Develop Bugs

Will the Tmobile touch pro 2 require a data plan?

I made this thread a long time ago but now that its coming out to tmobile soon and there is more information about it there are likely to be more reasons for people to think it will or will not require a data plan.

According to this http://www.tmonews.com/2009/05/small-changes-to-datamessaging-plans/ it will...but we really won't know until it is released.

Don't buy it from tmobile. You should be able to use tzones with touch pro2 if purchased from ebay/craigslist.

I'm making a guess here that you are thinking of using wifi for data purposes? Unless you are careful to turn off all data you will suck up a months cost in data in less than a day. Possibly more. I had my data turned off while I was in between phones using my backup for a few weeks. When the NAM unlocked diamond became available I purchased it at about 7pm. I spaced the data and turned it on at 10am the next morning. I did little other than fiddle with the phone for an hour or so in the evening while it was charging and then an hour or so in the morning before I called in to get my data back up. That was 47 bucks and all I did was open opera to scope it out, set up my email and exchanged a few, set up the weather, about it. Didn't dl any videos or anything of that nature. I'm guessing that tmo or AT&T (should they pick it up) will require a data plan and of course you can do what you want if you buy unlocked. Realistically I think while data may not required its not a bad idea.

krabman said:
I'm making a guess here that you are thinking of using wifi for data purposes? Unless you are careful to turn off all data you will suck up a months cost in data in less than a day. Possibly more. I had my data turned off while I was in between phones using my backup for a few weeks. When the NAM unlocked diamond became available I purchased it at about 7pm. I spaced the data and turned it on at 10am the next morning. I did little other than fiddle with the phone for an hour or so in the evening while it was charging and then an hour or so in the morning before I called in to get my data back up. That was 47 bucks and all I did was open opera to scope it out, set up my email and exchanged a few, set up the weather, about it. Didn't dl any videos or anything of that nature. I'm guessing that tmo or AT&T (should they pick it up) will require a data plan and of course you can do what you want if you buy unlocked. Realistically I think while data may not required its not a bad idea.
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But the thing is that no WM phone has ever needed a data plan before, and also wm phones cost a lot more than other phones that do require data plans like the G1,or iphone, and would be very disapointed if it requires a data plan because I don't really have a use for one espcially cause I have wifi around me almost all day.

99.9% of phone companies will not activate without a smartphone plan.
Which a data plan is part of the smartphone plan.
So unless you're with one of those 0.1% of companies that do not require it themselves,
then you will need a data plan.
It is not the phone, it is the company.

codybear said:
99.9% of phone companies will not activate without a smartphone plan.
Which a data plan is part of the smartphone plan.
So unless you're with one of those 0.1% of companies that do not require it themselves,
then you will need a data plan.
It is not the phone, it is the company.
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Are you talking about in the future? cause so far I don't think any wm phones have required data plans, so does that mean the touch pro 2 will be in the 0.1%? I really hope it is

Things are definitely trending towards requiring data plans for data-centric phones. The companies claim they don't want consumers to be accidentally caught in massive per-kb charges or to miss out on the phone's functionality, but the real reason is precisely what the OP is planning to do--just use wifi. I'm hoping for that option as well. That's precisely the reason that carriers were so reluctant to allow wifi on phones in the first place. Plenty of manufacturers were willing to put it in years ago--pre-iPhone, but the carriers didn't want people using wifi to avoid their data plans.
Although the common wisdom on many forums seems to be that going without a data plan for phones like this doesn't make any sense, the common wisdom is, as you'd expect wrong. Or at least wrong for some people. Plenty of people have wifi at home, work, school and most of the places they hang out, and also have a data-use pattern that doesn't require 24/7 data access.
Carriers subsidize the phones, and then make their money back on monthly contract plans. It's only very recently that viable and broadly appealing pay as you go plans have been worth looking at. Anyway, now that data is so much more pervasive, it's becoming part of how Carriers decide on how much to subsidize a phone. They can either figure what percentage of people will get data, and calculate the subsidy from that, or they can require data and not mess with figuring percentages.
WinMo is a great platform to go data-less, because you can alter the winmo registry using a program like NoData, and actually turn off the carrier data radios, to ensure that there's no data access happening in the background running up per-kb charges.
Personally, I'm looking at TP2 with ATT, and I haven't yet heard whether they have plans to require data or not. Or whether any such requirement is attached to the phone itself, or just the 2-year contract price.

fortunz said:
Things are definitely trending towards requiring data plans for data-centric phones. The companies claim they don't want consumers to be accidentally caught in massive per-kb charges or to miss out on the phone's functionality, but the real reason is precisely what the OP is planning to do--just use wifi. I'm hoping for that option as well. That's precisely the reason that carriers were so reluctant to allow wifi on phones in the first place. Plenty of manufacturers were willing to put it in years ago--pre-iPhone, but the carriers didn't want people using wifi to avoid their data plans.
Although the common wisdom on many forums seems to be that going without a data plan for phones like this doesn't make any sense, the common wisdom is, as you'd expect wrong. Or at least wrong for some people. Plenty of people have wifi at home, work, school and most of the places they hang out, and also have a data-use pattern that doesn't require 24/7 data access.
Carriers subsidize the phones, and then make their money back on monthly contract plans. It's only very recently that viable and broadly appealing pay as you go plans have been worth looking at. Anyway, now that data is so much more pervasive, it's becoming part of how Carriers decide on how much to subsidize a phone. They can either figure what percentage of people will get data, and calculate the subsidy from that, or they can require data and not mess with figuring percentages.
WinMo is a great platform to go data-less, because you can alter the winmo registry using a program like NoData, and actually turn off the carrier data radios, to ensure that there's no data access happening in the background running up per-kb charges.
Personally, I'm looking at TP2 with ATT, and I haven't yet heard whether they have plans to require data or not. Or whether any such requirement is attached to the phone itself, or just the 2-year contract price.
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EXACTLY!!! Its just another way of them to get money out of customers, if somebody really needed a data plan they could just get one themselves. But I think its likely that this phone wont need one cause no wm phone has ever needed one, so it probably won't, but I just wanted to know other people's opinions on this cause its not like its impossible.

^I'm not aware if any Tmob store requireing data plans where I live...hopefully they won't in the future.

