Is this the perfect phone? CDMA & GSM in one!

Forums › Mobile handsets › Is this the perfect phone? CDMA & GSM in one!

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#4204 13-Jun-2005 15:15

Samsung have just released the A790

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=SCH-A790&selTab=Features

I wonder if Telecom have any plans to try and get their hands on these? It would no doubt solve a lot of their roaming issues since they currently have to lend out handsets and may appeal to a lot of customers who have to carry around 2 phones for work/private use!

cokemaster

Exited
4927 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15573 13-Jun-2005 16:14

I'd love to get one of these, more or less just for the dual CDMA-GSM modes.

$10 text on weekdays, free voda to voda text in the weekend, best of both worlds.

webhosting

Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

Jama

1420 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#15574 13-Jun-2005 17:31

Its not too bad a phone. About the size of a Nokia 6255. I did find the keyboard a bit hard to use though - they are raised bars and I found my fingers were to big to use them properly.

It doesn't auto connect to a network. When you turn it on it searches and provides a choice of networks- GSM or CDMA

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15582 13-Jun-2005 19:55

sbiddle - telecom have talked quite openly about bringing this technology to market in NZ asap. I think i have even seen this model on a roadmap, which is likely given Jamas comments.

I wonder if Telecom would 'lock' this unit so it couldnt use a Vodafone sim card, and only a telecom-supplied roaming card??

I would love to have both networks in one phone.

Jama - I take it you cannot run the GSM and CDMA together at the same time?

smallgear

30 posts

Geek

#15624 14-Jun-2005 14:44

Telecom will lock the phone to CDMA and will only allow GSM when roaming to non CDMA countries.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#15626 14-Jun-2005 15:50

This seems very typical much much many of Telecom's other illogical ways of thinking. Why bother locking the phone? Can't they accept that there are a lot of people who will have both a GSM phone and a CDMA phone. Why not let those customers purchase a phone that they can use in NZ on both Telecom and Vodafone? Is locking the phone really going to benefit Telecom in any way?

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79252 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#15627 14-Jun-2005 15:56

Because people could buy a cheaper phone from Telecom with their subsidies, and then use on another network, leaving Telecom with the bill?

riahon

946 posts

Ultimate Geek

#15629 14-Jun-2005 16:00

If it's a dual phone why dont vodafone bring it to the market? Dont they have better buying power?

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15631 14-Jun-2005 16:02

You have hit the nail on the head M.

Surely there will be no shortage of people on Trademe asking $40 to unlock it though?> Or people on Geekzone offering at no charge?

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15632 14-Jun-2005 16:03

Becuase Vodafone already have a pretty reasonable roaming story to tell their customers

Jama

1420 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#15637 14-Jun-2005 16:40

Telecom use O2 as a roaming partner and not only do O2 have more destinations than Voda they are also a lot cheaper. Voda could not bring the phone in themselves because it wouldn't work on CDMA unless Telecom were involved. The point of the phone is to allow Telecom customers to use CDMA roaming in US/Asia/Australia and GSM in Europe. I don't see the point in allowing the phone to use Voda's network in NZ.

riahon

946 posts

Ultimate Geek

#15638 14-Jun-2005 16:42

oh - totally missed that point

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15639 14-Jun-2005 16:49

"The point of the phone is to allow Telecom customers to use CDMA roaming in US/Asia/Australia and GSM in Europe."

Correct.

"I don't see the point in allowing the phone to use Voda's network in NZ."

Because then with the one handset, I could be taking advantage of say, a 35/35/$10txt/100op plan with Telecom during the week, and free texting with vodafone during the weekend.

Im sure there are lots of other scenarios under which it would be very useful.

Jama

1420 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#15643 14-Jun-2005 17:06

I think you are all being a little bit picky. Why would a carrier want you to pick and choose the cheapest services across 2 different networks?

Take banks for example - it costs a Westpac customer to draw out money from an ANZ ATM. This is to discourage you from using another banks services.

If you are a Contact Energy customer are you able to use Genesis Energy to supply power between the hours of 2 to 6pm on Thursday because they are cheaper?

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#15648 14-Jun-2005 19:52

Im not being picky, I agree that a carrier should be allowed to lock a phone if they are subsidising it. And no carrier would want you to pick and choose like i have suggested.

re: Power Companies - not a fair comparison - with the dual phone, you would actually have two networks available to you, and you can switch yourself. Power runs over one network, and they have to switch you.

I am not saying Telecom should let people use voda on the dual-phone, Im saying people will find a way to do it anyway, and that for some people, there are advantages.

Im sure if was -possible- to do, people would do it?