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| Author |
Upgrade Phone without Change Plan. Former AT&T WS User.
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| dav_chang22@hotmail.com 2006-07-22, 12:33 pm |
|
I have a $29.95 plan with Cingula. The plan was carried over when
Cingular acquired AT&T wireless business. I was considering updating my
old Motorola V120T to a color foldable phone. I bought a Samsung X427
from Ebay for $25. I took the phone to a local Cingular office. To my
surprise the guy told me that I have to switch to their newer plan
which costs at least $39.95 per month. The phone I bought (X427) does
not compatible with the plan I have. He also told me that I could not
change to any newer style phone if I don't want to change plan. After
some research on the net I found that the two phones use different
protocols. Is there a newer style phone I can switch to but still keep
the current plan?
Btw. I do like the current $29.95 plan which gives me 300 minutes plus
unlimited night and weekend time.
Thanks,
Dave
| |
| no_one@home.com 2006-07-22, 3:33 pm |
| On 22 Jul 2006 09:57:24 -0700, dav_chang22@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>I have a $29.95 plan with Cingula. The plan was carried over when
>Cingular acquired AT&T wireless business. I was considering updating my
>old Motorola V120T to a color foldable phone. I bought a Samsung X427
>from Ebay for $25. I took the phone to a local Cingular office. To my
>surprise the guy told me that I have to switch to their newer plan
>which costs at least $39.95 per month. The phone I bought (X427) does
>not compatible with the plan I have. He also told me that I could not
>change to any newer style phone if I don't want to change plan. After
>some research on the net I found that the two phones use different
>protocols. Is there a newer style phone I can switch to but still keep
>the current plan?
>
>Btw. I do like the current $29.95 plan which gives me 300 minutes plus
>unlimited night and weekend time.
>
>Thanks,
>Dave
Dave,
Your old phone used TDMA. Your new phone uses GSM. This problem has been
discussed before. If you like Cingular then change plans.
Your other alternative is to change carriers. T-Mobile will fire up your
new phone right now. They even might be cheaper than Cingular.
Good luck.
| |
| dav_chang22@hotmail.com 2006-07-22, 10:33 pm |
| Is it possible to upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone without change
plan? If yes where can I buy it? Who can activate for me?
Thanks,
Dave.
>
> Dave,
>
> Your old phone used TDMA. Your new phone uses GSM. This problem has been
> discussed before. If you like Cingular then change plans.
>
> Your other alternative is to change carriers. T-Mobile will fire up your
> new phone right now. They even might be cheaper than Cingular.
>
> Good luck.
| |
| dav_chang22@hotmail.com 2006-07-22, 10:33 pm |
| Thank you for the suggestion. Can I upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone
without change plan? If yes what kind of phone should I buy and who can
activate for me?
Dave
>
> Dave,
>
> Your old phone used TDMA. Your new phone uses GSM. This problem has been
> discussed before. If you like Cingular then change plans.
>
> Your other alternative is to change carriers. T-Mobile will fire up your
> new phone right now. They even might be cheaper than Cingular.
>
> Good luck.
| |
|
| No.
Fred
<dav_chang22@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1153605469.019651.23100@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you for the suggestion. Can I upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone
> without change plan? If yes what kind of phone should I buy and who can
> activate for me?
>
> Dave
>
>
| |
| no_one@home.com 2006-07-22, 10:33 pm |
| On 22 Jul 2006 14:49:44 -0700, dav_chang22@hotmail.com wrote:
[color=darkred]
>Is it possible to upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone without change
>plan? If yes where can I buy it? Who can activate for me?
>
>Thanks,
>Dave.
>
Now you know why a lot of AT&T folks are angry. Your options are limited.
You can't activate a TDMA phone anymore. That infrastructure is slowly
being replaced by GSM.
If your new phone is GSM activate it on Cingular or T-Mobile. If it ain't
GSM get a GSM phone from Cingular and go with a plan. Or, you can go with
T-Mobile if you like GSM.
Or, you can go with Verizon, Sprint/Nextel.
You should do something because TDMA won't be around forever.
