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I was curious of those of you using AT&T's service and have Fuze's. What plans do you have? What do you think is the best overall plan? for unlimited text messaging and unlimited data plan, i dont need many minutes. thanks
Personal plan = 1350 mins $79.99
Unlimited text and media net = $50.00
Maybe the 59.99 plan?
i use the $15 medianet for unlimited internet
omaralt said:
i use the $15 medianet for unlimited internet
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so when i sign up, should i tell them ill be using it on an HTC Fuze? whats the cheapest way i can do this, with having unlimited data
ACMilan07 said:
I was curious of those of you using AT&T's service and have Fuze's. What plans do you have? What do you think is the best overall plan? for unlimited text messaging and unlimited data plan, i dont need many minutes. thanks
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Did you already buy the fuze? Or are you going to get it from ATT with the rebate? Cause if you get it from them there going to put you on the PDA plan... which cost more that the $15 unlimited media net... you supposed to have the PDA plan for the FUZE but ONE way around it is if you bought the phone without contract and just added the $15 media net unlimited... but theres other ways around it..
sguerra923 said:
Did you already buy the fuze? Or are you going to get it from ATT with the rebate? Cause if you get it from them there going to put you on the PDA plan... which cost more that the $15 unlimited media net... you supposed to have the PDA plan for the FUZE but ONE way around it is if you bought the phone without contract and just added the $15 media net unlimited... but theres other ways around it..
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no i already have the fuze, but no service. i need service and i want to know what i should do? i want the cheapest possible plan, but i need unlimited data and text messaging. should i act like im going to buy a motorola razer? and get the unlimited internet package on it? I mean will it work on my fuze? thanks
the cheapest is probably
450 minutes - $39.99 with
MEdia Max Unlimited (Text & Web) - $35
that'll give you 450 minutes talk time along with unlimited data and unlimited messaging. since you already have the phone it should be no problem getting the non-PDA data plan.
just go in and sign up for a plan and get a sim card.
Dyaus said:
the cheapest is probably
450 minutes - $39.99 with
MEdia Max Unlimited (Text & Web) - $35
that'll give you 450 minutes talk time along with unlimited data and unlimited messaging. since you already have the phone it should be no problem getting the non-PDA data plan.
just go in and sign up for a plan and get a sim card.
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Click to collapse
Is it really possible to use Media Max with a PDA phone?
I thought AT&T didn't alllow this?
Do AT&T charge extra to have internation roaming?
if you want media max for $15, sign up for it using a regular phone such as a razr. the plan will be $39.99 (voice) + $15 (data). After you sign up for the service, just take out the sim card and put it in your fuze at home. Note that this is against the agreement you signed with AT&T. All PDA phones (yes Fuze is a PDA phone) are only allowed to have PDA data ($35 stand alone or $30 if you tie it to a voice plan). By having media max for $15 you're essentially involved in fraud. Some people obviously have no problem doing that, but if you have a conscience you might want to just sign up for a voice + data plan for Fuze ($39.99 + $30)
and yes ATT does charge extra for roaming.
1. Cheapest will be Nation 450 @ 39.99
2. Best value is Nation 450 or Nation 900 w/ early N&W (extra 60 hours a month of unlimited talking)
3. AT&T DOES NOT charge for roaming. If you are flagged as an excessive off-network roamer, the only consequence is a pushed back upgrade date. Anyone who tells you different is wrong.
4. If you DO sign up for MediaNet or MediaMax and use the IMEI from a RAZR or what have you, note that you will be faced with the following:
- It will be counted as fraud and violate AT&Ts Terms and Conditions leaving you open for legal action or service cancellation
- You WILL NOT receive insurance replacements
- You WILL NOT get the instant $100 Data Phone discount and $50 MIR meaning you will pay $450 for the phone. And no, you can't ask for it. And it's going to look fishy going into a store buying the phone outright and not getting the IMEI activated onto your account. You might get investigated.
- You CAN NOT call customer service or tech support with issues regarding your phone. They will investigate your account, notice the IMEI discrepancy and put the correct smart phone plan on your account.
Get the correct data feature.
clarification
TProUser said:
3. AT&T DOES NOT charge for roaming. If you are flagged as an excessive off-network roamer, the only consequence is a pushed back upgrade date. Anyone who tells you different is wrong.
