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Activation for those already on Cingular? + Unlocked Law

I

iprincess

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
50
0
Does anyone have any idea what iPhone use/activation will be like for current Cingular/AT&T customers?

I am currently on Cingular/AT&T using an unlocked Nokia N80 that I purchased from Nokia direct. I didn't ever have to call up Cingular to start using it as I had already been using their service with another phone. I just put in my SIM card and voila. I am HOPING this will be the same for the iPhone.

Because of the law requiring that all cell phones be unlocked, I am assuming this should also apply to the iPhone. AT&T being required would be specific to the cellular data plan, visual voicemail, and other unique features of the iPhone that require the AT&T network, but otherwise it would work for calls on other networks as well as WiFi.

Thoughts?
 
for real. if all cell phones had to be unlocked, why even bother releasing on a specific provider. you'd be able to have any provider so long as you had the phone.

-------


i think the cost will be the phone. activation i thought was simply turning your account on. tho, iphone raises alot of questions.
 
I'm a Cingular/AT&T existing customer and I called them to ask about any hidden charges with an iPhone purchase. They said an extension of my existing contract for an additional 2 years and an $18.50 device upgrade charge (on my next bill) were the only fees. I wanted to make sure I didn't get slammed with a new contract fee. Regarding the issue of being unlocked and the SIM card, I'm not too sure.
 
When I spoke with them last week (AT&T cus support/tech support), she was pretty sure a current SIM would work with the iPhone.

As for contract, it requires 2 year commitment, which will supersede my current one. Starts on the purchase date.
 
iprincess said:
Does anyone have any idea what iPhone use/activation will be like for current Cingular/AT&T customers?

I am currently on Cingular/AT&T using an unlocked Nokia N80 that I purchased from Nokia direct. I didn't ever have to call up Cingular to start using it as I had already been using their service with another phone. I just put in my SIM card and voila. I am HOPING this will be the same for the iPhone.

Because of the law requiring that all cell phones be unlocked, I am assuming this should also apply to the iPhone. AT&T being required would be specific to the cellular data plan, visual voicemail, and other unique features of the iPhone that require the AT&T network, but otherwise it would work for calls on other networks as well as WiFi.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Last i heard you have to cancel your existing contract and pay for a new one. That means you have to pay the cancellation fee and sign up again, or have two different contracts. At the Keynote, Steve said that there was an entirely new data plan coming out with the phone that offered all of the goodies, so you may have to pay the $175 cancellation fee along with the money for the iPhone and extra fees.
 
The unlocked cellphone exemption in the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) means that end users can "hack' their phones to unlock them and it's not considered a breach of copyright, but it says nothing about the provider having to unlock the phone for you.

If you can hack it yourself, they can't come after you legally. That's all it says.
 
wyatt23 said:
for real. if all cell phones had to be unlocked, why even bother releasing on a specific provider. you'd be able to have any provider so long as you had the phone.

s.
Click to expand...

not all providers will provide visual voicemail and other network features like AT&T will. that is why they are launching with a specific provider.

furthermore, like i said, i have a nokia n80 that i bought from nokia and it will work with any provider. it was recently released on cingular and other networks for a lower subsidized cost but it wasn't originally.
 
neven said:
The unlocked cellphone exemption in the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) means that end users can "hack' their phones to unlock them and it's not considered a breach of copyright, but it says nothing about the provider having to unlock the phone for you.

If you can hack it yourself, they can't come after you legally. That's all it says.
Click to expand...
Exactly. The provider is under no obligation to unlock anything. Prior to this law it was actually a violation of the DMCA to get your phone unlocked by anybody except the carrier. Now, it just means if some intrepid soul figures out how to unlock the iPhone, you can't be prosecuted.
 
Digital Skunk said:
Last i heard you have to cancel your existing contract and pay for a new one. That means you have to pay the cancellation fee and sign up again, or have two different contracts. At the Keynote, Steve said that there was an entirely new data plan coming out with the phone that offered all of the goodies, so you may have to pay the $175 cancellation fee along with the money for the iPhone and extra fees.
Click to expand...

No cancellation fee. It wouldn't make sense for them to charge their own customers a cancellation fee anyway. Your current contract would end before the new 2 year contract, so it's to their benefit to get a new commitment out of you. The fee they were talking about is if you ended your iPhone contract to go elsewhere. Pretty standard, I think.
 
so if i'm reading this correctly, there will be no sales or even activation of the iphone without a 2 year contract. I just switched to cingular less than 1 month ago. What are my options?
 
sunnywala said:
so if i'm reading this correctly, there will be no sales or even activation of the iphone without a 2 year contract. I just switched to cingular less than 1 month ago. What are my options?
Click to expand...

from the way it sounds if you buy an iPhone on Friday your 2 year contract will basically be reset and start on that day, running you until June 29, 2009. no termination fee or anything needs to be paid. that info seems pretty consistent so far.
 
i really hope they don't make you sign a new 2 year contract if you are an existing customer. it is my hope that that they removed this text from the ads because existing customers (especially those that already have data plans) will be able to retain their current contract.

obviously they will require new customers sign a 2 year contract so this applies to most buyers, hence why it was originally included in the ad. the only other reason i can see for removing it from the ad would be public backlash, but then wouldn't that only return once it is released?

i know no one has a definitive answer for this, but i think it would be slightly evil to punish existing customers by requiring them to sign a new 2 year contract just to use a new device.
 
fishkorp said:
from the way it sounds if you buy an iPhone on Friday your 2 year contract will basically be reset and start on that day, running you until June 29, 2009. no termination fee or anything needs to be paid. that info seems pretty consistent so far.
Click to expand...

And that's what they would do if you walked into their store right now and bought a new cell phone and didn't ask for the subsidy (actually, they might not even extend your contract . . . )
 
toneloco2881 said:
Exactly. The provider is under no obligation to unlock anything. Prior to this law it was actually a violation of the DMCA to get your phone unlocked by anybody except the carrier. Now, it just means if some intrepid soul figures out how to unlock the iPhone, you can't be prosecuted.
Click to expand...

In the UK, they are obligated to unlock it for you. Fortunately for shops who trade in unlocking mobiles (of which there are many in London), few people seem to know this and still take their phones to be unlocked at a nominal cost (as opposed to for the asking).
 
In my past experience with Cingular, I had them put that I was a world traveler on my account ($0.00) and asked them to unlock a nokia 6682. They checked that the account was paid up, and issued an unlock code.

Perhaps they will do the same with the iPhone.
 
iprincess said:
Because of the law requiring that all cell phones be unlocked, I am assuming this should also apply to the iPhone. AT&T being required would be specific to the cellular data plan, visual voicemail, and other unique features of the iPhone that require the AT&T network, but otherwise it would work for calls on other networks as well as WiFi.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

WRONG!

no such law. There has only been a clarification of the DMCA that makes it legal for a user to unlock a phone.
 
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