Verizon: WIFI without data plan?

[cckid]

Hi all,
Is it possible to use wifi on the droid phones without having a data plan on Verizon? I thought I had read somewhere that you could do that but I am not 100% sure now after hearing conflicting information from a friend.
I looked at VZW's website but couldn't find that info.
Another confusing thing is that my one buddy has an incredible and there's a screen that says "don't have a data plan? use wifi instead" or something like that.
Anyone have the definitive scoop?
Thanks!!

 

[alphabets]

i thought when u bought a smartphone from verizon u had to have a data plan?

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

The phone can do it with no problems, but Verizon isn't going to give you service for a DI without the unlimited data plan.

 

[cckid]

well that stinks...why won't they let me do that? i don't need a data plan! *grrr*

 

[AggressorBLUE]

^
this is the case I believe. My phone wouldn't let me do anything except call to activate when I first got it.

And they won't let you do it because that's more $$$ in their pockets.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

You can bypass the activation by pressing in each corner of the screen, starting with top left, in a clockwise direction.

WiFi works for data, but of course you have no voice or sms services without activating it

 

[Kyle Gibb]

you could buy the phone without a contract from verizon and then just add a basic voice + unlimited texts. I would ask them though because they still might require a data package to use it...

 

[rb68]

you could buy the phone without a contract from verizon and then just add a basic voice + unlimited texts. I would ask them though because they still might require a data package to use it...

Won't work, all smartphones require a data plan for VZW activation regardless of how they were obtained. Honestly, this subject has been beat to death on multiple internet sites and boards, and the answer hasn't changed. AT&T recently started requiring smartphone data plans on all their smartphones. Sprint has a data requirement. If I understand correctly, the only national operator who has any kind of option to activate without a data plan is T-mobile, and that involves buying the phone outright... again if I remember correctly.

 

[takeshi]

I looked at VZW's website but couldn't find that info.

Taken verbatim from the Droid Incredible page on the Verizon site:

All Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry and Android Smartphones require a data feature of $29.99 or higher or a data plan.

 

[quetzalcoatl]

Won't work, all smartphones require a data plan for VZW activation regardless of how they were obtained. Honestly, this subject has been beat to death on multiple internet sites and boards, and the answer hasn't changed. AT&T recently started requiring smartphone data plans on all their smartphones. Sprint has a data requirement. If I understand correctly, the only national operator who has any kind of option to activate without a data plan is T-mobile, and that involves buying the phone outright... again if I remember correctly.

No t-mboile requires it as well they just give you a discount if you have bought the phone outtright.