Help me get a new cellphone...

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I would never buy an Apple product. I'm not stupid. I'd also never say "nyet". I'm not a goddman commie.

[Asher]

If you like the KRZR, go for it. I'm not a fan of it simply because it looks unreasonably tall.

[DRoseDARs]

Thanks for responding Asher, but

*sob*

Stop focusing on the phone people! Ignore the type of phone and please tell me if I'm going to have any trouble just buying a phone (any GSM phone, doesn't have to be the KRZR) from a third party and taking it to Cingular/AT&T! I don't currently have a SIM card phone so one way or another I'll need to get one. Can I do it third party and get a phone of my choosing (as long as it's compatible) or am I going to have to bite down on the pillow and be buggered dry by Cingular/AT&T?

[Asher]

Well how would I know?

I don't care about American carriers.

[DRoseDARs]

Are Canadiastan cell carriers like Euro carriers in having a free market for cell phones or like US carriers in having you chained to a service unless you buy a new phone each time?

[Asher]

Dunno, my carrier doesn't use SIM cards.

[DRoseDARs]

Oh, well I'm aware of the non-GSM standards but GSM is what's pretty much what's used here. *sigh*

[Asher]

GSM is virtually only used by Cingular/AT&T state-side. T-Mobile too, I guess.

It is teh sux. So slow! EDGE sucks.

[MRT144]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
what the fuck

quoted for skirting the rules

cunt

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Thanks for responding Asher, but

*sob*

Stop focusing on the phone people! Ignore the type of phone and please tell me if I'm going to have any trouble just buying a phone (any GSM phone, doesn't have to be the KRZR) from a third party and taking it to Cingular/AT&T! I don't currently have a SIM card phone so one way or another I'll need to get one. Can I do it third party and get a phone of my choosing (as long as it's compatible) or am I going to have to bite down on the pillow and be buggered dry by Cingular/AT&T?

As long as it's an unlocked GSM phone, you'll have no problems. Take the SIM card out of your old phone and put it into the new one. If you need a new SIM card, you can get one with a cheap/free Cingular Pay As You Go phone and have them port your current number over to it.

[DRoseDARs]

*sob*

Maybe I'm not being clear (or I'm being dense ... or both); let me try rewording:
LordShiva, as stated in the original post I DO NOT HAVE A SIM CARD, I have an old pre-SIM analog cell phone. If I buy a third party phone, walk into a Cingular store with both my old analog non-SIM card phone and my newly purchased* third party GSM SIM card phone, is Cingular going to throw a fit? Given I have an analog phone, I already need to be issued a SIM card where none currently exists. Is Cingular going to give/sell me a standalone SIM card with my current cell number on it that I can put into a compatible phone I've bought* from a third party or am I going to be forced to buy the phone/card combo from Cingular?

This probably would have been easier if I had just gone to the Cingular store, but I don't trust them to give me unbiased information on whether or not I should buy a phone from them instead of a third party. Methinks they'd like to make a commission off of me...

I really do appreciate the input (and spam ) from everyone, but you're killing me here!

*I haven't bought any phone yet; this is hypothetical in order to decide what course of action I need to take before the March 31st deadline to switch.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by LordShiva
If you need a new SIM card, you can get one with a cheap/free Cingular Pay As You Go phone and have them port your current number over to it.

[DRoseDARs]

So Cingular will give/sell me a standalone SIM card, one orphaned from a phone until I put it into one?

[LordShiva]

I don't know about that. You can ask them, and if they won't, just get on with a phone.

[DRoseDARs]

I suppose that's as close to a concrete yes or no I'm going to get short of physically going into the Cingular store and asking.

However this turns out, thank you all...