Category: Geeks r Us
Hey guys, my question is regarding AT&T and the Mobile Speak Screen reader.
I currently use a cell phone only to make and recieve calls. However, I have been promised that I can choose a new phone this Christmas, provided I keep my Grade point Average above a 3.9.
Anyway, I know nothing about Mobile Speak and the types of phones that support it, so I was wondering if my fellow zoners could help me out. What kinds of phones work well with the program?
Also, I would prefer a phone with a querty keyboard so as to make the task of texting easier.
Thanks in advance guys :)
Have you checked out code factory's site?
No, i haven't yet. I've been meaning to though.
They have a list of phones they support right there on the site, but I didn't know AT&T supported moble speaks...Thought it was Talx they supported.
AT&T does support Mobile Speak.
Are you looking for an unlocked phone, or one that you can buy through AT&T when you sign a contract?
One phone you might want to check out is the Nokia E71X. I think it's $99 at AT&T when you sign a contract; it's available at places like Amazon for a penny, but if you're on a shared family plan, I don't think you can buy it at that price. It's got a Qwerty, and it's a Symbian-based phone that works well with Mobile Speak. I think there's also the Nokia Surge, which is a basic phone that has a Qwerty.
There are some other Qwerty phones that are Windows Mobile-based. Samsung has the Blackjack series, and the latest one is just called the Jack. I tried this phone, and for me the reception was horrible, but I know a few people who own it and have no problems. There are also a few Pantech phones, like the Pantech Duo or Pantech Matrix Pro.
My suggestion would be to go to AT&T and check out some phones, see which one you feel most comfortable with.
I use the E71X through ATT. I initially baught it with the data plan but was able to cancel the data plan when I went back to college since we have enough wireless that I don't need it. For my opinion and experience on the phone see this link. http://www.blindtech.net/?p=13
Check on www.blindbargains.com from time to time, they post phone offers for accessible phones.
The Nokia e63 was available, unlocked, for $190 through amazon.com a week or so back and you periodically see offers like that.
Check with MobileSpeak or Talks for compatibility, I find both screen readers very equivalent in terms of functionality, there is a topic on the difference between them a while back in the Geeks R Us board.
What does it mean for a phone to be locked or unlocked?
Locked phones are the ones that come from the carrier that you can buy at a discount or get free with a contract. The carrier fixes the phone so that it can't be used on any other carrier's network. So if you decided to change carriers for whatever reason, you'd have to change phones. Often the carrier will also disable certain features and settings of a locked phone. With an unlocked phone, you pay full price for it but it hasn't been tinkered with by the carrier. All you have to do is buy the phone, stick your SIM card in and it works. Since you pay for the phone, there's no contract extention to get into. If you decide to change carriers, you just get a SIM card from the new carrier, stick it in your old phone and it works. So with a locked phone, you're tied to the carrier but you get a cheap or often free phone. With unlocked phones you have more phones to choose from and aren't tied to the carrier but the phone will cost more. AT&T only carries a handful of phones but there are hundreds of unlocked phones out there that will work on the AT&T network. Hope that helps.
That helps tons, and it explains why when I went from an A T & T plan to go phones I couldn't use the go phone sim in my old A T & T plan phone...I didn't know that anything other than talx would work with A T & T phones. LOL, just goes to show how much research I was lacking in this case...
That helps a lot. Major thanks! i really appreciate the help.