Bell Mobility launches Pocket PC Phone

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://rtnews.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20020912/gtb3/Technology/techBN/">http://rtnews.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20020912/gtb3/Technology/techBN/</a><br /><br />I have to admit I'm not terribly excited about this - I've never used the Thera, but it's not the Phone Edition operating system, and I haven't heard great things about the custom dailer Toshiba did for the Thera. Still, it's nice to see Canadians getting a choice. Now when will Telus, Fido, or Rogers AT&T start offering the XDA? That's what I'm really curious about...<br /><br />"Bell Mobility has launched the Audiovox Thera in Canada, an integrated all-in-one wireless device that enables users to access on-line data and talk on the phone. Thera runs on Microsoft Windows for Pocket PC 2002 and offers wireless data and voice features, including Internet access, e-mail, text messaging, a speaker phone, voice recorder and MP3 player. Thera uses Bell Mobility's 1X network, and also enables customers to use wireless data solutions such as MOTIVUS Mobile Desktop Enterprise Edition, which allows users to manage corporate e-mail, calendars and contact lists as well as access files. Measuring about the size of a three-inch by five-inch file card, Thera weighs only seven ounces, about 35 percent lighter than carrying both a PDA and a phone."

[jpaq]

I'd just like to know when Cingular is planning to move to GSM/GPRS in Florida. It's not like Florida is a small market. One of the largest states in the union and we're still on TDMA.

Just shoot me.

OK. Sorry. That had to com out. It was brewing inside for a while.

[arkman]

Any idea on price? I can't find any info on the Bell site about any of it.

&lt;rant>
I hate that Bell site everytime I go there I get frustrated. Many of the links lead to dead pages, but only about half the time. Weird and frustrating.
&lt;/rant>

[Birdman]

I can't find it now but when the announcement first came (Sept. 12?), I seem to recall CDN$1149 being the price.
Outrageous!
I am waiting for Rogers/Fido to get the real PPCPhone.

[Paragon]

For any of you Canadians out there who are curious.... I bought an XDA direct from T-Mobile, applied for, and received an unlock code. It took about 10 days, and a bit of fingernail chewing, but I got the code! I now have it setup on Rogers with their $50.00 a month unlimited GPRS. It works very well so far.

I drove to Detroit and picked it up at one of their stores for $549.00 USD.

I have to state that it is not cut, and dried that you will get an unlock code doing this. T-Mobile does NOT seem to have a consistent policy on unlock codes.....SO BEWARE if you do this.

Dave

[arkman]

$1149 - What? That really is outrageous!
Any word on when/if Fido/Rogers are getting the PPC Phone? I'm not rich enough and/or tough enough to risk going the T-Mobile route. Although, i would love to.

[szamot]

Bell is as useless as Telus - sometimes I think they are one and the same. I have been talking to our national Bell rep who kept promissing me Sierra 555 card then he said Thera would be out and I shold try that instead. When I spoted Thera in the store I send him a mail and asked WTF - where are the demos. Needles to say he still has not replied...I am sure he is working on getting me the next new thing coming ... a big fat nothing.

Might I add at $1149 CDN with a 2 year contract - hmmm NO that's digital suicide - I will wait for something else, oh yeah that's a big fat nothing this is Alberta after all.

Man I am pissed about this whole thing - there goes my Christmas, but fianally I have closure.

[CoffeeKid]

Bell, Telus, Rogers, they're all the same when it comes to this kind of "extreme tech". They have the mentality of "let's sell it to dozens" instead of hundreds or thousands. That's where the mentality of a $1350+ (don't forget the sales taxes) pricing comes in.

Locking you into a contract is the norm with those companies, and tell me - would you like to be forced to use the same PPC for 2 years? Sure, many probably do use the same pda for 2, 3 years, but that's a choice. This would be enforcement. You can leave it at home and stop using it of course, but the bill keeps coming in.