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AT&T doesnt charge extra for international roaming?
I thought they charge extra if you receive data when you're in, say, Canada. Same goes with phone calls. could you please clarify? thanks
wouldnt att notice the high data consumption through a regual phone and ivestigate anyway?
No. To be clear, the plan separation is ATT's way of charging per use. Basically they use different plans for different phones that are more data intensive (iPhone, Blackberry, PDA phones). The phones all use the same data network (PDA phones get assigned a publicly addressable IP, there is that one difference) and get the same data throughput. They don't really monitor data usage (except for crazy high amounts), and the infrastructure's not really there to have everything separated out, so they just sign you up with a data plan that's priced to the phone you buy. Then they put some legalese in the account agreement to try to enforce that. I've never heard of them actually enforcing it.
isaacfinnegan said:
No. To be clear, the plan separation is ATT's way of charging per use. Basically they use different plans for different phones that are more data intensive (iPhone, Blackberry, PDA phones). The phones all use the same data network (PDA phones get assigned a publicly addressable IP, there is that one difference) and get the same data throughput. They don't really monitor data usage (except for crazy high amounts), and the infrastructure's not really there to have everything separated out, so they just sign you up with a data plan that's priced to the phone you buy. Then they put some legalese in the account agreement to try to enforce that. I've never heard of them actually enforcing it.
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I work for ATT and i have to agree. like he said, its in the contract but as far as enforcing it, there is no worry, unless for crazy data usage. i do it all the time for friends that dont wana pay 30 a/mo. $75 a month is the best possible price you can get unless you work for a company that provides a discount. ie Best Buy is a 21% discount, USPS is 28%...
what about att recognising your imei and changing the plan to match? a friend of mine said that att recognized and changed her plan to a pda plan and her phone as the blackjack she used. anyone hear of this happening?
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.
Background:
* I have 2 lines on Family Plan, both with "smartphone exclusion"
* On 1st line, I had Samsung Jack with Medianet Unlimited Plan for 2 years without any problems. Loved the unlimited data for $15 bucks w/ light WIFI and USB tethering, never exceeded 2-3 GB/month.
* On 2nd line, I had a dumb phone
Recently, I upgraded the dumb-phone to Infuse 4G at Best Buy, came home and switched the SIM back into a dumb-phone, called ATT, and had them take the data plan off. I understand that at this point I have lost "smartphone exclusion" on this line because I have upgraded.
Now I took the SIM from my 1st phone (Samsung Jack) and inserted in my Infuse. I used it for happy 3 weeks, no sms from ATT, unlimited data plan stayed on just fine. My billing cycle starts on the 4th; so, today I can see that my unlimited medianet data has been removed, but no data plan has been added (I think smartphone exclusion saved me), but when I look under usage, I can see
Data
GPRS MB WAP/BBRY/ISP 2GB DOM $10.00/1GB ADDL - HSSMTD4O
and then for my data usage, I see:
11.62 MB of 2048 MB
My interpretation is that technically if I wanted to, I could just disable data on my phone, and I wouldn't be forced into a data plan, but they are making sure I can't take advantage of the MediaNet plan either. Any thoughts?
I'm thinking of selling the Infuse and getting a non-ATT smartphone.
Any insightful comments would be appreciated. Please don't bother posting if you don't know what 'smartphone exclusion" is. Or, please don't make a reference to ATT TOC. Thanks!
sumeet909 said:
Background:
* I have 2 lines on Family Plan, both with "smartphone exclusion"
* On 1st line, I had Samsung Jack with Medianet Unlimited Plan for 2 years without any problems. Loved the unlimited data for $15 bucks w/ light WIFI and USB tethering, never exceeded 2-3 GB/month.
* On 2nd line, I had a dumb phone
Recently, I upgraded the dumb-phone to Infuse 4G at Best Buy, came home and switched the SIM back into a dumb-phone, called ATT, and had them take the data plan off. I understand that at this point I have lost "smartphone exclusion" on this line because I have upgraded.
