Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free phones.)

Mon Feb 26 20:35:21 CET 2007

> 
> As a parent, one of my great angers with the cellular industry is that
> NO-ONE has offered a pre-paid plan that limits the child's monthly use
of
> the air-time resource by cutting it off once the minute limit is
exceeded
> for the month.  Calls FROM and TO the parent account would still go
through
> and be billed to the parent account.


Alan,
Totally incorrect, this was one of the main themes behind the Disney
MVNO and I also think Verizon or cingular have this option as well (I
know I saw a tv ad for one of them a few months ago but cant remember
which one)

 
Regards,

Dean Collins
Cognation Pty Ltd
dean at cognation.net
+1-212-203-4357 Ph
+1-917-207-3420 Mb
+61-2-9016-5642 (Sydney in-dial).


> -----Original Message-----
> From: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org [mailto:community-
> bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of alan at rotorgraphics.com
> Sent: Monday, 26 February 2007 2:27 PM
> To: community at lists.openmoko.org
> Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free
phones.)
> 
> Sam...
> 
> Thanks for posting that link.  A great write up on the "Fundamentally
> Immoral" business practices in the cellullar communications industry
today.
> 
> What I expect from the "Operators" or "Carriers" (depending on which
oceans
> are nearby) is that they cease and desist using obfuscation and
bundling to
> hide the true cost of their services.  Ala-carte pricing that can be
> compared business to business.
> 
> Another Mini-Rant of my own:
> 
> Cell Plans That Help Parents Teach Responsibility
> 
> As a parent, one of my great angers with the cellular industry is that
> NO-ONE has offered a pre-paid plan that limits the child's monthly use
of
> the air-time resource by cutting it off once the minute limit is
exceeded
> for the month.  Calls FROM and TO the parent account would still go
through
> and be billed to the parent account.
> 
> But the cell industry in not interested in what is best for Society as
a
> whole, namely  young people who can demonstrate the ability to
conserve and
> manage resources.  Thanks for being such good citizens, guys. (<<
Sarcasm)
> 
> Alan McSwain
> 
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> From: Sam Kome sam.kome at motricity.com
> Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:18:59 -0500
> To: community at lists.openmoko.org
> Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free
> phones.)
> 
> 
> 
> I think that the article I linked to really clearly covers all of the
> issues presented in the email responses.  The price subsidies, the
> locked/unlocked, the SIM buying, the phone w/o SIM buying, etc.
> 
> That's why I brought it to this group, because I respect the
> intelligence of the folks here, and I think they care about furthering
> the efficacy and usability of mobile computing and communication.
> 
> I took it for granted that everyone on the list, including myself,
knows
> the difference between T/CDMA (also available with SIMs, but
nevermind)
> and GSM devices in terms of subscriber identity management.
> 
> I _don't_ take for granted that anyone not working in or around the
cell
> phone industry can even spell SIM, let alone understand the
implications
> of whether or not their phone has a removable chip, or if that chip
will
> work in another device, let alone with another carrier.
> 
> When my mother/brother/friend in the US wants to buy a phone, they are
> very likely to go to one or two cell phone outlet stores, RTFMA, and
see
> a plethora of plans with minutes and calling circles and
> free-after-x-o'clock.  They will not be able to reasonably compare
these
> to each other without performing sophisticated systems analysis on the
> fly.  They will and do sign up for 2 year contracts _and/or_ locked
> devices.
> 
> This by the way, makes my job (creating mobile content) more
difficult,
> so I have both the philosphical and selfish professional incentives to
> try to both educate the general public and solve the core problem as I
> see it, which is a sea of proprietary devices that have lousy software
> and worse user interfaces.
> 
> How'd I do? Still childish boring bullshit?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org
> [mailto:community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of Shawn
> Rutledge
> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 12:51 PM
> To: community at lists.openmoko.org
> Subject: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free
> phones.)
> 
> SIMs are great - I don't like SIM-free phones like Verizon ones that
> require somebody at Verizon to switch the service to a different
> phone.  With GSM you just switch the SIM yourself.  Of course it would
> also be nice to be able to use different devices without having to
> physically switch the SIM (like use the GPRS connection in a laptop or
> PDA).  Anyway "SIM-free" is misleading as you are using it, because
> you are actually complaining about locked phones that will only work
> on one network.   And BTW it's not so hard to buy new unlocked phones
> on the net if you are willing to pay unsubsidized prices for them.
> 
> As for Jobs, I think he negotiated a lot of unique stuff that cannot
> typically be negotiated with a carrier.  It's too bad the phone still
> costs $500-600 even with a contract.  Makes me wonder what the real
> manufacturing cost is; is the hardware that super-duper or are they
> just wanting to have even better margins than they get on ipods?
> 
> On 2/26/07, Sam Kome <sam.kome at motricity.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > We should paper the world with (something like) this rant ahead of
the
> wide release of Neo1973.
> >
> > The fettered masses really don't get it yet.
> >
> >
> >
> > Covers 8 myths which drive folks to buy locked phones and/or 2yr
> contracts:
> >
> >
>
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Its_time_to_buy_SIM-free_ph
> ones.php
> >
> >
> >
> > "How would Apple fans react if the latest Mac computer was
exclusively
> locked to a particular ISP, was only available to people who live in
> that ISP's service area, and people had to sign up to a 2 year
contract
> with that ISP? The Apple fans would be mad as hell, so why on earth
are
> they having to put up with exactly the same restrictions on a
portable,
> pocket-sized Mac computer called the iPhone?"
> >
> >
> >
> > "How is it that Finland, a poorer, lower-density country without
phone
> contracts, and with a law banning locked phones, developed far better
> phone coverage than America, the land of locked phones and 2 year
> contracts?"
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sam Kome
> >  UX Team Member
> >
> >  www.motricity.com
> >  view corporate video
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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