Given the battery performance of ALL pdas I've tried so far (ie, how they seem to really suck after 6 months to a years' use), I'm willing to bet this thing may have less than an hour's talk time within a year... unless you can swap batteries - I dunno if you can or cannot with the Thera.

Naw, I don't see this deal with Bell going anywhere. The execs will all get together at their golf resort in four months, and after shagging a few escorts and drinking copious amounts of utra expensive liquor :twisted: , they will then moan, groan and fail to comprehend why the Thera isn't simply flying off the shelves :)

In the meantime, I really, truly hope that Fido picks up something soon in the GPS/GSRM world of the PPC. I won't buy it unless it allows for connectivity with my notebook computer, but at least with Fido, you aren't locked into anything. Given their recent pricing on the Ericcson T200, I'm hoping a PPC price point will be realistic.

Me? I think I may hold out for that new Nokia... what is it, the 3650? the colour one with the camera and bluetooth built in? sweeeet. :)

[davidbaldauff]

My opinion is that the Smartphone platform is more interesting. I am excited to see the new smartphone devices coming out from Microsoft partners.

[Brian Johnson]

Paragon,

Did you not have to buy a contract from VoiceStream/T-Mobile along with the XDA? I was under the presumption that this was the only way they sold the devices.... interesting.

But as you advise, no guarantee to get the unlock code. I'm a little worried to try the same thing but on the other hand very tempted. I ordered the XDA from HandheldCanada when they announced they were getting a shipment in of unlocked phones, but apparently their shipment arrived and their supplier then refused to provide them with the unlock codes! So I'm still pondering how to obtain one.

Let me ask you this: you drove to Detroit, plunked down some extra (weak C$) hard earned cash and bought the XDA without ANY kind of indication that you'd get the unlock code?!! You must have had some source to indicate that you stood better odds?

Nonetheless, congrats on your success and perhaps damn you for making me consider this option and enduring the the possible "10 day wait in hell" :twisted:

[Paragon]

Brian

Before I bought it I called T-Mobile four times to see if I could do it. Once I was told that I had to have a contract with them for three months before they would give me the code. The other three times I called they all said that I could buy it from one of their stores for $549.00 USD, and then get the unlock code. I even had them double check with supervisors to be sure. It took ten days and a little sweet talking, but I got it.

I have received an email from a fellow Pocket PC Passion member who picked up one for $649.00 USD faxed in his receipt, and received the unlock code the same day????? So their policy is either very flexable, or they are treating their staff like mushrooms.....keeping them in the dark and feeding them s**t :-)

If you or anyone are thinking of doing this I would call T-Mobile ask them, mention the different options, and GET THEIR NAMES Ask them to check with a supervisor.

Good luck

Dave

[Birdman]

Is it definitively clear that you cannot use the T-Mobile phone (or any phone for that matter) on the Rogers network to get data (i.e. email, surf, etc) using dial-up into an ISP (or corporate RAS) but you can ONLY use GPRS for data and "voice for voice"?

(i.e. if you don't subscribe to a GPRS plan on Rogers, you can only use your T-Mobile for voice, no on-line data)

[Paragon]

Yes! You have it correct, Birdman :-)

Dave

[Birdman]

Shocking!

(Thanx for all your help and replies on some other threads.)

I was really planning on getting a T-Mobile (one way or another) thinking I could avoid the GPRS fees on Rogers and just use my regular voice minutes for dial-up. Even without "high speed", the ability to just carry one device instead of 2 and possibly be able to grab email from my firm's RAS through dial-up just using my regular voice minutes sounded fantastic!

Now that I understand that I cannot do that on either Rogers or Fido (the only providers in Canada that could support the T-Mobile) I ordered the cable from the supplynet to connect my old Telus Sanyo phone to my trusty old 3635. Perhaps if a CDMA version PocketPCPHone ever comes out that could work on Telus, I may be able to do it that way. Hope the cable comes in soon.

Thanx again