Mobile phones

All right, well, I thought I'd post a new topic to talk about what I've been researching lately.. phones. Mobile phones.. if you want to get technical, not cell phones, PCS phones (there is a difference).

Right now I'm just stuck, trying to decide what I should get as far as phone/handset, features, service provider, rate plan, commitment.. I just don't know anymore. I'm in a tizzy.

I could go with T-Mobile and get a Danger Sidekick and use their AWESOME Sidekick rateplan (*unlimited* GPRS data for the first 12 months!), I'd only have a 12 month commitment, and after rebate it would only be $200 and I'd get a free camera attachment. Believe it or not, there is T-Mobile GSM/GPRS coverage in my area, however, T-Mobile doesn't have any phone numbers in my area code yet... weird, no? But T-Mobile customers can call up and change their mobile number whenever they want, so when T-Mobile would get local numbers I could just do that. And of course, with T-Mobile, there's no roaming or long distance, it's all just anytime minutes, and anywhere there's GSM coverage with T-Mobile or a partner, you can get service. But not everyone has nice nationwide plans like that.. so I bet I'd be using the SMS and AOL IM and email features of the device the most. Of course, then there's the downside to the sidekick.. it's not the prettiest thing in the world, it only has a grayscale display, it doesn't have Bluetooth, and there's no Mac support anyway (yet).

Or, I could get a T68i somewhere, and just use T-Mobile's service.. they don't sell them because of some supposed issue, but I could still stick my T-Mobile SIM card in one and it would be fine. T-Mobile has some great rate plans that I'd be able to use, then.. and text messages are the cheapest with T-Mobile compared to any other service provider. Then I'd have the color screen, Bluetooth, and Mac support... but, then I'd miss out on some of the cool data stuff, I'd only have a crappy WAP browser (sidekick uses real HTML), and I'd have to use the number keypad to do all my typing.. who wants to write out an email with that? Not to mention I'd have to pay full price on the thing if I bought it elsewhere, whereas models they do sell I'd get a discount on for being under contract.

Then there's AT&T, another GSM provider in my area.. they don't support the Sidekick yet, nor do they tell me on their 1-800 that they plan to. Their rate plans are also exorbitantly overpriced for what you get compared to T-Mobile's, it's nuts. Plus they want you on TWO year contracts, or you get less discount, pay more for activation, and lose phone protection! So I don't like AT&T much.

Or I could go with Sprint, but they are even worse with the charges (they charge you for EVERYTHING, even charge you for charges!), and they don't have any phones I like.

Then there's Verizon.. they have really good coverage, but their phones also leave something to be desired. Their flip phones are massively ugly (as most seem to be). Not to mention they want you to pay money monthly just to subscribe to their lame games.. like seven bucks for frickin' Yahtzee!

Not to mention that Sprint and Verizon are CDMA, so that means you can only use the phones that they choose and sell. Only a few are color, and none have Bluetooth or Mac support or anything. Annoying.

Another CDMA technology provider in my area is Cricket, but their take on everything is the "around town phone," meaning you can only use it around town, otherwise you won't even get service (thus, no roaming.. in a roundabout way). They offer unlimited local calls/minutes, caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, all that good stuff, for a flat rate per month, post-paid. They also give you like 400 or 500 long distance minutes, and you can buy more long distance by "filling up" your LD "gas tank," or in other words, pre-pay. They also have unlimited text messages for just $4.95 a month!! Unlimited! Other places charge 5-10 cents per text message, and Sprint gives you a bundle of like 30 for $2 bucks.. whereas T-Mobile gives you 500 for $2.99. (Kinda crappy, Sprint and AT&T.) But then again, I'd have to really use those text messages to make that worthwhile, so who knows. Also, Cricket only gives you 4 choices for phones, and you have to buy them at retail value.. though three of them are around $50, the only good one (small, pleasant appearance, neat blue screen, no ugly protruding antenna, the Nokia 8270) is three times that ($150), but then there is a $50 rebate after 65 days of service. It's not a color screen, nor does it have bluetooth, or mac support, but the beauty of Cricket is no credit check or contract, so minors like myself have an easy time getting it under our own names.

