backflip - abandoned by motorola - confirmed by the moto rep
HTC Aria - was shadow of a phone - probably not popular enough to update lol
Samsung captivate - Samsung is still working on its updates - new unofficial rom leaks prove that (plus only 1 of the 4 sgs variants in the US have been updated)
Yes, I blame AT&T. Dell released Froyo for the Dell Streak in November. AT&T has still not gotten around to put it out OTA as promised.
Yes, I blame AT&T. Dell released Froyo for the Dell Streak in November. AT&T has still not gotten around to put it out OTA as promised.
Yes, I blame At&t too, as does the rest of mankind north of Antarctica
Dell has released and updated all unlocked Dell Streaks on At&t network to 2.2, only the locked devices have not been updated. All O2 and other overseas carriers have also updated the device.
I don't blame At&t entirely on what had to be the worst product launch in history. Apparently back in July (the week the device was to released), At&t removed all links to Dell's site and Dell removed all links to At&t. Someone had a huge hissy fit and apparently lawyers were involved. Dell realized they were in a contract they couldn't break, but also didn't know how to work around. They attempted to sell it themselves, which from Google's own history shows that doesn't work, regardless of how good the device is.
At&t moved on but refuses to acknowledge it is a device on their network being used by THEIR customers. But refusing to roll out the next OS will only alienate their loyal customers. I have been with At&t for 9+ years, but I might be willing to move on if they refuse to support ME, a customer with proper software updates.
Question directed to Marc or anybody else knowledgeable about feature phones on AT&T:
My aunt is in the market for a feature phone (something that does not require a data plan).
She was looking very closely at the Pantech Laser and Samsung Flight II.
I told her to wait it out and play with the HTC Freestyle and make a decision afterwards (I am an HTC fan, who currently does not have an HTC phone lol tho that should change sometime in the near future, so naturally, I really really like that phone in terms of feature phones).
Have you gotten a chance to play with the Freestyle? If so, how do you like it?
What is your opinion on the other two phones? Would you take either of them over the Freestyle? (keep in mind she doesn't plan on having a data plan so the browser, FriendsStream, weather widget which I love about the phone, would be useless to her).
Are there any other feature phones on contract with AT&T worth considering? (she prefers one with a full QWERTY but open to anything with a touchscreen).
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by HustlinDaily; February 12th, 2011 at 05:27 PM.
backflip - abandoned by motorola - confirmed by the moto rep
HTC Aria - was shadow of a phone - probably not popular enough to update lol
Samsung captivate - Samsung is still working on its updates - new unofficial rom leaks prove that (plus only 1 of the 4 sgs variants in the US have been updated)
I'll give you Backflip
BUT
Aria in Asia/Europe has had 2.2 for months
Captivate on Rogers (in Canada), exact same phone, has also had 2.2 for months.
I think AT&T does deserve a huge share of the blame here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HustlinDaily
Question directed to Marc or anybody else knowledgeable about feature phones on AT&T:
My aunt is in the market for a feature phone (something that does not require a data plan).
She was looking very closely at the Pantech Laser and Samsung Flight II.
I told her to wait it out and play with the HTC Freestyle and make a decision afterwards (I am an HTC fan, who currently does not have an HTC phone lol tho that should change sometime in the near future, so naturally, I really really like that phone in terms of feature phones).
Have you gotten a chance to play with the Freestyle? If so, how do you like it?
What is your opinion on the other two phones? Would you take either of them over the Freestyle? (keep in mind she doesn't plan on having a data plan so the browser, FriendsStream, weather widget which I love about the phone, would be useless to her).
Are there any other feature phones on contract with AT&T worth considering? (she prefers one with a full QWERTY but open to anything with a touchscreen).
Thanks in advance.
The freestyle is a great feature phone, but its treading smart phone water. It looks and feels like a smart phone, but its very much simplified. The $100 price tag is the concerning part though. My favorite of the feature phones are either the Pantech Ease, or the Samsung Evergreen. Both seem to be very reliable, and are really easy to use. Both have an easy interface and feature a slide out qwerty keyboard
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HustlinDaily
I'll give you Backflip
BUT
Aria in Asia/Europe has had 2.2 for months
Captivate on Rogers (in Canada), exact same phone, has also had 2.2 for months.
