Concerned parent

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calilove3456

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My 15 year old son just purchased a 7100t blackberry. We use Tmobile as a carrier and all he really does with his present phone is text message. He purchased this phone thinking that it was a fancy texting machine. We have unlimited texting but I wonder if the texting will be free from this PDA. Any help appriciated. Thanks
 
bakerwd, Welcome to rabroad.

With the Blackberry, Texting, as Long as it is just Texting is handled just like any other Phone. You will not have any extra charges, as long as he just uses texting.

If you activate the Data Services by signing up for the Blackberry Data Plan, he can also use the Data Services that the Blackberry is designed to use. This will allow him to send and receive email and to access the Internet from his BB. The TMO unlimited Blackberry data plan is not extremely expensive, but without it all he can do is texting.

Hope this helps
Rcbjr.
 
~via BB (wap.rabroad.com)~ welcome to rabroad bakerwd! I agree with exactly what rcbjr has said above. Please feel free to msg me if I can be of further assistance. I also have Tmo as well.
 
I also am with Tmo. And let me say, the data package may actually be a benefit. He would then be able to use google and other such services to help with school work. He could jump online and look up research material.

So it may be something you may want to look into. I have the unlimited data plan with tmo and only pay I believe 29.00 a month.

Another benefit is he would be able to tether his Blackberry to his laptop as a modem. There is no extra charge from Tmo for this with the inlimited data plan.

Just throwing a couple more things out for you to think about. And Welcome.
 
Welcome! I have Tmo and my plan is 19.99. Don't let them talk you into higher cost plans. I would have had a bb long ago if the reps hadn't kept trying to talk me into the 59.99 plan. I finally got a rep who was good at what they do.
~via BB (wap.rabroad.com)~
 
true true digitalslack, i used to have tmo and got taken to the cleaners for my 4k+ test that the rep said were supposed to be free with the data plan and werent
 
Hi and Welcome, I have tmo as well, I text and email more than i use the phone now, its just so easy to send a message/email really quick, lol also dont get stuck chatting on the phone when you just wanted to say one thing
 
Thanks everyone! I returned the phone to my son after reading your post and asked him to show me how the will be texting. He went to the IM section of the phone and clicked on yahoo messanger....Woa... son. Is there a way for him to text just like he did with his old phones? He can reply to text that his friends send but I don't and ,niether does he, see texting application in the message area. I see compose email, PIN' and SMS. Thanks again
 
Be careful with the pre-installed OZ client which includes AOL, Yahoo, MSN and ICQ messengers. Those are considered text messaging. If he wants to use those, I would suggest getting the unlimited messaging bundle for $14.99.

An alternative to that is to go http://www.blackberry.com/products/blackberry/im/index.shtml and have him download and install Google Talk and Yahoo messengers (these require free account sign up)

and BlackBerry Messenger found here http://blackberryforums.rabroad.com/downloads.html?catid=3&linkid=24

BlackBerry Messenger is a messenger that uses the PIN number of the BlackBerry to send and receive messages to and from other BlackBerry devices only.

These messengers use data so he can chat with friends who use these and not worry about outrageous texting charges. I speak from experience about that. I had the 1000 SMS bundle from T-Mobile and went way over to the tune of $900. I know you don't want him to do that.
 
I agree with Erica Unlimited is the only way to prevent getting an unexpected charge one of these months. Welcome to the Stacks
 
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