Stupid smartphone question of the day

[Rural]

I stopped in at a used cell phone store yesterday just to look, and talking to the guy at the counter, I was told that my grand plan won't work.

What I would like to do is keep my basic talk-only plan but put my SIM card in a used smartphone and use the smart features when I'm somewhere that has wireless Internet (home and work, basically). He told me, though, that the phones won't work, even on wifi, unless I have a data plan. Is that true?

[Sparafusile]

That is not true. Even smart phone that are not on a network will work over wifi. Carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, etc wont let you have a smart phone without a data plan however. But I did just what you did (dumb phone SIM card in a smart phone) and didn't tell my carrier and it worked just fine.

[AnonymousCoward]

I'm also using a smartphone sans data plan. I bought the phone new from Amazon and put my T-Mobile supplied sim card in it. It's been working hassle free for three years.

[Adventine]

Your grand plan is totally possible. I'm browsing this forum right now with my smartphone + prepaid SIM + home WiFi. I've never had to pay for mobile data and I've had this phone for 2.5 years. That sales guy must get a commission for every data plan he upsells or something.

[girly mustache]

I'm doing the same thing - my unlocked iphone has no service at all! But the wifi still works at home and anywhere there is free wifi...

[Rural]

Thanks, everyone. I don't think the sales guy was dishonest, by the way (they don't sell plans there, just repair and sell used phones), but I'm glad to hear he was wrong.

My next stupid question: how do I know what used phones will work with my existing plan?

[TKE Super Dave]

Thanks, everyone. I don't think the sales guy was dishonest, by the way (they don't sell plans there, just repair and sell used phones), but I'm glad to hear he was wrong.

My next stupid question: how do I know what used phones will work with my existing plan?

You can either buy phones directly from your carrier, which are usually more expensive if your not updating your contract, or you can buy an unlocked phone from either a private individual or an online store.

[Kriegsspiel]

Damn you missed a great opportunity for some top notch pwning. I use my German iPhone 3 on wifi without even having a SIM card in it.

[Simple Abundant Living]

I stopped in at a used cell phone store yesterday just to look, and talking to the guy at the counter, I was told that my grand plan won't work.

What I would like to do is keep my basic talk-only plan but put my SIM card in a used smartphone and use the smart features when I'm somewhere that has wireless Internet (home and work, basically). He told me, though, that the phones won't work, even on wifi, unless I have a data plan. Is that true?

I know from experience that AT&T won't let you do that. I'm not sure about mvno's, but I gave my old iPhone to my daughter to talk and text and to use with wifi. AT&T kept doing some kind of scan and adding a data plan on my account for her.  My kids are blocked from using data, so I know she didn't activate it. I finally caved and got her a data plan, and now I'm a year and a half away from getting out of our dumb contract and on to a mnvo. :(

[Peony]

I'm doing this now with Ting (therefore not prepaid, but no contract). Set up Ting account, bought a $100 used smartphone off eBay (thanks IP Daley for the great advice on phone choice), ported number over and blocked data on my Ting account. But where there is WiFi I can get online with the phone. So far, so good, though in my area the Sprint network is kinda sucky, and that's the network Ting uses. Big, big savings over Verizon -- so far, about $32 a month vs. $70. Worth it for the savings, in my case. Ting customer service so far is excellent.

Currently researching best use of Skype or Google Voice on the smartphone to minimize use of cell service even further. I know I need to spend some time on the MMM phone forum. I'm surely not optimizing optimally yet.

[MoneyLifeandMore]

I wouldn't listen to anyone in a store that can sell a plan with a major carrier. They are likely heavily incentivized to get people to sell contracts or plans.

[Rural]

I wouldn't listen to anyone in a store that can sell a plan with a major carrier. They are likely heavily incentivized to get people to sell contracts or plans.

True, but as I said above, that store doesn't sell plans; it repairs phones and sells used ones. Pretty Mustachian, now that I think about it. The kid was just wrong.

[kevin78]

I think if you are on post-paid at&t, they will definitely add a data plan if you put the sim card in a smartphone.  MVNO's won't do that, you will basically have access to whatever services you have prepaid for based on what plans they offer.  So if you have data and the phone settings are correct, you will have access and be charged accordingly.

I don't know about t-mobile post-paid plans, though.  With all of the changes they keep making I don't know how they would handle that but I'd assume you would have to have a data plan to be on t-mobile post-paid with a smartphone.  However if you are on pre-paid they have no leg to stand on regarding trying to charge you more than what you specifically pick as a plan for your phone.  If you only want pay-as-you-go, thats all you're going to get.  Not sure how they bill for data on t-mobile pay-go, I don't think data is available with that.

Best bet is to stay with a gsm mvno ala platinumtel, airvoice, red pocket, h20, etc. 

The whole bit about wi-fi not working is just wrong as stated, at least on iphone and androids.  Not too sure about nokia, blackberries, etc. I remember having a nokia smartphone awhile back where the wi-fi didn't seem to work without having service, IIRC.

[Daley]

The whole bit about wi-fi not working is just wrong as stated, at least on iphone and androids.  Not too sure about nokia, blackberries, etc. I remember having a nokia smartphone awhile back where the wi-fi didn't seem to work without having service, IIRC.

Nokia Symbian handsets work just fine on WiFi without a SIM card as well, as I just confirmed. Unsure of Windows Phone, but I suspect there's nothing keeping those from working either. Blackberry should be okay as well and the only thing that'll jack those up is a lack of BIS service, IIRC.

[Rural]

I'm currently on a monthly plan (is that per or post?)

We went back to the store today and they don't have anything I want, anyway. I'm going to see what I can find for a prepaid that uses AT&T towers, and my husband is waiting for the store to get in another of the "nearly indestructible" Verizon flip phones to use with a pay as you go plan. The kid at the store turns out to have been one of my husband's students, as is his manager, who came out to help, too. Small town. Anyway, I think we're going to try him on the prepaid for a month to be sure he likes it, then port his number over if he does. At that point, I'll need something working of my own; currently I'm the add-on number on our family plan, which we've had for about a a decade now.

Ironically, we may end up spending more than we are now, but if it's for service that works, I'm okay with it.