It appears that the Cingular 8125, which is the smartphone I plan to get unless the reviews are really bad, is now available to order through business-to-business channels.

It’s just as well that regular ole consumers like me can’t order now, as I’m not eligible for a phone upgrade until February 19th. Rumor has it that regular folks will be able to place orders on the 20th, so the timing is good. The reports are saying that the phone will be around $399 with 1 contract. I could pay less and get a rebate with a 2 year deal but I know me. Since it’s a smartphone, I know I won’t last 2 years with the same PDA. I’ve been using the same Dell Axim since August 2004. That’s a record for me.

If I do get this phone, I’m still debating whether or not to get a data plan with it. It would be nice if the data was thrown in free to start, so I can see just how much I really use it to justify an additional $40/month charge.