buying a blackberry, need advice...

maggie_cork

hey all.

i am thinking of buying a blackberry, im in uae at the moment, if i buy it it will be unlocked so i can bring it home to ireland.. but what im wondering is that when i bring it home can i use it pay as u go or will it have to be on bill? im also wondering what networks can i use it on.

thanks in advance

bd250110

Blackberry can be used fro simple calls and text, if unlocked, on any network.

To use BlackBerry services (internet, e-mial and BBM) you need to have a Blackberry service package active on your account. (There is a more technical explanation as to why, but it boils down to the way the BB device verifies security).

AFAIK Vodafone are the only operators offering this service on PAYG. You could also go on a rolling 30 day "SIM-only" package. Im not sure what the cost of the BB service package is per month on either option.

maggie_cork

ok, thanks for your help. ya like when i do come home i would like to be able to use all the services on the phone so what il do is look into price plans etc.

CantGetNoSleep

A Blackberry specific sticky/forum might be a good idea, hundreds of these threads lately

macam girl

Be careful Maggie, as all irish telecommunication suppliers will not support a handset bought in another country. i.e they will not help you set up your blackberry or help you with tech issues in the future. Also any network will charge you a additional 15-20 euro on top of your standard package for a blackberry add on.

maggie_cork

oooh really?? thanks for the info... see there isnt much of a price difference between uae and ireland for blackberries.. im home at christmas so may just wait to get it there and avail of the services of getting it with an irish provider.. one question though- can i then unlock it in ireland and use it in another country? im only home for christmas and then i return to abu dhabi.

macam girl

Hi Maggie,

All irish networks will charge you to unlock a phone if it is bought as a pay as you go handset, usually around 150.00, if you take the phone with a contract in ireland, they will unlock it for you for free, but you will be signing a 12-18 month contract for a monthly charge, and the phone units and blackberry add on cannot be used outside eire. Also if you do decide to get a contract blackberry, DO NOT use the irish sim card in another country for your emails/internet etc, as this is classed as data roaming and the charges are off the hook.

maggie_cork

wow... €150!!! i remember about 6 years ago i changed networks, i rang up and it was free!!

macam girl

Contract phones are unlocked for free as you are signed into a contract, so regardless of what you do with the handset, you are paying a monthly fee so the provider is getting their money back for the highly subsidized handset. However as prepaid handsets are also subsidized by a network, the provider will not unlock them until the phone is either topped up by 150.00 euro( which will be unlikely in your case as you will not be in eire) so you will need to pay the 150.00 up front. p.s I used to work in the industry:mad: and have quoted the above well over a million times to angry customers.:(

Gooch2k4

macam girl wrote: »

Hi Maggie,

All irish networks will charge you to unlock a phone if it is bought as a pay as you go handset, usually around 150.00, if you take the phone with a contract in ireland, they will unlock it for you for free, but you will be signing a 12-18 month contract for a monthly charge, and the phone units and blackberry add on cannot be used outside eire. Also if you do decide to get a contract blackberry, DO NOT use the irish sim card in another country for your emails/internet etc, as this is classed as data roaming and the charges are off the hook.

Its not usually that much and its not like your paying 150 upfront its topping up by 150, so youre getting the value out of it that way.

Also you can get phones unlocked for like €30 tops if you want it unlocked without hassle

drunkmonkey

What's the price of using BIS on all the networks.

I know, tesco/emobile/postphone/justmobile/meteor don't support blackberry.

3 I think is €10 + Vat pm, how much are o2 and Vodafone?

Gooch2k4

Prepay? if its prepay, O2 dont do BB on prepay, no idea about Vodafone though

Davy

Gooch2k4 wrote: »

Prepay? if its prepay, O2 dont do BB on prepay, no idea about Vodafone though

Vodafone are the only network doing a BB service on prepay at the mo.

Gooch2k4

Three are talking about it too last i heard

drunkmonkey

Davy wrote: »

Vodafone are the only network doing a BB service on prepay at the mo.

Is it full blackberry internet services though? Couldn't find the info on the website.

Gooch2k4

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Is it full blackberry internet services though? Couldn't find the info on the website.

seems to be!

Davy

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Is it full blackberry internet services though? Couldn't find the info on the website.

Its BIS, no BES

maggie_cork

i think i might get the blackberry here is uae so as i really do not want to pay 150 to get it unlocked at home.. grand the 150 would be credit for my phone but im only in ireland for christmas and then return to uae so €150 in my mobile on my irish sim would be a bit pointless to me.. so if i get it here are people saying that vodafone wont be very helpful to me in setting up my blackberry pay plan in ireland since i didnt buy it there???

