Pros & Cons...? to buy direct from a network or not? - Desire General

The Desire will be my first smartphone. I wanted to know whether it's recommended to buy direct from a network provider.
T-Mobile seem to have some reasonable deals for the Desire. Do I buy direct from them, or look to somewhere like mobilescouk or another reseller, where I think the phone is unlocked and comes with no network branding? (but the overall price is higher)
From what I've read so far, it looks like the main concerns with buying direct would be about network specific 'crapware', and potential delays in updates to firmware/ROM.
What are the Pros & Cons of either option? Any thoughts please?

My honest opinion is go for T-mobile... my handset will cost 24mths £330. But unlike just buying a handset from somewhere else, I get messages, minutes, internet included!
If want it unlocked I think it will cost £15. Regarding the updates not sure what the difference really is.. its my first Android phone and still learning (and not missing WinMo at all!)

I'm wondering about this myself. I have one on order from clove but my wallet is getting itchy. The 3G signal on t-mobile is dire round here.
[EDIT] SIM only from O2 will have to do I guess...

i ordered mine over telephone from tmobile and waiting for it probably till tuesday
tmobile has the best offers on their webiste, all the other retailers have worst deals, though tmobile has simlocked handsets and retailers dont. but for £15 you can get it unlocked. and service is quite good and no problem with returns if you see any faults.
if you dont want tmobile then dont look at other providers webistes such as vodafone cuz their offer is crap comparing to i.e. mobiles.co.uk
carphone warehouses offer is also really expensive comparing with others however you get your phone straight without waiting etc
retailers tend to mess up delivery times and might have some problems with returns.

I am currently sitting here banging my head against the wall trying to decide what to do aswell.
I'm with 3 on a £15 sim only and very happy with their coverage and i know they are releasing it in 2 weeks or so but i am getting the urge NOW !
It's so frustrating but i want to see what they're going to be offering contract wise.
Buying it unlocked now is going to cost me £400. 18 months with my current sim only on top would be £670.
A T mobile contract would be £434 over 18 months.
Every sensible bone in my body says don't buy it unlocked now but the evil bit inside me is shouting "don't get tied in, do it do it do it do it" 24 hours a day

GGG10 said:
Every sensible bone in my body says don't buy it unlocked now but the evil bit inside me is shouting "don't get tied in, do it do it do it do it" 24 hours a day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you with that. I've just been stuck with a SE C702 for 18 months and it's completely put me off contracts (and SE!). I'm probably going to wait for mine to come from clove just so I have the 7 day distance selling regs return period. Probably going with O2 PAYG as I hardly make any calls...
[EDIT] Also so I get the generic ROM without needing to do anything. I wouldn't want to kill my phone the first time I bought one SIM-free!

daverave999 said:
I hear you with that. I've just been stuck with a SE C702 for 18 months and it's completely put me off contracts (and SE!). I'm probably going to wait for mine to come from clove just so I have the 7 day distance selling regs return period. Probably going with O2 PAYG as I hardly make any calls...
[EDIT] Also so I get the generic ROM without needing to do anything. I wouldn't want to kill my phone the first time I bought one SIM-free!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea the 7 day return period comes in handy.
Now looks like i will definitely be going unlocked because 3 have just released their contract price and it's not as good as T mobs.
Just have to decide if i keep the £15 sim only now.

Hi - thanks for the comments so far.
If you buy direct from T-Mobile, is the ROM somehow 'locked' - or can you download & install updated ROMs from HTC's website when they're made available?
And if the ROM is T-Mobile 'locked', can any previous T-Mobile HTC phone owners comment on what T-Mobile are like when it comes to updating ROMs?

inoffthepost said:
Hi - thanks for the comments so far.
If you buy direct from T-Mobile, is the ROM somehow 'locked' - or can you download & install updated ROMs from HTC's website when they're made available?
And if the ROM is T-Mobile 'locked', can any previous T-Mobile HTC phone owners comment on what T-Mobile are like when it comes to updating ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
t-mobile phones are simlocked but unbranded, you can unlock your phone from their webiste for £15 which takes about a month or for 25Euros if you need it next day(from some website the link i forgot)
and if you decide not to unlock your device you will have to wait for t-mobile to release their version of the software htc released before

GGG10 said:
I am currently sitting here banging my head against the wall trying to decide w o do aswell.
I'm with 3 on a £15 sim only and very happy with their coverage and i know they are releasing it in 2 weeks or so but i am getting the urge NOW !
It's so frustrating but i want to see w hey're going to be offering contract wise.
Buying it unlocked now is going to cost me £400. 18 months with my current sim only on top would be £670.
A T mobile contract would be £434 over 18 months.
Every sensible bone in my body says don't buy it unlocked now but the evil bit inside me is shouting "don't get tied in, do it do it do it do it" 24 hours a day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you dont like the idea of being trapped then put it this way, if you have the upfront cash put that into a bank account and use that to pay the monthly bills that way if something new comes out you will be no worse off just buy that and pay off the contract and its still less. just go for it.

