DISQUS

happiicamper · 2 years ago

I totally agree!!!

Paul · 2 years ago

I can see the wireless carriers hating WiFi. Used to have a HP IPAQ and loved the wifi. Did not have push e-mail like my BB does, but all I needed was a wifi signal and I could tell it to retrieve e-mail, respond, send etc. While home I could let it connect to my wireless router and do the same. All with no fees to any carrier, unless you count the fee for my broadband at home.

Stac · 2 years ago

This is a fallacy, IMHO. It's a matter of the manufacturers caving to the carriers... Something that I would have hoped would be long in the past given what a number Steve Jobs did on Cingular with the iPhone.

If RIM insisted on giving it's customers WiFi, and wouldn't take no for an answer from Cingular/at&t, then we'd have the WiFi we so desire.

Why do the 8125, 8525, and other Windows mobile phones have WiFi and the 8800 does not? It's long overdue for RIM to give it's customers what they want rather than giving Cingular what it wants.

-S

justelise · 2 years ago

I don't think this conversation should be limited to WiFi. What about GPS? Didn't verizon cripple the GPS on their 8700 series Blackberry? What purpose did that serve? They couldn't figure out how to overcharge their customers for using it, so they had the functionality crippled before they would sell the handset.

This whole debate shouldn't be aimed at one carrier. They are all guilty of it and they're all guilty of everything they can do to lock people in or find a way to charge them for using every feature their device has.

Thought · 2 years ago

Totally agree on why the carriers are reluctant to embrace WiFi.

However, it would be interesting to know the dynamics of exactly why and how so many Windows Mobile devices have WiFi. I'm not so sure it's because previous WM pda's had that feature and carriers felt compelled to allow that as some sort of legacy inclusion. With Palm, their Treos don't have WiFi.

My guess is that it may just be plain old pressure from Microsoft, just like it was most likely pressure from Apple that allowed the iPhone to have WiFi. I have to agree with Stacy, that it seems the manufacturer has to push back in order to get this feature in. Of course, Microsoft and Apple do have clout that most other vendors do not or at least don't think they do.

Seopad · 2 years ago

The US carriers are such crap. They nickel and dime you every chance they get. In euro countries you dont get that BS.

tev · 2 years ago

Questions! Why American consumers put up with such unfair charges from the carriers??? Are they so blind to easily give their hard earn money to make the carriers even powerful?

Mark Tomin · 2 years ago

Another parallel could be drawn with Nokia E61. In order to make appearance in the U.S. with Cingular, Nokia had to strip it of Wi-Fi and some other features, making it Nokia E62. You cannot buy any non-grey market E series Nokia (or any Nokia phone with Wi-Fi for that matter) in USA.

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john · 2 years ago

I think wifi is good for cellular customers. Even though they might have to strip some features. Being able to go onlline on your phone is a big must in this day of age. http://showmethebroadband.com