[platin465]

Wow, this was a long and drawn-out thread for this discussion to be brought up:

With Verizon (and possibly ATT & TMobile), no choice with windows phones & other truly advanced phones that can take special apps, must pay extra for data. To get around this, must go to another carrier.

No, some people can't just take a regular phone, or an EnV or whatever, because they WILL NOT do all that a phone like the Touch Pro or Touch Pro2 will do WITHOUT the data plan.

Does it suck? Yes, it does. Should it be different? Yes, it should. We should be able to pay what they want us to pay for a phone based on what plan we want. Perhaps they could subsidize more if we choose data plan, but not make us not be able to use the phone they sell on their voice network only.

It would benefit them to keep clients more than forcing the extra fees for something people don't want. I, and I'm sure many others, don't have an iPhone because we will not pay what ATT wants for the monthly service. I do have an iPod Touch though, and only use internet when at work or at home. ATT just lost money on me. I would rather only carry one device, so, if I could have had the iPhone without the data package, I would have done so.

This is extortion if you've paid for the phone full price, or done your part in the two-year contract fulfillment of that phone. It does benefit the company, but I do not believe that losing customers benefits them and cuts down on the benefits of forcing people to have these plans with these phones. (I think I said that already, oh well)

This is the reality of the matter. The OP is right to a degree and the people opposing this thread are right to a degree. I had to throw my two-cents in, but I do hope everyone moves on (not necessarily because of my post, you know).