Database Users

Avoiding an AT&T Data Plan

I was happily using my Nexus One on AT&T without a data plan (and with data blocked) since it was released, but I made the mistake of giving AT&T the IMEI number of my Nexus today. Now they tell me that I am required to get a $30 data plan because it is a "PDA", despite the fact that it cannot use 3G on AT&T's network.
Does anyone know of a way to ditch the data plan? Is it possible that I could give AT&T the IMEI of an old phone, then switch my SIM to the Nexus?

as a user who uses the nexus one on att, heating something like this is
infuriating.how is it their business to make you buy a data plan? I can understand if they subsidized the phone but obviously in this case it was not. thanks for the heads up. i would never disclose this kind of information to att unless I absolutely had to do so.

use this as a way to break your contract and come to tmobile and enjoy the way a real provider is sposed to treat you... pretty much if you have ATT and dont have an iphone, they dont care about you

Postal76 said:
I was happily using my Nexus One on AT&T without a data plan (and with data blocked) since it was released, but I made the mistake of giving AT&T the IMEI number of my Nexus today. Now they tell me that I am required to get a $30 data plan because it is a "PDA", despite the fact that it cannot use 3G on AT&T's network.
Does anyone know of a way to ditch the data plan? Is it possible that I could give AT&T the IMEI of an old phone, then switch my SIM to the Nexus?
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I am kinda surprised they are doing this... Then again, times are "tough"...
I would ask them where in the contract you signed it says you have to have a data plan? Let them know that if they start charging you for a service you didn't sign up for or agree to, they will be hearing from an attorney.

When AT&T began mandating the smartphone dataplans (September?) people that already had a smartphone on their account without a smartphone data plan were given a feature called "smartphone exclusion". If you had this and they took it off when you gave them the nexus one imei, you may be able to call customer service and get them to put it back on. That's the only way I can think of. They're implementing a system which automatically adds a smartphone data plan onto your account when you put your sim card into a smartphone and it reports a recognized smartphone imei to AT&T unless you have the smartphone exclusion feature.
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1618214

maxh said:
When AT&T began mandating the smartphone dataplans (September?) people that already had a smartphone on their account without a smartphone data plan were given a feature called "smartphone exclusion". If you had this and they took it off when you gave them the nexus one imei, you may be able to call customer service and get them to put it back on. That's the only way I can think of. They're implementing a system which automatically adds a smartphone data plan onto your account when you put your sim card into a smartphone and it reports a recognized smartphone imei to AT&T unless you have the smartphone exclusion feature.
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1618214
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Very interesting. This make sense, since AT&T should be able to find out what kind of phone you're using even if you don't give them your IMEI. I suppose I might have had a "smartphone exclusion" put on my account back when I was using a myTouch 3G on AT&T without a data plan.
However, I doubt AT&T is going to work with me on this, given the extremely unsatisfactory customer service I received today after speaking to 3 representatives.

What happens when your using just a normal phone with att, and your buddy has a nexus one. and so you go over to his house and put your sim on it just to see how it works, cause your interested in it and all. so you borrow it for a day to test it out. and att starts charging you for data? Sounds bull**** to me that they can do that if your not using 3g data service... period

I've had these issues with ATT as well. In September they "discovered" my Touch HD on their network and zapped it from working. I was on the "pay as you go" plan. I switched the SIM to my old HTC Trinity and my service was useable again. Since the Trinity was one of the first full featured phones, they must not have had it in their "kill" database.
I dumped ATT like a hot rock, then went to T-mobile and I've never looked back. ATT has nothing over T-mobile.

Matterhorn said:
I've had these issues with ATT as well. In September they "discovered" my Touch HD on their network and zapped it from working. I was on the "pay as you go" plan. I switched the SIM to my old HTC Trinity and my service was useable again. Since the Trinity was one of the first full featured phones, they must not have had it in their "kill" database.
I dumped ATT like a hot rock, then went to T-mobile and I've never looked back. ATT has nothing over T-mobile.
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Trust me, I'd love to do the same. But A&T is much cheaper for me (it would be $120 for a 2 line family plan with data vs. $155 on T-Mobile) even when I don't include my AT&T premier discount. I was pretty sad to learn that T-Mobile's pricing isn't very competitive, at least when it comes to Nexus One plans.

i've had the N1 on ATT for about a month now and i don't have data plan and never signed up for one; i am near wifi 80-90% of the time and don't need the data plan; never got any texts from them forcing me to get data;
btw, i am on a family plan

jblazea50 said:
i've had the N1 on ATT for about a month now and i don't have data plan and never signed up for one; i am near wifi 80-90% of the time and don't need the data plan; never got any texts from them forcing me to get data;
btw, i am on a family plan
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Supposedly they are turning on their new system for automatically adding data plans market by market. Some people's areas don't have it yet, but I know for a fact they're doing it in Austin, TX because I got hit by it. I had 2 lines with smartphones and put my SIM card into a dumbphone for a few minutes then back into my smartphone. That triggered it, but I have the "smartphone exclusion" on my main line (which happens to be the phone I did the SIM switch in) so only the other line got a $30 data plan added. I ported that line out within a couple of days.

maxh said:
Supposedly they are turning on their new system for automatically adding data plans market by market. Some people's areas don't have it yet, but I know for a fact they're doing it in Austin, TX because I got hit by it. I had 2 lines with smartphones and put my SIM card into a dumbphone for a few minutes then back into my smartphone. That triggered it, but I have the "smartphone exclusion" on my main line (which happens to be the phone I did the SIM switch in) so only the other line got a $30 data plan added. I ported that line out within a couple of days.
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how do you add smartphone exclusion to your phone

It's really simple to ditch the data plans on ATT...
I have a total of 6 phones with ATT. 4 ATT PDAs, 1 ATT non-PDA and mine - which is usually UNLOCKED/UNBRANDED WinMo phone.
I wait a few months after buying any ATT branded phone and call them to let them know I've switched phones. They ask for the IMEI. I run my trusted IMEI Generator (Google it) and start spewing phoney IMEIs to them. When they don't show in their systems as an ATT phone, I can then change all their $30 unlim PDA unlim data plans to the $10 unlim data plan version.
Of course, every rep I every spoke to swears there's a difference between the $30 vs the $10 plan...but WE know better. They work exactly the same!
Come on ATT!!!
My way of stickin it to the MAN!!!

technillion said:
They ask for the IMEI. I run my trusted IMEI Generator (Google it) and start spewing phoney IMEIs to them. When they don't show in their systems as an ATT phone, I can then change all their $30 unlim PDA unlim data plans to the $10 unlim data plan version.
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But won't AT&T recognize your phone as a PDA if you ever actually use it? For instance, you couldn't do the same thing with an iPhone -- if you give them a bogus IMEI then put your SIM in an iPhone, AT&T will find out and they will force you into a data plan.

