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

alan at rotorgraphics.com alan at rotorgraphics.com
Tue Feb 27 00:27:24 CET 2007


Dean...

Its been a while since I looked, but I do stand corrected. The Disney plan
indeed launched last June.

The Disney plan is not, however prepaid, and worse, it is Disney, the folks
who bought and paid for our Sonny Bono Copyright Tem Extension Act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Bono_Copyright_Term_Extension_Act

Which, of course, puts them on my "List".

Thanks again.

Alan


Original Message:
-----------------
From: Dean Collins Dean at cognation.net
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:35:21 -0500
To: community at lists.openmoko.org
Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free
phones.)


> 
> 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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is
> prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the
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> >
> >
> >
> 
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