Hello all, I'm a total noob here, sorry for that. I'm about to buy a used G1 off a friend, and all I want to do is make calls, text message, and use the internet over wi-fi. I don't have a data plan and don't care to get one, I spend 99% of my time in range of a wi-fi network that I have access to, but I want to know, what exactly do I have to do to make it work? Or can I just take the sim out of my working t-mobile phone and put it in?
As its a used phone it is already activated, I understand that can cause issues with no data plan, but is there anything else I will need to do?
I would be comfortable rooting it if needed as I may be new to android but know a little about computers (windows and linux).
Also, after I get it working, and this is my main concern, is there any way I can be charged for internet access? Meaning if I hit the internet button on accident or something and I'm not on a wi-fi network, will I incur data charges? I don't have a data plan because I don't want to pay for it, so additional charges would kinda completely nullify the whole reason I'm doing this.
Thanks everybody.
Not sure about the other questions but I don't have a data plan and I never get charged for it if I hit the browser. If you're not connected via wifi then it will just go to a page saying you need to upgrade your plan.
well I think you answered my other questions indirectly, you said if you have wifi you get the internet, which is exactly what I needed to know, and thanks for letting me know it just tells you to upgrade your plan, I was worried it would somehow connect anyway and charge me.
Well, I pick up the phone tomorrow, hopefully it works out.
I was in the same situation as you are, and I never got charged for data, but if you do a factory reset on the G1, it would be easier if you had a sim with some sort of data plan, so you can sign to your gmail account. I just borrowed a friends and signed in, it only takes a minute or two.
ok, so after I get this thing, I will not be able to factory reset it without a data plan? thats good to know.
what about if i update the software, or root it?
Without a data plan on the stock rom (after a factory reset), you will not be able to sign into your Google account. You will receive a message somewhere along the lines of "your sim card isn't provisioned for data" and a "try again" button, thus locking you out of the phone.
On many custom ROMs[requires root], there's a "skip" option (not an option on stock ROM) when prompted to sign into your Google account, so if you do root it, you can flash away and sign into your account after you turn on WiFi.
I personally put a "data block" on my phone line as I am in a similar situation as you, but might be a little more paranoid about unwanted charges.
Good luck, and always read instructions three times, from top to bottom. Unless its the Haykuro/Danger/Death SPL, then make sure you read the instructions at least 7 times
I thought the way around the little green buddy was to tap all 4 corners in a clockwise motion to get into the phone? it worked on my moto droid when i had it.
I think t-mo just blocks data if you don't have a data plan, at last thats what they do now, I just haven't gotten my G1 yet and have never had any sort of smart/internet enabled phone and didn't know if it would access the internet anyways.
As for rooting it as I said I have worked out a deal but don't have the phone yet and this is my first android experience, so I have a bit of reading to do.
Thanks everybody for your replies.
thetacowarrior said:
ok, so after I get this thing, I will not be able to factory reset it without a data plan? thats good to know.
what about if i update the software, or root it?
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I've never had a data plan and have reset my phone before. You can root/activate the phone without a data plan. There's a guide on here that I followed. Good luck!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=452316
ok one last thing, I'm supposed to get the phone today, (very excited) I read on somewhere that you can get the really cheap non-3g data plan and most things will still work, just slower. has anybody tried this? its only 9.99 compared to 29.99. I could live with 9.99.
thanks everybody for your help, i'm learning alot.
They offer an edge data plan? I don't know if it will work (though it should). It may possibly require some APN setting changes.
Related
I recently got rid of my data plan for my TouchPro and downgraded to a Touch (Vogue, XV6900), since it does not require a data package. Then I realized I could no longer send/receive PIX/FLIX messaging because their MMS uses the data network.
They told me that if I have a smartphone I have to buy data package ($30 a month) to get pix/flix working, or I can pay for data by the MB, yet on regular phone (non-smartphones) pix/flix works fine, and you do not need to pay for data at all. Is this a limitation of Windows Mobile or what?
Is there anyone on Verizon right now, with a windows Mobile phone but without a data plan that can send/receive MMS free like dumbphones can?
Thanks.
one question for you, the xv6900 does not have wifi right? so if you dont have the data plan what do you plan to use your phone for?
nahid569 said:
one question for you, the xv6900 does not have wifi right? so if you dont have the data plan what do you plan to use your phone for?
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why does a phone need a data plan or wifi to be worth it? I had a dat aplan for over a year, and loved it, but it was not worth $30 a month just for the convenience of having my email checked every 5 minutes. I became a slave to it. I actually feel a lot better now that I have no data, and feel free-er. Here is what I currently use my phone for...
