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UnderLoK
10:57 AM

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
I'm on a family plan with 3 other people and long story short, it's $35'ish a month for unlimited everything.

People really should leverage the family plans as much as possible. I lucked out awhile back and pay $10 for 2 more phones on my account. It's worked out well.
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Edited by UnderLoK at 11/15/09 10:58 AM UnderLoK was starred UnderLoK was unstarred

Digo
12:03 AM

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
The cost per minute/text might be cheaper but that's because here you are charged for both making and receiving them, in much of the rest of the world only the caller/texter is charged. So, you might be paying less per minute but you are spending a lot more minutes. #wireless
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uchendunwachukwu
01:24 AM

@Digo: The reason Americans pay both to make and receive calls (whereas the rest of the world only pay to make calls) is because, in America, wireless phone numbers are mixed in with landline numbers (eg. 212-462-5622 could just as easily be a landline or wireless number.)

In the rest of the world, wireless numbers are allocated into their own special area code, usually 080 or some variation thereof. So the telco can say "all calls to 080 get charged more than calls to other area codes." And the caller winds up paying for wireless calls.

In America, they can't do that. So instead of charging the caller, they charge the receiver. #wireless
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dragon:ONE
10:12 AM

@uchendunwachukwu: We have our own prefixes for wireless carriers, though.

For examples...

315-854-XXXX is Verizon Wireless. 315-528-XXXX is AT&T. And so on.

So, why don't we just charge the caller? :P #wireless
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AmphetamineCrown
10:29 AM

@dragon: ONE: Because what you said isn't true and hasn't been true for a long time. First, NXX exhaust led to below 1000 number block allocation. And, you can port your number, so what might originally have been a Verizon landline might now be a T-Mobile wireless number. #wireless
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The Lab
11/14/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
This argument makes the assumption that telecoms can only have either a fixed price plans OR a variable plans. That is not the case, Sprint could offer multiple types of plans without much difficulty and let the consumer decide. The telecoms seem like they are colluding. #wireless
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Communist Pope
11/14/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
Fortunately, Sprint grandfathered its "Fair and Flexible" plans (the one referenced in the write-up) if you had one before they discontinued them. Don't know if it's indefinite, but I still have mine after two handset upgrades since the discontinuation. Unfortunately, there's no way to get their "Power Vision," which includes Sprint Navigation, without signing up for one of the newer plans. Sprint Nav is $10/month extra (or $3/day) if you want to get it on their regular data plan.

Slightly off-topic, but Sprint is now offering $150 upgrade discount annually, instead of biennially as they used to do. Or maybe they're only doing it for customers that have been around for awhile, but either way I appreciate the change. Even if I do have to commit to another two-year contract every time I upgrade. #wireless
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32ndnote
11/14/09

In reply to How Cellphones Are Changing Our Brains
The changes in the brain are due to the intense spike in linguistic creativity. Constant, fast-paced language without any visual cues requires much more interpretation than face-to-face conversation. #cellphones
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diesel828
11/14/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
America this, America that. I take it, Chris, that when you refer to America you're doing so in comparison with other countries, namely the ones in Europe and Asia. What I took away from that NYT article is completely different from what you did: yes, we pay a bit more in the U.S. but it's far less when compared to the rest of the world because we get more minutes and more text messages. And we have unlimited, all-you-can-eat data plans. Those points were explicitly mentioned in the Times. #wireless
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Mannyatic
11/14/09

@diesel828: Umm... I dunno if I agree if you got more minutes, because you get charged on the minutes of outgoing and ALSO incoming calls, so you are wasting all those many minutes on calls you are not making but receiving. In Costa Rica we pay just for outgoing and 60min costs about $8. Yes I know we have one of the world's cheapeast telecom, but I don't think about paying for calls that are paid by the person that is calling me, sounds pretty ridiculous. We got now 3G and here runs just 1 telecom company. #wireless
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faulknerswhiskey
11/14/09

@diesel828: Chris isn't ignoring the NYT article's points on the relative cheap plans in the U.S. I think Chris's point is that while you get a great deal in the U.S. on the price per minute and data, most people just don't use their minutes or data to the extent that they actually see any savings.

I had plans with Cingular/AT&T for years. Nothing fancy, but it cost me about $60 per month after taxes. I never used my minutes or text messages. All I got out of it was a crappy dumb phone for $30.

Now, I'm in Asia. I bought my Nokia E71 for $350. I pay for my minutes and texts as I use them. I don't use data plans since I have Wi-Fi at work and most places I travel. On average, I spend less than $10 per month for everything I use.

Now if you take the total cost of the phone and monthly fees, I will have spent $590 on my phone and connection here in Asia over the course of 2 years. In the States, I spent $1510 over the course of 2 years.

