Motorola Trying To Upstage Nokia Store In Hometown
Do Stores sell unlocked phones?
The real question about these new Motorola and Nokia stores is if they sell unlocked phones that have ALL of the features that the phone carriers usually cripple?
I hope so. If it means that I have to shell out a few hundred dollars directly to the phone manufacturer so my phone can access WIFI without incurring the expensive phone carriers charges, then I'm all for these stores!!
I hope so. If it means that I have to shell out a few hundred dollars directly to the phone manufacturer so my phone can access WIFI without incurring the expensive phone carriers charges, then I'm all for these stores!!
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I don't see how they could do otherwise, since they're not selling the service or require a contract. Plus, other than Verizon & the Bluetooth Debacle, I don't know of any other carriers that have disabled any features on the phones. I guess that's why I find this idea mystifying - since, in most cases, the phones are exactly what the carriers are selling, why bother to sell them on their own? Nokia has a few that won't be carried in the U.S., but they can sell those through the website.
What carrier charges you to access wifi? Wifi doesn't use the cellular networks, so they shouldn't be charging you to access data via wifi?
What carrier charges you to access wifi? Wifi doesn't use the cellular networks, so they shouldn't be charging you to access data via wifi?
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"What carrier charges you to access wifi? Wifi doesn't use the cellular networks, so they shouldn't be charging you to access data via wifi?"
Sorry, I meant to say that the phone carriers cripple the wifi feature, so the only way to access the net from your phone is to use their $5/month internet access service. Want to send a picture to a friend, then that's going to cost you a fee each time you send such a message. If they didn't cripple the WIFI access, then they would surely lose out on a lot of money.
And it's not just WIFI access that they cripple. Want to transfer data to your phone, such as a new wallpaper picture or a new ringtone. Many of the carriers cripple the feature to allow users from using a USB port to make such tran...
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Sorry, I meant to say that the phone carriers cripple the wifi feature, so the only way to access the net from your phone is to use their $5/month internet access service. Want to send a picture to a friend, then that's going to cost you a fee each time you send such a message. If they didn't cripple the WIFI access, then they would surely lose out on a lot of money.
And it's not just WIFI access that they cripple. Want to transfer data to your phone, such as a new wallpaper picture or a new ringtone. Many of the carriers cripple the feature to allow users from using a USB port to make such tran...
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I'm just curious because I don't know of any carrier that disables features (again, other than Verizon.) Granted, there's relatively few phones out there that have wifi, but who sells a phone with wifi but disables it? I wish there were more phones with wifi, since I'm around hotspots so often.
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Just to let you know, I heard Helio wil have a Wi-Fi handset by the end of the year.
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well most carriers don't get into crippling like vzw, but they all customize their phones. if you buy directly from moto or nokia you can get an unlocked, unbranded phone which is much better than some of that garbage the carriers put on the phones they sell. i can't stand that stupid orange splat and the "be safe, be courteous" on cing branded phones.
and i think selling the phones out right is the way to go. you don't buy your tv from comcast so why do you think you have to buy your phone from sprint/cingular/tmobile/vzw? let the carriers focus on service and drop all this crap with trying to entice people to their service with a free phone.
and i think selling the phones out right is the way to go. you don't buy your tv from comcast so why do you think you have to buy your phone from sprint/cingular/tmobile/vzw? let the carriers focus on service and drop all this crap with trying to entice people to their service with a free phone.
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I concur! ! ! ! ! I wish your words could be forwarded as some sort of chain email! ! !
Especially that part that says "you don't buy your tv from comcast so why do you think you have to buy your phone from sprint/cingular/tmobile/vzw?"
There are going to be a lot of changes in the wireless industry over the neXT 5yrs, let's hope contracts are one of those changes, and don't think it's too good to be true, there's going to be changed in the wireless industry in the neXt 5yrs we can't even begin to imagine!!!!!!
Especially that part that says "you don't buy your tv from comcast so why do you think you have to buy your phone from sprint/cingular/tmobile/vzw?"
There are going to be a lot of changes in the wireless industry over the neXT 5yrs, let's hope contracts are one of those changes, and don't think it's too good to be true, there's going to be changed in the wireless industry in the neXt 5yrs we can't even begin to imagine!!!!!!
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Mmm, I somewhat disagree with your point - yes, you're right about how lame it is that carriers dump extra software & junk. And it is true that the rest of the consumer electronics industry doesn't sell equipment bundled with subscription, but the phones are different. So much of what the phones can do is because of the carriers. With TMobile & Cingular, tech support (in general) refuses to support unlocked, unbranded phones because there are so many different settings on the phone & the network that have to coincide. It's one thing for someone to plug in a DSL cable into their computer, or for someone to hook up their cable to a TV, but configuring a wireless phone for data access, text messaging, picture messaging, etc. is beyond most ...
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japhy said:
I guess that's why I find this idea mystifying - since, in most cases, the phones are exactly what the carriers are selling, why bother to sell them on their own?
There's something really cool about walking into a Nokia branded store and checking out their entire line of phones.
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I agree! I've been to one of their experience centers, and seeing & playing with the phones is nice. But from a business standpoint, why are they doing it? There's no way that the volume of unlocked phones they sell would be high enough to justify funding a retail space. And for Motorola, it makes even less sense - more than half their business is with CDMA or iDen phones, so they can't simply sell the phones & have people be able to take them to their carriers.
I think it's neat to be able to handle & play with all the different phones from a manufacturer, but with the way the wireless industry currently works in the U.S., I don't see a viable business reason for it.
I think it's neat to be able to handle & play with all the different phones from a manufacturer, but with the way the wireless industry currently works in the U.S., I don't see a viable business reason for it.
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