But I want it, because it is shiny and good.
August 5, 2010 6:33 AM Subscribe
A question about what to do about a cell phone. Way too much beanplating inside.
I'll try to be brief.
I've had ATT for 11 years now, had CellOne before it was ATT. Anyway---in February of 09 I got a phone that I was just sure was better than the iphone out at the time, which wound up being a total piece of garbage. After about a year it broke, and I sent it in for repair, and they sent me another one...which didn't work when it arrived. So then they sent me a Samsung Jack.
Which is a perfectly OK smartphone for probably 90% of people, way better than what I had before.
However...here's my issue.
I'm paying the same for my account and data (and it's a smartphone, so it has to have data, and I really need to get emails on the road...cuz I'm always on the road.) with this fairly dumb smartphone as I would be with, say, an iphone. Here's the trouble...
I do not like the iphone. I have a touch, but generally I'm in the anti-apple camp for a bunch of reasons that aren't important here. What I want is android, however all the androids currently on ATT are garbage and the list isn't getting any better. So....
Right now, my half of our cellphone bill costs me about $60 a month. My plan expires in february. To cancel today would cost me $90. Texting is currently choking me---I need to text more than I can (without paying to upgrade to the next text tier.), and paying $25 a month for data on a phone that hardly does more than retrieve emails is...well, a joke.
I want an Evo...like, bad. Bad bad. However, motorola has quietly announced a 2Ghz Android out before christmas....which is just nuts, especially because it's the newer, faster, lower voltage chip than the Snapdragon. But with the Evo you get to upgrade in a year...
To switch to sprint today and get the evo would cost me $90 cancellation plus the $200 phone. Then it would cost me, depending on which route we go, somewhere between $65 and $85 a month for unlimited data/text and more minutes than I'll ever use.
My lady isn't gung ho about leaving ATT, she's strangely loyal for no apparent reason. She would probably linger on ATT until she falls in love with the new phone.
Anyway, now the alternative would be to buy a used iPhone, say ~$150 and hold out till February. If I do this, I could resell or give her the iphone when I switch, unless ATT adds the new good androids, which they seem to have no intention of doing. Spending $150 seems silly, but at least I could make better use of my data package.
Or I could do nothing, and just wait till february...throwing away $25 a month for data I don't use. (I suppose I could drop to the tiered system, which seems like a bad idea for some reason.)
So, the TL;DR version:
1. Switch to Sprint for $290 and add $15-20 a month but have a great phone.
2. Buy a used iphone for now.
3. Do nothing.
(I have a business and can run these phones through that. My business partner and I both want to go to sprint. If I could bring the girl and do 3 lines, our cost each would be about $65, that's the best possible case scenario, but she fairly insists she doesn't need or want a fancy phone. I'm trying to convince her that w/ a baby on the way she'll want a fancier phone...but she's not buying it.)
I'll try to be brief.
I've had ATT for 11 years now, had CellOne before it was ATT. Anyway---in February of 09 I got a phone that I was just sure was better than the iphone out at the time, which wound up being a total piece of garbage. After about a year it broke, and I sent it in for repair, and they sent me another one...which didn't work when it arrived. So then they sent me a Samsung Jack.
Which is a perfectly OK smartphone for probably 90% of people, way better than what I had before.
However...here's my issue.
I'm paying the same for my account and data (and it's a smartphone, so it has to have data, and I really need to get emails on the road...cuz I'm always on the road.) with this fairly dumb smartphone as I would be with, say, an iphone. Here's the trouble...
I do not like the iphone. I have a touch, but generally I'm in the anti-apple camp for a bunch of reasons that aren't important here. What I want is android, however all the androids currently on ATT are garbage and the list isn't getting any better. So....
Right now, my half of our cellphone bill costs me about $60 a month. My plan expires in february. To cancel today would cost me $90. Texting is currently choking me---I need to text more than I can (without paying to upgrade to the next text tier.), and paying $25 a month for data on a phone that hardly does more than retrieve emails is...well, a joke.
I want an Evo...like, bad. Bad bad. However, motorola has quietly announced a 2Ghz Android out before christmas....which is just nuts, especially because it's the newer, faster, lower voltage chip than the Snapdragon. But with the Evo you get to upgrade in a year...
To switch to sprint today and get the evo would cost me $90 cancellation plus the $200 phone. Then it would cost me, depending on which route we go, somewhere between $65 and $85 a month for unlimited data/text and more minutes than I'll ever use.
My lady isn't gung ho about leaving ATT, she's strangely loyal for no apparent reason. She would probably linger on ATT until she falls in love with the new phone.
Anyway, now the alternative would be to buy a used iPhone, say ~$150 and hold out till February. If I do this, I could resell or give her the iphone when I switch, unless ATT adds the new good androids, which they seem to have no intention of doing. Spending $150 seems silly, but at least I could make better use of my data package.
Or I could do nothing, and just wait till february...throwing away $25 a month for data I don't use. (I suppose I could drop to the tiered system, which seems like a bad idea for some reason.)
