X-Series Answers 06

Over the past few days we have been getting clarification on a question asked by Adrian regarding an X-Series customer from SMS Text News being charged for sending an email via 3Mail. We’ve found out why, and we have a plan for the future. Read on…

3 UK responds: There are three ways to send email using X-Series: 1. Yahoo! Mail through the Y! Go service; 2. Using the web browser and logging into your email services via that; and 3. setting up and using the Mobile Mail application. Each of these email services are free and unlimited with X-Series. However, using the 3Mail service which is provisioned on 3 handsets is not currently part of X-Series and charges do apply when using that mail service.

Frank Sixt adds: Historically, some email providers charge for email services, while some, like Yahoo! and MSN, don’t. Historically 3mail has been a charged for service, which is why the original user was charged. Ironically, if he had used his X-Series handset to send and receive e-mail from an account with a free mail provider there would have been no charge. We're going to give serious thought as to whether 3mail should continue as a paid service for X-Series customers in the future. For now, in keeping with the promise to "tear down the walls", at least X-Series customers have the choice to chose other providers for their mobile e-mail needs over 3 Mail!

Comments

[Andreas]

Why do you have so many many types of message types? Why not just SMS and MSN?

[Neil Evans]

Do you have a firm date for X-Series on the W950i yet??

[Mark]

That's a bit disappointing! I know there are plenty of options available, but I assumed the 3mail service would be included because it was on my handset by default. In the course of learning about my phone I've used it to send emails (including one with a pic!).

I've just discovered that I need to select Mobile Mail to send the message, but this was part of the learning curve that could cost me money now.

It's not the end of the world, but I'm an experienced user (and long time 3 customer) and I didn't realise there was a charge.

That aside, X-Series is all good!

[Andrew]

I can imagine CFO Frank Sixt asking why is 3mail still being charged, and the person in charge of that repeating ad nauseum "Cannabilization! Cannabalization! Cannabilization!" LOL

Then Sixt sat back, had one of those test of faith moment, and then when he is about to say "screw it, let 3mail be free"

The same executive who went nuts saying the C word threw out "they can always use those FRE emails, 3mail ADDS VALUE... 3mail can do things which the free emails cannot... as to what... well, I am sure those dumb consumers will never be able to tell the difference."

hHAHHaHaHAHahHAhAh

[Nigel]

There's another variation on this.

The phone itself can be setup to talk to other POp3/IMAP providers - ie btinternet, 1and1 etc.

So this charging for 3mail. Is it because of the PORTS being used (ie SMTP/IMAP) or is because of the TARGET ADDRESS ie 3mail.com being used...

This makes a massive difference.

Can you clarify.

Thanks

[Mikiec]

I'm stumped! :( Can someone tell me definitively whether or not web surfing is free on X-Series? I've had this phone for a few days and everytime I try to access a site outside of Yahoo!, I get a message saying I'm going to be charged for access to it.

I got X-Series because I want Skype and free web-surfing. If I have to pay extra for it, I'm sending the phone back within my 14-day period.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Rob Jones]

Can you use opera to browser the web, will you be charged for the internet using this product

[Nigel]

Looks like the only way through this is to give it a try. The philosophy seems fairly clear, so I hope the lack of clarity is just a case of working through the issues.

I'd congratulate 3 on being "brave" and as long as see some dialogue about these issues it's great.

of course I have to cancel "free internet 30" for this, so I really hope XSeries works or I'll be getting it reinstated ;-)

[de]

de from X-Series Blog here: hi all. Just a few notes on some of the comments.

Mikiec: we are following this up as it is not correct. I will get back to you early next week on this one.

Mark: we are def. looking into including 3Mail into this. Stay tuned.

Rob Jones: you can use Opera to browse the web as this is part of your unlimited web access (and as the legal eagles say, as long as you use it "within fair use guidelines" etc.)

Nigel: wow, your post is a bit techie for me. Am getting someone else to answer that one ;-)

Neil: w950i is coming early next year. I don't have a set date but will let you know as soon as I get one (hopefully early next week)

Andreas: we have lots of message types because we want to give people choice on what they use. It's one of the fundamentals of X-Series.