Now I took the SIM from my 1st phone (Samsung Jack) and inserted in my Infuse. I used it for happy 3 weeks, no sms from ATT, unlimited data plan stayed on just fine. My billing cycle starts on the 4th; so, today I can see that my unlimited medianet data has been removed, but no data plan has been added (I think smartphone exclusion saved me), but when I look under usage, I can see
Data
GPRS MB WAP/BBRY/ISP 2GB DOM $10.00/1GB ADDL - HSSMTD4O
and then for my data usage, I see:
11.62 MB of 2048 MB
My interpretation is that technically if I wanted to, I could just disable data on my phone, and I wouldn't be forced into a data plan, but they are making sure I can't take advantage of the MediaNet plan either. Any thoughts?
I'm thinking of selling the Infuse and getting a non-ATT smartphone.
Any insightful comments would be appreciated. Please don't bother posting if you don't know what 'smartphone exclusion" is. Or, please don't make a reference to ATT TOC. Thanks!
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More than likely eventually they will get you on the Infuse for the regular Smartphone data plan when the system realized the IMEI is from an Infuse.
MisterEdF said:
More than likely eventually they will get you on the Infuse for the regular Smartphone data plan when the system realized the IMEI is from an Infuse.
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OK, then the remaining option is to get unlimited plan via iPhone 2g route, correct?
I think they could not put me on data plan, but they've put me on some kind of "pay per use" data plan with 2GB/$25 to start of. If I don't use any data, I don't pay anything, but if I use even just 1MB, they charge me $25 that month. Smart move by ATT. So, the medianet option is over.
Unlimited Data Grandfathered
AT&Ts Policy is ,"If they squal loud enough,let them keep their data" I have an Inspire & an Iphone 4 both with 30.00 per month Unlimited Data,Rooted for no Additional Cost for Internet Tethering & Hotspot Use, I came from Blackjack and Palm SMartphones ,said I was leaving for another carrier after I was told I could have a 200mb or 2 gig Data Plan with Overage fees after my Limits were reached,Supervisor was questioned by AT&T Operator and Data was Grandfathered,I have since added a 3rd Line with the Infuse and have Unlimited on that and never even had a 3rd line on the old Plan. SQUEAL LIKE A PIG!!
don't know what smartphone exclusion is but i'm still going to post and ask what is it?
and to my knowledge, when you bought the infuse 4g, the data plan is bounded by the contract for 2 years, how did you tell them to take it off?
Want an unreasonable request granted write the oop.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
seeing how i am a sales rep with at&t i will chime in with some thoughts to your question... your old medianet plan isn't compatible with the 4g phone vs wap.cingular apn the new 4G android phones use. So for starters with out modification your internet never would have worked without adding new apn's to the phone.
What happened was, you were correct when your said, your line was grandfathered with smartphone exclusion but that was only for the IMEI of the device that code was added to your account with. The second you changed that data device on that line to another data device, I am willing to bet that code was removed from your line as you lost your grandfather clause by changing device type / IMEI. Thus your plan was changed.
What happened was now since you put your other lines sim card in the phone, it also saw the IMEI didn't match the data plan you had. Removed it, and added the standard 2GB 4G phone data plan to your line. It is not pay per use, you are now most likely being charged $25/month for 2GB of data, the next plan down is $15 for 200MB of data per month, the next plan up is $45 for 4GB of data w/mobile hotspot feature.
Unless you go back to your old phone you can not get your old plan back, that is if you can even get that old plan back as it isn't in the system anymore to my knowledge unless you get a rep with grandfathered plan access over the phone.
You maybe able to call and get a lucky rep to get you on a $30 unlimited plan as you had unlimited before, but they will most likely reject it as it was a different phone/data plan type, otherwise it would have carried over as a $30 unlimited plan automatically when the system changed it.
This is just my 2 cents. I hoped this answered your question without getting in to the TOS as you stated lol
Disclaimer: These thoughts are my own, and don't represent those of at&t.
sumeet909 said:
OK, then the remaining option is to get unlimited plan via iPhone 2g route, correct?
I think they could not put me on data plan, but they've put me on some kind of "pay per use" data plan with 2GB/$25 to start of. If I don't use any data, I don't pay anything, but if I use even just 1MB, they charge me $25 that month. Smart move by ATT. So, the medianet option is over.
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You're not on "pay Per Use" you are on the $25/month 2gig plan unless this is some new secret plan they have. Yes, you probably could do the "iPhone 2G trick
and get unlimited for $30/month.
Hate to be blunt, but you fubared it. The only way to do what you want to is buy an unlocked non att phone with the right gsm radio, and use a feature phone, get the ten dollar unlimited plan, then switch sim to unbranded phone setup apn for att. Not That I've ever done it but a lot of people do. There is also straight talk. 50$a month unlimited everything, but only two of Their phones have the necessary unlocked sim at200$.
CM7, Nightly. Captivate
Vegaslightsss said:
AT&Ts Policy is ,"If they squal loud enough,let them keep their data" I have an Inspire & an Iphone 4 both with 30.00 per month Unlimited Data,Rooted for no Additional Cost for Internet Tethering & Hotspot Use, I came from Blackjack and Palm SMartphones ,said I was leaving for another carrier after I was told I could have a 200mb or 2 gig Data Plan with Overage fees after my Limits were reached,Supervisor was questioned by AT&T Operator and Data was Grandfathered,I have since added a 3rd Line with the Infuse and have Unlimited on that and never even had a 3rd line on the old Plan. SQUEAL LIKE A PIG!!
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I can do this since I am well within the return policy and other 2 lines have no contract.
shadow65781 said:
Hate to be blunt, but you fubared it. The only way to do what you want to is buy an unlocked non att phone with the right gsm radio, and use a feature phone, get the ten dollar unlimited plan, then switch sim to unbranded phone setup apn for att. Not That I've ever done it but a lot of people do. There is also straight talk. 50$a month unlimited everything, but only two of Their phones have the necessary unlocked sim at200$.
CM7, Nightly. Captivate
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Click to collapse
Agreed. Let me ask you another question then, could I ebay the Infuse, buy an unlocked Galaxy S2 (International version), call them and give them IMEI of dumb phone and get the $15 plan? I did mess it up, but I'm within the 30 day return policy window to fix it; just need to find best way out.
AEDan1977 said:
seeing how i am a sales rep with at&t i will chime in with some thoughts to your question... your old medianet plan isn't compatible with the 4g phone vs wap.cingular apn the new 4G android phones use. So for starters with out modification your internet never would have worked without adding new apn's to the phone.
What happened was, you were correct when your said, your line was grandfathered with smartphone exclusion but that was only for the IMEI of the device that code was added to your account with. The second you changed that data device on that line to another data device, I am willing to bet that code was removed from your line as you lost your grandfather clause by changing device type / IMEI. Thus your plan was changed.
What happened was now since you put your other lines sim card in the phone, it also saw the IMEI didn't match the data plan you had. Removed it, and added the standard 2GB 4G phone data plan to your line. It is not pay per use, you are now most likely being charged $25/month for 2GB of data, the next plan down is $15 for 200MB of data per month, the next plan up is $45 for 4GB of data w/mobile hotspot feature.
Unless you go back to your old phone you can not get your old plan back, that is if you can even get that old plan back as it isn't in the system anymore to my knowledge unless you get a rep with grandfathered plan access over the phone.
You maybe able to call and get a lucky rep to get you on a $30 unlimited plan as you had unlimited before, but they will most likely reject it as it was a different phone/data plan type, otherwise it would have carried over as a $30 unlimited plan automatically when the system changed it.
This is just my 2 cents. I hoped this answered your question without getting in to the TOS as you stated lol
Disclaimer: These thoughts are my own, and don't represent those of at&t.
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Before I started using Infuse, I did Google this APN thingy and I had setup a new APN for Infuse rather than using the default one.
2nd: Actually, "smartphone exclusion" is still there. That is the strange part, but yes, to your point, it doesn't apply after equipment change - this has been mentioned by your co-workers and I understand it now.
I just need to call them and start yelling. Technically I'm within the 30 day return policy (or is it 14?). Plus, other 2 lines are not in contract. Otherwise, T-Mobile, here we come.....
tjy8tim said:
don't know what smartphone exclusion is but i'm still going to post and ask what is it?
and to my knowledge, when you bought the infuse 4g, the data plan is bounded by the contract for 2 years, how did you tell them to take it off?
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Before Sept 2009, AT&T didn't require data plans w/ smartphones. So, After Sept 4, 2009 they required everyone to buy a data plan w/ smartphone. Customers who owned a smartphone prior to that date, were not required to purchase a smartphone and a feature was added to their accounts called "smartphone exclusion". I owned a Samsung Jack prior to that data. After I got "smartphone exclusion", I added $15 media-net and had it for about 2 years. To preserve that feature, I never upgraded my line; I actually upgraded my sister's line to get a new phone and then switched the SIM cards. Alas, that loophole has been shut. AT&T has a crawler in place that checks this and adds data plans unless you have the same equipment IMEI that you got the smartphone with.
