AT&T Plans/iphone 4?

[Rob]

AT&T is going to require a data plan for any smartphone even if you don't use it. Minimum is 300mb/month. Your phone is not a basic/quick-messaging phone so that option won't apply. I don't think the phone will even work with that plan. Those are simple phones that don't have typical internet-related capabilities (e.g. watching videos or streaming). Another option is a group datashare plan (300mb). Even though you're only one phone, it gives you unlimited talk and text. Probably around $45/month.

If you turn off your data in your settings, you should be able to text as text uses the phone spectrum and not the data spectrum. WIFI is not an alternative to minutes. You only use minutes when you make a phone call. WIFI is an alternative to data (your 300mb/month). If you're on WIFI it does not save minutes but it does save data. So you can browse the internet, watch videos, stream music, use the facebook app or download apps without it affecting your data.