I am a AT&T prepaid user. Can I use the Atrix 4G in it without data plan? I only use Wi-Fi which is much faster.
The AT&T shop assistant man told me that I will not be able to use it if I do not open any date plan. If I am a prepaid user I can not use the phone; If I am a postpaid user I will be notified to add a data plan after I insert the SIM card into the Atrix 4G which is a smartphone.
Currently I also use a smartphone in AT&T network and does not commit any data plan. The phone works great. The shop assistant said the reason is that Atrix 4G is a AT&T phone and will be recognized by AT&T and force to open a data plan.
I do not know whether I should believe him for may be he is just trying to sell me more expensive plans. Is it technically possible to ban prepaid users? Is there any way to avoid this restriction? Since the Atrix 4G smartphone is bought in full price and unlocked, I do not owe AT&T anything. It works in T-Mobile, but does not works in AT&T prepaid, which seems very rediculous.
Yes, You can.
So the salesmen is only trying to threaten me with no real dangerous?
If you use a pre-paid SIM on an smartphone on AT&T, they will slap a data plan onto your account and you will be expected to pay it. I've seen it happen multiple times before.
Be careful when trying to break policy.
Well my girlfriend has an iPhone prepaid on ATT (my old one)with no data plan, so it is possible I would think for the Atrix to be used prepaid. But I really do not know.
Unfortunately, AT&T scans the IMEI numbers of all the phones on their networks occasionally and if they find any smartphones without data plans they add one without any warning. If you want to use a smartphone without Data, look at T-Mobile. They're the only one you can really do it on.
Sucks, and I think there should be some sort of law about that since there's no physical requirement of smartphones to have data, but thats how it is.
I've got an atrix, it uses 3g/4g so a data plan should work unlike the iphone. The Inspire is another phone where data plans are not available for pre paid. Salesmen love to threaten,intimidate and mislead.If you only want wifi you can turn off data in the data manager under settings.
So, they may only scan my IMEI and add data plan to it without my permission, and I can always make voice calls?
Since I am in "$2 Unlimited Daily Talk and Text" prepaid plan which is not qualified for any data plan, how can they add date plan to it?
Related
Hi everyone. I just wanted to mention that I am new to unlocked phones and was wondering if I can get some assistance on this issue. I tried reading the topic regarding the data plan below mine, but I didn't quite understand and not sure if it could answer my questions.
I recently received an Unlocked HTC Aria from Amazon for $339, but the box in which the phone was stored looks like an ordinary AT&T box, so I am doubting whether or not my phone is actually unlocked.
The Aria came with all the AT&T applications like AT&T Hotspot, AT&T Navigation, etc., so this puts me into further doubt.
I currently have an AT&T $10/month unlimited data plan for my Samsung Impression (non-smartphone, and did a SIM swap into the Aria. Everything was going smoothly until I decided to check out Google Navigation. I then received two text messages: The first one indicating that AT&T knows I'm using a smartphone and then one saying that AT&T automatically changed my data plan (I'm assuming to the $15/mo 200MB data plan). I went to my AT&T account and changed the HTC Aria back to the Samsung Impression, hoping maybe they will change it back automatically.
So, I have a few questions:
(1) Was the HTC Aria I received from Amazon actually unlocked?
(2) How can I avoid being detected my AT&T if I swap my SIM card again back into the Aria? Am I able to just use Wi-Fi and limit the amount of data I use?
(3) Should AT&T recognize my IMEI even if my phone is unlocked or will they know regardless because HTC Aria is supported by them?
(4) Even though I switched the phones back in the AT&T online account, will I still have to call them up?
I apologize for all these questions, but if anyone can please assist me, it'll be greatly appreciated.
I think you need to go back in and take a closer look at your account online and see what they actually did to your features, you may have just been screwed. When they transfered you over to the $15 200MB play i think you lost your $10 unlimited plan and may never get it back.