cez10 said:
t-mobile phones are simlocked but unbranded, you can unlock your phone from their webiste for £15 which takes about a month or for 25Euros if you need it next day(from some website the link i forgot)
and if you decide not to unlock your device you will have to wait for t-mobile to release their version of the software htc released before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying that if I pay T-Mobile to get the phone SIM unlocked, that this would also unlock any restriction that T-Mobile have over the ROM? Is anyone able to confirm this?
TBH, having a T-Mobile 'tweaked' ROM, instead of an up-to-date HTC ROM, is the one thing that's putting me off from buying from T-Mobile. Looking at the threads about today's OTA firmware update, it appears T-Mobile are already behind the game. Or am I just worrying about something that I don't really need to?

inoffthepost said:
Are you saying that if I pay T-Mobile to get the phone SIM unlocked, that this would also unlock any restriction that T-Mobile have over the ROM? Is anyone able to confirm this?
TBH, having a T-Mobile 'tweaked' ROM, instead of an up-to-date HTC ROM, is the one thing that's putting me off from buying from T-Mobile. Looking at the threads about today's OTA firmware update, it appears T-Mobile are already behind the game. Or am I just worrying about something that I don't really need to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not 100% sure if unlocking debrands the phone as well
De-branding basically means removing awful operator firmware, and replacing it with the manufacturers original firmware. Hence converting your phone to the full spec as it was intended by the manufacturer. (the way it should be)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think your worrying about something you dont need to t-mobile have the best offers on the market so far andI dont think it will change quickly, even if you choose to unlock your phone youre still saving money comparing to other retailers prices
ok

Related

Unofficial T-Mobile UK Vario 5

Well, as Zero hour is fast approaching on what i have been told by business cs at T-Mobile (UK) that the TP2 aka Vario 5 will be out on Tuesday (Subject to anymore push backs) i thought id start a thread so we can discuss our findings etc.
I will be giving them a call on Tuesday to see if i can get my grubby little hands on it and will let you all know if i get any success!
Those of you that know me from the Kaiser Section of this board will know I did the same with the Vario 3 and ended up with a huge mass of "Im calling now, cmooooon" and it was rather funny to read!
Jas
I am interested in a vario 5 too. I wonder what the price and contract will be.
Well i spoke to a chap at T-Mobile on Tuesday last week and i asked about pricing and as it wasnt out he couldnt be sure etc but said he thought that it would be free on my account which is a Business Flext 35 + WnW Pro which comes to ~£45/month.
I'll give them a call today and see what they say.
jaso2005 said:
Well i spoke to a chap at T-Mobile on Tuesday last week and i asked about pricing and as it wasnt out he couldnt be sure etc but said he thought that it would be free on my account which is a Business Flext 35 + WnW Pro which comes to ~£45/month.
I'll give them a call today and see what they say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it ought to be free for £45 a month. I currently pay half that for the basic package (including the basic webn'walk) which is OK for me.
keep us updated mate, im interested as to when they'll be getting stock, contract runs out on wednesday and mpd have been messing me about a bit!
id imagine it'll be free on a £35/month contract...
Gah, you got a date!
When I rang Orange last week I got 'within the next two weeks'.
Blimey! That would be quick... i remember when we used to wait months from a HTC release to a branded version.
I currently have a pre-order paid for and waiting for an Acer M900 and (diferences aside) I will possibly get which ever I can first .... and as i'm already on TMob, this could be the deciding factor!
Although, after my TD I swore I would never get another HTC device .....
Surely this cannot be true!!!!
dahoarty said:
No FM Radio, but I never used it on the Touch Pro
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Click to collapse
No FM Radio? Then its a no-buy for me. I need my Absolute Radio going around the M25 in the mornings.
I don't get why everyone trips over the missing radio. If you use the radio a lot, why not buy a portable one (they are cheap) with a 3,5 mm headphone jack.
because i'd then need to carry ANOTHER device in my very small motorbike jacket pockets - so, a converged device (Read, contains FM radio) is exactly what i need.
I just called T-Mobile UK to enquire about the availablility of this phone as I too am due an upgrade and they say it is NOT on there list for release this week
John
hardly surprising that the left hand and right hand dont know what they are doing.
Your best bet, unless your in a REAL rush, is to wait. Wasn't it supposed to be tomorrow? Surley you can wait for that
yah tmob telling me nada to tomorrow
Well an update for you all:
Ive basicly spent the entire day on the phone to T-Mobile (reorganising contracts - not just pestering them about a release date!) and ended up getting quite high up the ladder and they have started playing the "Well it is coming soon but it could be another couple of months yet" card.
To be honest and sorry to let everyone down from an update point of view, ive just ordered one sim free from work so i wont be getting any more updates from them, Although i am on the "High Priority First Call" list so they will call me as soon as it comes out.... apparently, no doubt we shall know here before they ring anyway though.
Mine should be arriving tomorrow and ill try and do a nice review of it but to be honest theres already a few in detail reviews and i doubt mine would cover anything that they havent already done.
I am looking forward to it though i must say!
Jas
i've landed myself an unbranded touchpro2/mda vario v from mobilephones direct on t-mobile uk. yep they are offering the touch pro 2 free on a 18 month contract at 39.15gbp monthly. no need for CID or security unlocks when hardspl get released etc. next delivery on all items so i think thats a smashing deal!
i also signed up with mobilesphonesdirect for the pro2 after i've been told the vario5 should be out by the end of June which i don't want to wait. i prefer the phone unlocked and in it's original design.
mobilephones direct
Can I ask how you guys are getting the phone for free. When I rang up they told me to ring tmobile and find out what my upgrade value was (it was £200). I gave mobilephones direct this and they said the phone would cost me £250 to upgrade. Have you all got higher upgrade status or was I just unlucky and spoke to the wrong person!
silverwings2008 said:
Can I ask how you guys are getting the phone for free. When I rang up they told me to ring tmobile and find out what my upgrade value was (it was £200). I gave mobilephones direct this and they said the phone would cost me £250 to upgrade. Have you all got higher upgrade status or was I just unlucky and spoke to the wrong person!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's free on certain NEW contracts.
shingers5 said:
i've landed myself an unbranded touchpro2/mda vario v from mobilephones direct on t-mobile uk. yep they are offering the touch pro 2 free on a 18 month contract at 39.15gbp monthly. no need for CID or security unlocks when hardspl get released etc. next delivery on all items so i think thats a smashing deal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will need CID / Sec Unlock unless you got a pre-release version.
Even then most pre-rel devices are CID locked (by that I mean need Hard SPL to flash unsigned custom ROMs) still. You can check sec unlock status in the bootloader. Does it say Security unlocked at the top?
Dave
how did you get your upgrade value? I've tried and nobody from tmob will give it to me.
Neil.

