Hi,
I've got an HTC Hero from Orange UK. I'm very pleased with the phone so far, but soon I'll be going on holiday in the US. When I go, I was planning to unlock the phone and use an alternative provider while in the US for both voice and data. From what I've read, I'll be limited to GPRS for data rather than 3G, since the Hero100 only supports UMTS1700 (listed as 'Future' US) and UMTS2100 (just about everywhere else) for 3G. I would need UMTS1900 to get 3G access in the US, is that right? Presumably this is a hardware issue with the radio itself?
If I am limited to GPRS, no problem - as long as I know there's no way I can get any kind of 3G while I'm over there. Can anyone recommend a good temporary provider who will sell me the US equivalent of a pay-as-you-go SIM for phone and data? And, might all these questions be irrelevant if I'm going to have loads of problems flashing the radio ROM so that the phone will allow me to use another provider?
Thanks in advance,
Rob
I dont think you would have to anything to the phone besides just unlock it. T-mobile and att I believe both have pay as you go plans and prepaid services you should check their us websites to find out more.
There is no pay-as-you-go data in the US on GSM networks except for crazy $$$/kb fees. Major inconvenience.
There are prepaid tarifs where you pay your monthly fee in advance rather than afterwards; They are called Flexpay (t-mo US) and Pay as you go (AT&T) iirc. Then you are kindly allowed to add data packages on top of your plan. But you can't stop paying for a few months when you are outside of the US or the whole thing gets cancelled...
Hi everyone. I just wanted to mention that I am new to unlocked phones and was wondering if I can get some assistance on this issue. I tried reading the topic regarding the data plan below mine, but I didn't quite understand and not sure if it could answer my questions.
I recently received an Unlocked HTC Aria from Amazon for $339, but the box in which the phone was stored looks like an ordinary AT&T box, so I am doubting whether or not my phone is actually unlocked.
The Aria came with all the AT&T applications like AT&T Hotspot, AT&T Navigation, etc., so this puts me into further doubt.
I currently have an AT&T $10/month unlimited data plan for my Samsung Impression (non-smartphone, and did a SIM swap into the Aria. Everything was going smoothly until I decided to check out Google Navigation. I then received two text messages: The first one indicating that AT&T knows I'm using a smartphone and then one saying that AT&T automatically changed my data plan (I'm assuming to the $15/mo 200MB data plan). I went to my AT&T account and changed the HTC Aria back to the Samsung Impression, hoping maybe they will change it back automatically.
So, I have a few questions:
(1) Was the HTC Aria I received from Amazon actually unlocked?
(2) How can I avoid being detected my AT&T if I swap my SIM card again back into the Aria? Am I able to just use Wi-Fi and limit the amount of data I use?
(3) Should AT&T recognize my IMEI even if my phone is unlocked or will they know regardless because HTC Aria is supported by them?
(4) Even though I switched the phones back in the AT&T online account, will I still have to call them up?
I apologize for all these questions, but if anyone can please assist me, it'll be greatly appreciated.
I think you need to go back in and take a closer look at your account online and see what they actually did to your features, you may have just been screwed. When they transfered you over to the $15 200MB play i think you lost your $10 unlimited plan and may never get it back.
They still know you have your Aria on the account, you have to put your chip back in the old phone, wait about a few hours then check it online to see if it picked it up correctly, then call them and have them remove the data plan and put back your old plan "which they may not be able to do". After that switch back your sim to your Aria. If you get another text alert call them up and tell them you do not have a smartphone on the account and give them your Samsung Impression IMEI number.
Your Aria may not be unlocked just full price off contact, to see if its unlocked put a Tmobile or another non ATT sim in it and see if it picks up a signal.
I had a similar experience with the scanning process removing a feature and putting on the data plan here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7146488#post7146488
That's exactly what I did. As soon as I got the 2 text messages, I removed the SIM from the Aria and put it back the Samsung Impression. I actually changed the phone manually on my AT&T online account as AT&T did know that I was using the Aria. However, I do not have the option to change my data plan back to $10/mo unlimited as only the $15/mo 200MB data plan option is available. So, I will be calling AT&T in the morning to have it switched back.
I read your other post, but I do not think I have the Medianet bundle. I'm running on a Family plan with Unlimited Family Messaging and Unlimited Family Data ($10/mo for each non-smartphone). I checked the other phones on the plan and nothing has changed in terms of messaging/data plan. Only my phone was affected by the smartphone data plan.
Is there a way to get around this or is it just luck? I don't mind paying $15/mo for 200MB, but if I can avoid it, then why not?! Is it possible to completely disable 3G when Wi-Fi is in use? I heard some Aria owners who said that their 3G was actually still in use even though Wi-Fi was connected. From what I saw on my Aria, there was a check mark under 3G instead of the 2 illuminated arrows when Wi-Fi was connected. How about yours?
My Aria constantly have the chcek under the 3G icon when wifi is on, the only time the 2 arrows show up is when i send or receive a MMS. To disable 3G data there is a mobile data option when you hold down the power button after the unlock screen. There is also an option inside menu - settings - wireless & network - uncheck mobile internet to disable 3G data and use wifi only.
The check just means you are connected to the network it has nothing to do with wifi and data transmission on 3g has up/down arrows.
There's no sure fire way to avoid the at&t data nazis especially since they've already caught you once.there's another topic about aria with no data with more info.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
So I contacted HTC and gave them my S/N. They told me the HTC Aria "unlocked" I purchased at retail price was still locked. Now, I'm trying to figure out whether or not there are even unlocked HTC Aria's out there!
call the place you bought it from they will usually send a replacement next day free of charge samething happened to me with my phone not the aria though
Unlimited MOBILE WEB is an entirely different thing from a DATA plan. A mobile web restricts 3g usage to specific applications on the Impression while a data plan allows any app downloaded to use AT&T's network.
Your phone doesn't sound like it was unlocked but even if it was, AT&T can immediately tell which phone is connected to the network via your SIM. There's no real practical way to get out of paying 15 dollars a month. You could try turning off 3g on the Aria, which you can do allowing you to still send/receive calls and texts, but limits you to wifi for any apps that require the internet. Even if you turn it off though i have a feeling AT&T will still charge you 15 for the data plan just because it is a smart phone.
To be quite honest what is 5 more dollars anyway? That's my opinion...
Well, the Aria is branded under AT&T, so there is no such unlocked Aria right now. The HTC representative told me the only way to obtain an unlocked Aria is to actually have someone physically unlock it via unlock code.
As far as I can tell, the phone purchased through Amazon is not unlocked. It actually never was listed as Unlocked, so it was a mistake on my part.
I don't know if I will be able to return the phone though. I guess I can always tell them that there is something wrong with it and then they might allow a refund.
Oh, I don't mind paying the extra $5/mo. It's just that 200MB of data is not enough for me and of course unlimited beats it. However, if I do decide to keep the Aria, then I won't have a choice but to pay the $15.
Even if you get an unlocked Aria you will be saddled with the data plan for smartphones since it is an At&t branded phone the imei is in their database and eventually it will either scan it or if you use data services not covered by your existing plan it will switch you.
I was able to bypass the smartphone data plan and pay the $30 for unlimited data and messaging for non-smartphones but it was because I was using an unlocked T-Mobile G1 over EDGE.
Anyone have experience with the HTC Desire and AT&T non-smartphone data plan?
To add up to the conversation, one thing you need to understand, the ATT $10 non-smartphoine dataplan is not grandfather and so you can still added up to a non-smartphone at anytime,the unlimited for $30 for smartphone is no longer availabel and so you will need to chose from the $15 for 200mbs or the on2 for $20 for 2gbs... in regards to the a smartphone been unlocked or not, it makes no difference to ATT or any other service provider, a smartphone is a smarphone and yes they detect this via the IMEI which is syncronyze in the databse thru the SIM card as soon as you device registers on their network...you can change the device you have registered at any time it makes no difference...why because you will still be using a smartphone...it is inevitable my friend! the only way I see it happening is changing the IMEI of your device or not using a smartphone at all...sad but true!
why would you buy an unlocked at&t phone to use on at&ts network?
if you put your sim card in any at&t phone, they will detect your IMEI number, find out if its a smart phone or not, and charge you accordingly. they will be more than happy to charge you MORE for using a smartphone, but they certainly will not charge you LESS because you switched back. if you don't plan on using the aria, just put your sim in your old phone, call at&t and get the data plan switched back to the not-smart-phone plan.
if you want a smartphone on at&t, but do not want to pay for the at&t data plan, your only real option is to get a t-mobile branded phone, such as the g1 or mytouch, and unlock it.
Hi. I just got my vibrant yesterday and I got a couple question for it before I will root and unlock it. After I unlock it and put in my att sim card will I get charge or be force onto a data plan or can I used it normally without a data plan? B. Should I block incoming data and then use it. Finally C. What is this $10 dollar data plan that I read about on other thread. thank you for your answer.
I'd really like to know the answer to this as well. I've been alternating between an N1 and Vibrant on AT&T using my grandfathered 5GB dataplan. Can they recognize the IMEI?
I use the Samsung Vibrant on AT&T with a grandfathered iPhone unlimited data plan. AT&T hasn't noticed.
However, AT&T will automatically add a data plan to an iPhone if you try to use it on their network without a data plan.
so i guess ill update and try to answer your question incon. I just jump and root,unlock,and put axura 2.2.6 (very nice btw) and im using the phone well so far w/o any sms about data plan. I turn off data roaming and just used wifi since im on school t1 internet anyway. As far as them recognizing the IMEI, I'm still unclear but i've been checking my att account often and it still said that im running on w580i SE. Hope it helps any1 that looking to used this great phone on att unlocked. BTW I freaking love my vibrant. It ridiculously awesome!!!!.
I am curious as to which prepaid GSM carriers will work with this phone? I wonder this because I am hoping to use this phone as a start for developing and use my other android phone as my usual phone. So I am looking for an unlimited prepaid GSM carrier. Anyone have any information on it? I will greatly appreciate it.
What do you mean by unlimited? I use my sgii on a gophone account, there is unlimited talk/text/data for $50 but the data package is not compatible with smart phones. You would have to add one of their data plans if wanted to use data. I was looking at possibly H2o, they have a $60 unlimited talk/text/data, from what i'm told the data does seem work with an iphone, i have not tested with my sgii yet. Those are the two I'm aware of, use Google, there's a bunch more pre-paid gsm carrier out there.
The only confirmed working carrier I know of is Straight Talk, and:
1) You MUST get your SIM out of one of their $200 Nokias
2) You must NOT allow that Nokia to be activated with a different SIM - it'll deactivate yours
I can't tell you much more, as the above are things I recall from word-of-mouth that I haven't done myself. The SIMs in lower-end ST phones and all Tracfones are actually device-locked. (Kind of like a SIMlock in a device, but the other way around - and unlike SIMlocks, there's no way around a device-locked SIM.)
H2O wireless.. My friend has it and it works fine... Runs on att's network and their sim will work in any att phone with no unlock needed
I appreciate all the information you all gave me. now to determine if I should stick to my Go Phone plan or not.
I live in the USA and will be spending 6 days in Edmonton in August. My Verizon plan doesn't include any international roaming/data benefits, and I don't want to call Verizon and risk them forcing me to "upgrade" my ancient plan to a current plan (i.e. more expensive, less benefits) in order to get roaming. I only need it for a week anyway!
The other thing I was thinking was just to turn my Rezound radio off and buy a pre-paid phone from a local Wal-Mart once I arrive, and only use my Rez on Wi-Fi. Someone suggested I buy a pre-paid SIM with a small data allowance and pop it in my Rezound. Will that work without a Global ROM?
I've never needed to deal with this situation before, what should I do? I want to avoid modifying my plan if at all possible. I think buying a temporary pre-paid phone is the best option...
Thanks!
md303 said:
I live in the USA and will be spending 6 days in Edmonton in August. My Verizon plan doesn't include any international roaming/data benefits, and I don't want to call Verizon and risk them forcing me to "upgrade" my ancient plan to a current plan (i.e. more expensive, less benefits) in order to get roaming. I only need it for a week anyway!
The other thing I was thinking was just to turn my Rezound radio off and buy a pre-paid phone from a local Wal-Mart once I arrive, and only use my Rez on Wi-Fi. Someone suggested I buy a pre-paid SIM with a small data allowance and pop it in my Rezound. Will that work without a Global ROM?
I've never needed to deal with this situation before, what should I do? I want to avoid modifying my plan if at all possible. I think buying a temporary pre-paid phone is the best option...
Thanks!
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yes but you can buy just the sim card for alot cheaper than buying a phone with sim in it...i only ever really used the rezound here in the USA with a gsm network with no issues...
REV3NT3CH said:
yes but you can buy just the sim card for alot cheaper than buying a phone with sim in it...i only ever really used the rezound here in the USA with a gsm network with no issues...
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Ok, so I guess the main question then: I'm running CM10.1, does that ROM work in Canada or do I need a "Global" patch of some kind?
Actually it's a moot point - the company I'm working with up there will provide me with an iPhone for the week! :good:
I recently visited Canada with my Rezound (CM11) and regular US plan. The following are some potentially useful notes:
Verizon users can use SMS (to US numbers) while in Canada at no additional charge. Soon after crossing the border, Verizon automatically sent me a SMS confirming this.
Before crossing, I turned off mobile data and kept it off until I got back.
MMS messages use data, so there would be an additional charge. Disabling data also blocks notifications that a MMS message is available.
I forgot if I had to select a different network setting (CDMA, GSM, etc). However, I had no signal issues once I had the right setting.
I use Google Voice. When I had access to WiFi, I could check voicemail and from my laptop I could place calls (to US or Canada numbers) for free.