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Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / Cingular / August 2004Which is better 6340i or T62u? I'm going to GAIT or another company.
I currently have a GSM Nation plan with 500 minutes for $40 and an additional phone for $10 more on the same plan. The problem that has just developed is that my inlaws bought a lake house close to Smithville, TN which is east of Nashville and my GSM phone has no service in that area. There actually is a full scale signal on our Sony T616 GSM only phones around Smithville but, it says no network or no coverage and I can't dial anything. I think that Verizon probably is the full scale signal I am seeing on my phone but, since Cingular probably doesn't share with Verizon I have no coverage in that area. My current contract ends in a few months and I either need to change plans now or at the end of my contract when I might have more leverage with Cingular. I was thinking that since the GAIT coverage map covers the area http://onlinestore.cingular.com/html/Maps/nation_GAIT_map.htm I might change to that plan with a Nokia 6340i or a Sony T62u phone. Which one of those phones is best to use with Cingular's GAIT plans? My current GSM plan has good coverage west of Nashville, TN but, their coverage east of Nashville could certainly be improved as seen on this map http://onlinestore.cingular.com/html/Maps/nation_GSM_map.htm My other alternatives appear to be Sprint or Verizon. Sprint looks to have better prices than Verizon and about the same coverage by roaming off Verizon or some other cellular providers. Has anyone here negotiated a good deal changing from their GSM to a GAIT plan? And which phone is better to use with GAIT? Thanks much. I would say you had better hurry if you want GAIT. I think they are about to pull the rug on it. You cannot get the phones on Cingular Internet any more, but some of the stores still have them. I think the Nokia 6340i is the way to go and that they phased out the T62u previously. I have the same problem in New England and would be out of luck with a GSM plan. That said, CDMA is not everywhere either. Finding a CDMA phone with AMPS is getting tougher too. > I currently have a GSM Nation plan with 500 minutes for $40 and an > additional phone for $10 more on the same plan. The problem that has just [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > changing from their GSM to a GAIT plan? And which phone is better to use > with GAIT? Thanks much. > I would say you had better hurry if you want GAIT. I think they are about > to pull the rug on it. You cannot get the phones on Cingular Internet any [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > plan. That said, CDMA is not everywhere either. Finding a CDMA phone with > AMPS is getting tougher too. Here in the Detroit area Cingular still sells the t62u on its website along with a full complement of nation GAIT calling plans. The 6340i, however, is no longer listed. -- Cary Verizon does not have ANY GSM service, they are strictly CDMA, so the signal you are picking up in Smithville is T-Mobile or ATTWS (the only GSM carriers licensed in DeKalb county, TN)-both of which you should be able to roam on. To see what carrier has good service there, talk to people in the area, see what kind of reception they are getting. Check out any cellular stores to get an idea which carriers have service there (in some carrier is not represented, their service is probably poor). If you like the GSM-only phones that you have, the GAIT phones will be a disappointment. I know from personal experience, the 6340i is lousy on Cingular 850mhz transition systems (much of the Cingular system-one of the reasons I paid the ETF and left Cingular for Sprint PCS Free & Clear America this past spring). Chris >I currently have a GSM Nation plan with 500 minutes for $40 and an > additional phone for $10 more on the same plan. The problem that has just [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > changing from their GSM to a GAIT plan? And which phone is better to use > with GAIT? Thanks much. my inlaws bought a lake house close to Smithville, TN > which is east of Nashville and my GSM phone has no service in that area. And which phone is better to use > with GAIT? Thanks much. I have had a T62u for about 18 months & have travelled in some pretty rural areas, including places where others were unable to get phone service. I have never been without service. I think GAIT is the way to go if you don't have to have all the latest whistles and bells. The phones make phone calls....whereever! Bob > my inlaws bought a lake house close to Smithville, TN > > which is east of Nashville and my GSM phone has no service in that area. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Bob I've got around 3 months left on my current GSM plan with Cingular and I'll call Monday to see if I can get my plan changed to the GAIT plan without much trouble. My main concern is whether Cingular will work with me on a second phone. I only pay $10 a month for my second phone currently. That's just what it cost when I signed up for the $40/500 minute GSM nation plan when I first signed up. I see now that they've gone up to $20 for a second phone. I would drop back to 1 phone if I had to pay $20 for another phone and the GAIT plan I would want has 400 minutes with rollover. I also have over 1,000 rollover minutes with my current plan and it'd be nice to get them transferred over to the GAIT plan. That GAIT plan only gives 1,000 night and weekend minutes but, I don't talk that much so that's not really an issue especially if with rollover minutes available. I also don't want to sign up for a 2 year contract and it would be nice if I could buy used GAIT phones and have them activated with no problem or possibly the SIM cards in my current Sony T616 phones could be put into the GAIT phones and they would work. I don't know but, hopefully I'll know something by Monday. Thanks Ben > I've got around 3 months left on my current GSM plan with Cingular and I'll > call Monday to see if I can get my plan changed to the GAIT plan without [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Ben I have been using a 6340i for about 1 1/2 years now and have had excellent results with it. It has great reception and have been using it from northern Michigan to southern Florida with no problems. The T62u will do GPRS the 6340i will not. I had a 6340i for over a year it will get messed up roaming maybe once ever few weeks. The phone either turns it's self off or "No Service" display which only clears after turning the phone off and back on. The web browser locks up almost ever use. Over all the 6340i has been a good phone but then I like Nokia phones. What are the advantages of GPRS? Practical? I currently have the little Sony T616 GSM only phones and they are pretty cute and easy to use. I may try to get one of each off Ebay. > The T62u will do GPRS the 6340i will not. I had a 6340i for over a year it > will get messed up roaming maybe once ever few weeks. The phone either > turns it's self off or "No Service" display which only clears after turning > the phone off and back on. The web browser locks up almost ever use. Over > all the 6340i has been a good phone but then I like Nokia phones. >What are the advantages of GPRS? ... High-speed data.  SignatureBest regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES: John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular > I currently have a GSM Nation plan with 500 minutes for $40 and an > additional phone for $10 more on the same plan. The problem that has just [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > change to that plan with a Nokia 6340i or a Sony T62u phone. Which one of > those phones is best to use with Cingular's GAIT plans? I've used and been satisfied with the Nokia 6340i since December 2001. > My current GSM plan > has good coverage west of Nashville, TN but, their coverage east of [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > changing from their GSM to a GAIT plan? And which phone is better to use > with GAIT? Thanks much. That coverage on the GAIT National plan is from Advantage Cellular System: http://www.advantagecell.com/map.htm Studying their phone offering shows they are TDMA; they are cellular B-band, opposite Verizon. As a Nashville market customer, you can get a GAIT phone and plan. It is not a (visible) option for a Knoxville market customer. John C. > That coverage on the GAIT National plan is from Advantage Cellular System: > http://www.advantagecell.com/map.htm [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > John C. Thanks for the info. That enlightened me quite a bit about who Cingular has an agreement with up there. I'm pretty familiar with the area up there but, haven't paid much attention to the cellular providers around Smithville, TN. It's a small town and Center Hill lake is the main attraction around there. I did in fact win a Nokia 6340i GAIT phone off Ebay last night for $23 including shipping and it's in the box and has SIM. I called Cingular today and even with me having 3 months left on my contract the lady said it would be no problem to swap me over to a GAIT plan and that I just needed to call Cingular back once my GAIT phone has arrived for them to set it up. She also said my current rollover minutes which are currently over 1,000 could be rolled over to the new GAIT plan as long as the GAIT plan was also a rollover plan. So I'll get the 400 minute GAIT plan with rollover and 1,000 minutes for weekends and nights for $45. That plan looks pretty comparable to the Sprint Free and Clear with 500 minutes and the $5 Free and Clear America option for the same $45 which lets you roam all over with no roaming