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barchester
Posts: 5 |
 
Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:30 pm |
I was searching for information on the internet and encounted the following claim:
"Another very important thing to keep in mind is that carriers may install software on their handsets that enables specific features not available on unbranded, unlocked phones. . . . Meanwhile, Cingular's latest mobile broadband solutions require a compatible Cingular handset. "
One of the features I wanted out of a cingular plan was access to email, standard with the pay as you go service. It appears from the comment above that one cannot utilize that email service unless one is using a locked phone, which returns me to my dilemma, I don't like any of the locked phones that Cingular offers with the pay as you go. Anyone know why they haven't offered a smart phone as part of their pay as you go service? Are there good reasons to use the postpay service instead (which permits the blackjack phone but requires email as an add on not a standard feature as with the pay as you go).
Again, I like pay as you go because I don't use the cell phone much. But, I want a smart phone for the outlook compatible calendar feature. And I want to be able to access email when I'm away from home.
Anyone know if Cingular has plans to add a smartphone to the pay as you go service anytime soon?
Thanks.
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Malibu21
Posts: 1002
Phone Model:
V3xx Lightly Modded, V6 Maxx Tweaked nicely.
Service Provider:
The New AT&T |
Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:10 am |
The thing with pay as you go, its for people that don't want a contract, have bad credit, use the phone for emergencies, or to have a phone for their young child.
Postpaid offers the latest features, for people that use them all the time
I highly doubt that smartphones are going to be offered for pay as you go, because the postpaid guarantees that you'll pay for the price of the phone in profit from the plan thats why you see a phone that retails for 250 go for 50 after rebate. Pay as you go is less profit so they offer the phone at retail, you can get a smartphone setup as a prepaid, but its gonna be more expensive, usually retail price.
One thing you need to remember, provided the settings are correct, you can use an unlocked phone on the Cingular internet.
For instance I bought a Motorola Z3, its only available in Asian and European Markets, but its a quadband GSM phone with Edge, but my Wap and MMS settings are correct for cingular, so my internet works fine. the thing you need to watch out for is that some 3g phones run on a diff. freq. than the US like the V3 Maxx, its a triband with 3g, but the 3g in Europe is on the 2100 band, Cingular's 3g is on the 1900 band, so the Maxx will be useable, but the 3g won't work only edge.
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barchester
Posts: 5 |
Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:06 pm |
Thanks for the advice.
Credit isn't my problem. I have been using a little over 200 mins per month but will sometimes go over so I don't want the bottom line plan. I also don't want to pay an additional $10/mo. for email access which is included in the pay as you go plans, and which I will use very infrequently, but want it when I'm travelling on vacation. Assuming I use voice services 20 days per mo. and 200 minutes per mo. on average the pay as you go plan seems to pencil out as the best option (save $10 per mo. on the email feature). The deciding issue, however, is the phone, as I previously mentioned because I don't like any offered with the pay as you go plan. I don't mind paying full retail for the phone, I assume I will make up the difference there easier than on a plan that doesn't fit my needs.
The Blackjack seems to be a good phone, but I don't know if I can get a pay as you go SIM for it and I don't know if that phone will be compatible with the Cingular Mobile email and Media net features. I'm guessing no.
Frankly, the more I delve into this the more I'm suspecting that purchasing the 450/mo. postpay plan with the additional email service and getting the Blackjack is my best option. But, I'm still mulling.
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johnandrew
Posts: 2 |
Thu May 24, 2007 11:55 am |
Cingular 3125 (HTC STRTRK) does seem to be an outstanding phone. I just got one BUT YOU CAN ONLY GET ONE ON-LINE. THEY ARE BEING DISCONTINUED. I got it for $200 with $100 rebate when adding unlimited data plan. I don't know if this is a real issue or AT&T simply decided to avoid this phone. It was the ONLY Windows Mobile device at Cingular that was a flip phone.
I love my new phone. Excellent phone quality, excellent text message features. Good web browsing, but occasional trouble connecting. Looks like I can buy a program to enable AOL IM function.
I hope I stay in love with it.
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