Another 'How I'll get an iPhone scheme'

[iCheddar]

Yet again, another scheme of how one might get an iPhone.

So basically, heres the rundown. I live in South Dakota, and if you look on AT&Ts coverage maps, South Dakota is not officially covered. Thus, if you try to get a plan here, they won't sell it to you.

However, I know several people who are here for summer, they've got AT&T, and they get...okay service. Email, browsing, etc., is hit or miss, but they still have kinda good voice coverage.

My question/scheme is this. Will it work if I sign up for the plan in an area that is officially covered, and just use it in SD instead? Will I incurr tons of roaming charges for only using it in SD?

 

[earnjam]

Why would you buy an iPhone for "kinda good" voice coverage and "hit or miss" email and browsing.

I'm more excited about the iPhone than I have been about just about any piece of technology, but I don't think it would be worth it at all if you couldn't use it for anything other than an iPod. (although, I definitely paid this much for an iPod a few years ago)

If I were you, I'd do one of the following:

1) get a different smartphone with a provider that covers your area
2) get the heck out of south dakota

 

[lekun]

if you look on AT&Ts coverage maps, South Dakota is not officially covered.

My question/scheme is this. Will it work if I sign up for the plan in an area that is officially covered, and just use it in SD instead? Will I incur tons of roaming charges for only using it in SD?

I believe you need a billing address in the area that you sign up for coverage. If that isn't a problem, you can get a plan in say, Oregon, and then take it SD; however if SD is roaming, AT&T can kick you off your plan for using too many minutes on roaming (its in the contract). If your equipment price was contingent on a 2 year contract, and they terminate your contract prior to the two years you MAY be obligated to return the equipment or pay the difference (between non-contract and contract price).

I have my plan and phone number in a western state, but use my phone almost exclusively in the midwest; however, I am not using roaming, so AT&T has never harassed me about it.

While the iPhone is cool, I don't think its so cool that you should be on a so-so network to have one. IMHO. It is primarily a phone, and if it sucks for that where will that leave you?