Carriers

Q: Recently I bought a used iPhone 3G from a friend. A month after I started using it, I realized that AT&T added a data plan to my service. I never use the data features so to get around the requirement, I accessed my customer profile on AT&T's Web site and changed my phone to an old Sony Ericsson W760i. I then called AT&T and asked them to take the data plan off and they reported seeing the W760i in my profile.

About an hour later, though, my profile said I have an iPhone again! Now I suspect that in another month they will tack on the data plan again. Is there a certain jailbreak that will stop AT&T from seeing that I have an iPhone? - Ryan

A: Unfortunately, each time you use your iPhone 3G, AT&T can tell which handset you're using. The company gets this information not from your customer profile, but from your phone itself. Here's how it works.

Each time you make a call, a couple of things are going on. First off, your SIM card identifies you as a subscriber to the carrier. If your account is in order, then you can make the call. Before that can happen, however, the network also accesses your phone's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), which is a number that's unique to every GSM handset (CDMA devices use something similar called an Electronic Serial number, or ESN). The IMEI identifies the phone to your carrier and it checks that the handset is valid to use. If the phone is locked to another carrier or if it's lost or stolen--your carrier can use the IMEI to "blacklist" a device--you won't be able to make calls.

So it's the IMEI, and not your customer profile, that lets AT&T know that you're using an iPhone. You can switch to the W760i for a while, but once you go back to the iPhone AT&T will know. I'm not sure how how much time the carrier waits before tacking on the mandatory data plan, but it will happen eventually. I'm not in favor of mandatory data plans, and I really don't like it when they add new services to your contract without asking, but it happens all the time. Unfortunately, jailbreaking won't help since that process only removes the Apple-imposed restrictions that block you from downloading third-party apps.

You can find your phone's IMEI by looking behind the battery cover, on the box, or by typing *#06# on your keypad. … Read more

As popular as unlimited text messaging and data plans are, there are still cell phone users who want affordable voice-centric plans. That's where PayLo by Virgin Mobile comes in. This lower-tier prepaid arm of Virgin Mobile is introducing a new 1,500-minute plan for $30, which also includes 500 messages and 10MB of Web access. The $30 plan expires in a month. PayLo also offers two other plans: $20 for 400 minutes that expire in a month, and a basic 20-cents-a-minute plan that expires in 90 days. Not providing unlimited text and data allows them company to offer a … Read more

MetroPCS is now selling prepaid calling cards exclusively at Walmart. The By the Minute cards are available in two options: a $20 card comes with 500 voice minutes, or 4 cents per minute, and a $30 will entitle you to 1,000 minutes, or three cents per minute. For both cards, you can use the calling minutes at anytime.

Besides making calls, customers can use the By the Minute cards for messaging and data. The first card offers 50MB of Web access and the second comes with 100MB. Both include unlimited messaging, but picture messages will cost more.

Though it … Read more

Cricket Wireless today continued its dive into smartphone territory by announcing nationwide 3G data roaming for its top-end devices. Customers using the service will be able to make calls and use all data features on their handsets even if they leave Cricket's home network area.

The roaming service will be available through Cricket's EV-DO roaming partners, which include Sprint Nextel and MetroPCS. Like with all wireless service, the carrier's expanded 3G data roaming won't be available in all parts of the country, though Cricket says it will cover 80 percent of the U.S. population, or … Read more

Verizon Wireless will be releasing a new Network Extender femtocell that will finally be able to access 3G/EV-DO data. Like the previous Network Extender, it works by connecting to your home broadband connection. You can then use it to make and receive phone calls and text messages, and now, you can surf the Web with it as well.

According to Verizon Wireless, the 3G Network Extender has a 40-foot range and will work with up to six different Verizon Wireless devices. The unit costs around $249.99 upfront, but there's no monthly access fee to use it.

Updated with correct charges

Boost Mobile has introduced a new plan that rewards customers who make on-time payments. Called the Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage plan, it lets customers reduce the usual $50 monthly charge to as low as $35 just by making payments in a timely manner (unless they're on a BlackBerry plan; see below). The no-contract plan includes unlimited voice, text, Web, e-mail, instant messaging, and 411 calls.

The plan works by reducing the monthly charge by $5 after six on-time payments. So the first month would be $50, the sixth month would be $45, and so forth … Read more

We admit that we expected CTIA Fall 2010 to be rather slow, as the fall version of the wireless trade show is usually not as eventful as the one in the spring. Boy, were we wrong. More than 10 new devices made their debut this past week, pushing the holiday gadget season into full swing.

Motorola kicked off the festivities with the announcement of five new Android smartphones--three for AT&T and two for Verizon Wireless. They are the Motorola Bravo, the Motorola Flipside, the Motorola Flipout, the Motorola Citrus, and the Motorola Droid Pro. The Motorola Droid … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--They're not phones, but AT&T has announced its first HSPA+ and LTE-compatible devices: the USBConnect Adrenaline and USBConnect Shockwave mobile broadband modems.

The Adrenaline, which is made by LG, will be the first LTE-upgradeable device. A software update will be made available for the USB modem when AT&T rolls out LTE in mid-2011, which will allow it take advantage of the faster speeds. Till then, you can use it on AT&T's current 3G network.

It also offers built-in GPS and a MicroSD slot, so you can use it as a storage … Read more

The CTIA fall show used to be known as CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment, but for 2010, it is called CTIA Enterprise & Applications, which shows a deeper emphasis on business and development of mobile applications.

Still, we expect quite a bit of news on the consumer front. Sprint and Samsung are planning announcements, and we won't be surprised if we see more news about tablets, especially with the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook announcement from last week and the impending arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Perhaps more interestingly, Microsoft is skipping the show this year, maybe to concentrate … Read more