At&t won't sell phone w/o contract and no data? - Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Windows Mobile General

i just got back from the att store in Lexington ky off richmond rd and the rudest jerk would not sell me the tilt 2 unless i got a data plan, even if i paid full price! What the heck! I hate freakin att, it took all I had not to pop this blond haired dude just for how rude he was to me and my wife. I told him I'll just get it off ebay and he said they would detect it and automatically add data plan.
My wife is eligible for early upgrade and she has an iphone w/ data plan
Shouldn't I be able to get her to get the tilt 2. They will de-activate her iphone, then when she gets home put my old sim in tilt 2 and have her re-activate her phone. Is this possible or no. Please help
I don't want to pay for a stupid 30 a month data plan data plan, i only want the wifi use.

ATT is much more proactive about checking IMEI's now than they used to be. As a result, upon placing your sim in the Tilt 2, you will very likely receive a text message informing you that if you do not add a smartphone data plan to your phone, one will be added for you.
One possible, and I stress POSSIBLE, way around this is to use an unlocked TP2 from another carrier, or the int'l unbranded version. It won't have 3G, but it may not get flagged as a smartphone because most carriers only have their own phones in the IMEI database that they use to check for this sort of thing. So while they would detect the Tilt2 and charge you for a monthly data plan, they might not detect an unlocked branded version from VZW or Tmobile or the unbranded international version as a smartphone.
I'm sorry the dude was rude, and I'm not super fond of ATT (or other carriers for that matter) either, but based on my experience and that of some other users I know, I believe his information is accurate. We used to be able to get away with a lot more than we can now.
Best way to go without paying for data these days is prepaid (though prepaid plans like VZW's which include for example, unlimited data, don't allow smartphones for fear of abuse. I haven't heard of ATT's prepaid rejecting smartphones because their prepaid data packages are per mb--no danger of abuse).

fortunz said:
One possible, and I stress POSSIBLE, way around this is to use an unlocked TP2 from another carrier, or the int'l unbranded version. It won't have 3G, but it may not get flagged as a smartphone because most carriers only have their own phones in the IMEI database that they use to check for this sort of thing. So while they would detect the Tilt2 and charge you for a monthly data plan, they might not detect an unlocked branded version from VZW or Tmobile or the unbranded international version as a smartphone.
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That sounds good in theory, and would work out pretty well for OP since he isn't concerned about 3G capabilities.
When you log into your AT&T wireless account, AT&T attempts to detect your phone and displays it on screen for you. When I was using unlocked phones on their network (i900 Omnia for a year and most recently for 3 days, T-MO's Touch Pro 2), it never detected/displayed my phone.
I just logged into my account now to check if it detected my new AT&T branded Tilt 2, and indeed it did.
Not to spam OP, but if you're interested in a T-Mo Touch Pro 2, I have one listed in the Marketplace. Good luck!

Thanks for your sympathy
Thanks for your sim-pathy (sympathy), It is good to know I'm not the only one angry about this.
It would sure be nice to have a 3.5 jack with an unlocked verizon or sprint version, but I'm just not sure how not having 3g band would effect my signal. Years ago I remember having sprint service and it was horrible where I live.

You are wondering how it would affect your carrier edge data signal? I thought you only wanted to use wifi?
If you are worried about how it would affect your regular GSM phone signal, I can't imagine that would be problem. I believe the GSM chip is the same in all versions, and would expect similar performance from all TP2s that have it.
To date, I haven't yet heard of an unlocked Sprint version working on US GSM carriers (possibly due to some software protections they added in). Unlocked VZWs have been proven to work on ATT. If you want the 3.5mm jack, maybe VZW or Telus would be your best bet.

thanks for the tip
I did not know unlocked sprint versions would not work on US gsm, thanks for the tip. I'm going to start searching the threads for people who have got the unlocked Verizon's to work before I buy.
I was not for sure if the 3g just carried data, thanks for clearing that up. If that is all it adds I won't miss it because, "i really only use wifi".
or maybe just hold out for the hd2.....don't know if I can stand using my backup Motorola phone much longer *my htc trinity drowned ......

There is an alternative
You may try to purchase a phone from T-mobile and they won't limit you to having a data plan especially if you pay full price. I've seen many do it, and many succeed. Good Luck

lol, get the phone with the data plan. go home, call at&t and tell them you've changed your mind and dont want the data plan. have your old phone's imei around and tell them your going to use your old phone. done. i've done it multiple times. no use arguing with those idiots at the store; most of us here know more about phones than they do

xda kindness
If only our mobile devices companies were all staffed by the nice and informative people of xda the universe would be a better place.

omaralt said:
lol, get the phone with the data plan. go home, call at&t and tell them you've changed your mind and dont want the data plan. have your old phone's imei around and tell them your going to use your old phone. done. i've done it multiple times. no use arguing with those idiots at the store; most of us here know more about phones than they do
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Lots of us have, but you should note that not all the old tricks work anymore. IMEI checking occurs much more often now, not just when you call in.

