[Bultaco206]

Hi, first post here from a frustrated newbie. I'm old and not very tech-savy. I hope someone here can help me.

My daily driver is a Bold 9930. I've had it since Sept. of 2011. Best phone I've ever had.

A little over a year ago I bought a hardly-used 9650 from a departing co-worker. My intent was to use it as a backup in case my 9930 died. Well, my 9930 isn't well and, for the time being, I want to use Verizon's Add a Line feature and fire-up the 9650 as a spare. (My BlackBerry is my only phone, and I also make my living with it.)

I ordered a new battery for the 9650 today, as well as a cover, so I can get this bad boy fired up. Except when I tried to add it this morning on Verizon's site it prompted me twice by telling me that my phone is no longer supported by Verizon Wireless.

I should also add that my contract is long expired and I'm a free-agent. Both my 9930 and 3G iPad aren't under contract. I'm on the old unlimited plan (2010) and don't want to change plans. I'm not married to Verizon but doubt I can go anywhere and get the deal I'm getting plan-wise.

Can someone help me with ideas on how to fire-up this spare phone reasonably?

Thanks for reading.

[vjh425]

Have you tried switching out your 9900 for the 9650 on your current line? I was a Verizon customer up until a few months ago and I was able to add an old Pearl to my current line (just switched devices, did not add a line) with no problems. I switched devices through my Verizon account on their website.

It may be giving you issues because you are trying to add a new line but I'm not sure because, again, I had no problems swapping out my current device to the Pearl.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

[GPuba]

Hi, first post here from a frustrated newbie. I'm old and not very tech-savy. I hope someone here can help me.

My daily driver is a Bold 9930. I've had it since Sept. of 2011. Best phone I've ever had.

A little over a year ago I bought a hardly-used 9650 from a departing co-worker. My intent was to use it as a backup in case my 9930 died. Well, my 9930 isn't well and, for the time being, I want to use Verizon's Add a Line feature and fire-up the 9650 as a spare. (My BlackBerry is my only phone, and I also make my living with it.)

I ordered a new battery for the 9650 today, as well as a cover, so I can get this bad boy fired up. Except when I tried to add it this morning on Verizon's site it prompted me twice by telling me that my phone is no longer supported by Verizon Wireless.

I should also add that my contract is long expired and I'm a free-agent. Both my 9930 and 3G iPad aren't under contract. I'm on the old unlimited plan (2010) and don't want to change plans. I'm not married to Verizon but doubt I can go anywhere and get the deal I'm getting plan-wise.

Can someone help me with ideas on how to fire-up this spare phone reasonably?

Thanks for reading.

Just saw this. Perhaps this might help you see the root of your problem:

http://blackberryempire.com/blackber...lackberry-5-6/

Posted via CB10

[Bultaco206]

Yes, I saw that. But Verizon isn't supporting OS7 anymore, either. I guess I'm screwed. I've got a battery and a Body Glove cover ordered for the older phone. I guess I will pitch all of it when it comes since it's all worthless now.

I refuse to play the games that the carriers all force us to play these days. My 9930 is on life support. I am not going to spend big money for a new phone whose service life is determined by a marketing department full of techies. When my 9930 dies I've decided I will go back to a basic flip phone and rely on my iPad.

I had a really bad Android experience (6 phones in 4 months...lost data...missed opportunities.) before my BlackBerry. No way will I succumb to Google's hype again. And I am an Apple guy but I despise touchscreen phones, so no iPhone for me.

Yes, I'm pissed. RIP BlackBerry.

