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Cell Phone Secrets Die Hard
duplo1 writes "According to an article on CNN, "Selling your old phone once you upgrade to a fancier model can be like handing over your diaries. All sorts of sensitive information pile[s] up inside our cell phones, and deleting it may be more difficult than you think." It seems that corporate security policies need to extend their disposal standards to mobile devices; but what is there to educate consumers regarding such a potential breach of privacy?"
NTT DoCoMo, in Japan, has a little hole-punch-like device they use to destroy the internal memory chip when you give your phone back, and best of all they do it right there on the spot: you give them your old phone, and they stick it in the device and go "crunch!" Of course, I haven't actually seen the schematics for any (much less all) of the DoCoMo phones so I could theoretically be being fooled, but given the nearly paranoid attitude among Japanese these days over personal information, I doubt DoCoMo would take that risk.
It resets the RAM and loads all the default settings for built-in applications from ROM. It typically doesn't touch the FlashRAM.
But that's just the typical reset. Factory Reset isn't a feature that is normally exposed without additional external attachments (a cable, a PC, and special software).
if you're on a pre-pay, those phones are only good for that plan.
Not true. If a phone has been unlocked for $10 or so, it can be used on any compatible network. Meaning I could eBay a Cingular phone and use it with T-Mobile-To-Go and pay by the month.
Furthermore, for $75 I could eBay a used Motorola V330 that had been used with a T-Mobile 2-year contract. Then I could use it with T-Mobile-To-Go. I'd get a good phone for a great price that is more capable than the Samsung SGH-209. T-Mobile sells that one new for $99.
I happened to be researching them last week before buying.