Sprint just tweeted about the Pre: The Pre requires an Everything Data plan - SERO plans will need upgrade to Everything Plus plan or other Everything Data (450/900/S.E.).
So I'm guessing there is a good chance they will make the same bonehead move for the TP2. This will probably affect my ability to upgrade.

ajbopp said:
Sprint just tweeted about the Pre: The Pre requires an Everything Data plan - SERO plans will need upgrade to Everything Plus plan or other Everything Data (450/900/S.E.).
So I'm guessing there is a good chance they will make the same bonehead move for the TP2. This will probably affect my ability to upgrade.
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It's possible, but don't forget the Pre is not just a Sprint exclusive, it's one of the most talked about Sprint exclusives that I can remember. They're putting a lot more effort into that phone than they will for the multi-carrier TP2, as such, they might be expecting to get more out of each sale.

fortunz said:
It's possible, but don't forget the Pre is not just a Sprint exclusive, it's one of the most talked about Sprint exclusives that I can remember. They're putting a lot more effort into that phone than they will for the multi-carrier TP2, as such, they might be expecting to get more out of each sale.
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That's a good point about the exclusivity. I hadn't considered that. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I don't expect to see TP2 from Sprint before November in any case, so there's lot's of time I want to NOT spending worrying about it

ajbopp said:
That's a good point about the exclusivity. I hadn't considered that. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I don't expect to see TP2 from Sprint before November in any case, so there's lot's of time I want to NOT spending worrying about it
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One other thing that does make me think that this phone will not require a data plan is that the G1 for example, cost 180 with a new contract, but requires a data plan, and then phones like the fuze, are over 300 with a data plan and doesn't require a data plan, maybe that is part of the benefit of getting a pricier phone, no data plan required, kinda like if a printer sells for cheap usually the ink is expensive, and if the printer cost more it's probably priced more reasonably. so even though a lot of phones do require a data plan maybe the reason wm phones don't is cause they cost so much more.

i want to get the TP2 on the verizon network.. does anyone know if they are going to charge for a data plan??? iv never had a winmo phone b4.

Lw00d said:
i want to get the TP2 on the verizon network.. does anyone know if they are going to charge for a data plan??? iv never had a winmo phone b4.
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LOL...Verizon is just getting set to come out with the original TP. I wouldn't look for the 2nd gen version of it from them for at least a year.
Then again, I'm the guy who said Sprint wouldn't come out with it before November, so you know how far you can take my word on things!

ajbopp said:
LOL...Verizon is just getting set to come out with the original TP. I wouldn't look for the 2nd gen version of it from them for at least a year.
Then again, I'm the guy who said Sprint wouldn't come out with it before November, so you know how far you can take my word on things!
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if you read the post that i made.. you will see that FCC is testing two CDMA TP2. one of those phone is going to verizon.

Lw00d said:
if you read the post that i made.. you will see that FCC is testing two CDMA TP2. one of those phone is going to verizon.
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I don't recall the article being very clear about one of them being Verizon, just mentioned as a possibility.

I heard that the touch pro 2 will require a data plan and I was wondering if anyone knows if there will be a way around it, or if an unlocked version will also require a data plan?

It is supposed to come out in about a week or so so i was wondering if anyone had more information about this

[Q] IMEI dependance???

Is access to marketplace and zune pass on the device dependant on the IMEI of the phone?
I had an unlocked TP2 with a $15 unlimited data plan from ATT, when I bought the focus, ATT input this new IMEI into their system and my data plan is now $15 for 200mb. If access to these features is not IMEI dependant I would like to get my unlimited plan back...
Thanks in advance for the help.

chizzwhizz said:
Is access to marketplace and zune pass on the device dependant on the IMEI of the phone?
I had an unlocked TP2 with a $15 unlimited data plan from ATT, when I bought the focus, ATT input this new IMEI into their system and my data plan is now $15 for 200mb. If access to these features is not IMEI dependant I would like to get my unlimited plan back...
Thanks in advance for the help.
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it only looks at your email (your phone is connected to your email,xboxlive )
it doesn't look at your imei

AT&T shafted you. This has nothing to do with Microsoft or even Windows Phone 7. Unless you gave them permission to change your plan, you should call back and get your old plan back.

chizzwhizz said:
Is access to marketplace and zune pass on the device dependant on the IMEI of the phone?
I had an unlocked TP2 with a $15 unlimited data plan from ATT, when I bought the focus, ATT input this new IMEI into their system and my data plan is now $15 for 200mb. If access to these features is not IMEI dependant I would like to get my unlimited plan back...
Thanks in advance for the help.
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$15 Unlimited Data Plans are for Feature Phones, not Smartphones.
You phone sends off your IMEI to AT&T whenever it connects to the network. Since you put a SIM Card from a Feature Phone into a Smartphone, they automatically upgraded you to a 200MB Smartphone data plan.
Call AT&T. If you're on a contract you HAVE to have a Smartphone data plan if you put that SIM in a Smartphone. There's no way to get around it. If you get them to change it back (i.e. tell them you're going to just use you feature phone), the minute your phone connects to the network again, it will check the IMEI and if the SIM is in the smartphone it will simply upgrade you to a smartphone data plan again.
I made a huge post about this in another thread talking about getting a WP7 device without a data plan in that forum. My mom did that and wondered why her bill went from $80 to $120 in less than a month a while back

RustyGrom said:
AT&T shafted you. This has nothing to do with Microsoft or even Windows Phone 7. Unless you gave them permission to change your plan, you should call back and get your old plan back.
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Incorrect. It's common knowledge that Feature Phone Data Plans are incompatible with smartphones and that a smartphone data plan is required if you use a smartphone on contract. It's in the contract. It's in you contract too. Might want to read it.
They reserve the right to change you service if you use an incompatible device with you contract (i.e. alter you contract to compliance), and they reserve the right to add services onto you contract if you use them (i.e. if you tether without a tethering plan, they will add the tethering plan to you contract).
AT&T didn't shaft him, he just got himself kapwnd trying to shaft AT&T.
Nice try, but no cigar.
T-Mobile would do the same thing, and CDMA carriers would require you to upgrade you plan if you try to swap out a feature phone for a smart phone. Call Sprint, smarty, and see what they tell you about this (I've had all 4 carriers ).
Do you seriously think carriers are so dumb as to leave such an odd profit-killing loophole in their systems?

