Is an unlocked smartphone right for me? Or should I wait til my contract lapses? I've been a happy PDA user for about 4 years now. My Tungsten T3 has seldom let me down. Up until now, I have been using a BlueTooth connection to a capable phone with a data plan for my mobile internetting needs, but I think it's time for a smartphone. I love PalmOS, and all the accessories I have are PalmOS, too. So I'm looking for a Palm, not a BlackBerry or WindowsMobile (so no Treo 700 or 750 for me).
I am currently in a contract with Cingular obtained through my former employer, with a decent discount. I have a data plan (20 MB), which I make fairly regular use of. My contract expires in Aug/Sept. But I'm sick of my piece-of-crap RAZR. The battery needs replacing (won't hold a charge), but I'll be damned if I put any more money into this phone. If I purchase an unlocked GSM smartphone (like the 680p) directly from Palm, is it as simple as swapping my SIM card into the new phone, and voilà? I really do not want another contract, with a cancellation fee and the rest of the crap that comes with it. And yes, I'm planning to purchase from Palm, not a 3rd party retailer, because I want to support the (dying?) company. But I have no experience with unlocked phones, so I really need my hand held (no pun intended!) on this.
Also: Will switching my mobile device violate or void my current contract (and the related discount)? With previous carriers, once my contract expired, my rates stayed the same; the only difference is there was no charge to switch carriers or terminate service. I'd most likely be switching to their unlimited smartphone connect data plan, so I'm worried doing so will rock the boat (meaning I will have to call them to let them know I changed my phone, and they will apply some arbitrary "upgrade fees" or some junk). Like I said, I've got no experience with this, and I've never upgraded my phone without a new contract before (actually, I've switched carriers every time).
Lastly, I'm looking for feedback on PalmOS phones themselves. I'm not sure which I should go for. It looks like they don't support WiFi. I have a Palm WiFi card, but I'm not sure it will work with the Treo. Is there any way to get WiFi on a PalmOS cell-phone? And what are the differences between the (refurbished) 650, 680, aside from the price? Assume I make the fullest use of my Palm (for example: documents to go, ssh, and the occasional snippet of Python code).
I have checked howardforums.com, so only mention them if you're linking to a specific thread.
I am currently in a contract with Cingular obtained through my former employer, with a decent discount. I have a data plan (20 MB), which I make fairly regular use of. My contract expires in Aug/Sept. But I'm sick of my piece-of-crap RAZR. The battery needs replacing (won't hold a charge), but I'll be damned if I put any more money into this phone. If I purchase an unlocked GSM smartphone (like the 680p) directly from Palm, is it as simple as swapping my SIM card into the new phone, and voilà? I really do not want another contract, with a cancellation fee and the rest of the crap that comes with it. And yes, I'm planning to purchase from Palm, not a 3rd party retailer, because I want to support the (dying?) company. But I have no experience with unlocked phones, so I really need my hand held (no pun intended!) on this.
Also: Will switching my mobile device violate or void my current contract (and the related discount)? With previous carriers, once my contract expired, my rates stayed the same; the only difference is there was no charge to switch carriers or terminate service. I'd most likely be switching to their unlimited smartphone connect data plan, so I'm worried doing so will rock the boat (meaning I will have to call them to let them know I changed my phone, and they will apply some arbitrary "upgrade fees" or some junk). Like I said, I've got no experience with this, and I've never upgraded my phone without a new contract before (actually, I've switched carriers every time).
Lastly, I'm looking for feedback on PalmOS phones themselves. I'm not sure which I should go for. It looks like they don't support WiFi. I have a Palm WiFi card, but I'm not sure it will work with the Treo. Is there any way to get WiFi on a PalmOS cell-phone? And what are the differences between the (refurbished) 650, 680, aside from the price? Assume I make the fullest use of my Palm (for example: documents to go, ssh, and the occasional snippet of Python code).
I have checked howardforums.com, so only mention them if you're linking to a specific thread.