Data Plan Required.. The Answer is YES

[danDroid]

Unfortunately one of the larger complaints with the iPhone and AT&T is the required data plan that AT&T forces down your throat. Some were hoping Verizon might take a different approach but it appears they will do the same.

It's been confirmed that the Motorola Droid will arrive next week for $199 after rebate and signing a new 2-year contract. Customers will need a voice plan starting at $39 and a web and email plan (data plan) for $29 per month.

[JohnDroid]

Unfortunately one of the larger complaints with the iPhone and AT&T is the required data plan that AT&T forces down your throat. Some were hoping Verizon might take a different approach but it appears they will do the same.

It's been confirmed that the Motorola Droid will arrive next week for $199 after rebate and signing a new 2-year contract. Customers will need a voice plan starting at $39 and a web and email plan (data plan) for $29 per month.

Of course this again assumes you are buying the phone via the contract and subsidized price. If you buy the phone outright, they can't force you to get the data plan.

[Sam]

they can't force you to get the data plan, but if you intend to use it on the verizon network they can. they do the same thing with BBs.. i downgraded to a dumb phone for a period of time, and as soon as i activated the pearl again my plan defaulted to the BB data plan. they will get you one way or another.

[JohnDroid]

they can't force you to get the data plan, but if you intend to use it on the verizon network they can. they do the same thing with BBs.. i downgraded to a dumb phone for a period of time, and as soon as i activated the pearl again my plan defaulted to the BB data plan. they will get you one way or another.

I honestly don't think they can force you to do this. They may make it seem this way but if you stick to your guns you can activate the phone without data.

[New2u]

Unfortunately they can, and do. If you intend to use the phone on their network i assure you they "REQUIRE" a data plan. It doesn't matter whether you buy the phone outright or not. I got an email from them last oct / nov saying that any new contracts that dealt with dumb-phones and smart-phones would "REQUIRE" without exception a data plan. All of the major networks are doing it. It's not just at&t and verizon. If you want on their network, they say you have to play by my rules, end of story.

[Droid]

Perhaps you should conjoin all the threads together in a big Droid super news thread?

[pastachef]

whats the point of getting a device optimized for internet usage like this if you are not going to get the data plan? are you planning on using it excusively on wifi? im planning on getting data and using google voice to have unimited voice.

[New2u]

Well that was all their thinkings. Was if you were getting a phone that could do all this then you were most likely going to use it.

[RayPaganJr]

The data plan sounds like a lot of money, especially if you are getting two phones. I take it that's 29 bucks for each phone.

[JimMariner]

As BlackBerry Storm 1 user, and other BB's before that one, the Data plan is not all that important as I pay it already to RIM via VZW. So that is not going to deter me from getting a Droid !

You want the best toys, ya gotta pay the price to use them. Such is the techie world !