N8ter said:
$15 Unlimited Data Plans are for Feature Phones, not Smartphones.
You phone sends off your IMEI to AT&T whenever it connects to the network. Since you put a SIM Card from a Feature Phone into a Smartphone, they automatically upgraded you to a 200MB Smartphone data plan.
Call AT&T. If you're on a contract you HAVE to have a Smartphone data plan if you put that SIM in a Smartphone. There's no way to get around it. If you get them to change it back (i.e. tell them you're going to just use you feature phone), the minute your phone connects to the network again, it will check the IMEI and if the SIM is in the smartphone it will simply upgrade you to a smartphone data plan again.
I made a huge post about this in another thread talking about getting a WP7 device without a data plan in that forum. My mom did that and wondered why her bill went from $80 to $120 in less than a month a while back
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it still amazes me how cheap people are with this. You will spend 600 bucks on a device but expect not to pay for the plan.
Y'all have been getting around the data for quite a while now and it finally looks like the cellular companies are catching up to you.

nrfitchett4 said:
it still amazes me how cheap people are with this. You will spend 600 bucks on a device but expect not to pay for the plan.
Y'all have been getting around the data for quite a while now and it finally looks like the cellular companies are catching up to you.
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The carriers have been doing that for years. I think it's too late to even consider ignorance a valid excuse, especially when you have other people sprouting around invalid information and posters are allergic to forum search (the thread I posted in probably would have popped up in the results).
The truth and the matter is, someone with an Unlimited Feature Phone plan probably never uses more than 200MB data a month anyways, and a smartphone can do 10x that easily. Can probably do over 200MB just with passive Syncing if you have busy email/facebook/twitter accounts. In that case, marketing the data plans for feature phones as "Unlimited" is nice from a strategic standpoint once the person is locked into a contract they either have to pay AT&T/Verizon's enourmous ETF Fee (which they increased from $200 to $325 or 350, one of the two) to move to another carrier, or simply upgrade to the smartphone data plans (and for anyone who even moderately uses their device - 200MB is NOT going to cut it on a fairly recent smartphone).
200MB smartphone data plans are for people who have smartphones but use them like feature phones - you know, the people who think the phone is pretty but don't even have an email/facebook/twitter/etc. acocunt linked up with it (except maybe a google or live account, but they never use it and just make and recieve calls on the phone, and maybe some texts).

Well i'm not on contract with att anymore, my two years ended about 4 months ago...didnt upgrade or anything. I bought my phone out of contract. But i got my unlimited plan for feature phones back so i'm happy. It's not about being cheap...i make more than enough money in a year. It just doesnt make sense to charge $15 for 200mb knowing full well that anyone with a smartphone will use over 200mb in a month and then charge $10 for every mb over...

chizzwhizz said:
Well i'm not on contract with att anymore, my two years ended about 4 months ago...didnt upgrade or anything. I bought my phone out of contract. But i got my unlimited plan for feature phones back so i'm happy. It's not about being cheap...i make more than enough money in a year. It just doesnt make sense to charge $15 for 200mb knowing full well that anyone with a smartphone will use over 200mb in a month and then charge $10 for every mb over...
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isn't that why they offer a 2gb plan???
what are y'all gonna due when sim cards become unremovable???
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/17/gsm-association-proposes-embedded-sim-cards-with-remote-activati/

I am worried about the same thing.
I presently use HP Ipaq 614C and have 30USD a month unlimited data plan.. I want to buy unlocked HTC Surround since its almost the same price if I buy locked one from AtnT (I dont qualify for contract upgrade as I just renewed a two year contract with them 2 months back).
I am worried once I get unlocked HTC Surround from expansys-usa.. and put my SIM card in their.. wether they will change my 30USD per month unlimited data plan to 30USD per month 2GB LIMITED data plan..
I have read one more poster writing about it, about how once he put his sim, his data plan was changed from unlimited to 2GB limited data plan..

Purple11 said:
I am worried about the same thing.
I presently use HP Ipaq 614C and have 30USD a month unlimited data plan.. I want to buy unlocked HTC Surround since its almost the same price if I buy locked one from AtnT (I dont qualify for contract upgrade as I just renewed a two year contract with them 2 months back).
I am worried once I get unlocked HTC Surround from expansys-usa.. and put my SIM card in their.. wether they will change my 30USD per month unlimited data plan to 30USD per month 2GB LIMITED data plan..
I have read one more poster writing about it, about how once he put his sim, his data plan was changed from unlimited to 2GB limited data plan..
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if you already have a smartphone unlimited data plan, they shouldn't change it and if they do, I would call and make them change it back. The other poster had a featurephone data plan that was not compatible with the new phone.

Purple11 said:
I am worried about the same thing.
I presently use HP Ipaq 614C and have 30USD a month unlimited data plan.. I want to buy unlocked HTC Surround since its almost the same price if I buy locked one from AtnT (I dont qualify for contract upgrade as I just renewed a two year contract with them 2 months back).
I am worried once I get unlocked HTC Surround from expansys-usa.. and put my SIM card in their.. wether they will change my 30USD per month unlimited data plan to 30USD per month 2GB LIMITED data plan..
I have read one more poster writing about it, about how once he put his sim, his data plan was changed from unlimited to 2GB limited data plan..
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Different situation, buddy.
AT&T used to have $30 unlimited Data Plans before they changed it. If you upgrade your phone, you get to keep your $30 unlimited Data Plan.
They call this being "Grandfathered in." Sprint did the same with SERO plans, and other carriers do the same with older plans that they have phased out.
You don't have to do anything. You just put your SIM card in the new phone and you'll still have $30 unlimited data plan, until you cancel your contract/service, then for a new line you won't have that option.
We aren't even talking about what you're talking about.
We're talking about someone trying to use a cheap feature phone plan with a smartphone, not someone who thinks he's going to lose his grandfathered unlimited data plan if he switches phones.
To the OP, it doesn't matter if your contract is out. The AT&T system sees that you have x Minutes, x SMS/MMS, and Unlimited Feature Phone data plan. When you turn your phone on with your SIM card in it, it checks the phone's IMEI to make sure it's a feature phone or dumb phone (basically the same, feature phones just have bigger screans and oftentimes QWERTY keyboards or touchscreens). If you don't, they change it to the Smartphone plan.
Since a Smartphone cannot be used with that plan, they are potentially saving you money by automatically switching you over to a smartphone data plan, because otherwise all the data you use on the smartphone would count as overages. Fortunately for you, they have tiered data plans, and it's $15 instead of 30.
If they had just let you get all the overages, you'd be paying a lot more than $15 for it and since it's explicitely written in your contract/terms that you cannot use that phone with that data plan, you'd have no choice but to pay up. That is Cell Phone Service 101. Most people who pay attention know there is a distinct difference between feature phone and smartphone plans. They aren't even called the same thing on the AT&T website, or on your bill.

nrfitchett4 said:
isn't that why they offer a 2gb plan???
what are y'all gonna due when sim cards become unremovable???
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/17/gsm-association-proposes-embedded-sim-cards-with-remote-activati/
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Rejoice that when someone steals a GSM smartphone it will no longer be equivalent to them hitting eBay lottery? They should have started doing this a long time ago, IMO.

i understand what you guys are saying but why was it that when i went from my razr to an unlocked touch pro 2 (feature phone to smartphone), my data plan didnt change? even when att introduced the tiered plans, my data plan didnt change.

chizzwhizz said:
i understand what you guys are saying but why was it that when i went from my razr to an unlocked touch pro 2 (feature phone to smartphone), my data plan didnt change? even when att introduced the tiered plans, my data plan didnt change.
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you were lucky???
I really don't know. Carriers are getting better at being able to tell what phone you are using these days. Used to be that they couldn't tell at all. Now, a lot of phones can transmit the imei number back to the carrier that they can now check against a database to see what type of phone it is.

