[Statement] Special Statement on Product Firmware Upgrade - only for POP

Dear users,

We had noticed that many of you mentioned that you want to upgrade the firmware.

Actually, we only improve the RGB alignment to make the scan progress more fluent/smooth with this new firmware. However, any error during a user-conducted upgrade procedure may cause irreparable damage to the device.

Therefore, we do NOT recommend you upgrade the firmware.

If you insist and are willing to accept the risks, we can provide you the upgrade service after you download & sign the “Special Statement on Product Firmware Upgrade” and send it to our customer@revopoint3d.com.

This is the download link: Special Statement on Product Firmware Upgrade.pdf - Google Drive

After receiving your signed statement, we will transfer the SN numbers to our developer to push the installation package and send you the firmware update method once a week.

NOTE: Some users misunderstand this statement. Firmware update is different from software update.

“Special reminder: Any damage and subsequent failure of the device due to any error during a firmware upgrade is not covered under warranty.”

If you follow the instruction to update the firmware, it only takes about 3~10 minutes for the firmware updates, and the warranty is still the same as before.

But if you don’t follow the instruction, there’s a risk for you to brick the device, under such a condition, it’s difficult for us to change a POP for you for free.

Hope you can understand.

Best Regards
The Revopoint Team

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Seems opening it with Google Docs will allow this. So if you open it that way then you can fill it out and email it without all the steps I said below in italics.
Would be nice if you had it so we could fill it out and electronically sign it online rather than downloading then I guess printing then fill it out and then have to scan it back in or take a picture to send to you…
I still have not played with it (winter is coming here in south central Pennsylvania so hopefully soon I will play plus I am fully recovered from the 2 surgeries now too :grinning:) but firmware updates are always a welcome addition if it gives better performance or fixes flaws!
I am guessing it is the same as upgrading he computer’s bios or even any other firmware on devices so it should be easy enough if you have ever done that before.

OK, newest only improves smoothness. But many of us have early firmware and our scanners barely work. Mine is all but useless so far.

So we buy product with warranty and it ships with defective firmware. To fix the unit, we have to surrender our warranty. How is that fair?

I wouldn’t have bought the product if I knew this was your policy.

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Hi Revopoint3D team,

What exactly do you mean by smoothness of the device? Does it respond faster or does it affect smoothness of the scanned models?

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I’ve upgraded firmware in many devices and never had to sign away any rights in doing so…in fact, it was encouraged vs discouraged because of the support nightmare having dozens of old releases out there

Your issue is with your developer if the system risks getting bricked by an upgrade…it needs to be idiot proofed like a PRODUCT vs like something hacked in a developer’s mom’s basement.

That means checksums and local shadow copies vs loading directly into active firmware during download. The upgrade needs to be packaged, in other words, vs be delivered in developer form.

Time to step up the game in what you accept as a package from your developer. It has to be foolproof at customer install if the download link flakes out or if certain steps are not followed.

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@Revopoint

The statement above is totally unacceptable:

  • early backers or customers supported your company by buying the product, yet we need to relinquish the warranty to get access to capabilities which can be considered as crucial
  • who in world design an embedded product, with an embedded firmware, that cannot be reliably updated in the field? If indeed the procedure is risky, it’s a design flaw (and in France could fall under the category of ‘hidden defect’). If the procedure has failsafe in place, why asking customer to forego their warranty?

This is NOT a way to run a business.

Can you imagine Samsung or Apple asking you to forfeit your warranty to be able to update your phone?

And no, don’t tell us it’s a complicated design. I design embedded systems. Field firmware update capabilities is pretty much the baseline absolute requirement for ANY product of this nature.

Please revisit your statement above, and ensure that proper support will be given to customers should the upgrade procedure fail.

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to be fair most electronics do not give you a warranty if you brick during the update process. from how i read it this is not saying it void the warranty they’re saying if it bricks during the update then THAT doesn’t consist of a warranty claim… If it updates fine then the warranty is in tact still which is exactly how most other places work… if you goto update the bios in your motherboard they’re not going to warranty it most bios/ firmware upgrades for devices are considered an at your own risk function and is not recommended for novice users.

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Bricking device by updating firmware is risky, I agree. That’s why you take measures to use a power safe environment to perform the task.

