My first question is if phone firmware is public domain, or property of Nokia?
If it's property of Nokia, ignore the rest of this post...
My second question is if anyone knows where I can get my hands on an unbranded version of firmware for the 3230?
I been reading on other forums that in the UK, you can just go to a Nokia Service location and they'll flash your phone w/ an unbranded version of firmware. Well, I bought a 3230 from the UK w/ the nasty Orange homescreen and I wanted to get the phone flashed, but no one has the firmware for it yet in the US, so I wanted to see if I could find it myself and bring it to someone to have them flash it for me.
Firmware files are property/copyright of Nokia, not in the public domain. Unless/until things change, any copies you can find outside Nokia authorized service/repair centers are not distributed with the permission of Nokia.
i take it you live in the US? why did you get the phone in the UK? i thought everything over here cost a fortune compared to what it costs in the states?
I wouldn't of thought you should have too much trouble getting a local nokia service centre in the US to flash the phone with new F/W when available, but as you didn't get the phone in the US, you might not have a guarantee over there and you might be charged a small fee for the fix?
the 3230 actually is not coming out in the States. When it comes to mobiles, the States are years behind because of the competing standards. Nokia releases its phones, if at all, a year later than in Europe. So he probably can't get a Nokia service center to do it, because they won't make an American version of the firmware.
I moved to Germany 2 years ago and I am so happy with the phones here in Europe, except that usage costs a fortune.