They still know you have your Aria on the account, you have to put your chip back in the old phone, wait about a few hours then check it online to see if it picked it up correctly, then call them and have them remove the data plan and put back your old plan "which they may not be able to do". After that switch back your sim to your Aria. If you get another text alert call them up and tell them you do not have a smartphone on the account and give them your Samsung Impression IMEI number.
Your Aria may not be unlocked just full price off contact, to see if its unlocked put a Tmobile or another non ATT sim in it and see if it picks up a signal.
I had a similar experience with the scanning process removing a feature and putting on the data plan here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7146488#post7146488
That's exactly what I did. As soon as I got the 2 text messages, I removed the SIM from the Aria and put it back the Samsung Impression. I actually changed the phone manually on my AT&T online account as AT&T did know that I was using the Aria. However, I do not have the option to change my data plan back to $10/mo unlimited as only the $15/mo 200MB data plan option is available. So, I will be calling AT&T in the morning to have it switched back.
I read your other post, but I do not think I have the Medianet bundle. I'm running on a Family plan with Unlimited Family Messaging and Unlimited Family Data ($10/mo for each non-smartphone). I checked the other phones on the plan and nothing has changed in terms of messaging/data plan. Only my phone was affected by the smartphone data plan.
Is there a way to get around this or is it just luck? I don't mind paying $15/mo for 200MB, but if I can avoid it, then why not?! Is it possible to completely disable 3G when Wi-Fi is in use? I heard some Aria owners who said that their 3G was actually still in use even though Wi-Fi was connected. From what I saw on my Aria, there was a check mark under 3G instead of the 2 illuminated arrows when Wi-Fi was connected. How about yours?
My Aria constantly have the chcek under the 3G icon when wifi is on, the only time the 2 arrows show up is when i send or receive a MMS. To disable 3G data there is a mobile data option when you hold down the power button after the unlock screen. There is also an option inside menu - settings - wireless & network - uncheck mobile internet to disable 3G data and use wifi only.
The check just means you are connected to the network it has nothing to do with wifi and data transmission on 3g has up/down arrows.
There's no sure fire way to avoid the at&t data nazis especially since they've already caught you once.there's another topic about aria with no data with more info.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
So I contacted HTC and gave them my S/N. They told me the HTC Aria "unlocked" I purchased at retail price was still locked. Now, I'm trying to figure out whether or not there are even unlocked HTC Aria's out there!
call the place you bought it from they will usually send a replacement next day free of charge samething happened to me with my phone not the aria though
Unlimited MOBILE WEB is an entirely different thing from a DATA plan. A mobile web restricts 3g usage to specific applications on the Impression while a data plan allows any app downloaded to use AT&T's network.
Your phone doesn't sound like it was unlocked but even if it was, AT&T can immediately tell which phone is connected to the network via your SIM. There's no real practical way to get out of paying 15 dollars a month. You could try turning off 3g on the Aria, which you can do allowing you to still send/receive calls and texts, but limits you to wifi for any apps that require the internet. Even if you turn it off though i have a feeling AT&T will still charge you 15 for the data plan just because it is a smart phone.
To be quite honest what is 5 more dollars anyway? That's my opinion...
Well, the Aria is branded under AT&T, so there is no such unlocked Aria right now. The HTC representative told me the only way to obtain an unlocked Aria is to actually have someone physically unlock it via unlock code.
As far as I can tell, the phone purchased through Amazon is not unlocked. It actually never was listed as Unlocked, so it was a mistake on my part.
I don't know if I will be able to return the phone though. I guess I can always tell them that there is something wrong with it and then they might allow a refund.
Oh, I don't mind paying the extra $5/mo. It's just that 200MB of data is not enough for me and of course unlimited beats it. However, if I do decide to keep the Aria, then I won't have a choice but to pay the $15.
Even if you get an unlocked Aria you will be saddled with the data plan for smartphones since it is an At&t branded phone the imei is in their database and eventually it will either scan it or if you use data services not covered by your existing plan it will switch you.
I was able to bypass the smartphone data plan and pay the $30 for unlimited data and messaging for non-smartphones but it was because I was using an unlocked T-Mobile G1 over EDGE.