Are you looking to just not have a data plan period for her phone? The Smartphone/PDA data and iPhone data are the same price.

fortunz said:
As a result, upon placing your sim in the Tilt 2, you will very likely receive a text message informing you that if you do not add a smartphone data plan to your phone, one will be added for you
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I've been running for about a week now on my old SIM w/ MediaNet and have not received any such message.

RacerX10 said:
I've been running for about a week now on my old SIM w/ MediaNet and have not received any such message.
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I hope it keeps working for you.

I don't understand how he was being rude at all. If he can't sell it to you without those conditions then it certainly isn't his fault. I work at RadioShack and the system we use will not allow us to sell smartphones without adding data either. Not sure how this applies to phones bought outright but all sellers do things a little different. Don't be upset at the associate, be upset at att and the rest of the carriers who also require this.

Actually, according to the rep I had, it seems more along the lines of the phones official launch being today that is the issue from the store side. Since its so new they're not, at least the regular associate isn't, allowed to sell the phone sans contract.
Needless to say my shackles are back on
Considering the amount that shipped out to some stores if his store was any indicator it wouldn't surprise me. How do you only send 3, with one to be set for display purposes?

RE: att rep
I never blamed this guy for the rules this att rep he had to follow, that is not what ticked me off. This had nothing to do with what ticked me off
From the second I walked into this store he was the most sarcastic punk ever, and took it personal that I was trying to get this great htc phone without a data plan. He treated me like I was trying to steal it. I was very polite and I doubt he even knew that I was the least bit upset.

Just got back from an At&t store myself. Rep said the same thing and was also a jerk. I couldn't purchase the phone by itself. I'm not due for an upgrade yet so I was trying to buy the phone full price.
The rep was asking me why I wanted the phone. He said its horrible, it useless, he had a Fuze and gave it away because of how bad it was. He uses a BB and iPhone (BIG SURPRISE). He said I was probably the only person asking for the phone the whole day and thats why they didn't have a display model, because no one wants this phone. He said "Why do you want a windows phone, its windows!!!! Haha, c'mon!"
I was screaming inside. If the jackass had any technology knowledge he would understand why I wanted the phone. The possibilities are endless. I'm running TomTom, Wifi access point, internet sharing, mp3 trimmer, push e-mail, Skyfire, DirecTV NFL Superfan Streaming, registry edits, etc. I know a BB and iPhone can also do some of these things but they CAN'T DO ALL.

gtdRR said:
Just got back from an At&t store myself. Rep said the same thing and was also a jerk. I couldn't purchase the phone by itself. I'm not due for an upgrade yet so I was trying to buy the phone full price.
The rep was asking me why I wanted the phone. He said its horrible, it useless, he had a Fuze and gave it away because of how bad it was. He uses a BB and iPhone (BIG SURPRISE). He said I was probably the only person asking for the phone the whole day and thats why they didn't have a display model, because no one wants this phone. He said "Why do you want a windows phone, its windows!!!! Haha, c'mon!"
I was screaming inside. If the jackass had any technology knowledge he would understand why I wanted the phone. The possibilities are endless. I'm running TomTom, Wifi access point, internet sharing, mp3 trimmer, push e-mail, Skyfire, DirecTV NFL Superfan Streaming, registry edits, etc. I know a BB and iPhone can also do some of these things but they CAN'T DO ALL.
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Most of the people in the stores are just typical sales people. They have bad attitudes, and think they know everything because of their "training". Just remember that they are trying to make their commission off of you. Every time I call customer service I make a point to complain about the sales people in the stores. Once, I went in to a store and asked for a new SIM card, and the jerk didn't want to give me one because I was not buying something. I asked for a manager, and she was a b***h about it too and told me that the SIM cards cost them a lot of money. She told me to go to the RadioShack down the road and get one (and they wanted to charge me $25 for one). I just stopped going to the stores all together. If I need a new SIM card, I call customer service and request one to be shipped to me. My advise.... Stay away from the stores!!!!

If they are so into earning their commissions one would think they would want to sell a $549 phone at full price, no?

I work for Best Buy Mobile and indeed AT&T does automatically add the data plan once the IMEI for smartphones is detected in their database but this does not mean you can't buy the phone outright.. that's where the guy was wrong. I don't know if he would get a lesser commission if he sells without an activation or whatnot.

Related

Will the Tmobile touch pro 2 require a data plan?

