T-Mobile Posts Presale Page For iPAQ 6315

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.t-mobile.com/ipaq/package.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.t-mobile.com/ipaq/package.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Finally. A handheld that can keep up with you. Get yours now, exclusively from T-Mobile, and start bossing this thing around. The new iPAQ has it all–phone, e-mail, Bluetooth®, and Wi-Fi, for just $499.99. T-Mobile bundled rate plans include everything you need to get the most out of your new handheld, starting at $79.99 per month. Order your iPAQ now, before it arrives in stores. Products ordered through this pre-sale Web site are expected to ship on 8/26/2004."</i><br /><br />That's great, except for two things: <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=276638">CompUSA has already been selling the units</a>, and more confusingly, T-Mobile only seems to be offering two price plans with the presale -- both with unlimited GPRS and (Hotspot) WiFi, but at the whopping prices of $79.99 and $99.99 depending on the number of bundled voice minutes. :confused totally: Wouldn't people want to get cheaper plans and use WiFi at home too? I'm hoping that once T-Mobile gets the iPAQ 6315 out of presale mode, they'll offer standard plans with it, too.

[Sven Johannsen]

I thought the Compusa price was $599, but I could be wrong. That would be a $100 break, which is a pitance.

The rate plans are fairly normal though. Usual T-Mo voice is about $40, to get the $20 unlimited GPRS, (it's $30 if you get much less voice) and the hot spot is $20 per month. That's $80. You'd think they could give a little break on the bundle though, $5-$10 maybe. I'd think the Hot Spots would get some Starbucks kick-back to soften the blow too. If I had a Hot Spot account, I'd probably go more...and drink more.

[heyday]

I guess we will all find out what the plans you can get with these. I talked to the local t-mabile store and they said they are ready to go on Thursday but they couldn't tell me any plans as of yet. I will not pay $80 a month though!

heyday

[T-Will]

Actually $80/month doesn't sound like too bad of a deal to me. If you figure normally it would cost $30/month just for hotspot access and $40/month for a 1000 min. voice plan, then they're only charging $10 for the unlimited GPRS internet.

So if someone purchases this specific plan, does that mean they can use any WiFi device to access the T-Mobile hotspots, or can it only be used with the iPAQ?

[rzanology]

sounds like a deal to me. my bill is 84 a month. I get 700 day time minutes, free fridays and weekends. Plus unlimited gprs. So it looks like they're including the free hotspot access. Which isn't bad because theres a starbucks on every right angle in the nyc.

[jpaq]

This harkens back to an agoe old opinion of mine. We are nickled and dimed to death. Everyone wants $10/month. Now it's growing to $20 and $30.

Companies like T-Mobile (and I am a T-Mobile customer) price this service out of the realm of feasibility and wonder why they are not a bigger success. Price the services within reach and whatch the revenues grow!

I think that $5/month for Unlimited GPRS and $8-$10 for Unlimited Wifi are reasonable. And they should include the push E-Mail technology that they have apparently licensed from Good Technology. At these rates, I think that T-Mobile would have a much larger subscribership, higher revenues, the technology would proliferate, and the so would the profits....

Then again, that might make way too much sense......

:?

[Sven Johannsen]

I think that $5/month for Unlimited GPRS and $8-$10 for Unlimited Wifi are reasonable. :?

IMHO that's backwards. A service I can get to anywhere, GPRS, is worth more to me than one I have to go to a specific location, where it is likely I am going to spend additional money for product there. I might actually sign up for the Hot Spot at $5-$10, and they would be providing me bandwidth maybe once a week for a half hour. What would make the most sense to me is have them $20 each but bundle them at about a $25 - $30. That way I can believe I'm paying $20 for GPSR and $5 for WiFi, and you can believe you are paying $20 for WiFi and $5 for GPRS, or whatever breakout you can rationalize :)

[DHILL]

WiFi is much faster than GPRS. GPRS on the $20 plan or the $5 T-zones is pretty slow. I have the $5 T-zones plan pda/phone and would be willing to pay $10 for the unlimited GPRS. I would rather have GPRS available where ever I am vs the limited WiFi availability. Also, I think T-Mobile has a discount for T-Mobile customers for WiFi. I think it's $20/mo versus the normal $30.

[jcsickz]

is there such thing as a free hotspot? I can't rationalize paying for wi-fi. The hotspots should be incentive for a customer coming into a store and spending money while in there. Its the companies who should be paying for the hotspots, not us.

[jcsickz]

I pay $20 a month for unlimited gprs. It may not be fast, but I can get it anywhere, including in my car (Something wi-fi may never be able to do outside of a big city).