I actually cringe when I think that when I move back to the U.S., I will be forced back into monthly plans. I really just want to be able to buy my phone independent of the plan if I could get the option of a discounted montly rate. Yet, that option really doesn't exist since pay-as-you-go users are punished with inflated per minute costs. #wireless
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KTK1990
11/14/09

In reply to How Cellphones Are Changing Our Brains
If the phones mess us up by us placing them up against our ear, what would happen if we implanted them inside ourselves and have them closer to our brains? Wouldnt that put more radiation closer to our brains? Or would there be a ultra low radiation model implanted? #cellphones
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jseifer16
11/14/09

@KTK1990: Quick correction, your idea is good except cellphones don't exactly emit "radiation," but just radio waves from the electromagnetic spectrum. Radiation if the emission of particles from a decaying atom.
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dingus
11/14/09

@jseifer16: Alternating electromagnetic fields are still radiation. Up to ultraviolet light frequencies (300nm?) it's non-ionizing and doesn't have the biological effects associated with higher frequency ionizing radiation like x-rays and cosmic rays. But it's still radiation. #cellphones
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bustedchain
11/14/09

@KTK1990: Let those guys argue about what is and isn't radiation.... I think you are asking about the risk of putting cell phones closer to your brain: That's a good point! However, it would matter where the antenna is. You could have the entire phone embedded in you and have the antenna external so that the majority of the nonionizing electromagnetic radiation is further away from the body. #cellphones
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dragon:ONE
11/14/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
Ugh. And prepaid still bends you over. For example... Page Plus, a Verizon MVNO.

1200 minutes, 1200 text messages, $29/mo. Sounds reasonable. But they only give you all of 50 megabytes of data. OR pay $39/mo for unlimited voice/text... and 20 MB. WTF, prepaid companies?

I'd die for just straight-up prepaid data - be able to plunk down, say, $25/mo for unlimited data barring voice. I can sure as hell do it on a 2-year with AT&T via a Premier discount ($26/mo before taxes), but I'm locked in with the rest of my family for an out-of-date smartphone I got in June. That is... until June of 2011. (Thanks for coming out with the TP2, AT&T, right after I bought my FUZE!) #wireless
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Seth Roberson
10:07 AM

@dragon: ONE: Wow. Pageplus has some crappy phones but that 1200 minutes deal is amazing. I'm kind of torn. I want a Pixi but at the same time I don't like cell contracts and this is waaay cheaper. Hmm... I don't really NEED a smartphone.
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dragon:ONE promoted this comment Edited by Seth Roberson at 11/15/09 10:07 AM Seth Roberson was starred Seth Roberson was unstarred

dragon:ONE
10:11 AM

@Seth Roberson: You can bring over any CDMA phone, provided you can program it. Even DROID works. #wireless
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crackel
11/14/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
There's no incentive to charge less. Everyone "needs" a cell phone, and there's only 4 1/2 companies than can reasonably do so. Therein lies the problem. Blaming the consumer is a classic deflection tactic, but it was on the NYT so it must be true, right? #wireless
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parkur
11/14/09

@crackel: RIGHT . People didn't like sprint's plan because it was with SPRINT not because of some idiotic need for a consistently high bill. It seems like there is no reason a 20 something dollar plan shouldn't be available on the major carriers. #wireless
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crackel
12:34 PM

@parkur: yes there is. Companies seek to raise prices, and resist lowering them. Until there is significant downward pressure on pricing, it will continue to rise. And often, pressure is not enough, since companies often believe they have something that differentiates them from others that's worth the premium. For example, AT&T dropping prices by 10% would cause VZW to retain their structure and claim that 10% is worth having a 3G signal everywhere. #wireless
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TheSonOfKrypton
11/14/09

In reply to How Cellphones Are Changing Our Brains
This is why, no matter how crazy it looks, I use my iPhone headphones 95% of the time when making a call. Strive to keep the phone away from your precious people! #cellphones
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Sam
11/14/09

@TheSonOfKrypton: It just sits in your pocket, right next to your balls, right? #cellphones
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TheSonOfKrypton
11/14/09

@Sam: Hahahha, I knew someone would misinterpret my statement that way.

But to answer your question, no. I take advantage of 'intensity' as it relates to the electromagnetic spectrum and keep the phone on a Contour Showcase hip holster (as geeky as it may be). Plus, my hip muscle/connective/nervous/epithelial tissue helps attenuate the signal before its reaches the ball of Krypton. #cellphones
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I-Love-Gizhacker
11/14/09

@TheSonOfKrypton: Just the one ball? Have you already irradiated the other one to oblivion? #cellphones
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TheSonOfKrypton
11/14/09

@I-Love-Gizhacker: HAHAHAHAHHA! Good catch on the typo. #cellphones
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32ndnote
11/14/09

@TheSonOfKrypton: Also, if you are the son of Krypton... Why is your phone so near to your dear fathers ball...? You know what. Never mind. I don't need to know. #cellphones
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Xagest
11/14/09

In reply to Do Verizon Phones Have Intentional Design "Flaws" That Scam You Into Data Charges?
Yeah, I've been talking to them, but nothing is budging. Our contract is still stuck for another year, so I doubt AT&T give a crap.