I made this thread a long time ago but now that its coming out to tmobile soon and there is more information about it there are likely to be more reasons for people to think it will or will not require a data plan.
According to this http://www.tmonews.com/2009/05/small-changes-to-datamessaging-plans/ it will...but we really won't know until it is released.
Don't buy it from tmobile. You should be able to use tzones with touch pro2 if purchased from ebay/craigslist.
I'm making a guess here that you are thinking of using wifi for data purposes? Unless you are careful to turn off all data you will suck up a months cost in data in less than a day. Possibly more. I had my data turned off while I was in between phones using my backup for a few weeks. When the NAM unlocked diamond became available I purchased it at about 7pm. I spaced the data and turned it on at 10am the next morning. I did little other than fiddle with the phone for an hour or so in the evening while it was charging and then an hour or so in the morning before I called in to get my data back up. That was 47 bucks and all I did was open opera to scope it out, set up my email and exchanged a few, set up the weather, about it. Didn't dl any videos or anything of that nature. I'm guessing that tmo or AT&T (should they pick it up) will require a data plan and of course you can do what you want if you buy unlocked. Realistically I think while data may not required its not a bad idea.
krabman said:
I'm making a guess here that you are thinking of using wifi for data purposes? Unless you are careful to turn off all data you will suck up a months cost in data in less than a day. Possibly more. I had my data turned off while I was in between phones using my backup for a few weeks. When the NAM unlocked diamond became available I purchased it at about 7pm. I spaced the data and turned it on at 10am the next morning. I did little other than fiddle with the phone for an hour or so in the evening while it was charging and then an hour or so in the morning before I called in to get my data back up. That was 47 bucks and all I did was open opera to scope it out, set up my email and exchanged a few, set up the weather, about it. Didn't dl any videos or anything of that nature. I'm guessing that tmo or AT&T (should they pick it up) will require a data plan and of course you can do what you want if you buy unlocked. Realistically I think while data may not required its not a bad idea.
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But the thing is that no WM phone has ever needed a data plan before, and also wm phones cost a lot more than other phones that do require data plans like the G1,or iphone, and would be very disapointed if it requires a data plan because I don't really have a use for one espcially cause I have wifi around me almost all day.
99.9% of phone companies will not activate without a smartphone plan.
Which a data plan is part of the smartphone plan.
So unless you're with one of those 0.1% of companies that do not require it themselves,
then you will need a data plan.
It is not the phone, it is the company.
codybear said:
99.9% of phone companies will not activate without a smartphone plan.
Which a data plan is part of the smartphone plan.
So unless you're with one of those 0.1% of companies that do not require it themselves,
then you will need a data plan.
It is not the phone, it is the company.
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Are you talking about in the future? cause so far I don't think any wm phones have required data plans, so does that mean the touch pro 2 will be in the 0.1%? I really hope it is
Things are definitely trending towards requiring data plans for data-centric phones. The companies claim they don't want consumers to be accidentally caught in massive per-kb charges or to miss out on the phone's functionality, but the real reason is precisely what the OP is planning to do--just use wifi. I'm hoping for that option as well. That's precisely the reason that carriers were so reluctant to allow wifi on phones in the first place. Plenty of manufacturers were willing to put it in years ago--pre-iPhone, but the carriers didn't want people using wifi to avoid their data plans.
Although the common wisdom on many forums seems to be that going without a data plan for phones like this doesn't make any sense, the common wisdom is, as you'd expect wrong. Or at least wrong for some people. Plenty of people have wifi at home, work, school and most of the places they hang out, and also have a data-use pattern that doesn't require 24/7 data access.
Carriers subsidize the phones, and then make their money back on monthly contract plans. It's only very recently that viable and broadly appealing pay as you go plans have been worth looking at. Anyway, now that data is so much more pervasive, it's becoming part of how Carriers decide on how much to subsidize a phone. They can either figure what percentage of people will get data, and calculate the subsidy from that, or they can require data and not mess with figuring percentages.
WinMo is a great platform to go data-less, because you can alter the winmo registry using a program like NoData, and actually turn off the carrier data radios, to ensure that there's no data access happening in the background running up per-kb charges.
Personally, I'm looking at TP2 with ATT, and I haven't yet heard whether they have plans to require data or not. Or whether any such requirement is attached to the phone itself, or just the 2-year contract price.
fortunz said:
Things are definitely trending towards requiring data plans for data-centric phones. The companies claim they don't want consumers to be accidentally caught in massive per-kb charges or to miss out on the phone's functionality, but the real reason is precisely what the OP is planning to do--just use wifi. I'm hoping for that option as well. That's precisely the reason that carriers were so reluctant to allow wifi on phones in the first place. Plenty of manufacturers were willing to put it in years ago--pre-iPhone, but the carriers didn't want people using wifi to avoid their data plans.