In some areas of the country they've implemented the system for automatically detecting when you're using a smartphone and adding the data plan. It seems that not all areas are doing it yet, but I have no doubt they eventually will. My area already does it.
jblazea50 said:
how do you add smartphone exclusion to your phone
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It was added automatically to people's accounts back when they first started requiring data plans. If you had a smartphone but no smartphone data they simply put that exclusion feature on your account. I've heard of people that had it removed from their account calling in and arguing until they put it back on, but if you never had it on your account, you're probably out of luck. It's worth a try, though. Maybe if you get a nice rep and use the term "smartphone exclusion feature" they'll give it to you.

maxh said:
In some areas of the country they've implemented the system for automatically detecting when you're using a smartphone and adding the data plan. It seems that not all areas are doing it yet, but I have no doubt they eventually will. My area already does it.
It was added automatically to people's accounts back when they first started requiring data plans. If you had a smartphone but no smartphone data they simply put that exclusion feature on your account. I've heard of people that had it removed from their account calling in and arguing until they put it back on, but if you never had it on your account, you're probably out of luck. It's worth a try, though. Maybe if you get a nice rep and use the term "smartphone exclusion feature" they'll give it to you.
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i had the blackberry curve 8310 with ATT without data plan as i paid the 2 year upgrade price (no rebates, that required the $30 data plan) so would that mean that i have the exclusion feature?

How come you have to *tell* them your IMEI for them to figure this out? Surely they can see exactly what the IMEI of your phone is the minute it connects to their network?
In other news, I hear that Comcast are going to charge more for your internet connection if you have an XBOX connected to it. Their rationale is that with Netflix support and XBOX Live capability, you're capable of using more of their bandwidth.
OK, I'm (obviously) kidding on that last point. But that's effectively what AT&T are doing here.

Postal76 said:
Trust me, I'd love to do the same. But A&T is much cheaper for me (it would be $120 for a 2 line family plan with data vs. $155 on T-Mobile) even when I don't include my AT&T premier discount. I was pretty sad to learn that T-Mobile's pricing isn't very competitive, at least when it comes to Nexus One plans.
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How is that possible? I'm on Even More Plus with my N1, my Dad's G1, and my Bro's G1 and we're paying $145 a month for 1500 mins + unlimited web (no need for text plan since we all use Google Voice), and we aren't bound to 2-year terms. @[email protected]

jblazea50 said:
i had the blackberry curve 8310 with ATT without data plan as i paid the 2 year upgrade price (no rebates, that required the $30 data plan) so would that mean that i have the exclusion feature?
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There's probably a good chance you do have it. Supposedly you can find it listed somewhere on OLAM, but I don't know where people are looking.

Postal76 said:
Trust me, I'd love to do the same. But A&T is much cheaper for me (it would be $120 for a 2 line family plan with data vs. $155 on T-Mobile) even when I don't include my AT&T premier discount. I was pretty sad to learn that T-Mobile's pricing isn't very competitive, at least when it comes to Nexus One plans.
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You can get a discount easily with T-Mobile there are tons of discounts. My 20% discount with T-Mobile right now is because I'm in college. My previous one was for working at Wal-Mart 5 years ago [lol they never took it off].
I work for AT&T and I have T-Mobile and I don't plan on switching. Even though AT&T would give me my 20% discount it would still cost more. You can get on T-Mobile without a contract. T-Mobile is the cheapest cell company and they're advertising that a lot right now. The prices for non contract services are great. I can't wait till mine expires because I'll be saving even more money. The Non-contract services aren't "pay as you go" either, they're just monthly usage plans as normal but you're not under contract. The only reason why prices are so high is because you're paying for the phone in your monthly bill.
I love working for AT&T [best company I've ever worked for] but I don't agree with a lot of our ways of doing things. Like how we're the only ones raising prices right now in this economy. There are multiple things I disagree with but it's all business
Oh and the "if you don't have an iPhone they don't care" statement is kind of ridiculous. Sounds a little biased and senseless.

HD2 caused ATT to add Data Plan!!!! What can I do?

I have an TMobile unlocked touch pro2 with att. Just got myself the HD2, and put in my sim card--got a text message (2 actually) from att stating:
"Did you know a data plan is required for your Smartphone?"
and then
"your Smartphone requires a data plan. We have added the appropriate plan for you smartphone"
I went to the account online, and it states that I suddenly am the proud owner of a Blackberry RIM!!!!
This whole time (since the Tilt days) I have been using unlocked phones, and as soon as I try my sim in it, ATT tells me this!!!
Any ideas on what to do????
Should I go to a store? Will they honor the fact that I don't want a data plan even though I have a Smartphone--but not ATT???
Urgent!
Thank you!!!

telegraph0000 said:
Should I go to a store? Will they honor the fact that I don't want a data plan even though I have a Smartphone--but not ATT???
Urgent!
Thank you!!!
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No they won't. They'll laugh in your face if you go in their with a HD2 and ask to drop the data plan.
Get a dumbphone IMEI. Call them with 611 and tell them you want to add a data block to your account because you recently switched phones. Give them the dumbphone IMEI if they ask for it. Bam, you're done. No worries about being charged either -- you'll be blocked off the data network.

Since the phone is not from ATT they can't make you add data.

Okay...and where do I get a dumbphone Imei??
How and why the heck did they go and do this??!!!

