New Cell Phone
I first read about the OpenMoko a little more than a year ago - but couldn’t justify the expense until my current contract with Verizon Wireless ran out (another motivator is that my current phone can’t hold a charge for more than 10 seconds). Well - my contract is up now and I figured that I would be buying an OpenMoko and getting a new service provider as planned (Verizon is anti-consumer rights).
I went to their site, credit card in hand, only to find out that the OpenMoko is STILL under developer’s preview. I could probably buy one and install a different OS, but I really do need a phone in my day to day life so I can’t afford to buy one and hope. Tinkering is fun and all, but $300 is a lot to pay to not have a phone.
So today I am on the market for both a new service provider and a new phone. I’m a wireless company’s wet dream. I’m an open minded 20 something male with money to spend and only a vague idea of what I want. I started out at wirelessadvisor.com which told me that options in my area are basically: Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Nextel. I already have Verizon, so I’ll be staying with them unless any of the other providers can beat them. The strongest motivating factor of staying with Verizon is that I am done with my contract with them - I don’t like their take on open technology, but I do like the fact that staying put leaves me with options in the future (in that I can drop them whenever I want).
T-Mobile. You have to start somewhere, right? I went straight to their plans page which immediately reminded me why I loathe phone companies so much. Before I even see any of the price/minute plans I see that every one of their plans requires a two-year contract. Every single one! I don’t want to marry the bastards! I can’t commit to whose house I’m watching the football game at this weekend - how can I be expected to commit to a company that I already hate? Next!
AT&T. I thought AT&T was gone… no? Didn’t they get merged away? I could check - but I really don’t care. A little digging shows that all the plans force a 2 year contract down your throat. Maybe this is going to be a recurring theme? Incidentally - I checked out the prepaid options… but that would just be too much to keep track of. A per minute and per day fee with minute packages that expire periodically is just too much to keep track of.
Sprint. One or Two year contracts. Blah.
Nextel. Turns out that Nextel and Sprint have merged. I knew I heard about a merger somewhere.
I may be a very weird excerpt of the population, but I hate signing exclusive service contracts. A contract to me says: “we can’t compete on our own merits, so we bribe you in the door and lock it behind you.” Why trap someone in a plan they don’t like. All of us have heard someone griping about their contract and counting down the days until it expired. Why would a company want a customer pumping out all that bad publicity? Just let people leave if they want - they will at least respect you for that. Make your income stream dependent on quality services and fair prices and you will get customers… until someone does that I’m keeping my options open.