Advice on first BBerry

HI

This is my first crackberry post so go easy:o

Im looking at buying an unlocked BB on ebay. I am concerned though as I have read that unlocking can make the blackberry messenger service not work or that the GPS will not work as you have to sign a blackberry contract with your carrier??
Basically I am at the start of a 2yr contract on an iphone and fancy a change of phone (a second phone not selling the iphone)
Can you advise on these issues, I have no knowledge about the workings of BB's and how the mail system works/is set up.

Thanks

i know you need bb internet service for most things to work.. it would be a waste, IMO, to have a bb without bb internet service.

Originally Posted by hindsite74

HI

This is my first crackberry post so go easy:o

Im looking at buying an unlocked BB on ebay. I am concerned though as I have read that unlocking can make the blackberry messenger service not work or that the GPS will not work as you have to sign a blackberry contract with your carrier??

Unlocking the phone simply makes it possible to use it on another
GSM carrier network. Unlocking WILL NOT affect BBM, the GPS,
any apps or any hardware.

i think the OP was thinking about not getting a bb plan because they just signed up for the iphone plan and are in a two year contract..:)

Ah! In the words of Emily Litella: Nevermind :D

For those too young to remember: Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Update 2: Emily Litella

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update: Emily Litella on Violins on TV

jane, you ignorant sl**..:D classic;)

So I couldnt buy an unlocked BB from ebay, put my existing sim (which has a data plan for the iphone) in it and download my emails to the BB.

It has to go through BB messanger? (is that what you mean by a BB plan?)

the phone Im looking at has this in the description (cant post link - not enough posts)

"it is original locked carrier provider but we unlocked it by the original code or by hardware way - You can use a T-Mobile, AT&T, Cingular, Rogers Wireless, Fido vodafone, Optus Virgin, Telstra... sim card. but perhaps it can't register in blackberry website or can't support blackberry messager."

Originally Posted by hindsite74

So I couldnt buy an unlocked BB from ebay, put my existing sim (which has a data plan for the iphone) in it and download my emails to the BB.

It has to go through BB messanger? (is that what you mean by a BB plan?)

the phone Im looking at has this in the description (cant post link - not enough posts)

"it is original locked carrier provider but we unlocked it by the original code or by hardware way - You can use a T-Mobile, AT&T, Cingular, Rogers Wireless, Fido vodafone, Optus Virgin, Telstra... sim card. but perhaps it can't register in blackberry website or can't support blackberry messager."

I believe you can do that in that situation. Does your carrier offer the phone you are looking at? If they do, then I don't see much of a problem. The need for a "BB Plan" has less to do with BB Messenger and more to do with data usage. Since you already have a data plan for your iPhone, it should be good to go. But I am no expert, so I am sure someone will chime in to correct anything I have said that is wrong.

i think(again think) you need to have an actual blackberry data plan for the the blackberry. the iphone uses different technology to get its emails(IMAP) while the bb is POP.

from the apple site

Mail is a rich HTML email client on iPhone and iPod touch that works with the most popular email systems including Yahoo!, Gmail (from Google), AOL, and MobileMe from Apple in addition to most industry-standard POP3, IMAP, and Microsoft Exchange email systems.

guess that means its ok.....the plan is on data volume, doesnt mention retrieval restrictions

Blackberry and iphone data plans are different prices so its safe to assume they are not interchangeable. BB's service runs through RIMs servers. Why would you swap back and forth from iphone to blackberry anyways? The iphone is much more user friendly from a design aspect. No clue what's going on in your head.

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You need to check with your provider, because as Thomas pointed out a regular smart phone (WinMo, Iphone, Symbian) plan, and a Blackberry plan are different, and generally not interchangeable. Often they are the same price so you MAY be able to get your carrier to allow you to do it, but you need their help and permission. It would not be easy to do. Best bet is to check with your carrier. :)

The two data plans are not the same. Most carriers would require the BIS data service if you have a bb. If you buy it on ebay and turn off data acess to it you are fine but that means no internet/email/im. The reason they have a cellphone data plan and a bb data plan is because they are different. Your carrier might, if they are nice, switch you over but that means no data when you use your iphone.

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I was in the same boat as you are in now. I had an iphone with an iphone data plan.Then I got a bold and inserted the iphone sim. I was able to use the browser only after changing the tcp-apn in the bold. You will actually need a blackberry internet service to be able to use the push email technology and the BBM. Your blackberry will work without the BIS but it wouldnt be functioning the way it's supposed to with BIS.

Surely you would still be able to use apps like the gmail app?
But yeah, the whole bb function would...go.

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