3G vs WIFI - Someone Clue Me In

[Phog Allen]

Hi chaps. Okay, I already get that 3G is a phone carrier based service and wifi is wireless access from hotspots or your router. What I need is information about how this works day to day. I am not a power phone user. 99% of my use is voice. I don't text and don't surf the net on a phone. However, my old flip phone is dieing and I want to replace it with a touchscreen. However, I will not pay a data rate for something I don't use. I know the iPhone is "always on" so trying to use it with my regular ATT plan will eventually get me a notice they are connecting to a data plan anyway. So I look around for unlocked touchscreens and find some GREAT choices at Nokia USA website. The 5530 Xpress Music and the 5230 are two that are reasonably priced, unlocked and not tied to a carrier, and do two different things when connecting to data. The 5530 does wifi and the 5230 does 3G. I cold live with either phone but lean toward the 5530 since I could use the wifi in the house for various things. What I don't know is whether either of these phones have some sort of always on function that will incur the wrath of ATT. I don't need or want data per se. I just want a nice touchscreen phone with micro SD card slot. That does not seem to me to be too much to ask but who knows with ATT. Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to whether I can shut off or bypass any sort of automatic data connectivity with these types of phones? Thanks.

Regards, Todd

 

[Sueto]

most smartphones that have the capability of using wifi will use that that data rather than using 3G in this case. If it can not find a wifi point to connect to, then it will fall over to 3G. So in order of preference it would be wifi, then 3G. Using wifi will not incur the wrath of the carrier. So if you end up transfering gigs of data over wifi, then so be it. It is not counted as part of the data using from your carrier.

 

[beginish]

Keep in mind, though, that AT&T may require you to purchase a data plan with a particular phone. For example, even if you only intended to make voice calls or work over wifi, I believe you are required to get a data plan if you purchase Blackberries or iPhones.

 

[stobes21]

If you absolutely do not want to pay for a data plan then try to find a phone that doesn't even have 3G. I do have a question though: why bother buying a touch screen phone if all you want to do with it is call and text? A regular cheap flip phone will do that just as well as a touch screen for substantially less money.

And if you plan on buying through the carrier be prepared to have to pay for a data plan if you want a smart phone. I think most carriers now require a data plan when you purchase a smart phone through them, regardless of model or whether you will actually use the data.

 

[tg16]

You could buy a phone that has a keyboard but is for texting and not full data. I think AT&T has some Samsungs and LG's that would do it ok.

 

[Go West Young Man]

If you want mobile computing but only via wifi, check into the iTouch - it's basically and iPhone with no phone.

 

[media]

A data plan is needed for most touch phones. Nokia's operating system is out dated and clunky. Android is the best mobile platform IMHO. Open source gives power to the people.

A data plan now seems like something you wouldnt use, since you associate that with a standard phone now. Once you have a phone with all of these capabilities, you will want to use them. Not only at home, but on the go.

 

[Phog Allen]

Sorry chaps. I guess I should have been more clear as to why I want to use a touchscreen/smartphone as a regular old feature phone(as they refer to regular cell phones nowadays). The thinking behind this is screen and touch pad size. Most flip phones have TINY little keypads and I have LARGE hands. A quick measurement shows a wrist to finger tip length of over eight inches and a quarter will not cover the tip of my thumb from side to side. I am not a giant person at about six feet but I inherited big hands from my old Da. It makes punching keys on most flip phones a real pita. It is not super hard to overcome since you use the phone book function to look up most contacts and hit the send button.

What is becoming an issue is over-40 eyes. My distance vision is super. I can see and judge distant things easily. The up close stuff and washed out screens in the sunlight are becoming a real nuisance. This is where the 2.5 to 3.25 inch displays of the touchscreens come in handy. The virtual keypads are much larger than my Nokia 6555 flip model's keys. Their displays show up better on screen as well. The other two main issues for me are a MicroSD card since I like to do contacts on the pc and then load them up on the card and go. The other is some ease of use. The icon driven touchscreens seem at first flush to be easy to use.

Now for the two models I listed. They are NOT subsidised phones. These are retail models. They are unlocked and as far as I know, non-carrier branded. I will check with ATT and NokiaUSA before ordering anything. No one needs any nasty surprises. What I don't know is if AT&T would see these data devices as using their bandwidth anyway. The 5530 does NOT have 3G in it but the 5230 does. I don't know if this will cause some sort of apoplectic fit with AT&T if I don't have their expensive data plans.

Okay guys, in the midst of typing this I was on the phone with ATT. Here is the skinny on "smart phones". If they sell you one at a subsidised discount you have to have a data plan. If you pay cash outright you have to have a data plan. Nice huh? Even if you pay retail for their overpriced models you are bound to a data plan. They could not tell me if buying an independent, unlocked phone would incur the same charges. Ugh. 90% of the devices they sell are tethered to a data or text plan. What a joke. This sort of stuff drives me crazy but from what I gather, Verizon is no better and Tmobile does not have the coverage around here like ATT does. So this is still up in the air. One phone I do remember looking at and thinking it had large-ish keys and an easy to read screen was a Pantech but I don't remember the model name. It was nigh on $200 outright so you can see why I thought of up ticking the device.

Regards, Todd

 

[Matt R.]

At least with Verizon, they force you to buy an unlimited data plan if you get a smartphone.

 

[Gaston]

Sounds like it might be about time to re-deregulate the "phone" companies.

 

[Troggie]

I have a friend who has a rooted and unlocked G1 on AT&T with no data plan. I think the only time they force you into a dataplan with a smartphone is if they have the ESN/IMEI in their phone database when you switch to it. So any Tmobile phone or other GSM phone that is not AT&T branded may allow you to bypass the dataplan issue. Depending on what you are looking to spend you could also sign up as a Google Android Developer and get the developer edition of the G1 or the G2 (My Touch) for 299 (plus the 25 for the developer fee).