Database Users

Why I Am OK With $530

After reading all the stories, lots of comments on blogs and forums, I have had enough of the BS about how $530 is over priced and way too much and blah blah blah. You guys want the latest and greatest but aren't willing to pay any more than $5 for it.
Every single phone worth money for years has had an unsubsidized price of at least $550 with a few exceptions of course (G1 is only $400, but it is a generation old hardware). An iPhone 3GS 32gb retails for $699 straight up. The HTC HD2 is $899 on Amazon. Good phones aren't cheap as I am sure a lot of you know. So in this respect, $530 is actually a pretty good deal; especially when you compare it to the HD2 which has the same processor and similar hardware. You are getting a next-gen phone with the best screen to ever be on a phone, double the ram of most high end phones, and double the resolution of most high end phones. You expected the best of the best to be cheap? Pfft...
Also, my current T-Mobile plan is superior to what is going to be offered. It will be cheaper and easier in the long run to just buy the phone straight up.
What I am seeing from people is they see $530 and freak the hell out because they have the $180 to compare it against. Sure, there is a big difference there, but you are locked in to a contract for 2 years. $80 * 24 months + $180 = $2100 over 2 years! AND you only have 500 minutes. If you bought the phone straight up and went with Even More Plus for $80/mo, you get unlimited everything. $80 * 24 months + $530 = $2450. Yes, this is more expensive, HOWEVER, how many times will you go over your 500 minutes in the next 2 years? If this is not a problem for you, by all means, go right ahead and get the contract deal since it suits you. But for me, and I suspect most people, 500 minutes is not enough. For the additional $350 over 2 years, or $14.58 and change every month, it is worth having those unlimited minutes.
Does anybody else agree with me on this? All of my phone junkies I talk to agree that $530 is reasonable. Sure, we all would love a less expensive phone, but lets get real here...
Oh, and if this "leak" turns out to be false, than what an awesome waste of time and all of this is moot! LOL

Agree with you on this. My current plan is dirt cheep for unlimited data and no 2 year contract, so I'll shell out the $530 if that's all official after the 5th!

people are trippin over $530 for a phone like this? I paid $550 for my unlocked fuze last year, $800 for unbranded touch pro 2 in April, unlocked motorola droid(milestone) is $800! Al least this phone has some kind of US 3G support, unlike most unbranded phones that come state side. I think I'm a get it day 1, and then get the Bravo when it come out later this year if Sense UI cant be import on the Nexus.

I agree with you guys wholeheartedly. To be honest though, I think it's most telling to compare plans in an apples to apples manner. I'm a dork with a background in finance, so yes, I created a spreadsheet to calculate all the costs incrementally to see where changes in costs were coming from in my comparison.
After running through the numbers and calculating total costs over a 24 month term, for the 500 minute EM and EM+ plans, with the respective phone costs, the total cost over 24 months if I bought the phone unlocked would be $1970. If I purchased it on contract for $180, the total I'd spend over 24 months would be $2100.
There's NO WAY that you'll spend more over the long term with the EM+ plan UNLESS you're eligible for a corporate discount on the EM plan (which I happily am). With my discount, the total for the EM plan comes to $1811, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The problem here is that most people are spoiled by the subsidized prices of phones. What they're not realizing is that they're paying for that subsidy in the form of more expensive plans...and then some, as my illustration above clearly proves. If T-mobile allows us to finance unsubsidized phones for 20 months on EM+ plans, then this works out to be more manageable for consumers. Either way, though... people need to consider total cost of ownership (TCO)... not just monthly cost and initial cash outlay for the device.

Exactly! Thanks for doing that. People just don't look for future savings and would rather have instant gratification. They are excited by a cheap up front cost and monthly service fee be damned!

I totally agree with you. it is by far the best phone in terms of specifications and price compared to its competitors (iphone 3gs, HD2).
Thanks for explaining this to people.

T-Mo Unlimited Voice/Web/Text $79.99/mo x 24 months = $1,920
Phone: $530.00
====
Total: $2,450.00
IPhone Plan
AT&T Unlimited Voice/Web/Text $149.99/mo for 24 months = $3,600
Phone: $200.00
====
Total: $3,800.00
-No contract for the T-Mobile plan
-No texts? AT&T without any text message plan still comes to $3,320

I was hoping for unlocked-only availability. It would keep certain... um... people... from buying the phone and then flooding the forums with questions, tacky themes, etc.

Dont really care about the price. It's actually not too bad, but if they only offer a 3g for Tmobile version here in the states then why bother selling it from google? Now...if they offer a few versions that can do 3g on several of the networks, or the final device gives us 3g on AT&T and Tmobile (and perhaps they do a verizon version too!)...that would be an awesome sale.

lordmaxx said:
Dont really care about the price. It's actually not too bad, but if they only offer a 3g for Tmobile version here in the states then why bother selling it from google? Now...if they offer a few versions that can do 3g on several of the networks, or the final device gives us 3g on AT&T and Tmobile (and perhaps they do a verizon version too!)...that would be an awesome sale.
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I imagine that Google will be releasing high-end phones for all carriers this year. I think they started with T-mobile for a variety of possible reasons. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they felt that T-mo should get preference because they were the first carrier to carry the Android torch to market. I also wouldn't be surprised if Google had planned this all along and that T-mobile was promised to get the first "Google phone". Obviously this is all conjecture, but it makes sense from a business perspective.

uansari1 said:
I imagine that Google will be releasing high-end phones for all carriers this year. I think they started with T-mobile for a variety of possible reasons. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they felt that T-mo should get preference because they were the first carrier to carry the Android torch to market. I also wouldn't be surprised if Google had planned this all along and that T-mobile was promised to get the first "Google phone". Obviously this is all conjecture, but it makes sense from a business perspective.
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But the problem with getting the first of anything is it will be ancient by the time other carriers receive their Android devices

Not necessarily. Given the specs of this phone, I can't see it becoming obsolete as quickly as the G1 did. I could be wrong, but how soon would you think a phone would come out with over 1ghz processor and over 512 ram and rom?

uansari1 said:
Not necessarily. Given the specs of this phone, I can't see it becoming obsolete as quickly as the G1 did. I could be wrong, but how soon would you think a phone would come out with over 1ghz processor and over 512 ram and rom?
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Aren't there already two other snapdragon devices out? What about the rumors of another iphone being released later this year?
I think the g1 may have been just as big when it came out. Times change, so does technology. The N1 may seem like the hottest new device, but it's the Nexus ONE just as the Dream was the Gee ONE. Look at where we are now. With at least half a dozen android capable devices out in about a year and 50+ rumored by 2012.

andythefan said:
Aren't there already two other snapdragon devices out? What about the rumors of another iphone being released later this year?
I think the g1 may have been just as big when it came out. Times change, so does technology. The N1 may seem like the hottest new device, but it's the Nexus ONE just as the Dream was the Gee ONE. Look at where we are now. With at least half a dozen android capable devices out in about a year and 50+ rumored by 2012.
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Your points are well taken. No one's saying that this is THE ultimate phone of all time. It's simply the greatest Android phone to be released yet, and based on its specs, it seems to be a very significant advance forward in hardware as compared to other devices, aside from Droid.

uansari1 said:
Your points are well taken. No one's saying that this is THE ultimate phone of all time. It's simply the greatest Android phone to be released yet, and based on its specs, it seems to be a very significant advance forward in hardware as compared to other devices, aside from Droid.
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Before the Droid all the Android devices were mostly similar (form factor, screen resolution/size, cpu, etc). This is just like the Droid. It was supposed to be the greatest Android device until the next phone showed up a few months later. How do we know a device with similar or better specs won't show up soon? HTC's leaked roadmap has a lot of impressive devices scheduled for this year.
The marketplace is only going to fragment even more Developers aren't happy coding for all these different devices.