Just my $0.02.
BTW, I switched from AT&T(TDMA) to Cingular when the Cingular/AT&T merger
was anounced two and one half years ago. The plans were better then. Now
they suck.
| |
| Jud Hardcastle 2006-07-22, 10:33 pm |
| In article < u3a5c2tv00d61r51qj11
65mduv66qupnhf@4ax.com>, no_one@home.com
says...
> Now you know why a lot of AT&T folks are angry. Your options are limited.
> You can't activate a TDMA phone anymore. That infrastructure is slowly
You can't activate a NEW TDMA account anymore and maybe can't *add* a
phone to an existing TDMA account but can someone verify you can't buy a
TDMA phone off eBay and call and replace/swap the for an existing phone.
They haven't taken out the ability to change esn's since just last week
a friend had a TDMA phone replaced under warrenty (original Cingular)
and there was nothing unusual about it--everything done at the store
terminal just like always.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-22, 10:33 pm |
| On 22 Jul 2006 14:49:44 -0700, dav_chang22@hotmail.com wrote in
<1153604984.590134.124730@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
>Is it possible to upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone without change
>plan? If yes where can I buy it? Who can activate for me?
TDMA is being phased out.
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| Joe Versaggi 2006-07-23, 7:33 am |
| >>Is it possible to upgrade to a newer model TDMA phone without change[color=darkred
]
You can buy one on E-Bay, but Cingular won't touch it or your account.
I am switching to CDMA/Sprint next month. My perfectly good Nokia 2260
will not go to charity - it will go to a recycling bin. It will be of no
use as a 911 phone for an abused spouse when TDMA gets shut down by Feb
2008.
| |
|
| dav_chang22@hotmail.com wrote:
> I have a $29.95 plan with Cingula. The plan was carried over when
> Cingular acquired AT&T wireless business. I was considering updating my
> old Motorola V120T to a color foldable phone. I bought a Samsung X427
> from Ebay for $25. I took the phone to a local Cingular office. To my
> surprise the guy told me that I have to switch to their newer plan
> which costs at least $39.95 per month. The phone I bought (X427) does
> not compatible with the plan I have. He also told me that I could not
> change to any newer style phone if I don't want to change plan. After
> some research on the net I found that the two phones use different
> protocols. Is there a newer style phone I can switch to but still keep
> the current plan?
>
> Btw. I do like the current $29.95 plan which gives me 300 minutes plus
> unlimited night and weekend time.
Forget it. You have to change to a new phone, not on TDMA. Even if you
kept your phone and plan, Cingular is starting to charge a surcharge to
TDMA users of $5 per month, so the $29.95 plan will be history.
There are no $30/month plans anymore that are as good as what you had.
T-Mobile has a $30/month plan, but with no nights and weekends.
You might check to see if your employer has any discount plans with any
carrier.
| |
| Joe Versaggi 2006-07-23, 3:33 pm |
| SMS wrote:
> dav_chang22@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>
> Forget it. You have to change to a new phone, not on TDMA. Even if you
> kept your phone and plan, Cingular is starting to charge a surcharge to
> TDMA users of $5 per month, so the $29.95 plan will be history.
>
> There are no $30/month plans anymore that are as good as what you had.
> T-Mobile has a $30/month plan, but with no nights and weekends.
>
> You might check to see if your employer has any discount plans with any
> carrier.
Sprint has $29.99 for 200 anytime, unlimited other times, and nights
start at 7pm. That's good enough got me. I am switching later this week,
and should be out of Cingular before they hit TDMA users like myself
with $5 surcharge, which I think is September.
| |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse 2006-07-24, 10:33 am |
| In alt.cellular.cingular no_one@home.com wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Your old phone used TDMA. Your new phone uses GSM. This problem has been
> discussed before. If you like Cingular then change plans.
>
> Your other alternative is to change carriers. T-Mobile will fire up your
> new phone right now. They even might be cheaper than Cingular.
>
T-Mobile offers 300 minutes for $29.95 as well. However, you will have to
"sign" a contract. Personally, if you like Cingular, I would consider the
upgrade and stay with the company you know.
