re: Test Driving BT Cellnet and Vodafone GPRS on the Motorola Timeport
Another Simon Says ...
>> Opinion: BT Cellnet and Vodafone GPRS Services Found Lacking
Simon Goodley
Daily Telegraph London
06/08/01
Unusually for me, I was given the opportunity to be at the cutting edge and test drive the only two contenders in the General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) mobile market. These phones are either the next step after Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), or the stage before third-generation (3G) mobile phones, but it equates to a watered-down version of the Internet on your phone, whatever your opinion.
BT Cellnet and Vodafone are the only two offering the service in the U.K., and the choice of handsets -- well, you do not have a choice. It is the Motorola Timeport, or nothing. You may be forgiven for scratching your head when you look at the price of these identical phones in your local shop. The Vodafone model retails at £99.99 ($138), while BT Cellnet has refused to subsidize its pounds £199.99 ($276) model.
So what is BT Cellnet offering that Vodafone isn't? It is not cheaper calls as both companies have similar packages. On top of your normal monthly charge, users must also pay a fee of around £7.50 ($10) a month, which covers between 500 and 1,000 free page downloads, or take a £3.99 ($5.50) package which charges around 2 pence (3 cents) to download a page.
If BT Cellnet has an advantage, it begins with the fact that it works most of the time. Vodafone's service was unavailable for much of the day that I tested it, which the company blamed on maintenance work. When the phone was working, I got the impression that Vodafone's content was a little less compelling than its rival's. Personally, I like sport and betting. The sports stories on both phones were much the same, just maybe a little slicker on BT Cellnet. Much to my annoyance, I could not locate a bookie on Vodafone and I could not get either Ladbrokes or Coral Eurobet to work on the BT Cellnet phone without calling the helpline.
Do these slight advantages for BT Cellnet warrant an extra £100 ($138)? The answer is no, but I would not pay £100 ($138) for the Vodafone model either, even if it was more reliable. The benefits of GPRS over WAP just do not warrant that kind of premium, particularly as most of the frustrations are still lurking in the foreground. <<
- Eric - |
