All GSM carriers know what phone you have too, unless you illegally clone your IMEI.
In which case, you can, also illegally, clone ESNs and MEIDs.
They can find out what you have easily if you use a carrier subsidized phone, or a phone bought from them. If you decide to jump into the world of unlocked phones, they don't know what the crap you have. And the only way they could find out is probably if they had a warrant to go searching for you and the FBI's looking at all your records, and you're America's Most Wanted.
Without a data plan you can still use wifi on a lot of smartphones. I don't get to do that much either (browsing is laborious and isn't all that fun) but even if I had a data plan I don't see myself using it with any regularity... am I going to leave FB open or something? Browse ATOT while in the can (which I can already do with the wifi router at home)? I'm a tech guy and even I don't have that much to do with it on-the-go, unless I'm sitting at the mall waiting for my wife. But seriously, $1 a day when I might actually make real use of it 3 times a month at most? Nah...
People with iphones and blackberrys (not for work)... what do you use the data plan for and how often? I see this surprisingly pervasive technology as extremely unnecessary even by today's standards.
It's laborious on a crap phone. The iPhone makes browsing a lot easier. I'm sure we can do even better, but browsing on a BB and on older phones is a joke. I see what you mean, but I've owned an iPod touch for a long time, and the switch to iPhone was like WHOAH. Data on the fly. I had an iPod Touch with my Nokia N-series (smartphone btw) and I always felt limited. I need to tether my iPod to my N-series to do stuff. Sure at work and home you're covered, but at both these places, do you really need a cell phone? Land line and office phone got you covered unless you're doing other stuff. Similarly, at office and home, you have a computer to surf on. Why use your smartphone.
The smartphone is if you're at a restaurant with friends and you guys are discussing and something and you have the option of searching up Google or WIkipedia for whatever the hell you guys are talking about. The data connectivity on the go is priceless. While Wifi is NICE to have, once you have a constant 3G connection going, you might as well trash Wifi because it's... unnecessary.
I don't believe AT&T has gone this far yet. They just started enforcing a mandatory data plan on smartphones (which Verizon has done for the last few years), but multimedia phones don't require it yet.
Oh ok, sorry I re-read the OP and I get what you mean. Yeah Verizon ins taking this step forward.
But here's the thing guys, it's not REQUIRED for you unless you want to buy a subsidized phone. You can still buy the phone at regular price. I realize that signing a 2 year contract can work out anyway, but to force you to buy things is kinda outrageous. You might as well bring in an unlocked phone or just buy the phone w/o a plan from AT&T/Verizon if you don't wanna screw with this crap.
I got a subsidized phone the very first time and that was it. You can call me stupid for spending $600 on phones every once in a while, but I'm still on the $15 data plan, and AT&T does not know what phone I have. Unless of course I plug in my iPhone...