I might need to research if IMEI spoofing is possible/legal. Otherwise, might just buy an unlocked non-ATT smartphone.
Do you have a recommendation for non-ATT smartphone that measures up to Infuse?
sumeet909 said:
Do you have a recommendation for non-ATT smartphone that measures up to Infuse?
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Galaxy s2 from Europe. Amazon carries it 600 bones and its yours, or you could get a nexus one with att radio, not sure about it but the nexus s might be unbranded.
Read something last night, after nexus s released on att they caught people who bought it prior to release. Forced them to “rip off" data plan.
CM7, Nightly. Captivate
shadow65781 said:
Galaxy s2 from Europe. Amazon carries it 600 bones and its yours, or you could get a nexus one with att radio, not sure about it but the nexus s might be unbranded.
CM7, Nightly. Captivate
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I'm getting ready to bail out Europe by approx 600. That's quite an amount, but ATT is despicable - the lag and bloatware on Infuse is unacceptable and the data restrictions just kill the experience. God save the Euro, USD are on their way.
sumeet909 said:
I'm getting ready to bail out Europe by approx 600. That's quite an amount, but ATT is despicable - the lag and bloatware on Infuse is unacceptable and the data restrictions just kill the experience. God save the Euro, USD are on their way.
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Any updates on what you did? Did you just buy the GSII and use your old $15 unlimited plan?
Infuse is on sale on Craigslist. As soon as it is sold, I will use those proceeds to order a European GS2. Strange, it is so difficult to get rid off Android products compared to Apple Snapple. If I don't get good price, I might just end up returning it since I am within 30 day return period. I was hoping to subsidize the GSII cost.
oofie said:
Any updates on what you did? Did you just buy the GSII and use your old $15 unlimited plan?
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I bought my unlocked Nexus S (i9020) back when it released and have been using it in India. Now I've moved to the States and bought myself an AT&T plan.
I've read that if I insert a SIM into a smartphone, AT&T automatically detects the IMEI as a smartphone and starts charging a data plan. But since my phone was bought unlocked and it isn't an AT&T branded one either, can AT&T start charging me? Also, if they do start charging me, will they charge $20 on the 300MB plan or any other plan?
Not sure how it works in US, but pretty sure AT&T can bill you if you use data on their network, despite you having an unbranded Nexus.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA
I'm not going to be switching on data any time cause I have WiFi around me most of the time. So can they still charge me?
As I said I'm not 100% sure, but as long as you don't use data they shouldn't trigger any plan. For all effects for them your nexus S is a dumbphone. At least that's how it works in Europe.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA
WinterAce said:
WiFi around me most of the time. So can they still charge me?
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they will eventually detect your smartphone
if you are under contract they apparently can
force a data plan on your line
they got tired of people *****ing about
[and fighting]
giant bills after "not knowing" about data upcharges
...or so the story goes
fwiw
for what it's worth, if you're worried about data usage charges on a line you do not have a data plan for you can call AT&T and ask them to block cellular data on that line. I've done that with my wife's flip phone since the kids keep fiddling with it and accidentally browsing the internet. They were happy to put the block and avoid the alla cart data charges for that line.
Mind you I do have a data plan on my Nexus S.
Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll call AT&T and request them to disable the dataplan. Or I will have to just continue with my N95.
[email protected] said:
for what it's worth, if you're worried about data usage charges on a line you do not have a data plan for you can call AT&T and ask them to block cellular data on that line. I've done that with my wife's flip phone since the kids keep fiddling with it and accidentally browsing the internet. They were happy to put the block and avoid the alla cart data charges for that line.
Mind you I do have a data plan on my Nexus S.
