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Turning off the internet

Bubba and Natasha

Feb 4, 2011, 10:46 AM
I have been told that you can no longer turn off the internet access to your smart phones. Either the company will not cause they want the money or the phones want allow it because of the cell company or does it come like that from the manufacturer?
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TheSolidStateRep

Feb 4, 2011, 12:49 PM
This is 100% accuarate the disabling of data on a device that has data included in the plan can not be deactivated due to legal issues between the carrier and the state the customer lives in
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 4, 2011, 4:23 PM
I am not sure I understand. I am wanting to buy a smart phone and not even connect to the internet. With my previous phones I was able to do this. I do not see a legal problem. I am seeing a greedy problem. I am not sure where the legal issue comes in.
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dj89

Feb 4, 2011, 7:23 PM
I'm not aware of any legal issues, but what I do know is that the smartphones that have been released recently cannot be programmed into an account without a smartphone plan. It's set up so our system won't allow us to.

My question is, why would you want a smartphone without internet? Anything these babies can do (without accounting for data) can be matched by any feature phone out there.
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 5, 2011, 9:57 PM
The better question is why do phone companies make you buy a data plan when you buy a smart phone? They did not use to. They see what everyone wants but do not want to pay for so they make them pay for it. Right now on my plan I have 4 phones one is a smart phone and all 4 I called the company and they had the internet shut off, but all of a sudden they can not do that anymore? I find that strange.
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dj89

Feb 6, 2011, 12:50 PM
Well, the public answer is that the way the smartphones are made now have them connected to the internet almost around the clock. For example, if you have one of the newer smartphones and decide to travel outside the country, even if you yourself do not access the internet, you'll have a bill at home with a decent paycheck's worth of data roaming charges.

If you were to ask why phones are made this way and one are made how the older ones were made... well, that's a pretty good question.
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Eruaphadion

Mar 26, 2011, 7:36 PM
Another reason is people buying smartphones without data plans, then using hundreds of dollars worth of data then complaining about it and telling their friends about the company ripping them off/crappy customer service or if the company reverses the charges they have to pay the care rep and their supervisor (who has to authorize the credit) who costs them even more costing the company a large sum of money.

Either way it was not good for the company or consumer and the companies are just covering their assets by requiring data. It is kinda like McDonalds selling lukewarm coffee now because they were sued over a customers stupidity.
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HzD incredible

May 29, 2011, 9:02 PM
official answer = smartphones require data to run the services that make them "smartphones" also they require data to update and keep running properly. without a data plan you would end up paying $2 a mb for updates which is well more than $25-30 for a data plan. the biggest thing i dont get is why would you get a smartphone and not want data thats what makes it a smartphone, do you like having a brick in your pocket for nothing more than phone calls, and to pay that much for a cellphone aswell is crazy.
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HzD incredible

May 29, 2011, 11:29 PM
Also the carriers require a data plan, but there is always an option on the phone itself to turn data services off, which updates would still come through but apps in the background would not run data. and its also a great way to save battery. for example the htc thunderbolt people who complain about low battery do not realize they can make a widget an turn data off and on so they are not constantly connected to lte. or through the menus.
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IrishCarBomb

Jun 4, 2011, 11:34 AM
If you turn data off, it turns all data off. There is no option to simply turn off background data but keep updates coming. Why? Background app data is what gives you those wonderful updates.
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me12

Feb 5, 2011, 6:17 PM
Why do you want a smartphone but dont want to use it as a smartphone...

I never understand this... please explain to me.
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 5, 2011, 9:49 PM
I need the smart phone to sink with my outlook and other Microsoft apps. I do not need to surf the web, I can carry my emails my contacts and my calendar all on one.
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Azeron

Feb 5, 2011, 11:32 PM
Which carrier are you with?
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 6, 2011, 11:25 AM
I am with Verizon but I am thinking of switching.
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Azeron

Feb 6, 2011, 1:50 PM
Okay. If you are planning to buy a new smartphone with one of the four major carriers you WILL be required to have some sort of data plan. With Verizon it will be $29.99 for "Unlimited Data" (If you push beyond 10GB they may throttle you down to Rev.0 speeds however). With AT&T it will be either $15 for 200MB or $25 for 2GB. With T-Mobile ii will be $10 for 200MB or $30 for Unlimited (I'm not sure what their policy is on excessive data) or with Sprint you will be forced into an Everything Data Plan or Simply Everything on any smartphone. In effect Sprint forces you to combine Unlimited text and Data with any smartphone purchase. Everything Data 450 is $69.99 PLUS the $10 Premium Data charge so compare that to Verizon's Unlimited Text a...
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 6, 2011, 10:50 PM
Does anyone know away around this?
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Azeron

Feb 7, 2011, 6:23 PM
๐Ÿ™„ *Sigh* Seriously?
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 7, 2011, 10:21 PM
Yes there has to be modern phones that can be shut off by the manufacturer or by the provider whether they want to or not.
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Azeron

Feb 7, 2011, 11:33 PM
No. There does not. No. There is not. Let me say this: If you want to search for one then leave Verizon now and don't go to Sprint. Your only hope is to purchase a basic GSM handset and then take that SIM card and insert it in a smartphone that the carrier you choose does not sell (an unlocked handset sold in Europe).

