Cellular Discussion [Split from] Bugs and Calculations

[Grench]

I don't think that there is room for 4 versions (4GUS, 4GEU, 3Gint, nomob).

Another potential alternative, though I'm hesitant to bring it up as it would raise the base Pyra cost...
Stick with 3 versions, but make a mobile data chip standard/mandatory so that all have GPS, etc...

Currently advertised/planned versions are US 4G, Europe 4G, no mobile data.

What if that were changed to: US 4G, Europe 4G, international 3G. No option to not have a module. Base Pyra price rises to ~550EUR and 4G remains ~600EUR.

Of course THAT would result in screams of agony from the rather substantial group who see the Pyra as just a handheld gaming and emulation device.

There is an additional advantage though - the hardware becomes 'more similar' across versions. Developers can count on the GPS and other phone chip related capabilities being present even if a SIM card is not.

An additional alternative to consider, though I'm not sure it's a good one.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I don't think that there is room for 4 versions (4GUS, 4GEU, 3Gint, nomob).

Another potential alternative, though I'm hesitant to bring it up as it would raise the base Pyra cost...
Stick with 3 versions, but make a mobile data chip standard/mandatory so that all have GPS, etc...

Currently advertised/planned versions are US 4G, Europe 4G, no mobile data.

What if that were changed to: US 4G, Europe 4G, international 3G. No option to not have a module. Base Pyra price rises to ~550EUR and 4G remains ~600EUR.

Of course THAT would result in screams of agony from the rather substantial group who see the Pyra as just a handheld gaming and emulation device.

There is an additional advantage though - the hardware becomes 'more similar' across versions. Developers can count on the GPS and other phone chip related capabilities being present even if a SIM card is not.

An additional alternative to consider, though I'm not sure it's a good one.

I like this idea even more.

 

[TheOldOne]

Oh, and is there any chance someone might be able to get something like this (unlimited US LTE data) for Pyra users? (Ideally with voice service also...)

Why would I pay $500 a year when I could pay $20 a month on T Mobile?

 

[Luke-Jr]

Why would I pay $500 a year when I could pay $20 a month on T Mobile?

$20/mo gets you 2 GB data, not unlimited.
T-Mobile doesn't even offer unlimited 4G.
Also, Sprint's coverage tends to be better.

 

[elvissteinjr]

I like this idea even more.

I don't. The Pyra can't replace a phone for me, so I'll always carry a perfectly fine tethering source with me anyways. I have no need for GPS either.
I will buy a Pyra regardless, but since there aren't any opposing voices right now, here's one.

The Pyra has a high entry price no matter how you put it. It will do a lot for the money, but do we really need to push the base price even higher?

 

[WizardStan]

do we really need to push the base price even higher?

That's the kind of question only a poll can answer!

 

[rygD]

Someone hurry up, so I can vote.

Just as it is wrong to make people pay more based on the country where they live, I don't think the people that want the "basic model" should have to pay more for what the rest of us want. I do like that version of the three model plan, but if we can't get 4G numbers to work out, and no one wants 3G I guess we will only get one or two models for now. Yes, it may suck, however there is a built in way to work with this and upgrade later if more people are interested, our funds become available. Since the Pyra design is modular, and this time it really is made for the user to open it up if they want (despite possible issues related to the screws), we can do all that later. We don't even know how the preorders are going to go. ED can try to run it the way he has been planning, and if everything goes well we can have 4G. If the numbers aren't there, and people are willing to accept 3G instead (to combine regions) then we get that. Last resort, we get wifi, and wait for the more fancy stuff. Prototype owners will still have the full hardware, so it isn't like development of tools needs to wait until normal buyers get the cellular modules.

Yes, I am serious this time. I think.

 

[Haraldur]

I wonder, what would be the cost of a mainboard-only replacement, for changing from non-4G to 4G? Would I be right to surmise that the mainboard is rather cheap compared to the CPU-board and the display?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I don't. The Pyra can't replace a phone for me, so I'll always carry a perfectly fine tethering source with me anyways. I have no need for GPS either.
I will buy a Pyra regardless, but since there aren't any opposing voices right now, here's one.

The Pyra has a high entry price no matter how you put it. It will do a lot for the money, but do we really need to push the base price even higher?

3G would only make it about €50 higher. I don't know about others, but for me a lot of the value in the Pyra is the mobile connectivity.

 

[TheOldOne]

$20/mo gets you 2 GB data, not unlimited.
T-Mobile doesn't even offer unlimited 4G.
Also, Sprint's coverage tends to be better.

But at $20 they don't count music services like Pandora witch is what I use most of my data on. If you go up to $35 they don't count video services either. There's also the fact that Sprint has ripped me and several of my friends off so I avoid them whenever possible and therfore I fully expect them to do some trickery on that "unlimited" connection.

 

[Luke-Jr]

3G would only make it about €50 higher. I don't know about others, but for me a lot of the value in the Pyra is the mobile connectivity.

+1. If not for the mobile connectivity, I'd probably be going with GPD Win.

But at $20 they don't count music services like Pandora witch is what I use most of my data on. If you go up to $35 they don't count video services either. There's also the fact that Sprint has ripped me and several of my friends off so I avoid them whenever possible and therfore I fully expect them to do some trickery on that "unlimited" connection.

Too bad they still count Bitcoin traffic... That's probably going to use hundreds of GB alone for me.

 

[ible]

50 euros is 10% of the 500 euro target, i would say that's pretty significant. if the base is 549 instead of 499, we'll get less psychological impulse buys

so i'd vote down the base being a 3G module. further, some people want extra privacy and don't want to worry about cell towers picking them up... (of course, that is probably the least worrisome part of things...)

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Well, I mean if I can't have mobile data, I'll still buy a Pyra, but I'll be much less satisfied with it.

Also, people mentioning tethering, in the US tethering is a premium service. The phone won't even let you turn it on without charging extra.

However, I also don't want to impact the people buying the European version. I just hope there's enough US orders for a US mobile version.

 

[TheOldOne]

I just thought of this but the Antenova A10340 Antenna doesn't support 700mhz so most of the US 4G networks and several of the European ones won't work well even with the correct LTE chip.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

So maybe 3G would be better anyway?

 

[WizardStan]

Are you sure that's the final selected antenna? I remember ED saying he'd found an antenna that would work.

 

[TheOldOne]

No I don't know that it's the final antenna. It is the one currently listed on the Wiki but that doesn't mean it is still the one planned.

 

[Luke-Jr]

Am I understanding correctly, that even the PLS8-US does not support T-Mobile 3G (only 2G and 4G), and does not support VoLTE, so as a result:

• Voice calls will not work outside of 2G coverage
• Voice calls will cause data interruption and drop to 2G speeds
• When 2G is discontinued (can't be that far off now?), voice calls will no longer work

Note that even if these are all true, I'd still prefer the 4G module over 3G - but as a result, I may need to seriously reconsider getting the WiFi version and just tethering, especially if voice call support is still completely uncertain when first batch orders are being made. (On the other hand, maybe getting a data-only addon plan for the Pyra would make sense?)

 

[edgex004]

From what I understand, the 3G module will not work well with T-Mobile's 3G.

The 4g module should work fine with T-Mobile 4G, 3G, and 2G.

 

[Luke-Jr]

The 4g module should work fine with T-Mobile 4G, 3G, and 2G.

Huh, revisiting the data, not sure what I was thinking.
[doublepost=1460866224,1460866172][/doublepost]Is my info on voice calls killing data correct? Maybe the Pyra should prefer 3G and switch to 4G only on demand?