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I have comcast internet and no current internet on my cell. My contract jus came up for renewal and I was wanting a web accessible phone. I been looking at the Samsung Fascinate or maybe one of the HTC phones to upgrade too and wondered if I could jus use that and mobile hotspot as my internet connection instead of paying so much for comcast internet when all I use it for is just regular web browsing checkin facebook and watching my netflix anyway.

Anyone know enough or have enough experiance with hotspot to give me some advice about this idea?

Might be not be understanding you correctly, but you want a smart phone with wifi, which you can use to facebook, netflix etc. when you're within an open wifi connection, but you don't want to pay the monthly $30-$40 to have 3(or4)G access as well?

If so, I have that same problem. I had a recent free phone upgrade with AT&T, I could have opted for an iPhone or other wifi capable smart-phone, but they would have made me sign a contract for broad-band package of $32.00 a month; I don't want that, as I don't want to do my internet business via a 3-4g connection, only via wireless, be it my house or outside open connection. The money-grubbing scumbags.

So I got a lesser phone, still decent. I'm thinking of buying a used 2nd or 3rd generation iPod touch, as they have built-in wifi. You can find them for as low as $100.00 on eBay with a cracked cover. Which I'd fix myself for around $10.00. Just sucks that I'd have to carry around two units.

No I've got internet at the house now but I really don't think I use it enough to justify the $80 a month I spend on it. I know some smart phones I've looked at have that internet hot spot where they can turn into a portable modem for like up to 5 different devices. I was considering jus dropping my current comcast connection and goin with the verizon cell with unlimited web access and using that as my only internet connection. All I really do anymore is watch netflixs online or check facebook n surf occationally anyway. Might put a new song on my iPod once in awhile but thats it. I'd never be trying to use more than one, maybe two at most, devices at a time anyway.

Jus wondered if just a verizon cell phones web access was good enough for that. Hell I can go for full unlimited access and even pay the extra for hotspot for jus $50 total according to the guy at the store. And I got friends that know computers saying I wouldn't even have to pay the "hotspot" fee if I'd let them do a jailbreak or something to it.

Ah, I see. I need to keep my Comcast(though I hate Comcast) internet connection at home. I just want a phone with a built-in wifi card so I can access the internet when I'm by a free/open wifi connection, but I don't want to pay the $30-$40 a month extra for the package connection that AT&T makes you get if you get a wifi-capable phone.

Anyone know anything about the new thunderbolt? I been looking at reviews n commercials for it and wondered if anyone knew when verizon will have it in stores, how much its gonna cost and what data rates will be. It looks like something like I'm thinking of getting and if I'm going to upgrade to smartphone and possibly as my only internet connection might as well get the best and fastest.