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The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
BlackBerry Bold 9700 Impressions: Small and Chirpy, Like a Black Hummingbird
T-Mobile's Super Speedy 7.2Mbps 3G Rollout Has Begun
T-Mobile Blames Nationwide Service Outage On Software Error
T-Mobile Says Voice and Messaging Service Is Restored
T-Mobile Confirms Nationwide Service Outage
Dutch Hacker Holds Jailbroken iPhones Hostage For €5 Ransom While Exposing Security Vulnerability
T-Mobile UK Gets the HTC Touch HD2 November 9, Now What About the U.S?
Sony Ericsson Equinox 3G Clamshell Phone: Exclusive to T-Mobile on October 28

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Odin
11/25/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
I have a relatively dumb phone. But it's:

A) A cheapass contract phone which while not having a huge amount of minutes has unlimited texting and 3G internet as well as free calls to anyone on the same provider.

B) Has Skype and facebook integrated. Skype is a big draw for me as I can talk to most people I know on it.

I was thinking of getting an iPhone but eh it's not that worthwhile. Don't get me wrong it's still a great phone but you can do a similar job with an iPod Touch and a 3G mifi for a lot less money which is what I'm doing instead.

Depends how much you value a compass, GPS and a camera. Out of those I think I'll only miss the camera and only barely.

If I do pick up a proper smartphone when my contracts up I'll probably go android. I couldn't justify an iPhone after purchasing a 3rd Gen iPod Touch.
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tnkgrl
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
Forget the Cliq - substitute with the N900 :)

Incidentally, that's what's in my pockets right now (Pre, Droid, 3GS, N900)...

Ah the joys of review units!
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Colin Cassady
11/24/09

@tnkgrl: are you the same tnkgrl from the OQOtalk forums?

And Amazon has yet to ship my n900 :(
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cruzer555
11/24/09

@tnkgrl: n900? How stinky! The best tmobile phone is an unlocked 3gs
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tnkgrl promoted this comment cruzer555 was starred cruzer555 was unstarred

tnkgrl
11/25/09

@cruzer555: But the 3GS does not have 3G on T-Mobile US, while the N900 does.
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Edited by tnkgrl at 11/25/09 12:38 AM tnkgrl was starred tnkgrl was unstarred

tnkgrl
11/25/09

@Colin Cassady: It is me, but mostly I'm here: [tnkgrl.wordpress.com]
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cruzer555
11/25/09

@tnkgrl: Its worth it for the vastly superior hardware and software.
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tnkgrl
12:06 AM

@cruzer555: The N900 and iPhone 3GS have the same processor, and the iPhone wins by being thinner and featuring a capacitive screen...

Otherwise the N900 hardware wins in every way. Better primary camera (5 MP with Zeiss lens and dual-LED flash), higher screen resolution (800x480), hardware keyboard, standard micro USB data/power port, micro-SDHC card slot (in addition to the built-in 32 GB of storage), stereo speakers, secondary front-facing camera (VGA), built-in kick stand!

So how the iPhone 3GS hardware better than the N900 again?

I have both devices, and own the iPhone 3GS (the N900 is a review unit), so I'm just being objective here.
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The Lab
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
Seeing two Motorola phones in the "best phones" article makes me feel like I'm in a time warp. I'm glad they're back, they make great quality handsets.
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Mr_Human
11/24/09

@The Lab: Hah. Not in my experience. I loved my RAZR back in the day, but it was of poor build quality. Needed replacing several times.
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The Lab
11/24/09

@Mr_Human: Yeah they fell apart, just less frequently than any other phone of that RAZR era. I mean, cast metal hinges, glass screens and laser cut metal keypads. What was made better than that, at the time? Not that Kyocera or LG crap. Possibly Sony Ericsson, they were good. I'd be happy to see them make a comeback as well.
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tande04
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
I guess I hadn't realized how quickly T-mobile had fallen.

Used to be there was no question you'd see the G1 on there but now admittedly its a little outdated and t-mobile insists on holding on to it.

Time to make something happen T-mobile.
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BroScience
11/24/09

@tande04: it maybe older, but its not outdated. with some tweaks from XDA, it can hold its own against the Cliq.
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tande04
11/24/09

@BroScience: No doubt but the fact its not on the list speaks volumes to me.

