Talk Back: Pretty soon your cell phone provider will own you

[dang]

Checkout our latest Talk Back: Pretty soon your cell phone provider will own you (http://news.designtechnica.com/talkback18.html)

[IronSerif]

Verizon Wireless is really pushing the sales of data products. They are putting a lot of effort in providing data training classes as of recently.

Txt Messaging...Get it now...Mobile Web...Express Network...Voice Gear...

Honestly, I'm sure there are some people that *might* be able to take advantage of Voice Gear...but it's very expensive (a lil under $10) and I just don't think it's worth it.

As far as data products go, I personally find myself using more text messaging and mobile web as of recently...

[IronSerif]

As far as Camera phones go, yeah, they're pretty cool and could come in handy in parties/get-to-togethers...but they still have yet to really *tickle* me...

[IronSerif]

Archon, where'd you post go?? I was just reading it!

Actually I never thought I'd use the mobile web service...but since it is free for us I found myself using more often the past two months. Two main features I like are the horoscopes (which I also have sent to me as a txt msg) and the reverse look up for a phone number/address :)

[kepaloha]

WOW ioman, Good thought provoking article. I never really looked at it that way. Then again I just found out an interesting fact today. Some of you out there may not believe it, but if you check, you’ll find that it’s correct. 2 out of 3 people in the world have never used a phone and that 1 person makes up for it.

Ioman, you are right about why send low quality pictures with you phone when you could use a better camera with better pictures. I think that the cell phone companies are preying on the impulse picture taker that you see on the commercials, it’s always “ You gotta see this “ and then they send the picture. Those are the main target consumer, and then there are the “Keep up with the Jones” target consumers. We all know who those people are, heck I’m related to one of them.

But all in all, I think most people that have cell phones and use it to just talk and nothing else are idiots. Some people out there have them for use to keep in contact with family in case there is an emergency. Most of the time I have my cell phone turned off. I’m mean, really, is the cell phone for your convenience or theirs? Then only time I use mine really is unless I’m expecting a call from someone or I need to call someone. Other than that, I have it turned off, who needs to talk to someone on a cell phone running up the minutes when a regular phone will do just fine.

[Archon]

Originally posted by IronSerif
Archon, where'd you post go?? I was just reading it!

Archon is picky, he didnt like his post. It wasnt worthy! :cool:

[Archon]

Originally posted by Archon


Archon is picky, he didnt like his post. It wasnt worthy! :cool:

anyways, my view on the thing.

lets see... Internet access, big for me, I need my email, and weather, and news, and lawyer jokes.

SMS messaging I dont use... for some reason it isnt as popular in America as it is in Europe... probably because ITS A FRIGGIN PHONE! CALL THE PERSON!

I personally like cameras in phones, I would find myself using one quite often (especially at parties ;) ). True, they are not going to replace your camera, but they were never designed to.

uhh.. what else can I bit.. *stares at angry mod*..uhh... say...

Right now though, I think the only service with acceptable internet is Sprint. Unlimited access! Not payin $50 a month for 10mb internet, no, unlim internet access, thats tight.

uhhh...

Until cell phones work everywhere in the world, they're overrated.

oh, I get 25 hours of talk time for $25 a month. and 10mb internet, call confrencing, forwarding, sms, etc...

hate me? ;)

[flashfire]

I did some data clean-up for the midwest group of Verizon. They have some of the worst billing systems in the world. I have a cell-phone that I get for work and a cell that I make my wife carry for emergencies. I would love to use a lot of the other features and services, but at the subscription costs they're asking the services aren't worth it. I understand that everything is going subscription/fee based because who wants to limit their revenue by not picking people's pockets periodically. Kinda wonder why it used to be that everything was included for 19.95/month but now its 39.95/month and they hide additional costs. Confusion and Marketing and a fanatical devotion to greed, these are the weapons of the new economy.

[Archon]

Originally posted by flashfire
Confusion and Marketing and a fanatical devotion to greed, these are the weapons of the new economy.

They work great, don't they? :cool:

[IronSerif]

Originally posted by Archon

...oh, I get 25 hours of talk time for $25 a month. and 10mb internet, call confrencing, forwarding, sms, etc...

hate me? ;)

Hell of a deal eh :)

We sorta get packages like that...our store gets two unlimited lines though...and we have to have Get it Now, Voice Gear, SMS, Mobile Web, and Express Network capable products in the store for demos :) But of course thtey wouldn't let me take the Express Network product :P

[Archon]

Iron, you and I should just keep rubbing this stuff in

[questionlp]

Definitely a good commentary on the cell phone situation... one part of the problem is that although the cell phone providers are picking up on the latest 1337 phone features and such, but have some of the most expensive data plans compared to Europe and Japan, not to mention the red tape and obfuscated charges that they pin onto your phone bill.

Anyway, I just need a cell phone to do the most basic things reliably: be a phone and be a pager-replacement. I personally don't care about colour screens, GBA-like games or screensavers... nor do I want a phone so small that I can easily misplace or crush. I loved by Nokia 6190 when I had it but it died :( It was able to handle conversations even at the lowest signal notch without cutting out badly and wouldn't crash like my Mot P280.

[jeo4long]

I think here in the United States, the phone provider is too monopolize. And CDMA network by design has a tendency on discouraging the competitiveness of the cell phone market

The biggest player in the United States is still Verizon wireless which is well known on slow technology adaptation hehehehhe .. with the CDMA network as the majority in the United States, people will be quite "limited" and binded to the provider contracts. We will be reluctant to change plan, change phone, explore different services option from other carrier. Because we simply can't. I mean once you are with Verizon, to switch to Sprint and try their service, it means we have to give up the phone (that we already pay) as well as the possibly early termination fee :(

Which is so much different situation in other countries that are using GSM network. With GSM, people can do prepay, people can just unplug one SIM card, and buy another SIM card from different providers to try different services that fits their need.

Well my hope is by AT&T entering the GSM world, that will bring some better "competition" into our US mobile market.

That is my 2 cents .. Cheers

[Archon]

GSM is the shi...uhh..znat'

[Ioman]

Originally posted by jeo4long
I think here in the United States, the phone provider is too monopolize. And CDMA network by design has a tendency on discouraging the competitiveness of the cell phone market

The biggest player in the United States is still Verizon wireless which is well known on slow technology adaptation hehehehhe .. with the CDMA network as the majority in the United States, people will be quite "limited" and binded to the provider contracts. We will be reluctant to change plan, change phone, explore different services option from other carrier. Because we simply can't. I mean once you are with Verizon, to switch to Sprint and try their service, it means we have to give up the phone (that we already pay) as well as the possibly early termination fee :(

Which is so much different situation in other countries that are using GSM network. With GSM, people can do prepay, people can just unplug one SIM card, and buy another SIM card from different providers to try different services that fits their need.

Well my hope is by AT&T entering the GSM world, that will bring some better "competition" into our US mobile market.

That is my 2 cents .. Cheers

I have tried both T-Mobile and ATT GSM networks and they both need to be worked on if you ask me. Reception appears to always be a problem for me, regardless of which phone I am using. I read somewhere that GSM in general has trouble penetrating walls. Any truth to that?

[Archon]

Any cell phone has trouble penetrating walls. GSM isnt the best option right now, because it isnt very well developed in America. All the same, my T-Mobile phone works in the same (and in-fact, more) places I go as with my Verizon and Sprint phones.