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Droid has WiFi--do I need data plan?

To start, I am already quite confused with this whole data plan thing. I pretty much don't handle any of the plan stuff, my dad has 6 phones under his name and he deals with all of the money.

I currently have a regular EnV (the old ugly orange brick one lol) and I'm assuming that I don't have a data plan (?)...A data plan is for smart phones I'm pretty sure. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! :smileyhappy: I'd like to get the HTC Eris Droid because I want to be able to access the internet from my phone. It says it has WiFi access...does that mean I don't need a data plan to get internet as long as I'm in a WiFi zone? I'm always either at school or home and my college had WiFi access all over campus.

Basically, I'm wondering if I were to get the droid phone, would we have to pay a bunch of extra money each month to get all the cool benefits of having a fancy phone? I just need some clarification on all the stuff regarding monthly payment plans. Verizon doesn't like to make these things very clear on their website because obviously they're trying to make money. They don't want to go around telling people like me I can save money by not getting a more expensive plan (if that's even possible, hopefully you'll be telling me!)

Sorry I'm so confusing! Thanks for any information anyone can give me! :smileyhappy:

Comments

Ardoreal

Verizon will let you sign up for it with a "Pay as you go" data plan, but the rates are pretty insanely high. That and you'd have to do stuff like making sure your sync is inactive, your location services are turned off.

It would be incredibly difficult to stop this phone from using any data unless you're on wifi. I don't know that it'd be worth the trouble. If you're not able to get a data plan, I would seriously consider really wanting to get the phone.

You might be better off with something like an ipod touch.

VERIZONLVR

Pay-as-you-go data costs $1.99 per MB. It won't take long to spend more than $30 a month at that price at that rate.

billabongopblue

I am in the same boat, and actually was looking for the exact answer.

I really wanted to get a itouch for the wifi etc. I was also in the market for a GPS. Then finding out i am dew for a new phone I figured I would take the money and get a phone with wifi. I do not need all the other stuff although its cool to have and wont use most of it anyways. I wanted to pick up a nice quality phone as well because most of the time those LG phones break or die anyways.

What exactly would you not be able to do without a data plan. Could I use wifi? and still view and get free things from the marketplace? Could u use Google maps?

It almost seems stupid if you do not get to use the wifi free and get the free apps, because apple has those.

VERIZONLVR

billabongopblue wrote:
What exactly would you not be able to do without a data plan. Could I use wifi? and still view and get free things from the marketplace? Could u use Google maps?

Well ... how about use the PHONE. You can't buy one without the plan.

billabongopblue

actually you can.... but you pay the 1.99 per meg. And you can buy one without it, i just went through this today. Although i wanted to know what exactly you get charged for and how its used so that i could figure out if i could avoid paying for the data plan.

Basically i want what i have on my standard phone now, although i want the wifi.

xOriginalNinjax

Yes, the data package is a requirement. All new smartphone/pda/blackberry's have the requirement. There is no "pay as you go" option even available on the account after you activate it (in a store, online, over the phone) and the system will not allow it to just be "removed" and have no pay-as-you-go or no package, so yes, the $29.99 a month is a minimum and a requirement.

VERIZONLVR

Yes, you can get the pay-as-you-go plan, but as I stated earlier, at 1.99 per MB, it won't take long for your bill to add up. I wouldn't say I'm a heavy user, but since 11/17, I've used 39MB. 39 times $2 = $78 -- and that's not even two full weeks!

VERIZONLVR

billabongopblue wrote:
actually you can.... but you pay the 1.99 per meg. And you can buy one without it, i just went through this today. Although i wanted to know what exactly you get charged for and how its used so that i could figure out if i could avoid paying for the data plan.

Basically i want what i have on my standard phone now, although i want the wifi.

According to theVerizon rep I spoke to, you can't use the phone and WiFi at the same time (a la the new AT&T TV adds). Keep your current phone.

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