vB Easy Archive - SK2/SK3 - will it work w/out sidekick data Plan?

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SK2/SK3 - will it work w/out sidekick data Plan?
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Posted by: pnoyballer

I'm planning to upgrade my son's V300 to a SK2 or SK3 but I don't want to add the sidekick $20 plan. We currently have the family /unlimited messages plan and my son will only use it for texting and AIM. Will the SK2/SK3 work w/ our current family plan w/ unlimited texting/messaging?

Posted by: Yupz

He would be able to text and talk but AIM will not work since it uses the GRPS to connect and since you wouldn't have the data plan it wouldn't work.

Posted by: amphatoast

AIM won't work but you can use IM forward on AIM to get and send messages via text

Posted by: LoKo498

Then why bother getting a Sidekick of there is no data plan. That defeats the purpose.

Posted by: christyxcore

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoKo498

Then why bother getting a Sidekick of there is no data plan. That defeats the purpose.

I have to agree.

I want to get a SK3 later on only because I want the data plan over Verizon's data for my 9800.

I don't see the point of getting a SK2/SK3 if you are not going to get the data plan. Might as well just get another phone since the Sidekick is pointless without the data plan.

Posted by: MK-com

ditto. the main appeal of the sidekick is to use it for mobile email, texting, instant messengers, and the like. if you're only going to use it for "regular" cell phone functionality, your money is better spent on something else.

Posted by: chin0_2003

On top of that, if I remember correctly when I had a Hiptop, is if your phone happens to hard reset at any time without internet, you're basically losing all your numbers, texts etc. because all that info is stored on the Danger servers. With no way to retrieve or store it, you'd lose everything. I wouldn't wanna take that chance.

Posted by: JennG

I'm really glad that I read this posting. I was planning on getting a SK, but I do not want to pay for the data plan. I only want the phone for texting and AIM?
With AIM on the SK are you able to view people's away messages?

Posted by: PepsiCola

yes you can view people's away messages but AIM will not work if you don't add the sidekick unlimited plan

Posted by: philosophico

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyxcore

I agree, I use to have a sidekick 2 before I switched to the 9800 on verizon. Turns out the sidekick 2 fitted my needs more then 9800. I was set to drop verizon and get another sidekick 2 but then I saw the sk 3 was coming out so ive been waiting for that.

After it comes out ill swtich back to tmobile.

Posted by: JennG

i spoke to a tmobile rep yesterday and they told me that you do not need a data plan to use AIM. i currently have the unlimited text messages on a family plan, and said that was good enough to use aim. they could be wrong, but i had them note in on my file. i even called back 10 minutes later to make sure it was noted.

Posted by: jgeorge

Jenn: you can use AIM on the sidekick over SMS, just like you would on any other cellphone. It's clunky, difficult to use, and unreliable (in my experience) but it works. The really nice AIM client on the device *only* works with a data plan.

The nice AIM client (one of the best selling points for the device) doesn't work without a data plan. The device doesn't back itself up over the network without a data plan, so if you let the battery drain completely or if the device crashes and reboots, you'll loose all your data.

I could not, in good conscience, recommend a Sidekick to anyone *without* getting the data plan. The device really, REALLY, is poor without it. *With* a dataplan it's one of the best messaging devices on the planet.

Joe