Touch Pro 2 on T Mobile

Hello Everyone,
I was looking for some advise as my T mobile contract ended last month and I was looking to by the touch pro 2 from mobilephonesdirect on a t-mobile tariff. When I spoke to T mobile to cancel my current tariff they advised me against purchasing the touch pro 2 as it has to many bugs in the software and they are working on correcting them.
Is this true? should I hold of for a bit?
Thank you for your advice
kornnutcase said:
Hello Everyone,
I was looking for some advise as my T mobile contract ended last month and I was looking to by the touch pro 2 from mobilephonesdirect on a t-mobile tariff. When I spoke to T mobile to cancel my current tariff they advised me against purchasing the touch pro 2 as it has to many bugs in the software and they are working on correcting them.
Is this true? should I hold of for a bit?
Thank you for your advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe the custom rom tmobile put on has problems. Wish they would just leave it as it it default rom. I am just took delivery of my second touch pro 2 and use it sim free on tmobile. Second unit is perfect no problems at all.
kornnutcase said:
Hello Everyone,
I was looking for some advise as my T mobile contract ended last month and I was looking to by the touch pro 2 from mobilephonesdirect on a t-mobile tariff. When I spoke to T mobile to cancel my current tariff they advised me against purchasing the touch pro 2 as it has to many bugs in the software and they are working on correcting them.
Is this true? should I hold of for a bit?
Thank you for your advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only read about a few bugs in the HTC Touch Pro 2. Maybe the Sales rep was confused. Even so, once the bugs are fixed offical Firmware updates will be out. Or you can just flash custom ROM's like everyone else on here will do once Hard SPL is released.
T-Mobile will officially be releasing the MDA Vario V which is their version of the Rhodium. This will have there Firmware, not the Unbranded HTC that mobilephonesdirect is selling.
Ta
Dave
Dave
kornnutcase said:
Hello Everyone,
I was looking for some advise as my T mobile contract ended last month and I was looking to by the touch pro 2 from mobilephonesdirect on a t-mobile tariff. When I spoke to T mobile to cancel my current tariff they advised me against purchasing the touch pro 2 as it has to many bugs in the software and they are working on correcting them.
Is this true? should I hold of for a bit?
Thank you for your advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please pay no attention to the t-mobile reps at all. they have no idea as to how the phone performs or of any issues with rom. like previously stated they may be having issues applying their version of the rom to the phone and experiencing problems. it is much better buying a generic/unbranded version as you know it is how the manufacturer intended it to look and operate. i have got my phone from mobilephones direct and i assure you the phone has been spot on! i would not wait for t-mobile mda vario v as not only will it look slightly different but will have their branding all over it. they also have a habit of messing with hardware so i'd stay clear for now!
Thank you for the advice
I also bought mine on a T mobile contract from mobile phones direct and there are no issues with it. In fact I have bought the original Touch Pro and touch HD sim free too and never had any problems. Phone company reps don't know anything, getting it from MPD will not only work out cheaper than an official T mobile upgrade, i.e vario V, it will also be unlocked and unbranded. win win situation.
News has it, t-mobiles dropping it on July 22nd, [if youre in the US, like me]. there was another roadmap that was leaked, this time confirming all of the release dates. go look on Tmonews.com, engadget.com, tmotoday.com. They all have different articles about the phones that are coming out...
You'll save more money buying it branded from Tmobile. thats a given. but like they were saying, you can always change your ROM to and from the branded one. I can only imagine all of the bloatware Tmobile will throw on there, stupid apps and **** like that, that take up memory on your phone. I think ill wait til Tmobile releases their version, and if i dont like their ROM, ill switch. probably the best thing to do, id think.
I am already a T mobile customer but is it true that I will not be able to keep my exsiting number on a new contract with T mobile through mobilephonesdirect?
looking to buy through mpd
Hi
I am looking at getting a tp2 from mobilephonesdirect but I have never had one sim free before or a windows mobile before, but I love everything I have read about this phone.
I just have some questions if anyone would be so kind to help.
If I get it through MPD and take out a t-mobile contract with them, how easy is it (don't forget I'm a newbie) to sort out the voicemail settings and text message centre thingy settings ?
Also if I go onto the internet does it automatically do it so it is included in the web and walk free data ?
Sorry if they are stupid questions
Thanks in advance
Si
When you switch your phone on with the new Tmobile sim in it it will download all of the settings from tmobile and ask you to reboot. all of your settings will then be in place. Dont forget tmobile charge for voicemail so its best to disable it straigh away
