8 ms·

All of which is completely unsubstantiated rumor attached to a blurry picture that could just as easily have been any number of 3rd party ROM themes... Edit: A

All of which is completely unsubstantiated rumor attached to a blurry picture that could just as easily have been any number of 3rd party ROM themes... Edit: Also, good luck seeing Google Voice/SIP over data connection if you ever intend on buying a carrier-released phone. Or at least not without paying a surcharge equivalent to the cost of a voice plan a la tethering.

drivebyacct2 16y ago
You can buy data only plans through VZW. They offer them for deaf/mute people but they're legally obligated to sell them to everyone. It's not even hard to find. There is so much fearmongering on here from fanboys on both sides (carriers will block it, carriers won't support it, fragmentation every other word...). It's worse than other places. And that's saying something.
- nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
  Yes, you can buy a data-only plan from them, but that same data-only plan explicitly prohibits the use of VoIP technologies, just like every other carrier in the US.
  - drivebyacct2 16y ago
    And see my other comment for my remarks in that regard. My University tells me that my internet connection is not to be used for accessing "obscene materials". Guess how much that's stopped me.
technomancy 16y ago
> if you ever intend on buying a carrier-released phone Why would you ever do such a silly thing?
- nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
  I personally have a Nexus One, but as the sales data shows, I am by far in the minority for doing so.
- cookiecaper 16y ago
  Because it's a lot easier for most people to justify dropping $200 now and paying out the rest over time in a plan that you'd be paying for anyway than it is to justify dropping $600-$800 now. I am pretty sure that the carriers don't discount rates for non-contract phones. People just don't have the money to justify spending that much on a phone when there are so many cheaper alternatives. Excepting developers, most people are happy to save $400-$600 even if it means they have to deal with a Blockbuster app cluttering the menu.
  - ben1040 16y ago
    I am pretty sure that the carriers don't discount rates for non-contract phones. T-Mobile is the only US carrier that does -- the smartphone plans are $20/month cheaper if you bring your own phone or buy at the no-contract price. They also have an installment plan where you can pay full price for the phone, but spread it out over 20 months with no interest and pay it on your phone bill. This seems like the best of both worlds.
    - technomancy 16y ago
      Indeed, if you look over the total cost for 2 years, it's really a no-brainer: 2 years @ $80/mo, no cost for hardware: $2099 2 years @ $40/mo, $520 for hardware: $1466
      - cookiecaper 16y ago
        The parent says it's $20/mo off for no-contract, at that rate ($60) the no-contract comes out to $1960, barely a savings of $100 overall. Definitely worth the contract if you don't have $520 to drop when you need a phone.
        ben1040 16y ago
        Or you can spread that $520 it over 20 months without interest, pay that on your monthly bill, and still get the no-contract price. A G2 is $199 with the 2 year contract and $499 with no contract. My understanding from their website is that your first installment is due when you take home the phone, so your down payment on a new G2 would be $25. So using nice round numbers on the prices, 24 months @ $80/month + $200 = $2120 versus 24 months @ $60/month + 20 months @ $25/month to pay off the phone = $1940 So you save $180 over 2 years, and your up-front payment is only $25 instead of $200.
nextparadigms 16y ago
Do you think Google would implement it if carriers wouldn't agree? Maybe. But I think the carriers will support that feature. Why? It's simple. Verizon, for example, could say "Yes, we sell this Android 3.0 phone and you can make VOIP calls on it - you only have to buy this expensive LTE data plan from us". Carriers can easily embrace this and make even more money from it than from minutes.
- wmf 16y ago
  People aren't that dumb; they're only interested in VoIP to save money. As soon as it costs more, people will be back to circuit-switched voice calls (which are higher quality anyway).
  - onewland 16y ago
    Pardon? Most of my experience is with Skype/iChat, but I find sound quality to be far better than POTS.
  - zacharycohn 16y ago
    There are other advantages to VoIP. Namely, portability. If your office has a VoIP phone system, you could take calls at your desk or on the go without a person trying to track you down, forward the call, etc.
  - joeyo 16y ago
    > As soon as it costs more, people will be back to circuit- > switched voice calls (which are higher quality anyway). In my experience the quality of Skype to Skype calls (Android to desktop) can be way better than POTS.

