[Gllug] Choosing a new mobile phone

[Phil Reynolds]

On Sun, Nov 04, 2007 at 02:40:47PM +0000, damion.yates at gmail.com wrote:
> I sent an [OT] email about this a few days ago, which was ignored.
> Basically O2 are rate limiting their "3G" (hah!) network to ~17kB/sec
> which is 1/2 2.5G speeds, it's what the iPhone can do, and is exactly
> what AT&T did just before the their iPhone launch.
> 
> I've since worked out that this is locked for all non business users.
> If you get a business O2 contract you'll get 1/2Mb/sec which is fine
> (albeit 1/3rd of the speed "3" provide).

... and bearing this in mind, I started the process by ordering an N95
on T-Mobile.

> The N95 is a great phone, the GPS will eat your battery like nobodies
> business though.  The N95 8GB due shortly, is a sexy black, with
> bigger screen and an estimated double battery life, due to much
> improved OS power savings and a generally upped mAh rating.

I find the internal GPS good, and the need to charge frequently only a
minor problem. I am using Wayfinder as this seems to be the package that
is best at keeping up to date.

It was as cheap to get the BT module for my car kit as it was to get a
new one with the BT module included, and as the jaw gears were out on
the old one, I went for the latter option anyway. I have had one
instance where the phone has refused to connect to the car kit - a
reboot fixed it. Other than that I'm pretty happy with it.

Its data performance, both on its own and as a modem in Linux, is
impressive, even where 3.5G is not available. A module crashes when the
phone is plugged in but it does not actually affect using it.

The only slight pain so far is that IMAP and Jabber do not seem to work
over WiFi with it - though it has been suggested that a software upgrade
may help.

I called O2 today to start the process of closing my account. I
half-expected them to start on making offers to try to keep me, but told
them that from what I knew of their data performance it wouldn't make a
difference anyway, and they also told me the exact opposite of what
actually happened when I was experiencing a problem back in April. So,
the PAC code should be through by Tuesday.

I must thank you all for the advice you gave about O2 and data
performance.

-- 
Phil Reynolds
 o  ____ mail: phil at tinsleyviaduct.com
|L_ \  / Web: http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/phil/
(_)- \/  Waltham 66, Emley Moor 69, Droitwich 79, Windows 95
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