Touch HD 3 missing audio/TTS functions (CIS)

[VincentF]

Well, you were right. There is a separate CIS version and it's missing TTS and bluetooth and audio features.

This is the official reply:

The “Pocketbook 632 / Touch HD 3” model has two modifications:

1) Devices for the European market (with possibility of using micro USB headphones, connect Bluetooth headphones and Text-To-Speech function).
2) Devices for CIS countries (possibility of using Text-To-Speech, Bluetooth and audio files are not provided).

According to the verification of the serial number YTG90200054700F000K3, your device is manufactured for the CIS market. Therefore, the Text-To-Speech and Bluetooth functions are not available on your device.

Have a nice day!

This is infuriating. The device I bought from Russia has "Touch HD 3" written on its splash screen, and never did it clearly come up during my research that there are such DRASTIC differences between the versions. This doesn't abide by any logic and I feel cheated by Pocketbook. The only word that comes to mind is discrimination. Feel free to come up with a better explanation on why the CIS market would receive an objectively worse and lacking device at the same price point.

I have now written to Pocketbook regarding replacement or compensation, but I don't think they will help, considering that I'm out of Russia for now.

I will never support a company that is so vague and irrational about such major things. Pocketbook lost its reputation in my eyes.

[kakonema]

Originally Posted by VincentF

Well, you were right. There is a separate CIS version and it's missing TTS and bluetooth and audio features.

This is the official reply:



This is infuriating. The device I bought from Russia has "Touch HD 3" written on its splash screen, and never did it clearly come up during my research that there are such DRASTIC differences between the versions. This doesn't abide by any logic and I feel cheated by Pocketbook. The only word that comes to mind is discrimination. Feel free to come up with a better explanation on why the CIS market would receive an objectively worse and lacking device at the same price point.

I have now written to Pocketbook regarding replacement or compensation, but I don't think they will help, considering that I'm out of Russia for now.

I will never support a company that is so vague and irrational about such major things. Pocketbook lost its reputation in my eyes.

While i understand your frustration about the matter, there's no really a reason to blame pocketbook but you.

You bought the device in Russia under name Pocketbook 632 and you assumed that it's the same device as Touch HD 3, while on the box of PB632 there's clearly no mention of Bluetooth functionality.

Saying what's written on a splash screen doesn't really matter, because for you to reach the splash screen, you first need to buy a device and then unbox it. Reason for such screens may be because you downloaded firmware from US and Swiss sites, PB632 and Touch HD 3 are using the same firmware but depending on serial and product number it decides what gets installed and what not so there's maybe a software bug that sets the splash screen for a wrong market.

Companies can and do modifications for various markets for various reasons. Claiming that they didn't state missing feature doesn't make sense, missing compared to what? Different device?

Couple years ago my friend was in China and he bought Xiaomi phone for the Chinese market, he didn't know that phones for a Chinese market doesn't support European and US LTE bands and he was frustrated when he realised that. Who's to blame because of that? Was the missing bands a "missing feature" for Chinese market? I don't think so.

[VincentF]

Originally Posted by kakonema

While i understand your frustration about the matter, there's no really a reason to blame pocketbook but you.

You bought the device in Russia under name Pocketbook 632 and you assumed that it's the same device as Touch HD 3, while on the box of PB632 there's clearly no mention of Bluetooth functionality.

Saying what's written on a splash screen doesn't really matter, because for you to reach the splash screen, you first need to buy a device and then unbox it. Reason for such screens may be because you downloaded firmware from US and Swiss sites, PB632 and Touch HD 3 are using the same firmware but depending on serial and product number it decides what gets installed and what not so there's maybe a software bug that sets the splash screen for a wrong market.

Companies can and do modifications for various markets for various reasons. Claiming that they didn't state missing feature doesn't make sense, missing compared to what? Different device?

Couple years ago my friend was in China and he bought Xiaomi phone for the Chinese market, he didn't know that phones for a Chinese market doesn't support European and US LTE bands and he was frustrated when he realised that. Who's to blame because of that? Was the missing bands a "missing feature" for Chinese market? I don't think so.

I specifically mentioned that the device I bought had "Touch HD 3" plastered all over it, including the box, nothing was mentioned about "Pocketbook 632". My device still says "Touch HD 3" on the splash screen and always has. So no, there was no way I could've known it would be a different device. I have all reason to blame Pocketbook for not being clear on this.
I downloaded the firmware both from US site as well as Russian site, it says "Touch HD 3" both times. What you're saying is that I was supposed to assume originally there would be different versions, which is nonsense cause it still makes no sense to me why the CIS market would get the "worse" version at a higher price.

Also, I'm not sure about your example with Xiaomi phones, since Chinese-only models have often a different model name and lack the "Global Version" sticker on the box. Xiaomi clarifies which devices are global and which aren't. I'm an owner of several Xiaomi phones and there was never a shadow of confusion as to which model is which.