http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/ Engadget Comments for AT&T offers SIM-only service, attempts to maintain "most open" status http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 7:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
if Sprint indeed closes and I still have ~7 months on my contract left, does this mean that I can go out and find another carrier or will Sprint sell the rest of it to another company?

Anybody know? I really want a SIM card phone so I can use it in Korea!]]>Jan 20th 2008 10:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 21st 2008 1:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
Well, atleast AT&T doesn't lock down their bluetooth profiles, like some other companies we know...

Verizon & Sprint come to mind!]]>Jan 20th 2008 7:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 9:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
so all you GSM guys will have left is "it's compatible in another country" pretty soon... and I don't travel.. so not being able to make a call in my house with GSM phones has been a non-issue for a long time.. now MAYBE if t-mo had some decent phones on HotSpot it would be a different story.. but forget AT&T.]]>Jan 20th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
For the privilege of signing up contractless, one would have to give up M2M and other specials. ]]>Jan 20th 2008 9:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/They did lock mp3 ringtone support on the Centro (and I think the Treo also), but since it's a Palmphone its not entirely impossible to bypass, heh.

Either way, it's a lot less restrictive than Verizon and their idiotic way of making everyone use that hideous GUI.]]>Jan 21st 2008 6:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 7:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 9:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 7:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 21st 2008 2:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_site]]>Jan 22nd 2008 6:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 7:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
and of you are anyways gonna get roped in for 2 years.. better get one with a phone. you can always pop the SIm card in your phone and use the free one as a backup.

I really dont get the logic behind this scheme !!]]>Jan 20th 2008 7:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
Do the math. If the average carrier's customer AMR (average monthly revenue) is, say, $50, the customer is agreeing to pay at least $1,200 over a two-year term. Plus, along the way, many customers will purchase additional products and services (ringtones, wallpaper, text messaging and, best of all, data plans). Data plans, whether for BlackBerry email or smartphone Web access) produce the highest profits.

Now that AT&T has 65 million customers, it can afford to do what carriers in Europe, the U.K. and Asia have done for years--give you a SIM card. The big difference? If you live in EuroAsia, you can buy SIM cards in multiple countries and swap them out of your GSM phone as you travel, without a contract in most cases.

Verizon and Sprint customers. Although your phones don't have SIM's (your service is tied to ESN's hard-wired into your phones), the amount of $$$ you're committing to V and S over a two year contract is similar.

]]>Jan 20th 2008 8:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
The whole point of SIM only deals (in Europe, at least) is that the carrier isn't subsidizing the price of the phone.

Thus, you get cheaper line retail and a 1 month minimum contract period.

AT&T seem to be giving customers the worst of both worlds!]]>Jan 21st 2008 5:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 21st 2008 8:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 21st 2008 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 21st 2008 9:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 10:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 11:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
1. This isn't a PAYG SIM - it's a SIM-only contract like O2's SIMplicity.
2. Most people aren't on contracts, PAYG users out-number contract users by a huge margin.]]>Jan 20th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 11:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/ LOL sign a 2 year contract? Nonsense, I walked into my local ATT retail store with a unlocked 8125, they gave me a sim card, and BAM, month to month service with no contract :)

Note I did this 1 1/2 years ago :)]]>Jan 20th 2008 8:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/iPhone 3G capabilities if it had an iPhone designed 3G chip? Opposed
to having built in 3G? Thanks. -Steve

]]>Jan 20th 2008 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
BTW, remember fellow Engadgeteers, this is a forum allowing the for free enchanging of knowledge, it's not like Stephen was arrogant or anything. Remember, the only time we flame is when people ask:
Does it blend? Or, my personal not-favorite: Does it play doom?


--------
Also, "just sprinkle some crack on it" = xDDDDD]]>Jan 20th 2008 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 22nd 2008 12:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
In fact...the pictured SIM is the exact same type that comes in the iPhone...3G fireball icon and all.]]>Jan 21st 2008 10:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
One can also bring in cool FCC unapproved/pending approval handsets into the country and use them here if you travel alot. This is a good thing for me because America has really shitty phones. ]]>Jan 20th 2008 8:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 9:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/
I don't think this offering is very novel as I have friends and family that have activated SIMs with the network previously known as Cingular to avoid having a contract. Looking at AT&T's page for this offering I think it is even less attractive than when we did activations before; there appears to be a 2 year contract attached to this (and I'm used to only commiting to a contract if I am getting a discount or something else significant in excange for the commitment).

But I agree, American phones are rather lack luster. I stick to ordering euro-spec phones since there seems to be far less feature supression going on outside of the US. ]]>Jan 20th 2008 9:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/atandt-offers-sim-only-service-attempts-to-maintain-most-open-s/Jan 20th 2008 8:15PM