1. ButtonBerry's Avatar
    I've been thinking about getting (starting to desperately want) a BlackBerry for too long now, and have been holding back because my montly phone payments would massively increase should I get one.

    For info - I am the poster child for a prepay user. I spend about �400 (or more ) on the latest and greatest every 2-3 years and then about �8 a month on my phone tariff, taking advantage of prepay call and text deals to get all the usage I need. I hardly ever use mobile internet and when I do it only costs a minimal amount.

    I like not having a contract. I like freedom to control my monthly outgoings, and to be able to reduce it to ZERO even should I choose.

    The problem i'm having is that BIS are only available to those on contract with O2 or Vodafone (they are the only operators that work where I live - any other carrier would give me a nice looking mobile paperweight).

    So if I do succumb to temptation and get a BlackBerry Bold 9700 (*drools!*) I would not have BIS

    My question to you knowledgeable persons therefore is, in those circumstances, am I wasting my money on a BlackBerry?

    Would buying a BlackBerry Bold 9700 without BIS leave me with such a crippled device as to spoil the BlackBerry experience?

    Also out of interest, what is the limitations in not having BIS?

    As always, very grateful for any assistance
    01-24-10 07:02 AM
  2. Snarfler's Avatar
    For me, email and web browser are the main reasons I have a blackberry instead of a dumb phone, and if I couldn't have those, I doubt I would have a blackberry.
    01-24-10 07:18 AM
  3. ButtonBerry's Avatar
    So that's what you can't have unless you pay for BIS, e-mail and internet? Really? I'll be totally unable to browse the web or send or receive e-mail on a BlackBerry without BIS?
    01-24-10 07:39 AM
  4. gmz73's Avatar
    Without that dataplan you may as well keep your regular phone. For me having a blackberry is worth the expense because I use all the features. I have cut back expenses in other areas instead. I love my blackberry!!!!
    01-24-10 07:47 AM
  5. cealis's Avatar
    Well if you can get money to buy the phone for 400 or so you should also be able to pay monthly?

    Overall the contract is just payment over time for the phone.
    You now pay 8 pounds each month for calling so lets say you buy a new phone for 400 pounds and use the phone for 2 years paying 8 pound each month for your calls. You basicly pay 592 pounds over the 2 years total.

    I'm not from uk so have a bit trouble browsing the pages of the 02 and vodafone in uk but from what i could see vodafone offers a contract where you get phone for free and pay 25 pounds each month for 2 years which means you pay a total of 600 pounds over 2 years.

    So all in all it doesn't really matter in my country you could also just take a contract without a phone and that would mean you buy the bb just like you want to and then choose a contract that has bis but im not sure if you have that option in the uk.
    01-24-10 07:55 AM
  6. phreddyl's Avatar
    I know people who could care less about the BIS but just want a BB for the physical QWERTY keyboard.
    There are plenty of regular phones now that have a physical keyboard. You dont need to buy a blackberry just for a keyboard. Buying a blackberry and not using it for what it is made to do is a waste.
    01-24-10 08:13 AM
  7. anon2917844's Avatar
    A bb is useless without a BIS / BES
    U can't surf the net, send/receive emails, bbm, facebooking..
    only phone calls, music, camera and sms
    it's up to you. But you better keep your phone unless you decide for a data plan!
    Hope i've helped you ;D
    01-24-10 08:42 AM
  8. SevereDeceit's Avatar
    It's about as useless as an ashtray on a motorcycle...
    01-24-10 08:44 AM
  9. vincentnyc's Avatar
    Don't listen to all these ppl. I'm in the same situation as the op. Prepaid with 9700.

    if u have wifi at home, u can do pretty much almost anything. Surf the net, email, im, pandora, slacker, bbweather etc. I'm in nyc and free wifi are almost everywhere. Those ppl who said it is useless are mostly noob who don't know the full potential of a bb that has wifi.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by vincentnyc; 01-24-10 at 09:16 AM.
    01-24-10 09:06 AM
  10. GlitchZero's Avatar
    Don't listen to all these ppl. I'm in the same situation as the op. Prepaid with 9700.

    if u have wifi at home, u can do pretty much almost anything. Surf the net, email, im, pandora, slacker, bbweather etc. I'm in nyc and free wifi are almost everywhere. Those ppl who said it is useless are mostly noob who don't know the full potential of a bb that has wifi.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Wow. New Yorker attitude and everything. For the rest of the planet that doesn't live in 1000 square miles of wifi, ... we assume everyone else does, BIS comes in handy if you're in a car or out somewhere that has locked or no wifi. I personally don't see the point of getting a BB without data, but that's just me. If you don't use that much data, then you don't really need a BB, no? Everything they're well known for runs on data.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by GlitchZero; 01-24-10 at 09:24 AM.
    01-24-10 09:20 AM
  11. vincentnyc's Avatar
    I can come up with several reasons who want to get the 9700 w/o data plan:

    1. Form factor.
    2. Keyboard.
    3. Os doesn't crash a lot.
    4. Multi-tasking.
    5. Ease of use.
    Etc.

    Listen, I don't need to email or surf the net right away. So wifi is just fine with me. But that is just me. This is similar to ppl who want prepaid plan and not have a monthly +$100 bill for the next 2 yrs and what not but want to the latest phone. It is all based on ur needs.

    ps I can also do gps without data or wifi on my 9700.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by vincentnyc; 01-24-10 at 09:52 AM.
    01-24-10 09:31 AM
  12. mjbesen310's Avatar
    It's about as useless as an ashtray on a motorcycle...
    x2. buy a dummy phone if your not on a BIS plan owning a BB
    01-24-10 09:36 AM
  13. paddygirl16's Avatar
    I also don't see the point of getting a BB if you are not going to have the data plan.

