Expert: DebiN - 8/2/2009

Question
QUESTION: So, I've been trying to get a new  phone recently and I really want a blackberry Curve, when i found out online that they recently made it necessary to purchase the plan with the blackberry I was not happy :( I can't afford to pay an extra $30 a month!



I was wondering if it is possible to get an Unlocked version of the blackberry curve and then use it without the blackberry plan? Would that be possible? Also I don't have a sim card with verizon so i would have to activate it with them.



I researched online a bit and found out that Verizon requires the use of only their phones with their network...is that true?



I don't really like any of the phones verizon has right now so I'm not sure what to do!!



Thank you sooooooo much for your time!!!! I really appreciate it!!

and if you have answered this question allready can you at least show me where i can find it?

ANSWER: With Verizon as your carrier, you can only use their BlackBerrys that they activate for you with a Voice and BlackBerry data plan, period. No way at all around this no matter what you do. If you want a BlackBerry and want to stay with Verizon as your carrier, you will have to buy the device with the voice and $30.00 data plan from them. It's not about SIM cards. That has nothing to do with it at all, I can assure you. The unlocked Curves you are seeing on line are GSM devices and don't work on the Verizon network no matter what you do. If you had service with AT&T or T-Mobile, they would work for voice, but not for data. A Blackberry will not work for data without a BlackBerry data plan regardless of the carrier. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for aswering my question!! I just wanted to check one more thing with you; So the only phones available for use with the verizon network are verizon phones?

Answer
If you had a phone that was "flashed" to Verizon, you could use it, but in all honesty, I strongly recommend against this. The phone would have to be identical to one that Verizon sold anyway, so why not get a Verizon phone? GSM is much different, but with the CDMA carriers, just get a phone from them. You can't program CDMA phones and the carrier has to activate them and will only activate one of their own phones. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN