Looking at all the cool things the smart phones can do these days, I'm really starting to want one. The draw back is that the phones all seem to require you to have a voice plan first. Yes, I understand that it's a cell phone, but I don't want to use it as a cell phone. I want to use it as a mobile computer. What I want is a pay-as-you-go voice plan and a data plan.
I wouldn't mind paying for the services that I want, but the 100% mark up for something that I think I won't really use is holding me back. I think that in 5 years it will hard to get a cell phone that doesn't have a data plan available. Patience, my friend, patience...
Option #1 - Netbook and a Rogers "Rocket Stick". These have only data plans (since it's not a phone), down side is a netbook, although small, is still much bigger than an iPhone or other smart phone.
ReplyDeleteOption #2 - Wait a few years until real competition hits the mobile market. Maybe then you'll be able to get pay-as-you-go voice AND pay-as-you-go data plans.
As far as I know... the main reason you need voice and data is to get your monthly bill to $45+ to cover the cost of the phone. You're getting an iPhone at half price (if not better), which means Rogers has to recoup that $200-300 somehow. And, as far as I know, there are still no "no-contract" iPhones on the Canadian market (except maybe 2nd hand ones).
By no means am I DEFENDING Rogers (Rogers and Bell are both evil), but that's basically the reason WHY you can't get just data.
- Andrew
I would definitely go with the Netbook + Rocket stick plan. The Netbook is quite a bit bigger, but I personally don't find that there are that many times when I'm without a backpack of some sort that I could carry one in. Not only that, but you can use the freely available WiFi at the coffee shop/library/home that you happen to be at, which isn't an option on smart phones.
ReplyDeleteFor things like the google phones, you can pay full price, but of course they still require you to have a voice plan if you want a data plan. You're just not in a 3 year contract.
ReplyDeleteKibbee: most (all?) smart phones have wifi built in. I believe that the iPhone won't even you try to download more than 10 mb files without being on a wifi connection.
Sorry, my information must be a little dated. But I still think an actual netbook would work much better for doing internet things than a phone, no matter how good the phone is.
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