IDK if you all are missing the point or if maybe im just redirecting it but here goes
This does not fit into how google normally does things. Correct me if im wrong but the formula usually goes
Take good service/software and make it better + dirt cheap or free+data mining = profit$$
If they aren't subsidizing any of the cost, why should we let them have our data?

esincho said:
people are trippin over $530 for a phone like this? I paid $550 for my unlocked fuze last year, $800 for unbranded touch pro 2 in April, unlocked motorola droid(milestone) is $800! Al least this phone has some kind of US 3G support, unlike most unbranded phones that come state side. I think I'm a get it day 1, and then get the Bravo when it come out later this year if Sense UI cant be import on the Nexus.
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Click to collapse
I am fully agree with your statement that at least this phone has some sort of US 3G support which many unlocked phones lacked or manufacturers are too slow to release the US 3G version (read: Nokia N95 NAM edition).
I think this angry attitude is a manifestation of our credit-driven lifestyle. Many people don't realize that paying cheaper price for a phone alongside mandatory 2 years contract (and ETFs if we decided to cancel) is more expensive. Even if they do, the fact that they can OWN the product NOW (regardless whether you can afford the whole price or not) is what makes it desirable in this part of the world.
Regarding the fact that it doesn't support AT&T 3G bands, well suck it up because iPhone didn't support T-Mobile 3G either and I'm sure there are many Tmob subscribers are interested to get that capabilities too. Until US cleared up these 3G band fragmentation (which probably won't happen), we are at the mercy of these manufacturers to step up their game and put in Quad Band UMTS as opposed to cherry picking 3 UMTS bands to be put into their phones.

Only thing making me think twice is when will a keyboard version of the hardware come out.

burton14e7 said:
Only thing making me think twice is when will a keyboard version of the hardware come out.
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The keyboard phone with these specs would be the next G1, most likely to come out just in time for the early G1 adopters to renew their contracts.

uansari1 said:
I agree with you guys wholeheartedly. To be honest though, I think it's most telling to compare plans in an apples to apples manner. I'm a dork with a background in finance, so yes, I created a spreadsheet to calculate all the costs incrementally to see where changes in costs were coming from in my comparison.
After running through the numbers and calculating total costs over a 24 month term, for the 500 minute EM and EM+ plans, with the respective phone costs, the total cost over 24 months if I bought the phone unlocked would be $1970. If I purchased it on contract for $180, the total I'd spend over 24 months would be $2100.
There's NO WAY that you'll spend more over the long term with the EM+ plan UNLESS you're eligible for a corporate discount on the EM plan (which I happily am). With my discount, the total for the EM plan comes to $1811, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The problem here is that most people are spoiled by the subsidized prices of phones. What they're not realizing is that they're paying for that subsidy in the form of more expensive plans...and then some, as my illustration above clearly proves. If T-mobile allows us to finance unsubsidized phones for 20 months on EM+ plans, then this works out to be more manageable for consumers. Either way, though... people need to consider total cost of ownership (TCO)... not just monthly cost and initial cash outlay for the device.
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Click to collapse
Expanding on this and assuming no discounts...
Option A) Buy the phone for $180 subsidized and the 500-minute plan for $80/mo, signing a contract to pay $2100 total over 24 mos.
Option B) Buy the phone for $530 unsubsidized and unlocked and choose the comparable 500-minute plus unlimited text/data Even More Plus plan for $60/mo for a total cost of $1970 over 24 mos with no contract.
So over two years of the phone and contract, you save $130 by going with option B.
But will you really last two years? Let's see what happens if you want to change phones after one year, which is entirely possible given the rate at which mobile technology is moving.
Option A) Early reports indicate a $350 early termination fee imposed by T-Mobile during the first 120 days, but no details have been learned about the fee past that window. Let's assume it reduces linearly to zero over the remaining life of the contract, meaning your fee for leaving early would be $210 at the one year mark. This puts you at $1350 to get out free and clear from the phone and contract.
Option B) You have no ETF, so you'll have paid $1250 at the end of one year.
So, even after just a year you still spend $100 less buying unsubsidized. Further, your phone will already be unlocked and unbranded, ready for quick sale on E-bay.
Pretty simple choice for me. Less money & easy to move on = no-brainer.

Htc hd2 -- $48.88

Sick to my stomach
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/06/walmart-selling-htc-hd2-for-48-88/

amazon
Amazon price: $49.99 (with new service plan)

I would have done this, except I couldn't add a line through amazon.

I wonder if the outright purchase price has dropped any? At this pricing it would have been worthwhile for me to renew my contract and get roped into the $30 a month data plan.
I outright purchased my HD2 since over the course of the 2 years that my contract would have been extended, the extra $10 a month for the data would have eaten up the savings of getting the HD2 subsidized.
Just the cost of being an early adopter

What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?

rickyoon.vegas said:
What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?
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It's quite sad really. Majority of the people who get the HD2 in the USA are not people who know what Windows Mobile is, and for the most part, get frustrated when they treat it as a phone, instead of a personal computer (SENSE's imperfections is partly to blame for this, which is why I never recommend SENSE to people). I can honestly vouch that the majority of people who got this phone got it because the screen is bigger than the iPhone (and that it is supposed to be T-Mobile's iPhone). That's about it.
Because of this, I"m pretty sure TMobile is experiencing so many returns/complaints from people who have little to know knowledge about Windows Mobile. Therefore, I'm getting the feeling that T-Mobile is starting to think that it's not worth it and is deciding to just push the stock out ASAP (lock whoever they can for the next 2 years), or what's left of it, keep a couple of thousand in stock for return/repair/warranty issues, and call it quits soon (which might lend proof to the upcoming rumor that T-Mobile is ending HD2 soon in July).
It's really sad, because the T-Mobile's HD2 is one of the most solid phones I have ever held in my hand which no cracks, crease, or squeaks. It is a hardware marvel in so many respects it puts a lot of other phones to shame.
Windows Mobile is an OS that is for a very niche market, because it requires a certain finesse and tolerance that a majority of users simply do not have (I give credit to Apple for making a device that works well for the features that it has). Windows Mobile phones are part phone, part personal computer, and part software-gadgetry-hobby for the tech enthusiast.

rickyoon.vegas said:
What the hell.
dropped $150 in what, 2 months?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as above said, its probably because it is becoming a headache for them. I bet they've had hundreds of returns because people have come here, flashed the wrong thing and bricked it, plus thousands more who simply dont get the phone, and have no clue how to start to understand it.
As a line of phones its probably somewhere between a great moneymaker and a support nightmare for tmo.

Sheesh, cut the price I paid in HALF! The nerve....
($99 from Wirefly at release)
As for why, well, I noticed a lot of HD2 commercials from HTC leading up to the release of Evo, then haven't seen any HD2 ones at all after that. Understandable for HTC, but bad for TMO, and it's affiliates. Perhaps lower prices are trying to pull the interest back to the "older" phone.

I got mine at launch at wal-mart - it was $149, so this is a $100 price drop

Shame those of us who paid 350+ can't get some of that cash back lol.

Not to mention that the resale values on eBay will DIVE when we want to sell ours in a year and possibly upgrade. Prices people are paying for used Nexus One's and Apple 3G's is insane! Fortunately paid about 75 in May through Letstalk.com with a coupon so I can definately get that back in a year. At the time Tmobile was charging 199 with a new service agreement. Their return rate must have been like a tidal wave. Amazing that a month ago people couldn't even get this phone as it was constantly on backorder! Guess a software/radio upgrade from Tmobile is now going to be out of the question?!!!
Agree that is a great phone with some minor software flaws but the hardware has been flawless. Look over at the EVO forum and many are have issues with screen delams, bleeding of backlight, badly grounded screens that repond even when touching the kickstand. My HD2 has been perfect - no flexing, dead pixels or button problems.

hd2
i didnt even pay for mine yet. tmobile billed me 130 and i have to pay two payments of 25 bucks so 200 total but they credited me 50 so it was only 150 now i havent had a fone in about month cuz i thought id be paying 25 extra for 6 months and now the fone is cheaper then i got it for with an extra 50, i think im going to call them and try to get my price adjusted !! its going for a third of what i am supposed to pay i might threaten to leave tmobile again or something

just be happy you all got it so much cheaper than the rest of the world to start with. An extra 100 dollars is chicken feed.

