Video: What is an Unlocked Phone

[Antoine Wright]

We've covered this term here before, but Nokia has done everyone one better and produced a video that explains what an unlocked phone is and gives many of its benefits.

View the YT video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsbuZFv0C0Q

Link via Nokia Conversations

[Hook]

Very nice.

Neat that they mention Cincinnati Bell which actually offers the 5800 on contract for $99.

[Varjak]

Frankly, I didn't realize that Cincy Bell was a GSM carrier. Since they are a regional network, what kind of coverage/roaming charges are there? The video is a bit deceptive in equating the ability to use GPS, internet, and gaming with an unlocked phone.

Ironically, I went to college with the son of the CincyBell CEO at the time (not the current CEO). Even stranger was that he did NOT get along with another guy whose father was up to take over what was Nynex at the time (now Verizon); but who lost out to Ivan Seidenberg.

[Radon222]

Interesting.

My current phone (Touch Dual-neon) is an unlocked HTC winmo phone. I'm now considering replacing it with another unlocked phone. The Nokia E75. The biggest thing that attracted me to both these phone believe it or not is the fact they have a hard dial-pad.

[Antoine Wright]

Interesting.

My current phone (Touch Dual-neon) is an unlocked HTC winmo phone. I'm now considering replacing it with another unlocked phone. The Nokia E75. The biggest thing that attracted me to both these phone believe it or not is the fact they have a hard dial-pad.

That's a nice model, here's our review of it.

[Radon222]

Oh yes I've read the review here as well as several others on the web. Which sort of brings another related to Unlocked phones that I've experienced. As with every other phone on the market, one could probably spend weeks scouring the web for every last tidbit of info there is to be had. But the one thing that is very difficult to do is to get your hands on a working model before purchase.

Where as I can go down to my nearest AT&T store and play with working models of the Fuze, the E71x, or Blackberry side-by-side. The closest I've come to an E75 is the plastic dummy model on a BestBuy display.

[Antoine Wright]

Oh yes I've read the review here as well as several others on the web. Which sort of brings another related to Unlocked phones that I've experienced. As with every other phone on the market, one could probably spend weeks scouring the web for every last tidbit of info there is to be had. But the one thing that is very difficult to do is to get your hands on a working model before purchase.

Where as I can go down to my nearest AT&T store and play with working models of the Fuze, the E71x, or Blackberry side-by-side. The closest I've come to an E75 is the plastic dummy model on a BestBuy display.

Yes, that's the part the video didn't show/talk about; and remains one of the issues relating to unlocked devices. You may ask the folks at Best Buy if you could see the actual device. This is a very nicely weighted phone, and a plastic model does it no justice.

[Hook]

Not much help, but Nokia does have a 7-day return for full refund policy on their devices, or at least they did on my 5800. The downside is, that means (i believe) that you have to buy from them, which means you are going to pay more than you might other places. Best Buy I think will do this as well, but many retailers will not.

Still, I know what you mean. I can go into an Apple store and play with a working iPod Touch any time I want. I wish I could do the same for Nokias without going to New York or Chicago.

[Radon222]

I did ask if they had any in stock, but they don't at the moment.

Hook, Your right I probably could purchase one to try for a few days and then return if I don't like it, but there is currently a very large cost differential between Best Buy ($569) vs purchasing online at say Amazon ($345).

I usually don't mind paying a little bit more to support a brick & mortar store, but dang it... that $200+ buys a whole lotta SD cards and third party apps lolol!

[Hook]

I did ask if they had any in stock, but they don't at the moment.

Hook, Your right I probably could purchase one to try for a few days and then return if I don't like it, but there is currently a very large cost differential between Best Buy ($569) vs purchasing online at say Amazon ($345).

I usually don't mind paying a little bit more to support a brick & mortar store, but dang it... that $200+ buys a whole lotta SD cards and third party apps lolol!

Yup. I feel your pain here too. :-/