First cellphone - questions on WiFi and data

[AC Question]

I bought my first cellphone - LG Optimus (Android) and I've got several questions.
I did read a book on Android phones but I didn't see what I needed there. Please
excuse me if the answers are obvious to longtime users but I've got no idea where to look.
It is a Verizon phone and I did pay for one month of talk and text (pre-paid) no contract.
I really only need the phone for data and Verizon has a data only plan for devices but I don't know
if a phone will qualify.
My questions are -
Will my phone qualify for data only once the month that I paid for is over or is it better to get the
data only for a tablet and tether it to the phone?
Is it possible to use Wifi for phone calls?
I saw that Republic Wireless has low cost plans but will I be able to use that on a Verizon phone?
If I use free WiFi what do I need to do to be sure that my logins are secure - I encrypted my phone
but I don't know if that protects site logins.
I'd love to download game apps that don't need a connection to play - I had several on my Palm TX
and I was wondering if there are any for the phone. If I download a game from Google Play will I need
WiFi or a data connection to play it (or any app)?
Thanks for reading.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums. I can't answer most of your questions, but I can pass this along to those who have a much better chance of answering them.

Edit: Data only plans are typically geared for tablets. I'm not sure if any carrier would allow a data only plan on a smartphone.

 

[xocomaox]

I'm pretty sure Verizon doesn't allow data only on a phone. Tethering to a tablet would work, but then why not just use the tablet?

 

[Laura Knotek]

As far as I know, phones are not eligible for data only plans unless one has a disability that makes them completely unable to hear.

 

[dpham00]

You should be able to get a data only device, activate the device on the line, then swap the sim from the data only device to the smartphone. Keep in mind that Verizon won't activate a phone on a data only plan unless you have special circumstances.