LTE with unlocked phones - special plan needed?

[Hlorri]

Hello all,

My Nokia N8 is dying, and I'm torn between the new 808 PureView (with a camera out of this world!) or a Sony Xperia Ion L28i - the unlocked/international version but with LTE. (The version without LTE but with 4-band WCDMA is LT28h).

Yes, I know AT&T will launch this phone at a discount later this month, but I prefer to stay unlocked & with a cheaper data plan. I'm on a "standard" $15/month data unlimited plan from AT&T, which has served me well for years in combination with a series of unlocked phones.

My question is whether I can remain on this plan with an unlocked LTE phone? Will the LTE service be disabled on the network side unless I get a "4G Smartphone Data Plan"? Will I get automatically "bumped" to a more expensive plan?

Thanks in advance for any factual insights...

[uncreative]

The Ion may be detected as a smartphone as it will eventually be released by the network.

[Hlorri]

I don't think this is an issue. I bought my wife a Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-N7000, the international version). She is still using that with her old "data unlimited" plan, without any issues.

The difference here is that the GT-N7000 does not have LTE (only HSPA+), whereas the phone I am looking to get (Sony Xperia Ion, LT28i) does have LTE.

Along with LTE phones that AT&T sell (also their version of the Note, SGH-i717), they also require a "4G Smartphone Data Plan".

[GSMinCT]

They'll probably pick it up. They pick most phones up.

[b005td]

i dont think any of the international LTE bands is compatible in north america

[GSMinCT]

i dont think any of the international LTE bands is compatible in north america

Unless they are made for the US or Canada, they won't work. The US (AT&T, not Verizon) and Canada use the same bands.

[wlo8]

My guess is the chance for the L28i being detected as a smartphone is 50%, while 808 has 0% chance of being detected.

[Antenna]

They'll probably pick it up. They pick most phones up.

This is not true. Unlocked T-Mobile phones like the SGSII and HTC One S will work on AT&T's medianet $15 plans with HSPA.

The candian phones from Rodgers will also work.

[GSMinCT]

This is not true. Unlocked T-Mobile phones like the SGSII and HTC One S will work on AT&T's medianet $15 plans with HSPA.

The candian phones from Rodgers will also work.

I thought the SGSII and HTC One S don't have 850 UMTS?

[GSMinCT]

Oh, and does the new American $400 unlocked GNex still work on MediaNet? That is probably the deal of the century if it does. The only way to get truly unlimited data.