I think AT&T does deserve a huge share of the blame here.
Ill give you that. But I still feel its almost half half. I feel bad for all the captivate owners (i was one of them). they have been waiting for so long. My coworker always comes into the store yelling "WHERES MY FROYO!!!"
pretty sure he is about to give up on the captivate and get an inspire
The freestyle is a great feature phone, but its treading smart phone water. It looks and feels like a smart phone, but its very much simplified. The $100 price tag is the concerning part though. My favorite of the feature phones are either the Pantech Ease, or the Samsung Evergreen. Both seem to be very reliable, and are really easy to use. Both have an easy interface and feature a slide out qwerty keyboard
Well look at the laser, higher price point than the freestyle...
I agree on the ease being the favorite though, but i will push the freestyle to those who want a smartphone without paying smartphone data options.
I'm trying my darndest to get the atts new hspa+ phone the inspire. Here is a little background on what was occurring and what took place before I called today.
My wife and I had iPhones for a few years. We wanted to save money so we went to a regular phone with no data. Just calls and texts. We were tired of them and missed our iPhones. So about six months I into our two year I called in and talked them into some HTC arias refurbished for free but ended up signing two new two year contracta for them. Which happened about two months ago. Now we want the inspire from HTC.
So I called in and spoke to a customer concerns person. She was able to only offer 100 dollar credit and 6 months free of unlimited data. So that would save us on the full retail price of the inspire.
Is there more that I could have done ? I just want to buy the phone at the subsidized price of 99.
Last edited by Whitehorse; February 14th, 2011 at 01:43 PM.
I'm trying my darndest to get the atts new hspa+ phone the inspire. Here is a little background on what was occurring and what took place before I called today.
My wife and I had iPhones for a few years. We wanted to save money so we went to a regular phone with no data. Just calls and texts. We were tired of them and missed our iPhones. So about six months I into our two year I called in and talked them into some HTC arias refurbished for free but ended up signing two new two year contracta for them. Which happened about two months ago. Now we want the inspire from HTC.
So I called in and spoke to a customer concerns person. She was able to only offer 100 dollar credit and 6 months free of unlimited data. So that would save us on the full retail price of the inspire.
Is there more that I could have done ? I just want to buy the phone at the subsidized price of 99.
Sounds like a steal if you ask me. 6 mos of free data is something Care doesn't do all the time. Look at it this way... if (and that's a big if) you qualified for early upgrade, you would have paid for the price of the phone, a $75 early upgrade fee ontop of the $18 mandatory upgrade fee... for each phone. (Mind you these were what the fees were back when I worked in the the wireless division, so if there's a Care Rep in here who says different, then my fault.) But based on those numbers that's $186 of charges ontop of the retail cost of phones.
So we gave you 6 mos of free data which is $150 each phone, and $100 extra off a bill.
I don't know if we could have given you more or not, but that sounds good if you ask me.
Hello Marc,
Is it true that the restocking fee is $35 even for an unopened phone ? Can I switch around my lines, meaning can I make my secondary line as a primary and then switch it back after upgrading?
Thanks
Hello Marc,
Is it true that the restocking fee is $35 even for an unopened phone ? Can I switch around my lines, meaning can I make my secondary line as a primary and then switch it back after upgrading?
Thanks
I'm not Marc, but I am trying to understand what you're trying to do. Could you by chance elaborate a bit more? Like did you upgrade and not like the device, and you're wondering if you can put the device on another line and upgrade again? I'm a bit lost.
Hello Marc,
Is it true that the restocking fee is $35 even for an unopened phone ? Can I switch around my lines, meaning can I make my secondary line as a primary and then switch it back after upgrading?
Thanks
Yes, every returned device (not 30 day exchange) has the restock fee in store. If it's un-opened, it's up to manager discretion to waive the fee under whatever circumstances you're in.
As far as switching lines, you can do line swaps to make whatever line you want as primary. It's a pain for reps to do, so please don't do it that often.
I, and some others in the motorola atrix thread, would like some clarification on whether the $100 dollar instant rebate when buying the phone off contract extends your contract at all.
It clearly states no commitment, and there is no other option to chose for pricing. Also we didn't authorize any type of contract extension.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fujigonewild00
I, and some others in the motorola atrix thread, would like some clarification on whether the $100 dollar instant rebate when buying the phone off contract extends your contract at all.
It clearly states no commitment, and there is no other option to chose for pricing. Also we didn't authorize any type of contract extension.
Do you have any concrete info about this.
Thanks in advance!
to be honest i didnt even know there was a $100 credit on the off contract price hahah. If it says off contract, and when you check out there is no contract or any indication of it, then you are fine. If for some reason you go into contract, call customer service, tell them you were mislead and would like it reversed. I've called in for a few customers and did this before when associates accidentally put customers on contract when they werent supposed to
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Interesting that Samsung and now AT&T representatives, official or not, have suddenly started to post to the two leading Android forums. I hope good comes from all of it. I've been a loyal AT&T customer for as long as I've had a phone, until the Captivate debacle I had been very happy - AT&T redeemed themselves recently on my account, now this.....good stuff, I hope.
__________________
Ann, Palm refugee, learning to grok Android. Perhaps your answer is in the CapFAQ Excellent video tutorials, watch and learn!! Now on Serendipity VII, click link to learn more Did you read the first post in the thread?
to be honest i didnt even know there was a $100 credit on the off contract price hahah. If it says off contract, and when you check out there is no contract or any indication of it, then you are fine. If for some reason you go into contract, call customer service, tell them you were mislead and would like it reversed. I've called in for a few customers and did this before when associates accidentally put customers on contract when they werent supposed to
Marc, I don't know if your store has Sat. Morn meetings, but if you do, it would be in the paperwork you got at your last meeting. Basically you get $100 instant rebate off the device/dock bundle, and then a $100 MIR.
To the person who asked, if you're buying a phone off contract, $100 IR does not extend a contract, only if you're actually getting a subsidized price. You shouldn't be required to sign anything while at a COR store if buying it outright.
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Marc, I don't know if your store has Sat. Morn meetings, but if you do, it would be in the paperwork you got at your last meeting. Basically you get $100 instant rebate off the device/dock bundle, and then a $100 MIR.
To the person who asked, if you're buying a phone off contract, $100 IR does not extend a contract, only if you're actually getting a subsidized price. You shouldn't be required to sign anything while at a COR store if buying it outright.
I ordered it online, and it only had the $399 price as an option for my no commitment price, and the cart also said no commitment before checking out.
You talked about being in store, so I have to ask if this applies to online as well. I didn't accept any type of extending contract, so does that mean that I indeed bought the phone off-contract because some people were saying that accepting the $100 rebate extended your contract.
I ordered it online, and it only had the $399 price as an option for my no commitment price, and the cart also said no commitment before checking out.
You talked about being in store, so I have to ask if this applies to online as well. I didn't accept any type of extending contract, so does that mean that I indeed bought the phone off-contract because some people were saying that accepting the $100 rebate extended your contract.
ill check my paper at work in the am to confirm the NC price
I have heard of people getting special NC prices online though depending on your account.
Log into your account online and see your contract date since you've already done the pre-order for it. Or call in to CS, and let us know what you find out.
Marc can correct me if I'm wrong, but non contract lines can only happen on existing accounts if its done online or over the phone, otherwise you're getting atleast a 1year contract.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jus10
Marc can correct me if I'm wrong, but non contract lines can only happen on existing accounts if its done online or over the phone, otherwise you're getting atleast a 1year contract.
you can actually activate your own equipment under no contract. (i think thats what you guys are talking about)
Marc, thanks for doing the Q&A here. It's very helpful.
I'm ready to upgrade, and had been looking at a Captivate. Then, the new "4G" phones came out and I wasn't sure. I'm leaning toward still getting the Captivate, thinking that by time I'm ready for my next upgrade, that's when the HSPA+ will have fully rolled out, and LTE/HSPA+ phones will be available. Here is my concern:
I have unlimited data, and I absolutely, positively want to keep it. If I get the Captivate, thereby not getting on a "4G" unlimited data plan now, do I face the possibility that I will miss a 4G unlimited data grandfathering cutoff date sometime before my next upgrade? History tells me that they might use LTE as a way of "un-grandfathering" people with unlimited data.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sween01
Marc, thanks for doing the Q&A here. It's very helpful.
I'm ready to upgrade, and had been looking at a Captivate. Then, the new "4G" phones came out and I wasn't sure. I'm leaning toward still getting the Captivate, thinking that by time I'm ready for my next upgrade, that's when the HSPA+ will have fully rolled out, and LTE/HSPA+ phones will be available. Here is my concern:
I have unlimited data, and I absolutely, positively want to keep it. If I get the Captivate, thereby not getting on a "4G" unlimited data plan now, do I face the possibility that I will miss a 4G unlimited data grandfathering cutoff date sometime before my next upgrade? History tells me that they might use LTE as a way of "un-grandfathering" people with unlimited data.
I really would advise you against the Captivate. (most people here would as well) Its a good phone with bugs and lack of support from samsung (and AT&T) If i were you, Id look at the inspire and atrix. I currently have the inspire and it works very well. Plus, $100 is hard to beat. The atrix comes out tuesday and is quite a power house of a phone with a lot of features. You cant go wrong with either the inspire or atrix, and both devices will allow you to keep your unlimited data.
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Just wanted to say thanks. Just walked out of my corp store with my Inspire and I was able to get a slightly better deal than the Exception Upgrade, which was fantastic. Appreciate the information!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonhcox
Marc,
Just wanted to say thanks. Just walked out of my corp store with my Inspire and I was able to get a slightly better deal than the Exception Upgrade, which was fantastic. Appreciate the information!
you can actually activate your own equipment under no contract. (i think thats what you guys are talking about)
I misunderstood. The way it sounded was that he was trying to purchase the phone with no account, which can only be done in COR stores... but he ws just meaning no contract on his account. duh Jus10!
I only had my Captivate for 6 months. Is there anyway to get the upgrade price instead of buying it off contract?
Not that I'm aware of, but I did hear Best Buy's buying back your cell phones and laptops and put the credit towards a new purchase. Don't know too many details on that though.
You would have to have it for atleast a year for customer service to try an early upgrade.
Marc, thanks for doing the Q&A here. It's very helpful.
I'm ready to upgrade, and had been looking at a Captivate. Then, the new "4G" phones came out and I wasn't sure. I'm leaning toward still getting the Captivate, thinking that by time I'm ready for my next upgrade, that's when the HSPA+ will have fully rolled out, and LTE/HSPA+ phones will be available. Here is my concern:
I have unlimited data, and I absolutely, positively want to keep it. If I get the Captivate, thereby not getting on a "4G" unlimited data plan now, do I face the possibility that I will miss a 4G unlimited data grandfathering cutoff date sometime before my next upgrade? History tells me that they might use LTE as a way of "un-grandfathering" people with unlimited data.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcMaiden
I really would advise you against the Captivate. (most people here would as well) Its a good phone with bugs and lack of support from samsung (and AT&T) If i were you, Id look at the inspire and atrix. I currently have the inspire and it works very well. Plus, $100 is hard to beat. The atrix comes out tuesday and is quite a power house of a phone with a lot of features. You cant go wrong with either the inspire or atrix, and both devices will allow you to keep your unlimited data.
OK, thanks Marc. I'm a bit hesitant about the Inspire and Atrix because, based on what I've read so far, they don't seem to compare to the Captivate in terms of call quality and battery life, which are two of the most important factors to me.
So, whether it be the Captivate or another non-4G phone, what do you think about the possibility of missing the unlimited 4G data boat? Should my grandfathered status be safe in 18-24 months, or do I face the possibility of a cutoff date before then? Thanks in advance!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sween01
OK, thanks Marc. I'm a bit hesitant about the Inspire and Atrix because, based on what I've read so far, they don't seem to compare to the Captivate in terms of call quality and battery life, which are two of the most important factors to me.
So, whether it be the Captivate or another non-4G phone, what do you think about the possibility of missing the unlimited 4G data boat? Should my grandfathered status be safe in 18-24 months, or do I face the possibility of a cutoff date before then? Thanks in advance!
I do not think there is a possibility of missing the 4g data boat. I think the only time AT&T might take unlimited away is when they launch LTE. So for now you are good my friend.
