Cell phones are a scam - General

[QUOTE=>VLN<;27332843]No, the internet over there is terrible.[/QUOTE] even so it would be better than what he can get right now

I signed up for my own plan with Sprint for a HTC EVO and I sometimes regret the decision. It's about $70 a month but has unlimited everything (except minutes). But then again, there are other times when the internet connection is incredibly useful on-the-go and I stop regretting the decision.

[QUOTE=borisvdb;27332504]I completely agree. The cellphone companies are just getting rich by locking you in a contract with some expensive phone that will probably become redundant in a year. Besides, 4G is just a thinly veiled 3G.[/QUOTE] What 4G was supposed to be isn't. The idiotic consumers in the US just sat back while carriers branded LTE and HSPA+ as 4G. Then the ITU gave in. 4G was supposed to be peak 140mbps. Now it can be as low as 14.4mbps HSPA+. [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=ChristopherB;27333063]I signed up for my own plan with Sprint for a HTC EVO and I sometimes regret the decision. It's about $70 a month but has unlimited everything (except minutes). But then again, there are other times when the internet connection is incredibly useful on-the-go and I stop regretting the decision.[/QUOTE] If you can tether then that's got to be a grandfathered plan correct? [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Anteep2;27333032]even so it would be better than what he can get right now[/QUOTE] Hey I'm canadian. We get peak... 42mbps HSPA+. I'm not sure what the UK gets but it can't be much better. Now if I lived in the US where the carriers call 14.4mbps 4G with overloaded networks then yah I'd be better off in the UK most likely.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333158]If you can tether then that's got to be a grandfathered plan correct?[/QUOTE] People actually pay to tether? I sure hope you aren't.

[QUOTE=collegegrad;27331590]What's the point of having the iPhone if you can't get onto the internet with it?[/QUOTE] The fact that it's a phone is the selling point for me. I can do so much on it without the internet, and if it's REALLY necessary I just go over to a WiFi hotspot.

[QUOTE=Larry_G;27330877]The fuck.[/QUOTE] Some family friends of ours with more money than brains bought iPhones for their 7 and 6 year old daughters. :downs:

When I get a job and turn 18 i'm going to go to sprint and get the all unlimited plan for $70 month and the equivalent to the htc evo. Most likely just a newer version of that phone.

[QUOTE=Halahazam;27330868]Wow, I got my first cell phone at the age of 7.[/QUOTE] Must have been real useful calling all your friends, oh wait no one else had a phone then cus who the fuck gets a phone at age 7.

I still have a Nokia N95 It has fell to the ground a lot of times, and I have no problems at all with it. I pay 200Nok (33.50USD) per month, that gives me 200Nok to call for (not sure what the prizes per minute are) Now I got like 3000NOK to call for...

Prepaid Nokia. I never use it, except in those dire situations like having a flat tire or something. It costs me [i]nothing[/i]

[QUOTE=lead_farmer;27333226]People actually pay to tether? I sure hope you aren't.[/QUOTE] Nono. There's UMB for dumbphones/feature phones then data for smartphones. In north america you can't tether using unlimited mobile brower.

A 7 year old does not need a cell phone. I got a phone when I started driving at 16. I mean, that makes sense. A 7 year old does not. [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=garrynohome;27333373]In north america you can't tether using unlimited mobile brower.[/QUOTE] This is false. I tether with an unlimited data plan and I do not pay extra to tether. I just keep my data usage under 5GBs a month so there's no arousal of suspicion.

[QUOTE=Encryption;27333270]When I get a job and turn 18 i'm going to go to sprint and get the all unlimited plan for $70 month and the equivalent to the htc evo. Most likely just a newer version of that phone.[/QUOTE] 4G won't have unlimited data plans. Carriers today don't offer unlimited as it is due to networks being overloaded. All unlimited plans are grandfathered ones. [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=lead_farmer;27333382]A 7 year old does not need a cell phone. I got a phone when I started driving at 16. I mean, that makes sense. A 7 year old does not. [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] This is false. I tether with an unlimited data plan and I do not pay extra to tether. I just keep my data usage under 5GBs a month so there's no arousal of suspicion.[/QUOTE] You didn't even read. Unlimited DATA is different then Unlimited MOBILE BROWSER.

It also has a simple camera and a music player, and that's all I want. I don't understand all that Blackberry/iPhone crap. I've also had it said to me right in my face that I'm a loser for not owning a blackberry. "Well, it doesn't cost me hundereds of dollars like your useless pile of shit that has too many shit you don't need." Yeah, they were just like "you're poor fuck you hobo you're totally uncool" :what:

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333412]4G won't have unlimited data plans. Carriers today don't offer unlimited as it is due to networks being overloaded. All unlimited plans are grandfathered ones.[/QUOTE] Where the heck are you getting your information? Right now, Sprint has unlimited 4G data.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333158]If you can tether then that's got to be a grandfathered plan correct?[/QUOTE] I never said I was tethering. I meant that you can browse the web using your phone and use it for navigation and finding local places to eat. I've heard of an app or two that will let you tether for free though. [quote]4G won't have unlimited data plans. Carriers today don't offer unlimited as it is due to networks being overloaded. All unlimited plans are grandfathered ones.[/quote] This isn't true. I signed up for an unlimited plan with Sprint a few months ago. Only a few carriers like AT&T stopped offering unlimited plans, and that was because their network was unprepared for the surge in smartphone users (mainly consumers of the iPhone).

