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i-mode phones - stay away - MUST READ!
Hi, for anyone unfortunate enough to own an i-mode (only available at present on o2) phone or thinking of upgrading to one PLEASE either a) review whether you've been mis-sold it or b) consider the 'downs' even if it is an attrative deal!
Basically i-mode phones are sold as 'internet at the touch of a button'. This isn't so - i-mode phones cannot access web pages and most of them can't even access regular wap pages. They display specifically designed imode pages.
To download content or to see film trailers etc a customer must 'subscribe' to a content provider. A customer can have 20 subscriptions at any one time and can unsubscribe (which they do themselves) using their handset. If a customer forgets to unsubscribe from a service they are charged for a further month whether they view the content or not. Subscriptions are around £2-8 a month (approximately). Imagine 20 subscriptions at even £2 a month!!
Furthermore this subscription fee does not give you unlimited content but gives you so many 'points' with which you can download, say, ringtones. When you run out of points you must pay for more, or wait till the next month.
You are also charged for the data transfer (roughly £3 per megabyte) over GPRS. This is roughly 2 or 3 ringtones. Effectively you are paying twice for the content you download.
You cannot link an imode handset to a laptop/pda and use it as a modem when you're out and about if you have been told this by an o2 representative or not. Because o2 get more commission on o2 products, and because the sales/customer support staff have not been trained in this relatively new product, they will tell you that you can get 3G speeds, video call, get mobile TV, etc etc. This is not true and none of these things are possible.
o2 keep pushing back the cutoff date for free mms and emails to entice new customers. Don't be attracted by this. MMS to non-imode customers is notoriously buggy and you are only allowed an 'i-mail' email address with an imode phone (ie you have to use o2's services). You cannot set up a 'POP3' account with an imode handset as you can on a regular handset (Yahoo, BT, Wannadoo etc).
Please be aware of the restrictions on this product as you may be stuck with a handset/contract which won't do what you want it to do and is costing you money.
And if any of you are wondering the reason for this little info session is that I worked for o2 technical support and the amount of customers being mis-sold imode without realising how expensive and hard to use it is (and even being lied to by unscrupulous sales staff on commission).
Oh and of course the points I have made above are all my own opinion and not those of o2 in any way
Basically i-mode phones are sold as 'internet at the touch of a button'. This isn't so - i-mode phones cannot access web pages and most of them can't even access regular wap pages. They display specifically designed imode pages.
To download content or to see film trailers etc a customer must 'subscribe' to a content provider. A customer can have 20 subscriptions at any one time and can unsubscribe (which they do themselves) using their handset. If a customer forgets to unsubscribe from a service they are charged for a further month whether they view the content or not. Subscriptions are around £2-8 a month (approximately). Imagine 20 subscriptions at even £2 a month!!
Furthermore this subscription fee does not give you unlimited content but gives you so many 'points' with which you can download, say, ringtones. When you run out of points you must pay for more, or wait till the next month.
You are also charged for the data transfer (roughly £3 per megabyte) over GPRS. This is roughly 2 or 3 ringtones. Effectively you are paying twice for the content you download.
You cannot link an imode handset to a laptop/pda and use it as a modem when you're out and about if you have been told this by an o2 representative or not. Because o2 get more commission on o2 products, and because the sales/customer support staff have not been trained in this relatively new product, they will tell you that you can get 3G speeds, video call, get mobile TV, etc etc. This is not true and none of these things are possible.
o2 keep pushing back the cutoff date for free mms and emails to entice new customers. Don't be attracted by this. MMS to non-imode customers is notoriously buggy and you are only allowed an 'i-mail' email address with an imode phone (ie you have to use o2's services). You cannot set up a 'POP3' account with an imode handset as you can on a regular handset (Yahoo, BT, Wannadoo etc).
Please be aware of the restrictions on this product as you may be stuck with a handset/contract which won't do what you want it to do and is costing you money.
And if any of you are wondering the reason for this little info session is that I worked for o2 technical support and the amount of customers being mis-sold imode without realising how expensive and hard to use it is (and even being lied to by unscrupulous sales staff on commission).
Oh and of course the points I have made above are all my own opinion and not those of o2 in any way
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What if i took out a imode phone and used the sim in another phone. Can i access wap as usual or will i be charged?0
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