Er... anyone else find this stupid?

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@SpaceOddity wrote:

I'd fall into this category. Currently, I'm using a SE w760. It's been a good phone for me so far but the bottom of the slider is starting to crack and I thought while I was upgrading I'd get a better camera this time around. Photography is a passion of mine and when I'm not lugging around my gear, I'd like to be able to still have some form of camera with me. And, while camera phones aren't ideal, I'd rather combine the two than carry around the extra clutter of a separate camera.

 

I don't text. I don't twitter. I'm not on facebook. I don't want WiFi. I blocked internet connection the moment I bought my phone. I even disabled the 3G on my Sony as it was draining the battery searching for the network. I don't exactly live in a budding metropolis. I just want a decent battery life with a good, 5MP or better, camera. Sadly, feature phones with these qualities are a dying breed.

 

I didn't even know about this, the mandatory plan, until a month ago. I was looking at the Nokia N86, unfortunately a smartphone, when I called up AT&T and they informed me of the new requirements. I didn't think it would make a difference. How would things be different than they are now? The first call I'd make with the thing would be to AT&T to tell them to block everything. Heh. I'd basically be dumbing down a smartphone.

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There is really no need to call at&t and inform them that you've changed phones. 🙂  You would just move your SIM from the W760a to your new phone.  And there are many users of non-branded Nokia S60 models out here - so far no reports of at&t having added the smartphone data plan, and of course an N86 is not a device that at&t designates as a smartphone in their website documentation either. 

Plus the fact that if you are out of contract on your W760a, you'd always have the option to leave at&t (there have been at least a few reports that the retentions department is using a "waiver" of the smartphone data plan as a retention tool for users not under contract who aren't using an at&t subsidized smartphone and who wish to block data) or you could use it with at&t's prepaid service - there are no data plan requirements there or a smartphone user can use any of the available data plans.  At $30/month for a non-needed data plan, it may even be worth it to some users to pay the ETF and use prepaid service instead.

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@wingrider01 wrote:

they will not do it, the data plan is mandatory, they may apply the blocks but you would still be required to pay for it

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Pay for something I'd never use.

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@hme83 wrote:

 

There is really no need to call at&t and inform them that you've changed phones. 🙂  You would just move your SIM from the W760a to your new phone.  And there are many users of non-branded Nokia S60 models out here - so far no reports of at&t having added the smartphone data plan, and of course an N86 is not a device that at&t designates as a smartphone in their website documentation either. 

 

Plus the fact that if you are out of contract on your W760a, you'd always have the option to leave at&t (there have been at least a few reports that the retentions department is using a "waiver" of the smartphone data plan as a retention tool for users not under contract who aren't using an at&t subsidized smartphone and who wish to block data) or you could use it with at&t's prepaid service - there are no data plan requirements there or a smartphone user can use any of the available data plans.  At $30/month for a non-needed data plan, it may even be worth it to some users to pay the ETF and use prepaid service instead.

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 Where on the site did you see this?

I've talked to AT&T's Customer Service. Actually, I talked to Sales and Customer Service. A Sales representative told me that as long as I bought an unlocked N86 from someone other than AT&T, I'd be fine. Of course, that didn't go along with what everyone was saying on here so I called Customer Service and they told me that everything the Sales rep. had said was wrong. In fact, they were actually pretty upset because apparently not only had he given me incorrect information but my call wasn't logged and I couldn't remember his name. It was like the whole thing never happened.

Even better, when I asked if there was an actual list and if the N86 was on it, the Customer Service agent said that there wasn't one. When she put me on hold, I thought she was simply checking just to be sure. Imagine my surprise when the phone started ringing! I had been handed off to NokiaUSA!  

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@SpaceOddity wrote:

 

 Where on the site did you see this?

 

 

I've talked to AT&T's Customer Service. Actually, I talked to Sales and Customer Service. A Sales representative told me that as long as I bought an unlocked N86 from someone other than AT&T, I'd be fine. Of course, that didn't go along with what everyone was saying on here so I called Customer Service and they told me that everything the Sales rep. had said was wrong. In fact, they were actually pretty upset because apparently not only had he given me incorrect information but my call wasn't logged and I couldn't remember his name. It was like the whole thing never happened.

Even better, when I asked if there was an actual list and if the N86 was on it, the Customer Service agent said that there wasn't one. When she put me on hold, I thought she was simply checking just to be sure. Imagine my surprise when the phone started ringing! I had been handed off to NokiaUSA!  

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Per at&t's terms of service, the mandatory smartphone data plan is required on designated smartphones.  At&t designates these smartphones at their website - that seems to be the only "official" list and they are all at&t subsidized models.

I have heard the nexus one is listed as a "smartphone" even though it is unsubsidized by at&t.

@wingrider

While I have not been able to phrase it so eloquently as some other users have recently, my original points all stand. The only ground you have to argue is "those are the rules deal with it".

Throughout this entire time, you have intentionally misinterpreted what I wrote, and used any point I made in a context you know wasn't the original.

Congratulations.

Now with that said.

I do appreciate the user who explained the at&t radio issue. I actually was a dsl subscriber.. but, I had to switch becase my service was way too unstable/slow. I think the house I live in is wired poorly. Not surprisng as its a rented apartment lol.

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@Snow_Fox wrote:

I have heard the nexus one is listed as a "smartphone" even though it is unsubsidized by at&t.

 

@wingrider

While I have not been able to phrase it so eloquently as some other users have recently, my original points all stand. The only ground you have to argue is "those are the rules deal with it".

 

Throughout this entire time, you have intentionally misinterpreted what I wrote, and used any point I made in a context you know wasn't the original.

 

Congratulations.

 

Now with that said.

 

I do appreciate the user who explained the at&t radio issue. I actually was a dsl subscriber.. but, I had to switch becase my service was way too unstable/slow. I think the house I live in is wired poorly. Not surprisng as its a rented apartment lol.

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It has been stated out here by a moderator that the Nexus One (specifically) is subject to the mandatory data plan, although I have not seen it indicated anywhere on at&t's website.

Happy to have provided a little historical perspective.  lol.  I know the fact that the smartphone data plan includes free WiFi at at&t hotspots wouldn't make me any happier - I've had that for years with my DSL service.  So I'd feel like I must be "paying for" the same thing twice. 😄

Well for me it is a personal insult to have wifi on my phone (e71x)

And pay for data as well..

When I spend 90% of my time on campus which is saturated with wifi.

Having the historical perspective is actually *the best* defense anyone could have given at&t.

Now with that said, I don't think it excuses the fact that phones like mine don't need data.

Sadly my e71x was washed.. So I'm more or less out of options.  My next phone will most likely require a data package..

Or.. I will have to settle for a lesser phone.

I wouldn't mind the data as I said, for a phone like the backflip which has a constant unavoidable stream of data one way or the other.

Just a shame I can no longer have options for better phones without data packages.