New phone + current plan (+ sidekick?) = confusion!

[furrina]

Ok, so this is really complicated but I am clinging to the hope that there is someone out there among you phone freaks who will be able to advise me on this:

FACTS

1. I have a T-mobile contract. I believe it is up in April? my services are as follows:
Get More 39.99 voice plan
300 txt 2.99
Unlimited Tzones 3.99
I have an unlocked phone with a Tmobile sim card which i believe reflects the above.

2. I am perfectly satisfied with T mobile. No reason to switch. I wont mind renewing contract when this expires.
3. I need a new phone now. Let's not get into a discussion of the real meaning of "need." I have purchased one unlocked from Nokia, it's on the way.

QUESTIONS
FIRST QUESTION:
For my new phone (I have already bought this phone, full price, unlocked, from Nokia), a 6682 smartphone, I will want to use it for voice, txt, email, Mac sync and web.

1. in order to get the full use of this (s60, GPRS, EDGE??, email capable, but no wifi) phone, what, if any, sort of DATA additions do I need to add to my plan? I am asking b/c it is very confusing and i have a feeling that the employees either don't know or don't want to tell you the real story. I also understand that many of you are Tmobile employees, no offense meant.

2. I assume if I add whatever extra i need (or maybe nothing because I have Tzones already?) I can just move my SIM card into the NEW phone and be ready to go. correct?

OK, NEXT QUESTION
If I were to also want to use a SIDEKICK, (to try it out? because I'm nuts?) how can I do the following:

1. Get a the best deal on the device itself (renew my contract, etc.?) without having to buy it at the highest price.
Something like this with data plan only looks great:
http://www.deafpager.com/devices/sidekickorder.html (or any great offer from tmob online or my round the way dealer)
I am sure Tmobile wants to keep my business. I wouldnt mind data only on SK.

2. Once i do this, can I just swap my SIM card, which should reflect the full services on my plan (see above) into the Sidekick, and then be able to use it for all of the same things as above?
OR
3. Because it is a proprietary system, do i need to buy the Sidekick plan as well? If so, can I just purchase the data only portion of the sidekick plan? And can that be added to my one SIM card and then i get all of the above plus Sidekick data svcs when I put the sim card in the Sidekick? Or do i have to get another sim card with ONLY sidekick data plan on it?

To clarify, I don't need to necessarily use the sidekick for the SAME things at the SAME time, I could swap sim cards if necessary, but I'm kind of in the dark about the cheapest way to work it.

Thanks immensely for any advice!

[carcomptoy]

First off, we're not phone FREAKS...we're phone connoisseurs:rolleyes:;)

If you're going to stick with the 6682, you don't need to add anything, as you already have unlimited tzones.

If you wanna go with the Sidekick, you'd need to get the $20 Sidekick data add-on plan, which you can easily add on to your $39.99 voice plan I would think. While that is expensive, it does give you unlimited EVERYTHING, but you "have to deal" with a closed operating system phone, which I myself don't like, but others like TheZodiac don't mind.

I should think you'd be able to stick with the same SIM card too...

[Woogie]

Contract/Plan:
If you go with the Sidekick, you can get their 20 dollar a month data plan as the gentleman above me stated. that 20 dollars a month gives you unlimited internet access and it gives you unlimited text and email so you can cancel your 300 text 2.99 plan.

Deals:
If you want a good deal on the phone, what i suggest doing is waiting til your contract is expired, then signing up a different phone number and then canceling your old contract. that is, if you DONT mind losing your old phone number.

If you happen to DO mind losing your old phone number, when wait til your contract is expire, or wait until you're in the eleventh month, then go resign your contract adn they give you a small break on the retail price of the phone.

If you want to be able to surf the internet with GPRS/EDGE, you'll want to hop onto and actual data plan, not just T-zones. T-zones will give you access to some webpages, but it wont be like having an actual Internet Service Provider.

Data plans will cost you anywhere from 20 - 30 bucks to add onto your voice plan.

recommended Changes:

Right now, you're on the getmore which is 39.99 for 600 minutes + N/W i believe. Your plan might be a little older so it might be a little different. For the same price, you can get the 1500 Whenever for 39.99. it's a promo deal right now, but it doesn't include nights and weekends. Nights and weekends will cost you an extra ten bucks a month, but most people never go past 1500 a month. Don't change your plan right now, because it'll renew your contract, being that it is a promo deal. Change your plan when you're ready to get a new phone (for the discount).

So as far as your Nokia 6682 is concerned:

What you'll want to do is call up t-mobile customer care (either 611 on your handset or 1800-tmobile) and ask them to transfer you to the tmobile data department. From there, explain to them that you've got an unlocked telephone from nokia and that you'd like to get it setup for t-mobile services in terms of the data. They'll ask you for your IMEI, at which point you can either check the box or press *#06# and your IMEI will appear. With that IMEI and your request for their services, they'll send you "data packages" that'll set up your phone for t-zones and GPRS and that kinda thing.

EDGE: I know that the 6682 is setup for EDGE compliance with cingular services, but im not sure if T-mobile has EDGE for that phone yet. What im saying is that though your phone is EDGE capable, it's just gotta be configured properly for t-mobile networks and t-mobile MAY not have the configuration packages on hand.

In either case, call their data department and they'll help you set everything up.

Being that the phone is unlocked, just pop your sim card in and it'll work perfectly fine in terms of the voice portion of it. text messages should be okay as well.



I hope that helps. :cool:

[carcomptoy]

EDGE is a handset-independent thing, at least when it comes to network compliance (as long as the phone has it of course).

You don't even need to call T-Mobile up for the data settings...you just go on the NokiaUSA.com website and have the settings sent to you:)

[amber]

Ok, so I did PDA tech support for TMOBILE. First of all, let me advise that Tmobile will not support your new device. This means that if you have issues where you need trouble shooting, they may/may not help you. Secondly... your old sim should work, and thirdly, you have some good old pieces to your plan that arent available any more, and if you change them, you cant get them back. Keep that in mind. Now, as for the use of your new Nokia... Tzones only allows very basic WAP access. If you want full internet access, which it sounds like you will, you will want to add internet which was 19.99 when I left. Now, you may be able to go to Tmobile. com to configure your device. Because it is not a Tmobile device, you will need it set up in order to use Tmobile services. You will have to do this for internet access, WAP and EMail. DATA support at TMobile should be able to assist you with this if the settings arent on Tmobile.com. Again, you may have some trouble if Tmobile doesnt have these settings. When you call Tech support, know that your phone will not work properly for all of these things if you are not walked through several configurations. Test them before you hang up! Dont cancel your current plan, as they will make you wait a period before you are even allowed to activate a new account under your name. Its called FRAUD< and Tmobile has caught on to it. Plus, then you have to pay an activation fee. Just upon your 11 month anniversary, call in, and I am sure you will get a good deal. U can also use your new phone and a SIDEKick if you choose.

[carcomptoy]

@amber: if the tzones only allows basic WAP, how come I was able to access full HTML sites on my 3650 and N-Gage?

[jayesh]

You know you could get some competent advice from our informed chatters here if u were polite...

Insulting a person's likes by calling them a freak is no better than calling a person something based on their sexual preference or their skin colour.


Its in incredibly bad shape



[QUOTE=furrina]Ok, so this is really complicated but I am clinging to the hope that there is someone out there among you phone freaks who will be able to advise me on this:

[Alex310]

I'm planning on getting a Sidekick ID or LX but not sure what I should do. If I should get it prepaid or data plan. Everybody is saying the data plan for the sidekick is only $20 but when I look on the site it says its $30. Can anyone please help me out cuase I really want to get it. Thank You

[carcomptoy]

The data plan add-on is $20, meaning that's on top of a calling plan. The $30 plan is if you have data-only, without a voice plan.