--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1
| |
|
| Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> T-Mobile offers 300 minutes for $29.95 as well.
But not with unlimited N&W.
| |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse 2006-07-24, 12:33 pm |
| In alt.cellular.cingular SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
>
>
> But not with unlimited N&W.
True ... plans are more expensive than they used to be. Less overall coverage
with the elimination of AMPS as well. What an excellent deal for America.
--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1
| |
|
| Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> In alt.cellular.cingular SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
>
> True ... plans are more expensive than they used to be. Less overall coverage
> with the elimination of AMPS as well. What an excellent deal for America.
I was up in a part of the Bay Area with only AMPS coverage yesterday,
Skyline Boulevard between highway 9 and highway 84. I'm wondering if
Verizon will really turn off all of the AMPS coverage when they are
allowed to do so. This area had call boxes, which are on the AMPS
system, and they are in an area where it would be very expensive to add
enough towers to provide digital service.
| |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse 2006-07-24, 3:33 pm |
| In alt.cellular.cingular SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
>
> I was up in a part of the Bay Area with only AMPS coverage yesterday,
> Skyline Boulevard between highway 9 and highway 84. I'm wondering if
> Verizon will really turn off all of the AMPS coverage when they are
> allowed to do so. This area had call boxes, which are on the AMPS
> system, and they are in an area where it would be very expensive to add
> enough towers to provide digital service.
Unless they plan to break agreements that they have made with the likes of
OnStar or with security companies like Tyco (ADT), which uses analog backup, I
tend to doubt it will go out anywhere soon. They might make deals between
carriers so that at least a minimal amount of spectrum is dedicated to AMPS,
but no one carrier has to bear the entire burden.
--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-24, 3:33 pm |
| On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:45:12 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote in < 44c5153c$0$96241$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>:
>Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
>
>I was up in a part of the Bay Area with only AMPS coverage yesterday,
>Skyline Boulevard between highway 9 and highway 84. I'm wondering if
>Verizon will really turn off all of the AMPS coverage when they are
>allowed to do so. This area had call boxes, which are on the AMPS
>system, and they are in an area where it would be very expensive to add
>enough towers to provide digital service.
You used to claim that Verizon had digital coverage in that area. ;)
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-24, 3:33 pm |
| On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 13:52:51 -0500, "Thomas T. Veldhouse"
<veldy71@yahoo.com> wrote in
< v8mdneQjbIKeiljZnZ2d
nUVZ_vydnZ2d@giganew
s.com>:
>In alt.cellular.cingular SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
>
>Unless they plan to break agreements that they have made with the likes of
>OnStar or with security companies like Tyco (ADT), which uses analog backup, I
>tend to doubt it will go out anywhere soon. They might make deals between
>carriers so that at least a minimal amount of spectrum is dedicated to AMPS,
>but no one carrier has to bear the entire burden.
OnStar is already going digital, and thus won't be a factor. I doubt
that any others will be significant factors either. My bet is that AMPS
will go away rapidly after the mandate expires. Spectrum is scarce and
expensive, and AMPS demand is already very low, so carriers have a
strong incentive to rapidly redeploy the spectrum.
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse 2006-07-24, 3:33 pm |
| In alt.cellular.cingular John Navas < spamfilter0@navasgro
up.com> wrote:
>
> OnStar is already going digital, and thus won't be a factor. I doubt
> that any others will be significant factors either. My bet is that AMPS
> will go away rapidly after the mandate expires. Spectrum is scarce and
> expensive, and AMPS demand is already very low, so carriers have a
> strong incentive to rapidly redeploy the spectrum.
>
Yes, OnStar is going digital ... but there are MANY AMPS only deployments.
Verizon Wireless gets the business on newer deployments ;-)
Also, as I indicated, there are agreements with various consumers of AMPS,
that I suspect go beyond 2008 [which is the end of the AMPS mandate if I am
not mistaken]. Vast areas of Northern MN, WI, MI and others are ONLY coverred
by AMPS. Further, they are covered by mostly independent tower operators or
smaller regional players [i.e Cellular One]. As long as they receive roaming
revenue from existing infrastructure, I am not sure that these rural operators
will benefit from going digital as that would require multipe towers where
there once was one and promise no significant return on investment. What may
finally get these to go will be the lack of handsets that even have AMPS
capability.
