Thought I'd share a story to anyone else in my situation or anyone thinking about picking up an Xperia.
I bought a X1i and I use AT&T here in the USA. Since they don't have cheaper plans when you are out of contract I thought I'd go ahead and get a subsidized phone (Iphone 3G) and then sell it to make back some money to discount the service.
Turns out if you get the Iphone plan whenever you check your voicemail or get a new message your phone is spammed SMS messages from AT&T. Also they block your account from using MMS even if you paid for the messaging packages.
I was able to call and get them to lift the block after an hour or so on the line and also had them disable the visual voicemail. Also AT&T has this system to track what type of phone you are using which you can check at wireless.att.com if you sign in. When I gave AT&T the IMEI of my new number they said it belonged to a Motorola V180 (some old color flip phone from 2005). Because of this the unlimited data for that phone is only $15 a month versus $30 for a PDA, yet there is no difference I still have the full 3G data connection.
Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone is in a similar situation as you might save $180 a year based on the cheaper data plan.
tl;dr version
AT&T's system thinks the Xperia X1 is an old P.O.S. phone which lets you get their cheaper unlimited data plan for P.O.S. phones but still works like the data plan for PDA phones.
I did the same, I went with the $35 everything unlimited data plan. My phone also showed up as the V180, however, you didnt have to get the iphone to get this to work, one of the free phones would of worked just fine. All you have to do once you swapped the SIM card is change the plan online and the changes are instant.
does anyone know of a way to JUST have data on my XV6900 (Verizon)? i don't want to pay for the email that i dont use and Verizon won't activate it without their "Smartphone Plan"...
PS...yes i searched a lot!
I don't think you can have data-ONLY plan with Verizon. Don't take my word for it though.
You don't NEED the Unlimited data Plan for the XV6900. You can just get a pay-as-you-go plan then have then block the data, or just keep pay-as-you-go if you want MMS, not using data.
Email is included with the data plan, so you can't get rid of that.
I just received my Focus from the Amazon $49 deal and was able to transfer my iPhone's unlimited data plan to it. This is only possible if you have a "grandfathered" device which already has unlimited data on it, as AT&T has dropped the unlimited plan.
Heres How:
Order your phone on Amazon. Choose any data plan, doesn't matter.
When your phone arrives, charge it, but, DO NOT PUT IN THE SIM CARD.
Have your SIM Card and Box out and available as you will need them.
DO NOT ACTIVATE THE PHONE AS PER AT&T'S INSTRUCTIONS on their web-site.
Call AT&T Wireless [1-800-331-0500]
DO NOT ACTIVATE YOUR PHONE USING THE AT&T MENU
Press "0" to speak to an agent.
Ask to migrate your existing plan over to your new Samsung Focus. This will move your Unlimited Data Plan to your new phone.
Provide the numbers from the phone box
Provide the SIM number from your new SIM.
Have the Agent activate the phone and call your phone to make sure it is working.
There, you should now have a fully activated phone with Unlimited Data.
This is how I was told to do it from Amazon and it works.
If you miss your Visual Voicemail from the iPhone, sign up for Google Voice (www.google.com/voice). You will never miss it!
Enjoy
should this work for any phone purchased through amazon wireless?
yes, I had activated with the $15 plan but then I called them to put back my old unlimited data plan.
my billing cycle is up today so tomorrow i have to see if its still unlimited if its not then im going to call them because on my plan now it still says unlimited.
I wonder if there is anyone out there who could shed some light on this?
I was not able to apply my $15 unlimited data plan that I was on before upgrading to the new Focus because my old device was not a smart phone? I upgraded from the Pantec Matrix.
Thanks,
konkie said:
I wonder if there is anyone out there who could shed some light on this?
I was not able to apply my $15 unlimited data plan that I was on before upgrading to the new Focus because my old device was not a smart phone? I upgraded from the Pantec Matrix.
