Can phones like the Qliq, Blackberry or Eris be used on Tmobile without a data plan?

[Toro 45]

I know if you buy them from tmobile or get a new contract you need to buy the data plan. My question is if you buy one off ebay or off Anandtech can you just put your tmobile simm in and go or will tmobile make you get the data plan.

I know these phones are best when used with a data plan but I find many of the new phones they offer without the data plan are kinda lame and would much rather buy an Eris or a Qlick.

 

[DivideBYZero]

You can slam a SIM into any of them, as long as they are not locked to a carrier other than TMO, and just make calls without requiring a data plan.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

DBZ is correct. Unless your carriers are like AT&T that also performs sweeps to make sure you got an iPhone data plan with your iPhone.

 

[pm]

What Divide and DLerium, said, as long as the phone is unlocked and you don't buy a discounted version of them from T-Mobile, then you can use any phone without a data plan on T-Mobile. They don't require a data plan - unless you get a discounted phone from them.

 

[sswingle]

I am not aware of a GSM Eris...

 

[Toro 45]

I'm with t-mobile now, so if the phone was bought from a private party but it was branded tmobile, would that work for me or would that be considered a discounted phone as mentioned above? Most of the ones I've seen don't mention being unlocked.

 

[pm]

If you buy it from a private party you'll be ok. It's just discounted phones direct from T-Mobile.

 

[secretanchitman]

I'm with t-mobile now, so if the phone was bought from a private party but it was branded tmobile, would that work for me or would that be considered a discounted phone as mentioned above? Most of the ones I've seen don't mention being unlocked.

you'll be fine. it'll just "work" on t-mobile only, not on at&t and worldwide. you can get an unlock code from ebay or another place if you wish to use it elsewhere.

 

[zerocool84]

you'll be fine. it'll just "work" on t-mobile only, not on at&t and worldwide. you can get an unlock code from ebay or another place if you wish to use it elsewhere.

A Tmobile branded phone will work on other carriers just like an AT&T phone will work as well, it just probably won't work on the other carrier's 3G.

 

[BigSmooth]

I believe T-Mobile is the only major US carrier that does not force any data plans on you, even on BlackBerries and other smartphones. I'm using a BlackBerry without data, which I am pretty sure is no longer possible with new activations on ATT, Verizon, and (I think) Sprint.

So yeah, as mentioned any T-Mobile branded phone or unlocked ATT or other GSM phone will work without data. Sprint/Verizon/other CDMA phones will not work.