Anyone have experience with the HTC Desire and AT&T non-smartphone data plan?
To add up to the conversation, one thing you need to understand, the ATT $10 non-smartphoine dataplan is not grandfather and so you can still added up to a non-smartphone at anytime,the unlimited for $30 for smartphone is no longer availabel and so you will need to chose from the $15 for 200mbs or the on2 for $20 for 2gbs... in regards to the a smartphone been unlocked or not, it makes no difference to ATT or any other service provider, a smartphone is a smarphone and yes they detect this via the IMEI which is syncronyze in the databse thru the SIM card as soon as you device registers on their network...you can change the device you have registered at any time it makes no difference...why because you will still be using a smartphone...it is inevitable my friend! the only way I see it happening is changing the IMEI of your device or not using a smartphone at all...sad but true!
why would you buy an unlocked at&t phone to use on at&ts network?
if you put your sim card in any at&t phone, they will detect your IMEI number, find out if its a smart phone or not, and charge you accordingly. they will be more than happy to charge you MORE for using a smartphone, but they certainly will not charge you LESS because you switched back. if you don't plan on using the aria, just put your sim in your old phone, call at&t and get the data plan switched back to the not-smart-phone plan.
if you want a smartphone on at&t, but do not want to pay for the at&t data plan, your only real option is to get a t-mobile branded phone, such as the g1 or mytouch, and unlock it.
I want to use the GS2 without paying the monthly data plan, sort of as a wifi only device. Anybody know if I get an S2 off Craigslist and unlock it, will at&t recognize the phone and slap on the monthly data plan?
In other words do they have the IMEI sweeps like they did for unlocked IPhones?
Thnx!
if you get one and erased all the APN info from it, it will never connect to the Mobile Data from ATT... you will never get charged.
You don't even need to unlock it, if you are staying with AT&T.
I'm talking bout their mandatory smartphone plan.
Or if I don't buy it from them they won't add it ?
I've heard that if it picks up an IMEI from any smartphone registered on the network, it will add the smartphone data package. But I can't confirm this.
As long as you're using a phone released by AT&T, it will know it is a Smartphone by looking up the IMEI because AT&T knows every phone it releases. It doesn't matter where you bought it.
The only chance for you to avoid the data plan is buy a Smartphone that was not released by AT&T. Then again, chances are those phone mostly don't support all the AT&T's 3G/4G bands.
You can use a smartphone from At&t just call customer service and have them WIX block the line in use, I did it with my HTC Fuze before and on the bill it showed "Data Opt-Out"
Will that still let me send and recieve MMS?
Is it the same as a Data Block?
thnx
the new phones use a special sim/gsm, and in order to get network access you have to register the APN (forgive me if I have the names wrong). I've already got the unlimited data plan, and was also thinking of buying a phone so that I can easily be grandfathered. No dice, you have to call them to provision the phone/sim, and then I'm sure they will say you have to go with the limited data plan (charges above a certain usage). Looks like I'm going to have to call and ***** at them until I get them to grandfather me. I'm going to be super pissed if they don't do it. Isn't Verizon and sprint offering unlimited?
I may not need it now, but once I get this GS2 I believe I will be using alot more data.
WeldingRod said:
the new phones use a special sim/gsm, and in order to get network access you have to register the APN (forgive me if I have the names wrong). I've already got the unlimited data plan, and was also thinking of buying a phone so that I can easily be grandfathered. No dice, you have to call them to provision the phone/sim, and then I'm sure they will say you have to go with the limited data plan (charges above a certain usage). Looks like I'm going to have to call and ***** at them until I get them to grandfather me. I'm going to be super pissed if they don't do it. Isn't Verizon and sprint offering unlimited?
I may not need it now, but once I get this GS2 I believe I will be using alot more data.
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Click to collapse
Verizon no longer offers unlimited. Sprint does. T-Mobile sort of does(No overages. Just slow speeds.)