Even with your phone IMEI number since it won't show up in there system they can't do that. Thisi is the first time I have heard about this. With my HD2 on ATT I pay $15 since I need the internet but you can just tell them I don't want it.
Never go to the Store. Call is better, especially in this case.
Cheers

Nimche said:
Even with your phone IMEI number since it won't show up in there system they can't do that. Thisi is the first time I have heard about this. With my HD2 on ATT I pay $15 since I need the internet but you can just tell them I don't want it.
Never go to the Store. Call is better, especially in this case.
Cheers
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It makes sense to me since as far as I can tell the OP doesn't have a data plan and the HD2 uses data like a hog unless you set it up very specifically to turn of all data connections. If sense polled even once I imagine AT&T would go straight to the more expensive plan as a recommendation even without knowing what phone it is.

I looked at the usage and within 3 days of use (touch pro 2 $15 plan) and the HD2, I used only 15megs of info. So...I don't have the original phone my plan was under (a cheapo nokia)--what should I say?
Does it matter that the phone was unlocked and used for AT&T by the previous owner?
Obviously I don't have a Blackberry, why the system stated that is beyond my comprehension--what should I say as to what type of phone I have?

ATT made a mistake. Just call customer support and tell them they made a mistake. But what will you answer when they ask you what phone you have? Do you have an older non smartphone lieing around?
I have HD2 on ATT and they still think I am using my samsung impression. Even when I log into my account on the net it says samsung impression. If you go there what phone does it say you have?

Forced and automatically enrolled into DATA Plan? I would cancel my contracts with them in the heart-beat.

eenbox said:
Forced and automatically enrolled into DATA Plan? I would cancel my contracts with them in the heart-beat.
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That's what i was thinking.

eenbox said:
Forced and automatically enrolled into DATA Plan? I would cancel my contracts with them in the heart-beat.
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Since November 2009 they have had the prerogative built-into the contract to automatically provision smartphones with smartphone data plans as detected by the system. But that only applies to users that signed a contract after then or upgraded to a different handset from AT&T since then.
You mention that the previous owner used the phone with AT&T.. there is the slight possibility he used it with a smartphone data plan and divulged the fact that it was a HD2 to AT&T. If this is the case and their system has logged it as a type of smartphone (perhaps the BlackBerry is a placeholder, or the old owner's original phone), then you're boned.
Regardless I'd call 611 and try to get a data block added. You can find dumbphone IMEIs very easily (though not very legally). Here's a hint: threads for unlocking services have dozens of people eager to publish their IMEIs for the world to see.

Reading this post made me realize that you Americans are really being screwed by your carriers. No offense meant at all, I'm just really horrified by the fact that the carrier can add extra charges to the customer just because of their choices of phone....
Freedom of choice is evidently very skewed here. I mean, why are you guys going with this kind of treatment?

kenkiller said:
Reading this post made me realize that you Americans are really being screwed by your carriers. No offense meant at all, I'm just really horrified by the fact that the carrier can add extra charges to the customer just because of their choices of phone....
Freedom of choice is evidently very skewed here. I mean, why are you guys going with this kind of treatment?
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Tell me about it. That's why I fight the Man.. I get unlimited texting and data for the same price as unlimited data since my network doesn't recognize my phone (and I still get the brilliant HSDPA).
I hear across the pond is a magical land where data tariffs range into a couple of euro or pounds sterling (something like 6), and messaging and even BlackBerry data plans are similarly priced (you can't use a BlackBerry for anything less than $30 a month here). I also hear they have video calling.

i had the same problem as the OP, I got 2 texts last night from AT&T stating that they added $30 data to my plan, I called them up and they said that this phone shows up as a blackberry and there is no way to cancel it unless I go to a store and show it to them, the problem is that a store will see that this is a smartphone and will not allow me to keep my $10 data plan.
it is strange because I used a lot of smartphones under my account, including a UK HD2 and telstra HD2 (R.I.P) and I never had this problem.
Well, I guess it's time to sell it and get a different one.... Thanks AT&T

I found from my OWN personal experience and having had T-Mobile and at&t that the US GSM carriers share IMEI data on high end phones. Case in point, when I attempted to use my T-Mobile USA branded HD2 on my at&t I got the same message. Whenever I use my Telstra (Australian) model, customer service stated that my IMEI could not be verified so I've been able to keep my $10 data plan with no issues.

k2trill said:
I found from my OWN personal experience and having had T-Mobile and at&t that the US GSM carriers share IMEI data on high end phones. Case in point, when I attempted to use my T-Mobile USA branded HD2 on my at&t I got the same message. Whenever I use my Telstra (Australian) model, customer service stated that my IMEI could not be verified so I've been able to keep my $10 data plan with no issues.
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This is VERY, VERY interesting. I know for a fact AT&T has ALL of the IMEIs for the T-Mobile version of the Nexus One. Anyone with a T-Mobile Nexus One on AT&T is basically forced to use the $30 plan.

kenkiller said:
Reading this post made me realize that you Americans are really being screwed by your carriers. No offense meant at all, I'm just really horrified by the fact that the carrier can add extra charges to the customer just because of their choices of phone....
Freedom of choice is evidently very skewed here. I mean, why are you guys going with this kind of treatment?
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Click to collapse
Lovely AT&T - that's why I am on T-Mobile and even they may not be perfect they are whole a lot better than ****tty AT&T. Natively from Europe too cannot go with the fact of what AT&T does - built into the contract that they will assign you with the DATA plan if they "smell" you are using a smartphone... Against every possible decency and normal common sense thinking... Against human free will to put it that way...