More like "every phone."
nrfitchett4 said:
you were lucky???
I really don't know. Carriers are getting better at being able to tell what phone you are using these days. Used to be that they couldn't tell at all. Now, a lot of phones can transmit the imei number back to the carrier that they can now check against a database to see what type of phone it is.
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Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

ceesheim said:
it only looks at your email (your phone is connected to your email,xboxlive )
it doesn't look at your imei
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It checks a serial code stored in the device's rom for market, zune, xbl,.etc.
Live account is used to access services, ofc. Microsoft can ban phonea by serial though, which is exactly what will happen to every phone using a ported rom (i.e. Hd2s running wp7).
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

N8ter said:
It checks a serial code stored in the device's rom for market, zune, xbl,.etc.
Live account is used to access services, ofc. Microsoft can ban phonea by serial though, which is exactly what will happen to every phone using a ported rom (i.e. Hd2s running wp7).
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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we don't know that for sure , I have 2 hd7 (direct from O2 online) and one of them couldn't be activated (email) so I called O2 for the code ( 5 times 5 numbers) but they couldn't help me .
they told me that the phone wasn't activated for some reason at Microsoft.
I called Microsoft and tolled the story and they say " gif us a email and wait 2 min , we are generating an code for you " LOL phone was unlocked and I could use the email.
I called again to activate that same phone with an different email and I got a different code and that one worked to
I think that if you have a hd2 with a ported rom you just have to call Microsoft and ask them to unlock your email for it and after that you can do the same as a real wp7 phone.

ceesheim said:
we don't know that for sure , I have 2 hd7 (direct from O2 online) and one of them couldn't be activated (email) so I called O2 for the code ( 5 times 5 numbers) but they couldn't help me .
they told me that the phone wasn't activated for some reason at Microsoft.
I called Microsoft and tolled the story and they say " gif us a email and wait 2 min , we are generating an code for you " LOL phone was unlocked and I could use the email.
I called again to activate that same phone with an different email and I got a different code and that one worked to
I think that if you have a hd2 with a ported rom you just have to call Microsoft and ask them to unlock your email for it and after that you can do the same as a real wp7 phone.
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Yes we do.
That HD7 incident you're talking about has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.
Microsoft doesn't do that by eMail address.
It uses a serial in the device's ROM. It does the same for XBox 360s and they can ban a device by serial number. They can probably do it for Zune HDs as well. It has nothing to do with you email address, otherwise you can unban yourself simply by creating a new Live ID, master resetting the phone, and putting that Windows Live ID when setting the phone up. Obviously that's an elementary loophole. It would be embarassing if they left the system that easy to circumvent...
Think through these things a bit before you make such sweeping conclusions.
Microsoft already has the infrastructure up for this. These are known facts.
An HD2 with a ported WP7 ROM won't be useful at all, except as a feature phone with a cute UI, because the system would probably ban it the minute it checked in with Microsoft's servers and sent that phony certificate (or no certificate at all in the worse case).
WP7 phones send this serial (certificate, etc.) to Microsoft's servers whenever they connect to check for updates, etc. It's like a Windows Genuine Advantage for phones, except much stronger. Apple can also block iPhones/iTouches from iTunes via the Serial number if unsupported changes are made to the firmware or the firmware is ported to an unsupported device, so it's not like this has never been done or implemented before...
The Serial/Certificate and the IMEI is pretty much all Microsoft needs to ban a phone from all their cloud services automatically. The IMEI itself is enough to tell them that you're running WP7 on a non-WP7 device (i.e. HD2), which can result in an auto-ban on the first connection attempt.

N8ter said:
Different situation, buddy.
AT&T used to have $30 unlimited Data Plans before they changed it. If you upgrade your phone, you get to keep your $30 unlimited Data Plan.
They call this being "Grandfathered in." Sprint did the same with SERO plans, and other carriers do the same with older plans that they have phased out.
You don't have to do anything. You just put your SIM card in the new phone and you'll still have $30 unlimited data plan, until you cancel your contract/service, then for a new line you won't have that option.
We aren't even talking about what you're talking about.
We're talking about someone trying to use a cheap feature phone plan with a smartphone, not someone who thinks he's going to lose his grandfathered unlimited data plan if he switches phones.
To the OP, it doesn't matter if your contract is out. The AT&T system sees that you have x Minutes, x SMS/MMS, and Unlimited Feature Phone data plan. When you turn your phone on with your SIM card in it, it checks the phone's IMEI to make sure it's a feature phone or dumb phone (basically the same, feature phones just have bigger screans and oftentimes QWERTY keyboards or touchscreens). If you don't, they change it to the Smartphone plan.
Since a Smartphone cannot be used with that plan, they are potentially saving you money by automatically switching you over to a smartphone data plan, because otherwise all the data you use on the smartphone would count as overages. Fortunately for you, they have tiered data plans, and it's $15 instead of 30.
If they had just let you get all the overages, you'd be paying a lot more than $15 for it and since it's explicitely written in your contract/terms that you cannot use that phone with that data plan, you'd have no choice but to pay up. That is Cell Phone Service 101. Most people who pay attention know there is a distinct difference between feature phone and smartphone plans. They aren't even called the same thing on the AT&T website, or on your bill.
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Thanks for the reply..
I have paid Atnt for last 4 months 30USD a month just to keep this unlimited data plan.. my battery at Ipaq died and I have been using this cheap flip phone and absolutly no data.. but I know this December I will be getting WP7 back.. so I am just paying 30USD a month every month, just to keep the plan.. and zero use of data.. one cannot even stop it 'temporarily'.. once you get it off.. you can only get 2GB limited data plan max... which I usually finish in first 10-12 days when I used my HP Ipaq614c... I play a lot of streaming music.. and heck of a data intensive financial softwares on my phone..

[Q] WP7, AT&T and no data plan?

