Want a 5" tablet... use tablet sim in smartphone?

[raehl311]

I currently have a bunch of USB modems on Verizon on a data-only plan, which has lower rates for data than plans that include smartphones.

I would like to add a tablet to the plan. The thing is, I don't want to haul around a 7"+ tablet - I'd like a tablet that's only 5".

Of course, once you get to the 5" screen size, everything is a phone.

Is it possible to get a smartphone (I'd pay full retail for one) to act like a tablet instead of a phone for billing purposes?

I.e. I pay $10 or $20 a month, share data with the rest of my devices, and have no voice/text support?

I was thinking I could activate a sim on a tablet then toss it in a smartphone and just use the smartphone as a tablet (I don't care if WiFi hotspot doesn't work), but Verizon sales people keep telling me it won't work, and I haven't seen anyone who has said they've done this before.

Would like to know if it'll work before I shell out for a Verizon smart phone.

 

[AntimonyER]

This won't work on Verizon. Their network IDs whatever device the sim card is placed in, and so it will automatically bump your access fee from 10 to 40 per month. Now you can buy a phone and leave it unactivated, and just use one of your data modems to connect through that with Wi-fi on the device.

 

[raehl311]

This won't work on Verizon. Their network IDs whatever device the sim card is placed in, and so it will automatically bump your access fee from 10 to 40 per month. Now you can buy a phone and leave it unactivated, and just use one of your data modems to connect through that with Wi-fi on the device.

I actually would be fine with the $40/month - *IF* I only had to pay the extra $30/month. But the second I put something capable of voice on the plan, the price for ALL of the data goes up, which is a definite pisser.

The WiFi option won't work - one of the key features I'm after is cellular connectivity.

 

[AntimonyER]

Ah, yeah forgot about the data pricing difference... Yeah don't think there is anything that can be done there... 7" tablet is the best you can do I'm afraid.

 

[Steven58]

Hi guys,

If you get a spammer, just report it, don't react, okay? You guys don't have the tools to deal with it, we do.

Steven

 

[chrsdlmn]

This won't work on Verizon. Their network IDs whatever device the sim card is placed in, and so it will automatically bump your access fee from 10 to 40 per month. Now you can buy a phone and leave it unactivated, and just use one of your data modems to connect through that with Wi-fi on the device.

This is incorrect. You can do it and it will keep whatever plan you activated when you registered the device. For example if you buy an iPad and activate a SIM card then sell the iPad and take the SIM card and put it in a Galaxy Nexus the Galaxy Nexus will work with the Data Only plan. If you log into MyVerizon it will still show the iPad as you current device even though the SIM card is in the Galaxy Nexus. The iPad is essentially linked to the SIM card and that iPad will now be "wi-fi only" due to it being linked.
The pricing does not change and will be at the pricing in which device you linked the SIM card to. I have done this many times since January and am billed the same as the iPad data rates.

 

[chrsdlmn]

This is incorrect. You can do it and it will keep whatever plan you activated when you registered the device. For example if you buy an iPad and activate a SIM card then sell the iPad and take the SIM card and put it in a Galaxy Nexus the Galaxy Nexus will work with the Data Only plan. If you log into MyVerizon it will still show the iPad as you current device even though the SIM card is in the Galaxy Nexus. The iPad is essentially linked to the SIM card and that iPad will now be "wi-fi only" due to it being linked.
The pricing does not change and will be at the pricing in which device you linked the SIM card to. I have done this many times since January and am billed the same as the iPad data rates.

see:Verizon Swapping Verizon 4G LTE SIM from smartphone to MiFi/Datacard for lots of examples of people doing it.

Use the SIM from a Verizon iPad for a data-only plan on your smartphone | How To - CNET