[johnnyblazo]

Hey all,
Just wanted to mention this is my first post. Love the site. People seem friendly/cracked out (in a good way).

Anyways here my story (I apologize in advance for the lengthiness)

I'm a Canadian but currently in Europe finishing my masters degree. I get back to Canada around the middle of may and I want a blackberry (psft obviously).

I currently have an unlocked Sony Ericsson P1i....not a bad phone but not a blackberry.

So my deal is this....im going to be looking for a job come the fall. in other words, i dont know if i will remain in Montreal or leave to other cities in Canada or ideally to the States to find work.

That being said, i'm impatient and I need a phone/plan for when i return. Now in Canada there is Telus who offers an unlimited plan, problem is they are using CDMA but they do offer the 8330 which is nice. Now I wouldnt sign up for a long term contract making this phone very expensive (aprox $500).

Other option is going for Rogers carrier which is GSM. They offer brutal data plans for customers b/c they can afford to (only GSM provider in Canada). I dont believe they plan on changing these plans soon either. Thing is, I can get an unlocked 8320 for cheaper (online) and it will be easier to transfer (countries/carriers etc).

Also should I be waiting for the 9000? Chances are Rogers will get it....again not ideal.

Also should note that the new job could lead me out of North America, therefore a GSM phone would be preferred....

Sooooo.....what should i do guys? give me some options and recommendations. Even if keeping the P1i and riding it out is the most logical decision please let me know.

Thanks in advance,
sorry for the beefiness of my first ever crackberry post.
Karim

[Reed McLay]

Welcome to our little corner of the 'net.

Rogers has committed to supporting Wifi connections, likely in this quarter.

If the rumored plan, unlimited National calling and data for $20 is correct, we have a way around those brutal data charges.

The Pearl '20 is the most likely device, but I am hoping they will offer a Curve or allow me to use my gray market device.

[ds9780nl]

Roger's! wouldn't touch it, go with Telus or Bell

[Reed McLay]

Roger's! wouldn't touch it, go with Telus or Bell

Roger's is the GSM carrier. That was one of OP's requirements.

Bell and Telus are just as bad as Rogers. Over priced and they all charge the network access fee. I understand their is a class action law suit in progress, millions of $$$ in system access fees at stake.

[tscharron]

Have you thought about T-Mobile in the US? When I worked as customer service the hotspot @home (UMA) had just come out about 3 months before I quit and if you were outside of the U.S. and were on Wi-Fi, you were not charged roaming if you had the $9.99 feature added to your account. Don't know if that would work at all for you or not, but might be worth checking out.

[ds9780nl]

Roger's is the GSM carrier. That was one of OP's requirements.

Bell and Telus are just as bad as Rogers. Over priced and they all charge the network access fee. I understand their is a class action law suit in progress, millions of $$$ in system access fees at stake.

Figures, but you don't need GSM with the 8830.
As for "Raping" everyone... yes, there all alike. Hopefully, the end-user will come out with a better deal in the end, though I doubt it.

[Reed McLay]

Have you thought about T-Mobile in the US?... hotspot @home (UMA) ...

Yea, Rogers has too.

T-Mobile is quite specific about marketing to American consumers. We can buy gray market devices, but getting signed up in Canada, is out of the question.

UMA support is the goal. Once you have that, you have the World by the b@lls.

[Duvi]

Welcome 2 CB.com... This is a tough situation, but how much data are you actually going to use? Also what are the overage rates? Are you usually covered with wifi?

If I were in that position, I would think about moving to the states to find a job, ASAP. Also if you feel/know you probably going to leave for the states, the GSM carrier sounds like a better choice, especially if you can get the unlocked 8320 for cheaper.

[johnnyblazo]

thanks for all the responses, really impressed with this forums already.

to be quite honest, i dont know how much data i will eventually use. I currently live on my laptop, but that could just be being a procastinating student not wanting to study for exams. I do have extensive RSS feeds which i check at least twice daily.

Problem with wifi or UMA, is my old device had it and i rarely used it. will programs such as viigo and opera work on wifi? i couldnt get either of them to play nice with my P1i.

As for Jayden, I would love to go to the states for work. problem is its not that easy. i need a company to sponsor me to get the visa and as my connections are limited in the states and i have extremely limited work experience its difficult.

on a side note, if anybody needs a hard working marketing ungrad with a masters in international management please let me know.