Germany batch will be delayed

[Veraendert]

Unfortunately, there isn't. So it depends on your customs office and your luck if the phone gets through. Otherwise everybody would declare their phones development devices and thus spare the money they'd have to spend on CE certification.

[Luke]

The CE certification is 80% complete. But... we need the cameras to work in software (and USB-C too IRRC) in order to complete the process. Having the cameras function in an OS may, however, take another few months. Nothing to be done about this sadly.

[Veraendert]

I fully understand there's not much you can do at this point. I also believe that the PinePhone is a brilliant idea and i really want one. I'm also willing to help with the docs that are to be sent with the device and anything else that i'm able to help with (which is not that much without the device itself of course). It makes me really sad that i don't really see how a phone that's called PinePHONE will reach me. That's because i know my customs office. They're quite effective over there. If the PinePhone came in parts, with the modem separated from the rest, and if was called PineDEVELOPERSCREEN, the situation would be different. But i know that's not possible. So i really wish everyone good luck getting their BH edition in Germany. Most of you guys will probably get theirs. And i hope the phone will get certified soon so i can buy one with CE marking.

[baedr]

I received the e-mail as well. However, I fear that the enclosed letter to customs is full of grammar issues. Therefore, I would refrain from using it.
I will provide a versions which hopefully sounds a bit better here in a few minutes and open this up for further improvements.

---

So, here is my proposal (I changed a few bits and also the order of the last sentence):

Sehr geehrte Zollbeamtinnen, sehr geehrte Zollbeamte,

bei dem PinePhone-Smartphone handelt sich sich um ein Entwicklungsmuster und nicht um ein fertiges Produkt. Sowohl die Hardware als auch die Software sind noch nicht fertiggestellt. Deshalb wird das PinePhone derzeit nicht an Endverbraucher sondern ausdrücklich nur an Entwickler verkauft. Diese Zielgruppe beteiligt sich im Rahmen eines Open-Source-Projekts an der noch lange nicht abgeschlossenen Entwicklung (einschl. Test und Evaluation) des PinePhones.

Die Zertifizierung des Geräts gemäß den für die CE-Kennzeichnung notwendigen Kriterien sowie der eventuell notwendigen Erfüllung der FuAG-Bestimmungen läuft aktuell noch. Das im PinePhone verwendete Funkmodem ist bereits gemäß dieser Bestimmungen zertifiziert.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

PINE64 Community-Team

Comments and suggestions welcome.

The form of address in the original letter from PINE64 ("Sehr geehrte Zollbeamter,"), is weird and wrong, and should 100% be changed. Your proposed correction is better, but I would either address the the reader directly: ("Sehr geehrte Zollbeamtin, sehr geehrter Zollbeamter,") or just put both genders together, more indirectly and boring: ("Sehr geehrte Zollbeamtinnen und Zollbeamten,").

The rest of the original letter is no poem but completely fine in my opinion, your corrections make slight changes in the meaning, which might not be a problem, but maybe they do. The original letter for example says that the phone is intended to be sold to developers, but in your version it says that it's explicitly not being sold to consumers, which is a much stronger claim.

[kuleszdl]

@baedr: I agree with your point regarding the form of address. Regarding the changed meaning I think that it's fair to issue the stronger claim here since this device definitely was not meant for end-users and there were big alert signs in place as warning. But I'd be interested about the opinion of Pine64 on this. Of course, when taking my suggestion to change the meaning we would also need to adapt the english version as well.

Regarding the CE certification: Is there any partial attestation about the 80% completeness available? Giving some proof of ongoing CE certification efforts and obstacles (camera, usb-c) would be better than just claiming this imho.

[someGermanGuy]

anything new here? are the phones shipped?

[SpoofyKid]

The CE certification is 80% complete. But... we need the cameras to work in software (and USB-C too IRRC) in order to complete the process. Having the cameras function in an OS may, however, take another few months. Nothing to be done about this sadly.

If this timing is correct, does this mean that the remaining batch (ordered from Jan 4th until sold) will also not be shipped for a few months?

[sartan]

The CE certification is 80% complete. But... we need the cameras to work in software (and USB-C too IRRC) in order to complete the process. Having the cameras function in an OS may, however, take another few months. Nothing to be done about this sadly.

If this timing is correct, does this mean that the remaining batch (ordered from Jan 4th until sold) will also not be shipped for a few months?

Well, I ordered one on 19 December 2019 and still have nothing. No shipment info or any information at all.

The lack of knowledge from PINE's side about required steps for releasing a device and waiting almost 3 months is starting to get me annoyed.

I bought the device because I fully support the idea, the engineers and the developers and I want to contribute to the effort.

[someGermanGuy]

I ordered at day 1 when it was possible to order (iirc 15.11.2019). Until now i have: nothing.
I also like the idea but i guess, i will abort the order and wait for the final device.
Makes no sense to wait for the BH edition. I guess the final edition will be available earlier than the BH edition. Of course, just a guess.

[SpoofyKid]

I ordered at day 1 when it was possible to order (iirc 15.11.2019). Until now i have: nothing.
I also like the idea but i guess, i will abort the order and wait for the final device.
Makes no sense to wait for the BH edition. I guess the final edition will be available earlier than the BH edition. Of course, just a guess.

The question is then, instead of receiving the delayed BH, can we ask to wait for the final edition without canceling and reordering?