You'll save more money buying it branded from Tmobile. thats a given.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? Have you seen the price of the Vario iv on the tmobile website?
Thanks for that Stunno.
When you say disable the voicemail. Do you use an alternative or can people not leave you a message when trying to contact you
Thanks
Si
kornnutcase said:
I am already a T mobile customer but is it true that I will not be able to keep my exsiting number on a new contract with T mobile through mobilephonesdirect?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
You would not be able to port an existing TMob number to a new TMob contract. What you can do though, is port your existing number to a Pay&Go service on another network, then port it back to your new contract. A pain in the ass process, can take up to two weeks to get the number ported back to where you want it but worth doing it.
I too got mine from MPD and am going through the above process now, it is the only way to keep your existing number unless you upgrade direct with TMob, which ultimately costs more and you end up with the disgusting Pink branding all over your lovely new Rhodium as well as the bloatware which is a disgrace, I've only ever bought one device as an official upgrade and will never do it again.
Cheers,
Beasty
The latter, I always think if it is important they will ring back! Or I might just be tight, lol
The phone gives a list of missed calls, and if I ring them back it comes out of my free minutes, but calls to voicemail cost 10p a minute.
T-Mobile UK
Hi
I've just got a TP2 on T-Mo UK through www.mobilephonesdirect.com All seems OK so far. Not too impressed with the radio reception but I suspect this will improve with ROM updates/hacks.
I got it on the 700 minutes, unlimited text and data for £35-00 per month. Handset £25-00. The device came unbranded and works fine on the T-Mo network.
Happy with the deal.
andrew-in-woking
beast0898 said:
Hi,
You would not be able to port an existing TMob number to a new TMob contract. What you can do though, is port your existing number to a Pay&Go service on another network, then port it back to your new contract. A pain in the ass process, can take up to two weeks to get the number ported back to where you want it but worth doing it.
I too got mine from MPD and am going through the above process now, it is the only way to keep your existing number unless you upgrade direct with TMob, which ultimately costs more and you end up with the disgusting Pink branding all over your lovely new Rhodium as well as the bloatware which is a disgrace, I've only ever bought one device as an official upgrade and will never do it again.
Cheers,
Beasty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, thank you for the advice, ill give it a go so just to check I have got this right:-
1. I purchase a new pay as you go sim that is not on the T mobile network.
2. Cancel my T mobile contract request a pac code.
3. Use this pac code to transfer my number with the pay as you go service
4. Once number moves over cancel my pay as you go service receive another pac code.
5. Purchase new phone with mobilephonesdirect with pac code
Thank you again
kornnutcase said:
Hello, thank you for the advice, ill give it a go so just to check I have got this right:-
1. I purchase a new pay as you go sim that is not on the T mobile network.
2. Cancel my T mobile contract request a pac code.
3. Use this pac code to transfer my number with the pay as you go service
4. Once number moves over cancel my pay as you go service receive another pac code.
5. Purchase new phone with mobilephonesdirect with pac code
Thank you again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you got it
It is a pain in the ass process, but the only way to keep your number.
Have done this myself several times with no issue (par an 02 contract, long story there)
You don't have to wait before getting the new contract on TMob by the way, you can port the number to the new contract any time.
Cheers,
Beasty
Thanks Stunno and others for the valuable advice
I'm tight too stunno. I like your thinking lol.
Are you sure? Have you seen the price of the Vario iv on the tmobile website?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
id rather pay 500, maybe 600 dollars, with Tmobile then pay 900 from some person in china that might be sending me [literally] a brick in a box...
josh_prayyforplagues said:
id rather pay 500, maybe 600 dollars, with Tmobile then pay 900 from some person in china that might be sending me [literally] a brick in a box...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree with you there but here in the UK we can get them from the afor mentioned mobile phones direct who are based locally down in the south of England.
josh_prayyforplagues said:
id rather pay 500, maybe 600 dollars, with Tmobile then pay 900 from some person in china that might be sending me [literally] a brick in a box...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't disagree with you there, but I bought my Diamond from beepymobile on a 12 month Tmobile contract @ £25 a month which worked out substantially less than Tmobie wanted for the same minutes/texts so it does pay to shop around