If call quality and battery are your thing, get the atrix. Trust me you will not regret it. It has a similar feel to the captivate, the phone runs faster, comes with android 2.2 (which does make a huge difference in battery and performance), and the reviews have said the atrix call quality is very good. That being said, I own the inspire and while the battery gets "me" through the day, the heavy heavy usage will run you out before days end. The inspire is already out (as you already know) and the Atrix makes it debut on tuesday. I'd try em out side by side when it releases.
Not that I'm aware of, but I did hear Best Buy's buying back your cell phones and laptops and put the credit towards a new purchase. Don't know too many details on that though.
You would have to have it for atleast a year for customer service to try an early upgrade.
If I buy say an Inspire off contract, what fees will I be charged? Would I have to pay an eft or any upgrade fees? I was doing the math on switching to VZW and getting a TB. I seen the phone is $299 with a 2 year contract plus the eft from ATT which puts it over $500. Even if I sell the Captivate, I will still owe aprox. $250-300.
If I buy say an Inspire off contract, what fees will I be charged? Would I have to pay an eft or any upgrade fees?
If there's no discounts off of the phone, then the only thing extra is sales tax. The only time you pay an axtra upgrade fee is with a one or two year upgrade discount applied.
Hello Mark,
I hope you can help me outI have been doing test after test of the data transfer on my new htc, not once I have reached 2000kps, 98% of the time I get between 500-700. I went to the corporate store, they gave me a "new sim card" that is the same look as what I had before.
I called to customer service, they told me this morning that I need to switch to the $45.00 data plan for phone to work correctly, even thou I have unlimited data plan right now.
Any ideas as to what I should do to get a decent speed on my htc?
Thanks.
Hello Mark,
I hope you can help me outI have been doing test after test of the data transfer on my new htc, not once I have reached 2000kps, 98% of the time I get between 500-700. I went to the corporate store, they gave me a "new sim card" that is the same look as what I had before.
I called to customer service, they told me this morning that I need to switch to the $45.00 data plan for phone to work correctly, even thou I have unlimited data plan right now.
Any ideas as to what I should do to get a decent speed on my htc?
Thanks.
I know you asked Mark, but I wanted to chime in ASAP so you're not responsible for extra data plan charges... the plan doesn't effect the speed, try to take that back down immediatley. The main reasons why you're not getting the best speeds on a device is either coverage, or network traffic, never rate plans. That's hogwash. If your speeds didn't increase after updating the SIM, it could be coverage. But if you know alot of people on iPhone, tell them to stop using so much data. Its a network hog, and frankly I wish more people took their iPhones to Verizon.
I know you asked Mark, but I wanted to chime in ASAP so you're not responsible for extra data plan charges... the plan doesn't effect the speed, try to take that back down immediatley. The main reasons why you're not getting the best speeds on a device is either coverage, or network traffic, never rate plans. That's hogwash. If your speeds didn't increase after updating the SIM, it could be coverage. But if you know alot of people on iPhone, tell them to stop using so much data. Its a network hog, and frankly I wish more people took their iPhones to Verizon.
Thanks s lot for your quick response...MY wife has a HTC aria and the speed on that unit is always close to 2000kps...mine 550, same time, same server city...
If there's no discounts off of the phone, then the only thing extra is sales tax. The only time you pay an axtra upgrade fee is with a one or two year upgrade discount applied.
I asked a rep on the ATT website and he said the same thing. I ended up buying the Inspire and got an email it shipped already and Ill recieve it on Wendsday.
Question: When I login to my AT&T wireless account online, it says that I will be eligible for a fully discounted upgrade on 7/26/11. Is this the end-all-be-all date for a full upgrade? Or is there a way I can get around this? I'm so anxious about the Atrix, and I really don't want to wait until August to get it.
Question: When I login to my AT&T wireless account online, it says that I will be eligible for a fully discounted upgrade on 7/26/11. Is this the end-all-be-all date for a full upgrade? Or is there a way I can get around this? I'm so anxious about the Atrix, and I really don't want to wait until August to get it.
You may be able to qualify for an early upgrade. Call customer care, sometimes there's a bigger upgrade fee involved but if you don't want to wait that would be the way to do it.
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