So, the TL;DR version:
1. Switch to Sprint for $290 and add $15-20 a month but have a great phone.
2. Buy a used iphone for now.
3. Do nothing.
(I have a business and can run these phones through that. My business partner and I both want to go to sprint. If I could bring the girl and do 3 lines, our cost each would be about $65, that's the best possible case scenario, but she fairly insists she doesn't need or want a fancy phone. I'm trying to convince her that w/ a baby on the way she'll want a fancier phone...but she's not buying it.)
I can confirm that smartphone + baby = win
With breastfeeding in a seat or bed for 45 minutes at a time it can get quite dull.
posted by k8t at 6:52 AM on August 5, 2010
With breastfeeding in a seat or bed for 45 minutes at a time it can get quite dull.
posted by k8t at 6:52 AM on August 5, 2010
Response by poster: Jon, good point. Basically, "is it worth it to drop $290 for an evo", or "you are stupid just wait till february", or "omg iphonez is teh awesome n u shuld buy teh used 1".
Is the evo $140 better than the 3gs plus $15-30 a month? or 3gs until it breaks at $50/month.
(Honestly, 3gs feels smarter, especialy because the new droids will be out by the time the contract is up and I can reevaluate my needs. I just...well, me and apple aren't good buddies.)
posted by TomMelee at 7:09 AM on August 5, 2010
Is the evo $140 better than the 3gs plus $15-30 a month? or 3gs until it breaks at $50/month.
(Honestly, 3gs feels smarter, especialy because the new droids will be out by the time the contract is up and I can reevaluate my needs. I just...well, me and apple aren't good buddies.)
posted by TomMelee at 7:09 AM on August 5, 2010
Response by poster: Oh jeeze I'm so dumb. My business is a small IT consulting firm, we do lots of on-site repairs and network installs and etc. The hotspot-ability of the evo would be AWESOME, as would many various apps on both OS's. This Jack is hurting my productivity, but it's a fine phone for most folks.
posted by TomMelee at 7:12 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by TomMelee at 7:12 AM on August 5, 2010
Well, a blackberry does email really well, and does texting and web, and ATT has them.
posted by theora55 at 7:39 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by theora55 at 7:39 AM on August 5, 2010
I think the iPhone 4 is still an overall better phone, but if your heart is set on Android, the Samsung Captivate on AT&T is part of the Galaxy S family and is among the top-tier Android phones out there, along with the Droid X and the EVO.
posted by Oktober at 8:17 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Oktober at 8:17 AM on August 5, 2010
Almost any unlocked phone sourced online or thru eBay will work with ATT. Just make sure it uses ATTs frequencies.
Unlocked Android phones, 90% of which work with ATT
posted by msbutah at 8:18 AM on August 5, 2010
Unlocked Android phones, 90% of which work with ATT
posted by msbutah at 8:18 AM on August 5, 2010
Many of the new Android phones (I'm thinking of the new HTC's specifically) are way better than iPhone3G and are about equal to the iPhone 4G.
If you really don't like apple, then why go there now? All indications are that the Android OS is going to soon be the dominate, small device OS (unless Apple caves in and changes it's insistence on total control over apps and flash).
And I too have an iPod Touch (which is a very nice device, don't get me wrong) but the flexibility of the Android OS is more of what I need in a "serious" device. My iPod touch is more of a fun toy that can do a few useful things, whereas my Android phone is a useful tool that can also do fun things.
And FWWI, my carrier is Verizon. More expensive but worth it to me (I have tried other carriers and Verizon just blew them away)
posted by DavidandConquer at 9:41 AM on August 5, 2010
If you really don't like apple, then why go there now? All indications are that the Android OS is going to soon be the dominate, small device OS (unless Apple caves in and changes it's insistence on total control over apps and flash).
And I too have an iPod Touch (which is a very nice device, don't get me wrong) but the flexibility of the Android OS is more of what I need in a "serious" device. My iPod touch is more of a fun toy that can do a few useful things, whereas my Android phone is a useful tool that can also do fun things.
And FWWI, my carrier is Verizon. More expensive but worth it to me (I have tried other carriers and Verizon just blew them away)
posted by DavidandConquer at 9:41 AM on August 5, 2010
Response by poster: Interesting w/ the captivate. It's not an issue to root to a custom rom, right? What I really hate is ATT's locks.
I can play w/ my ATT plan probably...hmm. Will check into that.
posted by TomMelee at 10:42 AM on August 5, 2010
I can play w/ my ATT plan probably...hmm. Will check into that.
posted by TomMelee at 10:42 AM on August 5, 2010
If I were in your situation, I'd buy a used Nokia 5800XM, put the latest firmware on it (which makes it pretty decent) and wait to see what I want to do later when things are more clear. 5800 is very inexpensive, even unlocked. I got a brand new one for $250 over a year ago.
This way you can get the unlimited text and data for non-smartphones for $30 a month. Buying phones from the carrier is a fool's errand. You just end up paying more, either because you have a contract that you have to break to switch to Sprint or because you end up paying more for your data plan or both.
posted by wierdo at 12:09 PM on August 5, 2010
This way you can get the unlimited text and data for non-smartphones for $30 a month. Buying phones from the carrier is a fool's errand. You just end up paying more, either because you have a contract that you have to break to switch to Sprint or because you end up paying more for your data plan or both.
posted by wierdo at 12:09 PM on August 5, 2010
Just wanted to point out that the EVO is $199.99 after a $150 instant rebate and $100 mail-in-rebate. So, $299.99 plus activation out-of-pocket.
You're not the only one researching the jump to Sprint lately.
posted by owtytrof at 12:52 PM on August 5, 2010
You're not the only one researching the jump to Sprint lately.
posted by owtytrof at 12:52 PM on August 5, 2010
Just an FYI, most carriers will detect that you're using a smartphone on a dumbphone SIM and just add data to your bill if you go that route. Also, as far as I know, only T-Mobile gives you a discount on your monthly bill for bringing your own phone.
posted by Oktober at 2:46 PM on August 5, 2010
posted by Oktober at 2:46 PM on August 5, 2010
Oktober wrote: "Just an FYI, most carriers will detect that you're using a smartphone on a dumbphone SIM and just add data to your bill if you go that route. Also, as far as I know, only T-Mobile gives you a discount on your monthly bill for bringing your own phone."
at&t won't, unless it's carrier branded. (and that's new in the last year or so) The iPhone is the exception to that rule. Zero of my three lines have smartphone data plans, yet all of them have the SIM in various smartphones (all Nokias at the moment, but I once had an HTC WM phone)
posted by wierdo at 3:08 PM on August 5, 2010
at&t won't, unless it's carrier branded. (and that's new in the last year or so) The iPhone is the exception to that rule. Zero of my three lines have smartphone data plans, yet all of them have the SIM in various smartphones (all Nokias at the moment, but I once had an HTC WM phone)
posted by wierdo at 3:08 PM on August 5, 2010
i'm not a believer in sprint's current 4g -- they're doing wimax, and the rest of the world is doing LTE. sprint will do LTE eventually, but not yet. so if you have your heart set on sprint, wait for them to do a 4g phone with LTE.
so i'd say not #1.
posted by overbo at 10:12 PM on August 5, 2010
so i'd say not #1.
posted by overbo at 10:12 PM on August 5, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm...all interesting. I checked out the captivate yesterday and am duly impressed. Basically an Incredible/Evo w/ a .3" smaller screen and 3megapix smaller camera. (and ATT gimped the phone, but loading a custom ROM fixes that.)
Where I live, 4g won't be along for probably 10 years (we just got 3g about...I dunno, 6 months ago), and the addon $10 for using a 4g phone is another buzzkill for the Evo.
I'm interested in this method of putting a dumbphone sim in a smartphone, I will need to investigate that. The phone my gf uses is available as prepaid for $10 no contract, so I could grab that...go in for a sim...and swap 'em. Interesting. The problem is that ATT guaranteed me that if I go to the Captivate and start a new contract, i'm grandfathered on my unlimited $30 data. So if I remove my data package...I can't ever get it back as it is now, legally.
It also stinks that I'm eligible for an iphone 4 now, but not another phone till October. Grumble.
posted by TomMelee at 5:42 AM on August 6, 2010
Where I live, 4g won't be along for probably 10 years (we just got 3g about...I dunno, 6 months ago), and the addon $10 for using a 4g phone is another buzzkill for the Evo.
I'm interested in this method of putting a dumbphone sim in a smartphone, I will need to investigate that. The phone my gf uses is available as prepaid for $10 no contract, so I could grab that...go in for a sim...and swap 'em. Interesting. The problem is that ATT guaranteed me that if I go to the Captivate and start a new contract, i'm grandfathered on my unlimited $30 data. So if I remove my data package...I can't ever get it back as it is now, legally.
It also stinks that I'm eligible for an iphone 4 now, but not another phone till October. Grumble.
posted by TomMelee at 5:42 AM on August 6, 2010
Your current $30 plan will work with any phone without changes (except the iPhone), but that doesn't help your text messaging issue.
Also, FWIW, the SIMs aren't actually any different, unless you're using an iPhone 4, which uses the MicroSIM. You can just put the SIM you have now in another phone and use it, then call them to change plans. Sometimes they want the IMEI from the dumb phone, but they won't know any better if you give them an IMEI from a non-at&t branded smartphone and tell them it's a Nokia 3120 or whatever other dumbphone (or keyboardless/touchscreenless smartphone, like a Nokia N75 or 6555).
posted by wierdo at 8:12 AM on August 6, 2010
Also, FWIW, the SIMs aren't actually any different, unless you're using an iPhone 4, which uses the MicroSIM. You can just put the SIM you have now in another phone and use it, then call them to change plans. Sometimes they want the IMEI from the dumb phone, but they won't know any better if you give them an IMEI from a non-at&t branded smartphone and tell them it's a Nokia 3120 or whatever other dumbphone (or keyboardless/touchscreenless smartphone, like a Nokia N75 or 6555).
posted by wierdo at 8:12 AM on August 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 6:45 AM on August 5, 2010