Smartphone Activation without Data Plan.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yes, that's exactly what I do. Currently I have a palm that I do this with along with saving documents i need on the road, and even throw in a movie or two for those boring plane flights. I don't "think" I need the data plan since I've been able to live with out it thus far, and I'd have to pay for it myself, but I would love to have both my palm and phone in one. As it stands, to sycn all my business contacts I have to look them up on my palm and dial with my phone.

EnVtouch: The ability to play movie files, and you can read Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, and several other formats if you load them into a MicroSD card. No data plan required.

Syncing contacts is still a few hoops to jump through, but there are ways around it.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

EnVtouch: The ability to play movie files, and you can read Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, and several other formats if you load them into a MicroSD card. No data plan required.

Syncing contacts is still a few hoops to jump through, but there are ways around it.

Okay -- so you can READ Word, Excel, Powerpoint, -- can you edit them and save the edits -- I can with my Palm -- and then I can sync those docs back to my desktop when I get back to the office. You CANNOT do that with the EnVtouch....

[renegade626]

the LG manufacturer website offers free sync software for contacts and clandar with outlook

I smell a class action suit here....

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I smell a class action suit here....

I smell the stench of the modern, over-hyped, "let's sue over everything, even when I spill hot coffee on my lap", socialist, wanting mommy and daddy government to protect me, mentality that is reuning this country. A free market dictates free choice. You can choose to buy the phone that requires the data plan or you can choose not to. You can even choose to leave Verizon Wireless and go to another company. The FCC has been enroaching into the Cellular industry too much lately, just like they've been trying to regulate the internet. People need to learn how to resolve their own issues, rather than always going to lawyers and the governement. When the governement gets involved, they now have more control, which is never good. Compare the efficiency of a private construction company vs. governement construction jobs. The freeways near my house have been under contruction for over 3 years.

Also, most people don't realize that it costs a lot of money to build out the most reliable network in america. It only makes sense that the people taking advantage of it are helping to pay those costs back.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

When the governement gets involved, they now have more control, which is never good. Compare the efficiency of a private construction company vs. governement construction jobs. The freeways near my house have been under contruction for over 3 years

Not true, if the government subed out all of their work to private contractors than it would take twice as long to finnish the project since private companies do not have the resources and it is not cost effective to complete things as fast and efficient as possible. Your confusing government works with government control over private business.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Would you buy a sports car and not put tires on it? Of course not!!!!!

If I already had a superior set of tires at home I wouldn't bother paying the autodealer for what he's offering. WiFi is the future and WiFi is free. 90% of the time that I am using my phone I am within a WiFi network, the other 10% of the time I can go without internet.

[dandirk]

Yes it is lame that you cannot choose to have a smartphone without a data plan.

I am sure there are many reasons which could be:

1. $$$$ - Very possible they did the numbers and people that want a smartphone most likely will pay the extra cost to have it, even if they don't use the data plan.

2. When it was an option people racked up data bills (knowingly or unknowingly) and complained. So they just said F' it, we will require data plans.

3. Smartphones started to blur the lines of voice/data, integrated such that it was too easy to use data unknowingly and bam reason #2.

4. Phone hardware costs, to keep smartphones cheaper to compete they require data plans to offset the higher hardware costs. Easier to make a blanket policy then a customer (most are stupid) confusing set of options aka phone with plan price , phone with out plan price, used phone etc


Either way it is too bad there isn't really an option for you right now, other then using a 2nd device. If carrying 2 devices is worth $30 then there is your option. If its not, then get the plan and also get rid of the tether to the PC sync.

I just bought a HTC touch smartphone off of ebay that is with the same service I currently have, and when I received the phone, I called the customer service and told them I wanted to activate the smartphone. She said I needed a data plan, and I told her I would get back to her on that (I currently do not have a data plan, just my current phone minutes plan)....I have been able to use the wi-fi to connect to the internet, and successfully use the GPS and other "online" features. I am just limited to wi-fi hot spots.
Yesterday I noticed that the "Data connection" was turned on and I was receiving data and not through the wi-fi. I checked my minute usage and it hadn't changed much, I had just payed my bill so the next one won't be available for another couple weeks.

So, yes, you can have a smartphone without a data plan. Now, the catch is that you buy the phone outright and not at the store under their "discount" plan. That is how they make money, and are able to attach a data plan onto your account.

