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Pink elephant in the room: data plan charges. I would love to buy an iPod Touch that works as dumb cellphone since it will save me the hassle of carrying two d

Pink elephant in the room: data plan charges. I would love to buy an iPod Touch that works as dumb cellphone since it will save me the hassle of carrying two devices. Puzzling why there is no such device from the biggies.

steveklabnik 16y ago
Isn't a iPod Touch that's a cellphone... just an iPhone? Am I missing something?
- anonymous246 16y ago
  Yes. (1) you can get it for $200 w/o contract, and (2) no mandatory extra monthly fees for data.
  - steveklabnik 16y ago
    The extra fees aren't mandatory, if you just buy one and activate it without them knowing, I bet. And the touch is only $200 because it doesn't include all of that hardware. They're much thinner. I bet they'd be a bit more if you put that stuff in there...
    - anonymous246 16y ago
      What hardware doesn't it include which can account for the $400 price difference between Touch and iPhone (same goes for Android phones also). I would love to be proven wrong that there is some objective reason why the cellphone chip and a GPS chip would add $400 to a device (standalone cellphone and GPS together will cost less than $100, so the bare chips should be much less).
halo 16y ago
Since Android 2.2 you can disable packet data and only use Wi-Fi for Internet access.
- anonymous246 16y ago
  Can I buy a device which does this and also does cell network vioce calls for around the price of an iPod Touch? Also can I get this device without having to pay mandatory data charges?
  - halo 16y ago
    Assuming you're in the US (by your usage of 'cell phone' and 'data plan'), I have no idea. I'm in the UK, and got a Samsung Galaxy S for free on an £20 18mo contract without data.
    - Ras_ 16y ago
      In Finland Galaxy S was free with 16,90€ 24mo contract with 384kbit/s non-capped data. We probably have the smallest operator margins (and/or most network overcapacity) in the EU. The US mobile communication prices seem unbelievable, esp. when everything related to tech is usually considerably more expensive here.
      - anonymous246 16y ago
        Thanks; I appreciate the new info.
    - anonymous246 16y ago
      Thanks for the info. Very interesting info.

steveklabnik 16y ago

Isn't a iPod Touch that's a cellphone... just an iPhone? Am I missing something?

anonymous246 16y ago
Yes. (1) you can get it for $200 w/o contract, and (2) no mandatory extra monthly fees for data.
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  The extra fees aren't mandatory, if you just buy one and activate it without them knowing, I bet. And the touch is only $200 because it doesn't include all of that hardware. They're much thinner. I bet they'd be a bit more if you put that stuff in there...
  - anonymous246 16y ago
    What hardware doesn't it include which can account for the $400 price difference between Touch and iPhone (same goes for Android phones also). I would love to be proven wrong that there is some objective reason why the cellphone chip and a GPS chip would add $400 to a device (standalone cellphone and GPS together will cost less than $100, so the bare chips should be much less).

halo 16y ago

Since Android 2.2 you can disable packet data and only use Wi-Fi for Internet access.

anonymous246 16y ago
Can I buy a device which does this and also does cell network vioce calls for around the price of an iPod Touch? Also can I get this device without having to pay mandatory data charges?
- halo 16y ago
  Assuming you're in the US (by your usage of 'cell phone' and 'data plan'), I have no idea. I'm in the UK, and got a Samsung Galaxy S for free on an £20 18mo contract without data.
  - Ras_ 16y ago
    In Finland Galaxy S was free with 16,90€ 24mo contract with 384kbit/s non-capped data. We probably have the smallest operator margins (and/or most network overcapacity) in the EU. The US mobile communication prices seem unbelievable, esp. when everything related to tech is usually considerably more expensive here.
    - anonymous246 16y ago
      Thanks; I appreciate the new info.
  - anonymous246 16y ago
    Thanks for the info. Very interesting info.