I just got back from the Maemo Summit and went to try my T-Mobile $9.99 data plan on my N900. It did not work with my N97, but I thought I'd keep the plan and try it out with the N900.

It worked great.

I used to have the $4.99 plan. A month ago, I upgraded my T-Mobile family plan to use MyFaves, and they said my $4.99 was "incompatible", so they had to "upgrade" me to the $9.99 plan. The sales droid warned me it was not for smartphones. What was weird was that she knew what the model of my phone was. And I had not told her or filled in any information on T-Mobile's Web site.

I got it anyway and -- just as she said -- it did not work on my N97.

Well, it works for now on the N900. I'm wondering how long it is before they realize I have a "computer with a phone" (I can't call it a smartphone) and "fix" it so it does not work anymore.

Are you talking about Canada? Hong Kong? Australia?

yeah, they started blocking iphone on the cheaper data plans too. my e71 still works fine on 9.99 plan though

He is talking about T-Mobile US

A "smartphone" on T-mobile is whatever T-mobile calls a smartphone, whether the designation is grounded in reality or not.

It's apparent at this point that T-mobile can detect your phone's IMEI number. It's just a matter of whether T-mobile has the will to force you on a higher plan knowing that you really do have an unlocked smartphone.

I would guess that the cheaper plans will work for awhile, if the n900 remains unsubsidized. They might "suggest" that you change, if use of the unlocked n900 becomes widespread. The probability that they will force a data plan change if you are on a cheap plan goes to close to 100% if they decide to subsidize the phone, even if you bought unlocked.

Ahh, T-Mobile US. T-Mobile is a big, multi-national corporation. They're world-wide, just like the dollar.

IMO it is pathetic a corporation is able to charge more based on type of device used instead of more reasonable factors such as data usage. Has anyone tried to sue T-Mobile US for this?

Reminds me of @Home here. They didn't allow one to use NAT. Customer would need to pay more then. Although they'd also get another IPv4 for the next machine. Bullocks of course. @Home should instead keep data usage into account. But then they cannot advertise with only the speed and FUP...

Just wondering where did you buy your phone in the US? Everywhere says it is on pre-order. Or you are not talking about T-mobile US at all.

Yeah, they're owned by Deutsch Telekom, aka a German company...

I AM talking about T-Mobile in the US. At the Maemo Summit, each attendee got a preproduction N900 on a 6-month loan to use and comment on.

Did she actually tell you what the model of the phone was or just say it was a "smartphone"?

Its highly unlikely she knows, they can check imei numbers of calls made from a sim card (and towers connected to etc.). However, this wouldnt be real time to a customer service agent you called in to and getting information on an IMEI number they haven't sold is also extremely difficult.

I suspect she just assumed it was a smartphone because it didn't have the web'n'walk application installed and its rare for someone to query data usage on an unlocked cheap phone from a non home-network (from experience).

Now they likely have a block of iPhone imei's, obtained on request, and filter these out. I wouldn't worry really about them filtering out N900 imei's unless they do pick up the phone and put it on a special data plan.