Help Vibrant work without data plan??

[Scottybell]

Hey all!!! This is my first post here, but I'll be around for sure after finding such a cool forum.

I've had my vibrant for about 6 months and I LOVE it. But I didn't like the fact that I had to update to the data plan. I do use it some, but I can't help but wonder if most everything would still work without the data plan. I know that the gps and some other things probably wouldn't work at all but I have wifi almost everywhere I go and if I can get away from the data plan and just use wifi I would love it.

Is it even possible?? And if so, what's the limitations?? Is it worth the hassle for an extra 40 bucks a month??

 

[PlowRox]

Of course the phone works without a data plan...most of it...the making calls part and the text [incoming] part. but in their infinite wisdom [read greed] they tell you that you cannot get the most out of the device without a data plan!


kinda like buying a very expensive foreign sports car and putting it up on cinder blocks and taking off the wheels, all because your not gonna pay the "car insurance"


IMHO just pay for the data plan and use it...A LOT to get your monies worth! stream espn...movies...torrents [do they make an android torrent app?]


Since your paying for the "features" use them and don't feel guilty, thats why you have the data plan to get the most out of your device.


Enjoy

 

[dattack]

All my friends don't use the data plans. They just buy a used phone and use Tmobile with data plan.

 

[zilla19]

Your Vibrant will continue to work, such as make/receive calls, send/receive texts, and play offline games (i.e. tetris, sudoku, robo defense, etc.). You can do everything else that you do now whenever you're in a Wifi zone (home, work, Starbucks, etc.).

If you want to save the data plan money, just call T-Mobile and tell them you've dropped and broke your Vibrant and now just using the SIM on an old, non-smart phone, and you want to cancel your data plan.

 

[mikoo]

Your Vibrant will continue to work, such as make/receive calls, send/receive texts, and play offline games (i.e. tetris, sudoku, robo defense, etc.). You can do everything else that you do now whenever you're in a Wifi zone (home, work, Starbucks, etc.).

If you want to save the data plan money, just call T-Mobile and tell them you've dropped and broke your Vibrant and now just using the SIM on an old, non-smart phone, and you want to cancel your data plan.

Wouldn't T-mobile be able to find out, if you are using your Vibrant?

But to answer original question, yes phone will continue working and my wife has been using home/public wifi to get to gmail/calendar/market place etc. I don't see any reason to pay $40 for the service that you don't use that often.

 

[mrsbelpit]

Did you pay retail for the phone, or buy it subsidized? Because they will charge you an etf if you cancel the data plan. If you have to give them $250, why not get something for it, ie, 3g? This is only if you have subsidized the cost of the phone.

 

[Scottybell]

Ya, I just bought the phone in one of the tmobile stores. I actually knew a guy that worked there and we were talking about upgrading my data plan, he said that a lot of the new phones HAVE to be sold with a data plan, but you can cancell a day or two after you get it. I don't think there would be a penalty....

 

[zilla19]

Wouldn't T-mobile be able to find out, if you are using your Vibrant?

But to answer original question, yes phone will continue working and my wife has been using home/public wifi to get to gmail/calendar/market place etc. I don't see any reason to pay $40 for the service that you don't use that often.

T-Mobile can't see what phone you are using unless you tell them your phone's IMEI # because T-Mobile uses SIM card.

Did you pay retail for the phone, or buy it subsidized? Because they will charge you an etf if you cancel the data plan. If you have to give them $250, why not get something for it, ie, 3g? This is only if you have subsidized the cost of the phone.

They will not charge you early termination fee if you only cancel data plan due to broken phone. They will only charge ETF if you cancel the whole contract.

 

[aneftp]

T-Mobile can't see what phone you are using unless you tell them your phone's IMEI # because T-Mobile uses SIM card.




They will not charge you early termination fee if you only cancel data plan due to broken phone. They will only charge ETF if you cancel the whole contract.

Sorry that's wrong info you are giving.

Since the summer of 2009, Tmobile USA has required forced data plans for users purchasing subsidized smartphones. Tmobile will not cancel data plans for lost/broken phones. The data plan is tied to the line using the subsidy. The only way to get rid of the required data plan is either buy another full price phone (can be smartphone or dumb phone) or pay the ETF or buy a phone in the black market like craigslist/ebay.

At least Tmobile now gives you the option of downgrading to the $10/15 200MB limited smartphone data plan instead of paying $25/30 for the data plan.

Really the easiest way to get rid of the mandatory data plan is this: (and this is what I did).

Buy Samsung Vibrant at subsidy price. Than immediately buy a "full price dumbphone". The cheapest full price dumb phone is the Nokia 2330. It's dirt cheap like $50. Just call Tmobile up and buy that phone on that subsidy line to get rid of the data plan.

So if Samsung Vibrant is say "free promotion". Pay the $50 full price Nokia 2330. Your total cost is $50 plus taxes etc.

Phones brought off craigslist/ebay do not need data plans. They can be added/taken off freely.

 

[zilla19]

I know what T-Mobile requirements are for purchasing a smart phone. From reading your post, I don't think you've ever tried my previously mentioned method - you've only bought another phone from T-Mobile. I personally know 2 of my friends did that and it worked. They also were able to get free phone upgrade 18 months into their contract instead of 24 months. Of course you gotta be friendly and eloquent, not "I want to cancel the data plan 'cause I don't want it." T-Mobile also takes into account how long you have been with them when making these decisions (my friends have been with T-Mobile for about 8 years), so don't expect T-Mobile to give you these perks as a new T-Mobile customer, but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

[RCinFLA]

T-Mobile pays Samsung close to $400 per phone. They subsidize it down to $100-$150 expecting to recoup the difference in six to twelve months with subscription service plan charges.