This is a question for the Europeans here that has absolutely nothing to do with our favorite car entertainment system.

It's about that time when I'm itching for a newer, sexier cel phone. Poking around, it seems the nifty new Ericsson T39 is pretty much everything I could want, and it supports GSM in the U.S. and everywhere else. The catch is, of course, that you can't get it here yet.

So, for those of you in the know, what would I have to pay to buy the phone without a service plan over there (such that I could then activate it here)? Would I do better to do some kind of deal to activate it in Europe, immediately cancel it, and go home before they figure out the depth of my nefarious deed?

Thanks!

You can buy phones without a contact, in many European airports. Methinks if you try and buy a phone on contact they will want a European address, and doubt you would get away with cancelling the contract without "buying" your way out of it. Suggest you buy a phone off line at an airport. I take it you realise USA is on 1900mhz, where Europe is on 900 and 1800mhz. So USA model phones have different model numbers. The Dual band phones in Europe are a combined 900 and 1800mhz hardware. USA phones that are dual band tend to be 900 and 1900mhz. You do get some tri-band phones now too.
BTW its late and I could be talking complete rubbish - someone please chip in if I have the facts wrong

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Rod, UK Mk2 64gig Red S/No.341 2xDell RioReceiver

You're right about all the crazy GSM frequencies. The latest Ericsson that I'm talking about claims to do all three GSM bands, so it should work fine anywhere. I'm just curious if the prices would be utterly insane to buy one in Europe now (via friends who would mail it home to me) versus waiting for the phone to hopefully appear on our shores sometime hopefully before the Christmas insanity season.

AFAIK you can get tri-band phones from Siemens (S40), Nokia (8890) and the Ericsson. I bought a Siemens in Hong Kong for USD 500. I think the Nokia is a fraction more expensive (also lighter and funkier looking). Haven't seen the Ericsson, but can't believe it would be very far from these prices. I think the European prices are about the same. The UK and Germany would probably be the most competitive places to shop.

These are all "no contract" prices: you just hand over the cash and walk out of the store with, er, a phone that doesn't work. You can then get contract service from your local favourite airtime vendor. In fact they will probably welcome you in, because you already have a phone and most airtime contracts spend the first 12 months paying off the subsidy that allows them to offer phones for USD 49.

Buying a phone with contract and cancelling won't work. Your phone would be 'vendor locked' or even 'SIM card locked', meaning it would not accept another SIM card without a long password-like number you won't get when buying this way.

On the other hand, all this is rather easily hackable, and there is thriving market in hacked bought-with-contract phones (well, and stolen ones, too)...

I'll try to find the local price of your Siemens.

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

Local Siemens site does not have T39 on their pricelist. As orientation, the prices range from less than $100 for low-end A36 to some $400 for SL45 (with WAP, IrDA, modem, MP3 player, organizer....) without VAT. Those are prices in manufacturer's on-line store; I guess street prices are slightly lower.

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

tri-band phones from ... Nokia (8890)

The 8890 (which I've got) isn't tri-band, it's dual-band 900 and 1900. This means it works with US networks and some UK networks (Cellnet and Vodafone) but not with other (1800) UK networks. I believe all countries with 1800 networks have 900 networks too (it worked fine at Amersfoort).

It's a very nice phone, but the reception I got in the US recently was fairly poor compared with the v good reception I get in the UK. (I only got 2 out of 4 bars of signal in central New Orleans, and no reception at all at the youth hostel or airport. But perhaps the US network was just crap.)

I've seen the 8890 for £500 without contract. You typically can't just get it with-contract and ignore the contract, because you get a phone that's locked to a particular SIM (smartcard) precisely to stop people trying to save on the £500. Having said that, my 8890 from Cellphone Warehouse wasn't SIM-locked.

Peter

Try http://www.ericssonmyh.co.uk/ - the T39 isn't currently on sale, but ericsson sells unlocked, SIM-free phones direct to UK customers from there. You'd just have to get someone in the UK to buy it and send it to you - it will definitely work in the USA.

