Cell Phones

[pondball]

my old motorola phone I "sometimes"used just became a dynosaur...

buddy gave me (small price) a new Pearl 8100 (EDGE - T-mobile version), unlocked, no SIM card

live in the boonies outside of Toronto, have 3 kids at LD reach in Ontario, and run a small business that does most of my stuff over a landline, with some need of LD when on bus trips... my wife has an emergency phone (Bell) she may use once in a blue moon and on a $25/month deal

now I'm trying to find a plan  (bad choice of words cuz I really don't want to get locked into anything right now and I already own a new phone) that will get me (in order of importance:

a) reasonable per month cost

b) unlimited LD

c) unlimited Text

d) some email checking

thought the $45 plan from Koodo looked like it fit the bill until I found out the phone I just got won't work with it... and didn't like the trickery involved with the TAB thing anyway...

Rogers literature is well set up to confuse everyone... got me on that one big time... plus they are all plans you get locked into... had enough of that with Bell, unless with all the literature I just missed something

Fido looks like an option although the closest kiosk is 40 miles away in a 7/11 and nearest FS is 50 miles away... I'm reading here about terrible 30+ minute waits for CS as well... that would not impress me... I live in a white hole as far as hispeed goes so dealing with cel companies online may not be any faster than by phone it seems...

anybody out there have any ideas as to which way I should go... right now I'm swamped with info-overload

[Mammoth]

This is a new plan from Rogers, it may not be offered yet, but this is it:

Smartphone Data Plan - $45

200 Minutes

Unlimited Evenings and Weekends at 9pm

500MB data

"Your choice" which includes these: Unlimited incoming calls, My5 Canada wide, Unlimited network calling, 5pm early evenings.

The hardest thing now is finding you a good long distance package. Rogers has an unadvertised addon which gets you 1000 long distance minutes for $5/month. (Not 1000 extra minutes, just removes the long distance charges from 1000 minutes of airtime)

If you don't mind going on a contract with Telus or Bell I can give you more options.

[Mammoth]

I have found a better plan for you, it's from Rogers again and costs $45/month as well but instead is made for Blackberrys

Blackberry Messaging Plan

$45/month

200 Minutes

Unlimited Evening and Weekends at 9pm

Unlimited personal email and IM

10,000 sent text messages

10,000 sent picture or video messages

Unlimited incoming texts

"Your Choice" is again the option of either My5 Canada-Wide, unlimited incoming, unlimited network calling, or evenings and weekends at 5pm.

To best satisfy your need of unlimited LD, you should choose the My5 Canada-Wide or ask for the $5/1000 LD minutes package. (They may not offer it to you though)

[Krypto]

Because T-Mobile uses a GSM network, you are stuck with either Rogers or Fido at this point in time.  But you should check first to ensure that the phone would even work under a Rogers or Fido network.  If the phone is locked, you may not be able to use it (if it's unlocked, it should work fine).  The best way to find out would be to borrow someone's SIM card and see if the phone can find the network.

Mammoth has outlined some plans to consider, and they should have you covered there.

Message Edited by Krypto on 11-25-2008 12:53 AM

[Mammoth]

---

Krypto wrote:

Because T-Mobile uses a GSM network, you are stuck with either Rogers or Fido at this point in time.  But you should check first to ensure that the phone would even work under a Rogers or Fido network.  If the phone is locked, you may not be able to use it (if it's unlocked, it should work fine).  The best way to find out would be to borrow someone's SIM card and see if the phone can find the network.

Mammoth has outlined some plans to consider, and they should have you covered there.

Message Edited by Krypto on 11-25-2008 12:53 AM

---

The OP states that it's unlocked so it's safe to say that it is. (All US carriers must give you an unlock code if you request it 90+ days after your contract has been signed)

[Krypto]

Ah, yes correct!

[pondball]

thanks for the help guys... went to a FS on way out of Toronto earlier this week, and guy (who was very helpful) was very enthusiastic about FIDO plan being best available for me... for about $50 I got some basic minutes, free text and some email, unlimited long distance and call identify... about all I really need right now... then he could neither find a SIM card for me, nor could he have activated my phone there anyway... sigh!... he checked other local FSs and they didn't have a SIM card either... 1 only available near GolfTown FS... but he told me about a FIDO store in the Pickering Mall that would have them for sure and also be able to activiate me on the spot... so I made my way back that way again... and went around the mall a few times... no FIDO store!... was thoroughly pizzed at this point and just headed home before the weather turned...

I'm now thinking of doing without a phone... Rogers girl phoned yesterday with all sorts of time sensitive deals and will be phoning back again tomorrow... however, I still have this little, new 8100 sitting here doing nothing...

it'll probably still be here in a few months time doing the same thing... it shouldn't be this hard to get hooked up!

anyway, I appreciate your help folks!

[Mammoth]

You can check classified websites to find SIM cards. Is it necessary for you to have the SIM outright? You can get the cheapest phone on a month to month contract, take the SIM from that, and sell the phone second hand.

[Krypto]

You can actually order a Roger's SIM card online through Future Shop.  Here's the link: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10019954&catid=

I just stumbled across it so I thought I'd pass on the link.

[huynh_192265]

---

Krypto wrote:

You can actually order a Roger's SIM card online through Future Shop.  Here's the link: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10019954&catid=

I just stumbled across it so I thought I'd pass on the link.

---

Fido me  http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10083061&catid=23286