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Video phone incompatibility exposed
In essence the SGH-Z320i absolutely refused to make a video call to an ancient 3G handset which we had kicking around - an NEC e313. The NEC is connected to the 3 network in the UK and has proved to be an extremely reliable workhorse.
For example, when the INQ wanted to prove for itself that cross network video calls really did work, the handsets we utilised were the Sanyo S750 from Orange and the NEC e313 on 3. Naturally the call succeeded.
The obvious conclusion to draw, therefore, was that somehow the SGH-Z320i had not been correctly provisioned for 3G video on the O2 network. That was our working hypothesis until O2's PR company ruined it by making a successful 3G video call to our Z320i from their offices just off Leicester Square.
This revelation then cast doubt on the NEC, and in particular its 3G SIM card (technically known as a USIM). Out of curiosity, the INQ swapped it over to one of the latest 3G handsets it possesses - a Nokia N70.
Bingo! As soon as the USIM was swapped, videocalls from the Z320i were accepted.
The harsh reality is, of course, that there can't be that many 3 subscribers walking around in real life using a handset as ancient as the e313. A handful at most? But it does reveal one of the biggest problems for handset vendors and network operators. Testing.
Trying to test handsets for every eventually is a nightmare. And in this case, the INQ's not surprised a problem showed up. 3 UK doesn't range a single Samsung 3G handset so it wouldn't be aware of any problem.
And why should O2 care that its latest 3G handset doesn't work with an ancient model? For the consumer, however, this kind of thing is going to be a right, royal pain. Trying to lay the blame for one particular facility failing to work is going to get harder and harder. ยต
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