If you can provision the phone to use the wap.cingular APN, then you might (MIGHT) be able to slide under the radar. This is what we have done with my son's iphone 3gs and iphone 4 for a couple of years now. The system still reports that it is an iphone from the IMEI number but the feature is the $10.00 unlimited non-smartphone plan. As far as I know, there are no automated sweeps that look for smartphones with the wrong data plan. It looks at what APN the phone requests and then matches that to how your account is provisioned. If it tries to connect to a smartphone APN, and no provision is on the account for it, one is automatically added.
I've even had CS reps notice the iphone on his account with the $10.00 plan and breeze through it like it didn't even matter to them.
If you can change the SGS2 APN to use the wap APN, then the key is to have your SIM inserted into a non-smartphone and add the unlimited data package before placing the SIM into your SGS2 that has had its APN changed.
One thing I don't know is if you will get HSPA speeds on wap.cingular. I know 3G works well.
bob7770699 said:
Will that still let me send and recieve MMS?
Is it the same as a Data Block?
thnx
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Click to collapse
Yes, its Data block from At&t's side and so they won't add a data plan. I don't know if MMS will work cause at that time I only remember using text which was working fine.
I got my captivate with an upgrade from att of course. lol anyways the imei number got messed up cause I flashed a bad rom or something. I had some issue's with my phone, and I called att.They told me that I haven't been using my captivate. They said I was using an unknown phone. My point is backup your efs folder. Delete the one on the phone reboot your phone, and att will never know you have been using a smartphone on your account. When ever you want you can put the backed up efs folder on the phone, and the imei number will register again.
Are you saying backup and delete the whole folder? Or the sub folder with the imei in it?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
I am curious as to which prepaid GSM carriers will work with this phone? I wonder this because I am hoping to use this phone as a start for developing and use my other android phone as my usual phone. So I am looking for an unlimited prepaid GSM carrier. Anyone have any information on it? I will greatly appreciate it.
What do you mean by unlimited? I use my sgii on a gophone account, there is unlimited talk/text/data for $50 but the data package is not compatible with smart phones. You would have to add one of their data plans if wanted to use data. I was looking at possibly H2o, they have a $60 unlimited talk/text/data, from what i'm told the data does seem work with an iphone, i have not tested with my sgii yet. Those are the two I'm aware of, use Google, there's a bunch more pre-paid gsm carrier out there.
The only confirmed working carrier I know of is Straight Talk, and:
1) You MUST get your SIM out of one of their $200 Nokias
2) You must NOT allow that Nokia to be activated with a different SIM - it'll deactivate yours
I can't tell you much more, as the above are things I recall from word-of-mouth that I haven't done myself. The SIMs in lower-end ST phones and all Tracfones are actually device-locked. (Kind of like a SIMlock in a device, but the other way around - and unlike SIMlocks, there's no way around a device-locked SIM.)
H2O wireless.. My friend has it and it works fine... Runs on att's network and their sim will work in any att phone with no unlock needed
I appreciate all the information you all gave me. now to determine if I should stick to my Go Phone plan or not.
Hey guys, I was thinking about getting an Aria for my girlfriend. I have a few questions before I purchase one though:
1. I heard you could unlock it by talking to AT&T, but just in case, can anyone point me to a cheap/reputable place to get it unlocked online? Thanks
2. Is it easy to permanently disable Cellular Network data? She would be using it with no data plan, so we wouldnt want any data to get through.
roltzje said:
Hey guys, I was thinking about getting an Aria for my girlfriend. I have a few questions before I purchase one though:
1. I heard you could unlock it by talking to AT&T, but just in case, can anyone point me to a cheap/reputable place to get it unlocked online? Thanks
2. Is it easy to permanently disable Cellular Network data? She would be using it with no data plan, so we wouldnt want any data to get through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get the phone unlocked, it should work fine on any GSM network.
As far as data is concerned, I know that AT&T will detect your phone and may apply a smart-phone data plan (even if you don't want or use one).
One way around this is to put the SIM card into a dumb phone and disable the data plan on-line or call ATT to disable it.
Then pop the SIM card back into the Aria and you're in business.
