[MrMrMr]

Hi looking maybe to get a BB for my wife and daughter. I am an iPhone user but never had a BB so unsure on the whole BB world, if I can ask some questions please.

1) BBM: is this a free to use between other BB users for texting? is it free no matter what tariff your on? it doesn't come out of your tariff bundle? IS it just texting BBM?

2) I don't want to spend much and seen a 8250 for £10.50/month, can this BB be updated to BB 6? Or should I push up to the 9300? is this a much better BB altogether? and can this be updated to BB6?

3) Some of those tariffs don't have included internet/data. What do you get included on BB regarding net/data/its own portal etc? or do you have to have some data/internet? my wife won't use it at all.

4) Do you get free BB email, even if you don't have internet/data tariff? i.e. is BB email free if you have a BB?

5) As I have to get 2 contracts I want cheap!?! any ideas in UK?

cheers

[JSanders]

1. You must have THE BlackBerry Data Plan on your carrier account to use ANY data on a BlackBerry. BlackBerryMessenger uses data. The browser uses data. Facebook uses data. Most everything other than SMS and phone calls use data.
2. 8520, you mean. No, the 8520 can be upgrade to OS5 and no higher.
Yes, the 9300 is a better, newer device. It can take OS6
3. See #1.
4. No.
5. Someone here from UK can comment.

[MrMrMr]

Little confused. Went on US instead of UK by mistake and saw that there is a BB 7 version as well? Is this just out?

I'm a little confused then how networks are selling the BB without any data on the tariff as I thought the whole point of BB was email and BBM meanig it's going to cost a fortune above the original tariff.

Im trying to read up on BB but it's a little confusing to me all the moment! With my iPhone it's a 1 tariff including xxxMb of data.

[hrbuckley]

Yes, BlackBerry OS 7 is new and will only run on devices that come with it installed. If you are looking for cheap best not look at these devices.

Some carriers are breaking up various services on BlackBerry, offering unlimited social media, but limited or no email browsing for example. Or different mixes. Yes, I agree this is confusing, and can be expensive if you use a service that isn't included. Unfortunately the only way to find out about these plans is to find someone at the carrier who is knowledgealbe (difficult) or wait for one of the members here who has broad experience in the UK to answer (as JSanders said).

There are BB plans like your iPhone plan (the one I'm on for example) that do just provide some amount of data that you can use for BBM, Facebook, Web, Email as you choose. In Canada they tend to be the higher priced plans. I think my company is paying close to $CAD60/mo for phone (don't know the specifics I rarely use the phone on my BB), SMS and 1GB of data with BES enabled. Probably not the plan you want.

[MrMrMr]

So basically some of the tariffs I've been offered with no data are pointless for a BB if you want to use BBM an email?

There's a cheap O2 one with 50mins, 250txts, 100Mb data for £13.50. Is this enough data for BB though? My iPhone contract I get unlimited and browse a lot bit checked and am using about 750-1Gb month. My wife & daughter won't use anything like this though, if fact probably won't use internet as such

[hrbuckley]

I can only give you my experience. As I said I have a 1GB plan. The account manager and I went over the bill a while ago to see if it was worth while to upgrade to a 6GB plan (unlimited data plans are only a fond memory here now). I tend to use between 100MB and 150MB per month.

The non-data plans are what some people need. For example if your daughter only wanted to use BBM, Facebook and MSN (Microsoft Live) but not Email or web browsing then an unlimited social media package might be the best deal for her. There may be a plan that would include unlimited YouTube, or may not. But viewing a lot of videos would chew through 100MB pretty quickly. On the other hand with some self dicipline one can limit video and web browsing to when Wi-Fi access is available and the data is free or much lower cost.

You really need to look at how they are going to use it, and talk to the carrier you plan on using. Usually the carrier will let you upgrade to a higher priced plan without too much difficulty, but they may resist letting you go back. So it may be easier to add bulk data or just email after they decide they want that, rather than trying to remove something that isn't being used.

In general choice favours the consumer, but requires the consumer to do his/her research.