Can you disconnect the droid from verizons servers?

[crabapple]

I want to use the droid eris like an iPod touch persay, and just not use the cell phone part at all

 

[Grimster]

Errrr why not just get the Ipod touch its a better media player than the eris. As far as disconnecting the Eris from Verizon servers, your logic does not make any sense...

If you buy the Eris without any service then you wont be connected to Verizon to begin with.

If you buy the Eris with Verizon service then you will be required to signup for the $30 unlimited data plan anyway so why not use it???

If for some strange reason you're paying for Verizon service and the data plan and still want to be disconnected then you simply turn off the "Mobile Network" connection on the phone. This turns off the cellular radio.

 

[crabapple]

Don't care I just want to know if it's possible

 

[crabapple]

The eris has a 5 megapixel camera and a better existent microphone

 

[crabapple]

The eris has a 5 megapixel camera and a better existent microphone but I just want to know if it's possible and how to do it, all I can think of is just never dialing *228

 

[Grimster]

It seems clear you stole someones phone and dont want anyone to track you...

 

[crabapple]

mind your not going to help me are you, I just wanted to have the features of this phone without the data plan jeeez

 

[Grimster]

You will not have any service from Verizon, phone or data, if you dont signup for the data plan. They will refuse to activate it on their network unless you pay for the extra $30 data plan along with whatever voice plan.

All you can do is buy the phone for $400 without any service and use it as an Ipod touch...good luck with that....

 

[Needsdecaf]

You will not have any service from Verizon, phone or data, if you dont signup for the data plan. They will refuse to activate it on their network unless you pay for the extra $30 data plan along with whatever voice plan.

All you can do is buy the phone for $400 without any service and use it as an Ipod touch...good luck with that....

Just set it in airplane mode and it will disconnect all wireless connections.

But yeah, stupid idea, to be honest.

 

[enemkay]

um cancel your contract?

 

[waremaster]

I sort of can understand why someone might want to do it. The Eris is more like a computer and can be tinkered with even using wifi and take pictures where the iPod Touch is just a media device with no real ability to tinker unless it's jailbroken. But even jailbroken you cant customize the device as much as the Eris. So to answer your question once the phone is past the "Activation stage" it will remain thatway. However if you do an update when it comes out it may go back to a deactivated state. That I am not sure.

 

[alsender]

To all those disparaging the questioner;
I bought my phone from Verizon fair and square and I am going to Mexico where Verizon roaming charges are quite high. I would like to know if I can disconnect from Verizon servers and use the wifi without incurring Verizon charges.
Anybody knows?

 

[ericDylan]

To all those disparaging the questioner;
I bought my phone from Verizon fair and square and I am going to Mexico where Verizon roaming charges are quite high. I would like to know if I can disconnect from Verizon servers and use the wifi without incurring Verizon charges.
Anybody knows?

i believe you can just put it in airplane mode and turn off 3g. i

think you can call verizon and get them block roaming or whatever just in case.

when i had a dumb phone my mom got them to block internet and she forgot to tell me so i used it (apparently the verizon person did not actually block it) and ran up the bill a lot. verizon was great and took it completely off the bill...

so if you call them and block roaming if it does end up charging you for something they should take care of it.

 

[Night_Watchman]

Personally I'd rather have an Android based "iPod Touch" myself instead of iOS. That's a reason I'd do what the OP is proposing.

 

[VonKannick]

I was recently in Honduras and was quite successful using WiFi without any additional charges. Airplane mode is really good for that, not to mention in the week I was there I had to charge my battery just once.

 

[Frisco]

I want to use the droid eris like an iPod touch persay, and just not use the cell phone part at all

I put a copy of this thread in the Verizon forums, crabapple. This original thread will remain in the Eris forums; perhaps we'll see more responses to your question if it's in both areas.

http://androidforums.com/verizon/

 

[erisuser1]

If you use Any Cut, and make a shortcut to the activity named "Phone info", you will find that that page has a toggle button towards the bottom labeled "Turn off Radio". It will disable the cellular radio, but not turn off the WiFi or GPS.

