Any chance of keeping my ATTWS phone when I switch to Cingular?

I am one of the "lucky" former ATTWS customers who was not
automatically switched to Cingular... some areas were sold to Alltel.
I'm not particularly interested in staying with Alltel, and we have a
brief window of opportunity to cancel our contracts and switch to a
different carrier. I'm leaning toward Cingular.

So... I have this phone, a Nokia 6820, that I absolutely love. I know
that if I go to the Cingular sales weasels and ask if I can sign up for
service with my existing phone that they will laugh and say no. But I
also know that they might be full of B.S. So, is it possible? And if
so, what are the implications of using a "switched" phone as opposed to
a "real" Cingular phone?

And if I am forced to switch, any comments on the Sony/Ericsson phones,
particularly the S710a?

Thanks
Tracy

---

› See More: Any chance of keeping my ATTWS phone when I switch to Cingular?

On 1 Aug 2005 06:10:22 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I am one of the "lucky" former ATTWS customers who was not
>automatically switched to Cingular... some areas were sold to Alltel.
>I'm not particularly interested in staying with Alltel, and we have a
>brief window of opportunity to cancel our contracts and switch to a
>different carrier. I'm leaning toward Cingular.
>
>So... I have this phone, a Nokia 6820, that I absolutely love. I know
>that if I go to the Cingular sales weasels and ask if I can sign up for
>service with my existing phone that they will laugh and say no. But I
>also know that they might be full of B.S. So, is it possible? And if
>so, what are the implications of using a "switched" phone as opposed to
>a "real" Cingular phone?
>
>And if I am forced to switch, any comments on the Sony/Ericsson phones,
>particularly the S710a?
>
>Thanks
>Tracy


OK, I am in an area that was "grandfathered" to Cingular, and my AT&T
phone works fine. Now if you change plans, YMMV....

IcUrdazedandconfused <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 1 Aug 2005 06:10:22 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>>So... I have this phone, a Nokia 6820, that I absolutely love. I know
>>that if I go to the Cingular sales weasels and ask if I can sign up for
>>service with my existing phone that they will laugh and say no. But I

> OK, I am in an area that was "grandfathered" to Cingular, and my AT&T
> phone works fine. Now if you change plans, YMMV....

My grandfathered phone worked fine, but it wasn't a GSM phone, and I think
Cingular will only activate GSM phones. I wanted to change phones anyway,
hoping for better coverage.

For the Nokia 6820, you should be able to get it unlocked, maybe for $5
online at http://www.gsm-software.com/unlock/unlocknokia.html
and have Cingular activate it as a new unlocked phone.

The voice stuff should just work, and various online forums or Cingular
support, or Cingular support, could help you change the data settings, if
you use those.

If Cingular has coverage in your area, why didn't they take the ATT-WS
accounts?

I went for a Motorola V220 and a Motorola V551. I like the V551.
My voice coverage is improved quite a bit over my Nokia 3360.
I had previously used the free-in-the-box bud-headphone. The Motorola
didn't come with one, and I bought a Plantronics MX100. My wife thought I
was still at work when I called from the car, the new headset and phone
were so much better, calling from the same stretch of road.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on 1 Aug 2005
06:10:22 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>And if I am forced to switch, any comments on the Sony/Ericsson phones,
>particularly the S710a?

Very good phone.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

the Cingular store told me today I needed to take my AT&T phone to an
independent store who could unlock it for $30, then come back and they will
fix me up with a Cingular sim card and phone no. If they own AT&T, why can't
they unlock the AT&T phone (Mot V600)?

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am one of the "lucky" former ATTWS customers who was not
> automatically switched to Cingular... some areas were sold to Alltel.
> I'm not particularly interested in staying with Alltel, and we have a
> brief window of opportunity to cancel our contracts and switch to a
> different carrier. I'm leaning toward Cingular.
>
> So... I have this phone, a Nokia 6820, that I absolutely love. I know
> that if I go to the Cingular sales weasels and ask if I can sign up for
> service with my existing phone that they will laugh and say no. But I
> also know that they might be full of B.S. So, is it possible? And if
> so, what are the implications of using a "switched" phone as opposed to
> a "real" Cingular phone?
>
> And if I am forced to switch, any comments on the Sony/Ericsson phones,
> particularly the S710a?
>
> Thanks
> Tracy
>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Tue, 02 Aug 2005
01:07:55 GMT, "DonR." <[email protected]> wrote:

>the Cingular store told me today I needed to take my AT&T phone to an
>independent store who could unlock it for $30, then come back and they will
>fix me up with a Cingular sim card and phone no. If they own AT&T, why can't
>they unlock the AT&T phone (Mot V600)?

It would be a Tech Support nightmare for the company, involving training and
special equipment for many different phones, plus the risk of pissing off
subscribers when things go wrong.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Tue, 02 Aug 2005
05:33:38 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> "DonR." <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> the Cingular store told me today I needed to take my AT&T phone to an
>> independent store who could unlock it for $30, then come back and they will
>> fix me up with a Cingular sim card and phone no. If they own AT&T, why can't
>> they unlock the AT&T phone (Mot V600)?
>
>Contractual agreement as part of the takeover.

Say what? Which specific provision?

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>