When the DataWind PocketSurfer2 sets sail for American shores, it may leave behind one of its most compelling features.
Instead of a full year’s worth of free GPRS access that current users in the UK are able to use for 20 hours per month (supposedly "3 times the average usage of [the Internet on] a mobile phone"), the product description at MobilePlanet indicates that U.S. consumers must sign up for a $30/month data plan with T-Mobile for the PocketSurfer2 to function.
Although availability is unknown, MobilePlanet is accepting preorders of the 6.1-ounce clamshell for $310, a relatively decent price for a handheld device that sports "the industry’s best thumb keyboard."
There is, of course, no sign of the PocketSurfer2 on T-Mobile’s website at the moment, but bitsub.com (one of several UK retailers selling the product) notes that roaming outside the UK is now possible at a rate of £15/hour. The information doesn’t exactly corroborate with MobilePlanet’s T-Mobile mention, but it does make the PocketSurfer2′s impending U.S. arrival seem more imminent.
Update 1.9.08: Hands-on with the DataWind PocketSurfer2.
Interesting. Wonder how they will cover the expenses of running their servers to cache pages for the PocketSurfer2 Or do they get a cut from t-mobile.
why is the data plan $30/mo? The Tmobile total internet is $20.
Either MobilePlanet got the info before T-Mobile lowered their prices, the $30 PocketSurfer2 plan is somehow different from the Total Internet plan, or it’s just a typo.
Nothing explains why roaming outside of the UK would cost £15/hour either. Maybe bitsub meant to type £15/month instead?
I guess this will be a wait-and-see kind of thing. I’m tempted to preorder one just to see if an ETA is included in the confirmation email or something, but I’m definitely not interested in signing up for another data plan.
T-Mobile’s total internet package is now $30 a month and comes with HotSpot.
Jenn: Sad as it is, £15/hour is not unrealistic (I am not saying it is right!). Roaming for voice calls is cheap, roaming for data is very expensive: £7.50 / MB (yes, seven pounds fifty per megabyte!) and now only £3/MB if you happen to roam in a country whre T-Mobile has its own network.
I just checked the T-Mobile site. The Total Internet plan is now $40/month.
@ Bruno: Wow! That’s amazing. I wonder how much it is in the U.S. The website doesn’t mention the data roaming rate (voice is $0.20/minute).