Qwest also has CDMA technology in my area, and they offer a few phones and actually have an interesting price plan system so that I could really make a plan that suits my needs.. however, I don't like any of their phones much, they don't have those things I want either.

Then there's a really shitty provider, Alltel/Boomerang, but Alltel I've heard too many bad things about, while Boomerang only offers one piece of crap phone and is just as bad.

No Cingular around here, unfortunately, because they have that cool new plan where you keep the unused minutes.. (The 'use them or lose them' mobile phone minute pricing paradigm always did annoy me a bit.)

So, you see my predicament. I'm obviously just going to have to keep waiting for better/cheaper service, and better handset availability with those services, in my area.

Oh, and another thing I wanted to touch on.. some of the cool phones coming out.

T-Mobile just started selling the Sony Ericsoon T300, a midrange non-flip phone that has a camera attachment you can slap on the bottom... but it doesn't support MMS, it just sends them to T-Mobile via GPRS and then T-Mobile can post them on your MyT-Mobile webpage or send in an email. They are also going to be offering the Nokia 7210, a brightly-colored, strangely-designed phone that supports MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service.. try to keep up), but it doesn't have a camera, and no service supports a phone that has an integrated photo/video camera, so it's kind of like.. why?

Then there's the Sony Ericsson P800, it's SUPPOSED to be coming out before the holidays, but even if it does, it'll be expensive I'm sure. I do like it., however. I hope they offer it with a discount!

And Nokia has some of the COOLEST phones coming out, with big, bright color screens, cool new keypad layouts, icon-based OSs, interesting designs, integrated motion/picture cameras, MMS support, and new browsers that not only support WAP, but XHTML and regular HTML, and maybe some others. There are a couple already out, but they are only offered/supported in Europe (they're only dual-band phones, 900 and 1800MHz.. the US GSM is 1900!).

There IS a neat tri-band nokia camera phone that I really love, the 3650.. it's just too cool for words. Great screen, Bluetooth, PIM stuff so presumably there will be Mac support through iSync.. it runs Java, too, so say hello to lots of games. Nokia is already drumming up TONS of development for the platform, too. All this, in a very compact size. I called up T-Mobile and talked to about four different people and three different 1-800 numbers, only to find out that there is a "possibility" that they might carry it, and it's "up to the powers that be." Not too shocking they wouldn't release information like that ahead of time, considering the phone isn't actually available yet (availability is early 03 according to nokia's website), but I tried really hard. Anyway, I sure hope to god T-Mobile jumps on it, because I think it could be BIG, camera phones.

Here's a picture of the 3650, I can't resist:



Nokia has lots of other cool phones too, with less radical designs.. but I think they were banking on the 3650 being big in the US. And I hope it is, there is nothing like it out there!

But then, I'd hate to shell out $150-350 bucks on a phone and get in a commitment with one service or another, when Apple might be coming out with a phone of their own soon. An iPodphone.

I just don't know, I just don't know.

I kinda want a camera phone, and to do MMS, but I'd be just as happy with a phone that could also do GOOD mp3 audio in a compact package like the iPod (5GB+ storage). Maybe Apple could put it all together. But I don't know if convergence is their cup of tea.

Nokia has a totally cool 3G phone that supports both GSM/GPRS and WCDMA (Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access, the 3G update to CDMA).. why has it taken so long for this to happen? Until now all phones have been either one technology or another.. and they're all so different, which makes difficult decisions. You can only use CDMA phones with services that support them specifically, and GSM phones on GSM networks. I hate hate HATE that!

Right. There's the Siemens PocketPC thing that's big and ugly, the Audiovox Thera PocketPC that's slightly less ugly, there's the HandSpring Treo 270 which is majorly ugly and is only a Palm device.. all of which are priced out of my pricerange, even if I wanted them.

I also saw a spy report or preview of the Tungsten W from Palm... kinda nice, actually. Keyboard that is a decent size, but can't be hidden, no numeric keypad, but nice screen and marginally better Palm OS, with no ugly flip screen cover. Cool antenna, too. GSM/GPRS, of course. Also like $600+.. I'll pass.