I love the new WP7 phones and am dying to get my hands on one. I had a question about getting one though. Right now I am on a family plan with AT&T running a G1 that doesn't require a data plan. I would like to keep the data plan off of my tab. I have my reasons but my biggest is that I am constantly surrounded by WiFi and even when I am out and about, data isn't a big deal to me.
So is it possible to get a new phone without the data plan? I fully am aware that I will need to buy out of contract (which I am fine with), I just don't want to pay 200 - 300 bucks a year for a data plan. Last Wednesday, I went in to pick up a Focus at an AT&T store and the girl told me she had to add a data plan. I walked out and am hoping you guys can help me out a bit.
Has anyone had any luck with buying a phone out of contract, turning off the network data and not getting billed for a data plan? I am up for getting either a Samsung Focus or the HTC HD7 (whatever works... but the HD7 might be a good option as well considering I want to move to T-Mobile once I get out of my contract in a year).

Believe me I researched this. I have a Fuze on AT&T that has no data plan. We were lucky to have gotten them when contracts did not require a data plan. Our phone is grandfathered in...
However, if you get a new smartphone, it will trigger adding a data plan to your account. I believe it goes by IMEI number and your account... your original phone's IMEI number is set to be excluded from this provision. Any new phone you get will cause the data plan to be added automatically. If you put someone else's SIM card in your old phone... they get a data plan automatically. You can buy a new smartphone and pay full price online somewhere... as soon as you put your SIM card in it, you'll have a data plan added to your account.
There's just no way (as far as I know) to get one of these new phones without a data plan. I will be biting the bullet and getting a new Windows phone sometime in the next couple of months...

makku12 said:
Believe me I researched this. I have a Fuze on AT&T that has no data plan. We were lucky to have gotten them when contracts did not require a data plan. Our phone is grandfathered in...
However, if you get a new smartphone, it will trigger adding a data plan to your account. I believe it goes by IMEI number and your account... your original phone's IMEI number is set to be excluded from this provision. Any new phone you get will cause the data plan to be added automatically. If you put someone else's SIM card in your old phone... they get a data plan automatically. You can buy a new smartphone and pay full price online somewhere... as soon as you put your SIM card in it, you'll have a data plan added to your account.
There's just no way (as far as I know) to get one of these new phones without a data plan. I will be biting the bullet and getting a new Windows phone sometime in the next couple of months...
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Click to collapse
This is exactly correct. As soon as your SIM is inserted into a new smartphone, although it may take time, you will be charged for a data plan. It registers the IMEI number of that phone on your account.

Damn. Well... can't say I tried. Thanks for the info gents.

Even if you could, I wouldn't suggest it
as far as I've been able to tell, you can't turn off your data connection fully
and this phone is always grabbing data, you'd be paying tons for data...much more than on a data plan

dressanderc said:
This is exactly correct. As soon as your SIM is inserted into a new smartphone, although it may take time, you will be charged for a data plan. It registers the IMEI number of that phone on your account.
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That's not true (At least in my case). As long as data is not initial from the phone, my AT&T Pure didn't trigger the automatic data plan (It did trigger once because I accidentally turn the data on and had to call At&t support to remove it).
For my X1a, I've been using it for almost 2 yrs on their cheap media-net plan without issue. Therefore, I suspect they could only verify smartphone that being sold by them (like the Focus I got recently). That's why I am looking at the HTC Mozart being sold in Austria (850mzh UMTS support)

edit: nevermind

drleospaceman said:
LG Optimus 7's on Ebay should work.
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Click to collapse
Only on UMTS 1900 portion. I don't think it support 850

That's pretty lame... I have T-mobile and picked up an HD7. No data package and my HD7 is running flawlessly. The only feature that doesnt work with wi-fi is slacker radio and to be honest I don't need it...

[Q] Verizon service without data?

I want someone in my family to have data on their phone, so I want to cancel my data to balance out the bill. Im mostly in wifi anyways, and only need voice and text. So, is there a way to do this, or is this only possible on other carriers?

If your line is activated with Verizon, they require you to have a data plan. Otherwise, it would make too much sense and not enough money for Verizon.

To my knowledge nearly all carriers are requiring data on Android phones (as well as most other smartphones,) not just VZW. It's best they do this because the majority of smart phone users aren't smart enough to not have things updating (like email) all the time which would cause ridiculous overages on their bills and frustrating calls to customer care. (This is not a dig at you at all. Just a very generalized statement.) Also, the subsidy amount on smartphones is a lot higher than basic phones, they have to make up for this fact some how.
On a side note, if you are going to complain about price then Verizon is the wrong carrier for you! They definitely don't build their plans around counting pennies to say the least. Lol.
Sent from my Dinc 2.

cstone1991 said:
It's best they do this because the majority of smart phone users aren't smart enough to not have things updating (like email) all the time which would cause ridiculous overages on their bills and frustrating calls to customer care.
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They can provide phone-only service without any data, they just don't want to. It would be perfectly reasonable for someone to want to use a smart-phone as a phone only on the cellular network, and then use all the data capabilities over wifi only. I'm sure it all comes down to carriers wanting to make the money on the data plan.

ChrisDDD said:
They can provide phone-only service without any data, they just don't want to. It would be perfectly reasonable for someone to want to use a smart-phone as a phone only on the cellular network, and then use all the data capabilities over wifi only. I'm sure it all comes down to carriers wanting to make the money on the data plan.
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Click to collapse
Sure, its possible for them to do it... But if you want a smartphone without data you would have to pay retail for the phone because as I said earlier, "...the subsidy amount on smartphones is a lot higher than basic phones, they have to make up for this fact some how." If you are doing that you might as well go with prepay and get a cheaper plan. Most prepay carriers don't care if you have data on your smart phone.
I do agree that a big part of it is probably that they want to make money on the data plan also. The way plans are shifting currently I would be surprised if you can get a plan without data in a few years.
To me the best solution for all is just to offer flexible data plans so that users who don't want to use data can pick a minimal plan and the carrier can still make some money off the data plan. I can understand wanting a smartphone without the data charge but carriers are there to make money just like any other business.
Sent from my Dinc 2.

cstone1991 said:
Sure, its possible for them to do it... But if you want a smartphone without data you would have to pay retail for the phone because as I said earlier, "...the subsidy amount on smartphones is a lot higher than basic phones, they have to make up for this fact some how."
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Click to collapse
I completely understand and agree that carriers would require a data plan so long as they're subsidizing the cost of a phone. But once the phone is paid for, a data plan should no longer be required.
For example, my father would happily pay for a calling-only plan using my old iPhone 3G. He has no use for data away from home or where WiFi isn't available and so won't spend the extra $30 a month plus taxes for something he will never use. The phone is long since paid for and the carrier (AT&T in this case) would loose nothing by providing a plan without data.