It has worked for me like this for over 5 years of owning smart phones without data plans (which I don't use or need).
DanGeorges said:
One way around this is to put the SIM card into a dumb phone and disable the data plan on-line or call ATT to disable it.
Then pop the SIM card back into the Aria and you're in business.
It has worked for me like this for over 5 years of owning smart phones without data plans (which I don't use or need).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will ONLY work if you have a very old plan with AT&T and you are grandfathered in.
If you switched plans or started your service after AT&T started requiring smartphones to have data plans, you will be automatically switched to a data plan if you put your SIM card into an Aria. There's no way around it.
drumist said:
This will ONLY work if you have a very old plan with AT&T and you are grandfathered in.
If you switched plans or started your service after AT&T started requiring smartphones to have data plans, you will be automatically switched to a data plan if you put your SIM card into an Aria. There's no way around it.
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That's unfortunate. I will definitely keep my "old" plan just to make sure I'm still able to keep the data plan off.
I had, for a month, an unlimited ($15) plan, but since I really didn't see a need, dropped it and opted out. Looking back, I probably should have kept it in case there could be a day when I need a new plan.
When that day comes, I will be switching to a pay-as-you-go plan.
That would allow me to keep my Aria, WiFi, etc. - without subscribing to an unnecessary data plan. The only downside is losing my mobile number...
I live in the USA and will be spending 6 days in Edmonton in August. My Verizon plan doesn't include any international roaming/data benefits, and I don't want to call Verizon and risk them forcing me to "upgrade" my ancient plan to a current plan (i.e. more expensive, less benefits) in order to get roaming. I only need it for a week anyway!
The other thing I was thinking was just to turn my Rezound radio off and buy a pre-paid phone from a local Wal-Mart once I arrive, and only use my Rez on Wi-Fi. Someone suggested I buy a pre-paid SIM with a small data allowance and pop it in my Rezound. Will that work without a Global ROM?
I've never needed to deal with this situation before, what should I do? I want to avoid modifying my plan if at all possible. I think buying a temporary pre-paid phone is the best option...
Thanks!
md303 said:
I live in the USA and will be spending 6 days in Edmonton in August. My Verizon plan doesn't include any international roaming/data benefits, and I don't want to call Verizon and risk them forcing me to "upgrade" my ancient plan to a current plan (i.e. more expensive, less benefits) in order to get roaming. I only need it for a week anyway!
The other thing I was thinking was just to turn my Rezound radio off and buy a pre-paid phone from a local Wal-Mart once I arrive, and only use my Rez on Wi-Fi. Someone suggested I buy a pre-paid SIM with a small data allowance and pop it in my Rezound. Will that work without a Global ROM?
I've never needed to deal with this situation before, what should I do? I want to avoid modifying my plan if at all possible. I think buying a temporary pre-paid phone is the best option...
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes but you can buy just the sim card for alot cheaper than buying a phone with sim in it...i only ever really used the rezound here in the USA with a gsm network with no issues...
REV3NT3CH said:
yes but you can buy just the sim card for alot cheaper than buying a phone with sim in it...i only ever really used the rezound here in the USA with a gsm network with no issues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so I guess the main question then: I'm running CM10.1, does that ROM work in Canada or do I need a "Global" patch of some kind?
Actually it's a moot point - the company I'm working with up there will provide me with an iPhone for the week! :good:
I recently visited Canada with my Rezound (CM11) and regular US plan. The following are some potentially useful notes:
Verizon users can use SMS (to US numbers) while in Canada at no additional charge. Soon after crossing the border, Verizon automatically sent me a SMS confirming this.
Before crossing, I turned off mobile data and kept it off until I got back.
MMS messages use data, so there would be an additional charge. Disabling data also blocks notifications that a MMS message is available.
I forgot if I had to select a different network setting (CDMA, GSM, etc). However, I had no signal issues once I had the right setting.
I use Google Voice. When I had access to WiFi, I could check voicemail and from my laptop I could place calls (to US or Canada numbers) for free.