Hello Everyone:
This site has been extremely informative, and I'm glad to have found it. I'd characterize myself as a pretty sophisticated computer and electronics user but as of yet I haven't made use of any sim card based phones/networks (I reside in the USA). I have also restrained myself from PDA's as I'm wired down in my life too much already. However, now that I'm running to meetings left and right, traveling a lot more, etc, I think I'm ready to finally leave the laptop at the hotel/dorm/room and have good functionality at my fingertips. Thanks to my educational institution I will be going abroad 3-4x in the next year or so. As you can see this builds up to what you guys probably love as much as me: decison time about what to get!
I like the Siemens X56 but am worried about the whole unlocking bit given some of the concerns with Radio 4.20, etc. Also then I just saw a post about a 64mb version (Not sure, but tmobile here offers a 32mb ROM, 32mb RAM version, is that the same or do you guys just look at ROM in the rating?). So with a few of these things here is my buying situation:
2 Weeks until I depart to London to study at LSE
-Will cancel existing plan/ditch phone (Ericsson T60D)
-Want to have unlocked and feature rich PDA/phone so I can use the prepaid SIM cards there
Will Return in Fall
-Would like to at that time use tmobile ($40plan)
-Will use PDA/phone to dial into a dialup connection in my dorm room for connectivity
Spring 04
-Participating in [email protected]
-Will do the same as London
Background Factors
-T-Mobile wants the service active for 90 days before unlocking
-T-Mobile has seasonality (where you keep open account but don't use it)
-Unable to take existing cell number with me (xingular) - damn U.S.!
-Would still like to keep existing number
-Looking for Windows CE based device (ala outlook integration, excel) that will last me until at least 2006.
So... what do I do?? I found a deal at amazon.com for $300 for the SX56 but then all the tmobile restrictions will haunt me. Reading this site it seems that I'm better off purchasing a SX56 elsewhere and unlocking, upgrading it to use abroad. I'm hoping to keep the price ~300USD. Also what's w/ the 4096colors, is there something on the market or just about to hit the market that I should wait for?
Any help would be appreciated, especially regarding upcoming products, and dealers/vendors that I can purchase from ASAP at good price.
Thanks for any and all help! I hope I didn't miss anything in the forum before reposting something by accident, if so I apologize!
patrick
I would make a huge recommendation for Dovid at On The Go Solutions. http://www.otgsolutions.com
He provides great service and the price is just $300 if you sign up for voice & data with him. Tell him I sent you. (No, I don't get any sort of kickback, but he usually tosses in a freebie for my referrals, such as a car cord.)
When to buy? Well, there's always another great device just around the corner. As a highly mobile professional, I can tell you that the time to see the ROI on having this device and service was maybe a month or two. It really does save me that much time, not to mention aggravation, plus provides entertainment.
Related
As I'm not on the road as much as I used to be, I'm finding I really don't need my ppc phone. I find it too big to carry around in the summer in shorts pockets anyway, so I switched to a nice little Motorola v300.
I'm sure eventually I'm going to get another PDA Phone - perhaps this fall or winter, but I'm thinking by then there will be plenty of new stuff out, so I might as well just try to sell this one I've got now.
Anyway, enough babbling. I've got a T-Mobile branded phone, with WM2003 (final relase) OS. All of the original accessories are included, as is a nice EB Cases leather slipper case.
Any offers out there? What have these things been going for lately? If anybody's interested, you can email me at [email protected]
i am too in the same possition I live i florida so the summer gets pretty hot and will not be able to where the pants with the big pockets, i have the xda 1 with the new t-mobile rom wm2003 all the new software registered alll the software recomended by the previous posts, all the original accessories for it, plus a krusell case, the original t-mobile case, extra stylus, extra charger, car adapter, anybody interested please contact me at [email protected] thank you.
Just bought used XDA
Just bought a used XDA from ebay (T-Mobile MDA, specifically), described as excellent condition. Not much in the way of extras. Paid $190 + $12 shipping. These seem to be going for $190 - $250 or so.
