iPhone has arrived

[Grim Reaper]

Here's the only review
I hope that hardware keeps coming through your place and that it's used to make the EDGE network more robust... that is something where the user load will only increase, so unlike the activation system, it needs constant capacity increases.

Edge is SO last year!
Edge is 2.5G Edge really won't improve any over what it is now except for capacity. They will ad more radios at the sites since there are more data users but other then blocking it will not help speed.

UMTS is honest to god DSL speed. Eventually GSM and EDGE will fade and be replaced by UMTS. That gear for the state also comes through my office.

It will be a while before GSM is gone and both systems will run side by side for that time but in about 2 years most of what you will buy will be UMTS in the same way that Now its GSM over TDMA. The next iphone will be UMTS and it will revert back to EDGE if UMTS is not available.

The gear at the Switch is the Data handling gear and what carrier technology the equipment is doesn't matter to it. It will support whether you are WiFi, EDGE or UMTS. It will improve your experience by storing and sourcing what you want to access faster but not improve EDGE speed.

Its Kind of funny but people really don't realize what it takes on the network side to support a wireless device. You are carrying a 4-6 ounce device with a 1 inch tall antenna pumping out about a 1/4-1/2 watt of power that talks to a 6ft tall antenna mounted on a 150-200ft tall pole running through a 10lb TMA (tower mounted Amp) piped down 2 inch thick Coaxial cable to a 34lb Combiner then down to a 17lb Radio that can handle about 40 calls at a time each radio (UMTS ups that to about 60).

You on Pirate? here is a UPS FROM HELL for a switch.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=368544

 

[Grim Reaper]

For the record if you go to a "Company store" you don't have to sign a contract. The sales person won't be happy because they work commission and a 2 year contract is one of the big commission items. So you have to insist becasue you are basically asking the sales person to work nearly for free. You will pay about $100 more for the product as well.

Now if they are doing it by the book there is also a "No Contract" variation of the pricing plans. Something will be different. When I was in Sales the big difference was Free Mobile to Mobile and roll over was not included.....If you are an existing customer more then likely they wont switch your base price plan so they won't take away M2M if you already have it but if you are a new customer them may well pick the no contract plan.


The $100 off deal goes back to a time when the Cheap phone was $1k and Handsfree was a $250 options of HALF duplex. Then $110 labor to install, $40 for an antenna and $20-50 for a mounting bracket.

The $100 just never went away because people want something for nothing. The contract insures that they will recover the $100 off even if you are a 20 minute a month customer.

 

[Pskhaat]

GSM, CDMA, EDGE, UMTS??? Where's my AMPS?

 

[Grim Reaper]

GSM, CDMA, EDGE, UMTS??? Where's my AMPS?

I put it on a truck and sent it to the crusher........No really I did. Really I did!

I sent about 90% of the Analog and TDMA gear we had as spares on a truck a few weeks ago. Some will end up in South America but most of it will have no technologial value so they will be scrapped for the metals.

AMPS will be online till about Feb 1 2008 and then it and TDMA will be gone forever! PCS (1900 TDMA no AMPS) will be gone by August. My job gets easier becasue I only have to keep track of two technologies instead of four. :wings:

 

[HongerVenture]

I am very interested in the iPhone... but have about 15 months left on a contract with Verizon. I have a Motorola Q, and after touching/testing an iPhone this last Saturday, I realize how much my phone is lacking and how genuinely mediocre it is.

Found this link... iPhone without AT&T.

This appeals to me a great deal. =)

 

[mountainpete]

All I can say is this:

I would not spend my personal money on this phone. Why oh why would Apple build a phone without the latest network technology driving it? Like Grim said, EDGE is so last year...

The phone itself is amazing, but it's like having a Ferrari in traffic - looks cool and draws attention, but there is little chance to use it's full potential.

 

[Pskhaat]

My job gets easier becasue I only have to keep track of two technologies instead of four.

And my remote area coverage goes away, and my external gain antennas, and my relative anonymous position, and my 3w bag phone, and ...

I tried many times to get Verizon and Alltel to sub-out a small/special AMPS mobile service (do you have any idea how many people actually want AMPS back)? but I guess it's actually going to be against the law to not have GPS-forwarding phones.

 

[Grim Reaper]

(do you have any idea how many people actually want AMPS back)? but I guess it's actually going to be against the law to not have GPS-forwarding phones.

Not many people want AMPS back because it is horribly restricted in what it can do and its capacity. Yes it sounded "better" and it could crank up on the fringe but thats all that was better about it. The "fringe" gets smaller by the day. Where the fringe does exist is often Federal protected land where it would littlerly take an act of Congress to put up a tower to make it work. In that care your best bet is Satellite.

