Verizon Still Crippling Bluetooth

from the call-the-bluedentist dept

It should come as little surprise to learn that Verizon Wireless has crippled Bluetooth on the Treo 700W, preventing it from being used as an EV-DO modem for a laptop or PDA. After all, this is the carrier that got sued -- and ended up settling -- for crippling the Bluetooth on another handset, and similarly prevented the Treo 650 from being used as a modem as well. The carrier's rationale is amusing. It says, apparently, that it's shut off dial-up networking support because the Treo doesn't meet its network requirements -- does that mean that Verizon requires its handsets to help fleece its customers? For what it's worth, it says it "hopes" to release Treos with the feature turned on in the third quarter, but it won't say if previously bought phones will be un-crippled. Verizon really likes to break the functionality of phones it sells -- remember, too, that it's fresh off an uproar for removing MP3 playback functionality from some of its other handsets.