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Smartphone and Non Smartphones are 2 different data plans. Since the Focus is a smartphone the only way for you to get unlimited data for a smartphone, you have to have had a smartphone and that data plan.
ShadowLegion said:
Smartphone and Non Smartphones are 2 different data plans. Since the Focus is a smartphone the only way for you to get unlimited data for a smartphone, you have to have had a smartphone and that data plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, I've have a HTC Hermes since '07 with a UL Data plan. Ordered 2 Focus's today through ATT Premier (buy one get one free) and was able to apply the UL plan to it, 2GB plan to my Wife's.
psills said:
I just received my Focus from the Amazon $49 deal and was able to transfer my iPhone's unlimited data plan to it. This is only possible if you have a "grandfathered" device which already has unlimited data on it, as AT&T has dropped the unlimited plan.
Heres How:
Order your phone on Amazon. Choose any data plan, doesn't matter.
When your phone arrives, charge it, but, DO NOT PUT IN THE SIM CARD.
Have your SIM Card and Box out and available as you will need them.
DO NOT ACTIVATE THE PHONE AS PER AT&T'S INSTRUCTIONS on their web-site.
Call AT&T Wireless [1-800-331-0500]
DO NOT ACTIVATE YOUR PHONE USING THE AT&T MENU
Press "0" to speak to an agent.
Ask to migrate your existing plan over to your new Samsung Focus. This will move your Unlimited Data Plan to your new phone.
Provide the numbers from the phone box
Provide the SIM number from your new SIM.
Have the Agent activate the phone and call your phone to make sure it is working.
There, you should now have a fully activated phone with Unlimited Data.
This is how I was told to do it from Amazon and it works.
If you miss your Visual Voicemail from the iPhone, sign up for Google Voice (www.google.com/voice). You will never miss it!
Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
forgot to mention this only works for people already using the unlimited data plan!
Thanks everyone. Now I feel sad for not taking any upgrade offers to smartphones in the past
I did exactly what is said in the first post. Ordered from Amazon with 2gb and 1500 message plan. I called att to transfer my plan but the rep said I could not. The rep said that I could Not transfer my existing plan (media net 200 bundle with unlimited data) because my previous phone was not a smart phone. I told her I had htc fuze and she was puzzled. She talked to supervisor and still said I could not keep my old plan.
I have the old unlimited plan (VZW grandfathered plan). I want to be able to hotpot as well as get wifi calling (I am often in an area with poor coverage).
I heard you can hotspot with an unlocked S8/note etc. but most of the posts say you loose advanced/wifi calling and can only get advanced calling if you install the verizon ROM.
Been scouring the forums -- has anyone figured out how to get wifi calling and hotspot with the old VZW UDP??? I really need both!
Thanks a bunch!
I was able to use hotspot on unlocked Verizon S8 G950U phone it was in the pull-down menu, but I read all VZW phones come unlocked these days. Also, I used to be on the grandfathered plan and switched to StraightTalk Wireless which resells the Verizon Network unlimited data for $55/mo!
I have a new VZW S8 and still have my GUDP..
All i want is Wi-Fi Hotspot unlocked.. to the point where I'm thinking about starting a bounty thread..
Anyone.... Please....
Maybe this thread will help you get Hotspot working...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-8/how-to/enable-native-mobile-hotspot-galaxy-t3693784
El Genio Malvado said:
I have a new VZW S8 and still have my GUDP..
All i want is Wi-Fi Hotspot unlocked.. to the point where I'm thinking about starting a bounty thread..
Anyone.... Please....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thinking about switching to MetroPCS. I got the dreaded hotspot warning from Cricket, and I've been meaning to make the switch anyway.
To be clear, I'm asking if it's possible to unlock the hotspot feature on my phone without paying for the service. I have the build.prop line and the adb dun line which is how I got it working on Cricket. But I've heard Metro may have additional bypasses.
The plan I want to switch to is the 4 lines for $100 which does not include hotspot. I use about 20gb a month.
Thanks!