CDMA Handset Choices in India

[ranjit_konkar 0]

I am a Reliance service user from Ahmedabad and need to change from my current Samsung SCH-F679 to something else because the motherboard abruptly broke down for no good reason. The phone was 4 years old.

In the world of good brand CDMA mobiles is there no choice beyond Samsung? Reliance webworld carries just two models - one Coolpix and another equally forgettable. Internet shows LG India to sport just one handset and also Motorola. The shops probably don't even carry these.

Is Nokia not an option in India? Are there no CDMA handsets from Nokia?

I happen to prefer a key board model to a touchscreen one. Samsung W279 seems like the best of the lot. Can any user of this phone tell me whether -

a) it allows you to send group sms? If so, can I select the group after typing the message or do I have to select it before? In my current mobile, I have to do it before, which means I cannot forward others' sms's to a group. It is very irritating.

b ) it has a Delete All facility in its sms? In my current mobile, I have to physically select each and everyone of my messages to delete them all.

There are many other bugs in the current one which I have learnt to live with, for example -

i) It is supposed to hang up the call when the End Call button is pressed. It doesn't do that, I have to slide it shut (the setting is for End Call button)

ii) It is supposed to have a rolling sms list, ie when the capacity is exceeded, the oldest sms should be erased to make way for the latest one. It doesn't do that. I have to physically delete them to make new space.

Both the above features were advertised, but do not work. I hope they are not carried over into later models like W279.

Sorry to the forum if these are old topics, didn't know where else to post them. Would appreciate a response.

Ranjit

[rajanmehta 4,056]

In the world of good brand CDMA mobiles is there no choice beyond Samsung? Reliance webworld carries just two models - one Coolpix and another equally forgettable. Internet shows LG India to sport just one handset and also Motorola. The shops probably don't even carry these.

Is Nokia not an option in India? Are there no CDMA handsets from Nokia?

Nokia has officially stopped making/selling CDMA handsets.

However you can still get Nokia CDMA handset from grey market sources like this one >> Nokia CDMA 6235 SIM Based

Your frustration about lack of variety for official CDMA handsets in india is understandable but it will help for someone to suggest an alternative if you can mention your BUDGET.

If you don't mind imported CDMA handsets, there is a wide choice of smartphones available in all budget.

Explore them here on RIMweb Buy-Sell topics and on Ebay.

[ranjit_konkar 0]

Thanks, Mr. Rajan, for the prompt reply.

My budget is Rs. 15-20,000.

I would not buy anything from the grey market. Where did you get your "HTC EVO 3D" from? What is your experience with it? If you recommend it, let me know if it is available in Mumbai. I visit the city often and can buy from there. Btw, which country is HTC from? Their website doesn't give away the nationality.

[Arun 795]

Check for "For Sale" offers from Sellers in the Buy/Sell Bazaar forum, preferably the Reputed Seller forum: http://www.rimweb.in/forums/forum/50-buy-sell-bazaar/

Check/Search the HTC forum for reviews and experiences about EVO 3D: http://www.rimweb.in/forums/forum/41-htc/

Read FAQs about using imported handsets here:

HTC is Taiwan based. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC

[KapilAgrawal 340]

Getting EVO 3D, Motorola Photon in next 2 weeks.

And FYI you do not get any warranty on Imported handset in India. But surely a Tax Invoice can be provided with the handset sold.

[Venkatagiri 53]

Have a look at Blackberry Curve 9350

Also very good choice available in CDMA+GSM phones like Motorola XT800

[ashokb 11]

I vote against Motorola CDMA gsm dual sim.

Its slow and sluggish after sometime

[gargoyle 15]

You can get very good options for your price range with this forum or ebay. Most of the sellers of this community are also on ebay but I would recommend you make your purchases from here, preferably from the "Reputed Sellers". You will have moderators, with eagle eyes, checking the progress of your transactions

Once you select the phone you intend to purchase, check out what others are saying about it @

www.rimweb.in/forums/forum/84-cdma-handset-discussion

The caveat is that you will not get any service warranty with this handsets...but believe you me, you will hardly require one!! In case of an emergency, you can get any spare you may require, again from the members of this forum.

Here's all the very best to your next phone

[sgiitk 32]

@ranjit_Konkar; I am afraid that except for some Blackberry units any decent CDMA phone only comes on the grey market. What Reliance (and Tata) are selling is not just obscolescent but even obsolete. However, I and my son have both bought a couple of units each from this forum. Excellent phones, with excellent service (handholding is free). They take care of MEID registration, and also often do the activation of both phone and EVDO once you receive the phone. Either they will do it form you or guide you at each atage Remember almost none of the high end phoned are OMHs so activation is required. The only issue (if one can call it that) is that on market/play you are charged in USD. I just read that even this can be fixed with an app named Market Unlocker.

[nitink 279]

I have an imported Handset and initially Google play showed me apps in USD but once I purchased an app the amount was charged in inr in my cc bill.

so it shd not matter of the price is shown in USD.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Edited June 24, 2012 by nitink

[ranjit_konkar 0]

I am Ahmedabad-based and shopping for a new instrument for my Reliance connection after my Samsung SCH-679 motherboard conked off, and 8530 is one of the options I was considering (competing with Samsung W279). But after reading Ankit Bhutoria's posts, I feel scared of buying something that creates so many problems (even though the group helped him solve most of them).

Ankit (and other users of 8530), would you please tell me if the phone has the following features (which mean a lot to me, more then camera and FM etc):

- Does it support group sms? I am a college teacher and frequently need to send sms's to my entire class as a group. On my Samsung, I am used to defining a group consisting of those numbers and I can send one sms to that single group defined by name and not select 10 numbers each time to send to.

- Arising from above, if group sms is defined, then how many groups can one define and how many numbers can one group contain?

- Can I search the phonebook by number instead of name? Given a number (from my monthly bill, say), can I find whose it is without making a missed call to the number?

- Can I copy-paste text in or between sms's?

- Does is have auto-sms-on-reject?

- Does its sms have a defined signature? I don't want to type in a signature into every sms.

Do respond so that is helps me get the mobile with the precise features I want.

Ranjit

2662 3692 x3026 in Ahmedabad

[digitalnirvana 646]

I strongly suggest going for an android as BB is dying platform. But if you do go for BB then buy newer series 9xxx not 8xxx ones. One thing to remember is if you buy imported CDMA BB from forum/ebay, then BIS/BES (BB services) will not work (though certain sellers e.g. Sadikk offer BIS working). Internet works, just that BIS/BES does not work.