HTC TP2: Can anyone answer my MPD - Vodafone & T-Mobile contracts question

I wanted to ask MPD about two different contracts I am interested in below as I really would like to order a Touch Pro 2 today, but they never answer the phone!:
T-Mobile
700
Minutes
per month Unlimited
Text
+
Unlimited mobile web
per month £34.26
Line rental
per month
was £35.00 3 months
Free insurance
+
2.5% VAT Off
Line Rental
Looks good until you look at the info, maximum browsing cost per day £1!!!!
Vodafone:
300
Minutes
per month Unlimited
Text
+
Unlimited mobile web
per month £34.26
Line rental
per month
was £35.00 3 months
Free insurance
+
2.5% VAT Off
Line Rental
Now this deal looks good too but says nothing about daily browsing costs, nor does it on the Vodafone website.
Can anyone confirm that both above deals incurr EXTRA browsing/email/surfing costs?
I want to buy my HTC TP2 today but there is no point getting it and having to incurr large daily charges for a device that really is going to primarily be connected to the net daily.
Cheers
Both deals have inclusive internet so there will be no additional charge.
The T-Mobile £1 charge only applies if you don't have an add on Web n'Walk package, which the contract you quoted does have.
I think the W&W deal has a fair use policy of 1gb. I have had W&W for a few years now and despite tethering to my laptop and using data on my WM devices heavily I have never had a letter from T-Mobile asking me to reduce my use.
However I am concerned about the difficulty in contacting MPD. My TP2 is misbehaving. Not sure yet if it is a hardware fault but lack of communications with MPD worries me. Guess I will have to contact HTC but I want the option of a replacement handset rather than a repair.
Thank you for you're reply aerotec.
Well to be honest I have contacted them by email (wednesday) with no reply and called them around 10 times since then with no reply including leaving voice mail this morning - this is very worrying and a major issue if anything goes wrong with the phone, it has totally put me off.
I'm considering Expansys now as they have returned all my emails quickly, I didnt even have to call.
I hope yours gets sorted mate.
if you go directly to voda mate, on their bussiness page, you can get a free HTC TP2, 900 mins, unlimited texts, unlimited internet for £34.03 + vat... hold in, i'll link it.
HERE IT IS
18 month contract... are the ones you list 18mnth ?
It looks alot better to go directly to voda or am i missing something ?
EDIT : To get the plan i was on about, hit the 18 month click box and click 'view all plans'
The MPD deal is still pretty good. I took the 12 month deal as it worked out about the same as buying it unconnected.
I just hope I can sort out the handset problem though it has worked ok today.
I drove 5hrs yesterday and the TP2 kept giving me connection errors and Tomtom kept hanging on me. Why can't my gadgets just WORK!
drawflex said:
if you go directly to voda mate, on their bussiness page, you can get a free HTC TP2, 900 mins, unlimited texts, unlimited internet for £34.03 + vat... hold in, i'll link it.
HERE IT IS
18 month contract... are the ones you list 18mnth ?
It looks alot better to go directly to voda or am i missing something ?
EDIT : To get the plan i was on about, hit the 18 month click box and click 'view all plans'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the exact deal I got, although they don't have any more stock till monday apparently, but there was one available in my local store so she reserved it for me, and i picked it up same day.
MPD supply a non-brandaed, stock HTC TP2, where is vodafones is branded is the only real difference.
Thats a damn good deal, beats T-Mobile hands down.
I wish I could get one from my local store, but none have any.
I would prefer non-branded, but I'll definately take a look at that!
Thanks!
EDIT: Pretty sure -T-Mobile give you 1GB fair usage policy whereas Voda is 500MB?
I've just signed up for that deal aswell, and yeah, no stock till monday, I went to my local store and they'd just sold the only one they had... so i gotta wait
Apparently coz it's a bussiness phone local stores hold hardly any stock anyways..
More time to dowload goodies and fill up the 8GB card i just bought for it
EDIT : Also my local store didn't want to honour this deal as they said ' it's a bussiness only deal, were not a bussiness shop' so i'd recommend calling the number on the voda site, they were pleasant enough to deal with.
Don't go with T-Mobile, they're worse than useless.
In this thread, issues I've had with them:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=529984
SuperAdvan said:
