widgets cost money?

[minzer]

Do certain widgets like weather, and the friends stream cost money to use/have on your homescreens?
cus their constantly updating by using data from the internet, thats what i've heard.
in other words, they're not free to use, as i will be getting an htc desire soon with a 3 year contract ( i live in canada and it just came out).

also, does it cost money to upload pics using a facebook app?

ima noob

 

[RichieHD]

1) Some widgets cost money to buy, not all. However, there is no widget that is subscription based and takes your money as you use it.

2) No, uploading pics to the facebook app is free. However, you need to pay for a data plan (or use Wifi).

 

[Amatherly]

In the sense that you pay for data, and what you want to do uses data, yes. The cost money.

But they aren't individual charges. You won't know what data was the weather widget and what was the photo upload and what was browsing the internet just by looking at the bill, though I suppose theoretically, you could figure it out.

 

[tomthetank]

If you go over your data limit it will cost. Just change how often they update to less frequent and same goes with facebook, will be free unless you go over your limit.

 

[minzer]

okay im not gona have a data plan, just a normal 3 yr plan with only voice and text. so im guessing some widgets will cost me per minute of use or per update as it happens? (update as it happens im guessing i'll be charged for)

 

[tomthetank]

wont cost per minute I wouldnt think. There will probably be a set price for each mb used. It could cost a bit if you use the internet often

 

[Starfleet Captain]

okay im not gona have a data plan, just a normal 3 yr plan with only voice and text. so im guessing some widgets will cost me per minute of use or per update as it happens? (update as it happens im guessing i'll be charged for)

My Advice to you is NOT to get the Desire. I'd go for a blackberry instead if you want a smartphone with no data. Sprint and AT&T (Not sure about the others) here in the US, MAKES their customers who purchase android devices and iPhones get the data plans because in truth, it will be cheaper to the customer to have.

Google (AN INTERNET COMPANY) produced a mobile OS that is heavily centered around being able to connect to the internet. Here's an example:

You buy an Android phone, like the desire with no data plan, so you will be charged per use (possibly per KB or MB). The widgets (if they are on your home screen) need to connect to the internet automatically to grab the latest weather, news and location info. the voice to txt feature uses cloud services (aka the internet) to translate. lots of free apps need access to the internet to get the latest ads to display. Google search, google goggles, shazam, and every barcode scanner app needs access to the internet to get the date they need in order to work. Furthermore, it needs to sync your email, contacts and calendar from Google. This could end up being very costly with no data package.

Again, if you have NO DESIRE (pun intended) for these features on your phone, simply get a Black Berry. They are good at what they are supposed do and don't have as many internet intensive apps.

Now, if you do want the Android experience but don't want an expensive data package, get the lowest tiered data package that your cell provider offers and set your news widgets to update Daily. You might not want to use a weather widget since this needs to update more often to keep you with the latest info. Set your gmail to update manually and not PUSH the email to you. As long as you are not constantly downloading apps like crazy and using the web browser very often, you should be fine.

Again, I must re-iterate, there is almost no point in getting an Android phone without a data plan.

 

[robo555]

Well, he can use the phone where WiFi is available, then he can take full advantage of the phone without data plan.

 

[Starfleet Captain]

Rob, that's true, but whats the point in that. They are called mobile phones for a reason. Who wants to go back to the glory days of 2004 when the only way to update info on your PDA was on a wifi network? I say if the guy really wants the Android experience on his mobile cellular device, he will NEED a data plan. If he does not care for the Android experience for does not think having the data plan is worth it... Just get a BlackBerry or a side kick.

 

[mcatdtDROID]

androids and iphones are fashion accessories though.

 

[Weazol]

androids and iphones are fashion accessories though.

iphones are fashion accessories. androids are not.
there is no android fanboys. they don't run around waving their android in the air. Or say things like let me call him on my android.

I use my android all throughout the day. I could care less about fashion. It's useful and helps me accomplish daily tasks. So I use it.

and yes you need to get a data plan.. If you don't have one you will spend more than you will with one

 

[minzer]

ok i probly will get a data plan

wait are you saying it would cost money to do wifi things like using the anrdoid market, and other wifi things that dont include the browser and using widgets that update? (which obvs cost money without a data plan)

 

[Weazol]

ok i probly will get a data plan

wait are you saying it would cost money to do wifi things like using the anrdoid market, and other wifi things that don't include the browser and using widgets that update? (which obvs cost money without a data plan)

you can do everything for free over wifi. but the moment you leave a wifi connection things will be one 3G and start to run up your data fees

Verizon charges a ridiculous $1.99 per megabyte without any data plan.. and considering the average user uses 421 Megabytes a month that would be $837.79 as apposed to $30 a month for unlimited.

 

[minzer]

you can do everything for free over wifi. but the moment you leave a wifi connection things will be one 3G and start to run up your data fees

Verizon charges a ridiculous $1.99 per megabyte without any data plan.. and considering the average user uses 421 Megabytes a month that would be $837.79 as apposed to $30 a month for unlimited.

ok im kinda confuzed, sorry if i sound stupid or annoying you guys.

i will probly never use the internet browser, im not gona link a google account so i cant recieve email, and will probly not use the facebook widget at all.