charges. I don't have to sign up for another contract with Cingular so I'll ride the GAIT out and see how things go. I do wonder if it is possible to be on the Cingular GAIT plan and still Roam on a provider that does not have an agreement with Cingular to where I ,might be charged a roaming fee? The GAIT map looks to have great coverage all over the U.S. and it's sure been nice with the Cingular GSM plan to never have any roaming charges. I hope GAIT is the same way. Ben ke4rzi > > That coverage on the GAIT National plan is from Advantage Cellular System: > > http://www.advantagecell.com/map.htm [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > Ben > ke4rzi That's the only questionable part--when "Cingular Extend" is showing, is this call included or $.79/minute? I don't test this enough, I've been willing to take the GAIT National map at face value. I don't travel enough, either. The example of roaming where I make the most calls is Ouchitah Parish, Louisiana. Cingular covers with PCS Monroe and Bastrop, US-167 and I-20. ATTWS covers most of northern Louisiana on cellular. Cingular plans show complete northern coverage, and my 6340i shows "Cingular" in rural areas where ATTWS is alone. If it's available to the local plan, it seems to be included. Since your 6340i includes a SIM, presumably GAIT, you should be able to do it all by phone. Since Cingular has laid off all of their store technicians, there's not much reason to go by in person. Call in by another phone when you're ready, where there's good light (and a magnifier <grin>) to read out IMEI, ESN and the number on the SIM (forgot that acronym!). Getting your phone numbers from your present GSM phone to the 6340i could be by infra-red, if available on your present phone. The 6340i has a good phone memory phonebook, that lets one name have several numbers under it. Or copy from present phone's memory to GAIT SIM, and insert into 6340i, setting to "use SIM memory" for phonebook. Later, copy from SIM to phone, combining as possible under one name, one by one. John C. If you are on a GAIT Nation plan, Cingular Extend doesn't mean anything rate or roaming wise. Any signal you pick up and let's you make a call will use plan minutes and not charge anything additional. Chris >> > That coverage on the GAIT National plan is from Advantage Cellular > System: [quoted text clipped - 85 lines] > > John C. Well we can just forget about this entire thread because when I got up this morning I went and looked at the Cingular website like I've been doing for the past few days and to my surprise there were "no" GAIT plans listed on the website. So when I got home for lunch I called customer service again to make sure I could still get my GAIT phone activated when it gets here and this time the lady shows no record of any available GAIT plans what so ever. So I'm stuck with the new Nokia 6340i until I can get it back on Ebay and I guess when my contract runs out in 3 months I'll be swapping to Sprint's Free and Clear America plan which appears to have the same or better coverage than the GAIT plan did have. This really sucks. I was looking forward to getting signed up with a GAIT plan. Ben > Well we can just forget about this entire thread because when I got up this > morning I went and looked at the Cingular website like I've been doing for [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Ben Yep, they took the regional and national GAIT plans off the DFW site a month or so ago. Way premature IMHO--at least 1/3 to 1/2 of rural Texas has NO GSM *at all* despite what you see shown on Cingular's map which apparently assumes that all their TDMA/AMPS roaming partners have converted--which is not the case at all. You *may* be able to get a GAIT plan if you bitch really loud and do the "let me speak to your manager" enough. As for Sprint having the same coverage as Cingular GAIT--not even in the same ballpark if you include rural/non-metroplex areas. A true GAIT phone, operating on GSM, TDMA and AMPS does basically 99.9% of the country including all cities, towns, and rural areas. The only areas not covered are low lying rural areas so far from towers that they don't even have AMPS coverage. There is no way that a GSM-only or CDMA-only phone will be even close for years if ever; only Verizon's dual mode phones can if you don't mind 1/3 of the coverage being analog. SignatureJud Dallas TX USA They've taken the GAIT plans off the Detroit market online also. Glad I got out of Cingular last spring. They want to make it all GSM with lousy coverage off the main path. My Sprint PCS Free & Clear America plan is great. Chris >> Well we can just forget about this entire thread because when I got up >> this [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > phone will be even close for years if ever; only Verizon's dual mode > phones can if you don't mind 1/3 of the coverage being analog. That's