Although the common wisdom on many forums seems to be that going without a data plan for phones like this doesn't make any sense, the common wisdom is, as you'd expect wrong. Or at least wrong for some people. Plenty of people have wifi at home, work, school and most of the places they hang out, and also have a data-use pattern that doesn't require 24/7 data access.
Carriers subsidize the phones, and then make their money back on monthly contract plans. It's only very recently that viable and broadly appealing pay as you go plans have been worth looking at. Anyway, now that data is so much more pervasive, it's becoming part of how Carriers decide on how much to subsidize a phone. They can either figure what percentage of people will get data, and calculate the subsidy from that, or they can require data and not mess with figuring percentages.
WinMo is a great platform to go data-less, because you can alter the winmo registry using a program like NoData, and actually turn off the carrier data radios, to ensure that there's no data access happening in the background running up per-kb charges.
Personally, I'm looking at TP2 with ATT, and I haven't yet heard whether they have plans to require data or not. Or whether any such requirement is attached to the phone itself, or just the 2-year contract price.
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EXACTLY!!! Its just another way of them to get money out of customers, if somebody really needed a data plan they could just get one themselves. But I think its likely that this phone wont need one cause no wm phone has ever needed one, so it probably won't, but I just wanted to know other people's opinions on this cause its not like its impossible.
^I'm not aware if any Tmob store requireing data plans where I live...hopefully they won't in the future.
Sprint just tweeted about the Pre: The Pre requires an Everything Data plan - SERO plans will need upgrade to Everything Plus plan or other Everything Data (450/900/S.E.).
So I'm guessing there is a good chance they will make the same bonehead move for the TP2. This will probably affect my ability to upgrade.
ajbopp said:
Sprint just tweeted about the Pre: The Pre requires an Everything Data plan - SERO plans will need upgrade to Everything Plus plan or other Everything Data (450/900/S.E.).
So I'm guessing there is a good chance they will make the same bonehead move for the TP2. This will probably affect my ability to upgrade.
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It's possible, but don't forget the Pre is not just a Sprint exclusive, it's one of the most talked about Sprint exclusives that I can remember. They're putting a lot more effort into that phone than they will for the multi-carrier TP2, as such, they might be expecting to get more out of each sale.
fortunz said:
It's possible, but don't forget the Pre is not just a Sprint exclusive, it's one of the most talked about Sprint exclusives that I can remember. They're putting a lot more effort into that phone than they will for the multi-carrier TP2, as such, they might be expecting to get more out of each sale.
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That's a good point about the exclusivity. I hadn't considered that. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I don't expect to see TP2 from Sprint before November in any case, so there's lot's of time I want to NOT spending worrying about it
ajbopp said:
That's a good point about the exclusivity. I hadn't considered that. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I don't expect to see TP2 from Sprint before November in any case, so there's lot's of time I want to NOT spending worrying about it
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One other thing that does make me think that this phone will not require a data plan is that the G1 for example, cost 180 with a new contract, but requires a data plan, and then phones like the fuze, are over 300 with a data plan and doesn't require a data plan, maybe that is part of the benefit of getting a pricier phone, no data plan required, kinda like if a printer sells for cheap usually the ink is expensive, and if the printer cost more it's probably priced more reasonably. so even though a lot of phones do require a data plan maybe the reason wm phones don't is cause they cost so much more.
i want to get the TP2 on the verizon network.. does anyone know if they are going to charge for a data plan??? iv never had a winmo phone b4.
Lw00d said:
i want to get the TP2 on the verizon network.. does anyone know if they are going to charge for a data plan??? iv never had a winmo phone b4.
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LOL...Verizon is just getting set to come out with the original TP. I wouldn't look for the 2nd gen version of it from them for at least a year.
Then again, I'm the guy who said Sprint wouldn't come out with it before November, so you know how far you can take my word on things!
ajbopp said:
LOL...Verizon is just getting set to come out with the original TP. I wouldn't look for the 2nd gen version of it from them for at least a year.
Then again, I'm the guy who said Sprint wouldn't come out with it before November, so you know how far you can take my word on things!
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if you read the post that i made.. you will see that FCC is testing two CDMA TP2. one of those phone is going to verizon.
Lw00d said:
if you read the post that i made.. you will see that FCC is testing two CDMA TP2. one of those phone is going to verizon.
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I don't recall the article being very clear about one of them being Verizon, just mentioned as a possibility.
I heard that the touch pro 2 will require a data plan and I was wondering if anyone knows if there will be a way around it, or if an unlocked version will also require a data plan?
It is supposed to come out in about a week or so so i was wondering if anyone had more information about this

Can unlocked avoid data plan??

I was told that when you buy the tilt2, even at the no commitment price, as soon as you insert the sim AT&T will charge/change your service into a $30/mo data plan. Before anyone suggests to take the $30/mo plan that's $360 for the year. Purchasing it subsided with the data plan for a year is more than buying unlocked, nor do I want the $30 plan.
I was wondering if I purchase an unlocked Tilt2 can att still do that if I insert my sim into unlocked one. I'm happy with my data plan (medianet) and want to avoid being hit with the change buy purchasing an unlocked one. OK experts what's the verdict.
Any workaround anyone gives you is susceptible to being caught eventually, just FYI.
The one that's probably most reliable for now is purchasing an unlocked int'l GSM, TMobile or Sprint TP2 and plugging your sim into it. You won't have the proper 3g bands, so your data speed will be slower than if you were using a Tilt 2, but carriers don't generally maintain imei dbs of phones that aren't on their network.
Others may tell you they got by ATT with a Tilt2 and haven't had their data plan changed, but not everyone is so lucky. ATT most definitely monitors imei more now than they used to (defeating this used to be much more simple and effective before ATT began rebuilding their systems to accommodate iPhone enforcement--now those protections are starting to be used against other smartphones), so before you take the chance, keep in mind some people are getting nailed. The same is true for my suggestion above -- there are no guarantees.
I have a TMO HTC touch pro 2 that i purchased unlocked and am using it on AT&T on the medianet plan. My last several phones have been Samsung Innov8 and Nokia 5800 both Symbian OS that I have used unlocked on AT&T and only paid for medianet with no issues (aside from lack of 3G which isn't available in my area anyway).
-Jerry
webfrm said:
I was told that when you buy the tilt2, even at the no commitment price, as soon as you insert the sim AT&T will charge/change your service into a $30/mo data plan. Before anyone suggests to take the $30/mo plan that's $360 for the year. Purchasing it subsided with the data plan for a year is more than buying unlocked, nor do I want the $30 plan.
I was wondering if I purchase an unlocked Tilt2 can att still do that if I insert my sim into unlocked one. I'm happy with my data plan (medianet) and want to avoid being hit with the change buy purchasing an unlocked one. OK experts what's the verdict.
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IDT they can add the data plan to your account without your consent.
sdaddy said:
IDT they can add the data plan to your account without your consent.
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They can and have. It started with the iPhone, and has expanded to other smartphones recently. First I heard of the expansion to other phones was when a friend got a txt warning him that he had to add one himself or it would be added for him immediately after he popped a sim into his old nokia smartphone when he was going to use it for a weekend. It's really only a question of whether their software will spot your smartphone.
I can't believe another one of these threads has popped up. No, they won't add a data plan without your consent. They will add it if they can twist your arm enough to say ok. If they add it without your consent there is plenty of precedent showing that they will remove it upon your insistence.
As for me, I have an iPhone 3GS, a Tilt2, and a Sony Xperia x1a that I use on my MediaNet $15 plan + $5 for 200 text message plan. I bought the Tilt 2 subsidized and even then didn't have to add the $30 plan.
Of course, it doesn't matter how many times this is stated there will still be the naysayers who will claim otherwise.
If the phone you by is a Tilt 2 (an AT&T branded phone) they will know by the IMEI. If you buy a TouchPro 2 or a phone from say another carrier they won't know what phone you have and allow you to get a less expansive data plan or no plan at all. Down side is you can't use AT&T's 3G and are stuck with the much slower data connection.
Honestly not having a data plan really hampers having such a capable phone.
jlczl said:
I can't believe another one of these threads has popped up. No, they won't add a data plan without your consent. They will add it if they can twist your arm enough to say ok. If they add it without your consent there is plenty of precedent showing that they will remove it upon your insistence.
As for me, I have an iPhone 3GS, a Tilt2, and a Sony Xperia x1a that I use on my MediaNet $15 plan + $5 for 200 text message plan. I bought the Tilt 2 subsidized and even then didn't have to add the $30 plan.
Of course, it doesn't matter how many times this is stated there will still be the naysayers who will claim otherwise.
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They sent me a text saying, "I data plan is required and if omitted, one would be added." Got home and checked and my data plan was changed.
It DOES happen.
jlczl said:
I can't believe another one of these threads has popped up. No, they won't add a data plan without your consent. They will add it if they can twist your arm enough to say ok. If they add it without your consent there is plenty of precedent showing that they will remove it upon your insistence.
As for me, I have an iPhone 3GS, a Tilt2, and a Sony Xperia x1a that I use on my MediaNet $15 plan + $5 for 200 text message plan. I bought the Tilt 2 subsidized and even then didn't have to add the $30 plan.
Of course, it doesn't matter how many times this is stated there will still be the naysayers who will claim otherwise.
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Which is because exceptions don't disprove a rule.
I don't even doubt that some people have managed to talk their way out of the rule -- when I was tethering off my samsung a500 (on a different carrier) as a primary home internet connection on a $15 a month plan, they caught me, canceled, and I managed to get the right person on the phone and quickly got it reinstated and continued that use until I was done with that carrier.
Not everyone doing the same thing I did was so lucky, which is to say, just because I got around their policies doesn't mean the policies won't trap and damage users. And years later, carriers are far better equipped to detect violations and make changes without a human ever getting involved. Undoing their chicanery (they had a fair point in my case, but current policies are crap) is sometimes just a matter of luck, and sometimes is just impossible.
Telling people it might be possible to get around it, and how, is a nice piece of information. Telling people there is no valid concern when it's so clear there is one is irresponsible and harmful.
RojasTKD said:
Honestly not having a data plan really hampers having such a capable phone.
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That of course depends on intended usage. Not everyone is a twittering feed-reading emailaholic. Some people are database using, note taking, app-aholics who need a 24/7 connection about as much as they need a hole in their head. Most are inbetween, but with the ubiquity of wifi in many people's worlds, inbetween users can potentially cut their cell bill in half with little-to-no usage sacrifice.

