tm-506 flashing, rebranding

[markbb99]

I flashed my TM506 with the Z780 firmware before someone has posted that it removes the t-m 3g bands.

I only bought the handset to use to tether - but I'm not in a 3G area to test it right now to see if this is true or not! And right now there seems no way to flash it back to the TM506 firmware. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[danska]

The gps syncs in seconds!!! This is how the phone should be!

[PsychoKoala]

I flashed my TM506 with the Z780 firmware before someone has posted that it removes the t-m 3g bands.

I only bought the handset to use to tether - but I'm not in a 3G area to test it right now to see if this is true or not! And right now there seems no way to flash it back to the TM506 firmware. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Did you do this thru davinci team or were you able to achieve it using another method?

[markbb99]

It was through Davinci.....

[danska]

I get to make a choice. Fast gps. fm radio w/rds, track id w/google maps or 3g with all that tmobile branded software on it.
If i wasn't getting the g1, i would be pissed. But i am getting the g1, so i am happy with the way it is now. If i get the chance to update to a tm506 firmware that allows faster gps, i might be tempted with it. But if you don't live in an area with 3g, and won't for a long time. Consider switching to the unbranded firmware.

Maybe someone here would be willing to trade the phone. It might be of some value now.

[Scottish Skyedance]

I don't know am I lucky or not
I couldn't flash it with Z780, but then I can leave 3G intact
well, I have nothing to do except waiting for davinci to custom make special debranded fw for TM506

[jet1000]

I connected the TM506 that is flashed with the Z780i firmware to Sony Ericsson Update Service. At first I selected TM506, it did identification and then said there was no updates available.

Then I selected Z780i from the menu and it did identification and came up with no update available however it says I'm still using TM506.

So basically, Update Service won't give me anything new. Davinci only gives me Z780 options.

I have an email in to Davinci to see if they can advise on returning to TM506 firmware.

One potential solution I thought of is to flash the oldest Z780i firmware onto the phone through Davinci and then use Sony Ericsson Update Service to see if it will now give me the latest TM506.

Has anyone used Update Service to know what it does. In other words does it keep branding intact or does it debrand?

[lgmildwill]

For those who are interested....Using the Davinci crap client, I forced a Z780 FW (main FW not the FS FW, which I downloaded from TOPSoNY). Now my TM506 is a bit different, I can see G (3G) or E (Edge) icons above the signal bars when I am surfing. And TB is right, the phone picks up E most of the time; when it's using 3G, the max speed was about 600kpbs. The only thing that was new was Exchange Activesync under Sync. FINALLY!!! I donno why TMO hide that...*******$...and another thing that I am still looking is the SE email client, i know it's in there!!! Oh well, more work later...

[markbb99]

For those who are interested....Using the Davinci crap client, I forced a Z780 FW (main FW not the FS FW, which I downloaded from TOPSoNY). Now my TM506 is a bit different, I can see G (3G) or E (Edge) icons above the signal bars when I am surfing. And TB is right, the phone picks up E most of the time; when it's using 3G, the max speed was about 600kpbs. The only thing that was new was Exchange Activesync under Sync. FINALLY!!! I donno why TMO hide that...*******$...and another thing that I am still looking is the SE email client, i know it's in there!!! Oh well, more work later...

Are you sure the "G" symbol is 3G and not GPRS?? Using the Davinci download I was getting a "G" for GPRS or an "E" for Edge - I am not in a 3G coverage area - although your 600Kbps speeds certainly aren't Edge or GPRS!

[lgmildwill]

3G for sure. I tethered and checked the speed. when it's E, man, slowwwww...

[markbb99]

Excellent - www.topsony.com seems to be the answer here with the ability to get the handsets either back to the T-Mobile FW or to a 3G version of the Z780 fw.

Will be giving that a go later on! Many thanks!

[cmc0]

For those who are interested....Using the Davinci crap client, I forced a Z780 FW (main FW not the FS FW, which I downloaded from TOPSoNY). Now my TM506 is a bit different, I can see G (3G) or E (Edge) icons above the signal bars when I am surfing. And TB is right, the phone picks up E most of the time; when it's using 3G, the max speed was about 600kpbs. The only thing that was new was Exchange Activesync under Sync. FINALLY!!! I donno why TMO hide that...*******$...and another thing that I am still looking is the SE email client, i know it's in there!!! Oh well, more work later...

Sounds like you may have a answer to our prayers. Can you post step by step for us common folk, if this works, I'll try this out this evening

[hett]

edit: nevermind..

[Scottish Skyedance]

Wirelessly posted (HP 211 and SE Z780: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.7))

then the bottom line is: flash main fw, not FS, right?

[lgmildwill]

yup...the FS part just doesn't work right. When you boot the phone, you will get a config error. (Contact your provider...blah blah...) Hope that helps.