Now, I am curious to see what my next bill will be if I continue to keep the "Data connection" switch on and recieve data over the phone. Or will it even register with the carrier?

I'll keep everyone posted....

[renegade626]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I just bought a HTC touch smartphone off of ebay

So, yes, you can have a smartphone without a data plan. Now, the catch is that you buy the phone outright and not at the store under their "discount" plan. That is how they make money, and are able to attach a data plan onto your account.

Now, I am curious to see what my next bill will be if I continue to keep the "Data connection" switch on and recieve data over the phone. Or will it even register with the carrier?

By HTC touch I assume you mean the XV6900? (White in color). This phone was released a couple years ago and was one of the last smartphones that was sold without the requirement of a data plan. There are several other older smartphones that you can find on ebay (im sure there listed on this thread somewhere) that wouldnt require a data plan but any new current phone sold would require it. Buying a phone outright makes no difference on this requirement. Be careful with the data connection on it because it can seriously add up to a lot if it is used a good ammount. (data rate is $0.005/KB)

The phone is an HTC touch Diamond. It's not the original version that came out (May 08)with the diamond shape backing. This one has the smooth back. It is the Alltel version of the Diamond. And it's not the HTC Touch Diamond 2.

I am careful about the data connection "switch", making sure it's off. I due use the internet and check the weather, which uses data, and then I turn off the data connection.

I have been monitoring my "usage", and it seems that the data uses minutes. Not sure if they are also charging my by the KB. I'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for the heads up!

[renegade626]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The phone is an HTC touch Diamond. It's not the original version that came out (May 08)with the diamond shape backing. This one has the smooth back. It is the Alltel version of the Diamond. And it's not the HTC Touch Diamond 2.

I am careful about the data connection "switch", making sure it's off. I due use the internet and check the weather, which uses data, and then I turn off the data connection.

I have been monitoring my "usage", and it seems that the data uses minutes. Not sure if they are also charging my by the KB. I'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for the heads up!

Hmmm ive never heard of anything like this before.... are you on an old converted alltell plan or something? If your on a Verizon plan than I cannot see how it would charge you minutes instead of KB because even before required data plans they would charge by the KB for smartphones. Also if your on a verizon plan how were you able to activate the alltel phone? I know it can be done but is a rather difficult process to do since a technician familiar with alltell switches has to manual change it in their system to be able to activate the phone on a Verizon plan.

It's an Alltel plan that I currently have. It is a pretty old plan...they don't even offer it anymore, and I have been reluctant to change the plan. It has more than enough minutes for my usage and is still relatively cheap...when considering plans.

The phone is an Alltel HTC Diamond, and I am currently still with Alltel, so I didn't have to worry about the phone not being compatible with the service provider. That is one thing I did research before I purchased the phone.

From what is sounds like after reading different posts on this topic, the cust service people are told that if you have a smartphone you have to have a data plan, if you try to challenge them by not having a data plan, then it seems that they are confused and don't know what to say. I think you could call and talk to different cust service people and they would each give you a different answer. Plus, I think most people believe that if you have a smartphone you have to have a data plan...because that's what they want you to believe.

Perhaps I have jumped through the loophole that still exists and if you do the research you can too jump though, but I believe the cell phone carriers are trying to close that loophole.

Check back in a couple weeks and I'll let you know if they have charged me by the KB.

[renegade626]

Ah.. Thats the loophole.. The alltel plan.

If you were on a verizon plan not only would that phone more than likely not even be able to be activated on the account, there is no possible way in the computer system Verizon reps use to activate a current PDA device without a data plan. Now as far as what you get charged for for data usage, that is according to whatever your alltel plan consisted of. I would assume you can view their rates on the alltel website.

Alltel plans are not available for any verizon customer, if somone was converted from alltel they are automatically grandfathered in but unless you buy an alltel phone at retail price (which is what you did) you would be required to switch to a Verizon plan.

hmmm...interesting. I guess that's how the companies make there money. They sell you a data plan for 1-2 years with a discounted price on a phone. I'm sure that at some point Alltel won't activate a smartphone without a data plan, like Verizon does.
Since the merger of Alltel and Verizon, maybe someday we won't have a choice, it will all be one company and we take what they offer...but throw in At&t to the mix and it could make things a little more interesting.