[Hazarrd]

I picked up the 8830 and I love it. I'm coming from a Treo and have never used a BB before. Everything about this device is awesome except for the fact that Verizon locked the GPS. I'm considering switching (I have 30 days to do so) to Cingular or T-Mobile?

Is the GPS unlocked on the 8800 with both Cingular and T-mobile? Will I be able to use google maps/bb maps with both?

Also, I can't seem to figure out Cingular's pricing for data plans. I want the $39.99 minutes plan with unlimited data. What's the total cost going to be?

Thanks!!!

[chrisb3]

The GPS on the TMo and AT&T 8800s is not locked. So BBmaps and Google Maps will work just fine.

With a voice plan:

BIS on TMo is $19.99/mo
BIS on AT&T is $29.99/mo

So you're looking at $69.98 plus tax on AT&T

I personally like AT&T as the coverage is a bit better than TMo where I live in NYC.

[Hazarrd]

Perfect. Now, more importantly...my contract was up with Verizon but when I bought the 8830 yesterday I had to sign a new 2 year contract. Can I return the phone and get back out of the contract within the 30 days or is the 30 day time period just for the return of the phone?

Thanks.

[chrisb3]

I would think that the 30 days counts for both, but you'd have to ask VZW or wait for someone with a little more knowledge about their policies.

[chrisb3]

From reading this and this on the VZW site, you have 30 days to terminate from date of activation. You will be on the hook for whatever service you've used during that 30 days.

[secrecyguy]

If you planing to tether your Blackberry (hooking up the blackberry to the laptop to get Internet access), you want T-mobile. AT&T will charge you extra for it.

[Dawg]

man I cant believe the GPS being locked is a deal breaker. Where is everyones since of direction gone too. I like gps if I need to find an address but i dont depoend on it or wont cancel a contract over it. If you would have read before you bought you would have seen they disable it. Its been talked about here for months on end.

[zachberry]

Originally Posted by Dawg

man I cant believe the GPS being locked is a deal breaker. Where is everyones since of direction gone too. I like gps if I need to find an address but i dont depoend on it or wont cancel a contract over it. If you would have read before you bought you would have seen they disable it. Its been talked about here for months on end.

I have tmo in the dallas area and love it, use it to surf the web on the lap top all the time...

as far as GPS....I am in outside sales and use the GPS all the time! and it would be a deal breaker for me....

[test54]

Same here on cingular, use GPS all the time for work and fun. It would be a deal breaker for sure now that I have got used to using it.

[Dawg]

Man I cant believe all these folks who have no sense of direction or how to ask for directions we are becoming more and more lazy with each new jump in technology

[Stinsonddog]

All the programs on my tips site GPS review work well on Cingular. If you need to tether VZ is the only choice otherwise, Cingular has the next best network. TM lacks of one of the two GSM spectrums - the one that penetrates buildings.

[nuopus]

Originally Posted by Dawg

man I cant believe the GPS being locked is a deal breaker. Where is everyones since of direction gone too. I like gps if I need to find an address but i dont depoend on it or wont cancel a contract over it. If you would have read before you bought you would have seen they disable it. Its been talked about here for months on end.

GPS is only locked on the Verizon model. I have been with Verizon for a very long time, but they have lost me as a customer due to their habit of crippling just about every darn smart device they have. If you want your moneys worth and a fully functioning device, DONT GO VERIZON.

The Treo 650 was the straw that broke the camels back with me. Late on every update by several months, and crippled the hell out of it. My friend had a 650 at the same time, and I was jealous of the features he had, that I didn't purely because I was on VZW. I payed more for the device, and got less features, which is a COMPLETE rip off. So, I dumped that crappy carrier and switched to T-Mobile and I could not be happier. The rates are cheaper. The data plans are cheaper. The unlimited text messaging is way cheaper. Overall VZW is a ripoff, not only in your crippled devices, but the price of service.

[Dawg]

Originally Posted by nuopus

GPS is only locked on the Verizon model. I have been with Verizon for a very long time, but they have lost me as a customer due to their habit of crippling just about every darn smart device they have. If you want your moneys worth and a fully functioning device, DONT GO VERIZON.

The Treo 650 was the straw that broke the camels back with me. Late on every update by several months, and crippled the hell out of it. My friend had a 650 at the same time, and I was jealous of the features he had, that I didn't purely because I was on VZW. I payed more for the device, and got less features, which is a COMPLETE rip off. So, I dumped that crappy carrier and switched to T-Mobile and I could not be happier. The rates are cheaper. The data plans are cheaper. The unlimited text messaging is way cheaper. Overall VZW is a ripoff, not only in your crippled devices, but the price of service.

condsidering that the only two services that work at or around my house are nextel and verizon. Nextel has way to many dropped calls for my liking. 19 the day I dropped them. As far as GPS goes buy a good GPS device not pretend GPS software on a phone. I use GPS on my vx8600 with verizon during vacation only.

[CTylerPace]

I am a former Verizon cell phone user but switched to Cingular/AT&T when the 8800 first came out. I find the Cingular/AT&T coverage in the New England area to be equal to that of Verizon. I also had a TMO 7230 in the past and their coverage in New England doesn't compare to either Verizon or AT&T.

I've found the GPS to be quite useful - it would be a deal breaker for me.

[test54]

Originally Posted by Dawg

condsidering that the only two services that work at or around my house are nextel and verizon. Nextel has way to many dropped calls for my liking. 19 the day I dropped them. As far as GPS goes buy a good GPS device not pretend GPS software on a phone. I use GPS on my vx8600 with verizon during vacation only.

Have you used the GPS on the 8800? I have been impressed with it and do not consider it pretend by any stretch. And as for being lazy and using GPS rather than asking? Where i am using it there are no people to ask...

Originally Posted by Dawg

Man I cant believe all these folks who have no sense of direction or how to ask for directions we are becoming more and more lazy with each new jump in technology

I myself have no sense of direction. If I turn around the block, left on that corner, right on the next stop sign, left 2 blocks away... I wouldn't be able find my route back. I'm a girl and I hate asking for directions (who said men only don't like to ask directions?) and no.. has nothing to do about being lazy. Some people are just the way they are. Why suffer when you have the choice to use technology ....

[Dawg]

Originally Posted by test54

Have you used the GPS on the 8800? I have been impressed with it and do not consider it pretend by any stretch. And as for being lazy and using GPS rather than asking? Where i am using it there are no people to ask...

No I havent I am also not one to jump on the latest device every time it comes out. I use my BB for work and a phone as it was designed to do. I dont need a camera or GPS or Mp3 player I have all of those devices that do what they are supposed to.

[ggammill]

Originally Posted by Dawg

No I havent I am also not one to jump on the latest device every time it comes out. I use my BB for work and a phone as it was designed to do. I dont need a camera or GPS or Mp3 player I have all of those devices that do what they are supposed to.

Some people like the latest and the greatest. It's okay if you don't.

[Maverickster]

I have a BB for two reasons and two reasons only -- one, because my employer "strongly recommended" I get one; and two, so that I can minimize the number of devices I carry around. Using your logic, I should carry a BB for email, a separate phone for calls, a PDA for my PIM needs, a GPS device for navigation, and if I want to listen to some music or take some pictures, I should also carry an iPod and a camera as well. Yes, if I carried a separate device for each one of those needs, I'd get better performance out of each, but I'd also need a backpack to carry the SIX SEPARATE DEVICES. As it is, I carry one -- one small one that fits in my pocket and performs each task admirably well. That's a tradeoff I'm willing to make.

--Mav

P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, I actually do have a digital camera to serve that need since cell phone cameras are universally crap (and I have an 8800, so I don't have a phone camera at all), but each of my other needs is more than adequately met by my nice, small 8800 package.

P.P.S. Seriously, give TeleNav 5.1 a try and then come back and tell me that it's worth carrying a standalone GPS device. It does virtually everything a standalone GPS device does and does it very well; in addition, it integrates perfectly with the PIM elements of the BB so I never have to type an address. That's an element that a standalone device simply cannot replicate.

Originally Posted by Maverickster

P.P.S. Seriously, give TeleNav 5.1 a try and then come back and tell me that it's worth carrying a standalone GPS device. It does virtually everything a standalone GPS device does and does it very well; in addition, it integrates perfectly with the PIM elements of the BB so I never have to type an address. That's an element that a standalone device simply cannot replicate.

Can't help but have to say this...

"hard to teach old dawgs new tricks?"