Starting out with a Blackberry

September 10, 2009 10:02 PM

Attention all seasoned Blackberry users: I just purchased a Blackberry 8220 (The Pearl Flip), and I have a few questions about UMA access

I'm with Rogers Wireless in Canada, and I used to have a Motorola RAZR. Basically, I bought the Blackberry, slipped by SIM card in, and configured my Wi-fi. I discovered, to my surprise, that apparently the phone can make calls over Wi-fi under something called "UMA", which is a blessing, because my appartment has horrible cellphone reception.

My questions are as follows:

• My phone automatically got on UMA and started using it, whereas apparently one needs a plan for this sort of thing. Will I suddenly lose access, or will I have a nice surprise on my bill at the end of the month?
• Can I use the wifi access on this phone for things other than making calls? E.g. browsing the web, getting my email, etc. I tried to use the browser, but it consistently comes up with a page threatening a $0.03/kb charge if I go any further.
• As a bonus question, if I setup email over wifi, can I get it to appear in the regular Blackberry interface, or will I have to go through some sort of third-party email app?

Thanks in advance!

posted by Mons Veneris to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Best answer: 1. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you need TalkSpot on your account in order to not receive a bill from Rogers for UMA use. Here's a discussion about it.

2. Yes, definitely. Some people don't even go with data plans and still use it for what you're trying to do. Check out your Connection Preferences (Manage Connections > Mobile Network Options > Connection Preference) to ensure that WiFi is preferred.

3. It will appear like any other email you receive on the device.
posted by purephase at 5:28 AM on September 11, 2009

Best answer: I'd recommend having a chat with a Rogers guy at one of the bajillion kiosks around town. With one exception (one bad guy in one store), I've always gotten great advice from them, and usually ended up with exactly what I wanted for less than I thought I had to pay. If you're afraid of jinxing anything, you can always discuss it as a service you are interested in without needing to disclose your customer info.
posted by Billegible at 8:22 AM on September 11, 2009

oh, and wifi email: you can use the e-mail settings app to set up email accounts from most email providers, though for Gmail the Gmail app is really good and I recommend it over the basic BB "messages" that is where all of your other email accounts will end up. It's a good built-in app, but the Gmail app really plays to Gmail's features.
posted by Billegible at 8:25 AM on September 11, 2009