--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1
| |
|
| Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> Also, as I indicated, there are agreements with various consumers of AMPS,
> that I suspect go beyond 2008 [which is the end of the AMPS mandate if I am
> not mistaken]. Vast areas of Northern MN, WI, MI and others are ONLY coverred
> by AMPS. Further, they are covered by mostly independent tower operators or
> smaller regional players [i.e Cellular One]. As long as they receive roaming
> revenue from existing infrastructure, I am not sure that these rural operators
> will benefit from going digital as that would require multipe towers where
> there once was one and promise no significant return on investment. What may
> finally get these to go will be the lack of handsets that even have AMPS
> capability.
I'm sure that AMPS will go away where digital exists. But I don't see
the upside in getting rid of all the rural AMPS, even for Verizon. They
just have to dedicate a minimal amount of spectrum for it, as it's
lightly used, but it'd be a shame to lose all that coverage.
Yesterday I was going to the beach, across the Santa Cruz mountains to
the San Mateo coast, where you have no CDMA, no TDMA, and no GSM for
much of the area. We did want to make a call to tell someone who was
coming over that we'd be home late, and it came in handy to have
coverage, even though it was not a real emergency. At the beach itself
(San Gregorio) I had good CDMA coverage, which surprised me because it
worked even on the part of the beach where you're down below a very high
cliff.
| |
| Dennis A. Vitali 2006-07-24, 10:33 pm |
| When I upgraded my old tdma phone to a new razr I kept the home 50 plan by
not going to a store , but using the 800 number for cingular, complained
three times, then they activated my razr.
| |
| Jack Zwick 2006-07-24, 10:33 pm |
| In article <rSbxg.55622$VE1.25182@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>,
"Dennis A. Vitali" <vitali@snet.net> wrote:
> When I upgraded my old tdma phone to a new razr I kept the home 50 plan by
> not going to a store , but using the 800 number for cingular, complained
> three times, then they activated my razr.
Check your bill, maybe you dont have the PLAN you think you do.
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-25, 4:33 am |
| On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:41:35 -0500, "Thomas T. Veldhouse"
<veldy71@yahoo.com> wrote in
< ydSdnX81roPyv1jZnZ2d
nUVZ_vadnZ2d@giganew
s.com>:
>In alt.cellular.cingular John Navas < spamfilter0@navasgro
up.com> wrote:
>
>Yes, OnStar is going digital ... but there are MANY AMPS only deployments.
>Verizon Wireless gets the business on newer deployments ;-)
<http://www.onstar.com/us_english/js...view=tech_equip>
... beginning January 1, 2008, OnStar services in the U.S. and Canada
will only be available through dual-mode (analog/digital) equipment.
If your vehicle has analog-only equipment, however, you will not be
able to upgrade the equipment nor will your vehicle be able to
receive OnStar service as of January 1, 2008.
>Also, as I indicated, there are agreements with various consumers of AMPS,
>that I suspect go beyond 2008 [which is the end of the AMPS mandate if I am
>not mistaken].
I doubt it.
>Vast areas of Northern MN, WI, MI and others are ONLY coverred
>by AMPS. Further, they are covered by mostly independent tower operators or
>smaller regional players [i.e Cellular One]. As long as they receive roaming
>revenue from existing infrastructure, I am not sure that these rural operators
>will benefit from going digital as that would require multipe towers where
>there once was one and promise no significant return on investment.
AMPS roaming revenues are rapidly going away. Spectrum is scarce and
expensive, and AMPS demand is already very low, so carriers have a
strong incentive to rapidly redeploy the spectrum to digital.
>What may
>finally get these to go will be the lack of handsets that even have AMPS
>capability.
That's another factor even now.
