Cell phone service for web access?

[daveymark]

What service/phone do you use for wireless internet access? I have AT&T, with mMode, which is basically garbage. So I'm looking to get a PDA or web-enabled phone to suf the net. Something that I can access any web page with, not just sites that the cell provider has a contract with. For instance, on my at&t phone, all I can access are sites like ebay and cnn, and only then it's limited.

Lookin at:

T-mobile Sidekick
Treo 300 or 500

I would use this more for data than voice, but I' use it for voice if I really had to.

I like the idea of having a PDA integrated into the phone, but then I woudn't be able to access my home network and surf with it, would I?

Also looking for decent download speeds. is 56k too much to ask for?

 

[DaWhim]

tmo has Free WAP for everyone. they block all the ports except 80, so you can't get SSL to work or anything that use a different port. $20 will get you all open porst.

 

[Thegonagle]

T-Mobile or Verizon.

Verizon happens to have a very interesting loophole: It's not difficult to access their data services for no extra fee (apart from a data cable) using only your minutes, which makes it free from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM on virtually every plan they offer. Most people just plug in and it works, but sometimes you need to convince someone to add a feature code to the account that allows Verizon camera phones to work. (Easy no-hassle, no-suspicion way to have the feature added: Activate a camera phone, such as the LG VX-6000, which happens to be a great phone first and foremost.)

If you go with Verizon, go with the one-year contract for an extra $50 added to the phone price, because you can upgrade your phone at the new-subscriber price after only 10 months, instead of 22 months. (Not to mention, you can cancel service after 12 months without the $175 ETF if you decide that the service isn't working for you after your 15 day trial period is up.) When you get your one year contract, ask to see it on the store-rep's computer screen before you sign the receipt, because the system defaults to two year contracts. Then, call customer service the next day to double check, because if the store rep made a mistake, the change to make it a 1-year might not go through. (Don't worry, they're very nice about fixing mistakes at VZW CS, and they always pick up the phone right away.)

 

[NutBucket]

Sprint (Treo 600).

 

[Jzero]

The Sidekick will get you 56k-like speeds. The browser is very good, and the service is only $20/month unmetered. The PDA-like part of the phone is decent but not spectacular. If your priority is PDA, the Sidekick is probably not for you. If your priority is full-featured web browsing and IM, it may be a good fit. Be forewarned, it's a sizeable piece of electronic. I recommend trying to see one in person before you buy.

Personally, I love mine. Next to a Leatherman, the internet is the most useful tool you can have clipped to your belt.

 

[loup garou]

Blackberry 7230 + TMobile.

 

[ViperSSD]

if you just want the free tmobile gprs/wap service (pop mail is blocked), tmobile's pre paid actually has this right now

 

[Silex]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle
T-Mobile or Verizon.

Verizon happens to have a very interesting loophole: It's not difficult to access their data services for no extra fee (apart from a data cable) using only your minutes, which makes it free from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM on virtually every plan they offer. Most people just plug in and it works, but sometimes you need to convince someone to add a feature code to the account that allows Verizon camera phones to work. (Easy no-hassle, no-suspicion way to have the feature added: Activate a camera phone, such as the LG VX-6000, which happens to be a great phone first and foremost.)

If you go with Verizon, go with the one-year contract for an extra $50 added to the phone price, because you can upgrade your phone at the new-subscriber price after only 10 months, instead of 22 months. (Not to mention, you can cancel service after 12 months without the $175 ETF if you decide that the service isn't working for you after your 15 day trial period is up.) When you get your one year contract, ask to see it on the store-rep's computer screen before you sign the receipt, because the system defaults to two year contracts. Then, call customer service the next day to double check, because if the store rep made a mistake, the change to make it a 1-year might not go through. (Don't worry, they're very nice about fixing mistakes at VZW CS, and they always pick up the phone right away.)

What you're referring to is the CSD connection (minutes) which is limited to 9600kbps as opposed to GPRS (data) that is limited to 57600kbps. I've done that with T-Mobile before on a Samsung S105 and it's not tough, but the speeds are agonizingly slow and plus with the free wap, what's the point?