SERO Sprint Employee Referral Offer has been widely publicized on the Internet from forums to blogs and even by Sprint itself (www.sprint.com/sero). If this is the first time you have ever heard of SERO let me give you a quick rundown and provide you with a few links to take care of all the details and questions you need answered.
SprintUsers SERO Plan Forum
Fat Wallet SERO Plan Forum
SERO Plans are discounted plans that all include a few basic features: unlimited mobile to mobile, 7pm nights, unlimited power vision, unlimited picture mail, unlimited SMS. So it is simple you get everything besides your voice minutes unlimited, the only question you have to answer is how many anytime minutes before 7pm you need for the month. There are 3 choices 500, 1250 and 2500 ($30, $50, $100).
Now onto the point of this post and enough regurgitation: How do you get the Blackberry 8830 or 8130 to work with a Sero Plan? The answer is actually very simple, but it took a long time before the question was actually answered. The problem began with the inclusion of Power Vision data on all SERO plans. Since the SERO plans all include unlimited Power Vision there is a conflict of interest when one wants to add Blackberry Data. Yes, Blackberries require a special data plan in order to gain the full functionality (built in email BIS BES, built in web browser).Â
The solution is getting migrated to the new billing system (ensemble) if you are still on the older billing system. The easiest way to tell which billing system you are currently on is by logging into your sprint.com account and taking a look at the design of the page. If the page has overlay menus when you attempt to look at your add/on features, change plan, etc then you are on the new billing system. So what do I do if I am not on the new billing system from Sprint???? Well you need the call the migration department (866) 412 8513.
Tell the representative that you need to migrate your account over to the new billing system because you are having problems being able to add Blackberry data to your existing SERO plan. The exact plan that you want is voice only (SERO _____ Voice Only). For example if you have the SERO 1250 F&F plan then you will want the SERO 1250 Voice Only plan. The migration process will take about 20 minutes to complete if you have a competent representative.
Okay, so I have migrated my account over and I have gotten the Voice Only plan what do I do next? The only thing you need to do now is ask for the Blackberry Unlimited Add-on and you are complete. Your Blackberry will now be compatible with the SERO plan and you are ready to get down to business.
Q: What if I do not want to change over to a Blackberry Plan and just like the form factor of the blackberry for texting and using my Gmail?
A: If you do not want to pay the additional 39.99 for Blackberry Unlimited you will need to download the installation files for Gmail directly. Try a Google search for Blackberry Gmail installation files. You will also need to install the Opera web browser if you want to be able to access the Internet because the built in web browser will only work if Blackberry Services are activated.
If you have any additional questions feel free to post a comment and I will answer them in appropriate fashion.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Andy 12.16.07 at 6:35 pm
So in your response to your last question are you saying that you can continue to use powervision included with the SERO to access data using the Opera browser and not paying for the blackberry service.
admin 12.19.07 at 4:21 pm
Yes that is exactly what I am saying. If you have any powervision or vision plan you can use the internet on any blackberry without signing up for the additional blackberry service. The limitations are that you can only do your web browsing/email through a third party application such as Opera(web) or Gmail(email). If you are looking to do this you will need to connect your Blackberry directly to your computer since you cannot access OTA *over the air* installations without true blackberry service (since the internet browser won’t even show up as an icon on your phone). The desktop installation files for Google maps, Gmail, and Opera are available online with a quick search or on their respective websites.
So in summary, yes you can use Opera, Gmail, GoogleMaps without having blackberry internet service on your device with Sprint. All you need is a powervision plan (or if you have a SERO plan then you already have powervision).
Jonathan 12.23.07 at 8:59 pm
Hey, Thanks for the info! I currently have a treo 700p with the 500 min SERO plan but, I would like the pearl. Is it possible to do this for $30 a month? thanks!
Sheets 12.31.07 at 1:40 pm
I just got an 8130 without the blackberry unlimited plan. I downloaded opera, but when I run it it says failed to connect to the internet. I have powervision on my SERO plan. How do I make it work? Thanks.
Alexis 01.30.08 at 12:07 pm
I just recieved my sprint sero blackberry cellphone and plan in the mail last night and got it all set up with a number i know that they sprint tv comes with the free internet but i cannot find a button or option to access it. Do i have to have the blackberry data service for this option to work?
Nick 01.31.08 at 3:10 pm
If you do not have the sprint blackberry data services you will not see a Browser icon on the phone. The sprint tv application should still be there and it should work with a SERO plan since powervision unlimited is included. Make sure that when you login to your sprint.com account the plan is SERO_____. Sero will be followed by the number of minutes you chose (500,1250,etc). Make sure they did not put you on the SERO voice only plan, since this has been happening a lot recently with phone SERO orders.
Jeff Wilson 02.25.08 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for all the info. It has been very helpful.
