Brief: AT&T will stop selling the Nokia 6650 immediately due to problems with the network?

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

• Humberto Saabedra

  Just wanted to pop in and add that what may have happened in this case was a software upgrade that may not be compatible with the current 6650 radio hardware, causing the behavior reported in the internal memo.

  This is similar to what happened with the Verizon Samsung Glyde in the midwest late last year where the phone wouldn’t communicate with the base station because the radio programming didn’t register the cellsite id correctly.

• Jeb Brilliant

  I’m calling BS. This sounds like ATT and Nokia aren’t getting along and ATT is punishing Nokia by pulling the phone. I know they have other Nokias on sale and even the E71x, I’m guessing the 6650 may have been the weakest seller so that’s why they pulled it.
  It’s just a hunch/guess.

• Nena

  If they would just allow us to pull a SW update from Nokia directly and giving us all features (e.g. radio) back, that ATT disabled with their branded SW, we might not have those issues. I hope that Nokia will step up and allow at least the existing users to just do this.

• anon

  From what we (att reps) were told, it was due to some “Third carrier capability” network update that started in the south Florida market and will be rolled out nationwide, whatever that means.

  That’s all that we were told so far.

• shy_angel

  I have this phone and have been having problems with it for a while now. It shuts itself off at will. I never know when it will happen. It also happens when I am texting or talking to someone. It is very annoying. I have switched out the phone and when that didn’t help, they switched out the battery. It is still happening. I am not due for an upgrade for another year so unless I want to pay for another phone I have to live with this problem. I am very disappointed.

• d_anders

  shy_angel,

  I’m sure that given this news you can get a different phone. I would print off this new article, including link and take it to your ATT store and speak directly with the store manager. I’m sure that they’ll be willing to take the phone, credit you what you paid and allow you to get a different phone.

• Rick

  Wow that sucks. After reviewing my options I decided I really wanted the 6650. Then it suddenly became “temporarily” out of stock on the ATT web site for a couple weeks – before it was removed from the site altogether. Even then, it was still being sold at box stores like Best Buy until the stock ran out. And even now Nokia.com is still selling the phone for/with ATT plans.

  Which begs the question: Would the 6650 that Nokia is selling direct for ATT perform any different than the 6650′s that were sold by ATT? Or would it have the same problem?

• Renee

  Dec. 2009 I got the 6650. My battery runs hot when I talk just a few mins. However it seams there may be a virus or something behind this. Today I talked with a computer “Guru” and he explained the definition of “Hacking”: anything that can change your device without you doing it.

  This phone has a proxyless online conection, Media Net, Media Net 2, Cingular, Cingular Lab. That’s what I like about it most. It’s realy awesome. Maybe my problems aren’t like others because I never used the radio, or TV.

  As I’ve been telling AT&T for a year, the phone is hacked. When changing to another phone, it’s been sujested, that a new sims card and memory card should be used.

  The phone has a lot to offer, it’s loaded with “THE WORKS”.
  The hassles are still there.

  AT&T sent me another phone. When I used the same Sims card and the same micro SD card. The battery in the new one is getting hot now. The new one is Moto Tundra.

  So if anyone can shead some light my way it would be appreciated.

  texasladyrenee@aol.com

• filipp

  same thing on my end but i live in CA. my phone keeps resetting and sometimes my battery just randomly drains. i called ATT and mentioned this post; however they claim it is the battery issue due to overcharge and not aphone/att issue. waiting for replacement battery. i hope it works!

• joe

  I have had this phone now for close to 3 years. From day one it has had a habit of messing up. It is a piece of junk ! For the price I paid for it im sorry i got involved with At&t an nokia. Im checking to see if the contract I signed with them is up, if so AT&T an they re phone are history.

• Mike

  I have the 6650. I spoke with ATT about the necessity for frequent battery recharging, hot phone during calls & spontaneous phone shutoff & on. They sent me a new battery. I'm up for a new phone soon. Can't wait

• David

  I got my 6650 through an online site like Wirefly in January 2009. Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but it has worked flawlessly since day 1. I’ve never done any firmware or software updates to it and it’s still on the original battery. Battery life is still just as strong as it was when new, no overheating, no random reboots, no problems at all. I’m just adding in my comments so people might be able to see that this may just be an isolated issue with this model in certain areas or within certain manufacturing dates possibly. I live on the east coast of NC and have traveled all across to west coast and florida a few times with no issues to date.

• Anonymous

  Dunno, but I recently bought a replacement 6650 for mine (the motor quit and I need vibrate mode) and the new phone shut itself off repeatedly for the first few days I had it. Then it straightened itself out. Now I’ve traveled to a different area and it’s doing it again. It could be network trouble.