Neither Sprint nor Verizon is going to activate a smartphone on their network (with the exception of the older handsets on Verizon) without a data plan. Period. If you can activate a basic GSM handset on T-Mobile with blocked data (I don't know if they still allow that sort of thing) and then take the SIM and place it in one of the aforementioned world phones someone like Nokia sells but T-Mobile or AT&T has not pick...
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 8, 2011, 10:23 AM
Yeah I do not mind leaving Verizon and I definitely do want to go to Sprint. That is an idea. But I have to buy a model that is not offered in the US? Just buying an unlocked phone would not work? I don't guess anyone has tried this. When I was on AT&T I bought a phone off the internet and used it and they never new the difference until I told them. Do you know if this has changed?
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dj89

Feb 8, 2011, 6:03 PM
Most new smartphones require a specific data-centric SIM card to work, from what I've heard.

From what it's sounding to me, the solution might be worse than the problem, but if you insist in going that route, then go for it.
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 9, 2011, 10:10 AM
I would not have this issue if Palm kept up with the times. They have not updated their system to work with windows 7 with 64bit
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FirstOfSyn

Apr 20, 2011, 2:01 PM
Sprint service runs off CDMA and not GSM so Sprint phones don't use SIMs so I guess that plan's out the window.
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He who Lurks

Feb 9, 2011, 5:48 PM
AT&T will recognize it as a smartphone (even if you don't alert us of the different IMEI) and a data plan will be automatically provisioned AND since it's an unlocked phone you likely will not be able to access internet.
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OrionsVantage

Feb 7, 2011, 7:27 PM
๐Ÿคจ

buy a tablet?
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 7, 2011, 10:17 PM
Need all in one. I have a laptop a tablet does not help. Is there no way around this?
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OrionsVantage

Feb 8, 2011, 2:37 PM
compromise?

๐Ÿคจ
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Menno

Feb 8, 2011, 10:18 PM
No there isn't.

For one thing, carriers got tired of having idiots run up huge data charges every month, and demand credits for said charges every month because they bought a smartphone and didn't know how to handle it.

Secondly, phones are discounted a lot more than they used to be and often times the ONLY way a carrier can turn a profit on these devices is by the required data.

And finally, phones themselves have become so advanced that they are built with data as a core function, not as a "phone that is a PDA too" mentality. Since verizon started requiring data in 2008, I'm assuming that's the last time you looked into it. Phones have become a LOT more advanced since then. An android phone verges on being non-functional withou...
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Azeron

Feb 8, 2011, 11:00 PM
I remember the days before they idiot-proofed the system. I wonder what type of damage an Incredible could do with a PPU feature?
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HzD incredible

May 30, 2011, 6:27 PM
cheapest option is virgin mobile. $35 for everything. and coverage is definitly an issue lol
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anrcgr

Apr 14, 2011, 11:26 AM
Using your phone to sync with Outlook or use apps Requires data.
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cstone

Apr 20, 2011, 2:28 PM
As long as you purchase your own device T-Mobile will allow you service on a smartphone without data. You will need to set up an Even More Plus plan to do this which is non contracted. The phone will need to be purchased separately, most likely online but some retailers will allow you to just purchase a phone at retail price without a plan to put it on. You will need to either set up your service with telesales or in a T-Mobile store. If done in a store it would not be advised to do it at the same time as purchasing the phone or they would most likely require that you put data on it. Good luck. T-Mobile uses GSM so any unlocked GSM phone will do the job for you, you don't need to worry about which radios the phone has since you wont be using...
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He who Lurks

Feb 9, 2011, 5:44 PM
you don't really need a smartphone. You just want to llok cool with your iphone/blackberry/droid.
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 9, 2011, 6:12 PM
Those phones are only cool if you are over 40. I need one only to be able connect to MS Office. I do not need or want the internet on the go especially for another $30 a month. I do not want to download another phone app to my comp. I do not find a need to be in touch with everything all the time. I like my separation from technology.
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Azeron

Feb 9, 2011, 7:03 PM
What phone are you currently using?
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Bubba and Natasha

Feb 9, 2011, 7:07 PM
Trio 755p
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Azeron

Feb 9, 2011, 8:41 PM
Okay. So you already know. There really is not much of a step up without a data plan for you. Maybe an XV6800 or a Palm Centro. I would stand pat until you find a GSM handset you can trick one of the American carriers to activate without a data plan. I do not think you are going to have much success but good luck.
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HzD incredible

May 30, 2011, 6:33 PM
Still seems weird to me smartphone without data? get a labtop or a netbook neither one requires data unless u get it through a carrier store and get a contract with it. If you buy it out right and dont activate a data plan theres ur email and whatever u want. If you get a smartphone. android, blackberry, iphone, hp, "smartphone" the carriers require data mainly because the phone requires updates and i know that if ur trying to avoid a data plan you will not want to pay $2 a mb for every update to have the phone work properly. P.S any att cust that read this, if u put a sim in any smartphone, it can take minutes or months but they do sweeps and if they see ur sim is in a smartphone the $25 2g data pro plan will be added automaticly.
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tpusa

Apr 13, 2011, 9:25 AM
cant you disable the NAI?
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anrcgr

Apr 14, 2011, 11:30 AM
You can disable the NAI but, dependent on the phone, your plan would still be required to have Data. With the NAI disabled you would be paying for a feature that you couldnt use.
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dj89

Apr 14, 2011, 2:07 PM
The OP wanted to get a smartphone without having to pay for data services.
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