[Novalug] [OT] Smartphones

[Brandon Saxe]

I have been switching my SIM card between unlocked
phones for years.

I had a Sony Ericsson T616 phone with MediaNet
unlimited data plan for $20 a month.

Then I got a Sony W810i, and also did bluetooth
tethering to my laptop. Normally, AT&T will try to
sell a "tether" option. No thanks. They never even
know I had the W810 (got it before they carried it)
and the $20/month medianet works fine for tethering.

I then asked AT&T about a Treo 680 and they wanted $40
a month for data service if I got the 'smartphone'
from them, plus sign up a new contract. No thanks. I
don't like contracts.

I got an unlocked Treo 680 direct from Palm, swapped
my SIM, all data worked fine for the same $20 a month.
AT&T bill doesn't show any difference.

Switched back to W810i cuz Treo 680 sucks as a phone.

I recently got a 3G Sony Ericsson K850i and swapped
the SIM again. Even more data usage now, and no
changes to bill.

My phones cost more cuz they are unlocked, but I like
phones not offered through the carrier. Plus I don't
like the contract.

Based on my experience, all is tied to the SIM.

My bill hasn't changed in over two years with 4
different phones and huge changes in data usage.

I don't even know what phone AT&T thinks I am using
now, or if they care, and that makes me happy, haha.

--- Rich Goodwin <rich.goodwin at cox.net> wrote:

> The IMEI is the unique identifier for the phone
> physically
> (International Mobile Equipment Identity) -
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMEI.  The SIM card has
> a unique serial
> number as well -
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Serial_Number.  
> 
> This is why I was trying to find out what the
> carriers tied the data
> plan to.  They try to track the IMEI - or AT&T makes
> the appearance they
> do.  I found this out when we swapped in unlocked
> GSM phones and it
> caused them confusion (which made me happy!).
> 
> Rich
> 
> On Wed, 2008-04-02 at 06:37 -0400, greg pryzby
> wrote:
> > My experience is all information is tied to the
> IEMI (?) on the SIM.
> > Including being able to store the phonebook
> > 
> > /me is waiting for the Exchange support on the
> iPhone and my curve
> > will be for sale :)
> > 
> > On Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 6:33 AM, Rich Goodwin
> <rich.goodwin at cox.net>
> > wrote:
> >         This is what I would have expected but
> wanted some empirical
> >         evidence to
> >         back it up.  I haven't asked AT&T since I
> am looking at
> >         renewing my
> >         service.
> >         
> >         Rich
> >         
> >         
> >         On Tue, 2008-04-01 at 19:11 -0400, Pete
> Nuwayser wrote:
> >         > I don't know the answer to this, but I'm
> also on AT&T and
> >         did
> >         > something kind of similar.
> >         >
> >         > First, I had this:
> >         >
> >         > AT&T - BlackBerry 8300c - 900 minute
> plan with BB Unltd Data
> >         option
> >         >
> >         > Then I switched phones.  I got a
> motorazr v3xx, but I kept
> >         my phone
> >         > number.  They gave me a new phone, a new
> SIM card, the same
> >         phone
> >         > number and a different minutes plan, but
> I never cancelled
> >         the BB
> >         > Unltd Data Plan, and hey presto I have
> unltd data on my
> >         motorazr
> >         > (which is great for watching youtube or
> using as a modem).
> >         >
> >         > What did AT&T say about it?
> >         >
> >         > Pete
> >         >
> >         > On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 7:02 PM, Rich
> Goodwin
> >         <rich.goodwin at cox.net> wrote:
> >         > > Very off topic but I'm figuring
> someone will be able to
> >         answer.
> >         > >
> >         > >  If I have two GSM SmartPhones - one
> with a data plan and
> >         one without, is
> >         > >  the data plan tied to the SIM card or
> the phone?  Can I
> >         swap the SIM
> >         > >  cards and continue on??  My
> expectations  is, with GSM, I
> >         should be able
> >         > >  to swap the SIMS but just want to be
> sure.  The carrier
> >         would be AT&T if
> >         > >  it matters.
> >         > >
> >         > >  Rich
> >         
> > 
> -- 
> 
> GPG/PGP Key Id: 1B257AEC from pgp.mit.edu
> 
> Remember, all Windows machines are, by definition,
> fault tolerant.
> 
>               They run Windows don't they!!
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