[vjh425]

Wow, I'm surprised that Verizon isnt supporting OS7 anymore either. I'm with T-Mobile now and I had no problem popping my sim card into a Torch 9860 and getting it working (waiting for my Q5 to ship; sold the Z10 so using this until Q5 arrives). I tend to upgrade phones oftenp so our situations are different, but I'm pretty fond of T-Mobile's JUMP program--no contract, just pay off your phone (if financed) and you can cancel whenever. I just bought the Q5 unlocked directly from BB's store though so I can take it to any GSM carrier in the US without having to sign a contract. Maybe something like that would work for you.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

[Bultaco206]

Wow, I'm surprised that Verizon isnt supporting OS7 anymore either. I'm with T-Mobile now and I had no problem popping my sim card into a Torch 9860 and getting it working (waiting for my Q5 to ship; sold the Z10 so using this until Q5 arrives). I tend to upgrade phones oftenp so our situations are different, but I'm pretty fond of T-Mobile's JUMP program--no contract, just pay off your phone (if financed) and you can cancel whenever. I just bought the Q5 unlocked directly from BB's store though so I can take it to any GSM carrier in the US without having to sign a contract. Maybe something like that would work for you.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

I don't know enough about unlocking a phone, or how that works. Nor do I really have time to deal with all of that. I didn't grow up in the tech age and a phone to me is simply a tool.

I process up to a hundred emails a day. I've never had anything that handles data like my 9930. People I know with Androids and iPhones cuss and swear at them all the time. Seems as phones today are toys and not tools.

I'm tired of all of this. I really am. Life was way less frustrating with a flip phone. And if they're forcing me to trade my antique, or else...well, then they can threaten someone else. BlackBerry corporate could screw up a free lunch. No wonder Verizon is bailing.

I guess when this 9930 dies for good, I'll hit the lights on the way out.

[vjh425]

I don't know enough about unlocking a phone, or how that works. Nor do I really have time to deal with all of that. I didn't grow up in the tech age and a phone to me is simply a tool.

I process up to a hundred emails a day. I've never had anything that handles data like my 9930. People I know with Androids and iPhones cuss and swear at them all the time. Seems as phones today are toys and not tools.

I'm tired of all of this. I really am. Life was way less frustrating with a flip phone. And if they're forcing me to trade my antique, or else...well, then they can threaten someone else. BlackBerry corporate could screw up a free lunch. No wonder Verizon is bailing.

I guess when this 9930 dies for good, I'll hit the lights on the way out.

Well, if you're more comfortable reverting to a flip phone than that is the way to go. But, I thought I'd just address some of the things in your post because personally, I wouldn't write off a BB10, Android, or iOS phone without trying them out for myself because you never know, there could be a smartphone device out there that suits your needs. I can't address the issues the people you know are having with their iPhones and Androids because you didn't specify what about them is causing so much trouble, but there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and myth surrounding these devices by legacy BB users from what I've seen on the forums. It also seems like these users base their assumptions on older devices, especially Android.

If you are willing to rely on your iPad as your daily data driver, maybe you should look into an iPhone if you want something more portable. The iPhone runs the exact same operating system as the iPad and they also have employees in their stores who will walk you through the whole process of setting up your phone so it functions the way you want it too. Another benefit of Apple is the awesome warranty. Android devices are more for the tech savvy from my experience because people enjoy tweaking them to run custom firmware and other things. Battery life is much improved on the newer devices, both iPhone and Android, as well.

BB10 is also an enjoyable experience. My emails sync just as well as they do on an OS7 device. You do not need to unlock the phone yourself if you buy it from BB's website--they come unlocked from the factory, so all you have to do is get a sim card for whichever carrier you are interested in using (in the US, the two big companies would be T-Mobile, AT&T because unlocked GSM phones do not work on CDMA carriers, such as Sprint and Verizon).

I think your biggest problem here may be your carrier. T-Mobile is still supporting OS7 phones and is even still selling them on their website. They probably still support older devices too but I can't check that because my oldest phone is the Torch 9860. Personally, I think Verizon may be pushing you to upgrade so you lose your unlimited data plan. I dumped Verizon because I found them to be lacking in the customer support department. While all carriers are in it for the money, Verizon seems to be exceedingly greedy when it comes to pricing and they are stingy in what they are willing to give long-term customers. Both my friend and I were forced to give up our unlimited data plans when we upgraded our phones.

[Bultaco206]

T-Mobile doesn't work in WI and IA. Here, US Cellular has the best service, followed by Verizon. AT&T is horrible here, as well...too remote.

Verizon calls me at least once a month trying to sell me on a new plan/phone. I finally told the kid on the phone a few weeks ago that if they called me again that I'd leave. Apparently they don't like free agents.