Lawl. I would love that the HD2 gets discontinued. It'll make us remaining T-Mobile HD2 owners stand like the few and the proud.

PoisonWolf said:
Lawl. I would love that the HD2 gets discontinued. It'll make us remaining T-Mobile HD2 owners stand like the few and the proud.
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HA! That's what I think as well! It'll be like the "Hard to get your hands on" phone.

Really? The Few, The Proud, The HD2 Owner.
It's still just a phone at the end of the day. I just hope that I will now be able to pick up a second HD2 cheap to experiment with when an Android port becomes available.

RiffyDivine said:
Shame those of us who paid 350+ can't get some of that cash back lol.
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Got that right. I just paid $400 less than a month ago without any plans

toygixxer69 said:
Got that right. I just paid $400 less than a month ago without any plans
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Click to collapse
I paid $450 the first week of April for mine. But I don't have a contract to worry about and I am still using my t-zones service for $5.99 a month. So still worth it to me.

PoisonWolf said:
It's quite sad really. Majority of the people who get the HD2 in the USA are not people who know what Windows Mobile is, and for the most part, get frustrated when they treat it as a phone, instead of a personal computer (SENSE's imperfections is partly to blame for this, which is why I never recommend SENSE to people). I can honestly vouch that the majority of people who got this phone got it because the screen is bigger than the iPhone (and that it is supposed to be T-Mobile's iPhone). That's about it.
Because of this, I"m pretty sure TMobile is experiencing so many returns/complaints from people who have little to know knowledge about Windows Mobile. Therefore, I'm getting the feeling that T-Mobile is starting to think that it's not worth it and is deciding to just push the stock out ASAP (lock whoever they can for the next 2 years), or what's left of it, keep a couple of thousand in stock for return/repair/warranty issues, and call it quits soon (which might lend proof to the upcoming rumor that T-Mobile is ending HD2 soon in July).
It's really sad, because the T-Mobile's HD2 is one of the most solid phones I have ever held in my hand which no cracks, crease, or squeaks. It is a hardware marvel in so many respects it puts a lot of other phones to shame.
Windows Mobile is an OS that is for a very niche market, because it requires a certain finesse and tolerance that a majority of users simply do not have (I give credit to Apple for making a device that works well for the features that it has). Windows Mobile phones are part phone, part personal computer, and part software-gadgetry-hobby for the tech enthusiast.
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Click to collapse
Man u said what i would have

ouch
wow that hurts..i paid $250.00 for mines but it sucks how the price dropped. but i am happy i got it and because of the hd2 i was able to learn so much more on this website about how everything works and...thats priceless
Paten said:
I paid $450 the first week of April for mine. But I don't have a contract to worry about and I am still using my t-zones service for $5.99 a month. So still worth it to me.
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post your first thoughts of your new HTC Aria

Well, I'm just wondering what everyone else is thinking. I just purchased the aria after buying (and returning the motorola backflip) - which btw, I have to give *some* credit. I read a lot of bad things about the backflip and I have to say, I really didn't have all that many problems with the phone, i personally thought it was a step up from my tilt2.. I was at my wits end with either winmo or htc.. but the backflip just didn't have enough power for me and I feared att would take forever to release 2.1 for the device.
Anyway, so far ( my first few hours ) with the aria, I am quite impressed. I wanted a small device and I think this packs a nice little punch. My experience has been fairly good. There are a couple things I dislike already about the phone.. the speaker quality is really bothering me, I can barely hear when I'm getting a phone call, the actual handset sound quality is not bad, its crisp and clear, but not NEARLY as good at the backflip.. if anything the backflip should get some excellent credit for having a great speaker and sound quality. The headphones or ear buds are HUGE, I'm not a small guy, but how is someone suppose to stick those huge buds in their ear hole? I'm slightly concerned about battery life, but I understand this may be an issue with most of android phones (or 2.1 down maybe???) but really that's about the only downfalls I'm running into at the moment. Overall I am quite satisfied with the device and think I'm actually going to keep this one. I love how it's just zipping through most screens and programs. I seen some video reviews of android central putting it through some benchmark test along with 3 other devices and this aria kept up with them.. (and even beat the droid, yes, I know, droid has twice the resolution but still.. not bad). Oh and I was also really concerned with the low resolution of the device, I understand a higher res on such a tiny screen would make things very hard to read. This screen is very vivid and I don't know why I was so concerned anymore.
would I buy my mom this phone? heck yah, so far, it's ranked up there in my list of fav phones.. and maybe take the #1 spot here soon after more playing around. (YES, UNTIL MY NEXT DEVICE!!!)
well, just thought I would say Hi to all my fellow aria owners, see what you guys thought and maybe offer some opinions for others who haven't bought the device.

I picked up the phone yesterday and I have to say I'm really enjoying it so far. For the 600mhz processor it's packing it's actually VERY responsive. I have been pleasantly surprised at the speed this little guy packs (and that's coming from a Nexus One owner!). The screen looks small when placed beside my Nexus One but while using the device I find myself having plenty of room to browse, type, and just about do anything. So far so good!
Ever since I got my Nexus One and ditched iPhone I've been looking at the Legend but didn't want to give up 3G. This device in my opinion is a smaller and more pocketable model. It has the same processor, screen size, and resolution but it's not AMOLED (which doesn't bother me because I can see it in sunlight) and runs just about identical software. Over all I'm impressed with the device.
Now hopefully it will see a root pretty soon and maybe even some ROMs/Kernels if were lucky!

HTC Aria
I just registered to xda-developers to post about the HTC Aria. The thing about the phone is that it's FAST. For a 600MHz processor, it screams. I've seen the EVO 4G and Droid and the Aria seems to keep up in terms of smoothness. Listening to music, surfing the web and getting text at the same time is smooth.
I have the phone fully charged, with brightness set to automatic, and wifi turned on so we'll see how long the phone lasts through out a normal day.

I went to the ATT store yesterday to check the phone out in person. I was pretty impressed with its speed over all. I had no issues with the screen size what so ever. In fact... the fact that the phone is small and very thin (compared to my Tilt 1) makes it one of my first choices for a new phone. BUT... I'm out of contract with ATT on July 5th and am thinking of switching to sprint and getting an EVO but I have yet to get my hands on one to really compare. But again... the size of the Aria is very appealing to me. And I'm not so sure Sprint will have the coverage I need in all the places I go?
I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
I think my biggest concern with the Aria is that... until I root it, and am able to change radios, i'm worried about signal strength!!! My tilt was BAD until I installed the radio I have now around here. It was impossiable to travel and talk on it because I kept loosing signal. I drive a lot for work, and to some remote places too, I could look at my in dash NAV screen and watch the signal drop out every couple mins. Installed the battery eating monster and all was well. But I REALLY don't want to go through that again, I'd actually like it to be good out of the box (imagine that?)
I had recently played with a friends backflip and managed to lock it up inside 15mins and had to reboot it to get it to function again. Plus i didn't care for the keyboard on the outside and lack of 2.1 to start with... So I'm still on the fence... nice sized Arai but still have to deal with ATT, or go to Sprint, get an EVO and the great unknown of how my service will be. Live in 12866 but travle 100+ miles in every direction for work.
So far I'm 60/40 toward the Aria... maybe once it's rooted I'll make the jump??? IDK!
Chris

sentinel_cm said:
I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, if you already have an unlimited data plan, you can keep it as long as you like, even if you switch phones. I had the HTC Fuze for the longest time and as long a you mention that you want to keep your unlimited plan, you should be able to keep it.

