Questions For Blackberry Users

[starnet 7]

So I am thinking of buying a Blackberry Bold that will enable me to check my email at anytime without using a PC. I am planning to subscribe to Rs 299 for unlimited email available with Airtel prepaid (Blackberry Personal Mail service).

At present I'm using a Nokia N95 (8GB version) and answering even a small email on that phone is a time consuming job given the lack of Qwerty keypad. I sometime check the websites such as moneycontrol.com also on the phone when I'm out of my office/home and have URLs of such sites bookmarked on that Nokia N95. Right now I pay per KB for GPRS usage.

I have been told by Airtel customer support that I must subscribe to BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS) plan for Rs 899 per month to be able to check the email as well as browse the sites on Blackberry. There is no option to pay flat fees of Rs 299 for email and pay further for browsing depending on usage with a prepaid connection. I further asked him if it is possible to open email attachments with the Rs 299 per month mail service and he was not sure about that. In general, I have found that Airtel prepaid customer support guys are not well trained at all when it comes to answering even simple technical questions. They can tell you about latest tariff plans or STVs but not much beyond that.

Now the question is can I use a blackberry and pay Rs 299 for unlimited email PLUS further amount based on per KB usage for checking the general sites in the browser of the blackberry on GPRS? Further is it possible to open email attachments (like PDF files) with Rs 299 per month blackberry personal mail service?

So can anyone here please clear my above mentioned doubts about Blackberry Personal mail service.

[::Hitesh:: 1,763]

^^^

In black berry 299 plan you can view and download all the attachments comes in your mail.

you can set your wap browser to use gprs connection.

Edited January 26, 2010 by hitesh123

[Arun 795]

Yes, you can open PDF attachments that you receive in your email using BlackBerry Personal Mail 299 plan. You cannot have per KB usage for browsing though with 299 plan and will need the 899 plan. Otherwise you have to use GPRS instead of Blackberry 299 plan and use all applications though the default email service and BB messenger won't be available, you can use third party applications for push email.

^^^

In black berry 299 plan you can view and download all the attachments comes in your mail.

you can set your wap browser to use gprs connection.

Both BlackBerry 299 plan and GPRS cannot be activated on the same connection.

[Dr.Gagan 17]

Hey Guys ! are you getting email in html format using BIS services on BB 8830 ( e.g airtel or vodafone on BB 8830 )

[ACS 130]

Both BlackBerry 299 plan and GPRS cannot be activated on the same connection.

Any detailed difference between Elite 299 & GPRS Services in GSM option..

Topic starter is talking about GSM only right..

[starnet 7]

Both BlackBerry 299 plan and GPRS cannot be activated on the same connection.

Thanks for the replies.

This is bad news for me. Looks like I'll have to keep using my Nokia N95 for GPRS alongside a new Blackberry. I don't use GPRS much, so Rs 899 plan is an overkill for me.

[dkaile 1,051]

How about shifting to Android for a Blackberry similar (I feel better) experience on Push Mail, specially if you use Gmail.... just a thought...

[Mufaddal 678]

Both BlackBerry 299 plan and GPRS cannot be activated on the same connection.

Thanks for the replies.

This is bad news for me. Looks like I'll have to keep using my Nokia N95 for GPRS alongside a new Blackberry. I don't use GPRS much, so Rs 899 plan is an overkill for me.

just use your gprs /edge on ur bb thru TCP

and then use free puch mail clients

[::Hitesh:: 1,763]

BB 8520 GSM

Airtel connection.

Bb mail service 299 plan activated.

WAP working fine.

tested 1hr back.

[Arun 795]

when you say WAP is working, do you mean you are able to access websites from the browser directly?

[::Hitesh:: 1,763]

Yes, in bb's wap browser,

not tried connecting it to PC for using as modem.

Edited January 29, 2010 by hitesh123

[Arun 795]

So you got both activated somehow, but if you take a new connection and request for both BlackBerry Personal Mail 299 and GPRS plan to be activated then they will not accept your request. I even tried threatening them that I would terminate my connection if they don't activate both and they were happy to accept the termination request.

Anyway after converting to prepaid I have been getting the BlackBerry Personal Mail 299 plan for free (without recharging) for the past 5 or 6 months

[::Hitesh:: 1,763]

^^^

GPRS is charged 30paisa per 10kb,

How did you get free black berry service ?

[Dr.Gagan 17]

@arun in my prepaid airtel i activated blackberry services once by paying 299 after that i got it free for nearky 50 - 55 days and then it stopped.......

[Arun 795]

I don't know but it seems to be a bug with AirTel's system

[Dr.Gagan 17]

will post in TE some other bugs tomorrow

[abhi.r 95]

I don't know but it seems to be a bug with AirTel's system

I would like to share my experience with airtel's buggy network

Hehe about 7 years ago, i had Airtel delhi Prepaid Connection which i took to Karnataka on roaming as I god admission in a engg college over there.

there my all out going calls became free. i had Rs.137.5 as balance, and it never changed. and this went for like 2months untill my validity was about to end, and I asked my brother in Delhi to recharge the phone for me

After few months i revealed this to my friends. lol. they all were amazed how can i talk soo much almost 7~8 hrs a day that too on Roaming.

lol

People used to ask me how this happened, and I always replied "Magic hai to mumkin hai"

(Magic was brand name for Airtel Prepaid in those days. and "magic hai to mumkin hai" was their punch line.

lol

[abhi.r 95]

Is it true that on Reliance or Tata, BIS services or Rs.299 Email n msging only service cannot be activated on Imported CDMA handsets of Blackberry??

is it possible on GSM handsets??

I wanted to swtich to Blackberry, and was waiting for Bold 9650 (aka tour 2) to be launched.

But if BIS is not possible on CDMA handsets I guess then I'll go for Bold 9700. (GSM).

Though I'll miss cheap Roaming calls on CDMA which really is a boon for me, as I have t travel a lot, about 4~6 months out of 12.

:'( :'( :'(

[Arun 795]

Is it true that on Reliance or Tata, BIS services or Rs.299 Email n msging only service cannot be activated on Imported CDMA handsets of Blackberry??

Right

is it possible on GSM handsets??

Yes

[abhi.r 95]

Is it true that on Reliance or Tata, BIS services or Rs.299 Email n msging only service cannot be activated on Imported CDMA handsets of Blackberry??

Right

is it possible on GSM handsets??

Yes

thank you arun bhai