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@ Mohil,
Yes it is indeed 3G capable, and it is the leaf-shaped/tape-measure-shaped handset. Obviously no video calling facilities. Specs for most modern phones are available at
www.gsmarena.com
It was the first Nokia 3G enabled handset available here. It's a bit of a bugger to sms with, though. (Initially,anyway.)Very popular here when they were going very cheap on the UK's dedicated 3G network,3, last October, for a whole whopping £29.99 (!) if you bought £15 top-up with it, on 3's PAYG service called 'Threepay'. This special was through
www.carphonewarehouse.com at the time, but with such a ridiculously cheap price, CPW had such a backlog of orders that they took the special off their website within 2 days! People were restricted to buying a maximum of 2 per household...
It gives you the option, under phone settings, then network settings, to select either 'dual mode' (both UMTS and GSM) or only GSM.
Most people I know had them unlocked here and flashed to obtain the hidden menus for manually setting the network settings. Threepay has a relatively good tariff, but many people are put off that the airtime vouchers/top-up is only valid for 30 days, and with a minimum top-up of £15, compared to most other network's minimum £5 top-up, you might as well have gone for a contract...
I have sent two unlocked and flashed 7600's from here to SA, and both are working fine on Vodacom.
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Posted: 2005-06-09 17:12:12
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Three new 3G-mobiles for the Vodafone range
The Motorola V1050, Samsung Z500 and Sony Ericsson's V600i. I wonder when these mobiles will be available in SA. They're only available in sweden and few other places! They better star getting the mobiles over to SA!
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Posted: 2005-06-09 20:18:05
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I see no body broke the news here but here it is:ICASA WANTS TO BAN SA CELL NETWORKS TO GIVE CUSTOMERS FREE CELLPHONES ON CONTRACTS.Yes you read correct.And ALL NETWORKS welcomes it.ICASA say customer must pay for phones and must get lower rates.All networks have to respond to ICASA by 6 July 05......WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS
[ This Message was edited by: Tahir Ally on 2005-06-09 20:06 ]
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Posted: 2005-06-09 20:48:35
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LOL@ Tahir... Check a couple of posts back,
I posted this news 2 days ago. Icasa contends that the current practice of giving away "free phones" to contract subs pushes up the price of calls and services because somehow these "free phones" have to be subsidised from somewhere. They also want networks to have shorter contracts than the current 24 months.
This message was posted from a K700i
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Posted: 2005-06-10 02:51:52
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That would be gr8. But then some ppl will never get new phones. I would rather go for a free phone and pay more, unless call rates and data rates will drop dramaticaly
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Posted: 2005-06-10 07:20:00
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I also think it's a good move...if you want an expensive phone on a cheap talk package the only thing to do would be to pay for it. In more news it's been confirmed that Cell C and Virgin will be entering into a joint venture details of which should be announced soon. And a final note MTN made about R6 billion in profits...pity they still don't have any GPRS service in Nigeria.
This message was posted from a K700i
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Posted: 2005-06-10 09:22:46
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Hulo mense - Brix25 has asked me to report on my adventures with the new Sony Ericsson K600i - arguably the world's smallest pretty 3G cellphone. If you've been checking the stats on the K750i - then minus the 2megapix, the memory card and music play button... add 3G speeds and video calling and you have the K600i. Pretty to look at, pretty to play with and awesome music quality.
Best... radio has RDS with AF... that's like f%&&$@# and call me Martha! Menu system is nicely animated, as is the K750i (yes I have that to) but I find the screen a little bit cramped. The phone I have is way pre-release and has crashed and all that shite. I've become accustomed to the trying nature of beta phones so I tend to look past these.
On 3G - MTN delivered about 40kbits/sec (measured using a WAP speed test site)... while Vodacom battled. I guess that this has to do with where I live. Also my office desk doesn't have Voda3G coverage ... I have to walk to the other side of the MSC/KPMG building on the Foreshore to get a good Voda 3G signal.
Driving about town this morning I noticed that Vodacom has wider 3G coverage than MTN... at least along the Atlantic seaboard. I tried a video call on MTN 3G but failed... also I don't know anyone on MTN with a 3G phone, while I've made a few video calls on Vodacom... compared to Motorola and Samsung, the K600 is substandard (video call only) displaying a very pixelated incoming screen.
I remind you that this is PRE-RELEASE! and I've had camera issues before with SE pre-release phones. I expect that all of this will be addressed when the phone is released in about two months.
Okay... Brix25... I'll keep you posted about my K750i adventures that start as soon as my 512 MStick DUO PRO arrives next week. Ordered one on Digital Planet for a third cheaper than store prices, and a reader at almost half store prices.
:: Brix25... I was gonna offer to pop over to the Cape Times today but I forget that you blokes take Fridays off
:: Cheers :: ed!
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Posted: 2005-06-10 09:26:54
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Okay... in defense of the folks in Blue & Green... Vodacom... I just measured their 3G using the same speed test WAP site - 74kbits/sec... on the K600i (pre-release and un-approved)... folks that's definitely a f$$#^^$ and call me Judy.
I've been impressed with my Vodacom 3G experience - tried it on a Motorola E1000, Nokia 6630, Samsung Z130, SE V800 and now the K600i. Folks... it's early days for 3G and one must not forget that 3G is an entirely new UMTS network (same tech as Sentech). It's worth it... and getting it makes your a technology warrior, or as we say in Africa, a techo lion!
_________________
Da MonkeyMan can!
[ This Message was edited by: WirelessMonkey on 2005-06-10 08:39 ]
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Posted: 2005-06-10 09:38:18
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Thanks, MonkeyMan! I was worried about all the talk going around about Vodacom's slow data rates. I'm glad you sorted that out. BTW, you didn't perhaps test the data rates on a N6680, did you?
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Posted: 2005-06-10 09:46:08
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Very nice review mr munkey!!!
Whats the memory on the k600???? there shuda been a mem card!!!!!
do u have a prototype K750????
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Posted: 2005-06-10 09:46:32
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