What I was really getting at was that the Cliq is a far inferior phone to the G1 in most ways.
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Edited by tande04 at 11/24/09 11:16 AM tande04 was starred tande04 was unstarred

Badongadoodle
11/24/09

@tande04: make a list of those inferior ways, please. if you are goint to drop a dump like that - back it up. Ah, and a .2" smaller screen dosnt count.
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MarcusMaximus
11/24/09

@tande04: That's not really true. The Cliq is equal or better than the G1 in every way. The only way I could see an argument for it being lacking is that so far, as far as I've heard, there's been no luck at getting root on it. That's really just a matter of time, though, and it honestly took a while on the G1 as well.
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OCEntertainment
11/24/09

@Badongadoodle: I'll offer some input if you promise to never use the phrase "back up that dump" again. ;-)

The CLIQ (last I checked) was running Android 1.5, which means it's already a generation behind. It also disqualifies it from the GPS app. Additionally, the MOTOBLUR interface is a questionable advantage at best. From what I've seen, the Facebook/Twitter integration gadgets are less than stellar and only provide a chaotic view of your network.

I don't think the G1 is head and shoulders above the CLIQ....but I do think it has a little more dignity. If nothing else because it gets the Google Experience branding instead of MOTOBLUR. Sense and Rachael were good improvements on top of Android. I'm less than convinced that MOTOBLUR has such an advantage.
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tande04
11/24/09

@Badongadoodle: I'll defer to OCEntertainment here and go further and point out just general build qualities. If Moto put out the best they have with the droid then the cliq is certainly the worst. Every review of motoblur has been less than stellar. The widgets add little but sluggishness. The cliq may have more memory but you lose most of it just with blur (not to mention battery life, which on the g1 has been pretty damn good since 1.6).

Then there are other advantages that are debatable but often pointed out.
5 row QWERTY
Dedicated call keys
Secondary pointing device

So the real question would be what does the cliq have that the G1 doesn't?
5.0 camera which is always a debatable inclusion.

Really though I wasn't really trying to say that the G1 is out and out better. Regardless of any other argument I'd say that everyone agreed that the G1 was a flagship phone for t-mobile. I'm amazed if anyone could really say the same for the cliq. Hell even t-mobile still pimps the MyTouch more then they market the cliq.
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Edited by tande04 at 11/24/09 1:50 PM tande04 was starred tande04 was unstarred

anexanhume
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
After having owned an iPhone and now owning a Droid, I'd have to say no to the iphone having the best user interface. If for nothing else than the beautiful shade.
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tande04
11/24/09

@anexanhume: I just think its funny that people only say that now that the droid came out.

Its the same thing its been from the beginning in most ways. Some tweaks here and there. People must love the flat icons.
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Badongadoodle
11/24/09

@tande04: I dont know where you have been shopping, but how does a user interface differ with flat icons? Oh yeah, it does not.
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MarcusMaximus
11/24/09

@anexanhume: As an owner of a G1, I'd agree with you. Also, the fact that the android marketplace isn't ruled over with an iron fist means that we get apps like SNESoid/Gameboid that will never be available on the App Store.
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tande04
11/24/09

@Badongadoodle: That would be the point but thanks for playing.

Besides some changes in settings and other backend stuff what is the main difference between 2.0 and 1.6? Flat icons.

#tips
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OCEntertainment
11/24/09

@MarcusMaximus: Thanks for tipping me off to what will likely be the complete ruination of my productivity forever.

*downloads Gameboid*
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Segador
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
But...where's my N-Gage?
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DustyButt™
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
This thread is going to become a total flame fest. Oh well. I have to say. You shouldn't count jailbreaking as a feature. You should weigh the merits out of the box. As far as the iPhone, you shouldn't have to jailbreak or hack a phone to gain functionality.

Everyone has their needs but I have to say, after my real world usage, it's, at the very least, a dead heat between the Droid and the iPhone.

After 3 weeks with the Droid I don't miss my iPhone AT ALL. My only plan for my iPhone is to unlock it and use a prepaid sim when I travel overseas (I'm pretty sure that's possible, if not I'm not too worried).

WTF? ... a jailbroken iPhone on Tmo? Oh well. TMo coverage is trash anyway.
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Edited by DustyButt™ at 11/24/09 10:46 AM DustyButt™ was starred DustyButt™ was unstarred

jakemg
11/24/09

@DustyButt™: I have a MT3G on Tmobile, and have no problems with coverage in the Chicago area, but I take it you're referring to nationwide coverage. I guess that's true. The fact that I got my phone, which is useable, but not the best, for $40 when I wasn't even eligible for an upgrade softens the blow a bit.
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DustyButt™
11/24/09

@jakemg: Yeah, I tried to refine and edit my comment but my work browser and this site really don't get along.