I used my old Apache PPC as a phone only for a couple years, data only over wifi. I loved that setup. I was quite upset when they required me to purchase a data plan to upgrade to a VZW touchpro. The only way I think to do this now would be to clone ESN off a dumb phone.

[Q] I Don't Want to Pay for a DATA PLAN!

So check this out.... I am an AT&T user and back when the HTC HD2 came out for T-Mobile I bought it from a friend when they signed up for a new contract. Got an unlock code from Ebay and have been using it for the past 2 years without having to have a data plan, never got added automatically to my plan like i have heard happen to others? And I'm wondering why? Is it possibly cuz its a T-Mobile phone? Or is it cuz I still have an old "Cingular" SIM card? I am curious about this because right now, Wally World has a special sale on the phone at $249, plus a $100 gift card, which will bring the phone down to $150 basically, so a pretty damn good deal for a phone just out on the market. And I'm plan on getting it this week, I was wondering if any of you would be able to tell me if at some point if i was able to get a T-Mobile version of the Samsung Note 2 if i could slip my SIM card into it and then be able to cancel my DATA plan, if i told them i went back to a Motorola Razr or something, which worked when i got my HD2? Or will AT&T be able to see that i have a smartphone? Is it the newer smaller SIM card, that will tell AT&T that I have a smartphone, or will the phone it self be what sends info to the servers or whatever that tells AT&T I have a smartphone? Or do you think this method of getting a T-Mobile phone and using an AT&T SIM card will work and I won't get stuck with a DATA plan? Everywhere I go has Wi-Fi so I have no need for the Data plan it will be going to waste.

That offer of 249 is only for new contracts and upgrades
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

funziebear said:
That offer of 249 is only for new contracts and upgrades
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
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Yep, I am eligible for an upgrade, haven't upgraded in a few years or so... Just wondering if the new micro sim cards or the newer phone will alert at&t that i am using a smart phone, or if i will be able to do the same thing i did last time, by getting a tmobile phone with at&t service and not be required to have a data plan, if they don't know that i'm using a smart phone...?

Red-Dog said:
Yep, I am eligible for an upgrade, haven't upgraded in a few years or so... Just wondering if the new micro sim cards or the newer phone will alert at&t that i am using a smart phone, or if i will be able to do the same thing i did last time, by getting a tmobile phone with at&t service and not be required to have a data plan, if they don't know that i'm using a smart phone...?
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Click to collapse
so you are going to start a tmobile contract to get the discounted price on the phone then switch back to att

So, you've been stealing data for 2 years now... Making my data cost go up. Stealing is a crime! Please turn yourself in and agree to pay back the last 2 years of stolen data....
I'm messing with you.
If you bring a phone to T-Mobile, they won't force a data plan on you. I'm assuming The Dark Side [AT&T] is the same.

If you use an upgrade, a 2GB Data Plan is required, and they will not let you remove your data afterwards. T-Mobile is weird like that.

dkb218 said:
So, you've been stealing data for 2 years now... Making my data cost go up. Stealing is a crime! Please turn yourself in and agree to pay back the last 2 years of stolen data....
I'm messing with you.
If you bring a phone to T-Mobile, they won't force a data plan on you. I'm assuming The Dark Side [AT&T] is the same.
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Click to collapse
LOL, nice, but no, I'm saying I don't have any internet on my phone, only had the Wi-Fi, therefore wasn't having to pay for a data plan, because i wasn't required to have one since they didn't know i had a smart phone, just the regular cost of having a calling plan... I'm hoping it's something to do with the IMEI, if it isn't in the system, hopefully they won't know what phone i'm using...

iamtimmah said:
If you use an upgrade, a 2GB Data Plan is required, and they will not let you remove your data afterwards. T-Mobile is weird like that.
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Click to collapse
Yeah AT&T requires you to have an added Data Plan also with any smartphone, but I don't need it, its a waste of money for me, I have Wi-Fi most of the places I go, and don't need to be connected to the net 24/7 ...lol But, I'm hoping I can get a Tmobile Note 2 and use it for a while, then tell them I went back to my Razr and hopefully be able to drop the data part of the plan, but i don't know if i could do that until the new contract is over

truthkillszz said:
so you are going to start a tmobile contract to get the discounted price on the phone then switch back to att
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Click to collapse
No, originally it was just an impulse buy, cuz its such a kick ass phone...lol I would prefer just to buy a Tmobile version somewhere and use it on AT&T and hopefully not be required to have a data plan, but since the phone is so new, i'm probably not going to find one anywhere, less than $400 even on Ebay. So what I was thinking is, just upgrade my current AT&T plan to a new 2 year agreement, and get the phone for $250, plus the $100 gift card from Wally World, and that basically brings the price down to $150, and then possibly selling or trading the phone and getting a Tmobile version, so i can cancel the internet data plan. But, i'm not sure i could do that, i don't know if the contract terms say I'm required to keep the data part, even if i don't have a smartphone anymore say after a few months or year or so. Like for example, if I sign a new 2 year agreement, and after a couple of months, tell them I went back to a Razr phone, if i can drop the data, but i'm still on the 2 year agreement. And hopefully the Tmobile version phone won't be able to be detected so i'm not automatically enrolled into the data plan again....?

I don't get it. If you just want a feature phone then just get an feature phone. There are tablets that uses WiFi only just bigger. Then you can get a free basic phone for texting and calls only. Or get a feature phone for almost free for text, calling, and listening to your music. At this point PPCs (Pocket Personal Computers) aka "Smartphones", like Galaxy Note 2, are way too much for the purposes that you are wanting to use them for.
To make PPC aka "smartphones" truly mobile they need to be connected to the Internet at all times. That is why cellular data radio services is so important for these PPC devices. They are truly cellular mobile computers. That is why I coined them as CPPC (Cellular Pocket Personal Computer) and MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer).
MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer) is the best description of what these devices are. They are mobile in terms that you are always connected on the go with these devices. They fit in your pocket (at least your big pocket). They are very personal in the way you use them. And they are truly computers. They are your personalized pocket sized (big pockets) computers on the go with cellular radio and communication services. They are your MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is not for you at all. You are just wasting money on the Galaxy Note 2. Get either a basic phone or feature phone as your phone device. And get a tablet as your WiFi media device. You can get both for less than or close to the cost of a Galaxy Note 2.

