I am going to be signing up with Cingular soon, and had a question about their plans.

I see that there are several data options available.

Data Connect 5MB $19.99 5 MB

Data Connect 10MB $29.99 10 MB

Data Connect 20MB $39.99 20 MB

Data Connect Utd $44.99 Unlimited


I am not exactly sure what plan I should get. About how much data connect do you use? What exactly do you use your data connect to do, and about how often a day?

I am trying to get a judgement on how much 5mb, 10mb and 20mb really is. Is this a lot for a blackberry? Or is it like nothing at all?

None of those plans are for the Blackberry. Those plans are for PPC or Palm devices.

Your choices with Cingular for the Blackberry are:

Blackberry 4 MB - $39.99

Blackberry Unlimited - $49.99

I'd venture to say 90% of people with Blackberries have the unilimited plan.

i went over 4MB in the first 2 days of the billing cycle. I would go with the unlimited hands down.

Most definitely go with the unlimited data plan. I don't use as much data with the BlackBerry as I did with the Treo 650. Personally, I use over 4 MB in one day. You would pay more in overage fees than by just getting the unlimited data plan from the start.

I just upgraded from the 4mb plan to the unlimited plan. I went over 4 mb on my third day. Cingular has also lowered their prices to:

4mb - $34.99
Unlimited - $44.99

The extra $10 is definitely worth it.


Sam

I concur, first full month with my 8700 was over 350Mb. It has started to replace my laptop for most surfing.

Hope this helps.
Rcbjr

350MB!? wow i need edge

Awesome, that is what I will do. Yeah, I realized I put the wrong data plans. I don't know what I was thinking. Ha. Brain Fart.

I will definitely go with the unlimited plan. Now to get it. I hope I can get it next week at the latest :D

Just checked my bill after reading all this and the GUMBAs at Cingular sold me the BB and did not add the BB data plan! I have NO data plan at all!!!
Fortunately, I've only used 64Kb of data. . . . .

Hmmm-m-m-m where did you find the Cingular unlimited BB data plan with the lower price? Cingular.com still shows $49.99 Thanks!

A little over 25MB last billing cycle on Cingular unlimited BB plan.

Cingular gives a $5.00 discount on the BB plan for certain phone plans.

Hope this helps.
Rcbjr

I'm surprised your Blackberry works then. I was under the impression that if you didn't have a Blackberry plan on your account the Blackberry would not register with the network.

We are talking about Cingular now, anything is possible But, I agree, without a BB plan, you shouldn't have a working BB or a email address to use.

In regards to charges, go with the unlimited, it isn't worth the $1000 bill just because you went over. Oh wait, you still might get that. Should we tell her now or let her find out the hard way that unlimited isn't unlimited and may or may not include all data?

I've got the unlimited cingular data plan and a bit of inside info on the billing structure...if you want to avoid the medianet and wix charges on the phone..DO NOT use the Cingular browser...use only the BB Browser on the phone..I've had 6 of these things and this is the best tidbit of info that I ever got out of business support.

Ideally..you want to go with the following:
1. Level 2 plan for voice. 900 rollover minutes and unlimited night and weekend.
2. BB Unlimited plan
3. You want to watch your bill like a hawk for a month or two...if any data charges show up..make sure that you're using apps that use standard blackberry ports...just call them up and say that your apps use bb ports and could they please remove the charges.

It gets better if you have a cing premier acct..such as a 25% discount in service...etc

The might be Ideal for you, personally I wish I could downgrade my minutes to 250, as I don't talk that much. I currently have the 450 rollover plan and now have 2000 minutes rolled over in 6 months. I will never use them, I wish I could donate them to charity or something or maybe pay less for a lesser plan, but there isn't one.

lol...I know the feeling...I've had this phone for 6 months and presently have over 4K rollover minutes accruing.

That is the price I was quoted both at a Cingular store and on the phone with Cingular. When I asked the phone rep about the price difference she didn't know anything about the web price.

I imagine it is like booking a hotel room. If you go up to the desk and ask the room rate it will be higher than if you had called the desk from the hotel lobby phone.

Sam

Okay, I think I see what everyone is saying.

Is there a way I can disable the Cingular web browser? That way I don't use it?

And what else do I need to watch out for? How do I make sure I am only using the BB ports when I get my BB?

Thank you so much for the wealth of information.

You can change all your browsers so that the default is the BB one.

Go to OPTIONS, ADVANCED OPTIONS, BROWSER.

Then change whatever you want.

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I don't believe tha using the Cingular Browser will incur add'l data charges. I have been using the 7290 from Jan 2005 which only had WAP access and both the Cingular browser and the Internet Browser on my 8700 since it first came out in Nov. and have never been charged extra.

However, some of the apps and other items on the original home page of the Cingular Browser (MediaNet site) will incur charges.

Hope this helps.
Rcbjr