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Click to collapse
i dont think on att and verizon with a smartphone plan they allow you to block data as then whats the point according to them of having a smartphone and only using it on wifi. I did get a vzw lg android for $5 for my son and it has no service he only uses it on wifi and can use other programs that are web based to text or use free voip like yahoo messenger video chat.
ive been using an i9020a on att for 6 months and they have not detected it or cared. It shows up as a generic dumbphone on my att account. i have data blocked on it to make sure i dont accidentally use data. i also switch between this and an inspire 4g (an official att phone) and they have not added data. Same goes with my brother who uses a hand me down att gs2 on att.
shahravi94 said:
ive been using an i9020a on att for 6 months and they have not detected it or cared. It shows up as a generic dumbphone on my att account. i have data blocked on it to make sure i dont accidentally use data. i also switch between this and an inspire 4g (an official att phone) and they have not added data. Same goes with my brother who uses a hand me down att gs2 on att.
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Can you please explain to me how did you manage to make them block data ? Didn't they argue that you have a smart phone and that you need to keep the data plan if you have a smart phone ? Thanks
bhaismachine said:
Can you please explain to me how did you manage to make them block data ? Didn't they argue that you have a smart phone and that you need to keep the data plan if you have a smart phone ? Thanks
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Supposedly AT&T detects a Smartphone based on the IMEI number of the phone matched up to a database of IMEI numbers of phones that AT&T sold. The latter is a very important point as they did not sell the Nexus One phone, therefore, many argue on various forum posts that AT&T cannot recognize this non-AT&T sold phone as a Smartphone. The same would be true of any phone not sold by AT&T. However, I have yet to come across any posts of anyone that actually owns a non-AT&T sold smartphone who can confirm this and I've been searching far and wide for this confirmation. I'm getting ready to buy a non-AT&T branded unlocked smartphone to try this myself so perhaps I'll be able to confirm. It would be great if the Original Poster provided his experience with this. i.e. did AT&T detect this phone via the sweeps?
To address some other questions and comments in this forum post...keep in mind that AT&T required a data plan for all smartphones activated on its network after September 6, 2009. However, this policy is far from clear and there are many gray areas, this being one. For example, if I had a smart phone active on September 5 with no data plan, and I buy a used Nexus One on eBay and stick my SIM in it, do I need a data plan? I didn't purchase a new phone or "activate" anything on AT&Ts network so I would argue not.
I also not believe it matters if data is enabled on the phone or not. Try this...take the SIM out of your AT&T phone, stick it in another (different) phone, make a phone call, go to OLAM (i.e. OnLine Account Management), and look at the phone that AT&T thinks you have. Data enabled or not, if the phone was sold by AT&T, they will have identified the phone you just used.
Here is another gray area...data plans on a non-Smartphone lines were as low as $10/month. Data plans are enabled the on the line (i.e. the SIM) not the phone, so a SIM with a data plan can be moved from phone to phone (e.g. dumb phone to smart phone) and data will be active so long as the phone supports the active APN (Access Point Name). If I have a dumb phone line with active data and my phone breaks, what if I stick that SIM in a smartphone I have laying around so that I can make a phone call? What is my obligation to contact AT&T and notify them that I need smartphone data plan?
What follows is for reference only for those that may want a deeper understanding of AT&Ts data plans or desire to "experiment..."
AT&T uses two primary APNs: wap.cingular and isp.cinguar. AT&T is now using wap.cingular for dumb phone access and isp.cingular for smart phones access meaning, if your line has dumb phone data active, your phone needs to support the wap.cingualr APN. Most smarter phones allow the creation of custom APNs if it is not built-in.
The login an pw for the two APNs is as follows: wap.cingular is login= [email protected] and pw= cingular1. isp.cingular is login= [email protected] and pw= cingular1.
The ability to enable the various data plans and features on your account is dependent on what type of phone is assigned to your account based on the IMEI number assigned to that account. This is not the same as the automatic detection I mentioned above. The assignment is done by AT&T employees. I do not have exact or inside information, but I surmise that your line is associated with one of about 4 primary phone types: smart phone, iPhone, black berry, or dumb phone. This assignment dictates what data plans and other features are available to you either thru OLAM or via a CSR. For example, if your line is identified as a dumb phone, you will see the dumb phone data plans in OLAM. If you currently have a smart phone on your account, and switch to a dumb phone, you will only see the dumb phone data plans if AT&T switches the assignment to the dumb phone IMEI. This is only done by calling AT&T, not merely by making a phone call from the dumb phone and relying on the automatic detection.