LOL why are you guys shocked at this? If your phone used to belong to a carrier (meaning that the carrier sold the phone themselves), then they already have the IMEI. Like someone previously said, carriers do share IMEI numbers.
Just because your phone is unlocked to use on any carrier is different from a phone that hasnt been registered at ALL! Unlocked phones that are sold online are generally not registered to anyone or any carrier, therefore, you can get away with use some old/previous data plan that you have.
So in conclusion, DONT BUY CARRIER PHONES (UNLOCKED OR NOT).

lude219 said:
LOL why are you guys shocked at this? If your phone used to belong to a carrier (meaning that the carrier sold the phone themselves), then they already have the IMEI. Like someone previously said, carriers do share IMEI numbers.
Just because your phone is unlocked to use on any carrier is different from a phone that hasnt been registered at ALL! Unlocked phones that are sold online are generally not registered to anyone or any carrier, therefore, you can get away with use some old/previous data plan that you have.
So in conclusion, DONT BUY CARRIER PHONES (UNLOCKED OR NOT).
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Add a regional proviso. My (then) Telus Motorola Milestone and (now) Telstra HD2 T9193 work perfectly fine under the radar with full HSDPA and dumbphone plans.
Shocking thing about the Nexus Ones is that the people that got caught bought unsubsidized (contract-free, unlocked and unbranded), brand new phones that just had the AWS bands (early adopters). Yet they still got detected.

kenkiller said:
Reading this post made me realize that you Americans are really being screwed by your carriers.
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Yeah man... me too!
This is seriously ridiculous... In the UK... YOU decide whether you want a data plan or not. If you dont have one and still use data you get charged per MB.
Forcing your customers to take out a data plan just because they have a smartphone is unbelievable!

$10/month unlimited data

Ive had a $10/month unlimited data plan for a long time (3-4 years). If I buy a phone without contract from amazon will they catch on and change me to the new data plans ($15/200mb, $25/2gb)? If its very likely i might as well buy it from them at a discounted price.

AFAIK, AT&T knows the IMEI numbers of every smartphone that is designed to run on AT&T.

cmstlist said:
AFAIK, AT&T knows the IMEI numbers of every smartphone that is designed to run on AT&T.
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I have an ATT Tilt right now

It's very possible that your Tilt predates AT&T's smartphone data plan requirements. Usually when a carrier instates a new requirement it is only enforced after you upgrade or add a new line. Technically, by buying the Atrix outright you aren't "upgrading" your phone (i.e. extending your contract in exchange for a device subsidy). This could (key word) mean that AT&T won't change your data plan, but really only AT&T could answer this question with certainty.

Room7 said:
I have an ATT Tilt right now
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That is not how the only way AT&T is bumping people to the smartphone data plans.
I have empirically verified my hypothesis.
Even if I use a feature phone on 3G and download more than a certain amount of data, AT&T assumes it's a smartphone and bumps up the plan to $25.
On the other hand, I have kept my Nexus One without sync enabled and managed 7-8 days on the $10 unlimited data plan before being bumped up.

I suspect ATT doesn't know what phone your actually using, and won't try to find out if you buy something off contract -- then again since the Atrix is a '4G' phone, its possible the dumbphone data plan might not work for it or trigger a flag in their system. My Dad upgraded his phone once through a Walmart, and it was a year or more before our account showed the new phone model, though that was a feature phone.
If you ask ATT, they definitely will force you to change data plans. If you don't, my guess is that you'll stay in limbo a while longer at the mercy of ATT's sporadic policy enforcement/changes.
As for the data plan requirements, I also have the ATT Tilt (original), and it did require the $30/mo unlimited plan when I purchased it on contract. At the time though, the data plan was only required for a few months until your rebate cleared, and not as part of the contract.

You will eventually get caught

darkkterror said:
It's very possible that your Tilt predates AT&T's smartphone data plan requirements. Usually when a carrier instates a new requirement it is only enforced after you upgrade or add a new line. Technically, by buying the Atrix outright you aren't "upgrading" your phone (i.e. extending your contract in exchange for a device subsidy). This could (key word) mean that AT&T won't change your data plan, but really only AT&T could answer this question with certainty.
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They will.
I went from using a Motorola Razr to an 8525 back in the day and they immediately started billing me for smartphone data. I bought the phone outright with no contract from a third party. They check IMEI numbers fairly often.

Since switching to ATT after a buy out of the company I was with, I've had the $30/month unlimited data/texting. For the last year plus I have been using my HTC magic I got from rogers. I've used on average about 2.5GB a month, and part of that as a tether for my netbook. I have never gotten any calls or had my bill change.

because you are using a magic from rogers and they will not get you
use the atrix and they will "upgrade" you within 48 hrs
ask me how i know

How dou you know?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I have been told by at&t reps as well as seen it on my account that any time you power on your phone it sends the imei information to the service for verification, and in doing that gets flagged as the class of phone (smartphone, messaging phone etc.)
I got around this issue with my galaxy 3 as it was not a phone they offered and as such had no record of the type of service it fell under in the system, but when I renewed the contract had to upgrade the plan to get the discount on the atrix.

Yes, they'll get you. I had the $10 media unlimited for a few years, I used have unlocked Nokias which had 3G (as well as 3.5G) and got by. Then, this past summer, within minutes of turning on a phone sold by AT&T, I got a text telling me I was switched data plans. So if they sell it, you'll get busted, if not, you won't

What about...let's say....the Atrix from Bell Mobility???? If we buy and unlock it from Canada.......anyone think At&t will have those IMEI numbers????
I plan on trying this but it would be worthless if they have all the Atrix IMEI numbers

Sounds like a crap shoot to me. I have a family plan with 4 smart phones, 3 Fuzes and a tilt 2 (soon to be atrix ).
Two of the fuze lines have no data plans on them even though they tried to add data to one (a couple phone calls cleared that up). The third Fuze line has been running on a $10 feature phone unlimited plan for over a year and a half. The funny thing is when I added data to that line I told them it was a smart phone and they told me that their system still listed a razr on the line and the only option was the $10 plan. I wasn't going to argue. :-D
The way I see it. If you bought the atrix outright you would have to get away with the cheaper data plan for around 2 years (if not more) to make up for the added cost of the device.

cheerup38 said:
What about...let's say....the Atrix from Bell Mobility???? If we buy and unlock it from Canada.......anyone think At&t will have those IMEI numbers????
I plan on trying this but it would be worthless if they have all the Atrix IMEI numbers
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AT&T doesn't need all the specific IMEI numbers to know which phone you are using. They only need to know the identifying string of the IMEI which are the first few numbers. These numbers indicate manufacturer, model, production date, etc. You will get caught even if you bought it from another country as long as AT&T carries the same model. It's just like how iPhones bought from other countries automatically get the data plan added when you put in the AT&T SIM. I believe the only device that AT&T does not sell, but still gets the added data plan is the NexusOne, which is what happened to me.