drivebyacct2 16y ago

You can buy data only plans through VZW. They offer them for deaf/mute people but they're legally obligated to sell them to everyone. It's not even hard to find. There is so much fearmongering on here from fanboys on both sides (carriers will block it, carriers won't support it, fragmentation every other word...). It's worse than other places. And that's saying something.

nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
Yes, you can buy a data-only plan from them, but that same data-only plan explicitly prohibits the use of VoIP technologies, just like every other carrier in the US.
- drivebyacct2 16y ago
  And see my other comment for my remarks in that regard. My University tells me that my internet connection is not to be used for accessing "obscene materials". Guess how much that's stopped me.

technomancy 16y ago

> if you ever intend on buying a carrier-released phone Why would you ever do such a silly thing?

nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
I personally have a Nexus One, but as the sales data shows, I am by far in the minority for doing so.
cookiecaper 16y ago
Because it's a lot easier for most people to justify dropping $200 now and paying out the rest over time in a plan that you'd be paying for anyway than it is to justify dropping $600-$800 now. I am pretty sure that the carriers don't discount rates for non-contract phones. People just don't have the money to justify spending that much on a phone when there are so many cheaper alternatives. Excepting developers, most people are happy to save $400-$600 even if it means they have to deal with a Blockbuster app cluttering the menu.
- ben1040 16y ago
  I am pretty sure that the carriers don't discount rates for non-contract phones. T-Mobile is the only US carrier that does -- the smartphone plans are $20/month cheaper if you bring your own phone or buy at the no-contract price. They also have an installment plan where you can pay full price for the phone, but spread it out over 20 months with no interest and pay it on your phone bill. This seems like the best of both worlds.
  - technomancy 16y ago
    Indeed, if you look over the total cost for 2 years, it's really a no-brainer: 2 years @ $80/mo, no cost for hardware: $2099 2 years @ $40/mo, $520 for hardware: $1466
    - cookiecaper 16y ago
      The parent says it's $20/mo off for no-contract, at that rate ($60) the no-contract comes out to $1960, barely a savings of $100 overall. Definitely worth the contract if you don't have $520 to drop when you need a phone.
      - ben1040 16y ago
        Or you can spread that $520 it over 20 months without interest, pay that on your monthly bill, and still get the no-contract price. A G2 is $199 with the 2 year contract and $499 with no contract. My understanding from their website is that your first installment is due when you take home the phone, so your down payment on a new G2 would be $25. So using nice round numbers on the prices, 24 months @ $80/month + $200 = $2120 versus 24 months @ $60/month + 20 months @ $25/month to pay off the phone = $1940 So you save $180 over 2 years, and your up-front payment is only $25 instead of $200.

nextparadigms 16y ago

Do you think Google would implement it if carriers wouldn't agree? Maybe. But I think the carriers will support that feature. Why? It's simple. Verizon, for example, could say "Yes, we sell this Android 3.0 phone and you can make VOIP calls on it - you only have to buy this expensive LTE data plan from us". Carriers can easily embrace this and make even more money from it than from minutes.

wmf 16y ago
People aren't that dumb; they're only interested in VoIP to save money. As soon as it costs more, people will be back to circuit-switched voice calls (which are higher quality anyway).
- onewland 16y ago
  Pardon? Most of my experience is with Skype/iChat, but I find sound quality to be far better than POTS.
- zacharycohn 16y ago
  There are other advantages to VoIP. Namely, portability. If your office has a VoIP phone system, you could take calls at your desk or on the go without a person trying to track you down, forward the call, etc.
- joeyo 16y ago
  > As soon as it costs more, people will be back to circuit- > switched voice calls (which are higher quality anyway). In my experience the quality of Skype to Skype calls (Android to desktop) can be way better than POTS.