Oooh, i hadn't even considered all the software I've got for this thing. Bunch of games, plus Journal Bar, Battery Pack, etc, etc...hmmm
Extra Software....
The big problem is that a new buyer may or may not see the value of the software you bought for it... so I don't know if that will add much to your final selling price. Extra accessories often boosts price, but, I haven't seen that a bunch of registered shareware does (I could be wrong). Also, usually, I would think, this software is registered to you and they might have problems getting updates (could be wrong).
True... would be difficult for them to get updates, I guess. Also, may have trouble entering registration codes, etc, as some are dependent on the user name entered for the device. :roll:
Nomophobia, as in "No mobile phone phobia!" I found this article interesting because, 1. Its definately me. 2. The one chick checks her phone 50 times a day? Please, Im triple that easy!!!!90% of the time im awake, Im on my phone! News, Facebook, bank, XDA, text, 401K, ZumoCast to my home computer, Playstation Network! I can go on forever!
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...our-cellphone-nomophobia-on-the-rise#comments
yep, i got it. and it drags me away from my PC more and more every day as they become more powerful. i mean really, there is not much technology out there that is more handy then a smartphone. i cant read the news for hours on less then 2000mAh on my laptop, but i can on my phone!
and 50 times... i get more then 100 text messages a day, plus 30-50 emails, then phones calls and internet surfing... yeah i def beat her mark of 50. i use my phone as my clock, it would be interesting to see how many times i do turn my screen on. im guessing id be well over 400.
@lroy, I'm probally in the 400+ range also. And speaking of computer, I was just telling guest Sunday, I could not tell you the last time I physically sat at my desk at home or moved that laptop off the coffee table. (She asked could she have it!). The only reason my desktop is powered on is I use ZumoCast when I'm out to access it! Hell, I even program my cable box when I want to see something and I know I will not make it home!
I wanted to bring this back to the front. Last week a friend mentioned she could not take pictures, I replaced 2Gb Card with 16Gb Card for $19.99. Same friend came over and told me she could not send text, told her to delete all of them, fixed! She just now called and asked if her daughter can come over Saturday and I replace her card like I did hers..........This got me to thinking, over the last month or so, I have helped 8+ people with something or another. If your not going to use the features of the smartphone, why spend $600.00? You can still look cool and spend alot less money? And Im not talking about rooting or unlocking, I'm talking about simple, everyday life things to make life simple in which the device was made for?
1. Most of these people did not even know Bank of America had an app to check your bank account? (Members1st Credit Union either?)
2. None knew that you can program your Comcast DVR from your phone?
3. All thought you had to pay $29.99 for hotspot?
4. None knew about Google Music?
5. I tell people about Douphin Browser and they look at me like Im crazy?
6. No one, including my boss who is IT manger knew about Nexflix on smartphone?
Maybe it's me being anal, but you would not get at $2000.00 TV and not know how to use it right? and look at all the phones coming to market now, bigger, faster, larger, etc............. Again, just me!
dsims7_2000 said:
Maybe it's me being anal, but you would not get at $2000.00 TV and not know how to use it right?
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That's US carrier subsidies for you!
Carrier subsidies have f^@k*! up the entire system; $600-$700 devices being sold for $200 or less. People don't value smartphones at all.
Think of it, in reality smartphones cost more than most laptops, televisions and audio equipment etc.
Do people upgrade their TVs every year or two? Heck no! But carrier subsidies allow us to buy brand new phones for $200 every 2 years. And in case of Android phones, wait for 6-to-10 months and some models can be had for $100 or even close to free. Who doesn't like that?
And in turn to make their money, these carriers make us sign contracts and buy expensive data plans even if we don't want to.
I don't know of any other country in the world where they make you buy a data plan if you want to run a smartphone on their network.
You simply buy a phone and buy a plan, that's how it should work.
