Kyocera Strobe K612 / SwitchBack

Look what I found out from Kyocera tech support. I bought a Kyocera Strobe phone from Metro PCS last week. I ordered the data cable from the Kyocera site to be able to sync my phone with my laptop. I received the software and sync cable. I installed the software and proceeded to connect the Strobephone to my computer as instructed via the data cable. Nothing happened. I tried several times and still no luck.

I called Kyocera Tech support, 800-349-4478, to try to solve the problem. The tech support person asked me the SW Version of my Metro PCS phone. (the latest version recently installed by Metro PCS). I gave him the SW Version which is 1.1.06.

The tech support person told me that Metro PCS Kyocera Strobe phones will not support syncing to a computer via data cable or blue tooth connection.

I was skeptical about this and asked to talk to a tech support supervisor who confirmed the same thing. The Kyocera data (sync) cables for Metro PCS Strobe phones are unusable. There is absolutely no way to sync/backup your phone's data to a computer because of the way Metro PCS programs their Kyocera Strobe phones.

This is really terrible. I tried to acknowledge this issue to Metro PCS and after talking to a supervisor. I was told she was not aware of this issue and there was no way for me to escalate this problem to Metro PCS tech support because they do not have a tech support department at all.

So if planning to buy a data cable for your Strobe phone and have Metro PCS as your carrier you are out of luck.

Also, Kyocera informed me that this issue appears to affect also Virgin Cell subscribers with Kyocera Switch Back phones.