lorcharlie said:
Actually, if you already have an unlimited data plan, you can keep it as long as you like, even if you switch phones. I had the HTC Fuze for the longest time and as long a you mention that you want to keep your unlimited plan, you should be able to keep it.
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I had this arguement with the people who work at the ATT store too... I couldn't get them to upgrade me to the Arai and keep my plan AS IS. I can get the phone via the store for $130, or $29 via ATT web site (both with 2yr contract extensions). But both require me to upgrade to the dataplan for smart phones. I'm going to try the 800 # and see if I can get my way... I have in the past.
Chris

Those AT&T guys needs an update. When I went to get my phone on Sunday, I was the only informed person about the HTC Aria. They had to go online to find the phone cause they didn't believe me. I got the only one there that day.
BestBuy Mobile acknowledges that you have an unlimited plan and will keep you on it when I went to ask them on Saturday. If AT&T doesn't work, BB?

go to best buy, i work there and at least at my location the mobile team knows all about the aria, its 129 and we dont have any mail in rebates, its all in store

lorcharlie said:
Those AT&T guys needs an update. When I went to get my phone on Sunday, I was the only informed person about the HTC Aria. They had to go online to find the phone cause they didn't believe me. I got the only one there that day.
BestBuy Mobile acknowledges that you have an unlimited plan and will keep you on it when I went to ask them on Saturday. If AT&T doesn't work, BB?
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Click to collapse
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....

sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That really depends on how you are going to use it. If you use wifi most of the time and don't use 3G to do much multimedia streaming, then you should be fine. Don't download big email attachments and don't send them while on 3g. 200mb is not a lot of data for this type of smartphone, but if you don't want to pony up for more data, you can stay within 200mb with some discipline and judicious use of cell data. Restricting most of your playing to wifi will help a lot.
T-Mobile and Sprint both offer more attractive data plans that might work for you. But where I live and travel, only AT&T and Verizon offer the kind of service that make it worth having a cell phone at all. If I lived and traveled in a more urban area, I'd have a lot more choices.

sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's some clarification on how the data plans work. In the past, there were a total of five data plans: Media Net, PDA, Blackberry, iPhone, and aircard data. Out of these five, only Media Net truly had unlimited data, but it was only for non-smartphones, such as the Samsung Eternity, or more recently, Samsung Sunburst, etc. The PDA, iPhone, and Blackberry plans were all $30, but none of them were truly unlimited. In the fine print on the brochures that had this plan, or if you ask any honest AT&T rep, you truly had a 5GB limit, just like the aircard plans.
This being said, you may have had Media Net on your phone before, but Media Net is not the internet plan associated with smartphones, the smartphone plans are. And if you did not have any of the smartphone data plans before, it is IMPOSSIBLE for AT&T (it is not a clickable option in the activation system any longer) to give you that old plan. For me, this doesn't matter. The AT&T online bill payment system has the option to see a nice graph of data usage for the previous six months to give you an idea of how much you use, and I think there is some truth to AT&T's statement that 98% of their users do not exceed 2GB. I myself peaked at 300 mb in May, so while my average is above the cheap $15 200 MB limit plan, It is well beneath the $25 2GB plan, which is cheaper than the archaic 5gb limit plans.
So you see, the unlimited smartphone data plan is a lie, there has never been one for AT&T (and of course, Verizon, because their plans mirror each other).

Not an owner yet.. but I have a renewal coming up, and I'm kicking the idea around. I've used Windows Mobile for a while now, but I really like the flexibility & apps available with Android.
I'm debating whether to just get the Aria, or use my upgrade to get an iPhone 3G, sell it then turn around & buy a Nexus one.
Assuming I do the adb thing to allow apps and then do a root to get rid of the bloatware, what would the pros & cons be between the Aria and the N1? I know the N1 has a larger screen and the faster processor, the Aria has the HTC interface.. is there anything other than that?

attn1 said:
That really depends on how you are going to use it. If you use wifi most of the time and don't use 3G to do much multimedia streaming, then you should be fine. Don't download big email attachments and don't send them while on 3g. 200mb is not a lot of data for this type of smartphone, but if you don't want to pony up for more data, you can stay within 200mb with some discipline and judicious use of cell data. Restricting most of your playing to wifi will help a lot.
T-Mobile and Sprint both offer more attractive data plans that might work for you. But where I live and travel, only AT&T and Verizon offer the kind of service that make it worth having a cell phone at all. If I lived and traveled in a more urban area, I'd have a lot more choices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never paid for a data plan on my Windows phones, I've always turned off pictures in my browser and rarely checked anything. I'd spend like $2-$3 per month on data..
But on this upgrade, it looks like I have to add a data plan, which is ok with me because of the new $15 option. Other than general web browsing, I might download or email small files (word/excel etc) here & there.. I run some websites that I might edit from time to time (if I can get used to the touchscreen keyboard).. I can't see myself doing any streaming.. The most data-intensive thing I can see myself doing is Google Maps/Navigation. Think I'd be ok with the 200MB plan? Is tethering possible on the new plans? I'd definitely do that if it was possible (but again, just for general use, no streaming or large files or anything..)

sentinel_cm said:
I just spent 30 mins on the phone with ATT and here's where I got....
I'm told that I have the "wrong" data plan for the phone I have now. I find this amuseing because I bought the phone 2 years ago via the web site, and the plan in March at the ATT store. They tell me that as soon as I put my sim chip in the Arai my plan would be automatically upgraded, I call BS!!! (heard this from the guy in the store too). I gave them a "little bit" of hard time and talked to a manager too.
The manager was very cool and was willing to work with me... He offered to change me to the 200Mb smart phone data plan + unlimited text. This would bring my bill up $5 a month for the 2 year contract. He then offered me a $120 credit to my account to cover the extra $5 for the whole 2 years. I told him I wanted to think about it and he put a note on my account and told me I could do the online thing then call back and referance the note and get the credit.
So... I can upgrade to the Aria for $29 via att site, my bill goes up $5 a month, but they will give me a $120 credit to cover it. Not bad...
Now my thought process is this... IS 200Mb enough... I adverage about 15Mbs normally but with a full HTML browser and Android as a new toy will it be enough???? Or do I jump ship for Sprint and a $200 Evo???
Decisions decisions....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to say that even though I have unlimited data, I realize that almost everywhere I'm at, I have Wi-Fi. That's something else to consider if they won't let you have unlimited data. You could probably do most of your steaming/downloading on Wi-Fi and only do 3g when necessary.
I just checked when I had my iPhone 3gs and I only used 300MB of 3g on average, which means most of my internet interactions were on wifi.
Just a thought. And yes, I can't wait for this phone to be rooted.

ShinerDraft said:
I've never paid for a data plan on my Windows phones, I've always turned off pictures in my browser and rarely checked anything. I'd spend like $2-$3 per month on data..
But on this upgrade, it looks like I have to add a data plan, which is ok with me because of the new $15 option. Other than general web browsing, I might download or email small files (word/excel etc) here & there.. I run some websites that I might edit from time to time (if I can get used to the touchscreen keyboard).. I can't see myself doing any streaming.. The most data-intensive thing I can see myself doing is Google Maps/Navigation. Think I'd be ok with the 200MB plan? Is tethering possible on the new plans? I'd definitely do that if it was possible (but again, just for general use, no streaming or large files or anything..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "option" to teather is listed @ $45 per month. So $15 for 200Mb, $25 for 2Gb or $45 for 2Gb + Teather which is decribed as... "2 GB of data to share between your phone and your laptop or Netbook"
I'm sorry... but that is a TOTAL ripoff!!! $20 more to SHARE the same amount of data between my phone and laptop???