WHY the FCC mandated that AMPS be kept around till 2008 is because many government operations had invested in equipment that was still using it. Most of that equipment on their end had long ago been replaced with better and faster equipment years ago but the FCC never changed the ruling.

There is less then 5% of the total customer on TDMA and AMPS combined. It accounts for less then .5% of the calls made. Most of the people still holding them are over 50 years old and average less then 10 minutes of calls a Month (yes that stuff is kept track of).

What is the "law" is that the carrier has to be able to tell the Police where the phone is not that the phone have a GPS integrated.

That really has never been a problem. The System can locate the phone with in 20-50 ft even without the 911 gear most places and thats with NO GPS in the product. It does it by Triangulation off the towers. In most major populations centers it is automatically provided to the 911 operator with a GPS coordinate IF the local municipality's system can handle it. The carriers have better coverage for 911 then the police but there are MANY Dispatch operations running old equipment. So if 911 can't find you its more then likely your local Municipalities fault NOT the carrier.

 

[Pskhaat]

Not many people want AMPS back because it is horribly restricted in what it can do and its capacity.

From the carriers, yes. There would be a suprisingly strong niche demand IMO for even an expensive per-minute AMPS. There are a lot of Ham elmers who love their AMPS.

It's a moot point though if the carriers can't make $ off it. I don't know the #s in order to maintain the equipment and if it can at least return some margin minus the frequency swath and opportunity cost of the bandwidth.

Yes it sounded "better" but thats all that was better about it.

Aye, but to the simple consumer, that's all that's necesssary. Instead, our phone conversations are now dynamically resampled by how profitable we are as customers, white noise introduced, and my coverage on my tri-band is still !@#$.

There's no doubt of the limited blocked frequency capacity on the AMPS system; just we as consumers are spending more for less IMO when all we want is a mobile phone.

 

[Grim Reaper]

There's no doubt of the limited blocked frequency capacity on the AMPS system; just we as consumers are spending more for less IMO when all we want is a mobile phone.

Actually the exact opposite is true. When Amps was "it" you were paying 45cents a MINUTE peak and 35 cents a minute off peak. (I have been in the buisness 20 years).

Now you are paying roughly 8 cents a Minute for your peak air time. If its and weekends free as well as long distance. On Amps you were paying extra for LD.


For what one AMPS channel you can get Three TDMA calls on it, 8 GSM, and something like 15 UMTS and at the same time carry Data on GSM and UMTS where Amps and TDMA it was voice or Data not both at the same time.

Amps the Phone was $1000 for the CHEAP car mount 20 years ago. It got down to $150 for bag phones. Most cases with a year contract you get a phone for $25 now that can do MUCH more including Internet access.

Still think it was Cheaper?

 

[Pskhaat]

Actually, absolutely cheaper at least in my particular case. I do pay $0.35/min and have a `plan' that was prior to the contract stuff. I pay only when I use it, no monthly minimums. For what I personally use, I spend probably about $5-$12/month. I get service where you'd least expect it.

I don't think you can get a phone + plan for less than ~$30/month nowadays? I may be wrong.

I know I'm weird like that, I get regular poking comments from several members here (you know who you are) about how I need to advance into the current century :O

 

[Grim Reaper]

Actually, absolutely cheaper at least in my particular case. I do pay $0.35/min and have a `plan' that was prior to the contract stuff. I pay only when I use it, no monthly minimums. For what I personally use, I spend probably about $5-$12/month. I get service where you'd least expect it.

I don't think you can get a phone + plan for less than ~$30/month nowadays? I may be wrong.

I know I'm weird like that, I get regular poking comments from several members here (you know who you are) about how I need to advance into the current century :O

Off and On at&t has a 250 plan for $29.99 plus about $5 in Taxes and gotchas. Its 250 minutes peak no roaming charges in continental US. Unlimited Mobile to Mobile and 5000 Nights and weekends. No long distance.

Right now its off. Cheapest deal is 39.99 for 450 Unlimited M2M and 500 N&W

http://www.wireless.att.com/home/

So yeah a little of 30 but you can just about talk till you are blue in the face on the weekends or to any other of the 62 Million at&t mobility customers.

How much are you paying for your long distance calls? Bet you it would be about a wash to use your cell instead of your home phone if you you make any regular LD a month.

Careful you are bring out the sales person in me. They trained and paid me to make these arguments. LOL

 

[HongerVenture]

Man, this thing rocks! I'm posting from my parent's iPhone. Just a little more functionality and I won't need a laptop. =)

 

[adventureduo]

I LOVE IT!

Throwing a iPhone in a blender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI

 

[Desertdude]

Blended remains ( and blender) are now going on the auction block Ebay