No data plan?

[redbrick1138]

I know this is crazy, but I've been considering getting an Android phone and relying upon wifi instead of a data plan. My question is: would an Android phone still be able to send & receive voice calls without me adding a data plan to my existing voice plan?

My carrier, T-Mobile, refuses to give me a straight answer on this. Instead, they just keep telling me I need to buy a smartphone + data plan from them if I want one at all. My notion is to get an unlocked phone and just swap the SIM card out of my existing dumb phone.

 

[matt1994]

Yes. Calls will work without data plan. SMS also. MMS no, but there are other services for sending pictures (E-mail, Viber, Skype). Personally I wouldn't buy a smartphone without the data plan, but I respect your decision. You are also kind or right. Wifi's are very common these days.

 

[JIMV]

My wife and I seldom/never use data when not on a WiFi. T-Mobile tried very hard to sell us an expensive data plan and simply could not understand our insistence on the smallest plan. Verizon was far worse.

I also wish the carriers would quote all the government greed fees when they quote a price.

I wish a carrier offered a program where I buy what I want and not what they have cobbled together.

 

[gtbarry]

I didn't have a data plan until early this year. I too relied on wifi using t-mobile.

Calls and SMS
As mentioned above, not an issue. Will be fine without a mobile data plan

MMS
For MMS to your phone number, I told people to text me to turn on mobile data. Then I would turn on and text back and they sent me an MMS and then I turned off mobile data. Pain, but worked. As mentioned above, you can get MMS from skype, hangouts, etc. over wifi.

 

[damewolf13]

Welcome to AF, Redbrick1138!


You might be able to swap out your SIM card to your new unlocked phone, but for instance, if you are switching out a Sim card from your dumb phone into a newer smartphone, it may not be compatable. I have had to purchase new Sim cards because the previously used Sim was incompatable with my newer phone.

 

[Eugene]

I did it for 3 years with my first smart phone. But I live where I can see my work building so I put up an outdoor directional wifi antenna

Then I wanted to get rid of winmo after fighting with it long enough for Android and the phone cost $500 without a data plan and jumping from the ~$20 a month voice plan to the ~$40 a month voice and data plan was only a difference of $20 per month or $240 a year so I figured I may as well just get the data plan as the cost worked out to $500 either way. I don't remember the exact cost and it may be different now.