I just got my Aria yesterday and am so far happy with it. I still need to figure out how to push apps to it with the side step procedure linked elsewhere here in the forum, so the AT&T restriction really doesn't seem to be that big of a problem to me.
I concur on the insanity on the data plans with AT&T. I've got it doubly complicated as I have a Family plan shared with my husband's iPhone which has the grandfathered in unlimited data and we have unlimited text. The online upgrade system was still giving me the option last week of adding on to my phone for data unlimited for $10 more as we have the text option. But of course I got the same song and dance from the store monkeys on the 'well that's not for smartphones' dodge. Nicely done as far as SNAFU'd corporate communications goes. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from AT&T .
My only complaint with my phone so far is that it is unable to refind my unadvertised home wifi net after a reboot or extended sleep. There's probably a fix, I haven't looked yet for it.

I REALLY hate how ATT neuters their phones!!! And hate it even more that i have an UNLIMITED data plan now...BUT.... ATT wants to charge me more a month for a new data plan for "smart phones". $5 more for 200megs $15 more for 2GBs, and I for get how much more if I want to teather... WTF??? I can teather NOW (and do often)... such a rip off... data is data and unlimited is unlimited in my mind!!! Sprint would be the exact same price I pay now for unlimited everything and and i could get an EVO.
Chris,
I just went through the data question w/ AT&T (I know I can barely stand them) I was told that my 'unlimited' data plan was grandfathered and I didn't have to change anything, however, I did have to talk with customer service to have them set it up.

ShinerDraft said:
Assuming I do the adb thing to allow apps and then do a root to get rid of the bloatware, what would the pros & cons be between the Aria and the N1? I know the N1 has a larger screen and the faster processor, the Aria has the HTC interface.. is there anything other than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just went from an N1 to an Aria and like the change. Even though the N1 has a faster processor, the Aria is just as fast because it doesn't have as much to power. There are some articles out there which show it's comparable to the Evo and N1 in terms of speed (despite lower specs) (try http://forum.dailymobile.se/index.php?topic=24656.0). I was saying in another post that the Aria can actually juggle 7 or so apps at a time while the N1 will start seriously lagging at just 3 or 4. This is before I had upgraded the N1 to 2.2, but a lot of Market apps were not available or compatible with that build (and some of the stuff I'd already purchased didn't show up!). Of course, the 2.2 build on N1 is 450% faster than the 2.1 build and could easily be considered the fastest android build out there.
I also had a lot of trouble holding onto the N1. It was sleek, but just a little *too* sleek, if you can imagine! I'd also had a negative buying experience with Google where their checkout software screwed up and then the manager-less customer service reps didn't have any idea about what to do (even though that was just my own personal experience).
The N1 did have a gorgeous, big screen and it was sweet on 2.2. The Live Wallpapers can be a thrill, if you are as easily amused as myself. But the Sense ui on the Aria is amazing and seems more interactive than what was on the N1.
Plus, if you root the N1, you void your manufacturer's warranty - your boot screen will display a message to that effect. With the G1, I was able to reload a stock rom and it was accepted under the original warranty. I'm hoping the Aria will be the same way. I was thinking I could root it (if/when that happens) and overclock, but it just doesn't seem to need it now....
Btw... anyone want to buy an N1?

damn pixie said:
I just went from an N1 to an Aria and like the change. Even though the N1 has a faster processor, the Aria is just as fast because it doesn't have as much to power. There are some articles out there which show it's comparable to the Evo and N1 in terms of speed (despite lower specs) (try http://forum.dailymobile.se/index.php?topic=24656.0). I was saying in another post that the Aria can actually juggle 7 or so apps at a time while the N1 will start seriously lagging at just 3 or 4. This is before I had upgraded the N1 to 2.2, but a lot of Market apps were not available or compatible with that build (and some of the stuff I'd already purchased didn't show up!). Of course, the 2.2 build on N1 is 450% faster than the 2.1 build and could easily be considered the fastest android build out there.
I also had a lot of trouble holding onto the N1. It was sleek, but just a little *too* sleek, if you can imagine! I'd also had a negative buying experience with Google where their checkout software screwed up and then the manager-less customer service reps didn't have any idea about what to do (even though that was just my own personal experience).
The N1 did have a gorgeous, big screen and it was sweet on 2.2. The Live Wallpapers can be a thrill, if you are as easily amused as myself. But the Sense ui on the Aria is amazing and seems more interactive than what was on the N1.
Plus, if you root the N1, you void your manufacturer's warranty - your boot screen will display a message to that effect. With the G1, I was able to reload a stock rom and it was accepted under the original warranty. I'm hoping the Aria will be the same way. I was thinking I could root it (if/when that happens) and overclock, but it just doesn't seem to need it now....
Btw... anyone want to buy an N1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah just keep them both! Lol...I am and I'm still enjoying the hell out of my Aria. This thing doesn't skip a beat! Its easily the fastest 600mhz phone I've ever used. I'm guessing the smaller screen size needs less processing power or something because this little guy flys. I can't even imagine what it would do with a snap dragon! If we can get a root and maybe a 800-850mhz over clock on this bad boy it will be crazy fast.
On a side note my Aria is easily kicking my Nexus Ones ass in battery life. Im extremely surprised.

Can anyone who has an Aria comment on call sound quality, speaker phone quality & volume, and how the phone performs in general in reguards to having a signal vs. not having a signal on the network???

Explanation how Atrix 4G will cost you extra $153 USD a month (+)

Ok, so let's brake this up in numbers.
Considering you're like me and don't want to sell you soul for 2 years to AT&T, here is the pricing:
Phone - safe to say, off contract, will be about $699 (+tax, activation, etc)
Dock - $500
Tethering - $20 per month
DataPro - $25 per month
So, to get a netbook with a cellphone, it will cost $1,200 USD + taxes and activation, easily another $100.
So, a total of $1,300 for a cellphone and a keyboard with a ****ty-ass screen that you have to haul around.
Oh, and don't forget the extra $45 per month (!!), which, considering you'll own this combo for at least a year, will come to additional $540 for year of ownership. That's on top of whatever wireless plan you have. So a total of $1,840 for a year of owning this thing. That's $153 USD PER MONTH.
If you want to get the 2 yr plan, it comes to $1,140 for a year of ownership, on top of whatever your current charges are.
To get this into perspective, let's look at what's in the market.
For the price of the dock ($500) I got myself an Acer AS1810TZ netbook/notebook hybrid about 4 months ago. It has:
4GB RAM
320 GB HDD
1.3 Intel Pentium DualCore CPU
Easily handles 1080p video
Battery lasts for EIGHT HOURS (!!)
Full Windows 7 Ultimate OS
1366x768 screen resolution
If you don't want the laptop dock, then why even get Atrix 4G?
Think about it:
You DON'T need 1GB RAM, nothing to fill it with without the laptop.
Camera is crap - 5MP
Unable to do 1080p video. Maybe in 3 years it will, heh.
Only capable of HSPA+. No LTE, obviously.
FroYo. No word on GB update. Seiously, top of the line Android phone with 2.2 when 2.3 and 3.0 are out?
Forced MotoBlur
Probably a bootloader locked to HELL AND BACK to prevent hacking and free tethering
Let's face it - phone's ugly and looks like an old fat iphone.
I think conclusion is pretty obvious. It's quite entertaining to watch how AT&T keeps building itself a coffin, while repeatedly shooting itself in a leg, while drinking poison by the gallons.

Wow glad I don't have my tilt2 anymore and switched to sprint with prices like that there screwing them selves band there consumers that's just bs
sent from my hero which is a real hero now thanks to gb

HTC Pyramid.

