[bragot]

A Blackberry without a data plan seems to be a very sensitive topic on most blackberry forums. There are supporters and then there are haters. Fortunately, crackberry.com is fairly WIFI-Friendly. The purpose of this post is for me to share my experience of using a BlackBerry without a data plan and provide some advice to any lurkers out there who are planning on doing the same. (In a nutshell, I can't strongly recommend it.)

When I lost my old Cingular 3125, I went looking for a phone with a nice design, nice QWERTY keyboard, nice organizer features that didn't require a data plan. Enter BlackBerry Curve 8900. A beautiful device with a nice screen, nice keyboard and just a great form factor. I picked one up from a wireless kiosk with the hopes of being able to do everything via WiFi at my house.

I was in for a disappointment. I wanted to do 2 major things with this device: 1) Sync calendar and contacts with Google Sync 2) Access Facebook and link profile information with my phone contacts. Alas, neither will work without a data plan. Why? Not really sure. Conflicting answers are present. Some blame RIM, some blame the carrier, some blame Google. No one is owning up to it at this point. All I know is that it doesn�t work and no one plans on fixing it.

That�s not to say that the phone is useless, it�s just that nothing is easy. Owning an iPod Touch, I thought the experience would be just as easy. Not quite. You have to do a lot more reading/researching to get things to work on the curve without a data plan. Here�s a quick list of apps that I found that will work with a BlackBerry on Wifi:

(Several from sonni_kuba in the post Will Wifi work on Blackberry without Data Plan?)

Email Client - LogicMail
Instant Messenger - Palringo
GPS Mapping - MGMaps
Online Radio - Flycast Radio
Fast HTML Browser - Opera Mini
Weather Update � BBWeather
Maratick, Mycart � Grocery List App
Pandora � Awesome Internet Radio
Palringo � Chat Client
Logicmail, Funambol � Plain Text email client

So I reached the point where I was so frustrated with the limitations of my blackberry on Wifi, that I considered getting a data plan.

Verdict: I returned my BB Curve and got an iPhone. Since this is a Blackberry forum, maybe other users can chime in why they would get a BlackBerry over an iPhone if the price is the same? Let�s not consider the touch screen keyboard because some love it and some hate it.

PS � I�m a big fan of the Getting Things Done philosophy and as such, I don�t believe in checking email in real time. I feel it should be scheduled for certain parts of the day.

[Armando175]

My opinion on this, I wouldn't get a Blackberry without a data. I'll be missing out. Besides, data is required on most BBs on T-Mobile. When I'm at home, my BB jumps on WiFi. As far as getting a BB over an iPhone, I'd would personally get a BB because you can multitask on it. As far as I'm concerned, you can't do that with an iPhone. I mean, this is my opinion so I hope no one rips me apart or have my posts deleted like they once did over something stupid. So, my BB has to have data.

[BluCheze]

Last month i had the BB data plan and from my usage and experience, i dont need it. im not the person push email is "need" i have a computer at home i can surf the web watch videos etc. my college has wifi all over campus and work place is wifi friendly too. do i need GPS, facebook, myspace etc with me 24/7? no. so im happy that i can manually enter my events and task without syncing them to a 3rd party provider. In the end, it comes down to the person using the Blackberry. I think its still a Blackberry regarless of data or not. IMO.

thanks

[godofdeath]

I sure as **** don't want a berry w/o a data plan. Now with the data plan I can text all I want thanks to google voice. **** it beats a texting plan.

And I had students that had bb with no data plans. Wanted to fail them right awayyyyyyyy.

[TaZ52083]

It defeats the purpose on having a Blackberry But thats my opinion

[schirmerdt]

I dont think RIM put BB's on the market to not have a data plan attached to them somewhere.
BB's are (in my opinion...) preactically useless without some kind of data plan! They use alot of memory powered by those data plans in order to properly function.So...I personally, would rethink my options if I was not considering purchasing a data plan with my BB.
I understand to most people having a BB is a status thing (I'm guilty!), but with the economy being the way it is now. Money remains a big concern......I respect that!
So if you want an unbiased opinion....If you can keep your BB without a data plan...that's cool! However, if you cant then I would definitely reconsider your options.

[ElJaguar]

I had a choice to get whatever I wanted and chose a BB. I use Outllook for my scheduling and contacts, so syncing was important. Also, I'm usually outdoors traveling where there's no wi-fi so data plan was important.

Although, I found the web to be better on an iphone, I still ended up zooming in on most pages like I do on my BB. With a tap on the i or o and with a little scroll here and there the BB web browser is pretty good in my opinion.

I also like BB's minimalist interface, the many shortcut keys, physical buttons, keyboard and trackball.

