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Tmobile user switching to iphone.

Derekuda

Derekuda

Suspended
Original poster
Oct 2, 2004
370
1,382
I bought an unlocked iphone on ebay.
What do I need to do to get this thing up and running completly with internet and messaging. What settings/tweaks/ect... do i need to take care of, and lastly, what plan do i need from tmobile? the unlimited internet for 20? Right now I have a sidekick slide with sidekick plan.

Your help is greatly appriciated. Phone should be here tmw.
 
I'm currently have T-Zones added to my account and have full access to the internet, maps, weather, etc. I think its like 5.99 extra a month. Though to get it working properly I had to use the T-Zones tweak from installer.
 
Yeah, you want a standard voice plan, the internet add-on (which includes hot-spot access), and if you want, an SMS package. My packages are:

- 1000 minutes -- $39.99
- 400 SMS -- $4.99
- Data services -- $19.99

You just pop the sim tray out of the top with a paperclip, and put your SIM in it. The only setting you have to set is Settings -> General -> Network -> EDGE -> APN = wap.voicestream.com (occasionally they'll ask you to use a different one, but this is the one they had me use). Other settings on that page = blank.

That's pretty much it! :) Everything works except visual voicemail, and when you power cycle the cell radio, it thinks it has new voicemail even if it doesn't. The one other issue you may or may not have problems with is Safari storing cookies properly; if for some reason it doesn't, there is a fix you can install via installer.app that resolves it.

You'll really like it, I think. You're in for a treat. :)
 
so.....are there any applications either web based or software that people recomend i have?
 
mkrishnan said:
Yeah, you want a standard voice plan, the internet add-on (which includes hot-spot access), and if you want, an SMS package. My packages are:

- 1000 minutes -- $39.99
- 400 SMS -- $4.99
- Data services -- $19.99

You just pop the sim tray out of the top with a paperclip, and put your SIM in it. The only setting you have to set is Settings -> General -> Network -> EDGE -> APN = wap.voicestream.com (occasionally they'll ask you to use a different one, but this is the one they had me use). Other settings on that page = blank.

That's pretty much it! :) Everything works except visual voicemail, and when you power cycle the cell radio, it thinks it has new voicemail even if it doesn't. The one other issue you may or may not have problems with is Safari storing cookies properly; if for some reason it doesn't, there is a fix you can install via installer.app that resolves it.

You'll really like it, I think. You're in for a treat. :)
Click to expand...




you should be able to get by with just TZones for 5.99 :)
 
wako said:
you should be able to get by with just TZones for 5.99 :)
Click to expand...

So, what is the bottom line on the T-Mobile package for the iPhone?

1,000 minutes = $39.99
400 SMS = $4.99
Data Service = $19.99
TZones = $5.99
Total (1) phone= $70.96 Plus tax?

AT&T 1,400 minutes = $79.00
Unlimited Txt = $29.99
Data Plan (4) = $90.00
Early 7pm UM = $16.99
Total (4) phones = $249 OTD
T-Mobile = $70.96 plus tax v. AT&T = $62.25 OTD?:confused:
 
SFStateStudent said:
So, what is the bottom line on the T-Mobile package for the iPhone?

1,000 minutes = $39.99
400 SMS = $4.99
Data Service = $19.99
TZones = $5.99
Total (1) phone= $70.96 Plus tax?

AT&T 1,400 minutes = $79.00
Unlimited Txt = $29.99
Data Plan (4) = $90.00
Early 7pm UM = $16.99
Total (4) phones = $249 OTD
T-Mobile = $70.96 plus tax v. AT&T = $62.25 OTD?:confused:
Click to expand...

Nope - you won't need TZones if you have added Data Service (T-Mobile Internet), so you can knock off $5.99 from the T-Mobile summary.
 
iowayank said:
Nope - you won't need TZones if you have added Data Service (T-Mobile Internet), so you can knock off $5.99 from the T-Mobile summary.
Click to expand...

Some people even get by without the $19.99 internet and just use the 5.99 TZones. I wouldn't though as that service wasn't meant to be used that way. T-mo won't do anything about it, but I imagine they'll be restructuring their internet plans soon with the unveiling of 3G.

Their 2 plans don't make much sense, and they're really lacking a $9.99 option. They should have a $4.99 Tzone, $9.99 Unlimited Data, and a $19.99 Internet, Hotspot, Tethering service.
 
7on said:
Some people even get by without the $19.99 internet and just use the 5.99 TZones. I wouldn't though as that service wasn't meant to be used that way. T-mo won't do anything about it, but I imagine they'll be restructuring their internet plans soon with the unveiling of 3G.

Their 2 plans don't make much sense, and they're really lacking a $9.99 option. They should have a $4.99 Tzone, $9.99 Unlimited Data, and a $19.99 Internet, Hotspot, Tethering service.
Click to expand...

It's funny that you mention "Tethering Service" since I have AT&T DSL, I don't have a need for Tethering since my AT&T Hotspot Access (Works at T-Mobile Hotspots) also works for my BlackBook. This is all good to know. :cool:
 
The T-Mobile pricing is for a single user plan. They have family plans also; the whole point of a family plan is to save money by bundled services. So of course, if you compare a T-Mobile single plan to an AT&T family plan divided by four, T-Mobile seems more expensive. I don't know their family plan details, but their individual plans seem slightly cheaper -- my monthly cost is $69.43 I think, inclusive of taxes and fees, and the comparable ATT plan would be $80 plus fees, I think? If you want family pricing, you'd have to
price that out yourself.

As for using T-Zones, ibelieve that's technically outside the use terms, as you have to use a proxy server to cheat the data connection into letting
you access the broader web, but people do seem to get away with it....
 
mkrishnan said:
The T-Mobile pricing is for a single user plan. They have family plans also; the whole point of a family plan is to save money by bundled services. So of course, if you compare a T-Mobile single plan to an AT&T family plan divided by four, T-Mobile seems more expensive. I don't know their family plan details, but their individual plans seem slightly cheaper -- my monthly cost is $69.43 I think, inclusive of taxes and fees, and the comparable ATT plan would be $80 plus fees, I think? If you want family pricing, you'd have to
price that out yourself.

As for using T-Zones, ibelieve that's technically outside the use terms, as you have to use a proxy server to cheat the data connection into letting
you access the broader web, but people do seem to get away with it....
Click to expand...

I don't think T-mo cares, and there can't be more than a 1000 people doing this hack. But I can see them restructuring. GPRS used to be free, it was unlimited, but it was slow. I think it lasted only a couple of months, but it was replaced with the Tzones for $5.99 - which I always thought was an odd price point. Maybe they could tier it 5.99, 11.99, and 17.99?

SFStateStudent said:
It's funny that you mention "Tethering Service" since I have AT&T DSL, I don't have a need for Tethering since my AT&T Hotspot Access (Works at T-Mobile Hotspots) also works for my BlackBook. This is all good to know. :cool:
Click to expand...

It works at T-mo hotspots because they're crossing over to AT&T in about 5 years :'(
 
SFStateStudent said:
It's funny that you mention "Tethering Service" since I have AT&T DSL, I don't have a need for Tethering since my AT&T Hotspot Access (Works at T-Mobile Hotspots) also works for my BlackBook. This is all good to know. :cool:
Click to expand...

You realize the purpose of tethering is to use the Internet on your laptop where there ISN'T WiFi access, right?
 
The major weakness for T-Mo is their 3G strategy. As discussed in other threads all over here, T-Mobile basically passed on buying a standard HSPA frequency range during the 3G auctions. They got spectrum, but it's in an odd frequency combination that is not commonly used for HSPA 3G. As a result, most existing 3G GSM phones are not expected to be compatible with T-Mobile USA's 3G. T-Mobile is going to roll out variants of some 3G phones, but that means that you will be limited to a much smaller market of phones, particularly unlocked / used phones, than you are today, with GSM/2G/EDGE (where almost any unlocked GSM / EDGE phone will work just fine with T-Mobile).

What that means to me is this: I stuck with them for my iPhone primarily because I was already off contract, and as I mentioned above, my plan is a better deal than AT&T's individual plans are. I would personally be very reticent to sign a contract with them, however, particularly with an eye on the iPhone, because there is no upgrade path to the 3G iPhone. You would either have to ... (a) stick with the 2G iPhone, (b) get the 3G but use it at EDGE speeds, or (c) switch to AT&T....
 
mkrishnan said:
The one other issue you may or may not have problems with is Safari storing cookies properly; if for some reason it doesn't, there is a fix you can install via installer.app that resolves it.
Click to expand...

What is the fix called from the installer.app for this. Its driving me nuts. I will log into a website and after a few clicks im locked out again.
 
Derekuda said:
so.....are there any applications either web based or software that people recomend i have?
Click to expand...

Most of the stock apps are good enough, although the stock youtube app is a bit underwhelming, hopefully some third party apps get released that are better.
 
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