Users should make a copy of their phonebook, as returned phone will be set to factory defaults.
Users are to remove their SIM card from the phone (the SIM is not to be shipped).
ONLY the phone and battery are to be returned. Accessories should be retained along with your SIM.
Returned equipment must be shipped in properly secured packaging materials to ensure safe transportation.
Only phones purchased prior to May 1st, 2012 are eligible for replacement program.
Replacement program runs through November 1, 2012 after which standard warranty terms and conditions apply.
Q & A’s on the Iridium Extreme Recall ProcessA: Customers should expect an average period of 5-6 weeks from receipt of your phone at Satellitephonestore.com to obtain a replacement phone. In the event that the customer requires their own phone returned, a period of 8+ weeks should be expected.
A: Replacement equipment will be warranted for 12 months from the date of shipment. For returns after November 1, 2012, the standard warranty processes and term will apply.
A: Iridium Extreme handsets with less than 5 minutes of usage are classified as new equipment.
A: They can go to the menu of the phone to the “lifetime call time” to view the total amount of minutes utilized on the phone. As long as there is less than 5 minutes of use, the phone is considered “New”. To access this menu, go to Menu > Call History > Call Meters > Lifetime call time
A: Returns are only allowed under the standard Iridium policy which includes a twelve (12) day return policy with a fifteen percent (15%) restocking fee from original date of purchase. To address the Iridium Extreme issue, Iridium is offering the Iridium Extreme replacement program to enable partners to exchange their inventory for new units with their corrective actions.
A: The warranty program is 12 months from date of shipment for all replacement equipment.
A: Yes, although it will follow standard RMA rules. This means that shipping cost will not be reimbursed after this date and the standard warranty process will apply.
A: As noted in Iridium’s communications on this topic, one possible result of this mechanical issue is that the unit may operate at a power level exceeding the equipment’s authorized FCC radio frequency limits unless the antenna is fully extended. If the phone is used in the manner described in the user manual where the antenna is fully extended during use for optimal performance, the unit operates within a power level that is in compliance with the authorized FCC radio frequency limits. Iridium are advising customers not to make phone calls with the phone retracted as the mechanical issue can lead to instances of the sensor not working as designed. This issue only has the potential to occur if the phone is actively in a call with the antenna stowed and in certain orientations. Stowing the antenna in idle mode when calls are not in progress or receiving incoming call notifications is not an issue. Per user guide documentation, customers must extend the antenna to place or receive a call for optimal use until a replacement can be obtained.
A: Iridium recommends that customers who use the phone out of necessity should be reminded to extend the phone antenna during all calls until they are able to obtain a replacement. In their testing, the customer is able to still make calls and send messages at a level on‐par with the standard operation of the phone although in some scenarios, the reduced levels could be noticed. Use with the supplied external antenna will bypass the phone’s use of the deployment sensor and resolve the power level issue, however, it is recommended that the supplied external antenna be mounted on a metal ground plane for optimal performance (ex. metal vehicle roof) if available. Use of docking stations with an external antenna will also bypass the phone’s use of the deployment sensor and maintain standard call performance.
A: Yes, Iridium is continually reviewing warranty returns for root cause analysis and have implemented some additional process improvements to address other issues that have been reported.
A: This is possible and should be indicated on the RMA form. Customers requesting this must be aware their phone book will still be deleted in the refurbishing process and that the turnaround time before return shipment will be 8 – 10 weeks. Do note that keeping the same phone is not saving the data on your phone as the phone book etcetera will be cleaned during the refurbishing of the phone.
Official announcement from Iridium:On Friday April 27th, 2012, Iridium announced a replacement program for the Iridium Extreme®. The replacement program was initiated due to a mechanical element on the antenna stem of the Iridium Extreme® that triggers a deployment sensor with insufficient tolerances which is leading to instances of the sensor not working as designed. The problem was traced to a vendor manufacturing process and has since been rectified.
Iridium has identified several possible impacts to the use of the phone, and we estimate that a significant number of shipped units may be currently affected. One possible result of this mechanical issue is that a customer is still able to make calls and send messages but the phone’s performance may be reduced even if the antenna is fully extended. Another possible result is that the unit may operate at a power level exceeding the equipment’s authorized FCC radio frequency limits unless the antenna is fully extended. If the customer must use the phone out of necessity prior to its replacement under this recall, the customer needs to follow proper handset use guidelines as specified in the User Guide and ensure that the antenna is extended during all calls.
This issue may not impact all units; however, due to the nature of the issue, Iridium strongly requests that dealers and customers contact their Iridium Service Provider to determine the replacement procedure for their Iridium Extreme® phone. Iridium has implemented the fix for this issue and is restarting production immediately. We are very confident that Iridium Extreme® phones manufactured going forward will perform to specification and be of high level production quality.
We sincerely regret this occurrence and apologize for the impact on our customers, partners and distributors operations and any issues with using the phone in the field. Iridium is taking swift actions to assist with the replacement of Iridium Extreme® phones in partners’ inventory and in the hands of customers and we expect to have all recalled units replaced within 2 months.
The Iridium Extreme® is the most capable and highly featured satellite phone on the market and it is Iridium’s intent to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your continued support and we remain confident that all will benefit greatly from the features and the capabilities unique to the Iridium Extreme®.
