Pre GSM: when? unlocked? Put your Predictions & Speculations here!

[CGK]

Originally Posted by lowyd

Hello-I have never owned a treo and have a pocketpc I was using mainly as an ebook reader-had to replace the battery abd now it will not work without being plugged in-can anyone tell me if I buy an unlocked treo 650 can I use it as a pda only without having to spend money with a provider? Also is it a good mobipocket and pdf format reader?

Thanks so much!!!

Why not buy a second hand PDA off ebay instead? no point having the phone functions if they don't need them.

[DaMann3162000]

need help

[spectralfish]

Can someone answer my questions? I am currently using ATT without a contract.

1) Will the european GSM pre will work with AT&T?
2) Can i just put my Att sim card in the pre and it will work?
3) Will i be tied to a 2 year contract on ATT?
4) Will I be forced to use the smartphone data plan?
5) Do i have to tell ATT i am using a pre?

Thanks in advance

[palandri]

Originally Posted by spectralfish

Can someone answer my questions? I am currently using ATT without a contract.

1) Will the european GSM pre will work with AT&T?
2) Can i just put my Att sim card in the pre and it will work?
3) Will i be tied to a 2 year contract on ATT?
4) Will I be forced to use the smartphone data plan?
5) Do i have to tell ATT i am using a pre?

Thanks in advance

No one has seen the final specs on an unlocked GSM Pre yet. My best guess would be that it would work fine here on ATT, but that's only my best guess.

[Rino808]

Originally Posted by spectralfish

Can someone answer my questions? I am currently using ATT without a contract.

1) Will the european GSM pre will work with AT&T?
2) Can i just put my Att sim card in the pre and it will work?
3) Will i be tied to a 2 year contract on ATT?
4) Will I be forced to use the smartphone data plan?
5) Do i have to tell ATT i am using a pre?

Thanks in advance

1) As it looks, it will work but you might not be able to use 3G. Only edge for data.
2) see above
3) No
4) You shouldn't, im using an unlocked E71 and it shows up as an unknown phone to AT&T
5) No

hope this helps...

[spectralfish]

Originally Posted by Rino808

1) As it looks, it will work but you might not be able to use 3G. Only edge for data.
2) see above
3) No
4) You shouldn't, im using an unlocked E71 and it shows up as an unknown phone to AT&T
5) No

hope this helps...

But the phone I'm using now is a "dumb phone' which doesn't/can't use a data plan. So if I did buy an unlocked pre, how do i get a data plan?

Thanks so much for you help!

[akitayo]

Originally Posted by lowyd

Hello-I have never owned a treo and have a pocketpc I was using mainly as an ebook reader-had to replace the battery abd now it will not work without being plugged in-can anyone tell me if I buy an unlocked treo 650 can I use it as a pda only without having to spend money with a provider? Also is it a good mobipocket and pdf format reader?

Thanks so much!!!

Yes you can use a Treo 650 GSM unlocked just as PDA, even with no SIM card and your phone off.

It is an excelllent mobipocket and a excellent PDF reader, actually there is an Adobe Reader free version.

[akitayo]

Originally Posted by DaMann3162000

need help

What you need to know?

[ToniCipriani]

Originally Posted by spectralfish

But the phone I'm using now is a "dumb phone' which doesn't/can't use a data plan. So if I did buy an unlocked pre, how do i get a data plan?

Thanks so much for you help!

Call AT&T and say you want to add a data plan to your account... check their website for data rates. As far as I understand carriers only mandate you to have a data plan if you buy a smartphone from them, not the other way around.

And unless you're using like an ancient Nokia 6190, I don't understand why your phone "can't" use a data plan. Almost every phone out there right now has at least a rudmentary WAP browser, so it's the question of whether it's useful or not.

[spectralfish]

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

now i just have to hope the gsm pre will have US 3g bands.

[smnc]

If they release the GSM Pre in Canada before Christmas for the same price as the CDMA, I'm sold 100%

[ToniCipriani]

Originally Posted by smnc

If they release the GSM Pre in Canada before Christmas for the same price as the CDMA, I'm sold 100%

Won't happen.

---

OK, so more to my further digging trying to find out what HSDPA bands the Pre supports... so just to summarize my current findings:

1. webOS Doctor suggests the part number MSM6260 in the UMTS firmware. That's the Qualcomm one. Datasheet says this chip supports HSDPA 3.6Mbps

2. O2 Germany's fact sheet suggests the Pre is "UMTS-Netze Dualband". Which can be both ways: O2 can mean it only supports 2 bands OR from their perspective it supports their own network (they use 2100 only) as well as overseas.

3. Datasheet suggests that the MSM6260 and MSM6280 are pin and software compatible. This COULD meant the Pre can support 7.2Mbps if it's just using the 6260 software

4. Qualcomm's datasheets suggests that the potential combinations supported by the MSM62XX family supports the following combos:

2100 - Can't be, otherwise O2 Germany won't say "dualband"
1900/850 - Can't be, can't use 3G in Europe
800/2100 - Plausible, yet unfavourable. This could be what O2 means by "dualband". Although 800 is only used in Japan, Europe is planning to use 900 in the future.
2100/1700/800 - I don't think the Pre would end up on T-Mobile, so I don't think this is it.
2100/1900/850 - This would be the only possible favourable outcome. It will support both Euro and US 3G. Makes sense for Palm, since they would only need 1 GSM version rather than 2, but not so much for O2 since the antenna diversity as per the datasheet would mean slightly weaker reception in Europe. This is the combo the Treo Pro and jesusPhone has, BTW.