Should I buy new Tilt 2 or Used Tilt 2 if Already on AT&T?

I am an AT&T employee but don't quite understand the whole activation and SIM scenario. Here is my situation.
I have a company provided phone and data plan. I want to get the Tilt 2 but the company won't spring for it. I am eligible for an upgrade through my personal account, but then I have to sign a new 2 year contract and it makes me select a data plan. Well, I don't currently have a data plan on my personal account and I don't want one (because I use my company phone exclusively). So I realize that I need to simply buy a phone outside of the AT&T retail loop. And I want it to be AT&T branded because I definitely want it to be compatible with the ATT 3G network.
My question is, is there any difference between buying a used or new AT&T branded Tilt 2 off eBay or similar place in regards to it working with my company provided SIM? Meaning, does a new phone require some kind of activation or can I just slip my SIM card in and go? If I get a used Tilt 2 is there a possible issue with the phone being registered to someone else and not working with my SIM? I am trying to avoid dealing with the AT&T CSR's because I am afraid that they will somehow screw up my company account just because I bought the phone myself. And lastly, since I know I will be using it with the ATT network, is there any advantage to getting an unlocked version? Thanks for your time.
ChasDun said:
I am an AT&T employee but don't quite understand the whole activation and SIM scenario. Here is my situation.
I have a company provided phone and data plan. I want to get the Tilt 2 but the company won't spring for it. I am eligible for an upgrade through my personal account, but then I have to sign a new 2 year contract and it makes me select a data plan. Well, I don't currently have a data plan on my personal account and I don't want one (because I use my company phone exclusively). So I realize that I need to simply buy a phone outside of the AT&T retail loop. And I want it to be AT&T branded because I definitely want it to be compatible with the ATT 3G network.
My question is, is there any difference between buying a used or new AT&T branded Tilt 2 off eBay or similar place in regards to it working with my company provided SIM? Meaning, does a new phone require some kind of activation or can I just slip my SIM card in and go? If I get a used Tilt 2 is there a possible issue with the phone being registered to someone else and not working with my SIM? I am trying to avoid dealing with the AT&T CSR's because I am afraid that they will somehow screw up my company account just because I bought the phone myself. And lastly, since I know I will be using it with the ATT network, is there any advantage to getting an unlocked version? Thanks for your time.
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You *could* buy it straight-out from a store, if they give you any crap about it tell them it's a gift and you will do the activation when the person receives it. You'll be paying $500ish this way, however. But they won't touch your data service. In the long run, it's cheaper this way. For me it would have cost $15 extra month to upgrade to the Tilt 2 so I figure the $360 over the 2 year contract and forevermore it was worth paying more for the phone up-front.
Thanks Kha for the response. What is the advantage to getting it at the ATT store vs ebay or somewhere similar? New ATT TP2s seem to be going for around $400 on ebay from reputable dealers and slightly used ones for around $350. Either way, can I drop my SIM card in without having to do anything else?
If you buy a Tilt 2 from AT&T, you get the benefit of the 1-year warranty and the piece of mind of knowing that it's un-soiled. If you purchase from eBay or some other used device avenue, you could get it from a decent discount, compared to the store purchase, but the device won't have the warranty (unless it's from a eBay store seller who offers a non-AT&T warranty) or it could be stolen and there might be a flag on the IMEI number. This is probably not the case if you buy from a seller with excellent feedback. If you purchase from eBay, you might want to consider the OEM branded HTC Touch Pro2. It has the front-facing camera, it's unlocked and won't be tracked by AT&T, a lot of people prefer the OEM housing to the Tilt 2's, I think the tolerances on the battery cover are tighter so the device is slightly slimmer, and it looks different than all the other TP2's you'll see around the US.
And about your SIM question, yes you should be able to insert your SIM and start using your phone. If you don't get a Tilt 2, you might have to configure the connection settings for the AT&T network first.
Dramacydle said:
If you purchase from eBay, you might want to consider the OEM branded HTC Touch Pro2.
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The only problem with buying the European/International unlocked version is that there will be no AT&T 3G support. That was the dealbreaker for me when I wanted the unlocked Rhodium.
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OP: As long as the phone is sold from a reputable dealer (so it's likely not IMEI blacklisted) you should be able to pop in your SIM and be done. And most any firmware, whether cooked or stock AT&T, should be able to automatically configure all the data settings like apn, username & password, and data line type. There's no worry about the phone being registered to another person, unless it's blacklisted from the network because it was reported as stolen. A good reason to always buy from reputable people.
In my opinion, there's not a practical advantage to getting the unlocked version. The only thing I don't like about the Tilt2 versus the OEM Touch Pro2 would be the horrendous keyboard changes, but you get used to it eventually. Getting the unlocked version would cost more money, but be almost the same thing. The unlocked one also wouldn't support AT&T's 3G network, and AFAIK the front facing camera wouldn't work on AT&T's network regardless of 3G connection.
The only thing you might not like about the Tilt2 as opposed to the OEM Touch Pro2 would be the internal chipset; the Tilt2 uses the slightly weaker Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, which cannot record VGA video while the unlocked Touch Pro2 can because it uses the slightly more powerful MSM7200A. The screen on the Tilt2 is also said to be slightly less vibrant than the OEM version, but it's still a fantastic display and I didn't even notice it. If I were in your position, I would buy the Tilt2, as its benefits clearly outweigh its faults.
DaveTheTytnIIGuy said:
The only problem with buying the European/International unlocked version is that there will be no AT&T 3G support. That was the dealbreaker for me when I wanted the unlocked Rhodium.
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The OP mentioned that he has no intention of using the Tilt 2 for data, so I assumed that was a moot point. Good call about mentioning that though.
Hi All. Thanks for your replies. They have been very helpful. The Tilt 2 price just dropped in ATTs retail stores from $499 to $399. I was in 2 different stores today and saw the new price. I finally convinced them to sell me the phone at the no commitment price without trying to link my IMEI before I left (again, this is for my AT&T company provided phone (COU) and not my personal phone). Anyway, retail people cannot access ATT employees COU accounts even if they tried. So the gal at the store said I would have to call COU to get the IMEI linked to my COU account. Is this true? I thought I could just take the SIM out of my Treo 750 and pop it into my Tilt 2 and go.
ChasDun said:
Hi All. Thanks for your replies. They have been very helpful. The Tilt 2 price just dropped in ATTs retail stores from $499 to $399. I was in 2 different stores today and saw the new price. I finally convinced them to sell me the phone at the no commitment price without trying to link my IMEI before I left (again, this is for my AT&T company provided phone (COU) and not my personal phone). Anyway, retail people cannot access ATT employees COU accounts even if they tried. So the gal at the store said I would have to call COU to get the IMEI linked to my COU account. Is this true? I thought I could just take the SIM out of my Treo 750 and pop it into my Tilt 2 and go.
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You can just put the SIM in and it will work.
Do you not have a data plan of any kind? AT&T is now adding data plans to the accounts of purchasers of its new branded smartphones. Don't be surprised if you get a text message from AT&T within as day or two that the smartphone data plan has been added to your account. I had the $15 Media Net plan with an unlocked Palm Treo Pro and my wife had PPU data with her Moto V3xx. I bought a Tilt 2 for me and a Bold 9700 for her and as soon as the phones were activated we each got text messages that the appropriate data plans had been added to our accounts. There were loopholes in the past to get around it (call in with the IMEI of a dumbphone) but AT&T is now tracking the IMEI's of its branded smartphones and adding data plans. Users with older devices and the $15 Media Net plan seem to be grandfathered in for now (there was a "Smartphone Exclusion" feature that showed up on people's feature lists when the policy chaged recently).
Thanks DW. I do have a data and voice plan on my SIM. It is paid for by the company. So from what I understand I can just put my same SIM card in the new phone and be done.

