Is is possible to just use my bb as just a phone. Say I wanted to save money for a while could I just turn the bb data plan off?

You can absolutely turn the data plan off. It will just say Data Connection Refused at the top right of the screen. It'll just be a little bland of a device.

Yeah I know it's not definite yet. Don't get me wrong I love being able to check my email accounts and send email from it. But cutting the data plan will save me 50. I don't really want to buy another phone right now.

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Then go for it. I never the phones were great stand alone. If you have a SIM card might be better finding another device.

Im in the same situation you are. I used to have data service but now I just switched to just phone. The reason I did it was to save money now that im in college!

yeah the bb sucks as just a phone i hate it for phone purposes well the 7290 at least.

BB has been a much better phone than any Motorolas I have owned.

BB maybe second to only Nokias.

i like my BB 8700g as a phone.. and I don't kno if i can live without a data plan on it.

I used BB from Cingular, Nextel, and Verizon as phones only over the years, and never had a problem. Still the way to go if you need just a phone and a PDA, it is still only one devise.

My 8700c is fine as a phone. I can't imagine using it as just a phone but there's no reason that you couldn't.

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Using a blackberry as just a phone is like using a butter knife as a screwdriver. It'll get the job done, but it's not the right tool for the job.

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Using a blackberry as just a phone is like using a butter knife as a screwdriver. It'll get the job done, but it's not the right tool for the job.

I have a few people in the office who use BlackBerries without a data plan. They rave about easy to text and that they like the pda functions. 2 out of the 3 had Treos before and said they now use BlackBerry because everyone in the office has one but I always tease them that the real they switched over because BlackBerries don't reset themselves or freeze often. BlackBerry is much more stable. I tried a Treo 650 once and I am still ashamed of it :(

LOL

BB devices generally work great as a PDA phones. Excellent contact management and call logging features. Couple with PocketDay and enjoy.

@ pierre. Haha nice comparison. That is exactly what it is like. I have used a 7290 as just a phone and trust me that was not the right choice of to use as JUST a phone

Using the bb as just a phone depends on your carrier.
For example Nextel won't allow you to drop your data plan.
The work around is to put your Nextel bb on Boost.
Verizon has told me that I could drop my data plan, but I've never tried it.
I don't know about Cingular or Tmobile.
Which carrier do you use?

Also certain bb's work better as phones then other bbs'.
The 7130/8700 makes an excellent phone due to it's "send & end" buttons, where as in my experience the older style full keyboard types like 7250, don't work very good due to the escape button inadvertently causing hang-ups and the location of the earpiece sometimes makes it hard to hear the caller unless I position the phone precisely over my ear.
Which model of bb do you have?

I'm going to use mine for phone, sms, contacts, and calendar functions.

I don't need the data plan right now, nor can I afford the $500/year.

Man, I know the feeling!