JaguarXT said:
I don't get it. If you just want a feature phone then just get an feature phone. There are tablets that uses WiFi only just bigger. Then you can get a free basic phone for texting and calls only. Or get a feature phone for almost free for text, calling, and listening to your music. At this point PPCs (Pocket Personal Computers) aka "Smartphones", like Galaxy Note 2, are way too much for the purposes that you are wanting to use them for.
To make PPC aka "smartphones" truly mobile they need to be connected to the Internet at all times. That is why cellular data radio services is so important for these PPC devices. They are truly cellular mobile computers. That is why I coined them as CPPC (Cellular Pocket Personal Computer) and MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer).
MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer) is the best description of what these devices are. They are mobile in terms that you are always connected on the go with these devices. They fit in your pocket (at least your big pocket). They are very personal in the way you use them. And they are truly computers. They are your personalized pocket sized (big pockets) computers on the go with cellular radio and communication services. They are your MPPC (Mobile Pocket Personal Computer.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is not for you at all. You are just wasting money on the Galaxy Note 2. Get either a basic phone or feature phone as your phone device. And get a tablet as your WiFi media device. You can get both for less than or close to the cost of a Galaxy Note 2.
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Click to collapse
I'm not trying to buy the Galaxy Note 2 outright, I plan on going to Walmart sometime this week and upgrading my contract and getting the Note 2 for $249, and then on top of that Walmart will throw in a $100 gift card, that you can use on anything at the store, probably even gas at the Murphy USA station so basically, that brings the price of the phone down to $150.... I don't know of any decent tablet anywhere near that price. This phone is basically a phone and tablet all in one, I don't want to be carrying multiple devices around with me, a big 7" or 10" tablet everywhere I go everyday, plus my cell phone. I'm looking for an all in once device, and this is pretty much it. Most of the places I go have Wi-Fi, so I wouldn't, (and haven't), even hardly use(d) any data. And the extra, $15, $20 or $30 a month for a data plan could be used to help pay for other bills. I can still use the phone to its full potential without having a data plan... Except when I'm driving down the highway and I'm lost and need GPS? ...lol But, I still have my HD2 with tomtom on it, or eventually I might sell it and get a dedicated GPS, or use google navigation, I think I heard they have an option to download offline maps. If I'm bored waiting on my oil to get changed in my car somewhere, and want to watch a YouTube video, sure I'll be SOL if they don't have a public Wi-Fi, but I'll have plenty of apps and games to keep me entertained while I wait...lol IF I ever have an absolute need to use, mobile data, its a pay-per-use feature, per MB I think so I'll still have that, it just won't be a set monthly price.

Att requires you to keep a data plan for 6 months after an upgrade.
Here is what I would do:
If you upgrade then switch to the t-mo version, call att when you switch and tell them you are using a t mobile dumb phone and want your data removed. They may do it if its been 6 months since your upgrade. If they wont remove data completely, tell them you want the $10 media net package. It is unlimited and you will get hspa+ if your phone allows for it. That way you have data if you ever need it, and its cheap.
I used the $10 plan with my gsm razr, but switched back to unlimited so I wouldnt lose it. I know the $10 plan works for phones not in att's system.
Hope this helps
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

bfinch said:
Att requires you to keep a data plan for 6 months after an upgrade.
Here is what I would do:
If you upgrade then switch to the t-mo version, call att when you switch and tell them you are using a t mobile dumb phone and want your data removed. They may do it if its been 6 months since your upgrade. If they wont remove data completely, tell them you want the $10 media net package. It is unlimited and you will get hspa+ if your phone allows for it. That way you have data if you ever need it, and its cheap.
I used the $10 plan with my gsm razr, but switched back to unlimited so I wouldnt lose it. I know the $10 plan works for phones not in att's system.
Hope this helps
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Exactly, thanks for the info, helps a lot. That is exactly what I planned to do, just wasn't for sure on how long I would have to keep the mobile data plan. So $150, plus $15 a month for the minimum plan, for 6 months = $240 total, phone and mobile data.... not too bad...

Red-Dog said:
I'm not trying to buy the Galaxy Note 2 outright, I plan on going to Walmart sometime this week and upgrading my contract and getting the Note 2 for $249, and then on top of that Walmart will throw in a $100 gift card, that you can use on anything at the store, probably even gas at the Murphy USA station so basically, that brings the price of the phone down to $150.... I don't know of any decent tablet anywhere near that price. This phone is basically a phone and tablet all in one, I don't want to be carrying multiple devices around with me, a big 7" or 10" tablet everywhere I go everyday, plus my cell phone. I'm looking for an all in once device, and this is pretty much it. Most of the places I go have Wi-Fi, so I wouldn't, (and haven't), even hardly use(d) any data. And the extra, $15, $20 or $30 a month for a data plan could be used to help pay for other bills. I can still use the phone to its full potential without having a data plan... Except when I'm driving down the highway and I'm lost and need GPS? ...lol But, I still have my HD2 with tomtom on it, or eventually I might sell it and get a dedicated GPS, or use google navigation, I think I heard they have an option to download offline maps. If I'm bored waiting on my oil to get changed in my car somewhere, and want to watch a YouTube video, sure I'll be SOL if they don't have a public Wi-Fi, but I'll have plenty of apps and games to keep me entertained while I wait...lol IF I ever have an absolute need to use, mobile data, its a pay-per-use feature, per MB I think so I'll still have that, it just won't be a set monthly price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 7 Tablet!!! Check it out.
To use Google Maps you will need Internet connection so that the device can download the maps while you are traveling. Yes you can do that off line. But the Google Maps function the best when you are connected. Just a good example of so many things within these devices that Must be connected at all times for.
Why not check out lower end Android devices or feature phones with these features? They will cost you even less. Much less.
Again, Galaxy Note 2 is way too much of a professional device than what you are look for. So much of Galaxy Note 2 will be wasted. And the complexity of Galaxy Note 2 is not going to make you happy in the long run.
Warning - Galaxy Note 2 WILL use your cellular data rather you want it to or not. Again, this is the nature of these devices. Everything from email, system backing up, your contacts gets checked and backup, any social apps WILL use your data in the background, Google PlayStore in check for updates, Google Maps in getting new maps (as you travel) and adding location accuracy (with cellular towers), Google Street View in downloading the street view for you, Calendar will check Google and update, free apps that have ads will download the ads, some apps will be running in the background checking stuff online and downloading from online, and so much more WILL be using your Cellular data throughout the day and night on everyday.
When it comes to free apps you can buy the paid ad-free apps. But by the time you do that with all apps you will end up spending as much as it would if you just get the $30.00 per month unlimited data plan. I know that because I hate ads so much that I spend money for the paid ad-free apps.
At the end you better off either going for the $30.00 unlimited data plan or go for a feature phone that does what you want it to. With what you want to do with the device you are better off with a feature phone.
But if you do go for Galaxy Note 2 go for the Unlimited data plan and try to learn the features of this device. Hopefully you will learn to love or at least like the features enough that you would never again think of not having data plan with the device. But my fear for you is that the experience in trying not to use data service is going to be a very bad experience for you. But at least you were forewarned.

