UK networks

[gorstj]

Does anybody have any details on which networks this phone will be available from?

Dates and prices would be nice too, but probably no one know this yet!

[djwillis]

Does anybody have any details on which networks this phone will be available from?

Dates and prices would be nice too, but probably no one know this yet!

I know Vodafone UK plan to carry it (I have had a chance to play with a beta device some months ago).

Not sure on the brand other then V'something' but we are hoping to get QA devices in early July so I guess that is as good a time frame as any. That said it would not surprise me if it gets put back.

[gorstj]

I wish it was on t-mobile or three with their better data plans. Althought vodafone seem to do good discounts on their headsets with 1/2 price line rental offers. Shame there arent any pda handsets on thier website to compare likely prices of the subsidised headset.

[ausbj]

My phone was a UK T-Mobile test phone when I got it. It was also locked to T-Mobile so perhaps thats a good sign for you...

I wish it was on t-mobile or three with their better data plans. Althought vodafone seem to do good discounts on their headsets with 1/2 price line rental offers. Shame there arent any pda handsets on thier website to compare likely prices of the subsidised headset.

[GordonTGopher]

Don't know when or how much yet.

Gordon

[ericlin0122]

Don't know when or how much yet.

Gordon

http://www.pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=733

It might be in august. I hope so, if then I will get it in Taiwan.

[gorstj]

do you know if it is sirf II or another GPS chipset?

I currently use a globalsat sirf III, and I really dont want the performance to be much less than this device.

I hear the other chipsets are pretty good apart from 'urban canyon' - but that is most likely when I will need GPS (e.g. recent visit to paris!)

Also I have a heated from windscreen

[3waygeek]

do you know if it is sirf II or another GPS chipset?


According to http://www.pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=733 it uses the QualComm gpsOne chip.

[mikeeey]

According to http://www.pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=733 it uses the QualComm gpsOne chip.
and the type of gpsOne is NMEA 0183

[GordonTGopher]

and the type of gpsOne is NMEA 0183

That's the protocol for GPS data comms, regardless of the chipset, which in this case is the Qualcomm one, sadly as SIRF III is superior.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMEA_0183

Gordon

[In10se]

So it will be fugly AND have an inferior gps chipset in it ... ohh the pain. Still kicks butt on the iphone though. I don't know of a better upgrade from the tytn that has integrated gps looming on the market anytime soon.

[cbrow51]

So it will be fugly AND have an inferior gps chipset in it ... ohh the pain. Still kicks butt on the iphone though. I don't know of a better upgrade from the tytn that has integrated gps looming on the market anytime soon.

devicewire.co.uk says that its 'GPS SiRF Star III (20 channels)'....

REgards

Chris

[gorstj]

hence my confusion as to which GPS chip it actually has!

[Mr.Clark]

I wonder if O2 will be carrying it... I'll be needing something to upgrade from my Exec to, and this looks like it could be better in every way... :D

[PianoSam]

I believe it will be the v1615 or something like that...

[Steve-C]

I wonder if O2 will be carrying it... I'll be needing something to upgrade from my Exec to, and this looks like it could be better in every way... :D

+1

Glad I hung back on getting the Orbit now! Though it explains why they are shifting it with Co-pilot included. Trying to shift old stock to make room maybe?

[agentp]

tmobile have confirmed to me that they are going to be stocking the kaiser 'in the near future' as the Vario III but not when or at what price

[Schooleydoo]

tmobile have confirmed to me that they are going to be stocking the kaiser 'in the near future' as the Vario III but not when or at what price

mid sept, £280.

[agentp]

mid sept, £280.
that's not too bad, and also happens to be when my upgrade is due. hoorah.

ta for the info!

[Schooleydoo]

that's not too bad, and also happens to be when my upgrade is due. hoorah.

ta for the info!

Me too :) On flext 25 and am paying £100 for the handset if thats any use to you.

[agentp]

Me too :) On flext 25 and am paying £100 for the handset if thats any use to you.

that's my tariff too - is that on an 18 month? how did you get the price already?

[Schooleydoo]

that's my tariff too - is that on an 18 month? how did you get the price already?

Yeah 18 month, long story with the pricing, but they owe me a new phone, and this is the one i want :)

[agentp]

Yeah 18 month, long story with the pricing, but they owe me a new phone, and this is the one i want :)

cool, thanks for the info. I had a play with the n95 yesterday as it's my second choice and it really doesn't seem as good

[rdann]

I believe it will be the v1615 or something like that...

V1615 is correct have my one coming tomorrow. :D

[MATTHEWLONG]

I wonder why 3 never sell this device. They have by far the best 3g network to use it on?.

[unwired4]

I wonder why 3 never sell this device. They have by far the best 3g network to use it on?.



Really? Apart from the bits of the country they don't cover at all?

And its probably because the average 3 customer is after cheap voice - not fast data.

[MATTHEWLONG]

£5 a month for 1gb of data is the best value though. I have never found anywhere that I cant get a signal that, which is good. Fro comparing it to the likes of tmobile much better 3g access.

[unwired4]

Lucky you


http://www.three.co.uk/threefiles/images/portal/products_services/broadband/rollout_map.gif

[MATTHEWLONG]

As I say the 3g signal on three is very good in my experience. When not on threes own 3g network it runs on the O2 network for 2g anway.

[MATTHEWLONG]

I would be interested to hear what anyone else thinks would be the best network for 3g in the UK as I am not in contract at the moment. As far as I know though three has the largest 3g coverage and 99% voice and text in the UK. Anyone think the coverage of other networks is better?.

Matt

[MATTHEWLONG]

This is what ZDnet say:

The mobile operator 3 has announced that its third-generation services now cover 90 percent of the UK population, giving it a comfortable lead on its rivals.

3 UK — owned by Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa — has operated in the UK for less than four years, but it has already built 7,250 base stations across the country. It only provides 3G services, having bypassed the era of GSM and GPRS.

The rollout has, since 2005, been managed in conjunction with Ericsson, which is responsible for the management, operation and performance of the network and its underlying IT infrastructure.

The closest competitor to 3 in terms of 3G coverage is Orange, which covers 85 percent of the UK population. Vodafone covers "nearly 80 percent", a figure that T-Mobile aims to hit by the end of this year (it reached 70 percent by the end of 2006). The poorest 3G coverage is that of O2, at little more than 60 percent.

3 aims to roll out HSDPA — a higher-speed evolution of 3G — across its network by the end of 2007. Last year it dumped O2 as its backup GSM network for customers straying outside of 3G coverage, opting instead for Orange.

I didnt realise its now Orange though and not O2 for 2g calls......

[unwired4]

I have two or three customers who went to 3 but left after a few months due to frequent dropped calls when driving on major roads...such as the M1.

O have the best overall coverage but wait for their new data packages.

[MATTHEWLONG]

Thanks for the info.

Matt