IIRC, this used to be the way you would get around the problem of Airplane Mode turning all radios off (in 1.5, anyway), and it could also be reached by dialing one of those "secret" #*#* number codes (which I have forgotten). It is also useful for insuring that international roaming fees are not accidentally incurred. It seems that Airplane Mode isn't handled quite the same in Android 2.2, and frankly, I can't remember how the stock 2.1 HTC ROM handles Airplane Mode - but this method is available in all releases.

I am not sure how this affects GPS if you use the phone this way for extended periods of time - there are indications that the Eris relies on AGPS, and does not work correctly without cell service if you move the phone a large distance or operate the phone for extended periods of time without cell service turned on.

You will probably also want to test to see if the toggle setting survives a cold restart of the phone; I think it does, but don't quote me on it.

eu1

PS I can't believe that a 10-month old thread got revived; OTOH, it is nice to see that at least one person in the universe knows how to use a search engine.

 

[da man]

What's funny is I have been contemplating the same thing. I recently got a job where they will be providing my cell phone (blackberry ), and won't have the need to pay for my own cell phone anymore. I am contemplating canceling my contract, forking out the money for the long term savings, and using my phone like an I Touch. I have was going to search the forum today to see how people have done it, and I was surprised to see the first thread deal with it. I'll be watching this throughout the day to see if any new info comes out.

There are legit reasons somebody would want to do this, makes no sense why the original poster was downed so much.

 

[erisuser1]

What's funny is I have been contemplating the same thing. I recently got a job where they will be providing my cell phone (blackberry ), and won't have the need to pay for my own cell phone anymore. I am contemplating canceling my contract, forking out the money for the long term savings, and using my phone like an I Touch. I have was going to search the forum today to see how people have done it, and I was surprised to see the first thread deal with it. I'll be watching this throughout the day to see if any new info comes out.

There are legit reasons somebody would want to do this, makes no sense why the original poster was downed so much.

The technique I mentioned in my prior post will work - for both stock phones and rooted phones, too.

I suppose the OP got flack for two reasons: both of which were due to the fact that the post was made only 6 days after the Eris went on sale.

- few users were even aware of the hidden radio defeat toggle
- the phone was rather expensive at that time, esp. when purchased without a contract.

Just goes to show you how differently things are perceived in different historical contexts.

 

[jhewit22]

Or just get the newly released iPod touch with a camera...Eris speakers SUCK for playing music and a lot have reported speaker blow outs...so if you're going to use it for music all the time, I'd imagine you'd blow it out a lot?!

 

[CaptainTwinkie]

Yes you can use it just like a "iPod touch", as long as you have another phone handy, if you don't want to use the Eris as a phone, all you need to do is turn off the Eris, and then turn on the other phone and do *228 and activate your line on that other phone. And once it is activated your eris will no longer be activated with verizon, so you can now use it as a "iPod touch"

 

[gruss]

I have an Eris laying around as a spare so I connected to my WiFi, used a different google account than my Dinc and started playing around with a new rom, it got past the "activate" screen without me doing anything crazy. I'll grab if for nostalgic purposes, take a few pics with it test stuff out on it, stream some music for the kids etc. So yes you can have an Eris not attached to VZW at all but mostly functional, just not a phone.

 

[Podivin]

I'd guess that you'd still be able to call 911 on the phone, should the need arise.

 

[da man]

I'd guess that you'd still be able to call 911 on the phone, should the need arise.

That's what I have been worried about. My Eris is about to be un-activated. My kids like to play around with mine and I would like to be able to give it to them without worrying about them dialing 911. I wonder what would happen if I uninstalled the phone application. Do you think it would mess things up? I'm rooted and have removed all sorts of other built in apps, don't see why I couldn't at least try it with the dialer.

 

[Podivin]

I'd say that removing the dialer app wouldn't cause any problems for what you're still wanting to use the device for. However it's rooted, so make a nand first, just in case.