Just to let you guys know, if you own a K700, P910 or plan on getting any of the future Sony Ericsson phones (does not include the T630/T637/T616/T610), you can do the firmware upgrades yourself. Sony Ericsson calls them updates. However you will need either the DSS-20 or DSS-25 sync station that can be purchased through Sony Ericsson. From there, you would go to Sony Ericsson's support site and put in your phone model number and click the "update" link. It will download a client to your computer then everything else is self explanatory.

 

Sounds good to me... I was thinking of K700, lol...

 

Wait for the U.S. version to come out even though you may only use T-Mobile, the 850 band really helps with overall reception.

 

If the phone uses 850 band, you can use Cingular or AT&T as they both use 850 and primarily on 850. However, if the phone uses 900, then you're stuck w/ T-mobile.

 

That is correct but that is not my reasoning for using an 850 band phone if one does become available. Sony Ericsson specifically, on their phones emits 2 extra watts of power in order to search for the 850mhz band. Also, there is a little more surface area on the antenna on the 850 enabled phones. At this point there is no reason to switch to Cingular because I have T-Mobile now and it offers me all the coverage I need.

 

Update to the firmware upgrade. Looks like Sony Ericsson took it offiline. I have no idea why. I emailed them to see if it would go online again. Crossing my fingers.

 

I got a flyer saying "Sony Ericsson K700i" Free plus $20 cash rebate with 1yr $39.99 contract. I guess that one is imported from Europe or Asia. ?

Sounds good?

 

PM/Email me who the offer is from. Sounds kind of fishy. I am using a K700i now that was imported from hongkong but the build is 100X better than the first one I bought when they first came out. The reception is very firm...usually bounces between 4-5 bars (5 being full). My P900 would never come close to that. Its definitely a phone to look into if you have T-Mobile since some AT&T and Cingular locations use 850mhz.

 

Rets,

What happened with the deal? Sounds too good to be true. I was in Flushing and got an offer of $160 w/new activation on T-mobile at the first place I stopped in. I thought I'd be getting an '05 so I didn't shop around but now that I'm getting an '04 this week, I need to step up my search.

 

I went to the T-Mobile web site and the k700 is nmot listed. Am I missing something?

 

I visitied T-Mo and Cingular and do not see the K700, sounds like an excellent phone for sure. I am not sure I want to dish out for the V710 on VZW as I am not sure they will ever have all the indicators "active" for the MIB. This really concerns me.....

 

Out of all cell manufacturers, it seems that SE is the only one whose recent BT phones are really 100% compatible with the TL in terms of link, and signal/battery indicators.

The k700 is one of the better phones on the market now but it is not a US phone. The only way to get it is to buy it off eBay, bring it from another country, or buy it from a dealer that brought it from overseas.

It is Triband only so it really is only compatible with T-mobile. You can use it on other GSM systems like ATT and Cingular but you're missing the 850 band that those systems use heavily and you may have lots of dead zones. Mobilezen noted in the past that the US phone should have better reception on the 850 band because it's power output is boosted but for me that also means shorter battery life.

I've seen many independent cellphone shops in the NY area sell the k700 on Tmobile w/activation at a discount and on eBay you can get an unlocked k700 for $350-400 w/o a contract.

I too don't like the v710 - too big, no signal/battery indicators, and I don't get verizon reception at my office where I spend most of my time.

 

That is correct. The K700i is not carried by any of the major providers just yet. It is a U.S. (1900mhz) compatible phone and yes, it is a world phone as well. Asia and Europe both carry this phone. The 850mhz needed for at&t and cingular is VERY important in the central part of the U.S. It's a cool phone. I bought one with a later build date and it was much more solid than before. Definitely enjoyed it, but not sure I can stand the silver color...silver is so bland. lol.

 

If anyone has been following this thread, check this out: http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94666

The online update is available once again.