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 | | Re: Eh If this "automatic" enrollment of a data plan just renewed his contract for another 2 years, that ought to be illegal. If not, he's free to leave. That's what I would have done to begin with. | |
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 | | | Re: Eh No it shouldn't be able to renew your contract, if it triggers that it needs to stop. But I'm not sure that's what AT&T actually does. I've changed minutes, messaging and data on AT&T before without renewing a contract. | |
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| | Reviews:
 ·Optimum Online
| Re: Eh Guess AT&T is different.
Sprint used to renew the agreement for another 2 years whenever I'd switch plans. There's no changing minutes at Sprint, just plans.
The data and messaging components were add-ons though, didn't affect agreement. | |
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| | | | AT&T only renews your contract when you buy a subsidized phone. You can change your plan and features at anytime. If you are any kind of grandfathered plan or feature you cannot get back if you switch or remove it.
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Make the homies say HO and the girlies wanna SCREAM! | |
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| | | Not really... he can still use a 'non smartphone' without a data plan. The contract is/was on the 'voice plan' for 2 years. Dataplans are required for smartphones on 'American Thieves and Thugs'. | |
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 Murph1
join:2005-09-02
New London, CT | said by MovieLover76:Maybe it's just me, but having a smartphone without a data plan is somewhat useless. I've often wondered if I could get by without a data plan. My house, my job, the gym, girlfriend's house, numerous bars, restaurants, etc. all have wifi. | |
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| | | Re: Eh said by Murph1:said by MovieLover76:Maybe it's just me, but having a smartphone without a data plan is somewhat useless. I've often wondered if I could get by without a data plan. My house, my job, the gym, girlfriend's house, numerous bars, restaurants, etc. all have wifi. I can definitely get by without the data plan. I really don't care for it, no matter what the justification. I already have a desktop, a laptop and tablet. The only reason I would want a smart phone is for the better graphics to watch a movie that re-encode to be played on a Samsung GSIII (what I want).
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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. Robert Orben
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 LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 | said by MovieLover76:Maybe it's just me, but having a smartphone without a data plan is somewhat useless.
Not true for a lot of people. They use WiFi almost exclusively for data needs on their smartphones. And if you use IMs from Facebook, Apple, etc instead of txt msgs there is no real need to have a data plan. Most phones let you disable data over the cell network.
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A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. | |
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BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH Reviews:
·Comcast
| Exactly. Smartphones without data plans are useless. Also, it didn't extend his contract, it just continues on under whatever contract he was on. If he doesn't want to buy a data plan, then he needs to switch to an appropriate device that doesn't require one. | |
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| rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh A smartphone without a data plan is plenty useful. Millions of people who work in dense urban areas and use public transportation are probably never without WiFi. It's been a while since I've been to San Francisco (~2005) but even back then there was a free wireless network available. Instead of paying the hotel's ridiculous data fees I just used my laptop next to the window. | |
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| | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh That's connectivity here and there, not persistent connectivity like a smartphone is designed to work with. | |
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| | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh An iPod is the same thing without the phone and millions of folks love them despite having only WiFi connectivity. Next? | |
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| | | |  Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Re: Eh said by rradina:An iPod is the same thing without the phone and millions of folks love them despite having only WiFi connectivity. Same with the Samsung Galaxy Player's. It's a Samsung Galaxy without the CDMA/GSM module, antennas, or SIM card readers. | |
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| | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Then get one of those if you don't want to pay for a data plan. | |
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| | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh But some folks might want voice everywhere, but not data. So they have to buy a feature phone, get voice everywhere and then carry an iPod for everything else they want in their pocket? Is this your position? | |
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| | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh Correct. Really, everyone should have a smartphone though. They are so essential these days. And what makes them useful is their persistent data connection. | |
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| | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh We'll just have to disagree. A persistent data connection makes them more useful but to say they are useless without one doesn't make sense to me. Further, to have a carrier require a data plan based on the phone is an indication that more competition or regulation is needed.
Can you imagine cable companies forcing folks to subscribe to an HD package because they own an HD-capable TV? | |
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| | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh They do require you to get an HD package in order to get an HD box. It's a terrible idea to let people have smartphones with PPU data, and then they come in crying when they have a ridiculous phone bill. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh Requiring an HD package to get an HD box means you want HD channels.
PPU: That's still forcing a data plan on smart phone users. The issue is smart phone owners should be able to have a voice-only plan. | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh No they shouldn't. That's a support nightmare, and there's no reason to do that in the first place. The point of the smartphone is persistant data. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh We just disagree and if the carriers continue with the same approach, they might be faced with regulation.
It isn't a support nightmare unless the carriers do something boneheaded like allow data transfer without a data plan and thus the thousand dollar surprise bill at the end of the month. If that's what they do then they have created their own support nightmare. | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH Reviews:
·Comcast
| Re: Eh AT&T's system blocks MMS when you block data, because they use the same APN. Also, why would they spend money to support something that decreases revenue by a tiny amount in order to support a minuscule but vocal minority? It makes no sense, and the whiners just need to shut up and get with the program. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh No data plan, no MMS. No extra cost. A paying customer is a good thing and if they don't want data but they are willing to pay a bit more for a voice plan with no data (but obviously less than voice + data or why bother), that's money in the bank. Why wouldn't a carrier want a profitable, paying customer? | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh OTOH, they probably are able to push more people up to the $20 data plan than they lose, so they end up making more money, the people have a better user experience, everyone wins. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh Perhaps but lots of folks are defecting to MVNOs. Other than the horrid iPhone issues (having to use a T-Mobile SIM to setup the APN), it's the same network, just a lot cheaper. If the MVNO is still making money, wow, ATT is making a killing.
Given all the snow... sing this to Walking in a Winter Wonderland.
Regulation ringing, are you listening. More expensive plans, carriers are christening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight. Baby bells are being born again | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh MVNOs have data service, so it wouldn't be getting around the requirement for a data plan. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Eh Yes but it's so cheap, who cares! I'm using Straight Talk on my iPhone for $42.50/month. I still have one iPhone on ATT with a grandfathered 4GB tethering plan but when I had both together, it cost $158/month with a 25% corporate discount! To think I paid that for over four years! The remaining iPhone may be moving soon as long my ST experience continues to be uneventful (other than the crappy swap-SIM method to setup the APN). That was total bullshit -- more of ATTs consumer friendly services. | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh It's good for a single user who wants to keep their phone for a long time. Otherwise, contract plans are often cheaper and you get refreshed every 2 years. | |
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| | | | | | | | | Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Re: Eh said by BiggA:Otherwise, contract plans are often cheaper and you get refreshed every 2 years. Um.. Ya, right. | |
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| | | | | | | | | BiggA
join:2005-11-23
EARTH | Re: Eh If you have four lines, and refresh them all every 2 years, contract is legitimately a lot cheaper than ST. For a single user, ST is a lot cheaper, although the true price when you factor in the hardware is around $67/mo. | |
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| | | | | | | | | Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Re: Eh ..except I can use my existing hardware.. so you can subtract the hardware cost.
..and 4 lines? I was paying VZ $150/mo for 2 lines. No thanks. | |
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| | | | | | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | You mean at least two users. Both my iPhones on ST would be $85/month. About half what I was paying before. Granted, no tethering, no visual voice mail but that's the trade off. With the savings I can get a hotspot with a separate contract if I want and still save money.
And if my phone gets too old, I can always do another subsidy contract to refresh my phone. For me, my iPhone 4 is good and should be for at least a couple more years. No need to pay ATT those two years since the rate doesn't go down when I finish my contract. That's where the problem is. If my rate dropped when the contract ended, I'd stay. But it doesn't. ATT didn't give me any incentive to stay -- especially when ST uses the same damn network. | |
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| Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Not true. I have an HTC Incredible that was given to me due to her switching providers (she went to ST).
I rooted it, threw on CM10, and it's currently a WiFi Phone. It runs rather nicely. I have an old HTC Hero (CDMA) running CM7 and it's doing the same thing. Both run nice and smooth.
Unfortunately, I can't do squat with my D2G. They locked the damn thing down so tight that development for ROMs is nil. Worst purchase ever.
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Bresnan 30M/5M | CenturyLink 5M/896K
MyWS[PnmIIX3@3.2G,8G RAM,500G+1.5T+2T HDDs,Win7]
WifeWS[A64@2G,2G RAM,120G HDD,Win7]
Router[2xP3@1G,2G RAM,18G HDD,Allied Telesyn AT2560FX,2xDigital DE504,Sun X1034A,2xSun X4444A,SMC 8432BTA,Gentoo] | |
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