I am in need of replacing my phone and thought I would get my first smartphone. I wanted to stick with Verizon, so I chose the HTC Ozone as it had good reviews, I could get it for free with all my discounts, and it had WiFi. I don’t want to pay for a data plan, don’t need to be constantly connected, and nievely thought that I could just use WiFi when it was available. When I tried to order the phone, there was no option for no data plan. I inquired with Verizon and they responded:
“Blackberries and other PDA and Smart Phones are designed to be always-on data devices. There is no way to completely block the phone from accessing the data network without crippling other features of the phone. If we allowed activation of these devices without an appropriate data feature, customers could be subject to extremely high data charges.”
Personally, I think it is rediculous that the data connection over Verizon’s network cannot be disabled, and that if I am aware certain features will be crippled without a data plan and choose to go that route anyway, it should be my choice to make. I also think it should be possible, at least from a technical standpoint, to have email or whatever set to only work when there is a WiFi connection. I’m not an expert in this area, so I could be wrong, but it seems more like a ploy to sell services than a technical limitation.
Does anyone know if other carriers have these same requirements/limitations with their smartphones? Am I just being an idiot?