[QUOTE=lead_farmer;27333437]Where the heck are you getting your information? Right now, Sprint has unlimited 4G data.[/QUOTE] HSPA 14.4 isn't 4G. The ITU statement said HSPA+ which is peak rates of 42mbps. Do you Americans believe everything your wireless carriers advertise? [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=ChristopherB;27333450]I never said I was tethering. I meant that you can browse the web using your phone and use it for navigation and finding local places to eat. I've heard of an app or two that will let you tether for free though.[/QUOTE] Yah I know on the palm pre and HTC touch there are apps to mask tethering when using UMB. But many phones don't have such apps.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333412]You didn't even read. Unlimited DATA is different then Unlimited MOBILE BROWSER.[/QUOTE] First off, it's [i]than[/i] and since I obviously don't understand why don't you explain the difference? What are you even on about? Data is data. If you have a smartphone you are paying for data and regardless of what you are using that data for, it's all reflected in a total amount on your bill. If you're talking about separate, tethering plans, then that's a whole different ball of wax.

This isn't true. I signed up for an unlimited plan with Sprint a few months ago. Only a few carriers like AT&T stopped offering unlimited plans, and that was because their network was unprepared for the surge in smartphone users (mainly consumers of the iPhone).[/QUOTE] Sorry. I should have stated carriers not using CDMA don't offer it. No offense but CDMA EvDo is sort of old now :P

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333461]HSPA 14.4 isn't 4G. The ITU statement said HSPA+ which is peak rates of 42mbps. Do you Americans believe everything your wireless carriers advertise? [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] Yah I know on the palm pre and HTC touch there are apps to mask tethering when using UMB. But many phones don't have such apps.[/QUOTE] Sprint uses WiMAX... That's not actual 4G either but if you're going to do this sort of thing, at least be correct in your complaining. Although, WiMAX will be pretty much at the ITU 4G specs with the 802.16m update.

[QUOTE=lead_farmer;27333527]First off, it's [i]than[/i] and since I obviously don't understand why don't you explain the difference? What are you even on about? Data is data. If you have a smartphone you are paying for data and regardless of what you are using that data for, it's all reflected in a total amount on your bill. If you're talking about separate, tethering plans, then that's a whole different ball of wax.[/QUOTE] Smartphones use data plans. Feature phones can use UMB which is a feature that uses the 1X network to surf the web. Carriers have policies to disallow tethering on these plans. I'm not guaranteeing your carrier offers UMB in the first place though.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333461]HSPA 14.4 isn't 4G. The ITU statement said HSPA+ which is peak rates of 42mbps. Do you Americans believe everything your wireless carriers advertise?[/QUOTE] I've already acknowledged earlier in this thread that I know that Sprint 4G is not true 4G. I much simpler to use the 4G nomenclatcher rather than call it 'near 4G' or '3.5G'.

[QUOTE=Kagrenak;27333561]Sprint uses WiMAX... That's not actual 4G either but if you're going to do this sort of thing, at least be correct in your complaining.[/QUOTE] I thought sprint was trying to move away from WiMAX after LTE was chosen as preferred by the ITU. So they haven't even moved off of CDMA/WiMAX yet? Hmm.. What is the peak rates of sprints WiMAX network? Or have you not been able to test.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333571]Smartphones use data plans. Feature phones can use UMB which is a feature that uses the 1X network to surf the web. Carriers have policies to disallow tethering on these plans. I'm not guaranteeing your carrier offers UMB in the first place though.[/QUOTE] I guess we had a misunderstanding. :smith:

For 5LT ($1.87) I can talk for free with people who use the same service and I can text 1000 messages for free anywhere. I don't see the scam.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333597]I thought sprint was trying to move away from WiMAX after LTE was chosen as preferred by the ITU. So they haven't even moved off of CDMA/WiMAX yet? Hmm.. What is the peak rates of sprints WiMAX network, or have you not been able to test.[/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure they still use WiMAX, I see no reason why they would switch after having deployed it in >10 cities and having multiple phones with it. I don't have Sprint. (I was going to get a good deal because I knew a guy who worked for then. $40/mo for the simply everything including 4G but he got a better job.) So I'm not sure. I'll look and see what they advertise. 3 - 6 Mbps avg download speed is what they advertise on their website. Wow that isn't even nearly as good as HSPDA (7.2Mpbs), and is nowhere near HSPA+.

Thank you captain obvious. (OP)

My phone can't even use the real internet the most it has is WAP which I don't use because it's 5p a page and takes forever to browse.

[QUOTE=daumantas100;27333689]For 5LT ($1.87) I can talk for free with people who use the same service and I can text 1000 messages for free anywhere. I don't see the scam.[/QUOTE] Do want! [editline]10th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Kagrenak;27333706]I'm pretty sure they still use WiMAX, I see no reason why they would switch after having deployed it in >10 cities and having multiple phones with it. I don't have Sprint. (I was going to get a good deal because I knew a guy who worked for then. $40/mo for the simply everything including 4G but he got a better job.) So I'm not sure. I'll look and see what they advertise. 3 - 6 Mbps avg download speed is what they advertise on their website. Wow that isn't even nearly as good as HSPDA (7.2Mpbs), and is nowhere near HSPA+.[/QUOTE] Then I'm convinced it isn't actually WiMAX. "WiMAX update IEEE 802.16m expected to offer peak rates of at least 1 Gbit/s fixed speeds and 100Mbit/s to mobile users." I'm not convinced the tech jumped from 6mbps to 100mbps in one movement.

[QUOTE=garrynohome;27333540] Sorry. I should have stated carriers not using CDMA don't offer it. No offense but CDMA EvDo is sort of old now :P[/QUOTE] What's the issue with CDMA EvDo? The performance seems to be great for me.