Nokia 3560 - Switching Prepaid to Contract

I recently purchased a Nokia 3560 cell phone for use with a prepaid service.
Originally I intended the phone to be used mainly as just an 'emergency
phone' (glove box phone). Going the prepaid route made the most economic
sense, as with even SMS text messaging and email it amounted to only around
$8/month to keep the phone active and be able to recieve 1,000 messages per
month. (1,000 messages translates to essentially unliminted text messages
and email for me.)

I have, however, found myself using the phone for voice more than I
intented. I now plan to go on a contract. I realize that the 3560 is a
TDMA phone and service contracts are available with either AT&T or Cingular.
After doing some comparison, I wish to go with Cingular -- as AT&T does not
provide TDMA internet data services.

I am unfamiliar with how cellular contracts now work. I have put off having
a cell phone as long as possible. (I always regarded them as electronic
leashes.) My last cell phone contract was in 1992, so I imagine things have
changed dramatically since then.

Quick questions (if you don't mind).

1. Do carriers make it difficult to go with their service contracts using an
already owned phone? All the plans I have read so far include a phone
(which basically you have to buy).

2. I want to use the 3560's built-in web browser. AT&T doesn't offer
internet services for TDMA, but Cingular does. Since I purchased the phone
for another service, the provider disabled the "Services" menu (menu 10).
Does anyone know the *# code to re-enable it?

3. I travel often through rural areas. Does anyone use a signal booster
that they can recommend? I'm not refering to the passive sticker-booster
scams, but an actual active amplifier for use in a vehicle. I will spend up
to $200 for something that works well.

Thanks...

---

› See More: Nokia 3560 - Switching Prepaid to Contract

Why not just get the nokia 6090 carphone since ure using it on a car? 8W of
GSM transmitter power will be great! (compared to max 2W on a normal phone)
Lookie on nokia website for more info ..

"eric" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
| I recently purchased a Nokia 3560 cell phone for use with a prepaid
service.
| Originally I intended the phone to be used mainly as just an 'emergency
| phone' (glove box phone). Going the prepaid route made the most economic
| sense, as with even SMS text messaging and email it amounted to only
around
| $8/month to keep the phone active and be able to recieve 1,000 messages
per
| month. (1,000 messages translates to essentially unliminted text messages
| and email for me.)
|
| I have, however, found myself using the phone for voice more than I
| intented. I now plan to go on a contract. I realize that the 3560 is a
| TDMA phone and service contracts are available with either AT&T or
Cingular.
| After doing some comparison, I wish to go with Cingular -- as AT&T does
not
| provide TDMA internet data services.
|
| I am unfamiliar with how cellular contracts now work. I have put off
having
| a cell phone as long as possible. (I always regarded them as electronic
| leashes.) My last cell phone contract was in 1992, so I imagine things
have
| changed dramatically since then.
|
| Quick questions (if you don't mind).
|
| 1. Do carriers make it difficult to go with their service contracts using
an
| already owned phone? All the plans I have read so far include a phone
| (which basically you have to buy).
|
| 2. I want to use the 3560's built-in web browser. AT&T doesn't offer
| internet services for TDMA, but Cingular does. Since I purchased the
phone
| for another service, the provider disabled the "Services" menu (menu 10).
| Does anyone know the *# code to re-enable it?
|
| 3. I travel often through rural areas. Does anyone use a signal booster
| that they can recommend? I'm not refering to the passive sticker-booster
| scams, but an actual active amplifier for use in a vehicle. I will spend
up
| to $200 for something that works well.
|
| Thanks...
|
|

It depends on what provider your cell phone is from. At&t phones usually
come shipped that are provider specific, like tmobile, and sprint do. I ran
into this problem trying to switch a phone to Dobson (Cellular One).
Cingular is good about checking on these things as well as offering good
plans at reasonable prices.

"eric" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I recently purchased a Nokia 3560 cell phone for use with a prepaid
service.
> Originally I intended the phone to be used mainly as just an 'emergency
> phone' (glove box phone). Going the prepaid route made the most economic
> sense, as with even SMS text messaging and email it amounted to only
around
> $8/month to keep the phone active and be able to recieve 1,000 messages
per
> month. (1,000 messages translates to essentially unliminted text messages
> and email for me.)
>
> I have, however, found myself using the phone for voice more than I
> intented. I now plan to go on a contract. I realize that the 3560 is a
> TDMA phone and service contracts are available with either AT&T or
Cingular.
> After doing some comparison, I wish to go with Cingular -- as AT&T does
not
> provide TDMA internet data services.
>
> I am unfamiliar with how cellular contracts now work. I have put off
having
> a cell phone as long as possible. (I always regarded them as electronic
> leashes.) My last cell phone contract was in 1992, so I imagine things
have
> changed dramatically since then.
>
> Quick questions (if you don't mind).
>
> 1. Do carriers make it difficult to go with their service contracts using
an
> already owned phone? All the plans I have read so far include a phone
> (which basically you have to buy).
>
> 2. I want to use the 3560's built-in web browser. AT&T doesn't offer
> internet services for TDMA, but Cingular does. Since I purchased the
phone
> for another service, the provider disabled the "Services" menu (menu 10).
> Does anyone know the *# code to re-enable it?
>
> 3. I travel often through rural areas. Does anyone use a signal booster
> that they can recommend? I'm not refering to the passive sticker-booster
> scams, but an actual active amplifier for use in a vehicle. I will spend
up
> to $200 for something that works well.
>
> Thanks...
>
>