Well, that's one usage scenario. I'm not sure why you'd pay that much for a phone off contract, though, with ATT. It's not like T-Mo where you can get a cheaper plan w/out phone subsidies.
If I were buying the Atrix, as a current ATT customer (like I am), and I wanted the dock, I'd just buy the combo deal which is $500 (plus tax) for both. That's $700+ less than what you have quoted.
Tethering is $20 a month, true, but I've been tethering on my ATT plans for years (since the iPhone 3G came out) and never paid any extra for it. I doubt that anyone on this forum wouldn't be able to figure out free tethering. I haven't looked into weather tethering is a required option on this phone, so I could be wrong. Side-note on the tethering: I have unlimited data for my phones on ATT, and last month I didn't have home internet while waiting for the cable co to install. I used well over 50GB of data that month. My wife used at least 10GB. I was able to stream Netflix to my HDTV and stay current with all my BitTorrent downloads (linux distros, y'know). And I don't pay for tethering. Not a word, slowdown, surcharge, complaint, or any throttling whatsoever from ATT. Plus I have the HSPA modem installed on my Captivate, so the data was quite fast (for a phone).
Anyone with an Android phone already pays for a data plan, so that isn't really sensible to add to the cost of the Atrix specifically, since it applies to every Android handset. Most decent Android handsets cost between $150-$200 (at least when they are new). So really, you are paying an extra $300 for... wait for it... a netbook! How much does a netbook cost? Oh, yeah, about $300. I paid $340 for mine, the OP says he paid $500 for something better.
That's cool, but the Atrix can also run Citrix for a full desktop experience if that's really what you want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjOND67hYCE

johnnydeathmatch said:
Well, that's one usage scenario. I'm not sure why you'd pay that much for a phone off contract, though, with ATT. It's not like T-Mo where you can get a cheaper plan w/out phone subsidies.
If I were buying the Atrix, as a current ATT customer (like I am), and I wanted the dock, I'd just buy the combo deal which is $500 (plus tax) for both. That's $700+ less than what you have quoted.
Tethering is $20 a month, true, but I've been tethering on my ATT plans for years (since the iPhone 3G came out) and never paid any extra for it. I doubt that anyone on this forum wouldn't be able to figure out free tethering. I haven't looked into weather tethering is a required option on this phone, so I could be wrong. Side-note on the tethering: I have unlimited data for my phones on ATT, and last month I didn't have home internet while waiting for the cable co to install. I used well over 50GB of data that month. My wife used at least 10GB. I was able to stream Netflix to my HDTV and stay current with all my BitTorrent downloads (linux distros, y'know). And I don't pay for tethering. Not a word, slowdown, surcharge, complaint, or any throttling whatsoever from ATT. Plus I have the HSPA modem installed on my Captivate, so the data was quite fast (for a phone).
Anyone with an Android phone already pays for a data plan, so that isn't really sensible to add to the cost of the Atrix specifically, since it applies to every Android handset. Most decent Android handsets cost between $150-$200 (at least when they are new). So really, you are paying an extra $300 for... wait for it... a netbook! How much does a netbook cost? Oh, yeah, about $300. I paid $340 for mine, the OP says he paid $500 for something better.
That's cool, but the Atrix can also run Citrix for a full desktop experience if that's really what you want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjOND67hYCE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ What he said.
I want the Atrix because it's top of the line. Oh noes, it doesn't ship with 2.3 or 3.0? No Android phone ships with the most recent firmware. Seriously.
I'm not getting tethering, I just want the media dock. I want to be able to stream high quality video to my TV/where ever.
I love that it's a powerful phone. I love that Sony has announced they'll be making games for the Android devices, and I love that the Atrix is the first one that will be able to reliably run Playstation 1 games, so I don't have to keep lugging my PSP around with a dozen memory sticks.

SquareBare said:
HTC Pyramid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here, here

Milkshakes00 said:
^ What he said.
I want the Atrix because it's top of the line. Oh noes, it doesn't ship with 2.3 or 3.0? No Android phone ships with the most recent firmware. Seriously.
I'm not getting tethering, I just want the media dock. I want to be able to stream high quality video to my TV/where ever.
I love that it's a powerful phone. I love that Sony has announced they'll be making games for the Android devices, and I love that the Atrix is the first one that will be able to reliably run Playstation 1 games, so I don't have to keep lugging my PSP around with a dozen memory sticks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny thing, I wasn't even interested in the Atrix until I saw the linkbait title of this post in a sig. After reading it I couldn't help myself, had to post a reply. Now I'm getting one for sure! It'll make a great birthday present from my wife (she's great!).
Now I just have to decide if I should get the laptop dock or should just wifi tether to my CR-48... Decisions, decisions.... I'm leaning towards not since I found out that the dock requires the tethering plan. It does look so sexy, though (like a Macbook Air) and I like the fact that it has its own battery which can charge the phone. Of course, with a 1930mAh battery, that might not be necessary.

DarkDvr said:
Ok, so let's brake this up in numbers.
Considering you're like me and don't want to sell you soul for 2 years to AT&T, here is the pricing:
Phone - safe to say, off contract, will be about $699 (+tax, activation, etc)
Dock - $500
Tethering - $20 per month
DataPro - $25 per month
So, to get a netbook with a cellphone, it will cost $1,200 USD + taxes and activation, easily another $100.
So, a total of $1,300 for a cellphone and a keyboard with a ****ty-ass screen that you have to haul around.
Oh, and don't forget the extra $45 per month (!!), which, considering you'll own this combo for at least a year, will come to additional $540 for year of ownership. That's on top of whatever wireless plan you have. So a total of $1,840 for a year of owning this thing. That's $153 USD PER MONTH.
If you want to get the 2 yr plan, it comes to $1,140 for a year of ownership, on top of whatever your current charges are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure how you crunched those numbers, butyou assume that people don't already have a data pro plan (which is retarded for a site like XDA)
So doing the math correctly, by taking out the data plan you already have, it's actually more like:
(699+500+(20*12))/12 = 119.9---> $120 extra a month, if you're counting your initial investment, which I think would be poor statistics.

Well, the phone its self is a standard at&t phone deal.
It is only when you include the useless dock that the math turns into a total screw job.
Everything I have read says that you must have tethering to get the dock for 200 dollar discount.
Tethering is 20 dollars amount extra, anyone who has ever heard of XDA developers knows how to get around that little bs fee.
240 dollars a year for tehtring on a 2 year contract is a rip off.
after 2 years the dock will have cost close to 800 dollars.
800 dollars for a netbook is a friggin joke.
What is going on is at&t is doing anything and everything to try and make up for losing the Iphone exclusivity contract. I would look for them to also continue to increase their data pricing fees and anything else they can charge extra to their costumers to maintain their quarterly statements.

I don't want to know what this will cost in Europe..
Too much in any case!

i currently have the nexus one and i can tether. i am also on the grandfather unlimited data plan from at&t. my question is about the tethering - will at&t lock this feature unless you pay for the tethering plan? or do i need to root this phone or something of that sort to get tethering working for free?

ApplCobbler said:
Not sure how you crunched those numbers, butyou assume that people don't already have a data pro plan (which is retarded for a site like XDA)
So doing the math correctly, by taking out the data plan you already have, it's actually more like:
(699+500+(20*12))/12 = 119.9---> $120 extra a month, if you're counting your initial investment, which I think would be poor statistics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You assume many people here have DataPro.
I assume they don't. This is xda, most phones here are rooted and will have tethering hacks.
Either way, 153 or 120 per mo is insane. Especially considering latest Atrix reviews, which are disappointing to say the least.

arcticreaver said:
i currently have the nexus one and i can tether. i am also on the grandfather unlimited data plan from at&t. my question is about the tethering - will at&t lock this feature unless you pay for the tethering plan? or do i need to root this phone or something of that sort to get tethering working for free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way for you to be able to bypass AT&T detecting the tethering is if phone is hacked. You'll have to wait for our XDA geniuses to unlock the bootloader, root, find the detection methods and hack them.
Considering how much AT&T doesn't want you to do that + Moto's habbit of locking the hell out of bootloaders (Droid X).. I'd say you'll wait to wait a while.
Besides, sideloading is locked tight on Atrix - AT&T hates sideloading and will never allow it (from their words). So installing tethering apps is kinda out of the picture.
But that's just my guess, maybe it won't be as difficult to hack.

