Rant:Mobile data tariffs Why buy a Smartphone

leahcim

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a smartphone in the next few weeks.

Looking at either buying the fujitsu siemens pocket loox t or the palm treo 750v both these phones run windows mobile 5 and have web browsers and email push software. Obviously to take adventage of these features you would need to be on a flat fee data tariff that does not charge per MB.

I was assuming that because these smartphones are becoming more mainstream the mobile operators would provide a solution.

I rang O2, Vodafone and 3 Ireland to see what they could do for me.

Unfortunately it does not look very good.

The support guy in 3 Ireland told me that a smartphone would not work on their network (I dont think he understood what a smartphone is). He said the only flat fee data tariff was for datacards.

Next I tried 02

The best they can do is 5 euro per MB

O2 Tariffs See Data Section

finally Vodafone

Their data costs are 2.50 euros per MB

Vodafones Data Tariffs

The only smartphone that is cost effictive seems to be the Blackberry which does not do all the things I need.

Unless I am missing something would it be fair to say there is no real point in buying a smartphone in Ireland?

ronan675

Vodafone have two data packages for WM5 smartphones. They are €12 for 25mb & €20 for 50mb.

You can see them @ http://www.vodafone.ie/soho/windowsemail/index.jsp

leahcim wrote:

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a smartphone in the next few weeks.

Looking at either buying the fujitsu siemens pocket loox t or the palm treo 750v both these phones run windows mobile 5 and have web browsers and email push software. Obviously to take adventage of these features you would need to be on a flat fee data tariff that does not charge per MB.

I was assuming that because these smartphones are becoming more mainstream the mobile operators would provide a solution.

I rang O2, Vodafone and 3 Ireland to see what they could do for me.

Unfortunately it does not look very good.

The support guy in 3 Ireland told me that a smartphone would not work on their network (I dont think he understood what a smartphone is). He said the only flat fee data tariff was for datacards.

Next I tried 02

The best they can do is 5 euro per MB

O2 Tariffs See Data Section

finally Vodafone

Their data costs are 2.50 euros per MB

Vodafones Data Tariffs

The only smartphone that is cost effictive seems to be the Blackberry which does not do all the things I need.

Unless I am missing something would it be fair to say there is no real point in buying a smartphone in Ireland?

Blaster99

Presumably 3's upcoming X-Series will do what you're looking for, so long as you're happy to be limited to their devices? Nokia N73 or whatever.

Sam Vimes

Blaster99 wrote:

Presumably 3's upcoming X-Series will do what you're looking for, so long as you're happy to be limited to their devices? Nokia N73 or whatever.

i asked 3 and the guy said the x-series can use skype and a few other programs but its still the walled garden besides that. he could have been wrong though

Urban Weigl

According to the blog, the walled garden is gone: you can access any web site or internet service with X-series.

Edit: Internet access is available under a 1 GB "fair use" guide.

quintron

1GB with a walled garden.. I'd like anyone to reach that limit watchin Father Ted clips and the like
Walled Garden thankfully gone the way of the Dodo with xseries.

Sam Vimes

quintron wrote:

1GB with a walled garden.. I'd like anyone to reach that limit watchin Father Ted clips and the like
Walled Garden thankfully gone the way of the Dodo with xseries.

are we 100% sure about this? the girl on the phone last night wasn't and i'm wondering why they're so heavily promoting these 7 services if the whole net is available to customers

Random

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Price+plans/Pay+monthly/Data+pricing/

Look at Data 10 and Data 25.

Urban Weigl

Commander Vimes wrote:

are we 100% sure about this? the girl on the phone last night wasn't and i'm wondering why they're so heavily promoting these 7 services if the whole net is available to customers

Yes. They've even talked about there not being any limits as to what you can visit on their blog. You can even install your own apps, like you could for example install an AIM client and use it. 3 will do nothing to block it, though they won't provide technical support for it either, or guarantee that it'll work with Symbian. Things like that.

Random

Commander Vimes wrote:

are we 100% sure about this? the girl on the phone last night wasn't and i'm wondering why they're so heavily promoting these 7 services if the whole net is available to customers

You calling those 1550 numbers again boyo?