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-25, 4:33 am |
| On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:03:13 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote in < 44c543a5$0$96213$742
ec2ed@news.sonic.net>:
>Yesterday I was going to the beach, across the Santa Cruz mountains to
>the San Mateo coast, where you have no CDMA, no TDMA, and no GSM for
>much of the area.
GSM coverage is actually good in that area with a multi-band phone. You
must still be using that old 1900-only GSM phone.
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| John Navas 2006-07-25, 3:33 pm |
| On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:30:47 GMT, "Dennis A. Vitali" <vitali@snet.net>
wrote in <rSbxg.55622$VE1.25182@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>:
>When I upgraded my old tdma phone to a new razr I kept the home 50 plan by
>not going to a store , but using the 800 number for cingular, complained
>three times, then they activated my razr.
The SIM was activated, not the phone -- GSM phones don't need to be
activated.
--
Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/ Cingu...less_FA
Q>
| |
| heartlock@linkearth.com 2006-09-16, 3:33 pm |
| On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:28:41 GMT, John Navas < spamfilter0@navasgro
up.com>
wrote:
>On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:30:47 GMT, "Dennis A. Vitali" <vitali@snet.net>
>wrote in <rSbxg.55622$VE1.25182@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>:
>
>
>The SIM was activated, not the phone -- GSM phones don't need to be
>activated.
Sure they do. The IEMI numbers are turned off when they come from the
factory. Just in case someone breaks into the store and steals a bunch of
phones, the IEMI number was not entered into the system so the phones won't
work. The rep has to activate or enter the IEMI number into the system
before ht phones works. So, GSM phones have to be activated before they
work. NO!?
| |
| Dennis Ferguson 2006-09-16, 10:33 pm |
| On 2006-09-16, heartlock@linkearth.com <heartlock@linkearth.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:28:41 GMT, John Navas < spamfilter0@navasgro
up.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> Sure they do. The IEMI numbers are turned off when they come from the
> factory. Just in case someone breaks into the store and steals a bunch of
> phones, the IEMI number was not entered into the system so the phones won't
> work. The rep has to activate or enter the IEMI number into the system
> before ht phones works. So, GSM phones have to be activated before they
> work. NO!?
No. The reason they record the IMEI number when they sell you the
phone is so, when the phone is returned for warrantee service, they
can determine when, and by whom, the phone was purchased. The phone
would work fine even if they didn't record the IMEI, but you might
have difficulty getting warrantee work done if the phone broke.
I use a phone that I purchased overseas, and while the store I
bought it from probably entered the IMEI in their system for warrantee
purposes I am very sure that system is in no way connected to any system
Cingular uses. Yet, when I bought Cingular service, they just handed my
the SIM card and paid no attention to the phone. I didn't buy the
phone from them, so the IMEI was uninteresting to them.
Dennis Ferguson
| |
|
|
"Dennis Ferguson" <dcferguson@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:slrnegoupg.be.dcferguson@dhcp-floor2-sw-44.juniper.net...
> On 2006-09-16, heartlock@linkearth.com <heartlock@linkearth.com> wrote:
>
> No. The reason they record the IMEI number when they sell you the
> phone is so, when the phone is returned for warrantee service, they
> can determine when, and by whom, the phone was purchased. The phone
> would work fine even if they didn't record the IMEI, but you might
> have difficulty getting warrantee work done if the phone broke.
>
> I use a phone that I purchased overseas, and while the store I
> bought it from probably entered the IMEI in their system for warrantee
> purposes I am very sure that system is in no way connected to any system
> Cingular uses. Yet, when I bought Cingular service, they just handed my
> the SIM card and paid no attention to the phone. I didn't buy the
> phone from them, so the IMEI was uninteresting to them.
>
> Dennis Ferguson
>
You don't have to call Cingular for anything but the insurance.
I've bought 2 v400, 1 V551, 3 Razrs and 2 Razr V3i off ebay, I'm sure the
seller didn't call Cingular to activate them and I know I didn't.
Of these phones all but the V400s are in service with Cingular today and
Cingular still hasn't been called on any of them
...
bamp
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