I use gprs to stream internet radio in my car and run it through my car's speakers. I am having trouble seeing the point of paying for fast access only when I am at starbucks or borders. What are you going to do, stream a high definition porn flick while drinking your morning coffee?

[jcsickz]

sounds like a deal to me. my bill is 84 a month. I get 700 day time minutes, free fridays and weekends. Plus unlimited gprs. So it looks like they're including the free hotspot access. Which isn't bad because theres a starbucks on every right angle in the nyc.

you are getting raped. I pay $70 a month with TMO for 3000 anytime minutes and unlimited gprs.

[jwick]

I had the PocketPC Phone edition before with a $29 300 minute voice plan and unlimited GPRS. I don't use Hotspot locations enough to justify getting that so I will probably keep the plan that I have now

[Sven Johannsen]

What are you going to do, stream a high definition porn flick while drinking your morning coffee?

Nope, can't afford the porn site subscription after the cell phone, GPRS, WiFi, Cable, MSN Direct, PPCThoughts...........subscriptions ;)

As for free Wife Hotspots, yes they are around, but certainly not as prevalent as the T-Mobile, ATT and Boingo Pay ones. A 'roaming' agreement would be nice between them.

The airport here has Free WiFi, a couple of independent coffee shops, Panera Bread.

In actuality I lean toward using GPRS because I can do that and not watch my battery meter move. Turn on WiFi and it's like the gas guage in my old 4 barrel Chevy Impala.

[dhpss]

Play with GPRS on the new T-Mobile iPaq 6300...Way too slooow..Web page takes 4 minutes to appear....No go for me!

[Paul P]

Play with GPRS on the new T-Mobile iPaq 6300...Way too slooow..Web page takes 4 minutes to appear....No go for me!

GPRS speed really kill me. Actually, it's not so much the speed but the sporadic fluctuations in speed. Depending on where I am, the pages can take just a few seconds to load or they can take up to 30-60 seconds, even though the signal strength is relatively strong. It's really frustrating at times, but I guess all that matters is that I am actually connected (it's better than nothing). For the most part, pda optimized websites is the only way to go. That's fine with me. I just wish there would be consistency in my connection. Can't have everything.

Now, how do I get T-mobile to get my price down to 499? :)

[menajemh]

i went today to compusa . works perfect. i have a t610 with 600 minutes and works perfect with the sim card. i don't have to make any plan with tmobile. the package from compusa compes with a simcard anywais in the box, to suscribe to tmobile with it. but i di not use it. jut putted my simcard and recognized the signal without any problem. the reception is very good. i live in a building that i had recepton problems from all the companies and with this ppc i have anice reception. is light and cute. if u have the possibillity to go to a compusa store to see it, go, but u will canno tocuch it cause they have it behind a glass. very nice.

[SeanH]

I pay AT&T $74.95 – $20 corporate discount – 13% corporate discount for a total of $47 for 1200 anywhere any time minutes with free AT&T to AT&T calling, free calls from 7:00PM to 6:00am and it’s free to check your voice mail. My data plan is $25 – 13% corporate discount for unlimited GSM/GPRS EDGE (200Kb per sec). I am on there PDA plan but I use it for my laptop and PDA. GSM/GPRS EDGE 200Kb is a lot faster then T-Mobile 64Kb. Someday someone will start shipping a PDA with GSM/GPRS EDGE support. Right now the best way to use it is with a PDA with Bluetooth and a cell phone with Bluetooth and GSM/GPRS EDGE.

Sean

[jpaq]

is there such thing as a free hotspot? I can't rationalize paying for wi-fi. The hotspots should be incentive for a customer coming into a store and spending money while in there. Its the companies who should be paying for the hotspots, not us.

jcsickz,

Regrettably, I don't know if we'll ever truly see the scenario you're talking about. With Ultra Wideband and other long range WiFi solutions, I only see WiFi remaining a pay service with long range WiFi making T-Mobiles Hot Spots obsolete.

Now, what would be nice would be for a lot of players to get into the long range WiFi business and drive down the price.... I think it would be a great technology, but I know I'm not looking far another $20+ a month bill. I have enough of those as it stands now, thank you very much.

We'll see. Hopefully there will be some extremely competitive national players. I know it sounds weird, but ideal companies for this kind of solution would be someone like Wal-Mart, Target, The Walgreens stores on every street corner, 7-Eleven. It would be an open market, and like the Bell phone break-up, it would likely force the players to innovate and offer better services (the Bells created Caller-ID, Call waiting, etc. after the break-up). These kinds of retailers have the extensive chains of closely located stores that could support a continuous WiFi connection through store based access points. Hmmm.... Gotta run. Need to call the patent office.

:idea: