If I purchase an unlocked phone (lets say Motorola Atrix) from Amazon and don't purchase a SIM from any provider, will the phone work over wi-fi?
In other words, if I am traveling overseas, and use the free wi-fi at a hotel etc., can I get emails and make phone calls over wi-fi and skype or do I need a SIM for the phone to work?
Thanks
yes. wifi works regardless of the SIM card. That is how I used my atrix (with an old SIM that didn't have service) until I got it unlocked
You can use GrooveIP to make phone calls over wifi via Google Voice (no sim). I can confirm it works on the Atrix.
Related
[Q] How do I use my Vibrant for gps and wifi while avoiding roaming related charges when in Canada or another country?
[A] this is the question I asked support at t-mobile. I got 2 answers, neither were completely correct. The problem is that you cannot block IMs and phone calls from reaching your mobile unless you go into airplane mode. (Note that you will receive charges for IMs and for calls you do not pick up as long as they register on your phone. This is what I was told by one rep. Other reo said that I should not be able to receive these since my account was not set up for international services, but as msgs and calls came in, I got worried.)
The short of it is this: for $20, I bought CoPilot off the android market and downloaded the North America maps. This app does not require data connection, and it works remarkably well. I then put the phone into air plane mode. After doing this, I enabled gps and wifi. This allowed me block all direct calls and IMs while retaining the ability the ability to use the phone for gps and for browsing when there was an available wifi network. (having a google voice account actual enabled me to send IMs when connected to a wifi network.)
It all worked so well, I am further considering dropping my data plan altogether since the places I typically use the internet are places with wifi (though perhaps I will wait until the 2.2 update is pushed.)
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
pyrusman said:
[Q] How do I use my Vibrant for gps and wifi while avoiding roaming related charges when in Canada or another country?
[A] this is the question I asked support at t-mobile. I got 2 answers, neither were completely correct. The problem is that you cannot block IMs and phone calls from reaching your mobile unless you go into airplane mode. (Note that you will receive charges for IMs and for calls you do not pick up as long as they register on your phone. This is what I was told by one rep. Other reo said that I should not be able to receive these since my account was not set up for international services, but as msgs and calls came in, I got worried.)
The short of it is this: for $20, I bought CoPilot off the android market and downloaded the North America maps. This app does not require data connection, and it works remarkably well. I then put the phone into air plane mode. After doing this, I enabled gps and wifi. This allowed me block all direct calls and IMs while retaining the ability the ability to use the phone for gps and for browsing when there was an available wifi network. (having a google voice account actual enabled me to send IMs when connected to a wifi network.)
It all worked so well, I am further considering dropping my data plan altogether since the places I typically use the internet are places with wifi (though perhaps I will wait until the 2.2 update is pushed.)
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
In terms of GPS, you are correct, you would have to purchase a third party GPS app for that (since google maps doesn't cache. Well it does, but if you find yourself lost after choosing a route and don't have wifi available then you are forced to turn on data so it can redownload your route, since it only caches your route and nearby streets.) To block incoming phone calls you just set up unconditional call forwarding (**21*18056377243# send) which will forward all of your calls to VoiceMail. The 1805 number can be replaced with your VM provider of choice (ie Google voice.) To undo, just dial ##21# and send. After that just disable data roaming and you are good.
In terms of stopping IM/SMS/MMS, just have care add message blocking (or better yet, go to your tmobile account and add it from there) its a free service that blocks all incoming or outgoing sms/mms/email as sms/IM. Sometimes the reps will just add the sms/mms block so you might want to add it yourself from the site.
Also if you purchased the vibrant on a contract then you can't remove your data.
pyrusman said:
[Q] How do I use my Vibrant for gps and wifi while avoiding roaming related charges when in Canada or another country?
[A] this is the question I asked support at t-mobile. I got 2 answers, neither were completely correct. The problem is that you cannot block IMs and phone calls from reaching your mobile unless you go into airplane mode. (Note that you will receive charges for IMs and for calls you do not pick up as long as they register on your phone. This is what I was told by one rep. Other reo said that I should not be able to receive these since my account was not set up for international services, but as msgs and calls came in, I got worried.)
The short of it is this: for $20, I bought CoPilot off the android market and downloaded the North America maps. This app does not require data connection, and it works remarkably well. I then put the phone into air plane mode. After doing this, I enabled gps and wifi. This allowed me block all direct calls and IMs while retaining the ability the ability to use the phone for gps and for browsing when there was an available wifi network. (having a google voice account actual enabled me to send IMs when connected to a wifi network.)
It all worked so well, I am further considering dropping my data plan altogether since the places I typically use the internet are places with wifi (though perhaps I will wait until the 2.2 update is pushed.)
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or if you want to keep the FULL functionality of your phone while traveling internationally you could buy a prepaid SIM for a carrier in the country you're visiting.
Col.Kernel said:
Or if you want to keep the FULL functionality of your phone while traveling internationally you could buy a prepaid SIM for a carrier in the country you're visiting.
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Click to collapse
this ^^
If you did not want to get a SIM, you could just take your t-mo sim out. This way you could still use wifi, then use Google voice for texts and VM.
Guys I'm totally new to smartphones so I need an advise. I would like to buy myself Moto Atrix but I don't want to buy a data plan for it. I plan on using Rogers pay-as-you-go voice sim card and use wifi for data. Is that even possible on the smartphone? Also I plan on using this phone in europe so question is would a pre paid voice sim work on this phone in europe? Oh and one more question if the voice sim with wifi for data would work would I be able to use all the internet apps on the phone or some would not work over wifi?
Thanks for your time
It is possible and a great way to save money. As long as rogers supports quad band GSM and not CMDA (like verizon), then you can use the voice and texting features of this phone all you wish.
Some things to note:
The phone must be unlocked and have some kind of wifi connection established to set up a motoblur account, (buy a used one not a new one).
Google Maps and navigation will not work unless you can find some kind of cacheing program.
Voice actions will not work, they require the google servers to process your voice.
Rogers may decide to change your service manually if they are like At&t. Check out other GSM networks if they try to do this to you.
Thanks for a quick reply. Now why should I buy a used phone? I think right now new/used prices are close. Also would google maps work in a wifi hotspot? I know that I can't use it unless I'm in the wifi hotspot. The same thing with voice commands souldn't they work as long as I'm in the wifi hotspot? I plan on using CoPilot software on the phone so I guess I wouldn't need any data connection for that right?
Thanks
If you are in a wifi hotspot, your phone will work identically to a phone with a data plan. You must buy it used because to activate moto blur initially, you must have a data connetion (data plan) to sign in, or else it wont let you continue (You cannot enable wifi yet).
Oh I didn't know about motoblur account. Is there a way around that by rooting the phone? What about using my firends sim with data to do that?
I think the process fails and then it'll ask you if you want to connect via wifi..no need for a data connection..
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
veshio said:
You must buy it used because to activate moto blur initially, you must have a data connetion (data plan) to sign in, or else it wont let you continue (You cannot enable wifi yet).
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Click to collapse
No it's not true. I signed up a motoblur account over the WiFi. I bought mine at costco.com as an upgrade to my original ATT HTC Fuze and I do not have a data plan.
Sean
you can make a blur account on the internet from a real computer
Just add data and quit being cheap. They make basic phones for people who don't see the value in paying for internet.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I have an Atrix 4G that I purchased in the US. Voice and Data worked fine in the US. Now I live in Macedonia, and voice works fine, but I can't get Internet to work. When I put my Macedonian sim card into my old HTC G1, it works fine. I've been to 5 mobile reps to confirm that my APN settings are right.
Any ideas out there what might be going wrong?
Is it possible that my unlock code worked for voice but not internet data?
Perhaps a radio flash might help.
I want to use my first sim for 3g texting and calls and 4g texting and calls (something a few operators in the uk are doing now).
I want to use my second sim for 3g data and 4g data for google maps, browsing and whatsapp (4g coverage isnt amazing in the uk)
I still want to use the first sim for 3g and 4g data but only when I can't get signal with the second sim, but I want it to signify it's doing so or to ask for permission.
I still want to receive calls and texts on the second sim using either the 3g or 4g network, depending on what is in range. I still want to make calls and send texts from the second sim, but only to contacts who are saved under that particular sim, and not very often.
If someone is saved under the contact of sim 1 or 2, I don't want it to message or calls them from the other sim without consent.
When i'm browsing I still want to be able to receive calls and texts on either sim, interrupting the browsing if necessary.
Is this something I'll be able to do easily without having to constantly switch the settings of the sim cards or the settings of the phone?
The thing if I've ordered one but I haven't opened it yet. I was hoping to make sure that it works the way I was hoping it works before opening it, or if I should just return it.
Have anyone tried to activate razr verizon devices on other network? Both USA carriers and 3rd party (EU, Latin, etc) Never found this information in the internet
The only other carrier I have tried is Google Fi. And it worked perfectly fine. No issues. After I pay off the device, I will be switching from Verizon to Google Fi.
My unlocked xt2000-1 works on FI, although call are very unready, the phone desmt ring, nor I am able to place calls reliability. Data and txt msgs work great. I have tried to activate it on tmob, but have had no success, for some reason, tmob cant activate it.