vB Easy Archive - Own business on ebay...need new phone & plan

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Own business on ebay...need new phone & plan
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Posted by: superthug

I basically need a phone where I can access ebay and all its features from a phone. I also use gmail but that is supported by almost all phones. I currently have a Sprint ic902 with a data plan and I use it to answer emails and jump on ebay. But the ebay application is very limited, I need to surf the site, like I would on my computer. Can someone please give me some advice...Thanks.

Posted by: DubDub

Staying with Sprint? If not, what carrier will you go with?

I doubt that you will find any phone that will allow you to surf like you do on a PC. There aren't that many mobile optimized sites, plus a PDA device just doesn't have the bandwidth, processing power or memory.

Posted by: Heavy Fluid

The iPhone can surf it, but on EDGE it can often be very slow. On wifi, it is fine. I would not try to run a business off the phone, but you can easily check auctions and answer questions pretty easily. Like mentioned above, nothing will work like a dedicated computer for it.

Obviously you would need to switch from Sprint. You need to check carrier availability in your area, there may be issues using AT&T in your area. If you opt for an unlocked iPhone, check T-Mobile's coverage.

Posted by: RufusRyker

I strongly recommend the iPhone. At this point, I'd also wait for the 3G version to be released.

Ebay is a tough site for most mobile phones to handle, and I've tried a bunch. The iPhone can handle it well. I sell thousands of dollars worth of merchandise every month on eBay, and the iPhone has made my life much easier. WiFi is obviously far superior to EDGE, but EDGE will do in a pinch if you want simply check on your items. There is a free webapp called iRibbit (www.iphonemyebay.com), which is optimized for the iPhone and helps check up on things, especially if you have a slow EDGE connection.

The connection speed is only one factor. The huge screen and multi-touch are what make eBay actually usable on the iPhone. Although I never set up auctions from scratch on the iPhone, but I often edit the live listings.

Posted by: superthug

Actually I bought the iphone for my girl and unlocked it so she can use it with t-mobile. It's a neat phone but at the time I couldn't switch carriers. Now I can...but I'm not looking to edit an auction but mainly when someone asks me a question, I want to be able to answer right away.

What I do like about the service is I have free incoming, I use about 6000 min a month. I have unlimited data ($15), 5pm free nights and PAM. = $70

Wish I can keep Sprint's plan and browse the web better. I don't think I'll find a comparable plan though.

Posted by: Heavy Fluid

You are sort of stuck. Sprint offers the better plans, and other providers offer the better phones for you. So you pay 70 a month for unlimited data, 5 pm nights, pam and 6000 minutes?