Sources:
http://www.o2online.de/nw/homepage/s...ischeDaten.pdf (no longer works, I couldn't find the URL to the mirror I was using)
http://www.pre-ticker.de/?p=183 (mirror of the PDF)
MSM6280TM Chipset Solution | datasheetpro.com
MSM6260TM Chipset Solution | datasheetpro.com

Anyone wants to take a guess what it will be?

[KrazyRogue]

We're (hopefully) almost there guys: http://www.precentral.net/gsm-palm-p...ming-very-soon

[Zelig87]

October 13 for Germany
October 16 for UK

http://blog.palm.com/palm/2009/09/eu...-palm-pre.html

http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk/content/...NewsAreaID=305

[mencho]

Originally Posted by ToniCipriani

Won't happen.

---

OK, so more to my further digging trying to find out what HSDPA bands the Pre supports... so just to summarize my current findings:

1. webOS Doctor suggests the part number MSM6260 in the UMTS firmware. That's the Qualcomm one. Datasheet says this chip supports HSDPA 3.6Mbps

2. O2 Germany's fact sheet suggests the Pre is "UMTS-Netze Dualband". Which can be both ways: O2 can mean it only supports 2 bands OR from their perspective it supports their own network (they use 2100 only) as well as overseas.

3. Datasheet suggests that the MSM6260 and MSM6280 are pin and software compatible. This COULD meant the Pre can support 7.2Mbps if it's just using the 6260 software

4. Qualcomm's datasheets suggests that the potential combinations supported by the MSM62XX family supports the following combos:

2100 - Can't be, otherwise O2 Germany won't say "dualband"
1900/850 - Can't be, can't use 3G in Europe
800/2100 - Plausible, yet unfavourable. This could be what O2 means by "dualband". Although 800 is only used in Japan, Europe is planning to use 900 in the future.
2100/1700/800 - I don't think the Pre would end up on T-Mobile, so I don't think this is it.
2100/1900/850 - This would be the only possible favourable outcome. It will support both Euro and US 3G. Makes sense for Palm, since they would only need 1 GSM version rather than 2, but not so much for O2 since the antenna diversity as per the datasheet would mean slightly weaker reception in Europe. This is the combo the Treo Pro and jesusPhone has, BTW.

Sources:
http://www.o2online.de/nw/homepage/s...ischeDaten.pdf (no longer works, I couldn't find the URL to the mirror I was using)
o2 Palm Pre – Technische Daten PDF | Palm Pre Ticker (mirror of the PDF)
MSM6280TM Chipset Solution | datasheetpro.com
MSM6260TM Chipset Solution | datasheetpro.com

Anyone wants to take a guess what it will be?

What about Asian 3G, are there any differences?

[Duo]

Originally Posted by mencho

What about Asian 3G, are there any differences?

No. In Asia 2100 is used in all countries with deployed 3G networks. I believe that one carrier in Japan and one carrier in the Philippines use additional frequencies but they also use 2100.

In Thailand, where operators are still waiting for approval for the 2100 frequency from the government, limited testing is being done by the mobile networks on the 850 and 900 frequencies.

[Mackan]

So when can we expect a release in Asian countries? Hong Kong?

[ToniCipriani]

They still didn't say anything official about the HSDPA bands other than it's "dualband"...

[andyhurley]

Ah, at last the info I wanted.

So it seems the Pre is coming to O2 in the UK on my birthday (are they trying to tell me something?)

I've been a PAYG man for years now as my calls and texts just don't justify a monthly tarrif and no-one offers GPRS at a reasonable rate here but I guess that isn't an option with the Pre as data is going to be a regular requirement. So what I wanted to know was the tarrifs and up front costs:

So, 18 month tarrifs:
Up front: £96.89, monthly £29.38 (unlimited data, wifi, 75 minutes, 125 messages)
Up front: £96.89, monthly £34.26 (unlimited data, wifi, 600 minutes, 500messages)
Up front: FREE, monthly £44.05 (unlimited data, wifi, 1200 minutes, 500messages)
Up front: FREE, monthly £73.41 (unlimited data, wifi, 3000 minutes, 500messages)
24 month tarrif
Up front: FREE, monthly £34.26 (unlimited data, wifi, 600 minutes, 500messages)

So with my kind of usage it will cost less than £30 a month with an up-front cost of less than £100 - considerably cheaper than I thought. Maybe I won't wait for an unlocked version after all.

[Duo]

Originally Posted by andyhurley

I've been a PAYG man for years now as my calls and texts just don't justify a monthly tarrif and no-one offers GPRS at a reasonable rate here

Actually they do and on PAYG on O2 you can get Data added to your tariff for £7.50 per month or Data and Wi-Fi for £10 per month (although I personally wouldn't bother with the Wi-FI).

I don't know which PAYG tariff you're on now but it's certainly worth looking at the new ones if you are considering getting the Pre unlocked.

E.g.
1) Add £10 per month and get unlimited texts.

2) Add £15 per month and get unlimited texts and unlimited Internet.

3) Or add £10 per month and get 25 mins + 25 texts on top of your £10.

etc, etc.

Or you could look at 3 who offer 150MB free Internet valid for up to 90 days from each top-up.