T-Mobile Hotspot @Home - unlimited wifi calling for $10 extra/month

[vortix]

Some may consider this hot, and I don't think this has been posted yet - T-Mobile has just launched their Hotspot @Home service, which is available on two different cell phones currently. Basically, these two cell phones have the ability of switching between GSM and Wi-Fi, either at T-Mobile Hotspot locations (Starbucks, Borders, etc), or at home and other places that offer open Wi-Fi. You can either use these phones on their regular plans to give you coverage where you don't normally have it, or for $10/month (individual plans) or $20 month (family plans - not available online as far as I can tell), you can get UNLIMITED calling when the call originates from a Wi-Fi network.

So, if your call originates via Wi-Fi at home, and you drive away, it will seamlessly switch over to GSM in the middle of the call and this will be a free call. The other side is that if you're driving home and your phone switches from GSM to Wi-Fi, you will be eating up your GSM minutes, unless you disconnect and call the person back.

Another great deal with this is that you can take your phone overseas to anywhere in the world that has Wi-Fi access and make/receive unlimited free calls while you are traveling.

T-Mobile will also give you a free Linksys or D-Link router with their own custom firmware (supposedly increases battery life of the phones) if you sign up for one of the unlimited packages.

The two phones available are the Samsung SGH-T409 and the Nokia 6086, each available for $50:
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/P...4CE3-B01A-3BF12F93DC78

Phone comparison:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phon...D=&id%5B%5D=&id%5B%5D=

Here is more info about the plan:
http://www.t-mobile.com/promot...otathomelearnmore.aspx

HowardForums.com has a dedicated Hotspot @Home forum with lots of other info:
http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=243

 

[CWebb04]

Yea I read about this a few days ago...I'm hoping some better phones come out that support this service. This is a great idea but didn't get much publicity due to the iphone craze.

 

[gregtor]

i've kind of done this already... If you have wm6 aka crossbow on your phone I upgraded my mda to wm6 from wm5 there are features in wm6 so that you can input your sip provider and use any wifi to make calls I don't use my mda anymore and use it for long distance calls only I don't even have a sim card in it its a pretty cool thing. Most newer pocketpc phone from htc can do this. Theres info about this on here in the forums.

 

[Gibson486]

I do not understand....so they are basically going to have a wireless VOIP? What's the point? Yoaure gonna have VOIP for a cell phone? Also, when it switches from wireless to GSM, why wouldn't tmobile begin to charge minutes?

edit: also, from the sounds of it, you do not get data, just their voice over WiFi service.

 

[No1ustad]

Originally posted by: gregtor
i've kind of done this already... If you have wm6 aka crossbow on your phone I upgraded my mda to wm6 from wm5 there are features in wm6 so that you can input your sip provider and use any wifi to make calls I don't use my mda anymore and use it for long distance calls only I don't even have a sim card in it its a pretty cool thing. Most newer pocketpc phone from htc can do this. Theres info about this on here in the forums.

Can i please get the link to the actual thread discussing it? thanks!

 

[gregtor]

Originally posted by: No1ustad

Originally posted by: gregtor
i've kind of done this already... If you have wm6 aka crossbow on your phone I upgraded my mda to wm6 from wm5 there are features in wm6 so that you can input your sip provider and use any wifi to make calls I don't use my mda anymore and use it for long distance calls only I don't even have a sim card in it its a pretty cool thing. Most newer pocketpc phone from htc can do this. Theres info about this on here in the forums.

Can i please get the link to the actual thread discussing it? thanks!

OK its a large thread

have fun

 

[Heinrich]

One thing to consider about Wi-Fi in cell phones is that the Wi-Fi function is a seperate radio - a seperate piece of hardware - that, when active, eats battery life. I don't know about these two phones, but, on my new model Cingular 8525, the wi-fi function is a nice special frill that I use when eating lunch at Panera or whatever - BRIEFLY, but there's no way I could leave it on all day.

 

[Bobartig]

The wifi operation, and using the wifi does eat up a considerable amount of battery. This plan is only available on two specific flip phones that are otherwise bereft of features.

Here's david pogues review of the service, which is very, very informative:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07...er=rssuserland&emc=rss