-this- Is How I'll Be Internetting With Pandora.

[gruso]

This will be of interest to people who (i) want 3G internet for their Pandora, (ii) are in the market for a new phone, and (iii) aren't in the market for a full-blown smart phone. I am these people.

Three Mobile / INQ are about to release a cheap purpose built phone, aimed at people who want "social network" oriented internet alongside basic phone functions, and don't want to spend hundreds. It's being dubbed the Facebook phone, with Facebook, Skype, MSN and email apps fully integrated into the OS. And the the price is right: Down under they'll be selling it for ~$180AUD outright (network locked).

I'm not a big online networker, and the phone itself isn't much of a looker (think Nokia three years ago), but here's the best bit: When the committee was culling features, they kindly left in the ability to tether the phone as a 3G modem. Bless them! Along with a 3.2mp camera and er, the ability to make phone calls, this thing compliments Pandora's feature set perfectly.

Looks like I'll be an early adopter twice this year...

 

[Bosbeetle]

I hope to do something like that with my sony ericsonn c902 hopefully Ill figure it out

 

[Mutilator]

nice find. seems to be where phones are going atm

 

[PokeParadox]

This will be of interest to people who (i) want 3G internet for their Pandora, (ii) are in the market for a new phone, and (iii) aren't in the market for a full-blown smart phone. I am these people.

Three Mobile / INQ are about to release a cheap purpose built phone, aimed at people who want "social network" oriented internet alongside basic phone functions, and don't want to spend hundreds. It's being dubbed the Facebook phone, with Facebook, Skype, MSN and email apps fully integrated into the OS. And the the price is right: Down under they'll be selling it for ~$180AUD outright (network locked).

I'm not a big online networker, and the phone itself isn't much of a looker (think Nokia three years ago), but here's the best bit: When the committee was culling features, they kindly left in the ability to tether the phone as a 3G modem. Bless them! Along with a 3.2mp camera and er, the ability to make phone calls, this thing compliments Pandora's feature set perfectly.

Looks like I'll be an early adopter twice this year...




Looks like the Three Skype phone... it's probably by the same company (AMOI)

 

[tuXXX]

I think I'll try to connect my FreeRunner to the Pandora.
The first thing may be to create a bluetooth keyboard software for the Pandora, this should for example allow me to type text messages in Android.
Using the FreeRunner as a Modem is an option too! As well as connecting to it with something like vnc.

 

[OrR]

Um... Network locked prices are NEVER right. :huh: What is 180AUD in real money? *goes to check* ~91€... Well, can't really tell how much it is without an unlocked price.

If you are a real man, you should get a FreeRunner. (Unfortunately no 3G, though...) I'm still struggling to get my Neo 1973 to any usable status but I love every minute of it! I'm probably going to get the next Openmoko phone, though, or maybe wait for the first 3G one.

 

[.Gogeta§§J4BR.]

I'm also searching for a small and cheap phone to get 3G to the pandora
thank you for your tip
I really don't like doing lots of things with a cell phone... basically because other hardware provide me better results (The pandora will do everything I need, except 3G and phone calls )
I don't really like to spend a lot on cell phones. I've had a sony ericsson t610 for a very long time and just recently got my hands on the LG mg280 (I hate it, it sucks for battery life and the problematic touch panel and lazy keyboard refresh rate) (it was laying around my house with no owner, people over here switch cell phones everytime)

So I'm looking for a new phone to help me
Do anyone know any small and cheap phone that can serve as a 3G modem like this?
Also, do they open an wifi access point or can you only pair with bluetooth (slow?) ?

 

[gruso]

Um... Network locked prices are NEVER right. :huh: What is 180AUD in real money? *goes to check* ~91€... Well, can't really tell how much it is without an unlocked price.

If you are a real man, you should get a FreeRunner. (Unfortunately no 3G, though...) I'm still struggling to get my Neo 1973 to any usable status but I love every minute of it! I'm probably going to get the next Openmoko phone, though, or maybe wait for the first 3G one.
Lack of 3G kind of defeats the purpose of the thread, doesn't it?

Much love for the Openmoko concept, but while you're being a real man struggling to get your $630AUD non-3G phone going, I'll be enjoying internet on Pandora with my $180AUD INQ1. Which is why I posted in the first place.

 

[parag0n]

I'll be using my iphone with pdanet, thats how i'm internetting on my laptop right now!

 

[Lafazar]

What about this one? I haven't used mobile internet so far, so can anyone tell me if this will allow me to go online with the Pandora?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/18/toshiba...sdpa-usb-modem/

Edit: It can do 3G, but the problem will be the drivers which are Windows only at this point. The article says £140 but I don't know if that's without a plan.

 

[nickspoon]

The thing I dislike about 3 is that they have so-called 'pre-pay' plans with attractive-looking plans and cheap phones, but the problem with their plans is that unlike every other phone company, a top-up 'expires' after 30 days. They hide this in their terms and conditions. It's more like a contract phone, except the contract has no definite length. If you don't use up your credit by the end of the month, it's gone, and if you don't top up again your phone is useless.

 

[Orkie]

That must be a new thing - I had a 3 phone up until last summer (that is the one that I dropped off a pier ) and I only topped up once a year. Maybe it is a good thing it broke.

 

[gruso]

Yeah, 30 day prepay periods have been the norm down under for some time. It's a bit annoying sometimes, but I just top up with $29 per month so it doesn't cost much. "Lost" credit doesn't bother me, as far as I'm concerned I'm just paying a monthly fee for the use of a phone.