DarkDvr said:
The only way for you to be able to bypass AT&T detecting the tethering is if phone is hacked. You'll have to wait for our XDA geniuses to unlock the bootloader, root, find the detection methods and hack them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That isn't true. Enabling sideloading is trivial and doesn't require unlocking the bootloader or root. Once you sideload PDAnet, you can tether all day long. That's worst case scenario, assuming none of the devs here enable root and hack the tethering feature as has been done with all the other phones.
Also, even with the heavily-locked bootloader (at this point we don't know if the Atrix is locked or not), the Droid 2 was rooted before it was even for sale. Rooting likely won't take long, and once we have root, tethering and whatnot won't be a problem.
IMO, even if we can't get custom ROMs, it won't be that big of a loss due to Tegra 2. The reason I put a custom ROM on my Captivate is for speed. From everything I've seen so far, that won't be a problem on the Atrix.

I'm just thankful I'm still grandfathered in under the old, unlimited data plan. Hopefully AT&T doesn't take that away any time soon. And then I'll happily wait a month or two to see what happens with the Atrix.

To go against that, just for the hell of it, mine is going to cost 150, and it is going to cost 25 bucks a month for the data pro plan.
I know there are a lot of things that people would love to change, but you have tonremember that this is a first for the industry and there are going to be problems.
The phone itself is amazing technically, theres no doubt about that.

Milkshakes00 said:
^ What he said.
I want the Atrix because it's top of the line. Oh noes, it doesn't ship with 2.3 or 3.0? No Android phone ships with the most recent firmware. Seriously.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WRONG! Nexus S shipped with 2.3....latest and greatest at the time.

That's your problem.
There are a lot of assumptions here but we aren't all in the same boat. I currently have an iPhone 4 with unlimited. I managed to score the Atrix for $168 no commitment($268-$100 instant rebate) in my premier count. Which I do believe was a glitch because the prices are now at 399.99 but mine has shipped nonetheless. I have screenshots to prove the pricing. I've been holding out for a good Android phone on AT&T because in my area I get great service. The Atrix fit the bill. You also don't need to unlock/decrypt the boot loader OR even root the phone to allow free tethering. There is a thread in this section and they added the how-to to the root thread that shows you how to enable it without a tethering plan. So I won't be spending anything extra a month aside from my initial $168+tax for the phone and I can tether for free to my iPad and laptop. For me, this is a great deal. I understand not everyone was able to get it for this price or have grandfathered-in unlimited data but some do. I just don't understand the motivation for the big write up really. Is there some sort of anger that this set up is out of your price-range? I felt the need to take my time to explain my situation but I can't think of a reason why you would spend your time explaining yours.

DarkDvr said:
Ok, so let's brake this up in numbers.
Considering you're like me and don't want to sell you soul for 2 years to AT&T, here is the pricing:
Phone - safe to say, off contract, will be about $699 (+tax, activation, etc)
Dock - $500
Tethering - $20 per month
DataPro - $25 per month
So, to get a netbook with a cellphone, it will cost $1,200 USD + taxes and activation, easily another $100.
So, a total of $1,300 for a cellphone and a keyboard with a ****ty-ass screen that you have to haul around.
Oh, and don't forget the extra $45 per month (!!), which, considering you'll own this combo for at least a year, will come to additional $540 for year of ownership. That's on top of whatever wireless plan you have. So a total of $1,840 for a year of owning this thing. That's $153 USD PER MONTH.
If you want to get the 2 yr plan, it comes to $1,140 for a year of ownership, on top of whatever your current charges are.
To get this into perspective, let's look at what's in the market.
For the price of the dock ($500) I got myself an Acer AS1810TZ netbook/notebook hybrid about 4 months ago. It has:
4GB RAM
320 GB HDD
1.3 Intel Pentium DualCore CPU
Easily handles 1080p video
Battery lasts for EIGHT HOURS (!!)
Full Windows 7 Ultimate OS
1366x768 screen resolution
If you don't want the laptop dock, then why even get Atrix 4G?
Think about it:
You DON'T need 1GB RAM, nothing to fill it with without the laptop.
Camera is crap - 5MP
Unable to do 1080p video. Maybe in 3 years it will, heh.
Only capable of HSPA+. No LTE, obviously.
FroYo. No word on GB update. Seiously, top of the line Android phone with 2.2 when 2.3 and 3.0 are out?
Forced MotoBlur
Probably a bootloader locked to HELL AND BACK to prevent hacking and free tethering
Let's face it - phone's ugly and looks like an old fat iphone.
I think conclusion is pretty obvious. It's quite entertaining to watch how AT&T keeps building itself a coffin, while repeatedly shooting itself in a leg, while drinking poison by the gallons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or $199 on contract + $30 unlim data + 3rd party laptop dock.
Oh and I think Moto said they are going to release an update soon for 1080p capture. And 99% of all android phones have a locked bootloader. You can get launcherpro if you dont like MotoBlur. Rooting the phone will give you free tethering.

Its $499 of contract and where else can you take the guts out of your laptop put it in your pocket, make phone calls, send receive emails, web surf, etc.

[Q] For those who own one, would the N4 be a good fit for me?

Hey guys, been reading a bunch of reviews and have been wondering about which phone to get for my upgrade. Coming from a T-Mobile G2 (HTC Desire Z), I've really been struggling between all the flagships like S3, Note 2, N4, and even the new Nokia. Some facts:
- I'm on T-Mobile Classic Plan, so an N4 upgrade would cost $200
- No, I don't plan on switching from T-Mobile any time in the near future
- I'm a student, so there is WiFi in 90% of the places I go
- I intend to use the phone primarily for texting, social media, and news
- I don't game on my phone and my music library is under 50 songs
- I am very satisfied with the build quality of my current phone, I have only dropped it 1-2 times in 2 years, but would prefer a phone that can survive a fall or two
- I want a phone that is built to last the next two years before I can upgrade again
If anyone who owns an N4 can tell me if it seems like a good fit for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Reading reviews and posts about specs like AMOLED vs. LCD and benchmarks really doesn't translate into real world use for me.

It seems like a good fit for you. I would just get a case to help project the phone.

Go Nexus 4 if you want the best Android ever built...and also for Development, mods, and etc if you love flashing roms by some of the best devs on xda we have it all here...
other than that go Note 2 its a beast just like the N4 but without all the extra I posted above....

You should probably know that the price is $199 down and 20 payments of $15. The phone will cost you $499.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.

Should last 2 years easily, as Google gives updates for a full 2 years. The hardware is top notch as well, so it won't lag behind. I certainly recommend the N4

estallings15 said:
You should probably know that the price is $199 down and 20 payments of $15. The phone will cost you $499.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is? Huh. I thought the down payments applied for people on the Value Plan and the Classic Plan subsidizes the phone cost so you only pay the initial down payment. Could be wrong though.
Well, for $500 bucks ($300ish if I wait a month or so I suppose) a Nexus 4 doesn't seem nearly as attractive anymore.

Hohumhurrdurr said:
It is? Huh. I thought the down payments applied for people on the Value Plan and the Classic Plan subsidizes the phone cost so you only pay the initial down payment. Could be wrong though.
Well, for $500 bucks ($300ish if I wait a month or so I suppose) a Nexus 4 doesn't seem nearly as attractive anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was under the impression they only offered it with value plans. I'm probably wrong.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.

