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Cell Phones and Services for Java Developers?
Xi asks: "My cell phone recently died, forcing me to start looking for another cell/provider. I want one which will allow me to do some simple client/server Java programming but I'm perplexed by the array of choices. Some providers let you pay to download Java apps but do they let you create your own? Several providers can utilize phones on which Java runs but do they have to host some sort of software on their side? For instance can I use a Java enabled phone with T-mobile? Nokia, Nextel, Motorola (who shipped a Developer's CD with my October copy of Java Developers Journal) and its recent acquisition, AT&T, Sprint (new pricing), and others are all claiming Java this and Java that but what am I really 'getting' and what are fellow Slashdot-reading Java developers really using?"
AFAIK, the network operator has little (if any) to do with the usage of Java (J2ME) on your phone.
You can always write you own programs, and copy them to your phone. You can (with some trickery, I'm sure) post them on the Web (WAP?) and let other people download them to their phones.
The client/server part of J2ME is more-or-less URL-based HTTP/TCP transfers. I assume you're talking about GPRS (G2.5) phones: in that case, to use the networking from J2ME you just need that your phone provider allows you to connect to the Internet (as opposed to just their local network) via GPRS.
The above is based on Nokia informations, Sun's J2ME API reference, and European networks.
dakkar - mobilis in mobile
There are more, and if you look at the recently released phones - J2ME seems to be there in most devices (excluding the cheapest model-range). Get the J2ME toolkit (this one for windows), the page will tell what else (java related) you also need.
Some operators might have for some odd reason disabled downloading some J2ME content although I don't know any such operators. Anyway, the operator choice should not affect your ability to start developing your own J2ME applications.