Remind me nevet to get AT&T even as prepaid. They sound like damned nazi's really. Changing your plan on you even if you dont buy a phone through them doesnt exactly sound legal.
If a phonecompany did that here it would cause an outroar like no other.

cheerup38 said:
What about...let's say....the Atrix from Bell Mobility???? If we buy and unlock it from Canada.......anyone think At&t will have those IMEI numbers????
I plan on trying this but it would be worthless if they have all the Atrix IMEI numbers
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If u REALLY want to take ur chance, go for it.

[Q] AT&T $50 Prepaid Unlimited - Smartphone Data Working Included??

Ok, so I found a bit of information about this data plan working with the Samsung Galaxy S II reaching HSPA+ speeds, however I would like to know if it is possible to get the data from this plan working on any other SMART PHONES.
A few things I am interested in is...
1. Has anyone got the data working on any other smartphone? What kind?
2. Does changing the APN settings work?
3. Do you have to initially register a basic phone?
4. Is it possible to modify the IMEI of a smart phone to represent a basic phone so that the data may work.
5. Does anyone have any good ideas to get this working?
If so we can all have Unlimited Talk, Text, and Web on a smart phone for $50.00 plus normal sales tax.
If anyone has or is capable of getting this working on any (or all) smart phones, then it would be mutually beneficial to everyone

I have the plan running on my Galaxy S II, it was kind of tough to get going, and until I turned on airplan mode and then turned it off again, was I able to connect to 3g and H+ instead of just edge. The AT&T store employees also had a hell of a time, getting it to work at first. I did pop the SIM into an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S, and it worked after I went too settings, wireless networks, and then selected GSM only. The only APN available is Cingular 410, which is the wap.cingular. I am getting full 4g service on both devices, so I'm happy.
Note the AT&T stores dont always have the $50 pre-paid sim card in the store because I believe you can only do this on "International phones" according to the guy who helped me (whatever that means, I'm sure they are wrong.) I did explain how the Galaxy S II was unlocked and that I had bought it in Europe, but they still didn't have the actual $50 dollar sim card, so instead they gave me a regular 4g sim card ($25 charge) and then used two $25 pre-paid data plan cards (actual cards like iTune gift cards.) As I said above, they had some issues getting the $50 dollar plan to work, but it eventually did using this method. If anyone is in NJ the store I used was in the Paramus Mall.
Hope this was decent first post.

$50 prepaid simcards lol I would never pay that much for a prepaid sim card ever. I bought both my phones: previous Rokr E6 and the current X1i and simcards from myworldphone.com. For the E6 my $15 T-mobile simcard cost me about $15 with credit and my [email protected] prepaid one cost me $8.50 non active. Now for the non active simcard I had active it and then put money on it(depending on the plan I wanted) but it beats paying $50 for simcard when you can buy one for $8.50 and then switch to the $50 unlimited plan. Now looking at the rate plan options it says: " 1Monthly Unlimited Talk, Text & Web plan requires an eligible device. Smartphone users must purchase a data package to use Data on this plan. Pay per use data is not available on Smartphones." I'm not sure what exactly eligible device really means but when I first bought my phone I had the option to switch to the unlimited plan, something funny I noticed was it says smartphone cannot use pay per use data, well it's available to me . I only use wifi for my internet because I use my laptop for browsing the internet and really only use the internet on my phone for updating Touch Weather but if I need to I can use the pay per use data which I rarely only do for MMS. I don't know if it's the type of prepaid simcard(National prepaid simcard) I'm using that allows me to get through this loop hole or not but if it is I'm not complaining . Just my .2cents

JKDEM85 said:
I have the plan running on my Galaxy S II, it was kind of tough to get going, and until I turned on airplan mode and then turned it off again, was I able to connect to 3g and H+ instead of just edge. The AT&T store employees also had a hell of a time, getting it to work at first. I did pop the SIM into an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S, and it worked after I went too settings, wireless networks, and then selected GSM only. The only APN available is Cingular 410, which is the wap.cingular. I am getting full 4g service on both devices, so I'm happy.
Note the AT&T stores dont always have the $50 pre-paid sim card in the store because I believe you can only do this on "International phones" according to the guy who helped me (whatever that means, I'm sure they are wrong.) I did explain how the Galaxy S II was unlocked and that I had bought it in Europe, but they still didn't have the actual $50 dollar sim card, so instead they gave me a regular 4g sim card ($25 charge) and then used two $25 pre-paid data plan cards (actual cards like iTune gift cards.) As I said above, they had some issues getting the $50 dollar plan to work, but it eventually did using this method. If anyone is in NJ the store I used was in the Paramus Mall.
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ok a few things. First to answer OP's question is yes, it is possible with any unlocked phone. problem is that AT&T has certain IMEI numbers that are recognized as smart phone IMEI's. Like my friend had an HD2 that he brought to AT&T and they recognized it and immediately changed his data plan to a smartphone data plan. Although there are other people with smartphones who have the AT&T system tricked because the system doesnt know what their IMEI number is for.
So yes, it is possible. And yes, as for the NON-Smartphone $50 unlimited talk, txt, and data plan, yes it does exist. AT&T just started it recently and no its not for just international. Its directed towards NON-Smartphones. But again, if they cant recognize your smartphone IMEI, then they wont know.
As for the $50 sim card, no there's no such thing as a $50 sim card and no, its not "just for international phones" haha. Sim cards are $5.95 and if a store tells you anything higher, then call AT&T sales. Because they are ALWAYS $5.95 over the phone.
BOOM! glad to help haha

caffeinated chris said:
ok a few things. First to answer OP's question is yes, it is possible with any unlocked phone. problem is that AT&T has certain IMEI numbers that are recognized as smart phone IMEI's. Like my friend had an HD2 that he brought to AT&T and they recognized it and immediately changed his data plan to a smartphone data plan. Although there are other people with smartphones who have the AT&T system tricked because the system doesnt know what their IMEI number is for.
So yes, it is possible. And yes, as for the NON-Smartphone $50 unlimited talk, txt, and data plan, yes it does exist. AT&T just started it recently and no its not for just international. Its directed towards NON-Smartphones. But again, if they cant recognize your smartphone IMEI, then they wont know.
As for the $50 sim card, no there's no such thing as a $50 sim card and no, its not "just for international phones" haha. Sim cards are $5.95 and if a store tells you anything higher, then call AT&T sales. Because they are ALWAYS $5.95 over the phone.
BOOM! glad to help haha
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Thanks for clearing some things up, so it's the IMEI number that determines if they can tell if it's a smartphone or not. I probably got lucky with buying the international version of the X1 .

