Cincinnati Bell lands Nokia's XpressMusic 5800: $149.99
By Darren Murph 
posted May 3rd 2009 12:14PM
posted May 3rd 2009 12:14PM
Update: And here's the press release.
[Thanks, Adam]
posted May 3rd 2009 12:14PM
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Uh, so when do I get that Hi-Def playback on my 5800XM, Cinci? 640 x 360 without H.264 support? That's really something.
It does support H.264.
its the first nano HD from nokia
@Suomaa: the onboard video player, Realplayer, will play h.264 mp4s that are 320x240 and below. On a 640 x 360 nHD screen, that makes tons of sense.
I really hope worthless companies like AT&T (it's my carrier, but I haven't bought a phone from them in about 5 years) don't start following companies like Cincinnati Bell. All they're going to do is ruin phones and rip people off. Look what they did to the E71/63. You can buy an awesome E71 for twice the price, meaning your really want it. Or you can buy the att stamped one for a buck something, loaded with their software, then "buy one get one free" about 3 months after that. Horrible. Man up, true Nokia aficionados buy unlocked.
Damn the man, save the empire.
no contract is a sweet deal, especially if you can unlock/remove carrier software. otherwise all carrier phones are garbage. factory unlocked is the best way to buy phones. higher resale value, better firmware, no restrictions.
God, I wish I still lived in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Bell has no rival. GSM. No Contract. Roaming on AT&T's network. You never had to be on hold (they had the system that will call you back once and operator's available). Even with a 20% discount through AT&T it's half the price.
I'm pretty sure this'll be the first carrier to have the N97.
wtf??? they also have the blackberry pearl flip and curve 8900.... both of which at&t has yet to see the likes of, not to mention Verizon (CDMA) but they also have the htc touch dual which no other carrier in the US has ever had..... so they have all that and probably what are the two most sought after nokia smartphones on the market... exclusively.... what's up with this? should i move to ohio?
Their white e71 promo is what got me switched from TMO. Awesome deal, awesome price, awesome service!
Now, I'm getting my Cincinnati Bell Zoomtown max hooked up next Friday for $35 ... That's 10 mbps!
I'm holding out and hoping that they also land the N97.... Amazing.
Keep it coming.
So in theory I could buy the phone for 149.99 sign up with them, no contact, so then I cancel after I get the phone. Then use the phone with t mobile or att ? If the software is locked I could change the product code and just reflash the device?
anyone ?
oops that 149.99 with contract, and 349 without, ignore my previous comment
No, you had it right the first time. Engadget is wrong... no contract.
You can get the phone, send in the mail in rebates, and then cancel if you want. You won't want to go back to your home carrier, but you could do it.
I don't get it, why don't the big carriers in the US just buy a bunch of 5800s from Nokia and start selling them?
Here all the carriers offer almost all the phones, what is different in the US?
Most of the carriers in the US think it is extremely important to make changes to the phone's software (and often hardware) to make it their own "exclusive" version. Nobody sells off-the-shelf phones from manufacturers here.
But really, I think the reason why no US carrier is offering this phone is because most people here don't seem to be big fans of Symbian. I've never used it personally, but every US review I've read of this phone was largely negative because of the OS. Comments left from european readers are always something like "you're an idiot, that's the way it always works!" so it must just be a cultural difference.
Here our biggest carrier sells phones with the default firmware and the second largest (which is owned by vodafone) installs its crap on them. So i am still a loyal customer of the biggest one :P
Of course everybody thinks custom firmware is completely useless so i don't see why they would want to install it. On Symbian phones there are tools to re-flash the phone with the original firmware anyway.
They have Cincinnati bell where I live, most terrible service ever, its a joke, don't listen to these other people. They are terrible as an ISP as well. Go to the website and look at the speeds, 768k down, 512k up last I checked, WTF?!?! You can pay extra for 5mb down 768k up, uhhh no thanks. The phone network is very much like this, just barely good enough for most people not to notice its crap.
Also HD playback? Really? I can put out 1080p from that phone? 1080i? 720p? That screen must look damn nice. How do they get away with saying this?
There are a bunch of services for ADSL that they offer.
ZT lite, which is up to 768k down. That's the el cheapo ADSL that CinBell is trying to wean people off of dial-up with.
AT&T does that. That's their baseline ADSL package. NOT a bad idea.
There's ZT direct. it's JUST ADSL. NO phone use. No dial tone. 768k down and UP TO 5Mb down.
There's naked ADSL/Zoomtown.. Free incoming calls and outgoing are $.03/minute. It's considered 768k down and UP TO 5Mb down. There's regular ADSL. 768k down and up to 5Mb. Usually the kind someone who USES their land line gets.
Theres ZT Max. That's the 5-10Mb connection. Guaranteed at least 5Mb down or they send a tech to fix it.
Then there's Fiber. They call it FiOptics. It's no FIOS, but people typically see 10/10, 20/20, and 30/30.
It's Stupid cheap considering the bandwidth.
ALL their internet connections don't typically Guarantee upload unless you're paying for a LAN or T1 connection.
Typically, though, you see the 512/768/10/20/30 UP for the applicable connection.
DSL is distance based, so you don't get to see 5Mb when your shanty is 5 miles from the hub.
Shiba, move out of the country. ZTMAX and Fiber will set you free.
The Cell network is not bad at all. For you to bash it is to say you bash T-Mo or AT&T. AT&T Piggybacks off of CinBell towers in their coverage area. As does T-Mo.
So you get to have a CDMA vs GSM argument or You stop posting..
I shoulda stayed with them. 2 years ago my family switched to AT&T which is as crappy as you get. I go to school in Tennessee, but home is cincy (west chester anyone?) and i constantly drop calls . I would get the E71, but this is sexy too. I think i might switch back!
I've lived in Ohio my whole life and I've never heard of Cincinnati Bell before. Are they literally only in the city of Cincinnati?
I love Cincy Bell. If Cincy Bell isn't a "real" carrier, then I will guess I'll just go back to living with my "make-believe" $40 a month 1000 peak / unlimited off-peak calling plan with $15 unlimited text, email, and media. I get service in rural Indiana and Michigan where my friends' "real" carrier can't hang onto a tower.
maybe some of you should look into it a little more. before saying all this dumb crap about it should be free with a ## month contract.
Nokia 5800 Touch
$149 99
No Contracts!
Activation Fee: $35.00
( Change Phone )
Price Shown Includes Mail-in Rebate of $100.00. Download Rebate
Several questions answered from random posts:
1.) Cincinnati Bell does not require its customers to sign a contract. The handset price is not contingent on signing a contract, just on being a new subscriber.
2.) Cincinnati Bell services Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Middletown OH, Dayton OH, and Springfield OH. CBW also allows customers to roam on AT&T's nationwide network.
3.) Nokia has had a pivotal role in the success of Cincinnati Bell over the last 11 years, with CBW launching in 1998 with the Nokia 6160 and the 5160. Since then, the bulk of CBW's lineup had consisted of Nokia phones.
Personally, I have had every major service provider over the last eight years (excluding cricKet and Nextel), and they all pale in comparison to the experience I've had with Cincinnati Bell. No other carrier gives its consumers the freedom they do. They offer a vastly improved selection of phones, 3G, and even an unlimited everything plan on PREPAID for $60/month. They haven't even objected to or charged me extra for tethering my Nokia 3555 (3G) to my notebook. Not even a nasty email or phone call. They dliver real value. I'm done switching.