a good choice you are making as Cingular is just writing off anybody that has to get off the main path and needs coverage almost everywhere. They are turning themselves into GSM-only T-Mobile a.sholes. Chris > Well we can just forget about this entire thread because when I got up > this [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Ben >That's a good choice you are making as Cingular is just writing off anybody >that has to get off the main path and needs coverage almost everywhere. >They are turning themselves into GSM-only T-Mobile a.sholes. We all have to face the fact that AMPS is going away. SignatureBest regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES: John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular Well I've got another news flash. I called Cingular again a few minutes ago and talked to a lady who says that I can in fact still get a GAIT plan and that it is no trouble. Apparently the lady I talked to at lunch today didn't know a lot about the GAIT plans and was apparently using the ESN# off one of my GSM only phones to look for available plans and the only plans available to my current phones are GSM only plans. I got the name of the lady I talked to this evening and she told me if I had any problem to have who ever I talk to next at Cingular customer service to send her an E-mail and she would call me back. She said that once I give the ESN# off my Nokia 6340i the available GAIT plans will come up and I can swap my plan over. Whew, this has had me on a bit of a roller coaster but, hopefully things will come out good. I even ordered another Nokia 6340i off of Ebay because it was so darn cheap and if I have a problem with one phone I'll just swap service over to the other. I've heard about people taking a SIM out of one phone and putting it in another and it working fine and charging the owner of the SIM on their bill. Does it matter to Cingular what phone you put the SIM in? Do they have some way of keeping up with which phone the SIM is in? My wife really likes these little Sony T616 GSM only phones. Would there be anything wrong with using the SIM out of my Nokia 6340i in my Sony T616 when I am in my home town and then putting the SIM back in the GAIT phone when I go out of town? I have no idea if that is something that Cingular condones or whether it will work correctly or not. Just curious. Ben >... I've heard about people taking a SIM out of one >phone and putting it in another and it working fine and charging the owner >of the SIM on their bill. Correct. >Does it matter to Cingular what phone you put the >SIM in? In general, no, unless you ask for a support on a phone that you bought someplace else. >Do they have some way of keeping up with which phone the SIM is in? Yes, but they won't bother. >My wife really likes these little Sony T616 GSM only phones. Would there be >anything wrong with using the SIM out of my Nokia 6340i in my Sony T616 when >I am in my home town and then putting the SIM back in the GAIT phone when I >go out of town? I have no idea if that is something that Cingular condones >or whether it will work correctly or not. Just curious. A GAIT SIM should work fine in a GSM-only phone, including the T616. SignatureBest regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES: John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular > That's the only questionable part--when "Cingular Extend" is showing, is > this call included or $.79/minute? I don't test this enough, I've been [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > John C. I recently switched from a GAIT regional plan to GAIT Nationwide. When I was on the regional plan, "Cingular Extend" used to mean I was roaming. After 1 month on the GAIT Nation plan, there were no roaming charges even though a lot of the time while I was traveling in TN the phone was showing "Cingular Extend". JPH Got my used Nokia 6340i via Fedex today and called Cingular and had it activated and my plan swapped from GSM to GAIT. I've also got a Sony T62u coming in the mail too since I found one cheap on Ebay and figured I could try each and see which I liked best. Is there a website that shows the commands you use to show the lifetime use timer so I can see how many hours of use this phone has had since it was new? Or the command to do a total reset of the phone. Not the factory default one but, the one where it wipes out everything? The 12345 does work for the phone's pin# so that's not really an issue. Then again, how do you get the phone updated with the latest bios update or what ever? Take it to my local Cingular dealer? Hmm, one other thing. Ever since I received my first voice mail and checked it with this Nokia the voice mail indicator has been on ever since and won't go off. I don't know why it won't go away and I discarded all the voice mails and it says I have none. The phone just doesn't know this and