Sprint's and Verizon's current implementations of CDMA do not support simultaneous transfer of voice and data. It's a hideous flaw that is having an impact on more and more users with the increasing adoption of smartphones. For the purpose of this post, the technical reasons are not important. The fact is, some carriers support simultaneous voice and data and some do not.
AT&T and T-Mobile 3G customers have the dubious luxury of talking on the phone and using it to look up something on the web, send/receive email or browse facebook at the same time. They probably take it for granted and it's surprising these carriers aren't using it in their advertising (yet).
Well, for those Verizon and Sprint customers who may need to use their phone for data occasionally while still on the line, there are a few workarounds that involve diverting the data or voice to alternate channels. The first one is implemented by the phone manufacturers; wifi. If you are within a wifi coverage area, you can keep on surfing and talking as the data is already diverted. The remaining workarounds divert the voice channel. They require some creativity and impose a little burden so it depends on one's earnest desire as to whether they are really worth it. For some, it will be.
The second alternative is to add another 'standard' phone to a family plan. If you already have a family plan with 4 or fewer lines, just add another for $10 per month and find a cheap dumbphone on craigslist. This sounds complicated, but with some help from Google Voice (GV), it really isn't. GV allows for multiple phones to ring simultaneously when a call comes in. By keeping the 'extra' phone in your car or bag, just pick up that phone when it rings and you'll always have your smartphone available for data usage. Should you answer your smartphone and find yourself on a lengthy call while expecting and important email, just press the star key (*) and transfer immediately to your other phone without anyone even knowing.
An added benefit to using GV, is that it can also ring your home and work phones. By using them for incoming calls, you'll save cell plan minutes.... just a little bonus.
The third option would involve the use of a VOIP application, such as SIPDroid, which diverts voice to the data channel. I can't attest to the call quality as I've never used it, but it is an option and I plan to test it very soon!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Smart Phone Family Plan Comparison
Trying to decide which wireless carrier is best can be a pain. Many things can attract customers to a carrier. Lowest price, most attractive phone and best coverage are probably at the top of the list. Phones can be researched online and can be seen in stores and kiosks everywhere you go. Coverage maps give a general idea of what to expect and during the trial period it will be obvious if coverage is adequate. However, with regard to price, it isn't real easy to compare until they are all laid out side by side.
I happen to be interested in Family Plans using smart phones with unlimited data and text so I put a spreadsheet together comparing different number of lines and varying levels of minutes.
Family Plan Comparison Matrix
(Keep in mind many employers have agreements with carriers allowing 12-20% off for their employees for personal cell plans)
I've read the average person uses 700 minutes per month and have assumed this for general comparison. For Verizon and T-mobile, I will assume 450 as they both allow customers to pick several of their favorite out-of-network numbers to call free, unlimited. Your mileage may vary. I have also included fees and taxes in the per-line pricing; these are out-the-door prices based on 7% average.
What the spreadsheet shows is that AT&T is the highest priced across the board, thanks to the iPhone. Anyone using a smartphone other than the iPhone on AT&T should look elsewhere. Something else that jumps out is the big drop in cost from 2-person plans to 3-person plans, much more so than from 3 to 4, or 4 to 5. For couples on Verizon or AT&T, finding another couple to share a plan with can save each couple $480 to $624 per year.
For a 2-person plan, Sprint has the best deal: $74.42 per line. T-Mobile is a close second if you choose to limit texting to 400 msgs per line and equal if you also can get by on only 700 minutes between both users. Verizon is also a close second if you can get by with 700 minutes, which can be done using Google Voice with either T-Mobile or Verizon, by the way. More about this later. AT&T is a gouging $96 per line, but it's worth mentioning that by limiting text messages to 200 each per month, AT&T users can save $8 per line on a 2-person plan and for two people who don't talk much, a 700 minute plan will only cost $77 per line. Having rollover minutes helps too.
For a 3-person plan, they are all about $70 per line and AT&T at $75. For light talkers who can get by on 1500 minutes, Sprint is only $57.
For a 4-person plan, Sprint and T-Mobile have the best pricing at $60 per line, Verizon close behind at $65 and AT&T at $77 (or $67 by using only 2100 minutes).
For a 5-person plan, Sprint has by far the best deal at $52 per line, but for 5 chatterboxes, it may not work as they only offer up to 3000 minutes. Otherwise, for unlimited minutes they charge $107 per line. Verizon ($58) and T-Mobile ($60)are close behind Sprint for 2100 and 2500 minutes respectively.