1. Calls
2. SMS/Texting
3. GPS via TomTom 7 (locks in under 30 seconds)
4. Transcriber feature everyday for instant translation of my writing into text. Very useful for night classes/school
5. Bluetooth syncing/audio streaming
6. MP3 Player
7. DivX/XviD/H264 Video Player
8. Xflib.com games
(the list goes on...)
Your question basically stated that a phone is useless without a data plan, and that simply does not hold true.
Now, can anyone answer my original question about forcing data on smartphones just to do simple PIX messaging? Is this true, or do I need to fix something on my phone?
I said nothing about getting a DATA PLAN, I said it should at least have WIFI, I mean a PDA is for organizational, email purpose. I personally dont have data so I hate it too but I have wifi.
Nonetheless, yes you need data to to MMS messaging. I am on verizon too and I have called them there is no way to do it any other way. So I gave up on MMS.
nahid569 said:
I said nothing about getting a DATA PLAN, I said it should at least have WIFI, I mean a PDA is for organizational, email purpose. I personally dont have data so I hate it too but I have wifi.
Nonetheless, yes you need data to to MMS messaging. I am on verizon too and I have called them there is no way to do it any other way. So I gave up on MMS.
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Again, this is your "opinion". Before this phone, I had a XV6800 and a TouchPro, both of which have Wifi, and I never once turned it on or used the WiFi in a year and a half of owning those phones. WiFi on PDAs is pointless to me, in my opinion.
We use our phones for different things, so what's wrong with that? You use it as an organizational tool, I use it as a 16GB flash drive, and a TomTom GPS. It was only $50, so if I had wanted a 16gb flash drive and a TomTom separately it would have easily been over $100, so why do you care so much how I use my phone?
wow nevermind, it doesnt matter. But your question has been aswered so mods close this thread please.
nahid569 said:
wow nevermind, it doesnt matter. But your question has been aswered so mods close this thread please.
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"wow nevermind"...? why the attitude? we use our phones for different purposes...why do you care so much how i used or don't use my smartphone? jeez, stop being such a commie about this.
also, don't order the mods around. they do their job just fine on here.
for the fuze owners. i would like to know what all you guys are paying for your internet access. with a cooked rom, is at&t still able to tell what phone your using? i tried searching for this answer but have not found a definate answer. thanks.
Greg
I believe AT&T OLAM can still tell what phone you'er using. IMEI is hard coded, there isn't any way to hide it unless you probably did something with the hardware (like flashing some chip with some special tool). If you're wondering becuase of the mandatory data plans, and them switching... well I made a call to them, I don't have data, ask for a data opt out, they gave it to me (this was before it became mandatory), but they said if they ever updated my IMEI to my Fuze I'd have to get the data plan apparently, as they still have me down as using a Moto SLVR L7, which I got years ago, and have switched between that phone, a Nokia 6102i, and the Fuze. He said I'd have to update it manually over the phone if I wanted. So, they can tell, but it seems like right now you have to update your IMEI over the phone.
at&t can tell what phone you're using, but it wont be able to tell what software you are running.
I'm using ATT's standard $30 unlimited..
thanks for the answers. i see that when i check my account online, it changes to what phone i am using at that time. however, i have used phones that are not at&t branded. it then can not tell what phone i was using. just thought there was a way around the 30$ plan. it really bugs me that they charge such a difference for data. heck, i pay less than that for my dsl at home. again i appreciate the responses.
the general idea is to provide them with the imei of a non smartphone and you pay $15 a month instead, but if they catch you, i do not know what will happen since it is not exactly legal
Considering an upgrade from my 8125/Wizard (no AT&T data plan) to a Tilt/ Fuse/? (something cheap, in good-great condition, 400MHz+, GPS, ???).
Will AT&T require me to upgrade to a data plan if I just stick my SIM card in a phone I buy here? Does "unlocked" really matter any more? I've heard they are detecting device ID's and forcing data plans based on that.
Thanks!
Data Usage is sneaky!
Well, here's what I think about that. They won't force you to get a data plan, but I highly advise it, as your phone will use the data whether you physically go on the internet or not. At least that is my experience with it. I let my niece use my Tilt with her sim card which had no data plan, only texting and my next phone bill was an extra $100. It was still accessing the net for stuff, even though I turned off the auto update for weather. So, my advice would be, if you are going to get a smart phone, get a plan with it. It's worth it in the end I think. Oh yeah, MMS also uses data...
tmroper22 said:
Well, here's what I think about that. They won't force you to get a data plan, but I highly advise it, as your phone will use the data whether you physically go on the internet or not. At least that is my experience with it. I let my niece use my Tilt with her sim card which had no data plan, only texting and my next phone bill was an extra $100. It was still accessing the net for stuff, even though I turned off the auto update for weather. So, my advice would be, if you are going to get a smart phone, get a plan with it. It's worth it in the end I think. Oh yeah, MMS also uses data...
