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Is it possible to do this - No contract?

davehries

Newbie
Dec 29, 2009
28
0
I am wondering if it is possible to do this:

I paid $199.00 for the phone at BB and have a 2 year contract. I am thinking about paying the $200.00 ETF and braking the contract. My questions are these:

1) Will the EVO work as just a Wi-Fi device if I don't have a contact?

2) Or will Sprint require that I continue with full service, but on a month-to-month basis?

The reason I ask is that I don't really need phone service or wireless service. I just want a hand held computer with Wi-Fi and this would give me that for a price of $400.00.

What am I overlooking? Is there some other option (not interested in iPad) that I should consider?

I hope this isn't the dumb question of the day.
confused.gif


Regards. Davehries
 
1. Yes it will be able to use Wifi to browse the web, listen to pandora, do VOIP, etc. There are very few programs that will not work when you're on wifi (sprint tv, skype maybe?)

2. month-to-month plans do not exist for Sprint. They won't force you to get any plan on your Evo if you don't want to.

The Evo is basically a computer with wifi, should be exactly what you're looking for
 
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Don't forget about the other costs that will add up pretty quick. I assume if you want to break your contract you will not be doing it during the Sprint free 30 day trial, because they will just give you your money back and you will have to return the phone. If you break contract after the 30 days, you will be paying for at least 2 months of service + activation fee + early termination fee.

$200 phone + $160 (2 months service) + $36 activation + $200 ETF =$596

The cost of an out of contract phone = $450

These are just really quick estimates, you would have to do your own detailed analysis, but I think it would be cheaper for you to cancel your service before the 30 day trail ends and just buy a new EVO out of contract.

Note: I don't know how phone activation works if you don't sign up for a contract. Maybe you can't just buy the phone without some sort of existing service because the phone requires a google account activation before it functions I believe? I would go into a Sprint store and talk to a rep about activation of a new EVO without any service.

Good luck.
 
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I wish I had the info here with me but last night I read documentation from Sprint saying if you cancel within the 30-day period you have 30-days to return the phone. If you fail to return it 30-days after canceling you will be charged the $36.00 activation fee plus another $200.00 for the phone. This is also basically an early termination fee. So if you paid $199.99 for the phone under contract you would add this new $200.00 charge plus the $36.00 activation and get the phone for $436.00. If my interpretation is correct you would still get your usage charges (monthly plan fee) refunded so long as you cancel within 30 days.
 
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month-to-month plans do not exist for Sprint.

They do if you are a former corporate employee (no bill, no contract) and, after your severance period is up, have not yet upgraded. Once severance is up, they start billing, but there's no contract until you decide to upgrade.

(I started with Nextel in 1997, and then on to Sprint with the merger - January 2010 I received my first cellphone *bill* of my entire life. :D and now that I've upgraded to the Evo, I now have my first ever cellphone contract.)
 
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I am wondering if it is possible to do this:

I paid $199.00 for the phone at BB and have a 2 year contract. I am thinking about paying the $200.00 ETF and braking the contract. My questions are these:

1) Will the EVO work as just a Wi-Fi device if I don't have a contact?

2) Or will Sprint require that I continue with full service, but on a month-to-month basis?

The reason I ask is that I don't really need phone service or wireless service. I just want a hand held computer with Wi-Fi and this would give me that for a price of $400.00.

What am I overlooking? Is there some other option (not interested in iPad) that I should consider?

I hope this isn't the dumb question of the day.
confused.gif


Regards. Davehries

I think I'm going to do this too! :D
 
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you could get one on ebay or craiglist.
if it is the google IO phone.. you have free service till July to get what u need loaded on the market.

another option....
if you have a friend that has an EVO... you can see if he can login on your phone with his google account. use that to download any of the apps you need there. then log him/her off.

you can also load app via your PC... using the HTC sync software. Download the software from the internet.
 
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you could get one on ebay or craiglist.
if it is the google IO phone.. you have free service till July to get what u need loaded on the market.

another option....
if you have a friend that has an EVO... you can see if he can login on your phone with his google account. use that to download any of the apps you need there. then log him/her off.

you can also load app via your PC... using the HTC sync software. Download the software from the internet.

That's my plan.
Now the real kicker can you use GPS with out an active 3g connection for navigation?
 
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That's my plan.
Now the real kicker can you use GPS with out an active 3g connection for navigation?

i dont see why not... GPS is a satilite signal that is free. has nothing to do with mobile network.

Now the Google or Sprint Nav .. requires a data connection to update the map as you move. You will need to get a stand alone navigation program that has maps on your phone. They normally cost $30 -$50 one-time fee till you need to update the maps.
 
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That's my plan.
Now the real kicker can you use GPS with out an active 3g connection for navigation?