EDIT: Pretty sure -T-Mobile give you 1GB fair usage policy whereas Voda is 500MB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, thats right... I can live with that though... i doubt i'll download anywhere near 500MB in a month over the air... but horses for courses.
You guys are a great help thanks.
Ok I phoned Vodafone, they are currently stocking them in:
Middlesborough (18!!)
Guildford
Thats about it according to the really helpful lady that I spoke to.
I wont be using T-Mobile then based on your issues mate, cheers.
By the way, how bad is the branding? is it possible to get rid of it using another ROM yet?
SuperAdvan said:
By the way, how bad is the branding? is it possible to get rid of it using another ROM yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I quite like it (not sure how many share my opinion here though).
Was getting bored of the black HTC theme on my other HTC phones (TyTN II/Touch HD).
To change the ROM you'd just need to install a new bootloader to unlock it and then install whatever ROM. I think the stock ROMs are available on the wiki, bear in mind it invalidates your warranty though. I've not done it myself since having the original TyTN handset and loading a custom ROM but it's fairly simple, a mate of mine did his TP1 the other day when he was round my place, didn't really pay much attention but it was basically the same process.
Ok sounds easy enough, thanks.
So would this also enable me to download the official HTC ROMs and the WM 6.5? or do you need to have an unbranded HTC phone for this?
Sorry if this is a stupid question.
MPD got back to me finally so all good.
So my choice is now unbranded (at extra cost £89 with a slightly inferiour voda contract) or branded (free with a better contract) - hmmm!
from how i see it... i might be wrong (i'm still wet behind the ears) you cant flash any rom to any TP2 yet untill someone comes up with a hardSPL for it (dunno about un-branded though) someone please confirm ?
From what i've read in the rom devolopment section they're working on it.
Once that's done.. you'll be able to whack any ROM on it and get rid of any branding.
Till then you gotta live with the branding i think.
Thanks - all my questions answered, much appreciated all.
The branding is AWFUL! pink white grey and black
But it is very easy to undo without flashing. There is a thread in the themes section, install one file and its gone
got mine from MPD and yeah they were a pain to get thru too via phone sometimes and email! i am very persistent so kept ringing till i got an answer sometimes 5 times back to back but i get thru. emails were answered quite quickly and i even had my contracts emailed to me for signing so i could get phone next day.............impressive! i did however speak to another gentleman who had no clue what i was on about when i enquired bout the postage of my phone. i got the t-mobile combi 30 deal where you got 700 mins plus unlimited texts w/out w&w as i already have a t-mobile line fully loaded on flext 35. it cost me £29.15 monthly and i paid £45 for phone!
that deal for £34.25 is quite good and phone is free. you get an unbranded and unlocked handset which is the biggest plus. getting the phone from voda direct means that it will come with their version of the stock rom which is not very good at all! keep ringing till MPD answers as they do eventually..............you need to get phone unbranded to truly experience the beauty of the phone. that IMO beats the lack of contact from MPD. when you do get thru you will get sorted. i think it gets rather busy in there and it is only a small shop with limited number of staff. it is also a walk in shop not online based like others. if they are busy dealing with walk in customers they won't answer phone!
stunno said:
The branding is AWFUL! pink white grey and black
But it is very easy to undo without flashing. There is a thread in the themes section, install one file and its gone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that doesn't get rid of the overal performance as base rom will still be voda branded and doesn't work well at all
SuperAdvan said:
By the way, how bad is the branding? is it possible to get rid of it using another ROM yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty bad from what i have been told! you can't flash custom roms at present till hard spl is released. this will also have a security unlock that will enable you to flash custom roms. ETA is not known but it is work in progress. in branded state you will only be able to flash voda updates. HTC rom or future htc updates you will not be able to use till hrad spl is available. even if you remove the look of the phone the base rom will still be voda and that is the issue. the unbranded handset with stock rom works far better than voda branded one! IMO the choice is clear!