Anyway, speaking of cheap phones... an Aussie company has just announced the world's second Android phone (and Australia's first). The base model is $192USD outright - no network locks, no ties to any phone company at all. Very promising stuff, but it's an untried Chinese product so I'm waiting on the first user reviews.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/03/kogan-i...gora-agora-pro/

http://www.kogan.com.au/

 

[Goity]

The thing I dislike about 3 is that they have so-called 'pre-pay' plans with attractive-looking plans and cheap phones, but the problem with their plans is that unlike every other phone company, a top-up 'expires' after 30 days. They hide this in their terms and conditions. It's more like a contract phone, except the contract has no definite length. If you don't use up your credit by the end of the month, it's gone, and if you don't top up again your phone is useless.

That's how it used to be, but I believe now that unless you use the credit in some one-month budle it stays there forever until you use it.

 

[Username]

I had one of those prepaid phones for about half a year. It was annoying because I would have to go buy credit once a month, and the credit was almost impossible to find.

 

[DrCJBoduma]

This will be of interest to people who (i) want 3G internet for their Pandora, (ii) are in the market for a new phone, and (iii) aren't in the market for a full-blown smart phone. I am these people.

Three Mobile / INQ are about to release a cheap purpose built phone, aimed at people who want "social network" oriented internet alongside basic phone functions, and don't want to spend hundreds. It's being dubbed the Facebook phone, with Facebook, Skype, MSN and email apps fully integrated into the OS. And the the price is right: Down under they'll be selling it for ~$180AUD outright (network locked).

I'm not a big online networker, and the phone itself isn't much of a looker (think Nokia three years ago), but here's the best bit: When the committee was culling features, they kindly left in the ability to tether the phone as a 3G modem. Bless them! Along with a 3.2mp camera and er, the ability to make phone calls, this thing compliments Pandora's feature set perfectly.

Looks like I'll be an early adopter twice this year...





It 'looks' as though this phone is available to buy now (in the uk at least)

I've been wondering how I am going to use the pandora to surf the web on the move. I'm not that clued up on 3G and the like. Would you need to get this phone on a contract and would you have to pay extra for using the internet?

 

[gruso]

Hey DrCJ, got your PM but I'll answer here if that's cool.

If you get a 3G phone plan (contract or prepaid), it will include regular call/text along with an internet allowance. So it's all in one, no need to buy separate internet.

The standalone 3G USB dongles and associated plans are primarily for people who want 3G internet access on their laptop, separate from their phone. Perhaps because they can get a more suitable plan, or because it's a separate work thing, or because their phone simply isn't 3G. You can go this way for Pandora, but if you have a 3G phone then you probably won't have to.

Probably. Many 3G phones will act as a modem, to allow a separate device to access the internet on the phone's 3G plan. Typically people will tether their laptop to their 3G phone via Bluetooth. The INQ1 is designed to do this, so that's my plan: Pandora -> Bluetooth -> INQ1 -> Internet!

However... the spec of the INQ1 only mentions connecting via USB. I don't know if this is doable on Pandora, and to me it's not desirable. The INQ1 has Bluetooth, so I guess I'm confidently assuming that it can be tethered via Bluetooth. If not, bummer, I'll still want the phone anyway.

Perhaps someone more knowledgable on the whole Bluetooth bizness can offer some insight...

 

[DrCJBoduma]

Hey DrCJ, got your PM but I'll answer here if that's cool.

Probably. Many 3G phones will act as a modem, to allow a separate device to access the internet on the phone's 3G plan. Typically people will tether their laptop to their 3G phone via Bluetooth. The INQ1 is designed to do this, so that's my plan: Pandora -> Bluetooth -> INQ1 -> Internet!

However... the spec of the INQ1 only mentions connecting via USB. I don't know if this is doable on Pandora, and to me it's not desirable. The INQ1 has Bluetooth, so I guess I'm confidently assuming that it can be tethered via Bluetooth. If not, bummer, I'll still want the phone anyway.

Perhaps someone more knowledgable on the whole Bluetooth bizness can offer some insight...

Hi Gruso and thanks for your reply.

I just did a live support chat thing on the '3' website, here is what they said

"[Bobs] Would I be able to tether another device (laptop, palm etc) to the INQ1 phone via bluetooth, to assess the internet?
[Salim] do you mean using handset as a modem?
[Bobs] Yeah I think so
[Salim]

You can use your phone as a modem with your laptop by adding one of the following packages.




* Add Broadband Lite access on your laptop using your 3 mobile and it includes 1GB data for only £10 per month. Additional usage for monthly contract will be charged at £0.10 / Mb inc. VAT and for PAYG charged at £1 per Mb inc. VAT.
* Add Broadband Plus access on your laptop using your 3 mobile and it includes 3GB data for only £15 per month. Additional usage for monthly contract will be charged at £0.10/ Mb inc. VAT and for PAYG charged at £1 per Mb inc. VAT.


[Salim] would you like to place an order today?
[Bobs] What about using the phones free internet and msn through another device via bluetooth
[Salim] the free features with handset like Skype, MSN or Yahoo can only be used from handset"

Not sure if I asked all (any) of the right questions - but it seems as if the Pandora>INQ1>Internet isn't going to work.


Chris (Bobs)

 

[nickspoon]

That's how it used to be, but I believe now that unless you use the credit in some one-month budle it stays there forever until you use it.

Ah, right. It's still like that in Australia, though.

 

[gruso]

Interesting info Chris. Nice work on the enquiry. I'm not exactly sure what the upshot is here, but I'm guessing it could be one of two things:

1. They're trying to sell a separate (unnecessary) 3G connection. (They're a phone company after all.) Or,

2. The INQ1's hidden surprise is that the advertised 3G modem functionality is only available if you pay an additional access fee.

Either way, it's something to look into before purchasing. Glad you asked some questions in this thread, you may just have uncovered a sneaky little trap.

For the record, you were on the right path - we are indeed talking about using the phone as a modem.