"Disposable" Cell Phone Actually Repackaged Nokia

ewhac writes "Hop-On.com apparently started distributing the first versions of their disposable/recyclable cell phones, which will offer 60 minutes for $30. Hop-On claims their proprietary technology makes this possible. However, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that, upon cracking open the phones, they found not the kind of disposable cell phone technology covered earlier on Slashdot, but a jury-rigged Nokia. When confronted, Hop-On CEO Peter Michaels dodged by saying the phones the Chronicle took apart were, "promotional samples only. They are not Hop-On production phones." The article also calls into serious question Hop-On's other claims, and also points out California revoked Hop-On's corporate status last month."

Comments

$30 is quite expensive...

[hexdcml]

I dunno what phones cost in the US, but still I would not pay $30 or £ equivlent for a disposble phone. You can quite easily pick up a pay-as-you go phone over hear for £29.99 (maybe about $40??) and for that price, you get a fully featured phone (last time i saw one, it was a Phillips Genie) Im still not sceptical about the whole voice recognition thing.. what if you're in a noisy / bad reception area? will it still be able to recognise then?

Re:Ummm... so?

[klieber]

Let me guess. Didn't read the article? Thought so.

• At least some of the phones were purchased from Cingular -- not Nokia.
• There was no mention in the article that *any* phones were purchased straight from Nokia
• There was no mention in the article that the innards of the phone go for $30.
• The phones in question were distributed to media-types only to demonstrate the supposed proprietary technology. They were not purchased by end users.

Re:Ummm... so?

[Anonymous Coward]

Err... yeah, they bought 100 phones for $250 and ripped them apart for their own product, there's no way you'll see this on the market for $30, it's just a scam to fool investors.

Nokia is making a profit out of this, they got the $250 market price, now try and workout how a company can buy something for $250 and sell it for $30, read about the whole little dotcom thing and decide for yourself.

Scam? most certainly!

Re:"Deactivated" cellphones can still dial 911

[mallie_mcg]

I don't see the point, when any "deactivated" cellphone can still be used (and is legally required to) be able to call 911 on the networks they can access.

Does not the GSM spec say that 112 is the emergency number. (the carrier HAS to fwd/make that number call the local emergency line 911 US, 999 UK, 000 here in AU). My nokia will even attempt to call the number if you press 112 regardless if it has keypad lock turned on. Try it, you may be surprised. (Ensure that a call goes not go through tho, you dont want to waste emergency services time!)

hop-on.com.au is still acessible.

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, the hop-on.com.au website is still acessible. Just click here to see a copy of the website from May, 10, 2000.

Yes, it's the SAME logo, and the same style of inflated claims on the web page (the portal of the future, massive content, loads of freebies). To me, this makes it clear that the disposable phones are fake. Too bad, it could be a good idea.