[email protected] said:
for what it's worth, if you're worried about data usage charges on a line you do not have a data plan for you can call AT&T and ask them to block cellular data on that line. I've done that with my wife's flip phone since the kids keep fiddling with it and accidentally browsing the internet. They were happy to put the block and avoid the alla cart data charges for that line.
Mind you I do have a data plan on my Nexus S.
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damn you beat me to it.
I did this for my girlfreind a LONG time ago with my old iphone 2g when i gave it to her. we said she had little kids who play with her phone and could potentially hit some data use (she officially had a garbage pantech with data capabiltites but no plan).
I then would turn off data on the phone and wham she could use it as long as it was unlocked. i then gave her my 3g which i JB and unlocked for her but then just got a used 3gs from my sis who had ATT unlock it for her and then turned off data and she has been using it fine.
I think as long as data is blocked on their end they dont notice. It WILL show the correct phone if you log in her account and even if you change it it will still change back to whatever yoru using but they never tried to start charging her for data. she loves having the phone with WIFI and me tethering my nexus s to her without having to have a 30$ charge on her bill.
ps
she still uses her regular SIM in the phone and it works for calls/texts normally. she didnt need a different sim for the phone.
Surely you could just delete the APN settings so it couldn't connect on mobile data?
Kitch16 said:
Surely you could just delete the APN settings so it couldn't connect on mobile data?
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You can also just switch off cellular data.
---------- Post added at 09:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 AM ----------
WinterAce said:
I bought my unlocked Nexus S (i9020) back when it released and have been using it in India. Now I've moved to the States and bought myself an AT&T plan.
I've read that if I insert a SIM into a smartphone, AT&T automatically detects the IMEI as a smartphone and starts charging a data plan. But since my phone was bought unlocked and it isn't an AT&T branded one either, can AT&T start charging me? Also, if they do start charging me, will they charge $20 on the 300MB plan or any other plan?
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It would be great if the Original Poster provided his experience with this after using the phone on the AT&T network for a month or two. i.e. did AT&T detect the Nexus one phone via the sweeps and try to impose a data plan?
I currently have an AT&T plan with calling + texting, and want a smartphone but not the $30/mo data plan that it comes with.
If I buy a HTC One S from Amazon, unlock it, and put my non-smartphone SIM card into it, will AT&T still tack on the data plan? I'm planning on only using WiFi for internet, and otherwise having the 1S function as a regular phone.
I've heard that this works because AT&T won't recognize it as a smartphone or somesuch, but I'd like confirmation before I start spending money on this.
Thanks
if you're intending to use Wifi only, just switch-off the "Mobile Network".
I'd guess they can tell even from the IMEI and tack a data plan onto your account without your consent.
spiderx_mm said:
if you're intending to use Wifi only, just switch-off the "Mobile Network".
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Would At&t still add on the data plan if I did that?
el_smurfo said:
I'd guess they can tell even from the IMEI and tack a data plan onto your account without your consent.
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I've heard people say that companies wont recognize the IMEI as a smartphone if said company does not carry the phone. True/false?
Not sure about AT&T but I know on T-mobile if you buy the phone out right they can not force data plan on you.
It's when you sign a contract to get a $600 for only $200 the data plan in mandatory for a certain amount of times. (It could have change but that's how it's been as far as I know).
One "trick" T-mobile is doing now for peoples without data plan, if you surf the net it will work and you will get a surprise when your bill come in. (As before if you don't have data plan, it will send you to an upsell page).
IMO the best thing to do is call AT&T and ask them the policy.
I felt the same as you as I bought my smartphone. With contract, I'm forced to subscribe to a data plan, and billed for it whether I use it up or not. Look at your provider description of data plan, is it an online pass or subscription? If it's subscription, you will be billed to your account even if you never touched your data plan. My provider allows online pass for one day or one week when I need to use their online data services, at most time I use wifi.
Try to buy just the 'phone' from your provider (if they provide that option), no contract or subscription. If they don't allow that, you have to look elsewhere for 'just' the phone.
el_smurfo said:
I'd guess they can tell even from the IMEI and tack a data plan onto your account without your consent.
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^So true.
I've heard of people on forums saying that never happened to them, but I know someone that has had this happen to them. Now my friend told me they removed the data plan AT&T added to their account (not sure how) and now they're using their phone with mobile data off.
So yeah... good luck.