Unlocked AT&T Tilt 2 (Touch Pro 2)

I'm in a dilemma and in need of some advice. I'm in the market for a new Windows Mobile Phone. The last phone I had (The HP Ipaq 910c) went sour on me 3 times before I finally sold it off. I've been using a phone that's 8 years old for the past several months...trying to patiently wait for the Touch Pro 2 on AT&T.
Here's my problem...I'm on an unlimited data plan right now with AT&T that's relatively cheap. If I were to sign a new 2 year contract with them with the Tilt 2, my monthly bill would increase by about $30-$40 dollars with the new data plans they put in place. (I'm on a family plan). I'm due for an upgrade because my HP 910c was unlocked and I didn't have to sign a contract, but I still used it on the AT&T networks. I guess my question is...is there a way to do this with the Tilt 2 ...get it unlocked and still use the data plan I have without having to go through AT&T and have all the sluggish software they install put on the phone. Not to mention I was using CoPilot GPS on my HP 910c and I wanted to be still use that on my Tilt 2 (doesn't AT&T have the GPS locked or charge for the service?) ...I'm not the expert on phones and how carriers change things up so I apologize if I'm completely off in left field with these statements. I know you can also buy the phone...non commitment with AT&T for $550ish, but I'm worried they'd still charge me for some of these services I'm wanting. Soooooooo...
I've looked at these two sites who are selling an unlocked version of the AT&T Tilt 2:
($600) Negri Electronics: http://www.negrielectronics.com/product_info.php?currency=USD&products_id=2758
&
($550) Wireless Networks: http://www.ewirelessexperts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1361
Can anybody recommend one of these sellers and/or tell me if they are legit and point me in the right direction?
OR am I better off just signing a new contract with either AT&T or Verizon. I'm basically trying to find the least expensive way to get this phone and use it how I want to use it. I don't want to be paying extra for monthly services and data plans that I COULD already have available to myself. I really like Verizon's version (I've heard its the closest to the original HTC Touch Pro 2 as far as the software. And that there is virtually no carrier bloat pre-installed...not to mention there's a 3.5mm jack...but that's not a deal breaker for me) ...OR is there anyway I CAN get the Verizon version UNLOCKED and still use it on the AT&T networks somehow? I've heard the 3G bands are different. Could anyone confirm if this is even a possibility? (Also I'm wanting to run Windows Mobile 6.5 on this phone...so I need to take into account how much it would be to upgrade if I did take the Verizon route and when the update would be available)
I definitely want 3G...I know there are unlocked versions of this phone that don't have it and I want to STAY AWAY from that. I've also heard stories that AT&T can somehow detect now when you're using a new phone and switch your SIM card to a different model (and that they can change or start charging you differently if they catch you). BASICALLY ...is there a way to avoid all this and finally get myself an ever-so-lovely Unlocked Touch Pro 2? And...from WHERE?
OK here is the deal. If you want 3G then either find an unlocked version or pay retail for the ATT TP2 549.99. As long as you dont upgrade your account then you are grandfathered in for your data. I would pay the retail price which is cheaper then an unlocked version and then call ATT to get the unlock code. You can remove the bloat ware easy enough, Custom rom.
Does anyone know about the legitimacy of the Negri or Wireless Networks sellers? I'm skeptical to buy it directly from AT&T...Just having to deal with the additional software and having to unlock it...and them possibly noticing a change and changing up the price of my service...just seems like a hassle. I just wanna buy it, get it, put in my SIM card, and live happily ever after with no worries.
TheScPCrew said:
Does anyone know about the legitimacy of the Negri or Wireless Networks sellers? I'm skeptical to buy it directly from AT&T...Just having to deal with the additional software and having to unlock it...and them possibly noticing a change and changing up the price of my service...just seems like a hassle. I just wanna buy it, get it, put in my SIM card, and live happily ever after with no worries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No matter where you get it after awhile your IMEI will reg on the system and they will know you are using a TP2. Even with an unlocked version of ATT touch pro 2 it will still come with all the att software as it is the only version that comes with 6.5. If you look at the screen shot it still has the ATT tab in TF3d. I cant say about those places but on the go solutions I have delt with and when I got an unlocked carrier version it still had all the bloatware installed. I called them and they stated that they only unlock them, they dont change anything else.
Will At&T just give you the unlock code... no questions asked? I thought they kept it locked for a reason. And if I buy it from At&T for $550 do I get any kind of warranty if say a part fails on the device?
TheScPCrew said:
Will At&T just give you the unlock code... no questions asked? I thought they kept it locked for a reason. And if I buy it from At&T for $550 do I get any kind of warranty if say a part fails on the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will give you the unlock code if you buy it out right and tell them you travel overseas. It will have the normal one year warrenty if you buy it at one of the stores. You can always add insurence to the plan when you buy it out right with in 30 days.
Getting your AT&T phone unlocked
zelendel said:
They will give you the unlock code if you buy it out right and tell them you travel overseas. It will have the normal one year warrenty if you buy it at one of the stores. You can always add insurence to the plan when you buy it out right with in 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This only works if you've been with AT&T for at least 3 months. If you're starting a new plan/new account with AT&T, you have to wait 3 months before unlocking your phone. Otherwise, just tell CS that you want it unlocked for overseas travel.
i got my tilt2 directly from att for 425. dont have it unlocked yet, as i dunno if i want to keep the phone or go under a contract (prices are around 99 with 2yr). with contract prices so low, maybe it makes sense to pay the extra $10-15 for their new data plan? especially with att new data plan rules for all smartphones. I'd hate to pay full price and the have att bump me up 2 months or so down the line, when I can't return the phone..
motoq9h said:
i got my tilt2 directly from att for 425. dont have it unlocked yet, as i dunno if i want to keep the phone or go under a contract (prices are around 99 with 2yr). with contract prices so low, maybe it makes sense to pay the extra $10-15 for their new data plan? especially with att new data plan rules for all smartphones. I'd hate to pay full price and the have att bump me up 2 months or so down the line, when I can't return the phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they bump up prices, you can call them and they HAVE to let you out of your contract, without any penalty at all
i recomend you buy a locked one and unlock it here using Olipro programs , are 100% safe , and locked phones are cheaper
arreguingalindo said:
i recomend you buy a locked one and unlock it here using Olipro programs , are 100% safe , and locked phones are cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, way to go replying to a thread that's over a year old.