Viper89 said:
Thanks for clearing some things up, so it's the IMEI number that determines if they can tell if it's a smartphone or not. I probably got lucky with buying the international version of the X1 .
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exactly. As far as I know, that is how they determine which phone you have is thru your IMEI.
So to answer OP's question, yes, you probably want to initially set it up with a NON smartphone IMEI and then switch the sim card to your SGSII.
OR get lucky and give them the IMEI and they dont recognize it and just assume it is a non smartphone. (So if you are setting this up over the phone and they ask you what type of phone it is, its some basic flip phone. DO NOT tell them its a smartphone. Or you will have ruined that idea haha)
PS. there is a possibility that later on they will recognize your IMEI and will notify you (usually by a text msg) telling you that they are switching your plan to a smartphone plan. If they have done this, then they probably finally found out that the IMEI you're using is actually a smartphone. And that sucks haha.
Its also possible they wont ever know. chances are they will once they get the list of IMEI's and what phones they actually are for. I dont know how often they update their list of IMEI's so no telling how long you'll get away with it. some people have successfully done so for months or years. so we will see
good luck!!

PS. there is a possibility that later on they will recognize your IMEI and will notify you (usually by a text msg) telling you that they are switching your plan to a smartphone plan. If they have done this, then they probably finally found out that the IMEI you're using is actually a smartphone. And that sucks haha.
Its also possible they wont ever know. chances are they will once they get the list of IMEI's and what phones they actually are for. I dont know how often they update their list of IMEI's so no telling how long you'll get away with it. some people have successfully done so for months or years. so we will see
good luck!! [/QUOTE]
I've had my phone for 1 year and 9 months now if they were going to do something they would have already, and Sony also stopped making the X1i awhile ago so as for as my IMEI being recognized I'm not worried at all about it .

I've had my phone for 1 year and 9 months now if they were going to do something they would have already, and Sony also stopped making the X1i awhile ago so as for as my IMEI being recognized I'm not worried at all about it .
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NICE. haha yea like I said, some phones they might eventually find out, and some they wont. You happen to be one of the ones they probably wont find. Enjoy that haha

Almost 100% sure that plan does not include Smartphone data.
As well it shouldn't; I do not understand why carriers cater more to their prepaid customers by offering such low rate plans while proceeding to charge customers who sign contracts by charging them a steeper price for the same plan.

illatwill said:
Almost 100% sure that plan does not include Smartphone data.
As well it shouldn't; I do not understand why carriers cater more to their prepaid customers by offering such low rate plans while proceeding to charge customers who sign contracts by charging them a steeper price for the same plan.
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Yes, you are right, this plan is not a smartphone data plan. Thats why we are talking about ways on how to get it on your smartphone haha.
And secondly, no contract phone plans are cheaper because you have to lay down money flat out to buy a phone. Contracts are made to give you that $700 phone for $100-$199. By you being in that contract it guarantee's they are going to get their money for that phone.

caffeinated chris said:
ok a few things. First to answer OP's question is yes, it is possible with any unlocked phone. problem is that AT&T has certain IMEI numbers that are recognized as smart phone IMEI's. Like my friend had an HD2 that he brought to AT&T and they recognized it and immediately changed his data plan to a smartphone data plan. Although there are other people with smartphones who have the AT&T system tricked because the system doesnt know what their IMEI number is for.
So yes, it is possible. And yes, as for the NON-Smartphone $50 unlimited talk, txt, and data plan, yes it does exist. AT&T just started it recently and no its not for just international. Its directed towards NON-Smartphones. But again, if they cant recognize your smartphone IMEI, then they wont know.
As for the $50 sim card, no there's no such thing as a $50 sim card and no, its not "just for international phones" haha. Sim cards are $5.95 and if a store tells you anything higher, then call AT&T sales. Because they are ALWAYS $5.95 over the phone.
BOOM! glad to help haha
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Don't mean to grave-dig the post but when I went to an AT&T store for new SIM cards (activated one through a go-phone and didn't know that it locked the SIM to the phone), I wasn't charged anything for them, the store rep gave them to me for free.
That aside, I've been toying with this concept myself. I've been looking everywhere for good candidates for a smartphone that ATT doesn't sell and that is compatible with their HSPA network.
I have a couple unlocked T-Mobile phones that the data works on, but only at EDGE speeds because they don't have the proper frequencies to support ATT 3/3.5/4G.
Does anyone have any new suggestions?
EDIT: So far I've found that the HTC Wildfire S A510a, and the HTC Sensation Z710a are both compatible with ATT's HSDPA 850 and GSM 850 bands and may be good candidates. I already have a T-Mobile HTC Sensation Z710e and really don't want to buy another phone that's practically the same .

I'm digging this up because I need answers before jumping ship.
Does AT&T still make smartphone users pay extra for data? I'm thinking of moving from Boost mobile to AT&T with an LG Fathom...
Either AT&T or metroPCS, if AT&T does still charge smartphone users for data then most likely it'll be over to metroPCS I go then.

n1nj4Lo said:
I'm digging this up because I need answers before jumping ship.
Does AT&T still make smartphone users pay extra for data? I'm thinking of moving from Boost mobile to AT&T with an LG Fathom...
Either AT&T or metroPCS, if AT&T does still charge smartphone users for data then most likely it'll be over to metroPCS I go then.
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Like with a plan? Yes.

TomTheGeek3 said:
Like with a plan? Yes.
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Well what I meant was are Smartphones still supposedly uneligilble for the prepaid 50 a month unlimited plan, do they still have to pay extra for data?
If yes, how much extra?

n1nj4Lo said:
Well what I meant was are Smartphones still supposedly uneligilble for the prepaid 50 a month unlimited plan, do they still have to pay extra for data?
If yes, how much extra?
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Yes, they have to pay extra. Not all smartphones will be in their database, so if you have a European phone with the appropriate HSPA bands it could potentially trick the system into believing you have a featurephone.
As for how much extra, it's something ridiculous like 30 bucks or so.

synaesthetic said:
Yes, they have to pay extra. Not all smartphones will be in their database, so if you have a European phone with the appropriate HSPA bands it could potentially trick the system into believing you have a featurephone.
As for how much extra, it's something ridiculous like 30 bucks or so.
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Mines a Verizon LG Fathom...
Is T-Mobile just as ridiculous too? I saw they have a prepaid 50 a month unlimited plan... What jerked me back away from that was 100Mb unthrottled then every bit over that is "managed" unless ya pay for the highspeed unlimited 4g data.

How do you expect a non-gsm phone to work on a gsm network?

Stonent said:
How do you expect a non-gsm phone to work on a gsm network?
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Just because it came from a cdma carrier doesn't mean it's a non-gsm phone... It's a world phone, meaning both cdma and gsm.

Called up t-mobile and it sounds like they'd be my (our) best bet, they don't charge ya anything additional if it's a smartphone for data... So it really is flat-out 50 bucks unlimited everything, no limitations, no specification handsets required or anything.

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but has anyone tried this recently?
Will probably give this a go in a couple of months using the HTC Sensation z710a.
Pretty harsh not getting any "smartphone data" included on a $50 plan. Would be heading straight to T-mobile if my z710a was AWS compatible.

Oh, no! AT&T cops telling me they're gonna bust me for my SIM switcharoo lol

I had posted this thread earlier about trying out my phone's SIM in my Tab:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1482515
And yes, after a few minutes the SIM registered the data connection and worked.
But that's not the end of the story. I put my SIM back into my phone a few minutes later, and didn't give any of this another thought. And then, only a few minutes ago, got this text from the AT&T system:
"AT&T Free Msg: An eligible data plan is required for Laptop, Tablet, or MiFi devices. Call 611 as soon as possible for details and to avoid service interruption."
So does this mean those rat bastards saw the brief IMEI switch and won't allow me to use the Tab with my phone's SIM? Seriously WTF AT&T!
So my question to those of you with ROM'd Tabs: Are any of you using them as phones in AT&T USA? Have you ever been pestered for using an "unapproved" device with a normal SIM and plan?
You know, if I'm paying for the phone service, what the hell should AT&T care what device I use it in. What the hell are they gonna do when the Galaxy Note comes out? "Well, any devices over 5 inches are um not allowed to be phones, yeap, yeap that's it."
Seriously, AT&T is gangster.

now what if you actually bought the LEGAL GSM UNLOCKED p1000 tablet/smartphone and put AT&T sim card? could they force you to subscribe to tablet dataplan?

If you buy the factory unlocked model, AT&T won't have the IMEI in their database; in their system, they would simply see "unknown device" and wouldn't be able to enforce DER restrictions. But if your'e on an AT&T Tab flashed with the Euro ROM, the IMEI still registers and a red flag comes up when your SIM is registered on the network while inserted in the device, hence that warning message you received.
I only used my Tab as a phone for half a day, before I decided it was awkward and silly to be using such a big phone (and my BT headset wouldn't pair with it), and I never got the aforementioned message. However, I'm not on a contract; I'm not sure if that makes the difference or not.
Sent from my SGH-I987 using XDA App

Basically, the OG Galaxy Tab identifies itself as a tablet. The Galaxy Note is technically a phone and will report as such. Their digital signatures are completely different, and AT&T's system will monitor for switches like that. I agree that you are paying for the service and shouldn't be seeing messages like that when switching your SIM from one device to another, but that is the sad reality of the situation over at AT&T right now.

I did the same. I've gotten numerous emails and texts. Just waiting to see what they do. I did call the number and found out that I could get a tablet data plan but I would lose my text messaging ability. The Rep just told me to keep my plan as is and couldn't figure out how I was getting data
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium

How long have you been using the Tab as a phone device?

I'm on a family plan with AT&T and have been using smartphones without a data plan or a text plan since 2009 and have never had a data plan, or received a message saying I need a data plan. I've used iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy Tab 7 Tmobile unlocked. I've swaped sims with these devices numerous times and I was never forced by AT&T to get a data plan.

Is your Galaxy Tab an AT&T branded Tab or an unbranded model? Mine is branded AT&T, and I only had my phone's SIM in it for all of 15 minutes.... surfed a couple web pages and sent a couple text messages, that was it... and then put the SIM back into my smartphone (HTC Aria, Froyo)... and a few minutes later got that system text message I quoted above.

I've been using it about a week. Its an att branded one.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium

Well you better consider stopping that, because I got an email from AT&T today telling me there were recent changes to my plan. I logged into my account online, downloaded the summary, and saw a change of my phone line from my grandfathered Unlimited data plan to the 30 dollar tablet plan. When I called, the representative told me it hadn't gone through because apparently I had switched the SIM back to my phone soon enough, but if I had left it there, the system would have automatically changed the line over to a Tablet plan, and I wouldn't have been able to return to my current plan ever again. I asked her if I was paying for a service or a device, and she wouldn't answer. The end result is if the system spots the device as one in its database under "Tablet device", they will charge you an *additional* automatic 30 dollars, then eventually drop your previous plan on that line. You would then have to re-add a new line, because it doesn't convert it back automatically once the conversion has taken place.
So maybe this guy above has been ok for now, but it's only a matter of time. Probably when your next billing cycle starts. Who knows.
I really don't know for sure how it is identifying the device... IMEI I would think. I wonder if there is a way to obscure or spoof that. Otherwise I am left with a tablet that I either have to pay an additional 30 bux for, or continue to connect to my rooted Aria's wifi router. Which sux because the Aria's battery drains far quicker than the Tab's does :/
F*ck you, AT&T.

