Several questions regarding upgrading phone

Hello.

I switched my cell phone service to Cingular several months ago when
moving because SBC was offering a deal on a "Total Connections"
package and a free phone (Sony Ericsson T62u).

At the moment, I would really like to upgrade my phone to something
with a color screen and a camera and other upgrades. Rather than pay
a whole lot by doing the upgrade through Cingular (and possibly have
to renew my contract), I was looking through the "unlocked" phones on
eBay. That's where my questions start:

1. My current phone is a GAIT phone. The phones that have the
options I want are GSM. Will I be able to use the same SIM card?

2. I'll have to switch to the Cingular Nation GSM plan. Any issues
doing that? I am currently on the Cingular Nation plan.

3. I was first looking into getting the Nokia 7250i or 6600 (both GSM
900/1800/1900) because I thought that Milwaukee was under the GSM 1900
umbrella with Cingular. But then I started reading that Milwaukee is
under the 800/850, so those phones wouldn't work. Which is it? Would
it be better to forget those phones and just go with the Nokia 3600,
which Cingular is selling anyways?

I would appreciate any help in this matter.

Thanks,
Eric Mullarky
[email protected]

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› See More: Several questions regarding upgrading phone

My feeling is that unless you are into all the "unlocked phone" geekdom
going around, you are best served to go to the Cingular store and get a
phone that they guarantee will work. If you don't need dependable service
and you like to experiment with stuff, go ahead.

Most of the cool phones now are GSM only. That will limit your Nation Plan
coverage in some areas, since GSM is far from universal. Your best phone
remains to be the GAIT phones, of which there are currently two available
through Cingular.

PJ

"Eric Mullarky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello.
>
> I switched my cell phone service to Cingular several months ago when
> moving because SBC was offering a deal on a "Total Connections"
> package and a free phone (Sony Ericsson T62u).
>
> At the moment, I would really like to upgrade my phone to something
> with a color screen and a camera and other upgrades. Rather than pay
> a whole lot by doing the upgrade through Cingular (and possibly have
> to renew my contract), I was looking through the "unlocked" phones on
> eBay. That's where my questions start:
>
> 1. My current phone is a GAIT phone. The phones that have the
> options I want are GSM. Will I be able to use the same SIM card?
>
> 2. I'll have to switch to the Cingular Nation GSM plan. Any issues
> doing that? I am currently on the Cingular Nation plan.
>
> 3. I was first looking into getting the Nokia 7250i or 6600 (both GSM
> 900/1800/1900) because I thought that Milwaukee was under the GSM 1900
> umbrella with Cingular. But then I started reading that Milwaukee is
> under the 800/850, so those phones wouldn't work. Which is it? Would
> it be better to forget those phones and just go with the Nokia 3600,
> which Cingular is selling anyways?
>
> I would appreciate any help in this matter.
>
> Thanks,
> Eric Mullarky
> [email protected]

Thanks PJ, but that didn't answer any of my questions.


"PJ" <pyoung47(nospam)@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My feeling is that unless you are into all the "unlocked phone" geekdom
> going around, you are best served to go to the Cingular store and get a
> phone that they guarantee will work. If you don't need dependable
service
> and you like to experiment with stuff, go ahead.
>
> Most of the cool phones now are GSM only. That will limit your Nation
Plan
> coverage in some areas, since GSM is far from universal. Your best phone
> remains to be the GAIT phones, of which there are currently two available
> through Cingular.
>
> PJ
>
> "Eric Mullarky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hello.
> >
> > I switched my cell phone service to Cingular several months ago when
> > moving because SBC was offering a deal on a "Total Connections"
> > package and a free phone (Sony Ericsson T62u).
> >
> > At the moment, I would really like to upgrade my phone to something
> > with a color screen and a camera and other upgrades. Rather than pay
> > a whole lot by doing the upgrade through Cingular (and possibly have
> > to renew my contract), I was looking through the "unlocked" phones on
> > eBay. That's where my questions start:
> >
> > 1. My current phone is a GAIT phone. The phones that have the
> > options I want are GSM. Will I be able to use the same SIM card?
> >
> > 2. I'll have to switch to the Cingular Nation GSM plan. Any issues
> > doing that? I am currently on the Cingular Nation plan.
> >
> > 3. I was first looking into getting the Nokia 7250i or 6600 (both GSM
> > 900/1800/1900) because I thought that Milwaukee was under the GSM 1900
> > umbrella with Cingular. But then I started reading that Milwaukee is
> > under the 800/850, so those phones wouldn't work. Which is it? Would
> > it be better to forget those phones and just go with the Nokia 3600,
> > which Cingular is selling anyways?
> >
> > I would appreciate any help in this matter.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Eric Mullarky
> > [email protected]
>
>

