[keano]

Does t-mobile require data plan for all blackberries? ATT allows pay as you go wireless usage.

If I go to wall mart and get one of these does a data plan must be on for 2 years?

[on1sony]

tmobile.com just call them.
why would you not want a data plan on this phone... thats insane.. only 24.99 a month?

[wadhiamod]

any BB will need a data plan. Its a sin to have a BB and not have a data plan. A BB will come to life with the data plan. Without the data plan its just not worth it.

[blackberrybugs]

T-Mobile requires a data-plan for the Blackberry 8520. For me it is 25$ a month and basically unlimited, -worth it for me.

[DasGOAT]

you can get around the data plan by adding the $15 Unlimited Text package. bought mine this way from walmart.

[cameron.personal]

Wirelessly posted (8900 on T-Mo)

That makes no sense.

[DasGOAT]

your right it doesn't. although, in their system(t-mobile) it counts as a data plan. no real data is given to you except a "feature enabler" which gives the phone MMS functionality.

[OrangeBDS]

You'd be surprised how many people want a Blackberry without a plan. It seems they want a blackberry to be able to tell people they have a Blackberry.

[jsconyers]

Originally Posted by OrangeBDS

You'd be surprised how many people want a Blackberry without a plan. It seems they want a blackberry to be able to tell people they have a Blackberry.

Or they like the size and keyboard and don't want all of the features. Not everyone needs email pushed to their device. Maybe they just want a solid device that makes phone calls and has a nice keyboard to make texting easier.

The problem is the ones that don't want to get the data plan but then complain when they don't get the features that the data plan provides.

[DasGOAT]

True. you got a point. personally i love the PDA functions and build quality. Way better than the HTC/WinMo phone i had.

Edit: js beat me to it

[OrangeBDS]

Originally Posted by jsconyers

Or they like the size and keyboard and don't want all of the features. Not everyone needs email pushed to their device. Maybe they just want a solid device that makes phone calls and has a nice keyboard to make texting easier.

The problem is the ones that don't want to get the data plan but then complain when they don't get the features that the data plan provides.

I stand corrected JS, good point. Back in general customer service, I still ran into people that had the data block and the text block on their line, and that made me wonder.

[aznjoel94]

No it doesn't but, if you want a full featured BlackBerry then get it, I currently have it with no data plan seeing that i only text and such.

[patrickom]

@OrangeBDS: Thanks for being classy in your retraction. In addition to jsconyers' good points, I would note that many of us like the ability to turn off providers' "mobile broadband" options in favor of local wifi access points. If you live in an area with a ton of access points, have a bluetooth- or usb-linked computer and are willing to download (or write) a couple of simple apps, you can easily get most of the functionality of mobile broadband (calendar and RSS updates via the computer; usually-on e-mail and usually-on web via area wifi) without paying an extra $200-$400 per year. That said ...

@aznjoel94: Which carrier do you use, and when did you get your phone? My wife and I went to replace our legacy device (running Windows Mobile, sadly) with a Blackberry, only to be told that all major U.S. carriers now require ALL new "smart phones" to have data plans. As in "because some people were idiots and complained about per-use charges after not getting data plans, you now MUST pay an extra >$20 per month if you wish to have a phone that supports a non-carrier-proprietary OS." Talking to folks at other carriers, this appears to be the case (including Blackberry models). So we left the Verizon store and asked the Best Buy fella about simply "upgrading" our existing Verizon acxxxx to a crappy newish dumb phone and then switching the SIMM into a separately purchased Blackberry or Android device, and he said that most carriers will actively recognize the new device signature and tack on a monthly data plan (and accompanying charge). This is a very frustrating case of clearly choreographed greed on the part of the carriers, and quite possibly an antitrust case waiting to happen. Any information on how to circumvent this situation is immensely appreciated.

[snarestud940]

unlimited text such as unlimited picture and text messages? because i just bought a new 8520 and wanna be able to use it without the data plan as well. just love blackberry's and wanna be able to use it.