Suleeto said:
I really don't know for sure how it is identifying the device... IMEI I would think. I wonder if there is a way to obscure or spoof that. Otherwise I am left with a tablet that I either have to pay an additional 30 bux for, or continue to connect to my rooted Aria's wifi router. Which sux because the Aria's battery drains far quicker than the Tab's does :/
F*ck you, AT&T.
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You're correct in that it uses the IMEI to identify the device within AT&T's system. Just as a heads up, tampering with the IMEI could have much more drastic consequences than just loosing your unlimited plan. Changing a cellular device's serial number, (ESN, IMEI, MEID) is a federal offense in the US and is illegal in the UK under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act, so I'd steer clear of that.

That, and it presents technical issues as well. I was mostly venting.
So AT&T wants $30 for a 2GB/month "Tablet" plan that doesn't allow SMS, MMS, or phone calling. Just data.
T-Mobile has a prepaid $30 plan (so no credit check, no contract, month-to-month) that offers "Unlimited Web" (I read that as: unlimited data), unlimited text, and 100 phone talk minutes. Basically a fully-functional phone if I so choose.
You tell me.
SIM unlock, Overcome, T-Mobile, Tab as a convenient third line and independent unlimited data plan.

Suleeto said:
That, and it presents technical issues as well. I was mostly venting.
So AT&T wants $30 for a 2GB/month "Tablet" plan that doesn't allow SMS, MMS, or phone calling. Just data.
T-Mobile has a prepaid $30 plan (so no credit check, no contract, month-to-month) that offers "Unlimited Web" (I read that as: unlimited data), unlimited text, and 100 phone talk minutes. Basically a fully-functional phone if I so choose.
You tell me.
SIM unlock, Overcome, T-Mobile, Tab as a convenient third line and independent unlimited data plan.
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Click to collapse
I understand, I was just putting it out there for others. You'd be surprised how many threads start like this and end with a Moderator banning someone because they start posting links about how to change an IMEI/ESN/MEID.
I would go with the T-Mobile plan, if they're willing to put your tablet on there. Although I'm not sure if they will. They'd probably end up offering the plan with a phone and you could run into the same issue as with AT&T. If they are willing to offer it for your tablet, that is a great option provided that the "Unlimited" is; 1. Truly unlimited and not capped at some arbitrary and low number
or​2. The cap is lower than the amount of data you would use in a month.
Hopefully this was helpful instead of just being a re-statement of the obvious. Good Luck!

I don't see how T-Mobile could know that I have a tablet, because this device is branded as an AT&T device (thus the IMEI would probably be unknown to T-mo). That, and the AT&T plan is $30 for a capped plan (2GB).
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans

Suleeto-
Here is my history with this, it may be enlightening:
1) I had an unlimited data plan with AT&T through my employer that I have had for years. I was able to switch and use any phone that worked on the network no problem at all.
2) About six month's ago I loaded the euro ROM onto an AT&T branded GT and put the SIM card that I had been using forever into it and everything worked like a charm for the next three months. No hassles, no nasty messages, and all services were working.
3) I then decided to bail from my company but they were willing to let me keep my phone number, all I had to do was call AT&T and take financial responsibility for it, etc. Remember the data plan was an unlimited phone data plan.
4) I called and AT&T was happy to port the phone number and the grandfathered unlimited data plan ($30/month) over to my family plan I had for everyone else, so far so good. At this point I had been using the GT as my daily driver for three months.
5) Within fifteen minutes of the phone call I got the dreaded text message as you describe.
6) I immediately called the person back and told her I wanted to save $5 a month could she please change the plan to a $25/month 2GB plan (I routinely use between 600MB and 800MB a month as I don't stream anything large). After warning me I could never go back to an unlimited plan as they are no longer offered, she made the change.
7) That was in October and I haven't heard a peep from them since and phone/text/data all work.
I will say that it is a good thing I am self-supporting because the service people would have no idea how to deal with the phone if I had any kind of problem. Also, I think they are sorry they ever had unlimited data plans.
Hope that helps,
Fred

So let me see if I am making sense of what you're suggesting here... the system recognized the AT&T branded Tab 7, warned you, and you called and switched from the unlimited plan to the more current tiered 2GB plan which is indeed $5 less like you said. In doing so, it seems to have circumvented whatever automatic process was starting to happen.
Yes?
I'm not sure that will help me tho... see, I wanted to be able to switch back and forth between the phone and the Tab. I go to school full time, and some of the classes are 3 hours long. I want to be able to send text messages and surf while in class. But I want to be able to use my phone once I'm out of class for the day (like evenings, weekends, etc.).
My concern is that switching back and forth might keep triggering the situation in the system, and your trick might only work one time. Eventually a human being is going to figure it out, if not immediately the second time. That's assuming that since you did it, they haven't figured out the loophole in the system's process and fixed it to recheck periodically. Who knows, they may even catch up with you, too.

Suleeto said:
I don't see how T-Mobile could know that I have a tablet, because this device is branded as an AT&T device (thus the IMEI would probably be unknown to T-mo). That, and the AT&T plan is $30 for a capped plan (2GB).
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans
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The IMEI is an international identifier. It is like a car's VIN. They are industry standard numbers that any system can decode. If you had the right information, you could tell exactly what type of device someone was using just from the IMEI. TMobile will be able to read it as a tablet just as easily as AT&T. Unfortunately, IMEI's and their data are not carrier-specific. Sorry.

So the real question is... do they care?

So what happens to my 9.99 per month additional phone line charge (still under contract by the way) if they switch that line to a "tablet" line with the $15 or $30 dollar tablet data plan? Wonder if they will still charge me the 9.99?

Suleeto said:
So the real question is... do they care?
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I don't think so, but it's more of a question of how their system is set up. If their network controllers are set up to trigger the message and auto-adjust your account based on a change in device type in the IMEI. You could try going to a T-mobile store and asking if there are restrictions on which type of devices can go on a prepaid plan. If they say no, then you're probably in the clear. If they have a "sim-only" prepaid option, you're probably in the clear. Hope this helps. Good luck!