My Phone's locate/wipe feature may have per-use fee attached

By Phil Nickinson
last updated

Here's an interesting tidbit about Microsoft's My Phone sync service, which is still in beta but will go mainstream as part of the Oct. 6 Super Duper Windows Mobile 6.5 launch day. According to this pic posted on Twitter by I Started Something's @longzheng, a fee "may apply" if you need to "locate a lost phone on a map, remotely lock it or wipe it clean" using My Phone.

The reasoning behind that? Your guess is as good as ours at the moment. Maybe it's to prevent overuse. Maybe it's to prevent abuse. Maybe it's just a pain to do. Anybody have a better idea?

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson

Phil is the father of two beautiful girls and is the Dad behind Modern Dad. Before that he spent seven years at the helm of Android Central. Before that he spent a decade in a newsroom of a two-time Pulitzer Prize-finalist newspaper. Before that — well, we don't talk much about those days. Subscribe to the Modern Dad newsletter!

8 Comments
  • Just guessing, but maybe there are regions where the network operator will charge for this.
  • Just because apple charges doesnt mean they should!!!
  • Perhaps it works by sending an SMS instead of requiring a data connection from the phone to MyPhone at all times. Sending an SMS will generally cost them in many regions, so it would make sense to charge a nominal fee.
  • Free would be great, but with Apple requiring a $99.00 a year Mobile Me subscription for their "find my iphone" service, as long as the fee is not outrageous, I still think it's a better deal. Apple does offer a 60 day free trial, but after that, you still have to pony up the $99.00 to continue the service. At least Microsoft is only planning on charging you if you actually need the service. Most all the other services you pay for with apple are free with Myphone. I think it's a better deal all around.
  • From what I understood, there is a one time fee meaning that you pay a subscription and that's it, you can use it for how many times you want. But then again, if you lost your phone or sold it, could you still cause damage to the new user ?
  • Yea I'm thinking it'll be done through SMS, cause there is no way that the myphone app can keep a constant on connection, that would kill your battery. I see this as the same thing as the Terminator program from Sprite which I have on my phone currently. Maybe they feel the need to charge since there really is no free version of software anywhere for this kind of functionality. Also just like any PC anywhere if someone takes your phone and does a hard reset or flashes the phone the software will be gone so the function will be lost, and you cannot find or wipe your phone. This also applies to you selling it, the buyer can simply do a hard reset.
  • Instead of the remote wipe feature, or perhaps in conbination with the gps finder, I'd like to see it turn the volume to max and beep uncontrollably while yelling something about being a phone thief. Once you get to the general area of the phone, activate it somehow to go nuts. That seems more fun than calling the number. Either way, paying for this stuff is iritating. This is the kind of feature that companies should offer to make you come to their service. It's sad that people have just accepted that it is ok to pay over $100 for a monthly calling plan. The companies are having no problems with subscribers, so sadly, I fear it will continue.
  • Um, for a feature that is only used to recover or protect a $500 phone, I think it's worth a $10 charge or what have you. I mean seriously, you are protecting your family or business information, photos, appointments, your doctor's number... Who knows what someone stores in their device now. I have been playing with MyPhone for a few weeks now and have to say, until my TP2 had an issue yesterday and dumped, I didn't get it - but now, after hitting 2 buttons on my phone and getting "EVERYTHING" back... Go MyPhone!