I was able to use GPS on my blackberry without data by disabling a few options. I'm new to android, so I don't know if android has the same options.

Make sure to turn off anything like "location aid" or any option that looks like it connects to a cell tower to help pinpoint your location. This will use data. Cell phone GPS's use cell towers to quickly find your location before actual GPS picks up and it counts as data.

Also, you need to find a 3rd party map app that you can load pre-downloaded maps so you don't need to download the actual maps.

For blackberry I used mgmaps. Maybe there is an android version?
 
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You will need to get a stand alone navigation program that has maps on your phone. They normally cost $30 -$50 one-time fee till you need to update the maps.

Actually... turns out you don't need to buy navigation at all.

I've got the Evo 4G, device only, no contract. No voice or data plan. Nothing fancy either (no roots, hacks, or froyo). l Just have the gizmo 'out of the box' and not only does the GPS work fine, it's workin better than fine.

In fact, i'm gettin voice-activated/guided turn by turn, drivin down the road.

The evo comes with gps, a built in compass, wifi, google maps, and something like 3 or 4 diff nav apps. All of these work just fine for free and without paid data (the only nav app that doesn't work is the $print one but can you blame em?)

Anyway, it only needs wifi once and can be performed like this...

though the apps u'll be using will remind you to turn them on (if they're not), save yourself the trouble and do the following first.

1) Turn gps on. Wait for signal. (You may have to go outside and get some sky to get the first lock)

2) Turn wifi on and grab any wifi network. *here's the funny part, you don't even need network permission. you can be surrounded by WPA and WPE protectoids and navigation's going to gather whatever it needs even if you're locked out. (i'm guessing it uses these to triangulate you.)

3) Once you have both connections, use the included app "Navigator" (and of course not the $print one).

4) Double check or manually enter your starting point and make sure it's got you plotted at, or at least near, your 'actual' position as "Locator" apps often have disclaimers saying 'good within a 100 yards, etc...'

5) Don't Miss a Turn! though this method will accurately track and update your trip progress (with a hauntingly perfect degree of turn by turn precision), miss a turn and it sometimes won't recover. (i've experimented with deliberately throwing it off.) When this free nav get's totally lost, you'll need another hotspot to repeat steps 2-4.


I've recently started using a quicker nav app called "Navigation" but i can't remember if it came with the Evo or if it was a free download. As a matter of principal and case study, I only use or recommend free things.


And yes, you can download free and limitless apps from the official droid market even when you don't have a contract. The key is to have a gmail account.


I can do more with my Evo for free, without paid voice, or paid data, or paid apps, than most can do with premium service on their 'smart' phone. No offense, of course, to any 'contract'ives reading this. Your intelligence can't be insulted,

you've got an android.
 
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That's my plan.
Now the real kicker can you use GPS with out an active 3g connection for navigation?

Maps aren't stored on the phone. The GPS will work but only provides lat and long. To get map data you have to have access to the internet. It might get maps when connected to WiFi but navigation is worthless when you can't leave Starbucks. :eek:
 
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I am wondering if it is possible to do this:

I paid $199.00 for the phone at BB and have a 2 year contract. I am thinking about paying the $200.00 ETF and braking the contract. My questions are these:

1) Will the EVO work as just a Wi-Fi device if I don't have a contact?

2) Or will Sprint require that I continue with full service, but on a month-to-month basis?

The reason I ask is that I don't really need phone service or wireless service. I just want a hand held computer with Wi-Fi and this would give me that for a price of $400.00.

What am I overlooking? Is there some other option (not interested in iPad) that I should consider?

I hope this isn't the dumb question of the day.
confused.gif


Regards. Davehries

I think you are forgetting rebate. Did you pay 200 out the door, or 300 with 100 mail in rebate?? they may not honor the rebate, if you cancel too early.

I guess you could always cancel once the rebate check comes in. I dunno
 
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that's not true.


I don't have 3g, 4g, or any 'everywhere' data and yet... i get free turn by turn on my evo driving down the road using my method above.

If you're saying you can download map data without an internet connection or you can use an encrypted hotspot without a password, I hope you don't get surprised with your next bill.
 
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ps- i can't hop on encrypted wifi.


what i'm trying to explain is i've observed that I can't seem to initiate a nav route unless the gps is on and locked and wifi's enabled and near a hotspot.

once nav plots your route and starts talking "proceed this way, etc..." it no longer matters if your near a hotspot as it continues to call out your turns every step of the way for miles.

another thing i've observed since my nav write-up above is that it turns out it's ok if you miss a turn. Nav will correct your directions when you go off course. you just have to give it time.

hopefully somebody else with a non-contract evo will chime in with their google nav experiences. i've got no reason to invent stories.
 
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