They sell the T28world (900/1900) for 149 inc tax, SIM-free.

The R520m (249 inc tax) has GSM 900/1800/1900, WAP, voice control, GPRS (packet data, connectionless - only just starting to be supported by the networks), HSCSD (high speed data, up to 43k2 down & 14k4 up or 28k8 both ways), built-in bluetooth and IrDA. Pretty much every buzzword in the book, but a bit bigger than the T39.

Ericsson are stopping making handsets, as they couldn't make money out of it. I think they've gone into partnership with sony, so there may still be new models with the ericsson name on them coming out.

Hugo

Actually, I can pop down the road to carphone warehouse (www.carphonewarehouse.co.uk - pick phones then "sim free") and get the R520m for 220 inc tax...

Hugo

Ahh, I see. Sounds like I'd be paying a fairly sizable premium to get a T39 sans contract as it appears to be suffiently new over there that it's still hard for you Europeans to get, much less us technology-deprived Americans.

It's good to know about www.ericssonmyh.co.uk -- now at least I've got a place to go look at prices.

Err, it is very unlikely Siemens would sell Ericsson phone, isn't it? I am really getting senile

Anyway, no trace of Ericsson T39 in any local on-line shop I tried.

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

I've got a T39, it cost me 3700NOK or 4000NOK without a subscription. that's about 500USD.

It's a good telephone, but the screen is not very large, and it has a lot of features that will never be used.

Bluetooth and GPRS, however, is a very useful combination.

I also lack software, for instance for designing pictures and
media-SMS from my PC.

I'll probably buy the wireless headset when it is available (I use a large headset right now anyway).

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

In reply to:

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Actually, I can pop down the road to carphone warehouse (www.carphonewarehouse.co.uk - pick phones then "sim free") and get the R520m for 220 inc tax...

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And they're selling it for £69.99 on contract. I need a new phone when I get back to the UK next month and, well, everybody's got '6210's haven't they. I'm happy with my 'T28s' so I've been looking at the 'R520m's - they seem to do everything a '6210' does and more.

Nicholas.
(anybody in the UK wanna buy a used unlocked T28s or should I put it up on ebay?)

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18GB red s/n 080000299, original pos'n 8724. Reproduction of this post is not permitted.

Yes, but it's not got the Nokia user interface. I find the ericsson/motorola user interfaces awful compared to Nokia, which is why I'm unlikely to get a 520m, even though I might quite like one.

I've got the nokia connectivity kit for my 6210, which means I have HSCSD (but not GPRS) with bluetooth on my phone.

Hugo

Not to mention that most of these GSM manufacturers seem to be getting bad sales results lately. I have heard people speculate that apart from Nokia which for some reason seems to be doing ok still most of them are fading out. That's just what some people tell me mind you.

As for me, I have my 7110 still and after I sent it in for a software upgrade (defenite must since the software it got when it started shipping is as buggy as hell) it has performed wonderfully. The built-in modem makes it a synch for me to use my iPAQ with it for dialup access (over IR). Hey, that reminds me ... I suppose you could get an empeg to talk over it like that, it is just a hayes compatible like that ... Anyways, the only thing I am missing from it (the 7110) is bluetooth, not that I really need it. Just itching to play around with it.

Cheers,
Hans


Mk2 - Blue & Red - 080000431

Yes, but it's not got the Nokia user interface. I find the ericsson/motorola user interfaces awful compared to Nokia

I definitly know what you mean with this. My first phone was a 5190, and I was amazed at how well designed the interface was with basicially 2 buttons and the up/down buttons. Much better then the others. My mom can even work with it well, so thats a definite plus. I currently have the 8290, and like the enhancements that they put into the interface with the extra buttons.

The IR is also nice for connectivity to my iPaq and laptop. If I could find an ISP that would allow me to connect at slow speeds, I might be tempted to dump my Omnisky CDPD service.

And as far as GSM in general, I love the smart card. I've changed phones a few times from replacements and such, and never have I once needed to call my provider to reactivate my account or reenter all my phonebook entries. Now if only it would get more popular here in the US, I'd be happy.