[Amberynne Puchalski]

Depending on who I talk to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Radio Shack, everyone has a different answer. Can I purchase a blackberry WITHOUT a data plan? I am told that if I purchase one from the local stores they are required to charge me an extra monthly fee for a data plan or they will not sell me the blackberry. Then I'm also told if I purchase a used/new blackberry that already doesn't have the data plan on it that if I put my old SIM card in a used/new blackberry it can read my SIM card, report it back to my carrier and automatically start charging me the fee, is this true? How would my SIM card know what phone it's in? I was thinking about buying a BB Bold 9700 off eBay, uncontracted and unlocked...can my carrier charge me a data plan?(Assuming I never told my carrier I bought the new phone and simply placed my current AT&T blackberry SIM card into the new phone which currently doesn't have a data plan..?) Btw, my current BB has no data plan, it's disabled and blocked and my current plan which was bought years ago doesn't have the internet on it either....

[syb0rg]

The only company out there, as of right now, that will not charge you a data fee if you 1) but the phone at full price 2) buy it from a 3rd party vendor, is T-Mobile.

ATT, Verzion, and Sprint will all check the ESN/IMEI number to see what phone you are using and adjust it accordingly w/ the data package.

but it all honesty a blackberry is a blackberry w/o data you can do very little application wise w/o it.

[amazinglygraceless]

Yes, AT&T will absolutely REQUIRE a data plan for your phone.

This policy changed in Sept 2009. If you had service that was in force and active
prior to that you would be allowed to continue on with no data. Known as
"grandfathering"

If you acquire the new unit by any avenues other than warranty exchange or
insurance replacement it is considered a new unit and REQUIRES a new data plan.

[Amberynne Puchalski]

AT&T told me I couldn't buy it for full price $500 cause they would still charge me the data plan. Btw, my friend just bought a uncontracted and unlocked iphone from eBay and she has AT&T and she doesn't have the data plan. She simply put her SIM card into it and it has been working for awhile now....so I don't see how they can read the card when she has done it.

I'm not using the blackberry for the data package since I personally just like it for organizational purposes.

[Amberynne Puchalski]

Btw I have had my plan since 2006 with no internet on my blackberry(s)...my plan says that the internet is disabled and blocked.

[syb0rg]

AT&T told me I couldn't buy it for full price $500 cause they would still charge me the data plan. Btw, my friend just bought a uncontracted and unlocked iphone from eBay and she has AT&T and she doesn't have the data plan. She simply put her SIM card into it and it has been working for awhile now....so I don't see how they can read the card when she has done it.

I'm not using the blackberry for the data package since I personally just like it for organizational purposes.

each GSM phone has a IMEI number - (International Mobile Equipment Identity) - They can remotely check the IMEI... which is like a serial number to a TV, or a VIN number to a car... they can tell phone phone you have based off of that number... that's how they can tell you have a Smart Phone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Amberynne Puchalski]

Could I get my BB Bold 9700 straight from the factory(unlocked and uncontracted)...that would work?

[tandaina]

So you could get a 9650 from Amazon for $99 w/ a data plan...

OR you can pay $500 to try to get one without a data plan. Even @ $30/month it'll take 16 MONTHS for the data plan to cost you $500!

That's what's called being penny wise and pound foolish. There are FAR, FAR cheaper electronic organizers out there. If you want a BB get a data plan and get far more out of it.

[Motorcycle Mama]

Could I get my BB Bold 9700 straight from the factory(unlocked and uncontracted)...that would work?

Even if you get the phone directly from Santa Claus, the carriers you mention (Verizon, Sprint and AT&T) will all REQUIRE you to have a BlackBerry Data Plan if the device is activated on their network.

Period.

Do not pass Go! Do not collect $200.

[MrObvious]

Just get like Sprint or Boost prepaid and it's cheap and you get full BB functionality.

[RadioRaiders]

Could I get my BB Bold 9700 straight from the factory(unlocked and uncontracted)...that would work?

No, AT&T has all the BlackBerry TAC's. When your turn your phone on, it identifies itself to the network using your SIM card number (IMSI) and your phones serial number (IMEI). AT&T cross-matches the two numbers, and if it sees you have a "smart phone" but no data plan, it gives you one. Try it. Put your SIM card in a friends BlackBerry. See if you get a SMS welcoming you to your new data plan

How does AT&T know what phone you have? The IMEI is 15 digits. The first 8 are the TAC and identifies your phone make and model. The other 7 are your unique serial number. There can be several TACs for the same make/model depending where/when it was made.

I made a TAC database. If you enter the first 8 digits of your IMEI (or your full IMEI), it should return the make/model of your phone (I haven't updated it in a year or so, so newer models may not be there, but older should be)

RadioRaiders IMEI and Type Allocation Codes (TAC)