As far as the iPhone, I won't use a touchscreen phone. I don't like them. I have to have a keyboard. I had a bevy of Droid Xs. Never again...no more Androids and no more touchscreens. I lost so much money due to time chasing problems, and missed business opportunities. And the new BlackBerries are expensive. I'd buy on my own rather than be a prisoner in a plan...plus, I don't want to change plans. There's absolutely nothing wrong with my spare 9650. It's got very few minutes on it. I just don't like being forced away from it. It just seems like a game.

[stlabrat]

IMO 1. Stay with your current plan. Back up your phone frequently, if the new bbos is unlocked and compatible to VZW, just do a sim switch and change device using BlackBerry desk top manager on the pc.2. BlackBerry 10 q10 is possibly VZW try to push you into it with a new plan. It is will cost more in term of plan or device (bb10 does not use compression, so it is data hungry, like iPhone android, VZW most likely not going to give you an unlimited plan). 9630 is a good work horse. Hopefully, you can find use of it fully. - or use as trade in if vwz got promotion in the future for bb10 phone, like t-mobile had last month. You get $250 off from your new phone.

Posted via CB10

[baseballpeej]

I have a coworker who is still using a 9650 on Verizon. It still works fine. I'd be willing to bet your issue is from Verizon not allowing you to do anything unless you drop your unlimited data plan. My wife and I went through the same thing when I joined her plan. They said they couldn't add a line unless she dropped the unlimited and choose one of the new tiered data plans.

[Bultaco206]

IMO 1. Stay with your current plan. Back up your phone frequently, if the new bbos is unlocked and compatible to VZW, just do a sim switch and change device using BlackBerry desk top manager on the pc.2. BlackBerry 10 q10 is possibly VZW try to push you into it with a new plan. It is will cost more in term of plan or device (bb10 does not use compression, so it is data hungry, like iPhone android, VZW most likely not going to give you an unlimited plan). 9630 is a good work horse. Hopefully, you can find use of it fully. - or use as trade in if vwz got promotion in the future for bb10 phone, like t-mobile had last month. You get $250 off from your new phone.

Posted via CB10

I'm one of those people that doesn't jump when something new comes along. So I'm still on the old truly unlimited everything plan. I know that's killing them. I push a lot of data with my phone and iPad. I don't want to buy a phone from them and get both locked-in, as well put into a new plan. If my iPad could go with me to US Cellular I'd consider a contract with them as their service here in the upper Midwestern U.S. is hands-down better than Verizon. However, my older 9650 is a Verizon phone, as is my current one. So I'm screwed there.

My new battery and cover for my now-obsolete 9650 came today. Guess they'll end up in the trash with the phone.

[Bultaco206]

I have a coworker who is still using a 9650 on Verizon. It still works fine. I'd be willing to bet your issue is from Verizon not allowing you to do anything unless you drop your unlimited data plan. My wife and I went through the same thing when I joined her plan. They said they couldn't add a line unless she dropped the unlimited and choose one of the new tiered data plans.

Verizon told me this morning that had my 9650 been activated prior to 12/31 I could still use it. But I can't add it now, regardless of my plan.

[SmellWhole]

What does "supporting" mean? If it just means Verizon isn't offering os upgrades then who cares? Just activate the 9650. It sounds like Verizon is just trying to con you into buying a new phone. How is it that Verizon can "support" a flip phone but not a 9650? I'm on Sprint, and my 9650 Bold works fine.

[Bultaco206]

Just activate the 9650.

Tried it twice online and got an error message saying, "This device is no longer supported by Verizon Wireless."

And I was told this morning by VZW customer service that the 9650, or any BlackBerry device that runs on any operating system older than 7.0, can no longer be activated for use on 'the network.'

[vjh425]

If you wanted to switch to US Cellular, they might have an option where your US Cellular phone (smartphone) could share data with the iPad (so it would be as if your iPad were connected to a wifi network).

If you wanted to go that route but don't want to be locked into a contract, eBay is a good way to go. Many of the OS7 BBs are $100 or so. I got a 9930 last year for around that price.

Posted via CB10