T-Mobile MDA III --I need some clarification! HELP!

[Nicknanne]

Hi there. Ok, here's the thing. I am getting ready to buy my first Pocket PC. I live in the US in California. I want a unit that I can get onto the internet and AOL with easily, that has good speeds. I've been considering the HP 6315. However, I'm very curious about the TMobile MDA III. It looks amazing, but I have a few basic questions.

If I bought one from overseas, can I use it with TMobile in the US? Would it be the same type of rate plans??

If I bought one, would I have to do anything complicated like changing settings or anything to make it work in the US? Would I be getting in over my head, since I am new to all of this??

Are there any reasons that I should avoid the MDA III idea and just go with the ipaq??

If you guys can help me, I'd appreciate it, because I'm making myself nuts trying to figure it all out on my own. Thanks!

[ADBrown]

If I bought one from overseas, can I use it with TMobile in the US? Would it be the same type of rate plans??

Yes, it would be usable, and yes, it would be the same rate plans as any T-Mobile device in the U.S.

If I bought one, would I have to do anything complicated like changing settings or anything to make it work in the US? Would I be getting in over my head, since I am new to all of this??

Switching GSM devices, like the MDA III, between networks is usually easy. They all have a little tiny card, called a Subscriber Identification Module or SIM card, usually under the battery. Pop in the new one and you should be good to go.

[Nicknanne]

Thank you for your response!

So, if I bought the MDA III, would I have to actually bring it into one of the T-Mobile stores to activate it and have them put in the SIM card?

[surur]

GSM devices, when unlocked, can be swapped at will. No need to let your service provider know at all what device you are using. Unless you bought the phone from a network it should be unlocked by default.

You will need a SIM card, which you will get in some from or another from your service provider.

Surur

[Nicknanne]

So for instance, I have a TMobile Sidekick. Can I take the SIM card from that and use it in the new MDA III? All of that without telling T-Mobile or changing my service plan?

[Shaun Stuart]

If you buy it from a UK provider you usually get a choice of purchasing it with a network/data/call plan OR you can buy it "simfree and unlocked".

The difference is with the call plan you get the sim card from the network provider and this usually subsidises the initial price of the phone so it appears cheaper. If you buy it simfree and unlocked it normally costs more but you get the choice to purchase a simcard with any other network provider. You can but an XDA2 in the UK for around £200 with a data/call plan but it will cost nearer £600 simfree

Fprtunatley in the UK you can go in to a store and purchase a "pay as you go" simcard for most providers (02, Orange, Vodafone, Virgin) for around £10. You then but top up cards for call and data time. You can also purchase a regular monthly plan and have the sim card sent to you.

I doubt that you will be able to sign up for a T-mobile plan in the UK if you live in the US so you need to try and purchase the device simfree.

The only downside I can see to this is that T-mobile may have exclusive data content or programmes for the device that will only work with their simcards. I have an XDA2 from 02 but I use it with a vodafone sim - I cant access the 02 web portal content using the vodafone simcard. There may be a workaround but I am not aware of any.

This isnt a big deal for me as 99.99% of the devices capabilites will run with any simcard.

The XDA2 is my fourth pocket pc and the best device so far - if the XDA3 is improved I would go for it.

[surur]

So for instance, I have a TMobile Sidekick. Can I take the SIM card from that and use it in the new MDA III? All of that without telling T-Mobile or changing my service plan?

If its GSM, and the phone you are putting it in is unlocked, yes, you can.

Surur

[Janak Parekh]

So for instance, I have a TMobile Sidekick. Can I take the SIM card from that and use it in the new MDA III? All of that without telling T-Mobile or changing my service plan?
Almost. The Sidekick is a special case. The GPRS servers the Sidekick (otherwise known as a Danger Hiptop) use are special, and for that to work it uses a special SIM card. If you take out the SIM card from the Sidekick and put it in an XDA III, the unit will work, but only for voice. To get it to work with data, you'll need to switch to a regular T-Mobile data plan and you might have to buy a different SIM card (not sure about the latter, one'd have to ask T-Mobile).

Note that you'd have to do the same thing for the iPAQ 6315. The only downside I can see about obtaining a phone unlocked internationally is support in case the unit breaks -- I don't know if anyone in the US itself will service the unit, and you might have to ship it internationally. Apart from that, there shouldn't be any technical constraints (T-Mo in the US uses 1900MHz, and all of the recent international Pocket PC phones support it IIRC.)

--janak

[Nicknanne]

This is all really excellent, and helpful feedback for me! Thank you all so much.

So, here's my NEXT question. Since it sounds like my Sidekick SIM card won't work for the data portion of the MDA III, my question is this: Is it politically correct to walk into a TMobile store with a unit I didn't buy from them and activate it and get a data plan? Maybe this is something that is very typical, but I just want to make sure that it's all good. Is part of the procedure that I will get a new plan, and then they will hand over a SIM card? Will they install it? will I install it?

One more quick thing: If a certain piece of software says it is for the Windows Mobile 2003, can one assume that it will work with the Windows Mobile SECOND edition, as well?

Thanks again and sorry for asking so many basic questions....but you guys are really helping me out!

[Janak Parekh]

So, here's my NEXT question. Since it sounds like my Sidekick SIM card won't work for the data portion of the MDA III, my question is this: Is it politically correct to walk into a TMobile store with a unit I didn't buy from them and activate it and get a data plan? Maybe this is something that is very typical, but I just want to make sure that it's all good. Is part of the procedure that I will get a new plan, and then they will hand over a SIM card? Will they install it? will I install it?
That's a fantastic question, and I've never had to walk into a T-Mobile store to do it. As a GSM carrier, they can't deny you service per se, although the salesdroids might be immensely confused/worried by the sight of the XDA/MDA III. ;) You can certainly try giving them a call and see what they have to say first. I'll let those in the forums who have used unlocked XDA IIs chime in with their thoughts.

One more quick thing: If a certain piece of software says it is for the Windows Mobile 2003, can one assume that it will work with the Windows Mobile SECOND edition, as well?
Most applications should run without trouble. There are a few that need updates, but not in general.

Thanks again and sorry for asking so many basic questions
Don't be. Most of these aren't that basic. Always helps to be sure first. ;)

--janak

[Nicknanne]

Oh my gosh, I am sooo appreciating this help. This is just awesome feedback to have.

And yes, I can totally picture the chaos that will happen if I bring an MDA III into a store! I'm afraid that they won't know what to do with me/it!

So, as of right now, no one things it's a bad idea for me to attempt to get an MDA III, right? I know it would be much simpler to just shut up and get the ipaq 6315, but the MDA III seems to have so much more.

[Dolphin]

So, as of right now, no one things it's a bad idea for me to attempt to get an MDA III, right? I know it would be much simpler to just shut up and get the ipaq 6315, but the MDA III seems to have so much more.

I had a 6315 for a while and took it back... not that bad of a unit... I just think I would like something better or smaller.

I don't think the MDAIII is smaller or lighter but it's probably better! I'm real curious to hear from any users that have tried it here in the States!

For right now... it's either the MDAIII (and it's variations) or the MPX... still waiting for that all in one that will satisfy me!