I mentioned Google Voice can be used to great advantage with T-Mobile and Verizon. There are several caveats, but using an Android phone is currently the most practical option. T-Mobile has two Android phones (G1, MyTouch), but Verizon won't have one until the end of October (Motorola Sholes). So using Google Voice can make Verizon competitive with the rest and bring T-Mobile more in line with Sprint, but if you're not a geek, it may seem complicated.
Clearly, Sprint has the best pricing for the criteria I have laid out, but haven't used their service since the late 90s. AT&T and Verizon like to claim superior coverage in their marketing and at one time it may have been very obvious, but in my opinion this doesn't apply as much as it used to. I've had T-Mobile for 5 years and have never had an issue even when traveling. Carriers can make all the claims they want, but as long as it works where you live, work and play, nothing else matters.
Where smart phone selection is concerned, there are all kinds of options and lots of exciting devices on the way. My only advice here is to stick with a device running an operating system for which there is 3rd party application development. This includes Android, Windows Mobile, WebOS (Palm Pre), iPhone, Symbian (Nokia) and Blackberry. Personally, I'm leaning toward new Android devices on the way; Motorola Sholes on Verizon and HTC Hero on Sprint both due in October.
I happen to be interested in Family Plans using smart phones with unlimited data and text so I put a spreadsheet together comparing different number of lines and varying levels of minutes.
Family Plan Comparison Matrix
(Keep in mind many employers have agreements with carriers allowing 12-20% off for their employees for personal cell plans)
I've read the average person uses 700 minutes per month and have assumed this for general comparison. For Verizon and T-mobile, I will assume 450 as they both allow customers to pick several of their favorite out-of-network numbers to call free, unlimited. Your mileage may vary. I have also included fees and taxes in the per-line pricing; these are out-the-door prices based on 7% average.
What the spreadsheet shows is that AT&T is the highest priced across the board, thanks to the iPhone. Anyone using a smartphone other than the iPhone on AT&T should look elsewhere. Something else that jumps out is the big drop in cost from 2-person plans to 3-person plans, much more so than from 3 to 4, or 4 to 5. For couples on Verizon or AT&T, finding another couple to share a plan with can save each couple $480 to $624 per year.
For a 2-person plan, Sprint has the best deal: $74.42 per line. T-Mobile is a close second if you choose to limit texting to 400 msgs per line and equal if you also can get by on only 700 minutes between both users. Verizon is also a close second if you can get by with 700 minutes, which can be done using Google Voice with either T-Mobile or Verizon, by the way. More about this later. AT&T is a gouging $96 per line, but it's worth mentioning that by limiting text messages to 200 each per month, AT&T users can save $8 per line on a 2-person plan and for two people who don't talk much, a 700 minute plan will only cost $77 per line. Having rollover minutes helps too.
For a 3-person plan, they are all about $70 per line and AT&T at $75. For light talkers who can get by on 1500 minutes, Sprint is only $57.
For a 4-person plan, Sprint and T-Mobile have the best pricing at $60 per line, Verizon close behind at $65 and AT&T at $77 (or $67 by using only 2100 minutes).
For a 5-person plan, Sprint has by far the best deal at $52 per line, but for 5 chatterboxes, it may not work as they only offer up to 3000 minutes. Otherwise, for unlimited minutes they charge $107 per line. Verizon ($58) and T-Mobile ($60)are close behind Sprint for 2100 and 2500 minutes respectively.
I mentioned Google Voice can be used to great advantage with T-Mobile and Verizon. There are several caveats, but using an Android phone is currently the most practical option. T-Mobile has two Android phones (G1, MyTouch), but Verizon won't have one until the end of October (Motorola Sholes). So using Google Voice can make Verizon competitive with the rest and bring T-Mobile more in line with Sprint, but if you're not a geek, it may seem complicated.
Clearly, Sprint has the best pricing for the criteria I have laid out, but haven't used their service since the late 90s. AT&T and Verizon like to claim superior coverage in their marketing and at one time it may have been very obvious, but in my opinion this doesn't apply as much as it used to. I've had T-Mobile for 5 years and have never had an issue even when traveling. Carriers can make all the claims they want, but as long as it works where you live, work and play, nothing else matters.
Where smart phone selection is concerned, there are all kinds of options and lots of exciting devices on the way. My only advice here is to stick with a device running an operating system for which there is 3rd party application development. This includes Android, Windows Mobile, WebOS (Palm Pre), iPhone, Symbian (Nokia) and Blackberry. Personally, I'm leaning toward new Android devices on the way; Motorola Sholes on Verizon and HTC Hero on Sprint both due in October.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Home phone voicemail MP3 file sent to your cell/email address... for free.
