Cell Phone Editorial @ [H] Consumer

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Jason_Wall

[H] Consumer Managing Editor
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Jul 22, 2005
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The cell phone industry has become a bloody battle between the major carriers. More than calling plans and cheap phones, we think that the introduction of convergent technology devices will change the face of the business.

To give you an idea of how quickly technology is changing, there have already been several advancements in the digital phone realm in the past few weeks. Among the new developments, Cingular Wireless became “The New AT&T,” and Apple announced the iPhone (after changing its name from Apple Computer, Inc). With these major industry developments, some new devices have been released, and there are reports of some other exciting technologies that will be coming to us this year. Let’s see what’s in store for the consumer.
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This is our first article from Chris Bryce, a consumer electronics expert that recently joined the [H] Consumer team.

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I was under the impression that AT&T/Cingular held the "number one" spot in the cell phone industry. I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, but in this case the sources are cited and it lists Cingular with 61 million customers, compared to Verizon's 59.1. Or is this "number one spot" referring to something else?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators

Verizon is definitely showing a desire to keep its number one spot in the cell phone industry.
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Not to be critical, but you have barley scratched the surface here. The whole mobile arena could constitute an entire [H] site its self. [H]Mobile anyone?
 
The iPhone looks like it could be the new leader across the board.
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Give me a ^$%^*@# break. There's not a chance in hell that it'll be the handset leader. The vast majority of phone purchases are well under $200.00 (probably under $100.00). At best 5% of the handset market is made up of phones over $300.00 after discounts. The iPhone isn't bad if you want Nano and a cool phone, but it's still about 150.00 more than a decent handset and a comparable nano. yes it does video, but video will kill your talk time and with a mere 8gb of space, you're not going to have that much video on it.

I like the looks of the iPhone and the interface looked appealing, but it's got crappy data services (not that AT&T is known for great 3g data coverage) and it's easilly the most expensive consumer phone on the market. Other phones that cost this much are aimed at business users where, the purchase is just a business expense.

This phone will be successful, but it won't take over the world unless the prices drop at least 150 bucks and they won't really take over the world unless they're $300.00 and available on carriers other than AT&T. I wouldn't dream of switching to them to get a phone.
 
Zok said:
I was under the impression that AT&T/Cingular held the "number one" spot in the cell phone industry. I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, but in this case the sources are cited and it lists Cingular with 61 million customers, compared to Verizon's 59.1. Or is this "number one spot" referring to something else?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators
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I agree - I think over 62Million now - but I do believe that you are correct - the Number 1 spot is usually determined by number of subscribers. Cingular, the New AT&T, holds that spot - and has ever since Cingular bought AT&T Wireless.
 
It bugs the absolute CRAP out of me that the first thing you gripe about with regards to Verizon's hardware is a device that DOESN'T come with a camera.

Cell phone cameras are the bane of my and many professional's lives. It is nearly impossible to find a phone that doesn't come with a camera these days. Many businesses (including all Department of Defense facilities, which is what I have to worry about) have strict policies forbidding the presence of camera phones.

It took me weeks of searching before I happened to run across the Nokia E50, a mid-level business phone that has a VERSION without a camera. That's right, there are actually multiple versions of this phone, with and without camera, and in different colors.

If I had my way all the high end phones would have models with and without cameras. I would be rolling an uber high end PDA phone on Cingular if I could find one that DID NOT have a camera. Instead I am stuck with my E50, which isn't terrible, but could be better.
 
phobos512 said:
It bugs the absolute CRAP out of me that the first thing you gripe about with regards to Verizon's hardware is a device that DOESN'T come with a camera.

Cell phone cameras are the bane of my and many professional's lives. It is nearly impossible to find a phone that doesn't come with a camera these days. Many businesses (including all Department of Defense facilities, which is what I have to worry about) have strict policies forbidding the presence of camera phones.

It took me weeks of searching before I happened to run across the Nokia E50, a mid-level business phone that has a VERSION without a camera. That's right, there are actually multiple versions of this phone, with and without camera, and in different colors.

If I had my way all the high end phones would have models with and without cameras. I would be rolling an uber high end PDA phone on Cingular if I could find one that DID NOT have a camera. Instead I am stuck with my E50, which isn't terrible, but could be better.
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Amen.

