Torrance, Calif. –
is offering free replacements to
purchasers of its
PND
smartphone to take care of several problems, the company said.
The company said the
replacements, which will be shipped free, will improve power management and
resolve a problem in which the power button in early-production models might
wear out after three to four months of use.
Referring to the power-button
issue, a spokesman said some units would occasionally require a soft boot or
battery removal before they would turn on after being on the charger overnight.
The button would then operate normally for days or weeks at a time, he said.
Referring to the power-management issue, he
said the issue varied by individual unit, but on some cases, the battery-life
icon would show a 100 percent charge after a day of use.
In making the swap, the company
will also upgrade the user’s operating system to Windows Mobile 6.5. Early
models shipped with Windows Mobile 6.1. Later versions came with Windows Mobile
6.5.
“It’s true that Pharos is a very
small player compared to the big names in the smartphone business,” a spokesman
said, “but maybe the way they treat their customers shows that it can be better
to deal with a small outfit that cases.”
The 3G GSM/HSPA full-touchscreen
phone was launched in mid-2009 as the company’s first 3G PND smartphone. It was
available initially as an unsubsidized unlocked model through online dealers
and directly from Pharos. Pharos also sold the phone at a subsidized price when
activated on the T-Mobile network.
Earlier this year, carrier
began offering the phone with Windows Mobile 6.5 OS through select
carrier-owned stores and the carrier’s business channels at $249 with required
data plan and two-year service contract. The phone operates in Cincinnati’s Bell’s
tri-band 1.7/1.9/2.1GHz HSPA network and in GSM/EDGE mode in four bands for U.S
and international use.
The 4.6-inch by 2.4-inch phone is
Pharos’s third-generation smartphone/PND phone.