[Q] ATT adding data?

Okay, this might not be the best place for this thread, so mods, please feel free to move as needed.
Anyways, a friend of mine got his phone completely destroyed in a storm the other day, so he's planning on upgrading. He has had a smartphone on ATT without a data plan and received a text saying that ATT recognized his use of a smartphone and added a data plan. He promptly took it out and used a non-smartphone to avoid the charge.
As a Tmo customer, I have always bought my phones off-contract and put in my SIM and used freely without a data plan, so this sounds absurd to me. Can ATT add a data plan to a phone even if it was bought off-contract (which would defeat the purpose of buying a new phone for $500 instead of upgrading for ~$200)? I know carriers can track IMEI numbers because, like I said, I have no data plan, but on my.t-mobile.com, TMo knows I use an HD2.
Thanks ahead of time for the input!
dcheng11 said:
Okay, this might not be the best place for this thread, so mods, please feel free to move as needed.
Anyways, a friend of mine got his phone completely destroyed in a storm the other day, so he's planning on upgrading. He has had a smartphone on ATT without a data plan and received a text saying that ATT recognized his use of a smartphone and added a data plan. He promptly took it out and used a non-smartphone to avoid the charge.
As a Tmo customer, I have always bought my phones off-contract and put in my SIM and used freely without a data plan, so this sounds absurd to me. Can ATT add a data plan to a phone even if it was bought off-contract (which would defeat the purpose of buying a new phone for $500 instead of upgrading for ~$200)? I know carriers can track IMEI numbers because, like I said, I have no data plan, but on my.t-mobile.com, TMo knows I use an HD2.
Thanks ahead of time for the input!
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Yes AT&T can charge him for data, as long as he is on contract or month to month service, if he wants to avoid paying for data he can probably switch to a prepaid account which normally has different device expectations, I know it sounds weird but thats how Verizon does it so just thinking maybe AT&T does as well
jami2976 said:
Yes AT&T can charge him for data, as long as he is on contract or month to month service, if he wants to avoid paying for data he can probably switch to a prepaid account which normally has different device expectations, I know it sounds weird but thats how Verizon does it so just thinking maybe AT&T does as well
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Ah, I find that ridiculous... As a GSM phone user, I've always liked the freedom of just popping in a SIM and being done with it. Verizon as a CDMA network requires you to get the phone serial number activated, so Verizon will know right off the bat what phone is being used. Sorry disappointing, but oh well, thanks for the input!