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Some people have internet (wifi) wherever they're at so there's no need for a data plan. Also, MMS is free if you have a texting plan so it uses data, but doesn't charge you for it.
To the OP, if you get ANY phone outside of ATT (Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.), you don't have to get a data plan.
Thanks for the feedback. I have had an 8125/Wizard for several years with no data plan. As also pointed out, MMS does work without data plan. Well sort of... I can rarely get them to go through, but we don't get charged for it since we have the AT&T messaging plan. $30 /mo for data is just outrageous to me, I pay less than that for reliable/fast internet access at home.
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Best way is to activate the Old phone on your line, then call up Verizon and say your someone else like your daughter or someone is using it, and you want web or data completely barred from activation, that way when you put the data phone back on, they cant activate your data
Xenovann said:
Is there any way to change settings on my phone to say its not a "smart phone" (I have another phone thats not but its a clam shell and I really dont want to go back to taking 5mins to text a sentence) is there a way I can swap the info on them some how so I can get out of my data plan? My phones data doesnt work anyways, if you wanna know why heres the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=849663 (I tried everything). And Im not buying another phone, gawd thats all the verizon techs could talk about..I dont have the money and I dont want to extend my subscription either.
Also Ive heard of a trick to channel the data usage through the voice plan via a different ISP than verizons network thus using data without a data plan, can I get a walk through of that? Kind of need it since my pic messages/videos rely on a data plan.
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not to continue their MO but you can always call your carrier and ask for a new phone. Often if you complain enough they will give one. Thats how i got my Incredible no new contract for 50$
I just got a Galaxy S3. I want my MT4GS to go to my wife. She's currently using a cheap slider with no data plan (Gravity S).
So, I just plugged her SIM card into my freshly reset (but rooted) phone. Wifi off. Navigation and google maps work with satellite views, which means that there is a data connection. I'm curious as to whether this is data I would be charged for.
My wife does maybe 10 messages and ten minutes a month. I don't plan to get her hooked on internet or email. I thought that having navigation would be a good thing. I do have wifi, so I could download maps ahead of time, but from what I have seen, navigation instructions are still a data user. I turned off the data and the maps don't work.
With all that above, I have my question. Will I get billed for a small amount of data?
Rooted, is there any way around it?
sandiegoan said:
I just got a Galaxy S3. I want my MT4GS to go to my wife. She's currently using a cheap slider with no data plan (Gravity S).
So, I just plugged her SIM card into my freshly reset (but rooted) phone. Wifi off. Navigation and google maps work with satellite views, which means that there is a data connection. I'm curious as to whether this is data I would be charged for.
My wife does maybe 10 messages and ten minutes a month. I don't plan to get her hooked on internet or email. I thought that having navigation would be a good thing. I do have wifi, so I could download maps ahead of time, but from what I have seen, navigation instructions are still a data user. I turned off the data and the maps don't work.
With all that above, I have my question. Will I get billed for a small amount of data?
Rooted, is there any way around it?
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Click to collapse
It's at the carrier level, so there's no way around it (like throttling and the old services.jar trick). Are you both on the same plan? That might save you some headache.
blackknightavalon said:
It's at the carrier level, so there's no way around it (like throttling and the old services.jar trick). Are you both on the same plan? That might save you some headache.
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Click to collapse
My wife's current phone is a basic phone that has slide out keyboard and touch screen. I am not now paying for a data plan. When I simply put the sim card in the MT4GS, the messages were available. They might be stored on the sim card, I don't know.
I brought up Google Maps and the local map came up. I added the satellite view and it came up. I didn't turn on wifi and I didn't turn off mobile data.
My main question is, If the phone doesn't get used much and we don't use web or email, will we get charged or will the data stop? There is a limited amount of data that comes with the phone to power the weather widget on the home screen.
I just don't want to get any surprises when the bill comes up next time.
Any information would be helpful.
sandiegoan said:
My wife's current phone is a basic phone that has slide out keyboard and touch screen. I am not now paying for a data plan. When I simply put the sim card in the MT4GS, the messages were available. They might be stored on the sim card, I don't know.
I brought up Google Maps and the local map came up. I added the satellite view and it came up. I didn't turn on wifi and I didn't turn off mobile data.
My main question is, If the phone doesn't get used much and we don't use web or email, will we get charged or will the data stop? There is a limited amount of data that comes with the phone to power the weather widget on the home screen.
I just don't want to get any surprises when the bill comes up next time.
Any information would be helpful.
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You need to turn off mobile data on the phone. Wifi is ok to use, but if mobile data is on, you will get charged per use. Not sure what the rate is, but it's usually steep.
