Dell hawking unlocked phones
What hath the iPhone wrought? Perhaps more computer companies selling fancy phones.
Just as Apple prepares to sell its long-awaited combination smart phone and iPod, six models of unlocked Nokia and Pharos phones have cropped up on Dell's Web site. The Nokia E61, E61i, N73, N80 and N95, and Pharos 600 and 600E are available to be used with any GSM carrier. Prices range from $383 to $736, a bit pricier than when buying directly from a wireless carrier, which subsidizes the price with a contract.
The Nokia N95 is now available sans contract from Dell's Web site.
(Credit: Dell.com)The phones can be found under the small business accessories tab on Dell.com, indicating the target audience is enterprise users and business travelers rather than general consumers. There's also a variety of corresponding Nokia Bluetooth accessories for sale.
Though Dell has been selling third-party products for years, phones are new to Dell's offerings.
Update: A Dell representative confirmed that offering third-party handheld products, ranging from MP3 players to unlocked phones, was part of a strategy switch away from pen-based PDAs and toward multifunction phones when the company axed the Axim handheld in early April.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica.
Wireless Providers can not justify locking you into a two year contract with crazy early termination fees, if you are not buying their subsidized handsets!
It has everything to do with Dells desperation.
Jim
loud.
If Dell closed shop, any other PC vendor can simply fill the space
and sell the same stuff...
Dell's only playing catchup in an inevitable move of phone hardware away from the carrier control into the open market.
- What is an unlocked phone?
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by sf_ux
June 21, 2007 10:03 AM PDT
- What is an unlocked phone. The assumption that we all speak your tribal language makes for limited understanding. Thanks.
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- Can you speak Google?
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by Lindy01
June 21, 2007 10:28 AM PDT
- First try with unlocked phone
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- SIM Locked / unlocked
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by euspos
June 21, 2007 12:32 PM PDT
- SIM Locked refers to when a carrier have the (hardware) manufacturer lock the phone (HW) so it can only be used with a certain GSM carrier.
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- Limited functionality, too
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by LuvThatCO2
June 21, 2007 12:46 PM PDT
- In addition to just the SIM card thing, US carriers such as Verizon purposely limit a phone's functionality. For example, the phone I have supports full blown Bluetooth file transfers. But Verizon disabled that on the phone so that you cant copy music files, pictures, and programs back and forth from your phone without using *their* service (for which they charge a small fee, of course). Its a very scummy business practice.
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(17 Comments)gave me this link.....
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-unlocked-cell-phones.htm
It is a very common term.
basically your phone will only work with your cell service provider....when you buy it from them as part of a package. So if you bought your phone at cingular it will only work on their network.....unless you "unlock" it so it works on any.
You use a password/key in conjunction with a key combination. Some people use software if your phone can connect to your PC....etc.
Once unlocked just put in the SIM of another provider....say T-mobile in Cingular phone and it works.
If you buy a phone from t-mobile and try to plug in card from i.e. Orange (France), the phone will not work (or a t-mobile phone on AT&T/Cingular, etc).
This stupidity (mainly practiced in the U.S.) has hampered the great flexibility provided by GSM handsets - where "you" is not really the phone but the SIM card. You take your card and plug into a new phone, and that phone is now "you".
But, since most U.S. consumers do not want to pay for a phone, the carriers are "giving" them away for "free", only to recoup the cost by locking you in to a contract (2 years) as well as locking your phone so you can not (easily) take it to a competing carrier - even after you paid your "dues".
By "unlocking" your (GSM) phone, you can take that phone and plug in a SIM card from ANY carrier and have it to work (given frequency support). This is the real beauty of GSM. You can have a phone for the office (PDA type), a phone for the evening (small form factor), and then another phone when you are out boating, hiking, etc, (rugged design or just an old clunker) and still keep your "number" with you.
Or, when a new phone you like comes out in Hong Kong or in Germany, you can buy it from there, plug in your SIM card, and voila! No need to involve the carrier.
To the original story about Dell starting to sell unlocked phone, more power to them. They have a name reputation (among the general public) and the reach to make a dent into the carriers unrelented "control" over what types of handset we use. As more and more wireless customers buy unlocked handsets, the (GSM)carriers will have to start to open up and offer a broader array of phones.
Take hong Kong for example. You go into a "phone" or general electronics store, and there are likely 400+ different models of GSM handsets. One for literally every taste! You buy the phone of your liking and plug in your (may times) pre-paid SIM and you are ready to go.
And, in talking about Hong Kong. Not long ago you could buy a pre-paid GSM SIM card with 9999 minutes of airtime (that is over 166 hours) for only $99 HKD, roughly $12 USD. Well, THAT is competition!!!
It starts with the handsets and eventually the service will follow as well.
Luckily, most phones that can be 'locked' can also be 'unlocked' if you download the appropriate tools and are willing to take a little risk. For me, full use of my phone's bluetooth was well worth the couple of hours it took finding the tools online ;-)