[bragot]

Last month i had the BB data plan and from my usage and experience, i dont need it. im not the person push email is "need" i have a computer at home i can surf the web watch videos etc. my college has wifi all over campus and work place is wifi friendly too. do i need GPS, facebook, myspace etc with me 24/7? no. so im happy that i can manually enter my events and task without syncing them to a 3rd party provider. In the end, it comes down to the person using the Blackberry. I think its still a Blackberry regarless of data or not. IMO.

thanks

I agree with you. There's probably not a lot that I need 24x7 either. But the fact that I couldn't sync my calendar over wifi killed it for me. What makes the blackberry more appealing than say a Samsung Jack which allows Facebook, Google Sync over Wifi?

[Dr.Sadistic]

I agree with you. There's probably not a lot that I need 24x7 either. But the fact that I couldn't sync my calendar over wifi killed it for me. What makes the blackberry more appealing than say a Samsung Jack which allows Facebook, Google Sync over Wifi?

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times... The BlackBerry is not an entertainment device. It will never be the iPhone. That said, and I'm sure I'll catch a flame or two for saying this, but if I were you, I'd go with an iPod Touch. You should buy a device that fits your individual needs, and if a BlackBerry does not, than don't waste your time or money.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Laura Knotek]

The Blackberry data plan is only $20/month more than the data plan I had on a dumb phone. It is worth the money, especially now that AT&T offers visual voicemail, so I don't have to use my minutes to check voicemails.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[T�nis]

I think my Blackberry would be lame without a data plan. The same goes for my laptop, for which I have mobile broadband service. I just like to be connected wherever I am, whenever I want, without having to depend on my local Panera.

[Laura Knotek]

I think my Blackberry would be lame without a data plan. The same goes for my laptop, for which I have mobile broadband service. I just like to be connected wherever I am, whenever I want, without having to depend on my local Panera.

I agree. I will take my laptop to Starbucks, though, but it is not my primary way of connecting to the Web.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[T�nis]

I agree. I will take my laptop to Starbucks, though, but it is not my primary way of connecting to the Web.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Yea, I take mine to Starbucks and Panera, too, but I use my own connection at both. It's faster [I presume the sheer number of people using their router(s) might have something to do with that], and it's private. The Panera is free access, but I think my Starbux charges $10/

[Radius]

This thread is resurrected every 2.8334 days. Creepy.

[Laura Knotek]

Yea, I take mine to Starbucks and Panera, too, but I use my own connection at both. It's faster [I presume the sheer number of people using their router(s) might have something to do with that], and it's private. The Panera is free access, but I think my Starbux charges $10/

Starbucks Wi-Fi is free for me, since AT&T is my ISP.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jytvyj]

I'm with the op on this one. Exact same scenario...and I find that the bb is still the phone. This is bc everwhere I go has wifi$ sure no fb or google sync...but m.facebook. And it has the great pim features...

I however hate the bb browser...it is the worst thing on the bb..can't load pages correctly and would freeze on a slightly more graphic intensive website. Fail. Opera or bolt is the way.

In short...if you are surrounded by wifi(college)...no need. If you have wifi at work but you meetings abroad...maybe you need one. I just guess I'm the lucky unicorn where my work takes me to wifi hotspots.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[danoh]

A BlackBerry without a data plan is like a fish without water!

[keylacy]

Can you use bbm without a data plan on at&t? And can you send mms without it. My sis is getting a bb juSt for bbm and mms bc she already have an iphone and will be keeping it

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jytvyj]

No

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[visualpurple]

The iPhone is a much better choice for a data plan-less phone, because it is fully functional without data on wifi, whereas BBs, as you discovered, are not.

[AStranger]

The iPhone is a much better choice for a data plan-less phone, because it is fully functional without data on wifi, whereas BBs, as you discovered, are not.

And this is something RIM should address frankly.

Of course having a data plan gives you some definite advantages, but it isn't a bad thing for blackberry to have the ability to function only on wifi.

[T�nis]

"Of course having a data plan gives you some definite advantages, but it isn't a bad thing for blackberry to have the ability to function only on wifi."

Agreed and well-expressed. Options are good!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[morning]

I cannot using BBM over a wi-fi! how am I supposed to do?they tell me I need to have Data Plan but how do I get this data plan?i dont understand. please help

[sonni_kuba]

A BlackBerry without a data plan is like a fish without water!

That's a little extreme ... Oh, hold on, I just noticed that you got the WiFi less 9630, then definitely, it would be just a phone without a data plan.

[KymberlyKane]

And this is something RIM should address frankly.

Of course having a data plan gives you some definite advantages, but it isn't a bad thing for blackberry to have the ability to function only on wifi.

may i please ask why a bb is not fully functional without a data plan and why an iphone is fully functional ?

is it a hardware and/or software difference between the two units ?

what does a data plan do ? isn't a data plan more like an internet service ? if you already have the service for wifi ... shouldn't BB use that ? maybe the data plan service area it covers is larger ? like the wireless phone part ? i'm thoroughly confused lol.

i'd like to learn and understand more. i am experimenting with a used BB Pearl 8120 now . still having issues getting connected to wifi. working through that.

not sure .... maybe these devices are too difficult for me. i should get a plain phone and rely on a netbook or smaller laptop for connectivity.