the indicator was not on when I got it. Thanks much for the help. Ben [....] > Ever since I received my first voice mail and checked it > with this Nokia the voice mail indicator has been on ever since and won't go [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ben Apparently the voice mail system and your handset disagree as to whether the MWI (Message Waiting Indicator) is supposed to be on. When this happened to me, I left myself a message, retrieved it, and everything synched up. Signaturejer email reply - I am not a 'ten' "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know." -- Richard Wilbur > [....] > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > happened to me, I left myself a message, retrieved it, and everything > synched up. I went into my mailbox in the phone and there were some unsent messages in there but, I didnt' see anything else and I had the phone delete all messages and shortly there after the message indicator went off. It was either that or I turned my phone off for around 10 minutes and then back on and the indicator was off. Not sure which thing did it but, it's working right now. I'd still like for someone to explain how to get the Nokia 6340i updated and maybe a list of the hidden menu commands for that phone. Ben >>[....] >> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Ben Okay, maybe I was confused... according to my understanding, the handset tracks unread/unsent text messages on it's own (independent of external network resources) - and the Nokia indicator is an icon in the upper left corner of the display (looks like a notpad). V-mail, OTOH, is another kettle of fish. Unheard v-mail messages are indicated by a different icon (looks like a phone), also in the upper left corner of the Nokia display (adjacent to the text message icon). Maintenance of the v-mail icon (MWI) is dependent upon an external network resource, ie. the v-mail system operated by your carrier. Each time the handset is initialised (power on), your v-mail account is checked to determnine if your MWI icon should be turned on. If it is, a control signal is sent to the handset to activate the MWI icon and provide the unheard message count. If not, the handset receives nothing and the MWI icon stays off. It's conceivable that the v-mail system and a handset's MWI icon can get out of sync, likely due to a control signal getting lost somewhere in the bowels of the network during transit. I also recall at one time that Cingular was experiencing this very issue, and they supposedly found the gremlin causing it. That seems plausible because I've not experienced this for some time now. Signaturejer email reply - I am not a 'ten' "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know." -- Richard Wilbur The indicator looked like a reel to reel tape in the top left of the Nokia display. 2 reels with one piece of tape connecting them. I don't know much about this Nokia phone but, it's straightened out now. How does one get these things updated to the latest firmware? I'm a little anxious to try out the Sony T62u and see how I like it. The audio quality of this Nokia is ok but, not as good as the Sony T616 GSM only phones the wife and I have been using. The battery life of the Nokia looks like it is supposed to be a lot better than the T62u though. I don't see any larger batteries listed for the T62u on the Sony Ericsson website though. I'm looking forward to going out of my normal home area and actually getting it to roam on TDMA or Analog. Ben > >>[....] > >> [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > found the gremlin causing it. That seems plausible because I've not > experienced this for some time now. > The indicator looked like a reel to reel tape in the top left of the Nokia > display. 2 reels with one piece of tape connecting them. I don't know much > about this Nokia phone but, it's straightened out now. Is that what that is?! All this time I thought it was a icon of a telephone handset, but your tape reel angle somehow makes more sense. Thanks for lowering my doofus quotient a bit. :) > How does one get > these things updated to the latest firmware? I'm a little anxious to try [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > going out of my normal home area and actually getting it to roam on TDMA or > Analog. This has been discussed around here before, and I believe the consensus is you best solicit the aid of someone with the special equipment to do this - along with a warranty in case they fry it. It is my impression that this firmware enhancement would not typically be found at your carrier's retail store front. Maybe a Nokia service bench via parcel mail. Anyone have something more specific on this? Signaturejer email reply - I am not a 'ten' "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know." -- Richard Wilbur |
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