they have a Gait phone which they just started carrying which is the LG G4050
which can have a camera attached etc. You might want to check into that

On 31 Oct 2003 21:20:57 GMT, [email protected] (Brevdude) wrote:

>they have a Gait phone which they just started carrying which is the LG G4050
>which can have a camera attached etc. You might want to check into that

LG G4050 is *not* a GAIT phone. It is a dual band 850/1900 GSM phone.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To send an email reply send to
GSMthemobilestandard ( yahoo.com

[email protected] (Eric Mullarky) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> At the moment, I would really like to upgrade my phone to something
> with a color screen and a camera and other upgrades. Rather than pay
> a whole lot by doing the upgrade through Cingular (and possibly have
> to renew my contract), I was looking through the "unlocked" phones on
> eBay. That's where my questions start:
>
> 1. My current phone is a GAIT phone. The phones that have the
> options I want are GSM. Will I be able to use the same SIM card?

Yes.

> 2. I'll have to switch to the Cingular Nation GSM plan. Any issues
> doing that? I am currently on the Cingular Nation plan.

Kinda sorta. You could opt to use the new phone locally, and stick
the SIM back in the GAIT phone when you travel.
That's the beauty of GSM.

> 3. I was first looking into getting the Nokia 7250i or 6600 (both GSM
> 900/1800/1900) because I thought that Milwaukee was under the GSM 1900
> umbrella with Cingular. But then I started reading that Milwaukee is
> under the 800/850, so those phones wouldn't work. Which is it?

Cingular is 800MHz almost everywhere they sell GAIT phones, including
Milwaukee. They don't have a 1900MHz license there.

> Would
> it be better to forget those phones and just go with the Nokia 3600,
> which Cingular is selling anyways?

IMHO, yes. I love my 3650 (the 900/1800/1900 version ) with T-Mo.
(It's huge by today's standards though.)

> > 2. I'll have to switch to the Cingular Nation GSM plan. Any issues
> > doing that? I am currently on the Cingular Nation plan.
>
> Kinda sorta. You could opt to use the new phone locally, and stick
> the SIM back in the GAIT phone when you travel.
> That's the beauty of GSM.

That sounds like a very good idea that I did not think of. Also, involving
Cingular as little as possible would be best... I haven't had the best luck
with them.

> > Would
> > it be better to forget those phones and just go with the Nokia 3600,
> > which Cingular is selling anyways?
>
> IMHO, yes. I love my 3650 (the 900/1800/1900 version ) with T-Mo.
> (It's huge by today's standards though.)

I currently have the T62u, which is only fractionally smaller. So I'm
already used to a bigger phone.

Thanks for your help.

Eric

Eric Mullarky wrote:

> At the moment, I would really like to upgrade my phone to something
> with a color screen and a camera and other upgrades. Rather than pay
> a whole lot by doing the upgrade through Cingular (and possibly have
> to renew my contract), I was looking through the "unlocked" phones on
> eBay.

From reading this NG, it appears that GAIT phones have problems
getting to seamlessly work in a GSM or TDMA area. GSM only phones
won't works in areas I need service - so they are out. GAIT may or
may not always work on Cingular's or a roaming partners network.

I'm really really considering activating two of my old Nokia 5160 TDMA
phones and use them at least two years before I upgrade.

Anyone see any potential problems, like some areas dropping TDMA
altogether within the next two years?