Future Torch owner - Please help

Hi, first post here so be gentle.

Ok so this is my situation, I'm a missionary living in Colombia and my father purchased a Torch on AT&T and we unlocked it and he is going to bring it in about a week. I know this might sound odd to some, but I was hoping to use the blackberry without a data plan, and I was hoping that it would function normally on just a wi-fi network. Please no rebukes...i know this isn't typical. I don't need blackberry messenger. On the wi-fi network I was hoping to do email, surf a little web and do other things that normally would use the internet. Blackberrys are quite common here, so I thought this would work.

As I've read, it seems that many things won't work unless you have a data plan. Is this right?? Should I just tell my dad to return the phone to AT&T and get another phone that would work for the purpose that I had intended it? Any thoughts on this would be so helpful. Thanks for you help.

Unfortunately, unlike a phone such as the iPhone, the Blackberry requires something called "service books" in order for you to use the various functions that require data (e.g. browsing, facebook, email, etc...), even over a wifi connection. These service books are only available (as far as I'm aware) from carriers as long as you have a data plan with them.

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The carrier that I use does offer the Torch and they also offer a very simple plan that enables the user to do BBM and email, but not internet. I wonder if that's enough of a plan to enable me to use the total functionality of the phone on wi-fi? Like would i be able to use the browser over the wifi? Any thoughts?

No. Speaking as somebody who knows somebody with a blackberry email and IM plan, I can say thay you won't be able to use the full functionality. You will be able to do everything you say you want to do, but no Facebook, no podcasts, and no BB maps. This is from second hand experience with a 9700 with TELUS. Your results may be different.

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