Recommend Phone - No Data Plan

[slipperypete]

Howdy - I'm hoping you folks can help me find a phone with no data plan that will sync an Outlook calendar via USB. My wife doesn't want/need a smartphone with an expensive data plan and only wants to be able to carry around her calendar.
I've checked with our carrier (Verizon) and they told me they have nothing.
Does such a thing exist?
Thanks!

 

[vshah]

Howdy - I'm hoping you folks can help me find a phone with no data plan that will sync an Outlook calendar via USB. My wife doesn't want/need a smartphone with an expensive data plan and only wants to be able to carry around her calendar.
I've checked with our carrier (Verizon) and they told me they have nothing.
Does such a thing exist?
Thanks!

if she doesn't mind carrying a second device, you could get a cheap used smartphone and not connect it to your verizon plan at all. just sync over usb or wifi.

also...HOLY LURKER! MINE!

 

[kaerflog]

Forget the question.
12 yrs and 15 posts ??
Holy cow Batman.

 

[slipperypete]

what are you suggesting?

 

[AstroManLuca]

what are you suggesting?

Get a cheap flip phone or something similar without a data plan.

Also get a used smartphone and don't activate it. It'll be a personal media device ONLY, nothing else. Connectivity over WiFi only. No phone calls, which is where the cheap flip phone comes in.

If you want just one device that can do calendar syncing via WiFi and also make cell network calls, then your only option is to go prepaid. Page Plus will let you activate a Verizon smartphone and you don't even have to pay for data if you don't want to. There are several plans - $30/mo for 1200 minutes, 3000 text, 100 MB mobile data. $12/mo for 250 minutes, 250 text, 10 MB data. Or you can pay by the minute (5-10c/min) and not pay for data at all.

Hypothetically, any AT&T or T-Mobile prepaid provider should allow you to use a compatible smartphone and just insert a sim card with whatever plan you want. If you go with a contract plan with those carriers, they can detect that you're on a smartphone and will add a data plan to your service without even asking you. But if you're prepaid, they won't do that.

 

[ImDonly1]

Agree with above, unless you are on a big family plan, prepaid might be better for you.

 

[slipperypete]

Thanks a lot for your help!
I'll look into Page Plus, but I think I'll end up recommending she get a used smartphone for her calendar. She can keep it in her purse.
SP

 

[vshah]

check out www.swappa.com for a safe place to buy used android phones.

also, turn on airplane mode, and the battery will last for ages.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

An iPod Touch or Samsung Galaxy Player would also work if you didn't want to purchase a used phone.

 

[s44]

Activate a used Fascinate on PagePlus

 

[sathyan]

I also carry a Samsung Galaxy Player (Android) but it looks like my dumbphone Samsung T-369 ($60, TMo prepaid) can sync (contacts/calendar/to-do/memo) with desktop Outlook over USB and bluetooth (no wifi). Requires free Windows software "Samsung New PC Studio." Have not tested it as my contacts/calendar are in Google rather than outlook

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/SupportOwnersFAQPopup.do?faq_id=FAQ00029075&fm_seq=29243

 

[pm]

I agree with what everyone says above, but I have a few of my comments.

All decent phones nowadays have a calendar that will sync with Outlook via USB - my wife has a non-smart Nokia that does this. I've seen that Sony Ericsson phones can do this. Pretty much anything made in the last two years that is not a completely braindead phone should have a USB calendar function and I would think that pretty much everything that Verizon sells can do this. If I search on their website right now, the cheapest phone that they have is the LG Cosmos and this can do it (http://makingwindowseasy.com/2010/09/16/how-to-sync-outlook-with-an-lg-phone/ ). I have no idea what the Verizon guys are talking about, I think it would be hard to buy a phone today on any of the major carriers that can't sync an outlook calendar via USB.

What I would recommend is selecting a couple of phones that your wife likes - choose the phone first - and then Googling a bit to make sure that you can sync it to Outlook via USB. But I would think all phones that you would look at at a Verizon store - no matter how cheap - can do this.

Edit: ok, maybe not all. It doesn't look like the cheap Samsungs can do it. But the basic Pantech's, and LG's can.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Also one last thing - no matter what you do, DO NOT GET A MICROSOFT KIN. It is one of the few phones on Verizon that has WiFi and is sort of smartphone-like but doesn't require data. My brother got a Kin One because he wanted some basic features like web browsing and a calendar, all usable over WiFi without a data plan. But it's a really, really horrible phone. Not worth it.

I'd rather just go with a cheap basic flip/slider phone and an iPod Touch/Galaxy Player/unactivated smartphone. It's a little clunkier because you're carrying two devices, but it's also simpler because you aren't limited to a narrow selection of used phones that work only on certain prepaid carriers. If you do get a deactivated smartphone you can just switch on airplane mode and it'll get excellent battery life.

 

[s44]

All decent phones nowadays have a calendar that will sync with Outlook via USB - my wife has a non-smart Nokia that does this.

True, but it's much nicer to examine/manage on a modern touchscreen smartphone. Not to mention using wifi to the cloud vs a hard connection to one PC.

 

[slipperypete]

Thanks again, everyone!
I'll look into the LG and Pantech phones and post my findings.
SP

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

can't you just get a used smartphone and then activate on VZW? Will they make sure you have a data plan?