Better Phones w/ No Camera's please.
 
I work for cingular and latest word is last I heard we now actually have 63 million and verison is up to 61. don't quote me on that though that was just the new rumor I heard around work.

Now for my 2 and a half cents. The blackjack is very nice but it IS a smartphone (it runs freaking windows mobile 5 smartphone edition) but cingular provisions data plans on it as if where a full blown pda with a touch screen. Whats the difference you say? 20.00 a month thats what. Guess what the Iphone is going to be provisioned with? if you said pda you see green like cingular. mmmm 39.99 a month for only EDGE speeds when you could be getting 700k/s+ (I've seen burst of 1300k/s). Yeah I know its not everywhere but by end of 2007 it will be (think future proof)

Now if you want to talk about an interesting pda phone check this out Neo 1973 running on the open source platform known as OpenMoko (Yeah they are making both, but its open source linux goodness)

For regular phones get a nokia. Seriously N O K I A
with the exception of the cheap bar phones and maybe some problems with the 6102 (yup all the ones we sell) all of them are pretty top notch. there are so many good ones on Nokia's site.
Stay away from most motorola's except for maybe a v557
Stay far far far far far away from anything from LG/ That means everything.
Samsung good and bad.
HTC good but if its the 8125 or 8525 it has problems. charging problems, memory storage problems. all sorts of stuff.
 
Every cell I have owned in the past 10 years has had a built in camera. Ive used it, maybe twice. Both when I first bought it. I have absolutly no use for a cell camera. If I need to take actual pictures, I get an actual camera. Now if could only run WoW so I could check my gmail and auctions....
 
Zok said:
I was under the impression that AT&T/Cingular held the "number one" spot in the cell phone industry. I know Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, but in this case the sources are cited and it lists Cingular with 61 million customers, compared to Verizon's 59.1. Or is this "number one spot" referring to something else?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators
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Thanks for all of your comments. Our sourcing was incorrect and the article has been fixed to reflect the most recent accounting of cell phone carrier rankings.

I apologize for the mistake.
 
MorfiusX said:
Not to be critical, but you have barley scratched the surface here. The whole mobile arena could constitute an entire [H] site its self. [H]Mobile anyone?
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We're currently negotiating an arrangement so that we can review cell phones and other multifunctional devices on a regular basis. New phones come out all the time, so it will be a challenge for us, but we feel that it is an important consumer product that needs to be discussed.
 
Wow! Well thanks for all the replies and input to all . . . I feel like I'm in Detroit walking the initiation line :) - but everything is very appreciated. I understand several of the comments from business users and those who are against cameras - I'm just looking at the "majority" of cell users out there who like having a true all-in-one device. Having worked at Cingular myself and vacating my consulting position with the company on January 5th of this year, I was given data directly from the higher ups (including Stan himself) that the goal was to overtake Verizon as the cell phone leader. They definitely had more subscribers when the article was written; in the last couple of weeks, they've been able to gain some ground by pushing the "New AT&T" image (which will solidify on March 15th - you'll just see AT&T instead of Cingular . . . . the New AT&T.

As for devices, iPhone is simply providing for the need that serious end users have for an all-in-one device. The iPhone is definitely not for everyone; just as the BlackJack or Blackberry devices aren't either. That's why they make hundreds of phones out there. My main point is that I'm glad to see technology coming together at an affordable and smart approach. As a debut price - the iPhone is a good value; as the price comes down (we all know they do as the months roll on), it will be a great value. My point again as mentioned in the article was to "wait" on it - just like the PS3s and Elmos.

Again, I appreciate everyone's comments, and I encourage the challenge; my father always taught me to challenge everything and not just accept it at its face value; I'm glad to see there's more of you out there like me - challenge, and we'll provide answers or admit errors.

I admit the error of not being clear in some statements; I realize now that they could be taken or interpreted in more than one way . . . I'll make sure and do a better job for all of you next time, but as they say, "If you try not to step on anyone's toes, you wind up stepping on everyone's." - Look forward to some toe-stepping :)

- Chris
 
chrisbatman said:
As a debut price - the iPhone is a good value; as the price comes down (we all know they do as the months roll on), it will be a great value. My point again as mentioned in the article was to "wait" on it - just like the PS3s and Elmos.
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You know more than I, but given the limited POSs for the iPhone, I don't expect the price of the iPhone to drop until they close to releasing an upgrade(*). Jobs clearly wants to market the iPhone like an iPod: "Our product costs more because it's better than everything else."