I have purchased three 8130 phones for my wife and two sons. We have the SERO F&F 500 plan for each phone but, I did not add the Blackberry data plan. They will not need the additional services and I don’t want to pay $39 for the service.
I’ve tried to add opera to the phone through the desktop manager and have been unsuccessful. Any ideas as to why I would be having problems?
Cellfanatic 02.25.08 at 6:37 pm
When you try to install the opera browser using the desktop manager what error is popping up? Is it not detecting the correct file type or is it an error in the installation of the file to the blackberry?
Chris 03.10.08 at 10:05 pm
I am getting the same error as Jeff Wilson when trying to install Opera, Gmail etc.. I have them in my blackberry but it fails to connect to internet when I try to run them. Any help would be appreciated. I have a 8830 with sero and no BB plan. I know I have data because it says so on my sprint.com account. It is even saying that I am using data, I am guessing for when I try to run these programs. thanks
Chris 03.10.08 at 10:33 pm
I just figured it out. For those who have problems all you do is wipe your blackberry and that did the trick for me!!! I have google maps, gmail, opera, and a im client all working!! I love it!! This is with sprint sero and not paying for the BB plan. YES!
zxevil160 03.13.08 at 5:38 am
OHqiwZ U cool ))
Jake 03.18.08 at 9:19 am
Chris, can you explain how you got your blackberry to work with SERO? What do you mean by wipe the blackberry? Any help is greatly appreciated.. Thanks
Jake 03.18.08 at 9:25 am
This question is directed to anyone with information about the Opera web browser. I am currently using the LG Rumor on the Sprint SERO plan with unlimited powervision. I use the Opera mini web browser and when I try downloading a file (java application for example) the opera browser automatically sends me to the phone’s built in web browser for the file download, and once the file is downloaded it resumes using Opera. My question is will this be the case as well on the blackberry? Because from what I understand, the built in browser on the blackberry will not work unless there is a blackberry plan associated with it. - Thanks
King 05.05.08 at 11:15 pm
I am considering Sprint SERO + BB Pearl without BB Plan.
I understand that Opera mini can substitute the BB browser. Is there any thing out there to enable SMS with this configuration ?
Thanks,
Keith
King 05.11.08 at 1:30 am
I got my Sprint SERO with BB Pearl recently. I am with SERO F&F 500 without data.
For the data service, I tried removing the battery and reboot but did not work.
But I found this trick to enable data service.
Goto Manage Connections -> Mobile Network Options -> Start provisioning.
I got a email from “Blackberry” that my handheld is registered with the wireless
network and Opera mini is now working ! (I do not have BB brower icon)
I may need to watch out for the bill as they may charge by the bytes.
I hope I can negotiate to have the unlimited data plan.
Otherwise I will switch to Palm.
Chris how is your bill ?
Thanks.
Joe 05.14.08 at 4:04 pm
I am currently on the phone with Sprint trying to get the Powervision Blackberry Pack for $30/month to work with my new Curve as it is advertised on the SERO site. I have SERO500 and I mentioned the SERO Voice Only plan. There still seems to be no luck. Any recommendations?
Nick Marshall 05.14.08 at 5:44 pm
Ask the Sprint Rep if you are on the new billing system (ensemble). If you have not been migrated over to the new billing system it can be a difficult task getting the SERO Voice Only Plan added to your account.
If you are not on the new billing system ask to be transfered to the billing department and explain to them that you need to have your account switched over to ensemble. Basically quickly explain to them that you are trying to add the Blackberry plan to a SERO plan and it will not work because the plan code only exists in the new billing system. As always, the easier you explain the situation, the better.
If you are still not able to get the SERO Voice Only option even after verifying that you are on the ensemble billing system, I will get the plan code from my rep and pass that along. Keep me posted.
Christina 05.16.08 at 8:15 am
I am on the SERo 500 F&F plan everything included. I will be switching from a Rumer to Blackberry. Now I am paying 30 a month how much extra will be if I add the Blackberry plan?
Matt 05.16.08 at 8:18 pm
I see that you can still get web browsing and email without paying for the BB data plan, but what about tethering? Can you use the blackberry for tethering through the Power Vision service or do you need the BB plan?
Nick Marshall 05.16.08 at 8:23 pm
That’s a good question.. personally I never used the tethering on the BB lineup from Sprint with this SERO non BB data plan method. I am very doubtful that it would work since you need to run Sprint’s desktop software.
If tethering is going to be a priority, I would just go Windows Mobile — HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Raphael should hit Sprint later this year as alternative options.
I always use PDANet for free tethering with SERO plans on Windows Mobile and Palm devices.
http://www.junefabrics.com/pdanet/index.php
Matt 05.17.08 at 5:02 pm
Cool, thanks for the info
G 05.21.08 at 12:56 pm
What does “wipe” do for blackberry? Anyone have sprinttv on their blackberry without the blackberry plan?