Question T-mobile unlock?

I am considering a T-mobile version of the Op9 pro because it would be substantially cheaper for me, but I like to have my phone rooted. How difficult would it be to unlock and root the tmob version of the phone?
I went through this exact questioning process when I bought my OP7Pro from T-Mobile 2 years ago. I did that because it was cheaper, but the only way to root is to first get T-Mobile to unlock the device, which they will not do if you're making payments on the phone. Luckily there was someone here at XDA who had a connection at T-Mobile and was able to have them unlock it for me.
So the choices seem to be:
1) Pay off the phone and then T-Mobile will unlock it.
2) Have a connection at T-Mobile (or good persuasion skills) and get them to unlock it against policy.
3) Buy from the manufacturer or another vendor so it's already unlocked.
This time I went with Option 3, even though it will cost me a bit more.
terlynn4 said:
I went through this exact questioning process when I bought my OP7Pro from T-Mobile 2 years ago. I did that because it was cheaper, but the only way to root is to first get T-Mobile to unlock the device, which they will not do if you're making payments on the phone. Luckily there was someone here at XDA who had a connection at T-Mobile and was able to have them unlock it for me.
So the choices seem to be:
1) Pay off the phone and then T-Mobile will unlock it.
2) Have a connection at T-Mobile (or good persuasion skills) and get them to unlock it against policy.
3) Buy from the manufacturer or another vendor so it's already unlocked.
This time I went with Option 3, even though it will cost me a bit more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha! Same exact position I was in with my OP7Pro. Hated myself for going the T-Mo purchase route as it took a long time to unlock and then eventually flash the International ROM to get rid of the T-Mo one it shipped with.
For those getting it from T-Mobile in installments (like I did with my OP7Pro), what worked for me was reaching out to T-Mo support on Twitter (@TMobileHelp). DM them and tell them you're traveling and need the phone unlocked before you travel. Took a couple of tries to get a nice enough rep to unlock it for me. YMMV.
Can't wait til I get my OP9Pro!
eddy g said:
Ha! Same exact position I was in with my OP7Pro. Hated myself for going the T-Mo purchase route as it took a long time to unlock and then eventually flash the International ROM to get rid of the T-Mo one it shipped with.
For those getting it from T-Mobile in installments (like I did with my OP7Pro), what worked for me was reaching out to T-Mo support on Twitter (@TMobileHelp). DM them and tell them you're traveling and need the phone unlocked before you travel. Took a couple of tries to get a nice enough rep to unlock it for me. YMMV.
Can't wait til I get my OP9Pro!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I'm surprised that worked. I do travel to a place without T-Mobile service to visit family once in awhile, and they only did a temporary unlock for me in the past (10-day? 30-day? I don't remember). I never tried telling them I was going on a longer trip. Good to know in case there's a next time!
T-Mobile, even when paying full price up front, will not unlock the phone for 40 days. The only advantages to buying the phone directly from T-Mobile is carrier bill financing (though their trade in offer is disappointing), and roaming on US Cellular/Nex-Tech (IMEI whitelist bull involved...).
If those aren't needed, then buying direct from OnePlus or a retailer like Best Buy (they are doing preorders now) is a better option.
I've done this on the three oneplus devices I bought from T-Mo; Got on twitter (at least one business day after purchase so the device is updated in their system) and tell them I need it unlocked so my company can install their security software. This time I went with a direct-buy from Oneplus for the 9 Pro though - just me not wanting to have to deal with that again. Of note, my account with T-Mobile has been active and in good standing for over 10 years, which may have affected their willingness to unlock so quickly while device was still on EIP. It may not work for you if you have a new account or have late/missed payments.
After 4 days all devices can be unlocked even if on a JOD or EIP
It's all about how nice & patient your willing to be towards the rep......

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