If prices on iPhones come down, they put downward pressure on iPods and I don't see Job's killing the golden goose.

(*) which may mean not only an upgrade to the iPhone, but the complete iPod lineup.
 
phobos512 said:
I would be rolling an uber high end PDA phone on Cingular if I could find one that DID NOT have a camera. Instead I am stuck with my E50, which isn't terrible, but could be better.
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Come on man, do some research before you get all pissy...

Cingular 8125 = WM5 powered PDA phone with mini sd slot, 802.11G, bluetooth, 1.3MP Camera, etc.

...

Cingular 8100 = Cingular 8125 minus the camera.

There are other examples of this, but it is a pretty high end sliding phone and I love my 8125. There is now a newer version with 3G support, and they have both with camera and without.

Now I absolutely hate Verizon because their crappy phones lock users out of features. They block file transfer over bluetooth just so you can pay them to send files over the internet. They block file transfer over USB (RAZR anyone?) by default so you can pay hem to transfer over their network. What a load of crap. I would much rather have options then have some company limit my functionality to steal some cash from me.

I was with AT&T from the beginning, so then I became cingular, and I guess I am AT&T again and I have loved them ever since the beginning..

Jason
 
you can't get the 8100 on our site. cingular.com maybe in a store though.

As for att. I got the email on jan 22nd to start answering the phones "Thank you for calling cingular wireless the new AT&T ...." I do know that there is going to be a final transition later but not for a month or 2. We might become AT&T Mobility or some crap, and I didn't know verizon had ever passed us up with subscribers. at least not in the last 6 months
 
You know the part about Verizon seems EXTREMELY dated.

The I730 was released 07/07/2005. This article would be lilke reviewing a 4x DVD burner....

In this article you chose to compare a brand new cingular phone to a verizon phone that almost 2 years old. SLIGHTLY jaded?

How about the XV6700? How about Treo 700 WX? Blackberry 7130 or 8703? Motorola Q?

You didn't even touch on current developments. Verizon launched VCast mobile TV today using MediaFlo technology. Where is that in the article.

How about REV A technology? I can get over 1Mbps down and more interesting 700Kbps up with latency below 100ms over cellular.
 
Also on the camera issue. The 700p (Palm OS Treo) is available without camera. Both of the blackberrys offered by Verizon are without camera.

Phones there is the LG VX3400, LG VX3450, Nokia 2366i, PN300, Motorola w315 all without camera.

The Nokia 2366i has bluetooth without a camera.
 
Myrandex said:
Come on man, do some research before you get all pissy...

Cingular 8125 = WM5 powered PDA phone with mini sd slot, 802.11G, bluetooth, 1.3MP Camera, etc.
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I have the 8525 from Cingular and I gotta say, it freaking rocks...will be better when they upgrade the 3G to my area but there's nothing like controlling and watching your Tivo from your phone when you need it. Of course, I gotta rely on wireless signals at the moment but in Manhattan and around the airports I get the better network signal. Its just the greatest contraption/phone I ever owned. I may have went for the Apple phone but the one I had crapped out and I couldn't wait...
 
I have the i730. Its great. Fastest processor out of all of the PPC phones. Vertical slider that allows for one hand use (try typing with one hand on the 6700). The only gripe people used to have with it is that the "phone" had to be off to use wifi. After I upgraded to WM5 that issue was no longer.

Yes, there is no camera. I really don't have a problem with that. The big problem is that without a camera in the phone you cannot send or receive picture or video texts. You just can't do it. Oh, they can send them to an email and then I can download the pics/video to my phone and view them, but i can't get them directly in a message. Apparently its the same way for the blackberrys and other handhelds without a camera.

Aside from that you might as well take into consideration the phones that will be coming to Verizon very soon.

The samsung i760: windows mobile 6, camera phone, the only negative is that they turned it into a horizontal kb but its ok since there are buttons on the face of the phone as well.

The xv6800: update to the xv6700

And the SMT5800. The only problem with this phone is that it lacks wifi.

I would link to them all on engadgetmobile but its acting funky right now. These phones aren't released yet, but since we are comparing to an unreleased phone....
 
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