Need Samsung Galaxy S3 Sprint help

Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
varaonaid said:
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
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It all varies on your area, you need to find people who live around you and ask there opinion. Some ppl say the HTC radio sucks, others say Sammys sucks. Rumor was without pure fact that Samsung was using a radio like the Motorola phones use. Lots of ppl are reporting positive feedback with the GS3. So it's something you can try, and if the store can't help you avoid a restocking fee, I would call customer service to see if theyd waive it.
However I know Sprint hasnt charged me a restock fee yet or ever, and if you have reception issues at home they will send you a free airwave...
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
juanpow3r said:
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
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The thing is and to be honest, once LTE hits, everyone will be *****ing about battery life. There is not a reason you cant jump on WIFI if avalible. Or use 3g... I have been stuck and still am stuck on 3g, and things load instantly for me... granted I'm not downloading big videos or anything...
But I know her main point was coverage... so she'd really need to stop at a store and talk to people who use the phone outside of the business
I'll let you know. Mostly I want to know that Sprint will stand behind either phone if the radios aren't up to par without the restocking fees and a second activation fee... I can't afford $210 of activation, restocking and another reactivation fee for phones that are defective. I'm not talking about just changing my mind and wanting a different phone but needing to trust that one way or another I'll get two phones with no radio issues.
It's not as simple as just staying with VZW, my husband's phone was stolen during one of my medical emergencies... He's currently using an old phone but it's not working very well. So, we either pony up for a new phone (even if it's via Craigslist) or we get a new provider (who hopefully gives a care bc Vzw certainly didn't!), both get new phones and sell our current ones to cover most of the upfront cost of the new phones. We could wait until Network Vision is completed or moreso but will they still be able to offer unlimited data plan at that point. Since we feel that we want to switch, now feels like a good time to do so. Does that make sense?
No we're not out of contract with Verizon but have people lined up to do an AOL (assumption of liability or contract takeover) so we'd be out of it with no fees. However, we won't complete the AOL until we're sure that Sprint will work for us now.
Does anyone know if the everything data plus (we'd be looking at the 1600min family plan) has free activation? I'd have to order online and it would be via employee referral? Also, do you get any numbers you can pick that are unlimited to those numbers? Verizon had friends and family where you got to pick a handful of numbers that you call the most that don't count against our minutes. My only concern is my in laws as they have a VERY limited cell plan and use their land line almost exclusively. If we could add that one number that would help a ton. I'd read somewhere online that Sprint had something similar but now, of course, can't find it again.
I appreciate all of your help and advice so very much. I hope this explains more why we're considering the switch and why we need good phone reception... At least as good as is currently possible on their network.
BTW, when we informed Vzw about the phone theft we were tracking the phone on Google latitude and the refused to help or advise us as to what to do in any way. Super disappointed with their lack of help. If the customer service had been better, we might have gotten our phone back. I've heard good things about Sprint's customer service.
Any other thoughts or suggestions or advice... Please share! And many thanks to all of you who have shared!
Order directly from Sprint
As a former employee of a 3rd party vendor, if you are worried about the vendors complying with Sprint's 30-day no strings window, order your phones directly from Sprint. If your or your husband's employer have an agreement with sprint that nets their employee's a discount, they might also have an exclusive sales team and pricing. Most corporate discounts waive the activation fee on new lines and Sprint(corporate, not 3rd party) is very good about exchanges. Keep in mind 3rd party vendors can, and do, pretty much whatever they want, if they treat you poorly, email [email protected] and it will garner the attention of Dan Hesse's resolution team. But again if you want to avoid the 3rd party headache, just order online or over the phone. Good luck, and I will check back as I just ordered both, an evo lte and sIII, for my wife and I. I will let you know how signal goes.
Sprint is very giving... ill PM you a number to use when you call them.
Sent from my DynaTAC 8000S ;-) via 5G
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
varaonaid said:
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
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As of right now i get great signal and battery on my sprint s iii. I support ur cjoicr to switch. As far as customer sipport u eont regret it. If u have bad sifnal call them at any customer service number and request an airrave theyll send one for free. Those give u full signal at home. I believe emergency calls work without signal too so 911 shouldn't be a problem anyway, and airave should fix signal worries. So far this phone has great radio so far as I can tell.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

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