Hohumhurrdurr said:
Hey guys, been reading a bunch of reviews and have been wondering about which phone to get for my upgrade. Coming from a T-Mobile G2 (HTC Desire Z), I've really been struggling between all the flagships like S3, Note 2, N4, and even the new Nokia. Some facts:
- I'm on T-Mobile Classic Plan, so an N4 upgrade would cost $200
- No, I don't plan on switching from T-Mobile any time in the near future
- I'm a student, so there is WiFi in 90% of the places I go
- I intend to use the phone primarily for texting, social media, and news
- I don't game on my phone and my music library is under 50 songs
- I am very satisfied with the build quality of my current phone, I have only dropped it 1-2 times in 2 years, but would prefer a phone that can survive a fall or two
- I want a phone that is built to last the next two years before I can upgrade again
If anyone who owns an N4 can tell me if it seems like a good fit for me, I would greatly appreciate it! Reading reviews and posts about specs like AMOLED vs. LCD and benchmarks really doesn't translate into real world use for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have nexus 4, note ii and siii with me. To answer your questions first thing you want to decide is, are you going to do lot of flashing and rooting and tweaking on your phone? If yes then stop thinking and get nexus 4 right away. There is no better option if you wanna do that. No need to even read further. If not then i would recommend note ii. There are multiple reasons for that. 1) you said you are not going to play lot of games on your phone. Note ii and nexus 4 are similar in many aspects but gpu. Nexus 4 gpu is much much better and hence much better gaming. As gaming is not your concern it would be fine... 2) You are going to do lots of texting, social media and news. In these cases bigger screen comes in handy. Also according to some reviews note ii performs much better with html 5 benchmarks than nexus 4. Also features like pop up browser and all comes in handy. Speaking from experience. 3) You are a student. S-pen might help you a lot for taking notes and all. 4) Nexus 4 has gorgeous build quality. But great things comes with great responsibility. you have to be careful with this device with glass on both sides.
This video might help you a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cZp6YGBEW0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I use both the phones. I have to have one working phone for my business and other reasons. And i also love to do all the rooting and flashing roms. I learnt the hard way not to do this on same phones. I love both phones for completely different reasons.
Hope this helps...
Forgot to add one thing. I am not anal about the displays and color rendering and all. I personally like note ii display. Not for colors and all. I am no professional or expert on all that. I just like bigger screen. Hehe..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

It's offered with the classic plans as well. I can confirm that I paid $200 for mine with a two-year extension.
estallings15 said:
I was under the impression they only offered it with value plans. I'm probably wrong.
Ordered my Nexus 4 on the 13th. Still waiting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Mandatory prepaid post
I think it's mandatory when someone posts a thread like this for someone to suggest they go prepaid. I guess I'm that guy. So, why not go prepaid?
On the cheapest classic plan, you're paying $70 per month for 500 minutes and 2GB of 4G data. Over two years, that's:
$70*24 + 200 = $1,880.
If you want more minutes or data, of course you're paying more.
You can do Straight Talk and get a T-Mobile SIM card and pay $45 per month. Unlimited voice, uncertain amount of data but probably at least 2GB per month. You buy the phone from Google, of course.
$45*24 + 350 = $1,430.
If you don't like Straight Talk, you can try Solavei for $49 per month or possibly the new Go Smart mobile for $45. They offer at least 4GB of high speed data per month.
And if you end up not liking their service or network, you can switch to AT&T's network any time you want.
The savings are significant enough that I'd seriously consider waiting a month or two to get my phone.

dan in la said:
I think it's mandatory when someone posts a thread like this for someone to suggest they go prepaid. I guess I'm that guy. So, why not go prepaid?
On the cheapest classic plan, you're paying $70 per month for 500 minutes and 2GB of 4G data. Over two years, that's:
$70*24 + 200 = $1,880.
If you want more minutes or data, of course you're paying more.
You can do Straight Talk and get a T-Mobile SIM card and pay $45 per month. Unlimited voice, uncertain amount of data but probably at least 2GB per month. You buy the phone from Google, of course.
$45*24 + 350 = $1,430.
If you don't like Straight Talk, you can try Solavei for $49 per month or possibly the new Go Smart mobile for $45. They offer at least 4GB of high speed data per month.
And if you end up not liking their service or network, you can switch to AT&T's network any time you want.
The savings are significant enough that I'd seriously consider waiting a month or two to get my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe? I'm not sure what the costs boil down to in the end, but I know that my whole family (5 people) is is on the Classic Plan with my father simply adding 4 other lines to his plan. I believe additional lines have significantly lower costs, but thanks for the heads-up, I'll check out the costs.

It seems like a good fit BUT you are wasting money staying on the classic plan, you'd be better off paying $300 for the phone and switching to the $30 prepaid or straight talk.
The build quality is better than the G2 by a good margin, I have a G2 and that hinge is janky, but don't expect the N4 to survive multiple drops without a case. The N4 will be the most up to date phone for the next 2 years, that is available today, you might be looking for something else in a phone but to me that was important.
I was fully expecting to spend $650 on a phone, I was going to buy the iphone 5 off contract and still will but it'll be 6mos from now, so I could have bought any of the flagship phones right now and IMO the N4 is the best choice out of the current crop of android phones.
---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 PM ----------
Hohumhurrdurr said:
Maybe? I'm not sure what the costs boil down to in the end, but I know that my whole family (5 people) is is on the Classic Plan with my father simply adding 4 other lines to his plan. I believe additional lines have significantly lower costs, but thanks for the heads-up, I'll check out the costs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With tmo usually the 2nd line is cheap to add ($10 or less) but on the 3rd/4th/etc line it is usually the same $10 add on fee plus whatever the data/texting costs are (for me to add a third unl data/taxting line was going to cost ~$50 total.) I would definitely sit down with your dad and see if tmo is really giving him the best deal a lot of people still aren't taking the long view with phone contracts (sure the phone is $200 to start but it costs you an exxtra $2k over the course of 2 years.) AND tmo charges you ~15% in tax, I negated that with a 15% plan employee discount but still with prepaid you can avoid it altogether.

It seems like a good fit for you.

The G2 is pretty old.. you'll have to get used to the lack of a physical keyboard (I used to have a Nokia N97 before switching to touchscreen keyboard).
Hm, if you like flashing roms and having the ability to customize your phone, then I would say N4 is a good fit. Since you're on a classic family plan then having one additional line is just $10 more plus data (do you have family texting bundle?). If you don't mind putting more money down, then I would suggest to not buy it not from t-mobile as it's the exact same phone as what google offers, but the price is so much higher. As long as you don't mind with dealing with buying from third parties. You can either save your upgrade for when the iphone 5 comes out and perhaps resell that at a higher value, or to get something like galaxy s3 now to resell. Also, if you speak with a tmobile loyalty rep over the phone, you may be able to get a phone for less than the standard price since you'll be upgrading.
The N4 definitely has a nicer feel to it, though I don't know how well it will survive against falls due to the front and back glass. But.. you stated you rarely drop your phone so that's good .

i think jalshah05 makes some pretty good points when it comes to the note ii. i mean you get the best of both worlds or a tablet and phone. i had an s3 and it was awesome........until i accidentally dropped it face first onto concrete the day before i was about to sell it. =(
i was able to get a hold of the N4. aside from at&t not recognizing the phone officially and not getting the 4g speed i was paying (i finally switched over and get out of at&t), it's a pretty solid phone. you just have to be careful if you don't have a case since the glass could crack if dropped (some people reporting that). i guess the big thing is that you'll always have first dibs on any android updates that come out. if you like to flash different roms, i guess that won't make much of a difference.
but i'm like you. i don't game much. mainly for texting, calling, web surfing, social media, random internet apps (like looking up movies or sports scores) and i couldn't be happier.

go with Nexus 4!