Mobile Broadband instead of Phone Service?

[wereheron]

I have a feature phone (Samsung Convoy) through work and can call/text all I want for free. It's all the phone that I need, but I really want a something that I can use to surf the internet, listen to audiobooks/music, take pictures, play with apps, etc. The only thing I've found that allows me to do all that is a smartphone (even the newest ipod touch has a really lousy camera), but I don't want to pay a bunch of money every month for phone service I don't need. So...

I'm considering getting a Droid X without activating it. From what I've read, I'll still be able to get online with wifi. My big question is:

If I get a mobile broadband device and service through Verizon (MiFi 2200 for free with $35 a month service) will that work with the Droid X? Would that allow me to use all the features of the Droid X except the phone?

 

[wereheron]

Is there anybody out there?

Well...I was really hoping to hear from someone who'd actually tried this, but after the total lack of response I went to Verizon and asked there. They told me that it would work just fine. As luck would have it, one of the sales reps had a mifi device on him. He showed me how to set the Droid X to use only wifi and then helped me log in to use his signal. As he wandered around the building, I surfed and was very pleased with the upload speeds.

I really don't understand why this isn't done more often. From what I've read, I'll even be able to make/receive calls and texts using SIPDroid, Google Voice, Fring, etc. So what's the catch? Why do people pay so much more when you can get the same thing for $35 a month?

I'd love to get some responses from people about their personal experiences with this. Anybody?

 

[LtKen]

I really don't understand why this isn't done more often. From what I've read, I'll even be able to make/receive calls and texts using SIPDroid, Google Voice, Fring, etc. So what's the catch? Why do people pay so much more when you can get the same thing for $35 a month?

The reasons for not doing it are all personal, but here's mine -- keep in mind that many of these services you refer to didn't exist 12 months ago or when smartphones became commonplace:

1) I use my phone to make calls -- that's why I have a phone and not a Galaxy Tab or other PDA-like device.

2) I would die with a 5Gb data cap -- I'm somewhere at double that, regular usage

3) I dont want to carry two devices around all the time, especially when one device can do both jobs.

To me, the savings isnt worth the hassle.

 

[vatothe0]

Also, battery life would be a major issue. The mifi only lasts 3 hours. Have fun with that

 

[Buttonball]

But didnt you end up paying full msrp on the phone? I just got a new dx for about one hundred for renewing two year contract

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