If Apple could just make a better-designed Sidekick without the keyboard (Inkwell instead!), and with a color screen and Bluetooth (not to mention a wonderful user interface, which would be a given), and it could use the same tiny HDs as the iPods for storage, GSM/GPRS/WCDMA, and maybe an elegant camera attachment (like the camera could be in the battery or something, so you'd buy a camera-battery to get it, rather than just slap the camera attachment on somewhere).. that could be so huge. Unbelievably huge. It would be a little expensive at first, sure, but it would come down, and it wouldn't die off like the current business-oriented PocketPC/phone hybrids surely will. But I digress... I think everyone has talked about a device like this one time or another, and we don't need the thread to degenerate into a bunch of rabid Mac/gadget geeks having wet dreams about the next iDevice.

What are all of you guys' mobile setups?

You're so right, though, Belle. There have GOT to be others who are just as confused and indecisive because of all of these circumstances. Am I the only one who just can't decide which way to go here, am I the only one frustrated with the systems and providers and choices available, and the waiting and waiting and waiting for a better solution?

When you think about it, the mobile phone handset market is just as bad, if not worse, than the mp3 player market was before Apple stepped in.

Argh.

On the bright side, this is my 1002nd post. That's neat.

Yeah, I suppose that's inevitable.. but I really hope that I can get the P800 Sony Ericsson now.. and be ahead of the crowd.

Sorry if the thread is a bit duplicitous.. I couldn't find a semi-current thread dealing with phones in general, handsets and service (there are some specific phone threads that are interesting though).

But dang.. I thought Nokia made the best phones, but this picture really has changed my mind about the P800. Maybe it's not out of my pricerange..

Huh. The P800 really has everything I want. I forgot it had a camera in it. And it also has the software features I want, like browsing on all the different technologies, SyncML, even 3d games. I like the stylus approach much more than Nokia's uglybuttons/joystick thing, too.

The size.. is perfect.

AndohmigodlookatthiscutelittleDOCK!!



Ok, it's settled. I'm waiting for this.

I don't know about those, Max. Tiny screens, forcing you to use the keyboards, the whole flip deal. The ugliest part of a flip phone is the hinge, and they are all so ugly on all of the decent flip phones. I don't think a flip phone could possibly work for me, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

Really, I see convergence in PDAs/mobile phones. I think the "sweet spot" for convergence is gonna be a PDA with some sort of a quick physical keypad (whether it be slide-out a la Nokia 7650, or flip/snap on a la P800, or whatever), and the rest being PDA with spacious, thousands-of-colors touchscreens and no nasty chiclet keyboards. They'll use a combination of GSM/GPRS (tri-band) and WCDMA, possibly even supporting the future UMTS, all in one phone. There will be varying screen sizes and featuresets (Bluetooth or not, camera or not, memory media support or not, etc), as well as pricetags, to suit almost everyone. SMS, AIM, WAP, email, and PIM functions will become just as easy and integral as voice functions. Battery life will get better. As they become more ubiquitous, we'll see finance management software being replaced by digital wallets, which can even beam your credit card info or check info to the cashier at your favorite coffee shop (one way or another). MMS and photos/audio/video is really going to make things fun... GPS location/navigation will also begin to be integrated into these devices, as it's not the most useful thing by itself... and then things will start to get fun, like locating your friends on the road. Maximum possibilities for connectivity whereever you go.

<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />

Huh, I didn't even know about the NMIC event. Here's the new releases:

<a href="http://www.nokia.com/nmic/new_releases.html" target="_blank">http://www.nokia.com/nmic/new_releases.html</a>

7250: another ugly nokia "fashion" phone, this time crossing over into the camera phones.. no Bluetooth, and worse yet, totally evil Digital Rights Management crap! Tri-band phone, but they don't mention North America in their market availability.

5100: sporty, athletic, durable phone.. even waterproof, to an undeterminate extent. again, not the most beautiful thing in the world, kind of a crazy styling IMHO. but it fits the target market.. which I should mention will not be the US, at least not initially. It is a world phone, though. Nice screen, but where's the Bluetooth, Nokia?

6100: Just a value-oriented tri-band color screen phone, nothing too shocking. I'm thinking this is meant to compete with the Sony Ericsson T300, and to widen the prevalance of MMS-capable phones.. I bet it'll be cheap. No Bluetooth, again.. at least it supports 900/1800/1900.

8910i: Finally, Bluetooth! But it's also probably going to be one of the most expensive phones, too. It's made out of titanium, but most elegantly-formed (not pressed) titanium, and anodized. Color screen and vertical slidey keypad cover. This isn't really a PDA smartphone, and it doesn't even have fun stuff like a camera, it's just a yuppie rich person handset. Funny thing, though.. it will NOT work worldwide, it's only a dual-band phone (900/1800, sorry Americas!).

6800: Ooh, this one is kinda neat. It's a flip phone... but not any flip phone you've ever seen before. It flips out to become a dual-sided keyboard.. and when it's closed, there is still a numeric keypad (dual-button-sided flip). Decent color screen, but no Bluetooth (surprise). More disappointing yet, it won't work in the US of A. Oh well, who needs keyboards anyway..

2100: A decent phone-phone, what may be the last non-color Nokia released. Much more pleasant design than most Nokias, but obviously not a phone any of us want. Yet another phone that won't work over in the land of the free and the home of the brave, it's 900/1800.

Some other weird things coming out are a Nokia SMS/MMS webcam (basically), a teeny add-on digital camera attachment (instead of a built-in one.. an idea I actually kinda like, for upgradability), and a little cradle with speakers you can stick it on that takes advantage of most all new Nokias' built-in FM radios. Basically, peripherals to use Nokia's new proprietary peripheral connection port for phones, "Pop-Port."

Then they go on to talk about new software services and stuff.. digital wallet crap, VPN crap, personal settings crap, Multimedia messaging crap, crap which will end up turning cell phones into AIM buddy lists with a GPS twist, privacy crap. Faintly intriguing...

But not enough to make me want a Nokia, really.

Ok, I'm about to be like.. screw bluetooth, screw huge touchscreens, screw integrated camera.. I can get a T300 for the same price as a shitass Nokia 8270. Or I could get a crappy Kyocera flip phone, or I could get a T68 (non-i). All $150, each with a different service obviously... I'm going with T-Mobile and the T300 (and the camera attachment.. bling). Who cares if it isn't all of that crazy expensive stuff.. I'll be able to access my own account and put myself on the special preferred retention/dealer rate plans and stuff.

Of course, I decided to wait another two weeks, just so that I'll really be sure. So it doesn't matter much right now.

Oh yeah.. and if you look, T-Mobile's website now has a new "Camera Phones" section... with room for 2-4 phones in some of the page layouts. But there's only the T300... so this means there will be more later. But from which manufacturer? Well, T-Mobile has always had great relationships with Sony-Ericsson, so I'm sure the P800... and the Nokia 3650 is totally perfect for the US market, and just the kind of cool thing that T-Mobile might do, I wouldn't put it past them. We'll have to see. When I call up their customer support, the only future phone info I can get out of them is the 7210 is coming, but it ain't no camera phone. (Hell, the T300 barely is.. the camera is an attachment! If they consider those phones camera phones, then they could put up any newer Nokia phone that supports the Pop-Port connection, which can be used with Nokia's new Pop-Port compact digital camera!)

So, just more to think about. Argh.

Well, guess what. I'm going over to a T-Mobile retail store in Council Bluffs (IA) this Tuesday, and picking up a T300 camera phone for $100.

A hundred bucks! For a simple, decent-looking color-screen MMS-capable phone with a fun little camera (not to mention it's detachable and upgradable). I'm getting on a great rate plan, too, the T-Zones Talk & Text ($29.99 for 300 whenever minutes, unlimited weekends, 300 text messages, and 1MB GPRS data, plus I'm adding on the $2.99 500 text message feature).

It's not the best in the world, no, but it's a huge deal for $100. Cricket wants me to pay $150 for a shitty Nokia 8270, hah! And once the phone I really want comes out (and it is less than $200-300 on a new activation), I'll be able to give it to my mom or grandma, or a friend, maybe get on a family plan with somebody. Who knows.

