Please Help, A Smart/Touch Screen Phone, Without A $30 Month Data Plan - Any Options?

[kenneth j]

As the title says, I would like a nice, reasonably fully functional touch screen/smart phone but simply cannot justify the cost of a $30.00 a month data plan above and beyond the cost of a phone plan. I simply would not use it often enough. I would be fine with simply having wi-fi connectivity to provide me with a data path on occasion.

Is there anything worthwhile out there that would provide what I want? Or am I doomed to have to choose another basic phone simply for making calls and with no options for anything else?

It seems that all worthwhile phones currently available, or soon to be available are geared to force you into $30.00 a month data plans, otherwise, you have nothing but basic, cell phones suited only for making calls.



John

[Harriet The Spy]

It seems that all worthwhile phones currently available, or soon to be available are geared to force you into $30.00 a month data plans, otherwise, you have nothing but basic, cell phones suited only for making calls.

[jump on it]

For which carrier?

For AT&T, you can get any unlocked/unbranded TS smartphone and AT&T cannot force you to have data plans.

For T-Mobile, you can buy the its smartphones outright and you don't need to add a data plan. Or you can buy an unlocked/unbranded smartphone.

[Ladiee B]

At the moment, I'm with Verizon, but I'm on month to month, so I could move to any carrier depending on the right phone being available.


John

[An N]

For all of the new smartphones on Verizon, including BlackBerry, a data plan is required. There are some that were grandfathered out of a data plan, but they are few and far between. I can see the trend of providers moving to mandatory data plans as the phones get smarter and more advanced.

[TheShredDoctor]

Just spent some time on the T-Mobile site. I was looking at the My Touch, and yes, you can buy it for $399.00. However, they do not seem to have any plans available for it that do not include data. Is there a trick here that I'm missing?


John

[Miss R]

you should just go with ATT and then you can buy any unlocked smartphone from anywhere in the world and pop in your sim card and dont need a data plan. i have not purchased a phone from att in 4 years, i just buy unlocked smartphone from newegg.com or another country, and pop in my sim. and the best part is this allows you to use the 15 dollar unlimited data plan if you want it. or i use wifi sometimes too.

verizon is the most locked down carrier in the USA, while att is very relaxed with their locking down policies, and basically they allow any phone on their network, regardless of where it was purchased. sometimes i buy a new phone every other month, or i change phones for the weekend etc, just pop in the sim card, the address book is stored on the sim card, and off i go with my new phone as if i didn't even change phones. your number goes to whatever phone you put your sim card into.

[niecee 40]

I think you should go with a 2 device approach. Get an inexpensive cell phone and an iPod Touch. The iPod has wifi so you can use it when near a hotspot and there is no monthly charge.

As others have said, the trend is for carriers to require data plans for smart phones.

[drdes]

I've actually just begun pondering this strategy myself for the same reasons you mention. Long term, the savings are huge, and you have essentially all the worthwhile elements of an iPhone without the less than outstanding phone quality.


John

[Crimson]

The only drawback, in my opinion, is that you have to carry 2 devices with you instead of the one converged device.