post on the support forum.
The rep claimed that a patch is in the final stages of testing and should be deployed to customers by the end of the week at the very latest.
Speaking to The Register , a Xiaomi spokesperson said: "We are aware of an issue regarding the Mi 9 software update for Vodafone customers and are working closely with the Vodafone team to resolve this matter.
"We have already identified the root cause and are working quickly to implement a solution. Whilst we understand this has only impacted a small number of customers, we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused."
Updated at 11.22GMT to add:
As if by magic, Xiaomi contacted us following publication of this article to state: "We've just been informed that a fix is already available and will be reaching out to the affected customers."
Still no word from Vodafone though. ®
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[1] https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Android/Mi-9-Miui-11-upgrade-Sim-problem/td-p/2658767
[2] https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Android/Mi-9-Miui-11-upgrade-Sim-problem/m-p/2659120#M146864
[3] https://go.theregister.co.uk/tl/1936/-8552/how-to-accelerate-brilliant-digital-experiences-with-low-code?td=wptl1936
Identified Root Cause
aka, you didn't fecking well test it properly.
I'm not sure about anyone else, but I am sick of this level of technology, when, basically, a supplier, who could be halfway round the world, decide when and where to update software on your device/pc/car/kettle/fridge. Often it mucks up the UI, adds features that are not needed (I bought the device without the feature - I was happy with that), not infrequently buggers up some functionality that you use, and as we know, in the case of some Apple phones, slows them down to the point of unusability.
IT IS MY DEVICE. I BOUGHT IT WITH THE FUNCTIONALITY AT THE POINT OF SALE. STOP FECKING FIDDLING WITH IT.
Re: Identified Root Cause
" in the case of some Apple phones, slows them down to the point of unusability"
No it didn't. Processor throttling reduced performance to avoid a shutdown due to declining battery output, but it never came close to the 'point of unusability' unless your battery was completely fscked, in which case you wouldn't notice the slowdown - because your phone wouldn't turn on.
And this is why South African telcos are loath to push out updates to their customers as they will be left with the proverbial hot potato should things Bork.
And it seems as if somebody did not do a thorough testing of said update etc before peddling it off to the masses...
Presumably the Vodafone version is"special"?? My Mi9 - bought SIM-free - had this update some weeks ago with no problems.
Possibly. The missus bought a note 8 a couple of weeks ago which was immediately updated to MIUI 11, don't seem to have any issues beyond the usual keruffle of changing phones.
Coincidentally (or not?) Virgin just flagged that they're sending her a new sim for 'compatibility' reasons (though I've received nothing) - I suspect that may be something to do with the merging with whoever it is that Virgin are merging with.
This is why I stopped buying Vodafone branded phones and use unlocked factory versions - they are really unreliable at pushing patches (you'll probably get one or two, about a year after the manufacturer releases their version if you're lucky) and when they do they are full of bloatware. Vodafone, take the coloured pencils away from the marketing team and tell them we don't need a special Vodafone SMS or phone call app - guess what, the phone already comes with one!
To be fair
If you buy a phone built by some never-heard-of-them chinese manufacturer you should expect things not to always go smoothly. No doubt this was an android update that works with all common brands but they forgot to check on the cheap-as-chips unlocked rooted brands from down the market. Too bad. Caveat Emptor.
Re: To be fair
>>>never-heard-of-them chinese manufacturer
LOL Oh, you're serious. My bad.
Re: To be fair
Yeah, Xiaomi - the 4th largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world, only have about 10% of the market - (Samsung have 20%, Apple about 13%, Huawei 15%) must be so easy to'forget' about them. It's like cars - everyone knows about Toyota, Volksvagen and Renault - but who the hell has heard of 'General Motors' at No 4 - let alone weird niche companies like Ford (6) and Honda (7)?
Android One
Next time you buy a phone make sure its in the "Android One" program.
You will then get timely updates direct from google and keep the phone company out of the loop.
Re: Android One
Not knocking Android 1 - but it only promises os updates for two years and security for 3, so its not like it's a panacea. And, ironically, Xiaomi are probably the largest company that have actually participated in Android One. The fact that the market in the UK has incentivised the mobile providers to offer discounted handsets with branding and locks to encourage users to keep paying subscriptions is hardly the companies fault (nor necessarily the consumers).
Re: Android One
Two years of guaranteed updates? For the cost of one of these phones in unlocked form I would expect a bit longer.
Worse than that
Its two years from the model launch, not when you bought it. It is very easy to end up buying a phone that is already approaching end of updates
Re: Android One
> For the cost of one of these phones in unlocked form I would expect a bit longer
True, but still not bad, given you're supposed to buy a new one each year...
Some (mostly older) people are still biased by the ancient system of devices which lasted for years and could even be repaired (!): Home appliances that lasted 20+ years, cars that lasted a quarter of a century, and so on. Nowadays everything is meant to be disposable, use it for a week and throw it away, it's not fashionable anymore.
Ah, Vodafone ruining firmware again
They've got form on this going back a long way, such as reskinning the nice UI on the T610 to some dreadful red-themed bilge that you couldn't remove without the use of a Terminator cable to flash the stock firmware.
"this has only impacted a small number of customers"
In other words this has impacted every single one of our customers with this model of phone