3GScottishUser
17th June 2005, 01:46 PM
Box breakers force out Moto C975
3 has suspended sales of the Motorola C975 from its handset range after realising the phone was being targeted by box breakers in stores such as Argos and Woolworths.
3 and Motorola have been working to fix the handsets vulnerability and shore up the softwares security in order to get supplies back into shops.
It means that throughout June and some of July, 3s prepay range will have a gap, leaving the NEC e338 as the only option for consumers looking for a handset on ThreePay.
There is no ready replacement in 3s handset portfolio to fill the gap left by the C975 as an ultra low-cost prepay offer. 3 still plans to have the C975 (pictured right) as its main prepay handset for the rest of the summer.
Motorolas entry-level 3G candybar handset has been targeted by box breakers because of the significant gulf between 3s prepay price (£50) and the trade price in the open market of between £70 and £75. Demand has stemmed largely from China, with virtually all box-split C975s bought by importers in Hong Kong.
Software on Motorola devices had been seen as tougher to crack than on other 3G handsets up until now, leaving them less vulnerable than phones made by NEC and LG.
A spokesman for 3 confirmed that the operator was working to resolve the issue, adding: Were aware that from time to time the algorithms on handsets can be unlocked. Motorola is obviously one of our handset suppliers and is constantly fighting this battle.
3 was previously a victim of box breaking with the NEC e616v, which was targeted over Christmas last year.
A spokesman for Motorola claimed the problem had been fixed, with 20,000 units shipped to 3 earlier this week.
http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/artman-test/publish/article_466.shtml
3 has suspended sales of the Motorola C975 from its handset range after realising the phone was being targeted by box breakers in stores such as Argos and Woolworths.
3 and Motorola have been working to fix the handsets vulnerability and shore up the softwares security in order to get supplies back into shops.
It means that throughout June and some of July, 3s prepay range will have a gap, leaving the NEC e338 as the only option for consumers looking for a handset on ThreePay.
There is no ready replacement in 3s handset portfolio to fill the gap left by the C975 as an ultra low-cost prepay offer. 3 still plans to have the C975 (pictured right) as its main prepay handset for the rest of the summer.
Motorolas entry-level 3G candybar handset has been targeted by box breakers because of the significant gulf between 3s prepay price (£50) and the trade price in the open market of between £70 and £75. Demand has stemmed largely from China, with virtually all box-split C975s bought by importers in Hong Kong.
Software on Motorola devices had been seen as tougher to crack than on other 3G handsets up until now, leaving them less vulnerable than phones made by NEC and LG.
A spokesman for 3 confirmed that the operator was working to resolve the issue, adding: Were aware that from time to time the algorithms on handsets can be unlocked. Motorola is obviously one of our handset suppliers and is constantly fighting this battle.
3 was previously a victim of box breaking with the NEC e616v, which was targeted over Christmas last year.
A spokesman for Motorola claimed the problem had been fixed, with 20,000 units shipped to 3 earlier this week.
http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/artman-test/publish/article_466.shtml