will the motorola MPx work on any canadian networks?

[groan]

hey,
i am currently on Telus, but when this phone comes available, i will be switching to whoever will activate the motorola MPx i plan to buy after i sell my samsung 540 and my ipaq 1940.

i've heard rumors that Telus will not activate non telus phones.
so the question is, will the motorola MPx work on any canadian networks, and does anyone have any inside infor that any canadian networks may carry this phone as part of thier fleet?

Thanks!

[Jason Dunn]

I've two pieces of bad news for you:

1) The MPx is a GSM device, not a CDMA device, which means it won't work on Telus' network. You'd have to go with Fido or Rogers in order to get the phone to work.

2) Even if you get a CDMA-based device, Telus refuses to activate devices that haven't been approved on their network.

Telus just really sucks when it comes to new hardware. :-(

[groan]

I've two pieces of bad news for you:

1) The MPx is a GSM device, not a CDMA device, which means it won't work on Telus' network. You'd have to go with Fido or Rogers in order to get the phone to work.

2) Even if you get a CDMA-based device, Telus refuses to activate devices that haven't been approved on their network.

Telus just really sucks when it comes to new hardware. :-(
Thanks Jason!
I don't mind switching providors. i've been growing tired of telus anyways. been with them since they started!

it'll be a pain since i often use my Cell # as my main contact, but oh well.

I assume Fido or Rogers don't have issues with activating 3rd party phones?

[Jeff Rutledge]

Because it's a GSM device, Rogers or Fido doesn't activate it. That's the great thing about GSM phones. Just move your SIM card over to the new device and it works!

[groan]

i don't have a SIM card currently.
i am with Telus.

as i said, i will be off-loading my PPC and Cell phone to get a all-in-one device.

I guess i should be posting this at smartphonethougths because i am also intrested in the symbian OS.

anyways, i am curious what other smartphones other Canadians are using here...I'll post this question at SPT.

cheers!

[Jason Dunn]

i don't have a SIM card currently. i am with Telus.

Well, you'd get one once you switched to Rogers or Fido. ;-)

I guess i should be posting this at smartphonethougths because i am also intrested in the symbian OS.

You're welcome to post, but FYI, SPT is focused only on Windows Mobile Smartphones, not Symbian-based units. Here's a good site for Symbian info: http://my-symbian.com/main/index.php

[groan]

Ahh, ok...hey, Jason, what kind of phone do you use?

[Jason Dunn]

Ahh, ok...hey, Jason, what kind of phone do you use?

I use an E200 on the Fido network (http://www.fido.ca). :D

[groan]

SPV e200?

so i assume you bought it off-network and unlocked and had fido activate it for you...

how did that go?

[Jason Dunn]

SPV e200? so i assume you bought it off-network and unlocked and had fido activate it for you...how did that go?

The phone was actually given to me by Microsoft from a conference, but yeah, it's the same as buying an unlocked phone. There's no activation - I took my SIM card out of my old phone, put it in the new phone, and that was that. On a GSM network you don't need to have the permission of the carrier when you change phones like you do with big-brother Telus. ;-)

[groan]

excellent.
i am anxious to get out from under the Telus umbrella.
the choice in phones is boring and through Rogers or Fido, like you said, i can use what i want.

Thanks for the info!

[jproudfo]

It looks like Telus has put in a bid for Microcell (Fido). You may not need to change carriers, after all. :)

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/2004/05/14/business/telus_040514

[Jeff Rutledge]

Interesting. Perhaps this is Telus' way of getting into the GSM market.

[Janak Parekh]

Interesting. Perhaps this is Telus' way of getting into the GSM market.
Actually, most analysis suggests they'll convert Fido to CDMA. 8O

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Actually, most analysis suggests they'll convert Fido to CDMA. 8O

Aiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! 8O

[Janak Parekh]

Sorry - didn't mean to freak you out -- don't cry yet. ;) http://www.canada.com/technology/story.html?id=FC226E18-5059-4FFE-8EBF-3C1F3729412B suggests that Telus will just operate another network in parallel. Although, that would probably mean their Customer Service will be even more clueless than it is now. How many of them will know the difference between iDEN, CDMA and GSM?

--janak

[Chris Spera]

OK... here's the $64,000 question:

Who's going to carry the MPx in the US? Does anyone know??

[groan]

highjacker!

I guess that may be a valid question for us canadians as well, since we probably won't see it available here.

[Jeff Rutledge]

I have no doubt that anyone in Canada who wants one of these will have to buy an unlocked unit. I seriously doubt any Canadian provider will carry this for at least a year after they're available (if at all).

I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect I'm not. :(

[t_wesson]

OK guys, since we're on this thread, I have another question regarding the MPx. Does anyone know what the reception is going to be like on this thing? I have the MPx200 and the reception is the worst of any mobile phone I've ever seen (using Vodafone in Italy). I'm interested in the MPx when it comes out but I can't justify forking out the $$$ for it if I can't use it at home because of poor reception.
Also a good question about who is going to be supporting it in the States because I'll be heading home next spring.
Thanks.

[Kacey Green]

I'm sick and tired of this locked/unlocked crap, I hope they come out with a version of SIM for CDMA all being able to lock phones does is increase their wallet size through unfair competition, (you can't change phones because your phone is locked to the contract, [well you can but it will cost you] grr.) I feel their is a difference between making as much money as you can fairly and being greedy.

That said does anyone use a PPCPE and a PPC regularly?
Depending on how others handle this, I'm thinking of a new iPAQ and an MPX

[Janak Parekh]

I'm sick and tired of this locked/unlocked crap, I hope they come out with a version of SIM for CDMA all being able to lock phones does is increase their wallet size through unfair competition, (you can't change phones because your phone is locked to the contract, [well you can but it will cost you] grr.) I feel their is a difference between making as much money as you can fairly and being greedy.
Unfortunately, it won't happen for a few years at least -- not until the GSM networks start getting competitive with the CDMA networks here.

That said does anyone use a PPCPE and a PPC regularly?
Depending on how others handle this, I'm thinking of a new iPAQ and an MPX
Yes - I carry an i700 and an e805 around. I'm looking to consolidate that -- it's a bit annoying. :) The MPx is not your typical Pocket PC, though, and I think I might be willing to carry around one along with an e805 or other VGA Pocket PC. ;)

--janak