Even if you don't use mobile data, smartphones are designed to constantly pull data. Which is why you'll get data charges if you don't turn it off. That's just how they are built. Gmail sync, weather updates, widgets, apps, etc. It's impossible for you to control how and when your phone uses data unless you're manually controlling each and every app.
That said, if you turn off data, you will lose MMS since it relies on mobile data
Technically, a data plan is REQUIRED when running a smartphone, but lately I've seen almost everyone get away with it. I'm not sure if they revoked the rule or they just don't enforce it anymore. Last time I checked, they're authorized to tack a data plan onto your account if they catch you using one of these phones.
SOURCE: I use a smartphone with no data plan
Check out my thread posing a similar question, it may help:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1635679
The app I mentioned there was an amazing idea for someone that doesn't have a data plan. Let me know if you figure out how to make it work
I think t-mobile charges u for the initial plan, like for a smart phone your plan would typically require some sort of data like 100mb to start at 4g, but there all unlimited as far as I know, and throttled after you go over the given amount, anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but to be sure look at t-mobiles contract plans with data, may say #mb/gb of 4g/unlimited mines a month 2 month prepay of 2gigs and in my account says 2gigs/unlimited because they throttle you once your over
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda app-developers app
Not sure I am understood
The phone my wife has is a dumb phone with a touch screen and a slide out keyboard. Because it can get weather and some email, there is limited data available.
When I put her sim card in the Slide 4g data is available. Somewhere there is a line that gets crossed and charges start occurring. I'm just trying to find out where that line is.
If she only makes calls and text, there is no problem. I can turn on wifi, but it doesn't help get directions when she is out. This wouldn't be a regular thing but I would like to see it available.
I am fearful of calling tmobile because it might flag my account. That is why I am asking here first.
Thanks.
sandiegoan said:
The phone my wife has is a dumb phone with a touch screen and a slide out keyboard. Because it can get weather and some email, there is limited data available.
When I put her sim card in the Slide 4g data is available. Somewhere there is a line that gets crossed and charges start occurring. I'm just trying to find out where that line is.
If she only makes calls and text, there is no problem. I can turn on wifi, but it doesn't help get directions when she is out. This wouldn't be a regular thing but I would like to see it available.
I am fearful of calling tmobile because it might flag my account. That is why I am asking here first.
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
There's no way your wife has been using her phone without some sort of mobile data. Either pay per use or part of your plan. It's not possible to get email and weather on your phone unless you have data or are using wifi
Ok so then from what I understand is you wife has a phone with the smallest data plan on it
Then you just have to watch out for data overages. Your limit must be pretty small (not sure what it is)
there are minimal data accounts for dumb phones
As far back as almost 4 years ago I had weather and email without the $5 web account. Since it was the same limited web that you got with a flip phone and it wasn't practical and usable, there was the $5 for the web. I had constantly updated weather and I had email to my gmail, and live/hotmail addresses. It was very hard to use and to configure (not the weather, which had a little picture widget with the tempurature) but it did have limited data. I could download maps. Again on a dumb phone, it was mostly not worth using, but I had a little taste of a smart phone in early 2009.
So, I guess that all the expertise here is on Android phones with full data plans. I was hoping that someone here would know about the limited data plan that IS on the Samsung Gravity S. I asked here because I want to see how far I can go with the no data plan and still use that limited data.
Seriously, we're talking about a tech less person. The old phone has a plastic screen and is hard to use.
I see that I am not getting what I want here.
Thanks for trying.
I think you are right about not getting your answer. I wonder if you can get on their CS chat anonymously and find out that way. I feel where you are coming from in not wanting to ask directly and getting hosed for your trouble. Whatever you find out please post it here if you don't mind so we can all benefit.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
Coug76 said:
I think you are right about not getting your answer. I wonder if you can get on their CS chat anonymously and find out that way. I feel where you are coming from in not wanting to ask directly and getting hosed for your trouble. Whatever you find out please post it here if you don't mind so we can all benefit.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement
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Click to collapse
Yeah.
Maybe go into a TMobile store, or *maybe* a Best Buy and ask the reps in there, as they might tell you something different too.. Dont tell the TMo Store reps u are a member already just ask hypothetically how their data billing works.
I am sure many people ask the same questions. Good luck! :good:
Answer will you get charged data/, t-mobile offers unlimited data, w/ limited 4g, click your "my account" application, it will say "data plan amount/data limit". If data limit says unlimited, you have unlimited data, if it shows a limit it will either charge u to go over or just turn off your data make sure the phone is stock, and factory or it may not state the correct amount,
But like someone said above stated call t-mobile ask them when they charge you and what your limit is. That is your best bet, don't let them know you have put your sim in a new phone, though they probably know already.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda app-developers app