I ran across something today that I didn't know existed, not for free. It's a voice mail service that does quite a few things, including:
- Sends your home or cell voicemail via email in an MP3 file with text alerts
- Saves voicemails online
- Can greet different callers with different greetings
- Has visual voicemail client for Blackberry and iPhone (specifically iPhones on Tmobile)
- Transcribes voicemail to text ($5/mo for all messages or free for one person's messages)
The service is called Youmail.com and is fairly well known. What I didn't know is that you can add multiple phone lines to an account, which is free. Our current home line is through ATT U-verse and there are some call answering features including email alerts, but we still have to either call or get on a full web browser to hear messages. I don't know why they can't forward an MP3 file like Youmail, but they can't.
I remembered the 'unanswered call' forwarding feature allows you to enter any number so I decided to put in the Youmail number. Then in the Youmail settings, I added the home phone number (made the verification call, etc.) and it worked like a charm. What's great is ATT offers unlimited domestic calls so there are no charges, as the number is in another area code.
If your cell can receive email and play MP3 files, you're all set, but otherwise you can receive alerts via text message and your computer (any computer) becomes your answering machine.
https://www.youmail.com
- Sends your home or cell voicemail via email in an MP3 file with text alerts
- Saves voicemails online
- Can greet different callers with different greetings
- Has visual voicemail client for Blackberry and iPhone (specifically iPhones on Tmobile)
- Transcribes voicemail to text ($5/mo for all messages or free for one person's messages)
The service is called Youmail.com and is fairly well known. What I didn't know is that you can add multiple phone lines to an account, which is free. Our current home line is through ATT U-verse and there are some call answering features including email alerts, but we still have to either call or get on a full web browser to hear messages. I don't know why they can't forward an MP3 file like Youmail, but they can't.
I remembered the 'unanswered call' forwarding feature allows you to enter any number so I decided to put in the Youmail number. Then in the Youmail settings, I added the home phone number (made the verification call, etc.) and it worked like a charm. What's great is ATT offers unlimited domestic calls so there are no charges, as the number is in another area code.
If your cell can receive email and play MP3 files, you're all set, but otherwise you can receive alerts via text message and your computer (any computer) becomes your answering machine.
https://www.youmail.com
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Text Messaging Fleecing of America
You just bought a new iPhone for a couple hundred dollars plus a little over a hundred per month for voice and data service. Then they have the nerve to charge another $15/mo for text messaging! Why is this? Isn't text the same as data? Well, sure but....
In the late 90s, text messaging rolled out on most wireless carriers, which caught on with early adopters and college/high school students. It was a new trend and new way of communicating well worth the $10/month for relatively few (~50) messages. Several years later, blackberry phones and other smartphones came along with email capabilities and text plans seemed redundant simply because texting was not yet so pervasive. However, the trend continued and now there are far more text messages being sent than there are phone calls.
Here we are a decade later with smartphones on the cusp of becoming standard issue, yet carriers are still charging an added fee for texting even after we pay for an unlimited data plan. One response would be to not pay for the text plan and use an Instant Messaging application. After all, then you can contact people at their PC, not just via their phone. The problem is that most people don't yet have phones capable of running IM applications, but we will reach the tipping point within two or three years.
The next logical step for smartphone owners is to use a free messaging application that can send text messages for free outside of the carrier's sms channel. Carrier's are getting $5-20/mo from nearly every customer right now and they don't want it to go away. They are content with the text messaging standard. After all, it's a premium subscription service that is relatively cheap to support. Google Voice is one way around this, but the service is not publicly available yet. Release is imminent, however.
For a smartphone owner (iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian) it doesn't make much sense to have a plain text messaging application like this that even costs $5 total, much less $20 every month. Instant Messaging is free with a data plan, but the carrier knows we need backward compatibility with legacy txt-only users so they will continue to milk it.
For anyone thinking about a smartphone purchase, consider the savings of ditching the text plan and the data plan may look much more attractive. With Google Voice, things will begin to shift quickly. It will allow us to completely abandon text messaging plans while holding onto the functionality. It will also bring new pricing plans that allow unlimited calling for more reasonable monthly fees. Text messaging plans will still be offered, but fewer customers will be paying the surcharge.
In the late 90s, text messaging rolled out on most wireless carriers, which caught on with early adopters and college/high school students. It was a new trend and new way of communicating well worth the $10/month for relatively few (~50) messages. Several years later, blackberry phones and other smartphones came along with email capabilities and text plans seemed redundant simply because texting was not yet so pervasive. However, the trend continued and now there are far more text messages being sent than there are phone calls.
Here we are a decade later with smartphones on the cusp of becoming standard issue, yet carriers are still charging an added fee for texting even after we pay for an unlimited data plan. One response would be to not pay for the text plan and use an Instant Messaging application. After all, then you can contact people at their PC, not just via their phone. The problem is that most people don't yet have phones capable of running IM applications, but we will reach the tipping point within two or three years.
