I bought an Android phone

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

Why is this news?  Because I'm a phone Luddite.

Why did I buy it?  Curiosity combined with bargain hunting.

Why is this TLUG news?  Because Android is built on top of the Linux 
kernel so there are opportunities for Linux hacking (maybe).  And learning 
about Android is of interest to us.

This deal looks extraordinarily good:
<http://forums.redflagdeals.com/koodo-lg-optimus-one-150-starting-friday-1016684/>
(but note that I'm not an expert cellphone consumer.)

- From Koodo, the Telus flanker brand

- LG Optimus One handset (LG-P500h)
  + Android 2.2; I heard rumours of an update being promised
  + WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, ...
  + uses a SIM so I would have called it GSM but it has some other
    name
  + comes with an internal (replaceable) 2G MicroSD card
  + screen resolution only 320x480

- $150 for the handset, all of which can be put on "tab".
  Putting it on the Tab has some advantages.

- If you buy online or from a Koodo store (but not from Future Shop
  etc.) you get $100 in a one-time-VISA card (you can spend it like
  a VISA card)

- the tab can be either paid off OR it will be reduced by 10% of any
  phone bills you pay.  So it declines over time.  If you quit Koodo,
  you have to pay it all off (but it evaporates if you have a
  credit.)

- KOODO DOESN'T LOCK YOU INTO A CONTRACT.

- Koodo doesn't have "System Access Fees".

- I bought their cheapest plan, $15 a month for not much service.  Not
  even caller-id!

- I chose flexible data plan: free if it isn't used, expensive
  if it is.  For the first 10 days data is free.  WiFi is free, of
  course.

- Since you can cancel very quickly, this is a very inexpensive phone:
  $150 - $100 (I don't know how tax works).

- bonus: if you ask a Koodo customer for a "referral" before you buy
  the phone, you can use that to give each of you a $25 tab credit.
  The credit appears after 4-6 weeks so it is probably useless if you
  are going to cancel quickly.  Tab credits are good for (1) reducing
  the debit you have from buying the handset, and (2) using for future
  handset purchases, but not for actual phone service.

- Deal ends at the end of March

- apparently the phone can be unlocked and work with "normal"
  GSM/whatever frequencies (Bell, Telus, Roger and relabeled versions
  but not Wind etc.).  Apparently unlocking can be had for $8 from
  ebay vendors (why not free?).  Some say it can be used with Telus
  without unlocking.

Now I will look around to see if other providers have a better plan
that would work for this phone.
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists