[Q] I Don't Want To Pay for a DATA PLAN! - AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note II

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.

The newer phones, including this one, use a micro-SIM.

I think it is because you have a phone that is not sold by AT&T that they can't tell what it is, so you would probably be forced to get a data plan if you get the AT&T Note II. I would think that regardless of the sim card you have it would still report your phone model to the network, but I really don't know anything about that, so hopefully others can chime in.
I have been using an unlocked Xperia Pro on AT&T and they don't seem to have a clue what it is or even that it is a smartphone, so I could probably do whatever I want with the data plan.
If you got the international version of the Note perhaps you would not have to have a data plan.

acey_zero said:
I think it is because you have a phone that is not sold by AT&T that they can't tell what it is, so you would probably be forced to get a data plan if you get the AT&T Note II. I would think that regardless of the sim card you have it would still report your phone model to the network, but I really don't know anything about that, so hopefully others can chime in.
I have been using an unlocked Xperia Pro on AT&T and they don't seem to have a clue what it is or even that it is a smartphone, so I could probably do whatever I want with the data plan.
If you got the international version of the Note perhaps you would not have to have a data plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering if it has something to do with the IMEI? If it isn't listed in there network or something? Maybe I will be alright? I don't know... But back when I got the Tmobile HD2 I went from a Motorola Razr to the HD2 just fine and wasn't automatically enrolled into a data plan, like some others people on at&t were that got the same phone. I don't know how I wasn't, but I'm happy I wasn't and was hoping to find out how to avoid it again. Everywhere I go has Wi-Fi, I don't need to throw away, $15 to $30 extra a month when I'm not even going to use the Data network very often. I have been going just fine with my HD2 with no data plan, just using Wi-Fi.

P1 Wookie said:
The newer phones, including this one, use a micro-SIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I know I'll have to get a new SIM card and that is what kinda worries me, I don't know anything about the SIM cards. I was just curious if my older "Cingular" SIM card is what was helping keep me stay under the radar of them not knowing I have a smartphone, or if its because, the HD2 phone I have is from Tmobile and not in their system, so it can't recognize it? I went from a Razr to the HD2 and it still shows as a Razr in my account. An when I get the Note 2 phone, hopefully from Tmobile sometime, I was hoping I can still get away with not having to add a Data plan if i can find out how to avoid it...

Its all in the IMIE ... I was using a Galaxy Nexus overseas on a dumb phone plan because they didnt have the IMIE in system they couldnt tell it was a smartphone but they have cracked down on it now. Only phone that seem to be making it through the loop hole is overseas ones that are not very popular. If you switch to the AT&T version you will 100% be put on data plan if you choose a note 2 from say Rogers there is a slight chance you could sneak under the radar and not need it but for how long no one really knows.

I've seen people come in with T-Mobile phones or international phones and they don't register as a smartphone with the IMEI. So no data is required with unlocked phones.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

hiii_imkris said:
I've seen people come in with T-Mobile phones or international phones and they don't register as a smartphone with the IMEI. So no data is required with unlocked phones.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you work at an AT&T store or something? Just curious, cuz it kinda sounds like it from the way you worded that reply. I've read on other threads that AT&T does checks or sweeps every now and then, that might detect a smartphone? Have you heard about that before, not sure what they meant by that?

Related

[Q] Quick question about AT&T 3G

Alright, well my friend has a Desire Z (Bell version) that works with AT&T 3G. We are in New Jersey, getting about 2.5 DL and 0.9 UL.
I'm assuming this is normal and/or good.
Anyway, he had an iPhone 4 originally, so he got a microSIM adapter and put the microSIM into the Desire Z. I think the speeds are good.
He is wondering about getting the media-net plan. However, he has the grandfathered $30 unlimited so doesn't want to risk losing it.
Currently, with the microSIM in the Desire Z, the image for a phone on att.com is a generic phone that isn't colored. It says "Add your device/is this your device". So it changed from the image of iPhone 4 into a generic one, and is asking me to fill in what kind of phone it is.
I am assuming this is a good sign? I have an AT&T phone lying around somewhere, so I can always put the microSIM into that, get the media-net, and THEN put into the Desire Z. However, will this work based on the info I gave?
---
I am hoping that you tell me in response to the top portion that yes, I can use the media-net plan. If so, all is good.
HOWEVER, is there a way they can figure it out? (I know what happened to the Nexus One users, they got the IMEIs.) Is there a way I can prevent this by flashing a new radio or whatever (rooted Desire Z).
I don't want to change the IMEI obviously.
Thanks, and sorry for long post! Please help!
It should work, but its not a 100% sure thing that AT&T will not be able to figure out you have a smartphone. Basically, if your phone is not AT&T branded, they don't have the IMEI in their database. They don't seem to be able to read what phone my Desire Z is (but I'm on the smartphone data plan, not MediaNet). But its still possible that they can determine you are using a smartphone, or maybe assume so from the amount of data usage.
If they try to put you on a smartphone plan, you can call them and say you have a dumbphone, and see if they can prove otherwise. Worst case, you can slip your SIM back into your old dumbphone and have them remove the data plan or put you back on MediaNet. So its worth at least trying.
I've read at least one Nexus One user, whose phone was being incorrectly read as a Blackberry. Maybe AT&T has now obtained the IMEI numbers for the Nexus One. But also remember that Nexus One is approved for use on AT&T, even if it wasn't sold by them.
Changing your radio doesn't do anthing as far at AT&T being able to read the IMEI. And from what I've read, there is no legal way to change your IMEI (as you may already know).
I have Desire Z with the Media Net plan, but the plan was already on my account when I purchased and device and began using it.
I use anywhere from 500-800mb a month of data and haven't heard anything from AT&T about having to move to a 'smartphone' data plan (I have used a Blackberry Pearl, Bold, HTC Fuze and Nokia E71 under the Media Net plan without hearing from them).
I agree with the above post that its up to them to prove that you're using a smartphone and I'm not sure if they can positively prove that beyond a doubt.
One thing to remember though is that if the Iphone 4 was purchased along with a contract, he is contracted to pay the full data plan for the Iphone until the contract period ends. If he bought it full price or from a 3rd party, then he should be fine.
Thanks for all the replies. gbarayah, I agree with everything you say, or at least appreciate it, except the last statement.
You aren't required to pay the full data plan for the duration of the contract if you don't have the iPhone 4 anymore. You can simply say you lost it or sold it.
gyromanx55 said:
Thanks for all the replies. gbarayah, I agree with everything you say, or at least appreciate it, except the last statement.
You aren't required to pay the full data plan for the duration of the contract if you don't have the iPhone 4 anymore. You can simply say you lost it or sold it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I had known that before! My GF had a 3GS that she lost and was told that whether or not she replaced it with an Iphone, she would have to keep the data plan on her account =/ sounded fishy to me at the time too but we didn't really fight it, just got her a new phone...

one x on go phone plan?

im in a werid situation. the only phone i want is the htc one x. my plan expires the 26th of this month and i dont know what to do the phone comes out may 6th. heres the deal my dad is making me pay my line by myself so he will give the original family plan line to my little brother. so with his upgrade i intend to buy the one x and use the 50$ unlimited plan from their go phone options
will everything work ? the guy told me data wont work on 4g phones. and will a go phone sim even work on a smart phone ? i really want all this to work out because i need a nice screen and camera but do not want a contract. what other options should i look at because even atnt contracts minimum is close to 80 bucks !
are you talking about using an international one x? i decided on a prepaid plan and it works - but i bought an at&t branded micro-sim card from amazon. others are cutting down at&t sim cards. some are transferring micro-sims from unlocked iphones. there are people posting on the boards that the $50/month plan works for them - you just have to be careful about not drawing attention to yourself by your data usage. i am a minimal user so i went for the $2/day when used only plan (i am on personal wi-fi most of the time) and bought a data package.
you should also be aware that carriers like straight talk and net10 are offering $45-$50/month unlimited plans with purchase of their micro-sim cards. you can find out which network they run off in your area - they all use the towers of the larger phone companies.
check out some of the threads in the general forum as well as this one mentioning at&t. may help you. just be aware that having an international htc could mean no access to certain apps. it seems, for example, that google wallet will install but not open (at this time) on an unrooted international one x. could be a function of at&t, but i think it's google. found a way around that for google voice, but not for wallet. don't know if google wallet will install and open on an unrooted phone.
thanks for all the info. i was able to see h20 works in my area. im not buying the international version this is straight up the may 6th atnt released version. thats why im curious how am i going to keep the same number yet somehow use call sms and minimal data. i too am on wifi a lot but i def need 3g for work and gps. im just worried about getting a micro sim card and im hearing a lot of people getting cut off data on atnt once they found out their using a smart phone
also sucks to be buying an lte phone and no lte available lol
would this work ? what kind of speeds are on it
http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/bpd...ction=view&productVariantExtensionId=13837291
there are a couple of people on these boards who are longtime at&t users and know far more about the ins and outs. you might try searching them out in the at&t-related threads in the one lx forum, since you are planning to buy, i gather, an at&t phone. better to know ahead of time what you can and can't do. it may still be worth your while to check out straight talk and net10, however, since the last i looked they were advertising programs for at&t gsm phones that claim to be unlimited for $50/month. no lte, obviously, but also possibly no hassle over a separate data package, though they are making it clear they will pull your account if you go over their "unlimited" limit.
alright i searched around a lot and straight talk does use atnt towers so that may be my best bet i just need someone to help me confirm that if i buy the atnt one x should i let them install a sim card in it ? will it even matter? as soon as i get home i would take that phone out and put in my prepaid one. does atnt prepaid not let u use data anymore for 4g phones? lol so confusing
check out howard forums re at&t prepaid and also straight talk. i got into at&t recently. apparently there have been some policy changes that i wouldn't have noticed since i am not a long time user. one of them applies to smartphone data usage limitations - as in, you have to buy a data package if on one. there are a couple of people on these boards claiming they are using data without a data package on their smartphones and it's a matter of not triggering usage limitations. i have no way of knowing and it's confusing to me, too, so i'm just sticking with what i have till i run into a wall, then i may jump to net10 or straight talk also.

att forced data plan

I plan on giving this phone to my dad and was wondering if att will detect it. I am running cm9 and will be blocking all data before giving it to him.
raytraceme said:
I plan on giving this phone to my dad and was wondering if att will detect it. I am running cm9 and will be blocking all data before giving it to him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they will detect it. If your dad is on a very old plan (maybe 3+ years since renewing the contract), he might be grandfathered in (meaning that he wouldn't be required to get a data plan for a smartphone, and they won't automatically assign one to him). This doesn't apply to most people though.
lol nope i have used his upgrades for myself. So i guess he is not grandfathered.
Might I ask what phone you are switching to?
either the one x or the galaxy s3. The nitro gets too hot, still has color banding issues, and the battery life is humbug.
raytraceme said:
either the one x or the galaxy s3. The nitro gets too hot, still has color banding issues, and the battery life is humbug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All those things will be addressed once a stable version of CM9 is out with an undervolting kernel, but suit yourself. ;p
why would you want to give your dad a phone that overheats, has graphics issues and ****ty battery life?
He bought himself a HTC vivid, so I don't have to worry about giving him one that sucks...
Because in just about every metric, the HTC vivid is worse (comming as a person who does not like non fridge related LG products, here).
Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2
Edit, however, as long as no data used, normally, att will not bother you.
scott0 said:
why would you want to give your dad a phone that overheats, has graphics issues and ****ty battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ so are you saying that I should warranty it?
jeremyshaw said:
Edit, however, as long as no data used, normally, att will not bother you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true, if they detect a smartphone on the network at all, they will attempt to put you on a data plan. Sometimes it's not immediate but it WILL happen.
drumist said:
Not true, if they detect a smartphone on the network at all, they will attempt to put you on a data plan. Sometimes it's not immediate but it WILL happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah Thank you. I guess I got lucky with my TW GSII (or does AT&T only have IMEI of its own branded phones?).
raytraceme said:
^ so are you saying that I should warranty it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, i was attempting to make it funny.......................but yeah, i'd replace it 1st.
jeremyshaw said:
Ah Thank you. I guess I got lucky with my TW GSII (or does AT&T only have IMEI of its own branded phones?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that might be the reason -- I don't have any idea which devices are in their list but it's very possible that T-Mobile phones will bypass the detection. The other possible reason is the one I mentioned earlier in this thread: if you are on a very old plan that didn't have the data requirement listed in the contract.
raytraceme said:
I plan on giving this phone to my dad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really hate your dad that much?
My mom had exact same situation when I gave her a HTC Inspire 4G, she went to another carrier simply because ATT would not allow her use a smart phone without data plan. Well, they tried to rip her off with $30 a month and at the end they simply lost a customer who payed $45 a month.
Good job ATT.
Someone is giving my wife an LG Nitro HD after she lost her Samsung Captivate. We currently have the $15/mo 200MB data plan, but when I was shopping for upgrades and looking at newer phones online it seemed like we had to switch to a newer, more expensive 4G data plan. If we get a new sim card from AT&T for my wife will it work in this phone? Will we be able to use it without changing her data plan?
no driver said:
Someone is giving my wife an LG Nitro HD after she lost her Samsung Captivate. We currently have the $15/mo 200MB data plan, but when I was shopping for upgrades and looking at newer phones online it seemed like we had to switch to a newer, more expensive 4G data plan. If we get a new sim card from AT&T for my wife will it work in this phone? Will we be able to use it without changing her data plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd suggest calling up AT&T support or going into a local AT&T store to see if they can move your wife from the 200MB 3G data plan to the 200MB LTE data plan (same price - $15/mo). I think they will do it without any problem, but I'm not sure. It's worth a try at least.
I have taken a sim card out of a regular phone and put it into a smart phone and att never added a data plan to it. I had that for maybe a year. If you don't want to pay for data anymore take out your sim card and put it into an old phone and tell att that you sold the smartphone and are using the older phone now, then switch the sim card back without telling att, I've done that too. I can't say they won't force a data plan but this is just what i experienced
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
airicd22 said:
I have taken a sim card out of a regular phone and put it into a smart phone and att never added a data plan to it. I had that for maybe a year. If you don't want to pay for data anymore take out your sim card and put it into an old phone and tell att that you sold the smartphone and are using the older phone now, then switch the sim card back without telling att, I've done that too. I can't say they won't force a data plan but this is just what i experienced
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on how recently you've signed a contract with AT&T. If you've signed a contract since they implemented the requirement for data plans on all smartphones, then they will automatically switch you to a data plan if you use a smartphone. If you haven't, they won't.
This was with an iPhone 4 when it first came out. I sold it and then but an old razor and they took the data plan off per my request. And did the same thing with my wife's phone but she got an older smart phone but they never turned a data LAN on for it automatically.
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium

ATT S3 Data Problem (Having my cake and eating it, too)

Several years ago I got a unique data plan for an off-contract Xperia X1A phone from ATT. It was the unlimited data for 'smartphones' for $15. My phone was not recognized by their system and I got unlimited 3G data.
A year or so ago, my Xperia broke down and I got an HTC Vision off-contract with ATT's 3G networks. It worked well and immediately connected to 3G.
The screen recently broke and while I've ordered a replacement, I realized it was getting a little long in the tooth so I decided to get an S3 with no contract from Amazon Wireless.
I sliced down my Sim card into micro size and it fit (yay) and the phone service works...
But no data. Not even 3G.
Halp?
Have you updated your APN's for the phone? I dont know the ATT APN's off hand but Im sure you can google them and find them right away
Here's the apn from my Att s3
You probably need to use wap.cingular
mrhaley30705 said:
Here's the apn from my Att s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I don't see the thumbnail; can you please give it another shot?
mrhaley30705 said:
Here's the apn from my Att s3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay - now I see them and they are the same on this phone. Hmm.
justDave said:
You probably need to use wap.cingular
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awww ****! That seemed to work. May you please name a charity for me to make a $20 donation?
justDave said:
You probably need to use wap.cingular
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah - however, I only seem to be getting 3G speeds, not LTE speeds. Ah, that's a fair compromise.
I don't know if att is the same as rogers in Canada but I had to get a new lte sim card which would suck for you. I hope they never take your plan away.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
synpax said:
Ah - however, I only seem to be getting 3G speeds, not LTE speeds. Ah, that's a fair compromise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best I can tell, LTE needs a plan change. If you try to swap SIM cards, it still won't work. Worse, they'd detect you trying to connect to LTE and they may slam you to one of the new plans. Ask me how I know.
It's up to you to decide whether LTE is worth the price increase. Nice to be able to choose.
If you're feeling charitable, either XDA or Cyanogen seem appropriate.
justDave said:
Best I can tell, LTE needs a plan change. If you try to swap SIM cards, it still won't work. Worse, they'd detect you trying to connect to LTE and they may slam you to one of the new plans. Ask me how I know.
It's up to you to decide whether LTE is worth the price increase. Nice to be able to choose.
If you're feeling charitable, either XDA or Cyanogen seem appropriate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. If you start using a LTE phone and don't have a LTE plan, you'll start getting texts and emails from AT&T asking you to contact them so they can update your plan. They'll probably give you a new micro sim, as your old cut down sim isn't LTE enabled.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
KentuckyHouse said:
This is correct. If you start using a LTE phone and don't have a LTE plan, you'll start getting texts and emails from AT&T asking you to contact them so they can update your plan. They'll probably give you a new micro sim, as your old cut down sim isn't LTE enabled.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... today they actually did upgrade me to the 3gig/$30 data plan. I called them and told them I was going to stop using this phone, return it, and go back to my non-smartphone. They put me back on the old data plan - but I'm not sure for how long.
I'm waiting on my screen replacement for the HTC Vision to arrive, in which case I'll see if they try to force the upgrade again. If they DO, I will again tell them to put it back and send back my S3 and go back to the HTC Vision.
I wonder, though, if there is some way to prevent them from knowing it is a Galaxy S3. Mybe if I bought one from Telus or Bell? My HTC Vision was not released for ATT and I got it from some Canadian company with the same network settings, I think.
Besides, if they are going to FORCE me onto the plan, I may as well take a subsidized phone.
Motokorth said:
I don't know if att is the same as rogers in Canada but I had to get a new lte sim card which would suck for you. I hope they never take your plan away.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I walked into the store with my backup - a moto F3 - and told them I lost my old sim card and needed a microsim. The rep wanted to test that it worked so I asked for some tape and taped it into place. I told him that the phone was foreign and used a rare sim size but a micro could work with tape. They bought it.
So I got home and put the new micro into the S3 and no data using the ATT APN but 3G using the Cingular. So let's see if they try to switch me back again.
REally wish I could get LTE on my current plan. Hmm.
I'm increasingly unhappy with this phone, though, and may end up returning it anyway.
justDave said:
Best I can tell, LTE needs a plan change. If you try to swap SIM cards, it still won't work. Worse, they'd detect you trying to connect to LTE and they may slam you to one of the new plans. Ask me how I know.
It's up to you to decide whether LTE is worth the price increase. Nice to be able to choose.
If you're feeling charitable, either XDA or Cyanogen seem appropriate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done. $20 to Cyanogen. Too bad I couldn't earmark it to S3 development but nonetheless, I have been using their stuff for a while so a donation is in order.

If I get an unlocked version does at&T recognize it?

I am considering the note2 but I want to get the unlocked no commitment version. I have read n the past people will buy non carrier branded phones and the carrier will not recognize the phone so they default to the lowest data plan. Is that still the case? I currently have no data plan so I dont know what I want to do. Part of me is thinking of ditching AT&T and going to one of those prepaid services and using my old number via Google voice but to my understanding the texts get messed up.
Been using international Note N7000 for almost a year and should till tomorrow lol. I have my iPhone 4 SIM in it and the AT&T site shows the picture of a flip phone so they don't know what phone I'm using. I do have the iPhone data plan so maybe they don't care as I'm paying for a data plan.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Yes ATT will recognize it. As long as you have a micro sim card. If not you can go to an ATT store and ask for one.

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