Lots of people I know in other countries have bought their own phones and run it with a simple voice-only plan. If they need data they pay only for what they use. No $40 data plan forced upon them. I wish our major carriers would adopt this policy.
Heck, I will leave Sprint if something doesn't change soon.
I've been with them for 10 years now and paying $80/month for ****ty service.
I'm waiting to see how its LTE network turns out before resigning any contracts.
DH can $uck it with his unlimited plans!
Ok....rant over! Taking a deep breath now....!
OK, My OP was NOT about data plans and contracts (althought you have some truth), I know people that have had their phone for over 10 years, he** I lost a bet because co-worker has flip Sprint phone with SIM card. That said, it is/was about people buying $600.00+ phones to take pictures and text, PERIOD!!! you can get a free phone for that. If your not going to utilize your smartphone with all it can do, why get it?
As for Data Plans, I have been to..........23 countries in the last 5 years. I took AT&T Tilt, flashed it, VodoPhone SIM from Airport, I'm good. I really only used data twice a day for a few minutes if that. But yes, phone only for your used minutes and what data you uses is subtracted from your minutes, no biggie. But also remember, they don't get the $100.00 up front and 2-year contract, they pay full then pick a plan. (For the record, no matter what phone I had, its not working in South Korea with WCDMA!)
dsims7_2000 said:
OK, My OP was NOT about data plans and contracts (althought you have some truth), That said, it is/was about people buying $600.00+ phones to take pictures and text, PERIOD!!! you can get a free phone for that. If your not going to utilize your smartphone with all it can do, why get it?
As for Data Plans, I have been to..........23 countries in the last 5 years. I took AT&T Tilt, flashed it, VodoPhone SIM from Airport, I'm good. I really only used data twice a day for a few minutes if that. But yes, phone only for your used minutes and what data you uses is subtracted from your minutes, no biggie. But also remember, they don't get the $100.00 up front and 2-year contract, they pay full then pick a plan. (For the record, no matter what phone I had, its not working in South Korea with WCDMA!)
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Yeah, sorry about that, didn't mean to hijack your thread.
I would gladly buy my phone at full price if they allowed me the freedom of choosing my plan. But they don't. So I end up paying $100-$200 for the phone and then $1800 over the next 24 months in service charges.
I check my phone for email several times a day (definitely less than 50) but I am an average user with regards to every day usage.
I am around Wi-Fi 95% of the time and so are most users, so I don't need or want their ($hitty & spotty) internet service.
My gripe is this: keep the unlimited plans for those who want it but allow those who don't want it to buy a cheaper plan.
The other thing that really p!$$#$ me off is the iPhone!
As everyone well knows, subsidies are the highest for the iPhones. And where do carriers recover their money, in the plans and contracts. I hate it that I pay money for services that I can never fully utilize so that others can have their iPhones. If iPhones were sold at retail without subsidies, we wouldn't have all the iDiots!
Coming back to your original topic: I'm definitely addicted. I need my phone and check it regularly for email, messages, clock, workouts etc.
I'm hooked and can't live without it now.
Hi,
I've been reading around the NL/WP8 forums here for quite a while and just wanted to share my horrid experience at the MS store at Washington Square.
I'd been waiting and wanting a Nokia WP8 device since the rumors began and with some odd luck suddenly had a work related trip to the US for the first time. On my last day in the US I had a few hours to do some shopping and landed up at Washington Square mall in Beaverton, amazingly appeared before me a MS store :good::laugh: . Went over there, played around with the NL920 & 8x, I was originally a bit concerned after reading so many reviews pointing out the weight issue of the 920. While standing there naturally the sales personal starting chatting with me, I immediately stated I was from overseas and that fact I was very interested in the 920. The first lady mentioned that there's no problem using it overseas, again naturally I was surprised and quite suspicious. I kindly asked if she could verify this with someone "technical", to cut a long story short after about 15 minutes standing there and talking with 3 different MS people, the "higher up" insured me "The AT&T logo is just for sales reasons". Sadly my overseas SIM (& phone) were standard and not the Micro variant so innocently I took their word for it and left there a jolly shopper.