The best part of it all is, I'll have all the insider info about the latest and greatest rate plans, tricks to get out of a contract early termination fee, and I'll be able to check my own minute usage to make sure I don't go over! Still that downside of a number in a different (but nearby) area code, but at least I can change it at any time.. and I'll know just as soon as I can change it, too.

Damn it to hell, now I don't know again!

I guess the bad things I'd heard of the T68i might have just been overstated, quality control stuff and politics like all products may have... maybe I want one... the Bluetooth, after all. And it's only... $100 more. Twice the price, I don't know. But it is less bulky than the T300, and I can still use a camera with it just the same (snap on the bottom)... But then.. the camera costs $130 by itself, and it's being bundled with a T300 for just $100. Maybe I should get the T300, and give it to someone as a christmas gift, and keep the camera, and then get a T68i. But then I'll have to buy the T68i at full retail price... which is going to be more than just $200. Damn it, I just don't know anymore.

And then, how am I even gonna get a T68i? T-Mobile doesn't appear to sell them anymore on the website or through customer care... do they still sell them in their retail stores? What about the indirect retail stores, surely they must sell them (AT&T still sells the T68i)... but is there an indirect retailer in Council Bluffs, Iowa? I don't wanna drive to Des Moines... but I guess, if I must, for the phone I want, I will. I'll probably get there and they won't even have it or it'll be like full retail price if I go with T-Mobile. Or something stupid, there's always something.

Aesthetics... well, the T68i has it's own charms, but the T300 is so much more simple and less random, almost kind of minimalist for a phone design. It is a bit bulky, though. Small, but bulky. And the 256-color display that they both have is apparently a piece of crap compared to the 65,000 color displays lots of phones are coming out with these days, so who knows.

Which is more important, bang-for-your-buck (T300), or suiting my desires and digging into the pocketbook (T68i)? I've totally ruled out the P800, and the T600 doesn't even suit my needs. The Nokia 7650 is going to cost a fortune, and the 7210 has no camera, is ugly, and doesn't even have the PopPort connection to connect a camera. The 3650 might never make it to market and when it does it'll be way too expensive, probably like $400.

You know what, I'm just going to try the T300, if I don't like it.. it's $100, and a decent phone for somebody if not for me. I'll get some other phone. Upgrade to a T68i maybe. So it's settled, then. For the next 2 1/2 minutes.

I just picked up Popular Science's 100 best issue, and the P800 is in there; I've gotten sucked in again. I decided this pay period that I'd just save up for the holidays, so I haven't jumped yet, but maybe that will be saving up for a P800 during the holidays.. hehe.

Then there is the Kyocera 7135.. it's a nice flip phone, not too ugly, color screen, Palm OS, graffiti pad, Palm buttons, and a keypad.. in a surprisingly compact package. It isn't the most beautiful thing, certainly not very interesting, but it at least looks better than the Treos, that's for sure. The price will be the only thing that can sway me toward these, though.. like if they're $150-200 I might get one.

No price quotes on either one, though. "Price depends on carrier," thanks Popular Science..

And apparently Sprint and Verizon are already 3G? Whaaat. I don't think that's right... 3G is WCDMA, and that isn't out in all areas.. not to mention there are like no phones shipping to work with it that I can find. Sprint sucks anyway, too expensive for what you get, and they charge you for everything... plus, I really don't need all that coverage, which you end up paying for. Why do I need coverage in some field out in the middle of Kansas? And Verizon.. $4 a month for Yahtzee on your phone. Enough said.

Apparently today Oprah gave away expensive brand new Samsung camera phones and three months of T-Mobile service to everyone in her audience.. did anyone else catch the show? I didn't . I just saw the memo in my T-Mobile CC news. Anyhow, the phone isn't available yet to the public, but it's pretty cool.. silver, flip, small, camera, Samsung, rotatable camera in the little hinge, about 1MP... I think they're several hundred dollars, or will be, rather... very interesting. Not really my taste, but interesting nonetheless.

So mid-January for hte P800? Blech, what a disappointment. First it was fall, then Q4, now 2003... suck.