You can remove the data plan at anytime if you buy it from AT&T, not sure about other places.
There is a few problems with your plan. T-mobile version of the note 2 is worth more in the used market than AT&T version, so you may find it hard to do an even exchange.
Secondly AT&T do sweeps to detect smartphones more regularly now. It may be able to detect the Tmobile version of note 2 very soon.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Even if you can take out the data plan, your usage with Galaxy Note 2 would be hampered in a huge way. So huge that it is not worth removing the data plan or getting the Galaxy Note 2. I gave examples in a post above of some of stuff that uses the cellular data. Those and much more would be hampered by taking cellular data plan out. Again, not worth it. There are feature phones that would do what that user wants without hampering the usage.
You see that Droid X on my signature? That is not on the grid anymore. And I can tell you that I notice how much the device and I am hampered by not having data plan. It sucks in a huge way. I am talking with experience.
Android PPC aka "Smartphones" is at its best if on the grid all the way, including cellular data plan. Otherwise go for a feature phone.

JaguarXT said:
Even if you can take out the data plan, your usage with Galaxy Note 2 would be hampered in a huge way. So huge that it is not worth removing the data plan or getting the Galaxy Note 2. I gave examples in a post above of some of stuff that uses the cellular data. Those and much more would be hampered by taking cellular data plan out. Again, not worth it. There are feature phones that would do what that user wants without hampering the usage.
You see that Droid X on my signature? That is not on the grid anymore. And I can tell you that I notice how much the device and I am hampered by not having data plan. It sucks in a huge way. I am talking with experience.
Android is at its best if on the grid all the way, including cellular data plan. Otherwise go for a feature phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this post was meant for the OP.
I have an unlimited data plan and I use a lots of it. I'm just telling the OP what he can expect in his situation.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

whatsitsnamenow said:
Direct it towards the OP.
I have an unlimited data plan and I use a lots of it. I'm just telling the OP what he can expect in his situation.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry.
We are both trying to tell the OP what to expect in his situation.

I know it's a little bit of an inconvenience not having mobile data, but I have been using a T-Mobile HTC HD2 for the last 2 years without a mobile data plan, just fine. If there is something I need to do that requires internet, i'm patient enough to wait until I can get on Wi-Fi, make a reminder in the calender for when I have time and problem solved. I still have Windows 6.5, which kinda sucks, on it. And I also have Android ported onto it using the memory card. So if I'm traveling somewhere I restart the phone and boot into Windows and use my TomTom GPS program. Then after, I boot back into Android and in the settings there is a checkbox that I can check to keep my phone from using a mobile data connection, so I've been doing just fine. And the GN2 will be a step up from this phone and not that much money out of my wallet.

JaguarXT said:
Nexus 7 Tablet!!! Check it out.
To use Google Maps you will need Internet connection so that the device can download the maps while you are traveling. Yes you can do that off line. But the Google Maps function the best when you are connected. Just a good example of so many things within these devices that Must be connected at all times for.
Why not check out lower end Android devices or feature phones with these features? They will cost you even less. Much less.
Again, Galaxy Note 2 is way too much of a professional device than what you are look for. So much of Galaxy Note 2 will be wasted. And the complexity of Galaxy Note 2 is not going to make you happy in the long run.
Warning - Galaxy Note 2 WILL use your cellular data rather you want it to or not. Again, this is the nature of these devices. Everything from email, system backing up, your contacts gets checked and backup, any social apps WILL use your data in the background, Google PlayStore in check for updates, Google Maps in getting new maps (as you travel) and adding location accuracy (with cellular towers), Google Street View in downloading the street view for you, Calendar will check Google and update, free apps that have ads will download the ads, some apps will be running in the background checking stuff online and downloading from online, and so much more WILL be using your Cellular data throughout the day and night on everyday.
When it comes to free apps you can buy the paid ad-free apps. But by the time you do that with all apps you will end up spending as much as it would if you just get the $30.00 per month unlimited data plan. I know that because I hate ads so much that I spend money for the paid ad-free apps.
At the end you better off either going for the $30.00 unlimited data plan or go for a feature phone that does what you want it to. With what you want to do with the device you are better off with a feature phone.
But if you do go for Galaxy Note 2 go for the Unlimited data plan and try to learn the features of this device. Hopefully you will learn to love or at least like the features enough that you would never again think of not having data plan with the device. But my fear for you is that the experience in trying not to use data service is going to be a very bad experience for you. But at least you were forewarned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually already bought the GN2 on black friday, from at&t as a contract upgrade, it was kind of an impulse buy, i'm a penny pincher... I know, kinda weird when we are talking about a $700 phone, right? ...LOL But, I try to save money where I can. I took it back on Tuesday night, because a co-worker told me about the deal at walmart. So I'm gonna go get it from them. From Saturday to Tuesday I was streaming football and basketball games for a few hours everyday, over wi-fi, just fine. I checked my data usage on the phone with the included apps and I was barely even using anything, it was only a few MB's or so, that is probably when I was playing around with it before I connected it to my home and work Wi-Fi, 4G at my work was extremely slow, so I connected to Wi-Fi and was much faster, and I was thinking to myself, if 4g is that damn slow, i don't need to be throwing money away at it... Me and another co-worker that works in my same department were wondering how fast the mobile data is so, I was trying to go to speedtest.net to test the speed and it would never even completely load the page up. I didn't even try the wi-fi speedtest at work, because i was ready to clock out and go home... I did the speedtest at my home from wi-fi and on 4g and my wi-fi kicked the **** out of the 4g, the 4g didn't even get over 1MB! I don't need to have my apps all connected to mobile data all the time, I've used facebook, ebay, craigslist, google play store, checked email and the apps that have the ads don't really bother me, not that big of a deal to me. Sometimes they are annoying, but for me I'd rather see the ad then racking up money by buying all the paid apps. I might buy a few apps that I really like but probably not very many, who knows.. ...And on a sidenote, i don't see a $30 unlimited data plan anywhere, is that a T-Mobile or AT&T plan?