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kenny's Avatar
Posts: 109 | Thanked: 26 times | Joined on Aug 2007 @ Caribbean
#31
Originally Posted by dantonic View Post
I have a tmobile usa unlimited data contract, for $20 per month. I signed up for it about a year ago and specifically asked if i could tether my tm506 to be used as a modem. The answer was 'of course, and you have no limits on your monthly bandwith' . Unless something has changed, i still believe to be under that contract, and still pay 20/mo.
You're lucky.
The U.S. carriers seem to sometimes have different plans available. Keep quiet and keep paying.
Howards Forum is a good place to keep up with this stuff.
(Hope Reggie doesn't mind me sending some traffic elsewhere.)
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Last edited by kenny; 2009-09-10 at 02:58.
 
Posts: 144 | Thanked: 45 times | Joined on Oct 2007 @ Detroit
#32
Originally Posted by dantonic View Post
I have a tmobile usa unlimited data contract, for $20 per month. I signed up for it about a year ago and specifically asked if i could tether my tm506 to be used as a modem. The answer was 'of course, and you have no limits on your monthly bandwith' . Unless something has changed, i still believe to be under that contract, and still pay 20/mo.
Is this a data plan along with a voice plan, or data alone?
I now have the misfortune of using At&t gophone with 20$ for 100MB, one month. the leftover data carries over if recharged before the month is over, and I recharge for 5$ for 1Mb. I use it with my N81 mobile with my N810. The nokia n81 doesnt have at&t 3g, so i can use only edge. it works okay most of the time, since mostly i am connected to wifi@home/work. i use the net for, fring sip/skype/gtalk, maemo mapper, browsing, rss feeds
I was planning to change to a tmobile flexpay 30usd + 10usd data plan with30usd for a samsung phone.
If the gnu/linux fanboy in me makes me buy an n900, I hope using it (without bluetooth tethering) would be possible
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kenny's Avatar
Posts: 109 | Thanked: 26 times | Joined on Aug 2007 @ Caribbean
#33
Originally Posted by vabgeo View Post
If the gnu/linux fanboy in me makes me buy an n900, I hope using it (without bluetooth tethering) would be possible
Sure, just stick that GoPhone SIM into the N900, leave the N81 and the N810 in the drawer.
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Posts: 144 | Thanked: 68 times | Joined on Nov 2007 @ Switzerland
#34
Forgive me a noobie question, but I've never actually had a mobile phone before.

Is there a persuasive augment not to buy my N900 with (say) an Orange contract? It seems to be 40% cheaper if I do. I realise it is only 40% cheaper at purchase, and that they will make up their money with my call charges. However, I will need a contract from some carrier or other, won't I? Some carrier will get this money. As far as I can see they don't seem to offer a cheaper plan if you don't take the discounted phone from them. (Or have I missed this possibility?)

So, why shouldn't I take the discounted phone with the contract? Is it just the 12 or 24 month tie-in that is seen as so onerous?

Or is there some technical reason why I shouldn't? i.e. Will the red-pill option still be possible if I take an Orange N900? Will they force me to use their webproxy? Place ads in my browser? Fill my flash with cruft?

Last edited by ralphb; 2009-09-10 at 09:58. Reason: Added possible carrier evil options
 
eiffel's Avatar
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#35
Originally Posted by ralphb View Post
Is there a persuasive augment not to buy my N900 with (say) an Orange contract?
Hi ralphb,

You don't say what country you're in, but in any case you need to look at it on a case-by-case basis.

Orange has been known to cripple the functionality of some phones. With some models, they replace the menu system with their own, to make it hard for you to get music, games or ringtones without buying it from the Orange store.

Also, they sometimes sell the phones locked to their own network. In the UK, they will unlock it on request for a fee (£20?), but if you're on a pay-as-you-go tariff they will only do this if you have been registered with them for a certain time (6 months I think). If you didn't bother to register your full details with them, and you want to unlock your phone to use with another carrier on an overseas trip, tough luck.

In the UK it's legal to get your phone unlocked at a shady-looking back-street shop, provided they don't change the IMEI code. But then if you need warranty repairs from the carrier you may be out of luck.

Personally I would never buy a carrier-locked or carrier-crippled phone. Sometimes freedom is worth more than a superficially-attractive deal.

In any case, there's no indication that Orange will be offering a good deal on the N900, unless you know something that I don't.

Regards,
Roger
 

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#36
Hi eiffel,

Thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by eiffel View Post
You don't say what country you're in, but in any case you need to look at it on a case-by-case basis.
I'm in Switzerland. The deal I've seen is through these people. I guess I shall have to contact them to find out exactly what taking the Orange deal involves.

IMO, this sort of stuff should be made more transparent. Or legally regulated. It's one thing to ensure my custom for 2 years, quite another to screw with the phone's functionality.
 
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#37
Originally Posted by ralphb View Post
The deal I've seen is through these people.
You do need to check the details, but that page looks encouraging.

My guess is that they are resellers for the carrier's monthly plans, and get a share of the monthly subscription price. In return, they give you a discount on the phone (which they get from Nokia and supply to you directly, without the carrier being involved). If that indeed is their business model, the phones are probably uncrippled.

Of course you also need to check whether the monthly fee includes data.

Roger
 
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Posts: 361 | Thanked: 108 times | Joined on Sep 2008
#38
Originally Posted by vabgeo View Post
Is this a data plan along with a voice plan, or data alone?
I now have the misfortune of using At&t gophone with 20$ for 100MB, one month. the leftover data carries over if recharged before the month is over, and I recharge for 5$ for 1Mb. I use it with my N81 mobile with my N810. The nokia n81 doesnt have at&t 3g, so i can use only edge. it works okay most of the time, since mostly i am connected to wifi@home/work. i use the net for, fring sip/skype/gtalk, maemo mapper, browsing, rss feeds
I was planning to change to a tmobile flexpay 30usd + 10usd data plan with30usd for a samsung phone.
If the gnu/linux fanboy in me makes me buy an n900, I hope using it (without bluetooth tethering) would be possible
Yes I have a Voice plan and Data plan, and No SMS package. so I pay 20cents for incoming and outgoing SMSes which I almost never send.
 

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#39
Originally Posted by vabgeo View Post
Is this a data plan along with a voice plan, or data alone?
I was planning to change to a tmobile flexpay 30usd + 10usd data plan with30usd for a samsung phone.
If the gnu/linux fanboy in me makes me buy an n900, I hope using it (without bluetooth tethering) would be possible


tmobile has a 10$ data plan? they always quote me 24.99
 
Posts: 144 | Thanked: 45 times | Joined on Oct 2007 @ Detroit
#40
Originally Posted by UCOMM View Post
tmobile has a 10$ data plan? they always quote me 24.99
I dont have a credit history here and am not willing to be locked in on a plan or pay a 500$ security deposit.

I told them I have an unlocked N81. I chose T-mobile FlexPay month to month from the indvidual plan. I chose 29.99$ 300minutes, and the services is 9.99$ for data alone 'unlimited' + 10$ for the SIM card - 55$ with tax. and monthly 43$

I have ordered one , so let me see how it goes with my N81. My N81 is getting old, lots of cracks due to heavy use, very low battery life and the N810 touch screen is dead.
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