I can't take it anymore. I'll get get a T300. The 3rd of December is coming up, and I'm getting a big ol' check! I hope something better than the T300 comes out. I just need a T325... just like the T300, but with Bluetooth, and a better color display (thousands of colors instead of 256). I'd even pay $50 more for that. Oh, and more colors... apparently the only color that's in circulation thus far is the forest green color.. no one seems to have seen the red or the blue. Keep the form factor and simple/minimalist design and perfect size and camera functionality and joystick and everything, just make it beat the T68i. *whine* But who am I kidding.. that's not gonna happen, especially not in the next 6 months, and even then, it'd be a while. I digress. T300 will have to do. It's a marginal improvement on the mobile phone as it is... perhaps it's better this way. Gradual upgrading.

Whoopsies, it didn't air today, it was taped today.. it'll air on the 25th. Anyway, watch for the neat upcoming T-Mobile camera phone!! (I guess I ruined that surprise, oh well.)

Man. They got all kinds of free stuff that show. I think everybody gets 1 free everything that's on her "Favorite Things" gift list. It's like the superbowl of Oprah. Even I'd be in an Oprah audience, if it was that show! *drool*

There's a buyer's remorse period of 14-16 days depending on your state, but most of the companies want the phones back in complete order and with less than 60 minutes of usage or there will be some sort of charge, or at least not a full refund at a dealer; and then, some dealers can be entrepreneurial and offer you a price for the phone 'used' to resell to someone else at full price. One exception with T-Mobile is if you buy the phone from Amazon.com... in whiich case your buyer's remorse is 37 days; we often get people who buy their phones off Amazon and activate, but tthen there's no service in their area (like North Dakota.. no GSM anywhere), so they basically have to cancel, and we tell them to return the equipment and we waive the contract early termination fee and all that (other than valid usage charges).

I'm considering Amazon, but they don't discount you on a new activation, they do some rebate shit after the fact which takes 11 weeks or something, and in the meanwhile you have to pay full value for the phone! (And then some, it seems.. it says the T300 is $150 at their site, and I'd be eligible for a $150 rebate, making the phone free, but when I add it to my cart all of a sudden it's $250.00. Where's that logic? Gah.)

But if you wanna go with T-Mobile (where you get more) just call up 1-800-937-8997 and say that you want to check coverage in your area. They'll pull up an interactive coverage map and you'll give them a city or zip or somesuch, maybe your address and then zoom out, and they can describe what kind/level of coverage you'd be getting.

Huh? T-Mobile uses only GSM... AT&T uses a combination of CDMA and GSM, and AT&T is a T-Mobile roaming partner, meaning they share the same roaming area... I think you must have confused T-Mobile with Sprint or Verizon or something, or maybe I'm just reading what you're saying wrong. Truthfully, CDMA coverage in the US is ten or twenty times better than GSM coverage at the moment... almost covering the country, whereas GSM barely dots the major metropoli and highways. Still, GSM is a better technology, and always expanding, so don't get me wrong, I'm a total GSM proponent.

[quote]Originally posted by ShawnPatrickJoyce:
<strong>Yeah so that's not viable for me. Looks like I will go with regular TDMA service. What do you think about the <a href="http://partner.getconnected.com/motorola/V_Catalog/WirelessPhones/WirelessPhones_Detail.asp?prod=27647&cat=61&vert=2 " target="_blank">Motorola V60i</a> phone?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, it's all right.. for a phone-phone. I don't think much of it, good or bad, it's getting to be pretty popular, nothing much about it interests me to be truthful. I guess I'm just not too crazy about the folding flip phones... There's a V60 as well, which is the GSM version. GSM is the future, don't invest too much in inferior technology like T/CDMA or you'll regret it later.

Well, just be wary. When phones get cheap, there's trickery. Rebates that give you the run-around, special contracts, longer contracts, service agreements, extra charges, beefed up activation fees. Either way, when you choose a phone and service provider, you're investing a lot of time and money, so choose wisely... and especially make sure you're doing business with a reputable dealer, the internet isn't always the safest place to go about getting a phone and service.