That's it for me right now. Enjoy the weekend everyone and keep the comments coming, we read all of them and we esp. love the imaginative flights of fancy ... thanks Andrew :-)

[Nigel Jones]

I couldn't wait any longer and upgraded to X-Series silver.

I can confirm that IMAP4 access from the phone *DOES* work, whilst it didn't previously on the Free Internet 30.

More to check, but this is great news!See http://cherrybyte.blogspot.com/ where I'll post any further findings

[nommo]

I recently switched from Tmobile - the sound of X-series on n73 was too tempting for my early adopter mentality.

I have had a little play - and I am worried about 2 things:

1. If I access the browser via the menu on my phone (rather than hitting the 'planet 3' button) I am told that I will need the 'Wireless Web Add-on' to access the internet. If I visit a site outside of the planet3 'walled garden' I get a message saying I am entering a chargeable zone! Internet powered by Yahoo?! come on! I was around when the net was born - I use google to search, and I type urls in when I know where I want to go.

2. I got a text after setting some of my many email accounts up saying "thankyou for buying Mobile Mail"

I am using the default Nokia mail client to access ISP IMAP mail. I don't need or want another email account (3Mail?) - I am a web professional and like to see the whether the sites I develop are mobile friendly. I hope someone can assure me that I have not already started to be charged extra for what I see as part of the X-Series package.

Is the handset just over-stuffed with multi-layers of 'innovation'? Or am I really being offered to drink what I like from the cabinet - as long as it is the 3 partner beer, and the 3 partner blended whisky.

What if I want a caipirinha? which is what I drink when I have the choice... and no - I won't drink the whole bottle ;)

[Mikiec]

"de from X-Series Blog here: hi all. Just a few notes on some of the comments.

Mikiec: we are following this up as it is not correct. I will get back to you early next week on this one."

de, thanks for the response but you still haven't answered the question! Will I be charged or won't I? Your answer about it being wrong is too vague... what's wrong???

Still confused!

[de]

Hi Mikiec,

Sorry for being a bit opaque. You will not be charged for surfing the web using your X-Series mobile outside of Yahoo! If you are still getting messages that say you are you should call customer service and make sure they have provisioned you correctly. If you have any further problems, please send me an email I will see what I can do to sort it out.

de

[Mikiec]

OK. Thanks, de. :)

[Andrew]

Glad you enjoyed my imaginative flights of fancy...

But I swear, I am guessing that is exactly what happened when the 3mail issue came up.

I can bet my bottom dollar that Sixt asked why is 3mail being charged. Then the executive incharge started repeating how mnay people were using it (like gmail sucked or something), how happy they were, how much 3UK was spending and how it was worth it because they were "value adding"

Sometimes I do wonder howcome not more people were fired at 3UK HQ.

[Ivan Toniolli]

Do you guys know any free pop3 service that will allow you to create an alias, so the reply to your emails goes back to a different address? I want to receive my work email on the phone but I am not prepared to pay for 3mail...

[Ivan Toniolli]

Don't worry, I just figured out that with Gmail, you can change your reply to address. Brilliant. That solves my problem, so I don't have to pay at all for 3mail now.

[Danny]

One of the comments here suggests that you can use the mail client on the handset to directly access external imap4 (and presumably pop3) accounts, without going through 3's servers. Can someone from 3 confirm this is the case? This is definitely not the case with any of the existing email addons, and I've been told categorically by 3 UK business customer support that this will not be possible even on X-series. The crucial point is that without this, you can only access one mail account (via 3), whereas many business users like me have to monitor several accounts. Thanks.

[Ramesh]

It is stupid and unforgivable that you can not use 3mail on the skype phone to send mail- what is that all about?

[Ramesh]

I have just found out that you can not access yahoo or even gmail. it all set up but you can not use the options- what going on!?

[Kunal]

Hi,

Been using Skype on X-series for almost a year, would love to see instant messaging activated. Any update on that?

I also have one more glitch, I have to manually refresh the list every few hours, otherwise my contacts cant see me online. Isnt the client supposed to refresh automatically periodically?