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Hop-On Hops Back On the PR Bandwagon

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the attn.-terrorist-drug-dealing-child-pornographers dept.

I thought CNN's gushing forth of breathless admiration in today's piece: 'Disposable cell phones on the way' sounded familiar. Yep, it's Hop-On, the same company Slashdotters took to task last March ('Disposable' Cell Phone Actually Repackaged Nokia) after reading the San Francisco Chronicle's expose ("Sample 'new' cell phone really just modified Nokia [8260]"). Maybe this time the technology is for real. Or maybe I'm just too skeptical for my own good. Caveat lector.

5 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. We've already got these by Robotech_Master · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Granted, they're not usually so inexpensive, but they're called TracPhones (or TracFones, however you misspell it). In fact, I bought a friend one a few months back for $40 on clearance. (Not like he ever seems to have the money to recharge it with minutes, so it didn't seem to do much good, but oh well.)

    What remains to be seen is whether these disposaphones' minutes have to be recharged each month like the TracFone's (unless you buy a $100 "all year account" card) or whether they stay on for longer. I'm betting they'll be good for 6 months after purchase, the way the cheapy long distance phone cards are.

    --
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  2. rebate by darc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Note the $5 rebate thing that they are proposing. If the rebate is $5, than we can assume that the phones are costing them more than that, probably far more. Assuming that their phones are costing them that much, add in the cost of service with a CDMA carrier... it doesn't seem like the company is going to be too successful.

    Besides, the phone looks like garbage. The modern cell phone really took off when models started to look good.

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  3. Phones Must be Subsidized by jratcliffe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A friend ran the North American production operations of a wireless handset company until quite recently, and he told me that, in multi-million unit volumes, the COST of producing the cheapest available handset circuit boards (not including the casing or assembly) was a bit over $20. Since that was just the RF electronics, these phones have to be costing them $30 or so, at least. Basically, once marketing and airtime is included (airtime wholesale will run them at least $0.03 per minute, or $1.80 for the included 60 minutes), if nobody ever recharges the phones, these folks are hosed.

  4. It is real, see FCC approval by John_McKee · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Here is the page on the FCC website on the approval of the device.

    https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/oet/ forms/reports/Search_Form.hts?fetchfrom=0&form=Gen eric_Search&mode=edit&show_records=50&grantee_code =QHO&product_code=HPN1600

    The relevent PhoneScoop page is here: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=179

    Photos, a users guide, and other information is avalible.

  5. 911 Button? by dbCooper0 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Whenever my old Nokia would get bumped around in my messy car, there was a 50/50 chance of it redialing the last number - that was an annoyance.

    Although I understand the importance of reaching the dispatcher(s) quickly, I wonder how much that prominent button (which probably completes the call with one touch) will clog up the 911 services, especially in major metro areas?

    Oh yeah, never mind - this is just a scam anyway! ;o))

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    db
    Cig:
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