Yes, Tmo national coverage is really bad for those who travel regionally.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
matt,

You really need an editor. The best smartphone on AT&T is a Jailbroken iPhone.
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OCEntertainment
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier
Honestly the CLIQ seems almost highway robbery at $100, compared with all the other Android phones out there. The more I see of the CLIQ, the less I like it. For myself, I can't stant the iPhone and I'd call an unlocked iPhone the best on T-Mo, if the CLIQ is its competition. The fact that it has 3G powers doesn't overshoot what the iPhone can do. Caveat: if the CLIQ is running Android 1.6, and thus qualifies for the new Maps app, then...maybe.

Also: Droid for $150? Surprising and pleasing.
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fryhole
11/24/09

@OCEntertainment: T-Mobile's phone prices should always be followed by a *. Side by side the $200 Cliq looks [LUDA]crous next to the $150 Droid, but the phone is more expensive because the plans are so much cheaper. On Verizon an equivalent all-you-can-eat plan costs about $40 more per month.
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OCEntertainment
11/24/09

@fryhole: Well, the CLIQ is actually $100 at the linked Wal-Mart site (if you don't mind dealing with the devil ;-)). But your point is well-taken.

The thing to consider, though, is network quality. I've been pretty happy on T-Mobile for the most part. I don't get that great 3G reception in my house, but my building can account for a lot of that. When I travel Atlanta, I get pretty good 3G reception most of the time.

However back when I was on Verizon and I took a trip around the U.S, I managed to get cell reception from underneath the Rocky Mountains. I traveled around 20 or 30 states, most of them drive-through states. I never lost reception. This may not be a typical need, but if you do a lot of traveling, or if you don't live in a (sub)urban area, that extra money may be more than worth it.
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fryhole
11/24/09

@OCEntertainment: There's no arguing with Verizon's network (please stop trying AT&T). I too am a former red head, but left after they just wouldn't get any phones I could stomach carrying. Of course, back then, you could buy European phones and have them work just the same as US phones on the T-mo network.

And if you think you have network beef with T-Mobile, try going to college in Iowa where local wireless provider (read:shittastly awful) Iowa Wireless provides all of the T-Mobile service in rural areas. Sprint and Verizon both have 3G here, but what does i-wireless have? Edge. Sometimes. Ahhh Iowa...how frontwards you are with technology.
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Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo
11/24/09

In reply to The Best Smartphones on Every Carrier

I'm pretty sure the Samsung M520 is the best phone you can get on sprint.
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UnderLoK
11/24/09

@Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo: Um... The Rant is better than that thing.
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Jacubious
11/16/09

In reply to Why U.S. Wireless Pricing Sucks
It could be worse, you could be stuck with Canadian pricing. #wireless
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UnderLoK
11/15/09

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
11/15/09

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
11/15/09

@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
11/15/09

@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
11/15/09

@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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JAlexoid
11/15/09

@AmphetamineCrown: But that still does not explain why you are charged for incoming messages. To my knowledge, sending a message to a landline phone is impossible, therefore the sender should be charged 100% of the service. #wireless
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AmphetamineCrown
11/16/09

@JAlexoid: @rwalford79: I don't think there is any question that carriers could implement calling party pays as a technical matter. The problem is that consumers in the US has always lived with mobile called party pays and no one seems to be asking for that to be changed. Part of the reason might have been addressed by the article, in fact, which is that Americans seem to prefer predictability. If you go calling party pays, there is a much greater variation in your telco bill depending upon whom you call.

With large minute bucket plans, larger and larger pools of non-charged minute (in-network, mobile-to-mobile), and niche carriers offering all-you-can-eat voice, it isn't going to be too long before voice isn't really a per minute service anyway. #wireless
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Radioheadonist
11/16/09

@dragon: ONE: Does this mean you are a "315-er"? #wireless
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dragon:ONE
11/16/09

@Radioheadonist: Yep, a 315-er. #wireless
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Radioheadonist
11/16/09

@dragon: ONE: I was a 315-er for the majority of my life. I just became a 585-er about three years ago (not much of an "upgrade" if you ask me). It's nice to see some fairly local Giz readers! #wireless
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dragon:ONE
11/16/09

@Radioheadonist: Define 'local'. 315 covers too broad an area. Ogdensburg/Canton area? #wireless
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Radioheadonist
11/16/09

@dragon: ONE: True, sorry. I was from the Syracuse region. Now, Rochester. #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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