    The wifi is great, but doesn't work everywere. If you are not going to take advantage of all its features, why have it.

    I think once you get the 9700 with the data, you will never look back. I never thought I needed internet access in my hand 24/7. But, then I got it and cannot even imagine what life was like before.
    01-24-10 09:36 AM
  14. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    I can come up with several reasons who want to get the 9700 w/o data plan:

    1. Form factor.
    2. Keyboard.
    3. Os doesn't crash a lot.
    4. Multi-tasking.
    5. Ease of use.
    Etc.

    Listen, I don't need to email or surf the net right away. So wifi is just fine with me. But that is just me. This is similar to ppl who want prepaid plan and not have a monthly +100 bill for the next 2 yrs and what not but want to the latest phone. It is all based on ur needs.

    ps I can also do gps without data or wifi on my 9700.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

    in the UK you can have the 9700 starting from �25 a month over 2 years which works out at a total of �600 over the 2 years. Add another �84 for the next day replacement insurance and it doesn't sound that scary.

    A blackberry without bis is plain and simple false economy.

    And how do you get GPS mapping without data?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-24-10 09:42 AM
  15. Lady_Jane's Avatar
    Hi,
    I have a BB and don't have a BIS. Why? Cause I am a student and couldn't afford more expensive BB than 8520. My carrier's O2 who don't support BIS for 8520 yet which is not the main reason why I don't have a BIS. It's too expensive for me, once again, I'm a student. So I only have an O2 internet in my blackberry and so I can send e-mails, can browse any site I want (I can use the BB browser, yes). The only thing that used to irritate was that I got no notifications about new e-mails. Solved out. I can set SMS notifications about new e-mails so when someone e-mails me I got a SMS notification. I would prefer BIS, of course, but it's not worth it yet. For example, neither the BB App world isn't available here yet! :/

    So, yeah. I can do everything without the BIS or BES except for using BB e-mail client and BBM. Can't use the BB App world cause I live in the Czech rep. No biggie.
    01-24-10 10:03 AM
  16. ButtonBerry's Avatar
    Thanks for the help everyone

    So essentially, I won't be able to use the BlackBerry Browser, BlackBerry E-mail, or BlackBerry Messaging, but third party apps like Opera Mobile work fine?

    So BIS is only for BlackBerry branded applications that you don't have to use?

    That doesn't sound too bad at all.....
    01-24-10 10:10 AM
  17. Lady_Jane's Avatar
    Actually, I can even use the BB Browser without the BIS. Even though many people already told me it's not possible, I can use it... I don't know why. ))
    01-24-10 10:16 AM
  18. vincentnyc's Avatar
    Bbrowser works w/ wifi if u change the setting to "hotspot" browser.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-24-10 10:24 AM
  19. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    I have a BlackBerry with a data plan; however, if I wanted a smartphone without a data plan, I would not choose a BlackBerry. Since so many features are tied to BIS/BES, BlackBerry is not the best device for someone who does not want a data plan. I would suggest an iPhone for someone who wants a smartphone without a data plan. The iPhone would be far less crippled on Wi-Fi only than the BlackBerry would be.
    01-24-10 10:27 AM
  20. Lady_Jane's Avatar
    Bbrowser works w/ wifi if u change the setting to "hotspot" browser.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Nope, it's set to WAP. But that'd be for another thread, I don't want to hijack this one.
    01-24-10 10:29 AM
  21. vincentnyc's Avatar
    Nope, it's set to WAP. But that'd be for another thread, I don't want to hijack this one.
    Wap have restriction to only certain websites that ur carrier allow to browse to if u have a prepaid voice plan w/o data. So for example, the only site I can browse to is my account info, espn, cnn, and abcnews for tmobile prepaid plan.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-24-10 10:33 AM
  22. vincentnyc's Avatar
    I have a BlackBerry with a data plan; however, if I wanted a smartphone without a data plan, I would not choose a BlackBerry. Since so many features are tied to BIS/BES, BlackBerry is not the best device for someone who does not want a data plan. I would suggest an iPhone for someone who wants a smartphone without a data plan. The iPhone would be far less crippled on Wi-Fi only than the BlackBerry would be.
    Yes the iphone maybe less crippling. But there also advantages of a bb:

    1. Longer battery life.
    2. Removable battery.
    3. Multi-tasking.
    4. Physical keyboard.
    Etc.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-24-10 10:37 AM
  23. leecott's Avatar
    Well look at it like this, a Blackberry isn't much of a media phone, but it can get the job done.
    01-24-10 10:44 AM
  24. taurus58's Avatar
    in summary, if you have wifi nearby you every time it's good..you don't need data plan.
    but if you are businessman or wanna be online every time,your job follows you even if at the bathroom,WC,car etc.
    that's cool..feel free for internet.
    press the button whenever you want and surf!
    01-24-10 10:45 AM
  25. vincentnyc's Avatar
    in summary, if you have wifi nearby you every time it's good..you don't need data plan.
    but if you are businessman or wanna be online every time,your job follows you even if at the bathroom,WC,car etc.
    that's cool..feel free for internet.
    press the button whenever you want and surf!
    No, it is all base on ur needs. Not every1 is a businessman or woman. If u have no need for "immediate" email or surf anytimes or anywhere, then maybe u will fine w/o a bis plan. If there is free wifi, where I go, that's great, if not I'm fine with it also. Cuz I'm not too concern on checking my email every second. That's all I'm trying to say. I don't want to argue with naysayer on this topic anymore. It all up to the individual and their needs.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by vincentnyc; 01-24-10 at 10:58 AM.
    01-24-10 10:56 AM
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