$10/month unlimited data

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Ive had a $10/month unlimited data plan for a long time (3-4 years). If I buy a phone without contract from amazon will they catch on and change me to the new data plans ($15/200mb, $25/2gb)? If its very likely i might as well buy it from them at a discounted price.

AFAIK, AT&T knows the IMEI numbers of every smartphone that is designed to run on AT&T.

Originally Posted by cmstlist

AFAIK, AT&T knows the IMEI numbers of every smartphone that is designed to run on AT&T.

I have an ATT Tilt right now

It's very possible that your Tilt predates AT&T's smartphone data plan requirements. Usually when a carrier instates a new requirement it is only enforced after you upgrade or add a new line. Technically, by buying the Atrix outright you aren't "upgrading" your phone (i.e. extending your contract in exchange for a device subsidy). This could (key word) mean that AT&T won't change your data plan, but really only AT&T could answer this question with certainty.

Originally Posted by Room7

I have an ATT Tilt right now

That is not how the only way AT&T is bumping people to the smartphone data plans.

I have empirically verified my hypothesis.

Even if I use a feature phone on 3G and download more than a certain amount of data, AT&T assumes it's a smartphone and bumps up the plan to $25.

On the other hand, I have kept my Nexus One without sync enabled and managed 7-8 days on the $10 unlimited data plan before being bumped up.

I suspect ATT doesn't know what phone your actually using, and won't try to find out if you buy something off contract -- then again since the Atrix is a '4G' phone, its possible the dumbphone data plan might not work for it or trigger a flag in their system. My Dad upgraded his phone once through a Walmart, and it was a year or more before our account showed the new phone model, though that was a feature phone.

If you ask ATT, they definitely will force you to change data plans. If you don't, my guess is that you'll stay in limbo a while longer at the mercy of ATT's sporadic policy enforcement/changes.

As for the data plan requirements, I also have the ATT Tilt (original), and it did require the $30/mo unlimited plan when I purchased it on contract. At the time though, the data plan was only required for a few months until your rebate cleared, and not as part of the contract.

You will eventually get caught

Originally Posted by darkkterror

It's very possible that your Tilt predates AT&T's smartphone data plan requirements. Usually when a carrier instates a new requirement it is only enforced after you upgrade or add a new line. Technically, by buying the Atrix outright you aren't "upgrading" your phone (i.e. extending your contract in exchange for a device subsidy). This could (key word) mean that AT&T won't change your data plan, but really only AT&T could answer this question with certainty.

They will.

I went from using a Motorola Razr to an 8525 back in the day and they immediately started billing me for smartphone data. I bought the phone outright with no contract from a third party. They check IMEI numbers fairly often.

Since switching to ATT after a buy out of the company I was with, I've had the $30/month unlimited data/texting. For the last year plus I have been using my HTC magic I got from rogers. I've used on average about 2.5GB a month, and part of that as a tether for my netbook. I have never gotten any calls or had my bill change.

because you are using a magic from rogers and they will not get you

use the atrix and they will "upgrade" you within 48 hrs

ask me how i know