Gooch2k4

maggie_cork wrote: »

i think i might get the blackberry here is uae so as i really do not want to pay 150 to get it unlocked at home.. grand the 150 would be credit for my phone but im only in ireland for christmas and then return to uae so €150 in my mobile on my irish sim would be a bit pointless to me.. so if i get it here are people saying that vodafone wont be very helpful to me in setting up my blackberry pay plan in ireland since i didnt buy it there???

You dont have to pay 150 to get it unlocked. 30 or less maybe would get it unlocked

maggie_cork

oooh right thanks, someone above said 150 and i was very shocked by this..

Davy

maggie_cork wrote: »

oooh right thanks, someone above said 150 and i was very shocked by this..

To get it unlocked via code from vodafone its €127 on topup in the previous 6 months. You can ofcourse get it done yourself at your cost, how much depends on model. Can be anything between €10 and €60

misterdeeds

maggie_cork wrote: »

hey all.

i am thinking of buying a blackberry, im in uae at the moment, if i buy it it will be unlocked so i can bring it home to ireland.. but what im wondering is that when i bring it home can i use it pay as u go or will it have to be on bill? im also wondering what networks can i use it on.

thanks in advance

as far as im aware arent blackberrys banned in uae under sum terrisiom laws?

Gooch2k4

That ban was lifted, about 24 hours after it was enforced

jumbone

Gooch2k4 wrote: »

That ban was lifted, about 24 hours after it was enforced

RIM reached an unspecified agreement with the government but it has been speculated that they got around it by locating servers used by BIM in UAE.

If you buy the phone there it may mean that even when you are back in ireland your IMs get routed through UAE but then again this could be pub talk.

If you dont specifically need a blackberry e.g. your work use them i'd go for a nokia C3 or E72 which are similar looking (qwerty keyboards etc). Thats what i'd do in your situation

macam girl

You dont have to pay 150 to get it unlocked. 30 or less maybe would get it unlocked

Hi Maggie,

The only way to get the handset unlocked for above price is in a independent phone shop and its not recommended. Like Davy said the only network in ireland to get a BB prepay is Vodafone and they WOULD have you top up 130-150 euro before they will unlock the phone for you. All other Irish suppliers only offer the BB on contract, so your best bet is too buy the handset sim free. But where will you be predominately based using your handset? As thats the most important thing! you need to find a supplier in that country who supports BB (prepay, if thats the option you want). For tech support in the future check out www.crackberry.com, or post here, I have worked in a blackberry support team and used a blackberry myself for years and will help you with any issues.

p.s, If you live in another country other than ireland, you should should get a contract BB in that country( it will be a lot cheaper, possibly free) ask them to unlock it and throw in ya irish sim card when ya come home.

Gooch2k4

macam girl wrote: »

Hi Maggie,

The only way to get the handset unlocked for above price is in a independent phone shop and its not recommended. Like Davy said the only network in ireland to get a BB prepay is Vodafone and they WOULD have you top up 130-150 euro before they will unlock the phone for you. All other Irish suppliers only offer the BB on contract, so your best bet is too buy the handset sim free. But where will you be predominately based using your handset? As thats the most important thing! you need to find a supplier in that country who supports BB (prepay, if thats the option you want). For tech support in the future check out www.crackberry.com, or post here, I have worked in a blackberry support team and used a blackberry myself for years and will help you with any issues.

p.s, If you live in another country other than ireland, you should should get a contract BB in that country( it will be a lot cheaper, possibly free) ask them to unlock it and throw in ya irish sim card when ya come home.

It doesnt make a jot of difference where you get the phones unlocked

macam girl

I

t doesnt make a jot of difference where you get the phones unlocked

In my own personal experience, it is not recommended! Handsets which are unlocked without a code from a network, a NUC= network unlocking code, are swiped through a machine to wipe them, this can cause major issues for the software on a blackberry or any device which contains a lot of software. I have also known a lot of blackberrys which are swiped in this manner to become locked again a second swipe of any device would defo corrupt the software.

Gooch2k4

Never had any such problems myself, but, swiping through a machine? its not like that

newspower

I have bought a replacement Blackberry that I need to get unlocked. Anyone got a good place to get it done. My current one is 02 Bill Phone and I dont want to sign another contract with them.

macam girl

Hi

If you have a existing contract and the handset is o2 contract they will give you a code to unlock it, if you request it.

newspower

Hi Macam Girl, no the phone is locked to Orange in the UK