**all i want to do is use the phone for text,voice, browsing the android market and download free/paid apps and themes and wallpapers and using them, but i will most likely not use apps that require the internet. i love the android platform for its customization and personalization abilities. okay i guess i will probly use google maps and the gps sometimes**

im gonna get a $25/month plan with only voice and text that doesnt include data, but would an unlimited data plan mean i add 30 to the 25 or would it be $30 total per month?

 

[fangorious]

You're approaching it from the wrong context. It doesn't matter what app is accessing the internet. Whether it's email, the web browser, or the market they are all accessing the internet. If you don't have a data plan, aren't connected to wifi, and use the Market app you will either be billed for internet usage or receive an error message that you can't access the internet. If you are connected to wifi then the Market, email, and the web browser will all be free. If you are on your carrier's data network (any data connection that isn't wifi will be thru your carrier) it won't be free. Some apps you download might in turn require an internet connection. Again it's not because of app A vs app B, it's wifi internet vs your carrier's data network, and as a general rule applications aren't going to stop and tell you that you're on the carrier's network to prevent you from running up a bill.

 

[minzer]

so cant i just disable 3g and just use wifi only, and things will be free? unless somehow i get on my carriers network? then i get billed?
im kinda confused with this wifi stuff. sorry.

 

[fangorious]

Google maps and the GPS requires a data connection. The GPS should fix on your location without data, but the maps are all downloaded real-time from the internet so you'll just see a blue dot on a grey grid with no data, totally useless. Again, connecting via wifi that will be free but what good is GPS if your limited to the range of a wifi hotspot.

Buying the data plan is, generally speaking, worth the cost for the full functionality of the phone. If you buy a handset full-retail for T-Mobile USA you can use reportedly use the $10 a month plan with some tweaking of the phone settings. I have the full android unlimited data plan though so I can't help with something like that.

 

[fangorious]

so cant i just disable 3g and just use wifi only, and things will be free? unless somehow i get on my carriers network? then i get billed?
im kinda confused with this wifi stuff. sorry.

There should be settings to disable carrier data access. I've never tried that though so I can't give any detailed info on it.

 

[minzer]

so is wifi absolutely free to use? yet slower than my carriers wifi?
or does it still cost money to use wifi and opening google maps cus that requires data rite?

 

[Weazol]

so is wifi absolutely free to use? yet slower than my carriers wifi?
or does it still cost money to use wifi and opening google maps cus that requires data rite?

wifi .. usually the one you have a box at your house for. or in the library is absolutly free. just like on a laptop.
Edit: and most likely is not slower than your carriers wifi.

however google maps only works when there is internet. and when you are out on the road needing directions there will be no wifi. so you will have to use your carriers data plan.

 

[fangorious]

You carrier doesn't bill you for data your phone transmits/receives over wifi (at least I haven't hear of one doing so). Generally speaking wifi is faster than your carrier's data network (which 2G/3G/"4G" and not wifi) but has a very limited range in comparison (assume less than 100 feet from the access point).

Some wifi networks aren't free (usually at the airport), but they don't let you access anything until you pay so there's no hidden cost and it isn't billed by your carrier. You connect to the wifi and open a web browser and it asks you to pay.

If you haven't disabled the data connection and aren't connected to wifi, simply opening Google Maps will incur a data charge.

You can tell if you're connected to wifi because the data icon in the notification bar is different for wifi than it is for 2g/3g/"4g".

 

[minzer]

wifi .. usually the one you have a box at your house for. or in the library is absolutly free. just like on a laptop.
Edit: and most likely is not slower than your carriers wifi.

however google maps only works when there is internet. and when you are out on the road needing directions there will be no wifi. so you will have to use your carriers data plan.

ok so let me finnaly try to get this straight...

yeah i have a wifi router in my house, and using wifi and google maps on my phone is FREE?, but using it litally on the go is like using it on the road and then i have to use my carriers internet, then its NOT free?
or using a barcode scanner app with my home wifi where the app takes me to the internet browser after scanning the barcode is free? as long ******as long as im on wifi its free??? even using a browser on my android using my home wifi is free?????****

 

[Weazol]

ok so let me finnaly try to get this straight...

yeah i have a wifi router in my house, and using wifi and google maps on my phone is FREE?, but using it litally on the go is like using it on the road and then i have to use my carriers internet, then its NOT free?
or using a barcode scanner app with my home wifi where the app takes me to the internet browser after scanning the barcode is free? as long ******as long as im on wifi its free??? even using a browser on my android using my home wifi is free?????****

exactly

 

[minzer]

exactly

OMG
thanks alot maaaaaang!!!
that cleared things up

i should have know that using my own data from my own wifi is free... silly me

 

[shawn1224]

Dude just get a feature phone.