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 SSidlovOther Things On My MindPremium
join:2000-03-03
Pompton Lakes, NJ
 ·Optimum Online
1 edit | GSM: The Joy of Unbranding.... As I posted a year ago, and a few days ago, I had to replace my SE phone from ATT under the warranty. So I got another same model phone to replace it.
I forgot how butchered the ATT mod to the phone is, how expensive all of the possible add-ons (video, XM radio, music video downloads, etc) are, and how much they crippled the phone to start.
First, I have to mention that after many complaints, the DaVinci Team folks appear to have modified (or found the right) firmware that allows your unbranded phone to remain the same model as before when it reports to the ATT websites. I unbranded to to a 'a' rather than a 'i' version of my phone, and my phone reports that it is a 'a' - YAY. Is this important, yes, please see: »www.seuniverse.com/forums/firmwa···bad.html
Anyway, now I have the best of both, with the fixed firmware, I have free turn by turn GPS with Amaze or Google Maps, I have OperaMini 4.5, I have a RSS ticker on my phone's 'standby/wallpaper), I have a GMAIL application for email (though the phone does regular email just fine), without the bloat and silly shortcuts to ATT's Mall on every menu and submenu. All the for-pay apps except Audible are gone.
I can connect to the media server but can't view youtube or CNN/HBO/ESPAN, I get a clean 'fail' error message instead of the blocked page or infinite buffering. Oh well.
Anyway, there is unbranding for some HTC phones now too, though without examining the specs sheets for each model, I don't know if you would gain new features or just be freed from annoying ''buy me'' applications and short cuts.
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»www.Warpstock.org
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| Indeed  . Arguably, you gain more unbranding the HTC smartphones, such as the Tilt & Fuze, than you ever will on the SE line since the Tilt/Fuze are so much more capable. I suppose you're referring to what you've read about @ XDA? | | |
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SSidlovOther Things On My MindPremium
join:2000-03-03
Pompton Lakes, NJ Reviews:
·Optimum Online
| Whatever do you mean? I have full internet access, I have GMAIL mobile, I have GPS, I can blog photos directly to my blog, and it's a damn good cellphone....yeah it's not as speedy at only 1.5mbs and I don't have wifi (but other SE phones do), but it only cost me $49 to start and I don't have a $30/mo data contract for my 'unlimited' 5GB, it's half that. Touch screen? Don't need it. All SE phones have 1,000 phone number capability with assigning multiple phones and addresses to a single contact and personal notes, voice control, and everything that most 'smartphones' do..... except for the swap of video for GPS, all the other features are the same except for the 'lost' advertising/sales push sites.
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»www.Warpstock.org
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| Touche
Two things I *do* appreciate about the z750a are the FM radio and the fact that it's a flip phone that includes the 2100 UMTS band for my (albeit) infrequent trips across the pond. I actually grabbed a refurb for a family member for this reason.
Keep in mind the convenience large touch/screens has already started to sway the market in the other direction. Granted, sometimes this is not implemented very well on some of the handsets offered by the various U.S. wireless carriers. Also, FWIW I am not forced to pay ATT $30/mo for data, and the cap you mention is a soft one. Only tethering a laptop via my Tilt will ever get me into hot water per se. Having wifi makes this device ultimately extremely flexible to rarely have to bother w/ 3G data. I really only add $15 data when traveling stateside for extended periods away from wifi.
cheers,
Pedro | |
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