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Danger's HipTop Renamed and Released
FireMage writes "According to this press release from Danger, their cheap, cool, consumer targeted, cellphone/PDA "convergance device", the HipTop is now avalible nationwide as the T-Mobile SideKick, as in you should actually be able to buy one today. They've even revived one of their nifty-mysterious original flash splash pages to announce it. I'm all for clever hacks, but it's nice to finally see what seems to be a well thought out product in this arena. (The HipTop was first mentioned on Slashdot and again in a review .)"
I have a review unit on my desk, and am super impressed. A larger impression piece will be coming out just as soon as I have time to write it.
As quoted from their rate plan site:
- After 1st year, unlimited becomes 15MB/month, $3.50/additional MB.
Coverage not available in all areas. Limited time offer and cannot be combined with any other promotions. Credit approval and 12 month service ageement required with $200 fee for early termination. Terms and condidtions include mandatory arbitration provision. Customer billing address must be within and offer valid only in the following T-Mobile (VS) markets: Denver, Colorado Springs, Las Cruces, Portland, Boise, Albequerque, Santa Fe, Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and all VS markets in the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Incoming and outgoing calls are rounded up and billed in full minute increments from the time the network begins to process the call (before the call rings or is answered) through its termination of the call. All allocated airtime minutes must be used in the month provided and do not carry over.
In other words, after the first year, you are paying $3.50 a meg after 15 per month (that's 500K a day...)
Not to mention you can't even get this thing unless you live in a certain area.
I've been pining over this thing for months now, get the great news, happen to live in PA, and now I'm royally pissed off. Way to go...
sig--we don't need no goddamn sig
More info, including reports of people getting activated and having trouble getting activated, can be read at the DangerInfo Forums.
I've been a T-Mobile customer for more than a year. I subscribed to the MobileStar mobile internet service back before T-Mobile bought them. I'm a gadget freak, and I telecommute full time. I'm the perfect target for this device.
I spoke to my local Houston T-Mobile sales office last week and again yesterday, dying to get my hands on one. They said they had 'em, but couldn't sell 'em to me until Oct 1. Fine, no problem. I showed up this morning at 9am to meet them when they opened the front doors, concerned that I wouldn't be the first in line to grab one. Turns out T-Mobile didn't even have them anywhere in Houston.
I ran over to the Galleria CompUSA, where I'd already seen the boxes, and asked to buy one. Sure, they said, but it's $450. I explained to the clerk that that was the price without activation, and that it was $250 with activation. They had to call two different reps to figure out I was right - but the T-Mobile reps actually told the clerks not to sell the devices because the service wasn't ready.
I then had to call the local T-Mobile store, get them on the phone with CompUSA (all over my Verizon cell phone) and get them to agree that yes, they could sell it to me, yes, the service was active. But CompUSA still wouldn't lower the price from $450. Even worse, they couldn't activate it at the store - I had to hoof it back over to T-Mobile again.
At that point, I walked out of the store, went over to Verizon, and renewed my existing contract for another two years. I want to make sure I don't tempt myself and try that messy service again.
What's your damage, Heather?
I checked the website - by the time I had put together my order, I was up to $284, plus a $35 activation fee, and a $50 mail-in-rebate.
Decided I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, went to a local store - walked out for $216 (with tax) and a $25 activation fee.
Part of the difference was I didn't get the headset (since it comes with an earbud, which is all I really wanted anyway) and I didn't get the AC adapter ($20, they didn't have it in yet). But I also didn't have to deal with the mail-in-rebate hassle.
Down side is they don't have the plan in the PoS, yet, so they have to call it in manually... But it'll probably still be activated before I would have gotten it shipped to me.
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"Then, the phone functionality seems awkward. There's no way to dial with the screen closed."
That is incorrect.
You can use the wheel to dial (not so bad if you're used to using a wheel) a number that's not in your recent history or speed dial, or use the wheel to select one of those numbers.
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Check out Danger Info's unofficial forums or their main page. Note that they are not officially affiliated with Danger Inc.
Another unofficial website that says up to date with Danger info is at hiptop411.com
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