AT&T data plans?

[ThunderFan]

Ok I sold my iphone and just bought my nexus one. It will be here tomorrow and I need someone that has made this move on AT&T to help me figure out what I need to do to get ready.

I want to get rid of my iphone data plan and get rid of any data or get the $10/month data plan since the nexus one cannot use 3g. I dont use my data outside wifi very often at all and am fine just removing it all from my account. They will not let me move away from my iphone plan on the AT&T website and I contacted support to register a diffrent phone on my account and they explained I need to call support to register the IMEI on the account. Will this allow me to move away from the data plan and just use the phone for texting and voice?

Will it matter if the phone I am registering is an old cingular branded cell phone? It is also the phone I use on my other line in my family plan but it was not the original phone that I bought from AT&T and therefore I imagine its imei is not in the system for my account. Correct?

Or do I even need to go through this trouble. Can I just use the imei of my nexus one and call them and register that and explain that my phone doesnt need a data plan and get rid of my data plan this way?

 

[Jeremy]

Being a unlocked device the IMEI number will not appear in their system, more than likely confusing who ever you speak with... I switch my sim back and forth from my iPhone to Nexus One with no issues but I stay on the iPhone plan. If the person you speak with seems to know what is going on with a unlocked device they may help you out. But 9 out of 10 times they will claim what you want done is not possible. All depends on who you speak with. Have fun.

As far as the other phone you want to use to register if that is in use on AT&T that IMEI will indeed be in their system. Unless it is a unlocked device. So that may not work...

 

[hawonjung]

When I was with AT&T, I just simply called and told them I got an unlocked phone and told them it does not have 3G capability. The Rep changed my data plan to $10 plan.

Probably you can request them not to use any data, but even with edge is a lot better than none, IMO.

 

[tom28]

there is a post in howard forums. Some guys are having the $30 data plan automatically added. I would post a direct link but I'm still a newbie here =/

 

[scottykcaudill]

there is a post in howard forums. Some guys are having the $30 data plan automatically added. I would post a direct link but I'm still a newbie here =/

I received my N1 Monday, and when I called in to get dropped from the BB plan (looked at my account online, and still had BB Personal despite running the SIM in the N1), the rep took my IMEI and said the $30 plan was required since I was using a smartphone. So, I'm guessing the N1 is in the system w/ ATT.

 

[ads]

You used to be able to change some of this online IF you have a current plan. Mine plan is no longer offered so I can't even look to see if this is possible. But I'd guess that maintaining a certain data plan is part of the subsidy if you're still w/i your two year commitment.
After the commitment period, I think there is little they can do to force you to use one plan, supposing a cheaper one that has browser and mail ports open is available. VPN port-they'll probably get you there with a more expensive plan.
I'd try this like others allude to/suggest: Get a cheap phone with a browser, hook that in, set you plan, change your sim a day or so later. They may recognize your new smart device, but I'd call retention mgt if they contacted me and said I had to have a more expensive plan.
Good luck
ADS

 

[Jeremy]

I received my N1 Monday, and when I called in to get dropped from the BB plan (looked at my account online, and still had BB Personal despite running the SIM in the N1), the rep took my IMEI and said the $30 plan was required since I was using a smartphone. So, I'm guessing the N1 is in the system w/ ATT.

Generally unlocked devices will not show up in their system. Either he was blowing smoke or they've made some changes lately.

 

[ThunderFan]

Generally unlocked devices will not show up in their system. Either he was blowing smoke or they've made some changes lately.

I really hope so. I did not register my imei with them and just registered a dumb phone imei earlier this week. Hopefully this keeps them from investigating. Do they check imei's OTA much?

 

[Jeremy]

I really hope so. I did not register my imei with them and just registered a dumb phone imei earlier this week. Hopefully this keeps them from investigating. Do they check imei's OTA much?

With unlocked phones it will not report a IMEI number or one that will confuse them. That's why some people unlock their iPhones to use on AT&T. To get out of the $30 data plan... it does work as I just unlocked one for someone and so far so good.

 

[tom28]

The n1 seems to be a special case. Go to the att section of howard forums. there is a multi page post about how people are being automatically put on the 30 plan once they put the sim into the phone. one guy gave them a dumb phone imei earlier in the day. later in the day when he put the sim in the N1 he got a text saying he will be put on the $30 plan.

 

[Jeremy]

The n1 seems to be a special case. Go to the att section of howard forums. there is a multi page post about how people are being automatically put on the 30 plan once they put the sim into the phone. one guy gave them a dumb phone imei earlier in the day. later in the day when he put the sim in the N1 he got a text saying he will be put on the $30 plan.

I'd be really shocked if this were the case. I've been using the N1 for about 3 weeks now and when I use the N1 in my online account I see a generic unlocked phone as my current device... if you don't tell them what phone you are using with a unlocked device they can not force you into that $30 plan. I leave my plan alone since I use a iPhone 3GS as well.

These people who were forced into a data plan simply were taken advantage of, plain and simple.

 

[GadgetMomma]

I agree. Before I bought my N1, I was using a 2G iphone, and the data plan for that was $20, since it didn't run on the 3G network. I've had my SIM card in my N1 since Monday, and I haven't received a text saying my data plan was going up, nor has it changed in my online account summary. I agree with Jeremy - people were taken advantage of.

 

[tom28]

they seem to doing this to a select few. Don't know how the pick and choose who though.

I would post a link but I'm not allowed to yet.

 

[Jeremy]

they seem to doing this to a select few. Don't know how the pick and choose who though.

I would post a link but I'm not allowed to yet.

I believe you 100%. I honestly think it's those people who call AT&T and tell them they are using another phone. It's possible AT&T is doing something different as well. I would just advise anyone who is switching to a Nexus One and currently is on a cheaper data plan, don't call and tell them you are switching...

Worst case scenario is they change your plan but can't penalize you for trying.

Here is what Engadget said about this:

"It'd seem unusual (if it's even possible) for AT&T to maintain a comprehensive database of IMEIs that are outside its sphere of influence, so we're thinking that this could be as simple as a situation where the carrier's last known record of the user's phone was a subsidized smartphone, but regardless, this is a pretty big deal -- for many users it means paying $30 instead of $15 for unlimited data, all the while paying significantly more for the handset upfront (at a savings to AT&T, no less)."

 

[evilp8ntballer7#AC]

I've never got any change in price. I opened my account with an iphone 3gs and I've used a blackberry bold 9000 and when I go into my account after changing the sim card into the bold the phone model will automagicly change to the bold, which leads me to think that they CAN resolve the imei to a phone model on their system and I can even use data on both phones, and when I go to my nexus, it will just show the last phone I used and data will work fine over EDGE, but I've never gotten any text or any change of pricing going from iphone>bold>nexus or any other combination

 

[rjfabian]

at&t data plan upgrades.

It seems that the NEXUS ONE serches and locates 3G services for whatever system the phone is 3G capable. So unless you can do a phone setup that limits you to 2G service, prior to activating onto at&t, at&t will know when the phone is activated. Log in an at&t sim on a T-Mobile NEXUS, apparently is no problem, haven't had a notice. Logged in an at&t sim card on an at&t NEXUS, recieved a notice of change within minutes. Seems to be at&t's way to get rid of their "unlimited" accounts that are overcrouding their wavelengths. I hope all the other service providers don't go this way, maybe then at&t will relent.