My sister got an HTC Fuze for the full keyboard and wifi internet access (wifi is freaking everywhere). #datacharges
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Fractal the Meek
11/13/09

In reply to Do Verizon Phones Have Intentional Design "Flaws" That Scam You Into Data Charges?
Not surprised. I'll put my Sprint fanboy hat on a sec and mention that before I had a data plan my phones simply spat back "You don't has a data plan stoopid!" No charge.

In related news, I know there was some open forum a few months back discussed on PreCentral. The presenter made some jab at cell providers that have the long menus people have to listen to as possibly just there to drive up minutes. The big four simply grinned at him.

They do it. We fall for it. #datacharges
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jmeltzer
11/13/09

@Fractal the Meek: This first point could be the reason that Sprint posted major losses in recent quarterly figures.

At least they are the ethical ones. Except for that whole "long menus eating up minutes" thing... but last I heard some companies were trying to correct that problem. Hopefully. #datacharges
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nikko1221
11/14/09

@Fractal the Meek: uh, check your agreement, you'll see that the calls to cell provider customer service are free. That's why they were grinning, the complainer was seriously ill advised. And you fell for it. #datacharges
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Fractal the Meek
11/14/09

@nikko1221: The menus you hear when you're leaving someone else a voicemail. Which you pay for. Unless there's a button to skip it or you have free mobile to mobile... #datacharges
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Xagest
11/13/09

In reply to Do Verizon Phones Have Intentional Design "Flaws" That Scam You Into Data Charges?
Just got hit with this just month. My sister has an HTC with no data plan, and the Internet Explorer button was pressed while it was in her pocket. Now we have a $12.57 charge on our bill that AT&T refuses to refund.

My mom tried to block data from her account, which ended up blocking her from receiving picture texts. So now we're stuck with a 12 dollar charge, and a tough decision between allowing this to happen again or blocking a service that we pay for.
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Edited by Xagest at 11/13/09 7:04 PM Xagest was starred Xagest was unstarred

newgalactic
11/13/09

In reply to Do Verizon Phones Have Intentional Design "Flaws" That Scam You Into Data Charges?
Of course I've experienced this. And of course Verizon will do nothing to ever change this, it's money in the bank for them.

The solution is to get a phone without the Carrier designed OS installed. HTC/Apple/RIM/Palm/Google couldn't care less if you incur data charges. So they tend to not create a UI that has you accidentally logging on at least twice a month.

Point is, you want to avoid conflicts of interest. 1. Don't let your cell carrier design your phones UI. 2. Don't let your media provider build your audio/video hardware.

...any others? #datacharges
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tande04
11/13/09

@newgalactic: Your answer is to get a smartphone then, which is going to almost always have unlimited data since thats the whole point of having one.

Its nothing about conflict of interests. I still have a extremely hard time believing that VZW or any other carrier is really part of some grand scheme to place buttons so that people are inadvertently charged for stuff. They are about increasing data usage yes. One of the ways that they can do that is to make getting to it more convenient to get there and I see nothing wrong with that. If a consumer is constantly butt dialing their way through the prompts and warnings I'd probably put my phone in a different pocket. #datacharges
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newgalactic
11/13/09

@tande04: Yeah, the "conflicts-of-interest" point isn't as valid in the case where most of the alternatives involve getting an unlimited data plan. But there has to be some Verizon dumb-phones out there with non-carrier created OS's. Sony-Ericsson? Nokia?

And it's not so much a "Grand Scheme", as much as it is an inflated perception of how often people use VCast/VZWeb in comparison to their phone's address book and voicemail.
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Edited by newgalactic at 11/13/09 7:19 PM newgalactic was starred newgalactic was unstarred

tande04
11/13/09

@newgalactic: Nokia maybe (there are no SE VZW phones) but I'm 95% sure that even the nokia is just a skin with some extra features and still has all of the normal VZW acquirements.

I don't think that VZW things people use those more (address book is a dedicated key after all on most phones) but they do have a vested interest in making it easy for people to use. No one is going to jump through six menus to get to web or get it now. They'd probably forget why they wanted to go there by the time they got there. #datacharges
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newgalactic
11/13/09

@tande04: Well, I guess there's your argument. What you call "making it easy" others call failing to take the steps necessary to prevent unintended charges.

To-mA-to vs. To-Ma-to #datacharges
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JackTheTripper
11/13/09

In reply to Do Verizon Phones Have Intentional Design "Flaws" That Scam You Into Data Charges?
I had a phone on sprint that used to do that. I just reprogrammed the buttons to do something else like open contacts. #datacharges
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