As for voiding the warranty just for attempting to update the firmware, that is not typical, nor acceptable.

I worked for 18 years at a company that made embedded devices. We made sure it was a safe process to perform a firmware update but still warn users to perform in a power reliable environment. Should the customer ‘brick’ their device under the warranty period, we fixed it for free. Should they ‘brick’ it outside of warranty, we’d charge a reasonable fee to repair it for them. BTW, we never had any customer’s brick their devices in all that time.

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It’s not void for trying it’s void if you are updating out of recommendation and it bricks which they haven’t stated if there’s a program to send in to fix for a fee which like you said is completely normal. considering this was pushed to help asap this they’re doing things as anyone would to cover their ass. And most companies if you do firmware and brick you’re sol or send to fix for a price. As firmware is generally not something needed by to be done by the public.

But as you mentioned with good connection/ power yes it SHOULD be fine.

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you are pathetic guy

Where can I find the current firmware version, and wich version is the last at the moment? So I may see if an update is urgent needed
Further: can Revopoint perform the update via internet? Would that be possible?

This is what they’re preparing to do. If you fill out the information and sign the document, you will be able to upgrade the firmware with a future version of Handy Scan.

Actually, I’m hesitant to sign an agreement without knowing what exactly I am agreeing to. The statement “the firmware only improves the smoothness of the device” is far too vague. I mean, it’s even funny if you understand it mechanically, as if a firmware update smoothes edges and curves on the device’s housing.
Please state exactly what a newer firmware does. Other manufactures call this “release notes”, and it is common practise among software producers.
Also define the process of updating the firmware. You ask me to sign a statement about me taking full responsibility of following a process I do not know the details of.
So please be more clear about:

  • what the newer firmware actually does
  • how the update process works.
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Also, what is the “order number” in the statement?
And why do I have to take a photo of the SN, when I already filled it in in the form?

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Invoice number (Amazon, for instance)

What you’re agreeing to is not to ask Revopoint to fix your POP for free if you brick it.

I was chatting about this with Cassie and it would cost US$309 to ship the POP from the US to China because there is a huge import tariff (you may recall all the complaints in this forum from people who didn’t want to pay the import tariff to get the POP delivered to the EU; turns out they’re not the only ones who do this sort of thing).

I upgraded my POP’s firmware when they wanted to test it a few weeks ago. I noticed a slight improvement, but if you don’t really see a problem with your scans, there is no need to take the risk of upgrading the firmware.

And, if you do decide to upgrade, try to have the computer and POP powered by batteries, fully-charged, of course.

I hope the upgrade procedure is written such that Handy Scan will download the entire package before trying to install it on the POP. One more safety item.

I am guessing it went smooth for you? I am hoping they never try an “on the fly” or “streaming” update option as that would be a nightmare! All firmware updates should be fully downloaded first before being installed!
I have built and fixed computers for over 30 years and the agreement is pretty standard for any company. You brick your motherboard when updating the bios, your fault. You brick your video card when updating the bios, your fault. This agreement is probably because they did not have it in the original wording as they never really thought about doing firmware updates.

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Hi Jeff, are you sure about that, as Import taxes for most countries are all zero rated if they are under warranty repair as long as there is no charge for it being fixed

UK example SPE14030 - Customs Special Procedures Manual - HMRC internal manual - GOV.UK

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No they don’t.

Does your phone manufacturer void your warranty in case of failure during the upgrade process ?
Does your tablet manufacturer void your warranty in case of failure during the upgrade process ?
Does your console manufacturer void your warranty in case of failure during the upgrade process ?
Does your smartwatch manufacturer void your warranty in case of failure during the upgrade process ?

I could go on and on.

For that matter, my Galaxy S10 needs to be updated, and I’m reading right now the installation instructions, and it does not even issue any significant warning.

And the reason is: because they took steps to ensure that bricking cannot happen, as you have a recovery path.

Now back on the issue here: we would not need to update if the product was performing as advertised. For me it does not (usb connectvity issues, losing tracking).

If Revopoint is able to fix these issues without a firmware update, then fine. So far this has not been the case, and I’m not the only one as seen on the Revopoint owner Facebook group.

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