The next logical step for smartphone owners is to use a free messaging application that can send text messages for free outside of the carrier's sms channel. Carrier's are getting $5-20/mo from nearly every customer right now and they don't want it to go away. They are content with the text messaging standard. After all, it's a premium subscription service that is relatively cheap to support. Google Voice is one way around this, but the service is not publicly available yet. Release is imminent, however.
For a smartphone owner (iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian) it doesn't make much sense to have a plain text messaging application like this that even costs $5 total, much less $20 every month. Instant Messaging is free with a data plan, but the carrier knows we need backward compatibility with legacy txt-only users so they will continue to milk it.
For anyone thinking about a smartphone purchase, consider the savings of ditching the text plan and the data plan may look much more attractive. With Google Voice, things will begin to shift quickly. It will allow us to completely abandon text messaging plans while holding onto the functionality. It will also bring new pricing plans that allow unlimited calling for more reasonable monthly fees. Text messaging plans will still be offered, but fewer customers will be paying the surcharge.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Skype on the iPhone, a practical joke.
More than 2 years after Skype was introduced on phones running Windows Mobile OS, it was this week made available on the iPhone. With all the fanfare, you'd think it was a cutting edge, defining moment.
Most people know how Skype works. You can use your computer to talk to people using Skype on their computer for free. This capability has existed since the mid 90s using CUseeMe, but that's neither here nor there. What has made Skype popular is being able to bypass international tolls and the call quality is better than it was back then. Not too long ago, they began offering Skypeout so regular phones numbers could be dialed. For a while they offered free Skypeout calls, but now offer domestic and international plans for $3 to $10 per month.
Ok, so for $3/mo you can make unlimited domestic calls using Skype on an iPhone. Sounds cool, like you may be able to drop down to the cheapest cell plan and make all calls using Skype. That would be nice, but you have to have the app running in the foreground to receive a call and it only works over wifi, not over the cell network. Maybe I'm the only one, but places where I have wifi, I also have a computer and a phone with free unlimited calls. Maybe I just don't get it. Furthermore, when on wifi, my calls are already free using a Tmobile phone with WMA. It's completely transparent, no special app or phone book and no extra monthly fee.
The real problem here is that the iPhone is designed to prevent all applications including Skype from running in the background. It is the only smartphone designed this way. They claim it hurts performance, while blackberrys, windows mobile and symbian phones handle the challenge just fine.
Well, theoretically one could use Skype on an iPhone to make free calls to other Skype users while on a wifi-covered campus, at a mall, at Starbucks, etc. This is great and with the $3 plan, you can call land lines and cell numbers. But if the person you are calling is using an iPhone, chances are Skype is not running in the foreground so they will have to use cell minutes when they receive your call while paying for Skype service. Why would you use cell minutes when you both are paying for Skype?! Because it only works over wifi, that's why.
AT&T is laughing it up and Apple is showing their poker face.
Most people know how Skype works. You can use your computer to talk to people using Skype on their computer for free. This capability has existed since the mid 90s using CUseeMe, but that's neither here nor there. What has made Skype popular is being able to bypass international tolls and the call quality is better than it was back then. Not too long ago, they began offering Skypeout so regular phones numbers could be dialed. For a while they offered free Skypeout calls, but now offer domestic and international plans for $3 to $10 per month.
Ok, so for $3/mo you can make unlimited domestic calls using Skype on an iPhone. Sounds cool, like you may be able to drop down to the cheapest cell plan and make all calls using Skype. That would be nice, but you have to have the app running in the foreground to receive a call and it only works over wifi, not over the cell network. Maybe I'm the only one, but places where I have wifi, I also have a computer and a phone with free unlimited calls. Maybe I just don't get it. Furthermore, when on wifi, my calls are already free using a Tmobile phone with WMA. It's completely transparent, no special app or phone book and no extra monthly fee.
The real problem here is that the iPhone is designed to prevent all applications including Skype from running in the background. It is the only smartphone designed this way. They claim it hurts performance, while blackberrys, windows mobile and symbian phones handle the challenge just fine.
Well, theoretically one could use Skype on an iPhone to make free calls to other Skype users while on a wifi-covered campus, at a mall, at Starbucks, etc. This is great and with the $3 plan, you can call land lines and cell numbers. But if the person you are calling is using an iPhone, chances are Skype is not running in the foreground so they will have to use cell minutes when they receive your call while paying for Skype service. Why would you use cell minutes when you both are paying for Skype?! Because it only works over wifi, that's why.
AT&T is laughing it up and Apple is showing their poker face.
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