How much longer do you think until.....?

[Kulith]

Until I can buy an unlocked android smart phone for $200, use Google Voice for free Voice and Text, and only pay $25/month for data on any carrier I want with no contract?

The way Google advertised the N1 made me think it was going to do this....

No way I'm getting suckered into a contract, tied to a single carrier, overpaying for service, or paying +/- $600 for a $150 device, sorry.

 

[legendz411]

Dont be a dick. You didnt even bother to try answering his question.

Good for you?

AFAIK you can do that now. I know that I could with my iphone. I can just pay the data plan and that would be it. $30 for unlim data and my GV acct for text/calls. Thats with ATT.

Until I can buy an unlocked android smart phone for $200, use Google Voice for free Voice and Text, and only pay $25/month for data on any carrier I want with no contract?

The way Google advertised the N1 made me think it was going to do this....

No way I'm getting suckered into a contract, tied to a single carrier, overpaying for service, or paying +/- $600 for a $150 device, sorry.

 

[kirbyrj]

Well, my friend who works at AT&T says the new model is to reduce the cost of voice and text and jack up the price on data. Unlimited data plans will be a thing of the past.

 

[XpediencY]

...Unlimited data plans will be a thing of the past.

That's not cool

 

[kirbyrj]

That's not cool

I completely agree. What you'll end up with is people who still have their old $29.99 unlimited data plan and won't give it up. People do this now with the old $10/mo. unlimited data plans from Sprint and T-mobile. Carriers get them to give it up by not allowing newer phones on the plan. For example, it's fine if you don't use 3G data, but if you get a 3G phone, you need to change your data plan. I have a feeling unlimited data will be gone with 4G service.

 

[CopyCat]

No contract? Hmm that is the tricky part, especially if you want it for $200.
Technically you can do what you are asking already if you already have a service ... I am all for fighting for it but the mobile carriers will make what you ask for extremely difficult at best.
On top of that Google simple wouldn't have the structure to support a full blown cell service say if 1MM users started using GVoice to send 50MM texts a day and make 10MM minutes worth of calls....at least I don't think they do yet

 

[kirbyrj]

No contract? Hmm that is the tricky part, especially if you want it for $200.
Technically you can do what you are asking already if you already have a service ... I am all for fighting for it but the mobile carriers will make what you ask for extremely difficult at best.
On top of that Google simple wouldn't have the structure to support a full blown cell service say if 1MM users started using GVoice to send 50MM texts a day and make 10MM minutes worth of calls....at least I don't think they do yet

That and the fact that Google has said it is not a Telecom and shouldn't be regulated like one. If they start acting like a Telecom, the govt is going to want to regulate Google Voice.

 

[Kulith]

AFAIK you can do that now. I know that I could with my iphone. I can just pay the data plan and that would be it. $30 for unlim data and my GV acct for text/calls. Thats with ATT.

Ah I didn't know ATT let you do that. Maybe I'll wait and see what android phones will popup on the ATT network this year and get one unlocked.

 

[Christopher]

Last time I checked, Google Voice was not a VOIP system, it simply connects your phone line with google's system, and google's system with the remote caller(s). That means when making or receiving GV calls, you still need some kind of voice plan.

Is that still true, or did GV roll out a VOIP system without me hearing about it?

 

[kirbyrj]

Last time I checked, Google Voice was not a VOIP system, it simply connects your phone line with google's system, and google's system with the remote caller(s). That means when making or receiving GV calls, you still need some kind of voice plan.

Is that still true, or did GV roll out a VOIP system without me hearing about it?

Not that I know of. The closest thing was Gizmo5 with GV, but Google bought that out and shut it down (sort of). If you have a VOIP app on your phone, you can make calls in a convoluted way by using a combination of services, but it isn't like dialing your phone. If you can get sip credentials off of your sip provider you can program it into your phone and make calls over wifi/3g, but you still pay for the sip service/phone number which you can tie into your GV account.

Verizon is supposed to be coming out with a partnership with Skype to allow no voice minutes to be used and you can make data calls. Not sure when it's coming out though. I think their website said March.

 

[legendz411]

Last time I checked, Google Voice was not a VOIP system, it simply connects your phone line with google's system, and google's system with the remote caller(s). That means when making or receiving GV calls, you still need some kind of voice plan.

Is that still true, or did GV roll out a VOIP system without me hearing about it?

I apologize for my misinformation.

 

[guisar]

At least on S60 phones and with T-Mobile there are a couple of options- Skype just released a client which works just fine, data only, over Wi-Fi and 3G/T-zones so long as your coverage is good. Im using it and it works great.

GV still uses call back or GV/Skype (if you have number) so you can avoid minutes by making the GV number one of your friends and family or having it call Gizmo5 or Skype and using either of them over the data plan.

My minutes have dropped below 100/month since I've moved over to the Skype client and GV/Gizmo5. If my provider started severely regulating data to the point that it became as or more expensive than voice minutes I'd just drop the whole thing and use GV/wi-fi. Yeah- I'd lose the ability to get calls in my car or when walking around but that's getting regulated here in MA anyway. Saving $100+/month is worth having to call back when I get into WIFI range.

You didn't talk about SMS but with Fring and other programs allowing IRC and google talk SMS is kind of passe. I dropped it on my family plan and we just use the GV SMS or googletalk.