Would you get a Data plan even if getting a smartphone on contract didn't require one

[kyrax12]

Just out of curiosity.

I am pretty neutral about having a data plan since it was require for my smartphone.

Now it has proven itself to be really useful considering I use G.voice and what not.

 

[corkyg]

Without a data plan, I would have no use for a Smartphone.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

It's hard to go back once having it. Directions on the fly, price check competitor stores while in store, check email, etc.. It's almost as important as the phone (calls) itself.

 

[BrightCandle]

I don't have a contract with my phone and I still get a data plan, its the only reason to have a phone at all! There isn't a lot of point having a phone that doesn't have a connection.

 

[jaydee]

I don't have a smartphone currently, but I would get one, if a data plan was not required.

 

[MrChad]

Without a data plan, I'd rather have a "dumb" phone with much better battery life.

 

[Red Storm]

I would need a data plan with my smartphone. If I didn't have a data plan I would not get a smartphone.

 

[Capt Caveman]

What a dumb question. What's the purpose of a smart phone without a data plan? With ST, I'm paying $42/month for everything.

 

[spaceman]

prolly not
iuse my phone as phone primary
99.9%of my life is near or at wifi
i could live w.saving 25 a month on somehting iseldom use

 

[openwheel]

It's a nice to have. Not a must have.

Those Nokia dumb phone days were so much simpler. Honestly smart phone imo I can live without, as long as I can have access to a laptop at least once a day and a dumb phone for calls.

 

[Belegost]

This should be a poll really.

Yes, without any options for WWAN the smartphone is really lacking. That said I would prefer reasonable metered billing to the bucket o' bytes method we're stuck with.

 

[Eug]

I lasted 1 month on my iPhone 4 without a data plan. WiFi support just wasn't ubiquitous enough. I've been on a data plan ever since, ranging from about 1 GB to 6 GB per month. I'm on a 2 GB plan now, which is sufficient for my current needs.

My wife is on a 450 MB plan. She didn't have a data plan with her dumb-phones for the longest time, but now that she is on a smartphone she sees the need. Her data needs are not heavy, but there is still a need. I don't think she'd be able to function well with less than 250 MB per month.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I'm on the opposite position. I want the data plan, I don't want the minutes.

 

[paperwastage]

I had a smartphone in college with a data block on AT&T

works because i'm on campus 80% of the time with free secured WiFi.

now, at work, probably won't work out

 

[Wonderful Pork]

I would keep my data plan, but I would (finally) get my mother a smartphone without a data plan - WiFi is good enough for her uses, and her POS feature phone is crap at this point.

 

[dainthomas]

Without a data plan, I'd rather have a "dumb" phone with much better battery life.

this

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I had a smartphone in college with a data block on AT&T

works because i'm on campus 80% of the time with free secured WiFi.

now, at work, probably won't work out

Yeah but having to connect to wifi, hunt for wifi, login, etc. That was annoying. Data plan is so much easier. I wouldn't even bother with wifi if my battery was decent. The Nexus 4 was honestly the first phone where I have felt the need to keep toggling on wifi at home because 3G seems to drain like hell.

 

[Zodiark1593]

No data plan on my phone. Got wifi at work and at home. I am not willing to pay extra for a heavily tiered internet plan.

 

[openwheel]

yeah the cost of tiered data is outrageous these days.

I am curious though, what type of data is a "necessity" for personal use? I see people claiming they must have data, but for what?

 

[KeithTalent]

Without a data plan, I would have no use for a Smartphone.

100% this.

KT

 

[zokudu]

If I could get a dumbphone with a good email client and wifi I would have done that, so probably get something like the Lumia 520 with just minutes and text, wifi for email if I could bring it onto a carrier without requiring a data plan.

 

[trmiv]

I wouldn't own a smartphone if it didn't have a data plan.

 

[ControlD]

I would probably still get the data plan for times like vacations when I know I will be in no WiFi areas. I would have to think about it though. Last month my wife and I combined to use 183MB of data so I think I could do without the plan 99% of the time.

 

[JimKiler]

I wanted to get rid of the data plan on my wife smartphone once the contract was up, but others on here said the big phone companies will charge you for data if you have a smartphone on their network. But yes I could get by with wifi only and yes there would be times i would want the instant access, but by and far that would not be the case most days.

 

[openwheel]

So what is it that people must have that requires data (and WiFi is no where to be found)? What would be a scenario?