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already have AT&T, want to add iphone no data plan

A

alex1313

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 3, 2009
8
0
Hello.

I have a question that I haven't been able to find an answer for. I have currently AT&T with a 2 year contract, family plan with 3 cellphones. I have a regular samsung cellphone. I would like to get an Iphone but honestly don't need the 3g data plan and don't have the money for it either. I have wifi all over, at work and at home. could I buy and iphone (either 2g or 3g, preferable 3g) on craigslist or ebay, and remove the sim card I have on my samsung cellphone and put it in the iphone? I know it is possible since I did the same thing with the 3rd cellphone of the family plan, which is a nokia, and removed the SIM from the nokia, but put it on another nokia, and it works with no problem. My concern is that AT&T might find out that I put the SIM card from my samsung and put it on an iphone that is not in my contract, and all of a sudden I receive a bill with a $30 data plan added and a 2 year contract renewed. I know they can track the IMEI number and find out I have an iphone. At least with the nokia, I did it with another nokia, same model (although the IMEI number there would be different still), but at least it is the same model. is my concern valid? has anybody heard of somebody doing something like this with no problems with AT&T?

now. I don't think I will need to unlock the iphone since it will be used with AT&T (I think I am right on this one). and I am also planning on using disable3g to avoid getting huge bills since I won't have data plan, (http://www.disable3g.com ).

thanks for the help in advance.
 
Tallest Skil said:
You can remove the data plan from a 2G iPhone.

You cannot remove the data plan from a 3G iPhone. They will find it on their network and add the plan.
Click to expand...

I have read other posts where people claim they are using an iPhone without the data plan.

Quite frankly, though, why spend $ on an iPhone if you're not planning on using it's features outside of Wifi ?? Since you plan on only using the iphone's features at home and work, why not just sit down at a computer at those 2 places ? The benefit of the iPhone is connectivity and productivity on the go.... a point which you seem to be missing.

Seems rather like buying a car with no tires....leaving it parked in the garage :eek:

But, to each their own.....
 
Good point about the car with no wheels. And I have thought of that. But honestly, the $30 dollar data plan is not worth for me yet. I am not a business person (not yet at least) that needs to reply to every e-mail instantly or anything like that. Mainly, I want an iphone because I am tired of carrying a cellphone and an ipod in my pockets (and not to mention the laptop to type the essays for school which I have done in my ipod touch, and the camera to take a funny picture of the kids) the iphone for me is a 4 in 1 device. Many might disagree but it would work for me without the data plan for now. I might consider adding it when mobile safari supports flash, I watch a lot of videos on flash that are not available on youtube. But flash is not happening for a while.
But yes, I would like to know if AT&t will catch me.
 
i do see the perspective for which a person could use an iPhone w/o the data plan... if it was possible i would get it for my g/f. unfortunately, i dont think there is a way right now. you may get away with it for a while, but they will end up catching you somehow, someway.

i pay the extra $30 each month. oh well, it's only money
 
Isn't AT&T sellnt no contract phones right now? Might as well call and see what you can do.
 
this was my main deal. i know that my last cell phone bill with unlimited data, texts and 400 minutes was still 13 bucks. so that extra 7 dollars for an iPhone with only 200 texts is kind of disheartening :(
 
If you really want, you can have an iphone without a data plan. Get the iPhone with the Data plan and after a month, change your Sim to another non iPhone and call AT&T. Tell them that you no longer need the iphone and will be using the nokia/crazer.. etc and you don't need the data plan. After the plan is off, Ask them to place a data block on your account from their side. So when you switch the Sim back to the iphone the data network will not activate.

Besides the above there are other ways that I've read on this forum. For example there is a way to change the APN for AT&T.

All in all, the above mentioned ways is a risky proposition. If they change your account and add the pay per use then your one months bill could easily total to a couple hundred bucks. I had tried my wife's sim on my iPhone early enough to test the data on the pay per use and was charged 80$s for data usage that was about 5-8 seconds of audio streaming. just my 2c. Take care.
 
I have a friend of mine that is using an iphone 3g on an att family plan. The guy at the att arranged that for him. I guess you have to know somebody in there to be able to easily do that. They block the dara on his plan.
 
Can't be done. Not according to ATT.

You can buy at a discounted contract price or a higher no contract price, but they must still be activated
on an iphone plan before you leave the store. And they ALL contain the data plan @ $30 a month.
 
navigates said:
If you really want, you can have an iphone without a data plan. Get the iPhone with the Data plan and after a month, change your Sim to another non iPhone and call AT&T. Tell them that you no longer need the iphone and will be using the nokia/crazer.. etc and you don't need the data plan. After the plan is off, Ask them to place a data block on your account from their side. So when you switch the Sim back to the iphone the data network will not activate.

Besides the above there are other ways that I've read on this forum. For example there is a way to change the APN for AT&T.

All in all, the above mentioned ways is a risky proposition. If they change your account and add the pay per use then your one months bill could easily total to a couple hundred bucks. I had tried my wife's sim on my iPhone early enough to test the data on the pay per use and was charged 80$s for data usage that was about 5-8 seconds of audio streaming. just my 2c. Take care.
Click to expand...

They cant add pay per use, they will just add data plan to your next bill. I am currently using my iphone 3g without data for 5 months. If you do cancel the data plan make sure they block all data access on your account.
 
I am getting a 3g tonight - trading my Shine and some cash.

I currently have a family plan with unlimited messaging and have added the +$10 a month for the data plan unlimited. The other phone on my plan has already switched to a 2g iPhone and while the website acknowledges that he has an iPhone it still allows the phone to be charged only $10 a month for the data. Is this because its a 2g? Will it allow me to continue at $10 with the 3g? I think so because my Shine is 3g ... my only concern is they will want to switch me to an iPhone plan but they have some options on the website - $20 a month for unlimited data and 200 texts (which I never use anyway) which is basically what I pay now so it isn't too big of a deal..

I guess just curious if anyone has tried this family data with an iphone 3g. :)
 
My girlfriend has an iPhone without a data plan. I jailbroke it for her and used bossprefs to block EDGE. Then when we updated to 2.2.1, the iPhone was technically not jailbroken anymore, but it kept EDGE off still. That reminds me... I need to warn her not to update or restore without me around, because I don't want EDGE to activate again and have her accidentally ring up a huge bill.
 
TheSpaz said:
My girlfriend has an iPhone without a data plan. I jailbroke it for her and used bossprefs to block EDGE. Then when we updated to 2.2.1, the iPhone was technically not jailbroken anymore, but it kept EDGE off still. That reminds me... I need to warn her not to update or restore without me around, because I don't want EDGE to activate again and have her accidentally ring up a huge bill.
Click to expand...
Spaz is still being a spaz...

Phone in question is 3G, not 2G, which everyone already said that you can remove the data plan.
 
Ironically enough I would like to have the data plan and do a pay per minute after my iphone contract is up. I only use a 100 or so minutes a month. It's probably not possible though :(
 
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