Nick Marshall 05.21.08 at 2:48 pm
“wipe” simply clears all data from the blackberry. It will take you back to the factory settings and start the setup wizard as if you had just taken the BlackBerry out of your box.
Brittnee 05.25.08 at 8:28 pm
Hello,
I am considering getting the blackberry pearl through the sero program. Everytime I go through the ording process it requires me to purchase a blackberry package. How do you get around this if you do not want to go that route? Would I have to call Sprint to have it taken off immediately?
Nick Marshall 05.27.08 at 12:28 pm
Wow I had no heard that Sprint was forcing the Blackberry add-on to your cart on the SERO website. So when you login to http://www.sprint.com/sero with an employee’s email address and add the blackberry pearl and plan to your account, it forces you to add blackberry data?
Chad 05.28.08 at 5:05 pm
I signed up about a week ago for the SERO F&F 500 (without BB Data Plan)
I was not forced to order the BB Data Plan, however I did call to order.
What the deal with being able to use Sprint TV with no BB Data Plan? I have no Sprint TV app and have no idea how to get it. Also, when using Opera and trying to OTA anything it forces the BB Browser to try and open, which does nothing for me. This also happens in Google Maps when trying to call a Phone Number directly off the map. Soon there will even be a Youtube App that the BB Pearl can handle, but I probably wont be able to dl it because of no OTA.
After all of that whining, here are my questions:
1) Someone PLEASE tell me how to get TV without the BB Data Plan ( Dont judge :] )
2) Is there any way to do OTA with Opera?
3) If not, is there any way to flat out replace the BB Browser with Opera?
When I had a RAZR people had forums where you could learn to hack the crap out of it. Im just not seeing the same effort for the BB Pearl. Where are all of the Hackers at!?!?!?!?
Thanks Nick,
Great Site
Chadlington III
Jake 05.29.08 at 10:51 am
Chad, I’m not sure about your first question, but I can answer your last two. I have the Sprint SERO FF 500 w/ Blackberry Curve 8330 with NO blackberry plan, just unlimited Power Vision. I already did a lot of research on your last two questions, because I was having the same issues. Unfortunately, Opera doesn’t support OTA, and there is no real (at least as of now) to set Opera as the “default” web browser, or to remove the BB browser altogether. So until then, the only real way to download programs onto your BB would be to download to your PC, then transfer with the Blackberry Desktop Manager. Hope this answers your question, let me know if you hear about any developments.
- Jake
Jake 05.29.08 at 11:00 am
By the way, this goes out to everyone who has been wondering: I can confirm that you CAN get a Blackberry with the Sprint SERO plan WITHOUT being forced to add a Blackberry Data Plan. I’m not sure about ordering online, but I simply called up and purchased the Sprint Blackberry Curve 8330 for $179 after rebate, and after extending my contract for 2 years. They were even able to knock off $25 after I used coupon code WEBC25 (comes in the form of an invoice credit on your next wireless bill). If you get stuck with an unknowledgeable Sprint Customer Service rep (which is quite likely) then make sure they change your plan to SERO - Voice Only. The instructions are at the beginning of this page. Good Luck!
- Jake
sean 06.30.08 at 9:19 pm
sprint tv DOES NOT work with pearl without blackberry plan neither does music store this has been confirmed
Ignacio 07.03.08 at 2:55 pm
Great information. I am curious how much is the voice only option of the SERO plans and what is the difference between the $30 and $39.99 Blackberry Data plan. I have reviewed both on the SERO website and cannot tell the difference. Thanks again for the great information.
mrDude 07.17.08 at 9:30 am
hi all,
I signed up with $30 Sero plan and chose BlackBerry 8330. However, Sprint told me I can’t use Blackberry with Sero plan because BB requires with data package, which I want to buy.
Please help me how to activate my BB with SERO plan. Thanks a lot.
nekojann 08.01.08 at 1:18 am
Hello, I just signed up with the SERO plan and originally had an HTC Touch but exchanged it with the BB Curve 8330. When I did that the rep told me that I had to add the BB data plan for $39.99. I told the rep I did not want my plan to change ( I got the referral from a friend of a friend whom I have no contact with anymore and I don’t have the last three #’s of their employee id, since it was not needed at the time I signed up), When I check online it tells me I have the SERO voice only! my question is if I decided to remove the BB data plan then would I no longer have unlimited text and data? I specifically told the rep I did not want that changed. Does anyone know what happens in that case, if they would be able to restore my SERO plan to what I originally signed up for if I remove the BB data plan?
Frank 09.10.08 at 4:53 am
I can’t get Opera Mini to load on the BlackBerry application loader. Any suggestions?
When I try to load the ALX file through the app loader it says “no additional applications designed for your device were found”