BUT once I got home, replaced my SIM with a Micro SIM via my cell carrier I was amazed to discover that it's locked!
I don't want to sound like an imbecile or an over innocent person, I simply believed what 3 different (and very convincing) sales people told me, it was "just what I wanted to hear" but I still couldn't believe the misleading would be so blatant.
Emailing MS & Nokia was completely and utterly pointless, they didn't even say they'll check it out or even make sure the salespeople are aware of this. They both responded that they basically don't care and tried to blame each other, and just ignored my replies without even a word of response. Such disappointing and non-existent customer service from two companies that really need the consumers to back them.
Just wanted to share this with you people and make sure no one else gets scammed by 'em, it isn't too much fun getting home after 16 odd hours of a long flight and work trip to discover you have a giant wp-Pod (even though it's quite a cool device)..
BTW, really appreciate all the people here trying to find and test out unlocking services and as everyone hoping something new comes up soon.
R.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. People in this country (even those who work in the Microsoft Store or other U.S. telecom company) have no idea what the difference is between "unlocked" and "off-contract". They also don't know the concept of frequency bands either.
I was at the U Village Microsoft Store in Seattle, WA a few weeks ago. Just for fun, I asked an employee if the Lumia 920 is pentaband. The employee couldn't answer so he ran off to ask another employee. He started a chain reaction. Pretty soon, 5 or 6 employees tried to answer my question. Eventually they just gave up and said that they didn't know.
This past week at the Bellevue Microsoft Store, I saw a couple looking to buy an unlocked Lumia 920. Needless to say, they had a long discussion with the MS Store employee and weren't really making any progress. Eventually I interrupted and showed the couple my unlocked Lumia 920. I gave them a few options (Negri, GSM Nation, etc.). I also told them that they can go up to a Rogers Store in Vancouver to buy one and have it unlocked for $50.
Moral of the story is to take everything you hear at a U.S. tech store with a grain of salt. Most of the time, they don't know anything. Occasionally, you'll find one who actually knows the stuff, but that's extremely rare.
If you need advice on the phones to buy, you'll have to take your time to do research on the internet and ask people on forums. Most of us know a lot more than retail employees.
I hope your situation works out though. I would continue to talk to Microsoft since they were the ones with misleading information. I don't think AT&T and Nokia can help you, since they're not the ones who sold the phone to you.
This is what I have heard....>The phone would work overseas. As long as you are on AT&T (or their partner).
try this
You can try calling up AT&T, explain what happened and get the unlock code. If you browse wpcentral forums you can find folks got the code.
hawc1506, I completely agree about the research part but simply after reading a few times that people did get unlocked devices from some stores, and the fact I actually took out my overseas SIM and "waved" it a couple of times, I was a bit too much of a "sucker" and believed what I'd heard.
After I responded to the MS rep via mail they just started ignoring my email, and when I spoke with AT&T (via Skype) they basically said that only if I join them I'll have some hope.
Someone sent me an IM saying I should try post a YouTube video of the story and as much as I'm really against that kind of "child play" I don't think that any other common-sense will work with these companies and every time I fiddle with my shinny micro-pod it annoys me more.
Thanks for you comments everyone , I do hope at some point we all find some reasonable way of unlocking these devices (better sooner than later )
Well in desperation (+ 2 recommendations by people) I decided to YouTube my story both to share and maybe that'll be the miracle that will cause MS/Nokia to actually pay attention to a customer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdRMQ4pC884
Please excuse the poor experience, it's my first ever video and Powerpoint doesn't seem to convert the audio
P.S. I reviewed the forum rules and didn't see anything against my video so I hope it won't be a problem.
As was mentioned, this was a misunderstanding on the part of the store and I'm sorry you had to go through it. Unfortunately, as was also mentioned, it is not common for Americans to purchase devices SIM free/unlocked. As such, most places have no idea what that even means. I ended up in a similar misunderstanding once in Italy several years ago where I'd spent €450 to buy a Samsung Android phone, only to discover that there was a common defect with the screen. I wanted to get my money back, but the common policy in Italy is that one can only exchange for other goods. As such, I was pretty much forced to find €450 of electronics on which to spend the credit. Lesson learnt.
Hopefully you'll be able to get it unlocked or re-sell it on eBay.
I'm about to make the switch from my Sprint family plan to either StraightTalk or Net10 Wireless. Initially I wanted to put my mother on Republic Wireless because of its ridiculously cheap rate, but having read some recent reviews I suspect I'll just be setting myself up for frustration instead since I'll be her support. So instead I may swallow the higher monthly fee and bring her over with me to one of the aforementioned SIM-only services, allowing me to give her a better smartphone.
In that case I need to get her a T-Mobile-compatible Android smartphone that's likely to give me the least grief. I'm hoping to find one used and/or discontinued so I don't have to spend a lot of money initially (between contract cancellation, new phone for me [Nexus 4], and new service for both of us, I'm already in the $650 range), and can test out her ability to handle a smartphone before I even consider eventually getting her something better.
So what would you recommend that I could probably find used for relatively little money that's overall solid and reliable? One thing that might be nice is official CM9+ support so I can get her on an AOSP experience with Android 4.x without any of the headaches of semi-supported ROMs. But barring that, I'll settle for something that's already good enough with no fiddling. Preferably with minimal bloatware, especially considering the T-Mobile crap won't work on an MVNO anyway.
Any recommendations on specific models or ranges I should look at with these needs in mind?
I have a SGP621, been reading the posts on here but none seem to answer some of the questions I have. I do appologize if seems like some of this info I could just get myself by visiting the stores, unfortunately I have very bad experiences with AT&T sales reps, I always seem to have halfwits who know less about the phones and plans their selling then I do. plus I work almost every day, I dont have the time wait half an hour between each question so the the reps can all play "pass the question" in the hopes that the person to their left knows the answer. its irritating, frustrating, and your own personal experiences would give me a much better picture.
Also, it seems I'm one of the few who fall in the opposite category of what seems to be everyone else who bought the SGP621, I actually don't want to use it as a phone at all, I'm just tired of tethering. Ideally, I'd be happiest with a data only plan, even better if doing so could save me some cash.
AT&T questions:
Can I just get a data plan/add it as a tablet?
As a phone...would/could it be the same number as my normal phone? 2 separate numbers?
Jgonzo432 said:
Yeah, it's the same on the Z3TC. I didn't accept the download because I don't want my settings changed so I can't confirm if it has RedPocket , H2O and ATT etc...
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whats this about? is this necessary? what does it change?
How much is it to add to an existing family plan?
how much of a data usage increase do you see with this on your plan?
T-Mobile questions:
Roughly how much for the data only plan?
is it worth it considering I already have a plan with AT&T?
That's exactly what I have with tmobile... Data only... Twenty bucks a month for 1gb, and that does include the free music streaming service
Well incase anyone was wondering, I did actually have some time today. since I already have a mobile share plan with AT&T adding my tablet was pretty cheap.
Its $10 for a tablet (data only), $15 for a phone (phone+data)
When they stuck a sim card in my tablet, AT&T gets confused, classifying it as 2 different things on 2 different levels and thus they could not simply add it. Instead they had to use the serial from one of the instore display devices, so they gave me the option to classify it as a tablet or phone. Even though I was planning to go tablet, 5 dollar diff? i went phone. seems to be working fine so far.
Consider the $15/mo tablet data plan thru Harbor Mobile ($15 for 5GBs). They are simply reselling a T-Mo business line I believe and could prob go under and leave you hanging at any moment...but if you don't have a phone number to lose, who cares.