Possible to get a simple wifi capable smart phone without a data plan?

[Junior23]

Hello

I'm wanting to get a wifi capable phone with basic web browsing and map capabilities on a prepay plan that uses Verizon's network (I live in a rural area). Can I get such a thing without paying extra for a data plan? The smart features I would mainly use would be calender, MP3 player, and maps. I would probably only use the internet once in a while and can handle doing this only over wifi.

Thanks!

[Junior23]

Ideally what I want is a way to get a (used?) smart phone with wifi and the ability to load and watch videos with the pay as you go plan. I need the Verizon network to get coverage here, but am open to any suggestions of other affordable plans for someone who will do minimal calling, some texting and really no need for a data plan. Thanks!

[Junior23]

I've also checked out Tracfone and PagePlus, but am getting really overwhelmed by all the options...

[kolosus]

Your better option, in my opinion, is to use PagePlus. They'll get you on for $40 on the same network and they'll also give you 100mb of data to play with for those times when you're out and about and must have access to GPS or data.

Verizon's prepaid only allows for non smart phones on their $50 plan (the only phones allowed are the phones they sell spefically for that purpose). On their smartphone plan they allow a specific list of phones and no other. The monthly bill for their smartphones on their prepaid section is $80 and comes with a data cap.

You might want to take a look at this thread.
http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...3g-phones-byod

By contrast you can bring any Verizon phone into P+ and put it on their network (as long as it is not a bad ESN phone). 4g/LTE phones are not allowed and the iPhone is not officially supported but some people have had success with it. You'll still be on Verizon's network and when you dial 611 you'll be greeted with "Welcome to Verizon". You'll be allowed unlimited calls and texts. You'll be given 100mb of data to use as you wish. If you're planning on no data and only wifi then you'll be just fine with 100mb of data. To top it off you'll be paying $40 for P+ as opposed to Verizon Prepaid's smartphone plan of $80.

Good luck in your choice.

[jgrobe]

You don't need a $40 Pageplus plan. Here is the complete set of Page Plus plans:
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans.aspx

So you decide how much talk, how much text, how much data you need. Note you can get data with the standard plans but it is $.99/mb. The 12 is a popular plan ($12/month) with 250 minutes/250 text/MMS* messages/10 MB of Data (and extra data is $.20/mb)

You will be able to use the Smartphone with any of these plans.

I believe there should be a setting you can use to turn cellular data access on or off. You will want to turn this off normally(turning it on when you specifically decide you need to use it)--people here have talked about background apps which use data when you don't realize it is happening.

[Junior23]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. Pageplus may be the way to go. It's nice to know that any verizon-capable smartphones can be activated with them. They certainly don't make that clear on their website as they want to sell their phones.

My wife has gone mac and I know she would love an iphone. Any ideas how some people have gotten it to work? What problems might I have?

I prefer to go android myself because of the transparency and ability to customize the OS. I was not impressed (or entirely surprised) to learn that apple spies on its phone users. Do all smartphones have the ability to turn cellular data usage off?

Thanks again

[jarrett178]

You can. Its called an ipod touch

[vmobi]

Hello

I'm wanting to get a wifi capable phone with basic web browsing and map capabilities on a prepay plan that uses Verizon's network (I live in a rural area). Can I get such a thing without paying extra for a data plan? The smart features I would mainly use would be calender, MP3 player, and maps. I would probably only use the internet once in a while and can handle doing this only over wifi.

Thanks!

You can. Its called an ipod touch

http://lifehacker.com/5636976/how-to...one-4g-edition


+ Samsung Gusto 2 w/Prepaid Pay As You Go Plans
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/p...PlanCatId=1450

[The Old Bear]

Like Junior23, I'd like to use a smart phone (CDMA Droid) but need minimal data. Verizon says that I can't substitute my own Droid for the VX8550 which I have been using for the past several years on a Verizon plan that includes 700 (I think) minutes, 25-cent texts, and data billed per mb. The plan works fine for me but I want to have the WiFi capable Droid and generally don't need Verizon data services -- but Verizon says I have to spend an additional $360 per year to use my own Droid on their network because I must buy a "data plan" even if I don't want one.

After a little research, I found Page Plus and also a site called FreeMobileDataPlans.com that appears to sell Page Plus. I have no problem with the concept of pre-paid, but I don't want to have to remember to recharge a pre-paid plan every month. Do either of these services allow one to set up automatic payments so my credit card would get charged automatically? Or, at a minimum, do they email a bill saying it's time to log-in and add dollars to the prepaid account?

And one final question: If I have my number ported to Page Plus and the service is not to my liking, will porting to another carrier be possible? Easy?

Thanks for any info or recommendations that anyone can offer.

[Big Blue 023]

Like Junior23, I'd like to use a smart phone (CDMA Droid) but need minimal data. Verizon says that I can't substitute my own Droid for the VX8550 which I have been using for the past several years on a Verizon plan that includes 700 (I think) minutes, 25-cent texts, and data billed per mb. The plan works fine for me but I want to have the WiFi capable Droid and generally don't need Verizon data services -- but Verizon says I have to spend an additional $360 per year to use my own Droid on their network because I must buy a "data plan" even if I don't want one.

After a little research, I found Page Plus and also a site called FreeMobileDataPlans.com that appears to sell Page Plus. I have no problem with the concept of pre-paid, but I don't want to have to remember to recharge a pre-paid plan every month. Do either of these services allow one to set up automatic payments so my credit card would get charged automatically? Or, at a minimum, do they email a bill saying it's time to log-in and add dollars to the prepaid account?

And one final question: If I have my number ported to Page Plus and the service is not to my liking, will porting to another carrier be possible? Easy?

Thanks for any info or recommendations that anyone can offer.

Page Plus has reportedly improved its once dismal Customer care. It also helps to have a good dealer help you. Google is your friend on that one.