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Disabling voice calls on iPhone?

T

TheSloth

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 29, 2009
3
0
There are tons of questions about using the iPhone without a data plan, but my question is the opposite: knowing that there is no way to get a data plan without a voice plan, is it possible to disable the telephone features of the iPhone?

I explain.

We are considering giving some iPhones away to some of our clients so they can use our software on-the-go, using the 3G network or wi-fi. However, since we will be paying their iPhone bills, we do not want them to be using it as a phone.

Is there a way to do this?

Thanks in advance!

TheSloth
 
How about a iPod Touch? It will allow connection over wifi (but not 3G). AFAIK if you are buying SUBSIDIZED phones, you are locked into a 2 year voice/data committment. If you are sold on the iPhone...I'd subsidize (reimburse) the purchase and data money, and have the client buy and activate the phone in their name.
 
eawmp1 said:
How about a iPod Touch? It will allow connection over wifi (but not 3G). AFAIK if you are buying SUBSIDIZED phones, you are locked into a 2 year voice/data committment. If you are sold on the iPhone...I'd subsidize (reimburse) the purchase and data money, and have the client buy and activate the phone in their name.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, we thought of the Touch, but really we are interested in selling true mobility, so it would have to be the iPhone.

Most of our clients are not tech savvy and usually we like to give them things that are easy to do and pre-digested. Ideally we would give them the iPhone with our app installed on the front page, so all they had to do was to pull it out of their pocket, tap the app and away they go. That is why I would like to do as much as possible from my end. Disabling the phone features would really be the ideal solution, but I have no idea if it is possible...
 
you could jailbreak and hide the Phone and Contacts apps, but there are numerous ways to get around that..
 
You would have to get the 3G and jailbreak it. Then you have to modify the M68AP.plist and change the capabilities from true to false:
Code: 
        <key>sms</key>
        <false/>
        <key>stand-alone-contacts</key>
        <false/>
        <key>telephony</key>
        <false/>

Reboot the phone and telephone options will be gone.

There's another way to do it without jailbreaking and that's to modify the IPSW. You decrypt the firmware IPSW, extract the phone image dmg. Modify the files, make a new IPSW and put it on the phone.
 
Or just sign up for text only plan. One of my collegues is hearing impaired and doesn't use the voice services at all. Every time we log into his account, it says that voice services have not been activated.

He has an unlimited iphone data plan and an unlimited texting plan.

I'm quite sure there's a way for the phone company to accomodate you without having to do anything questionable.
 
Fantastic information, thanks a lot.

We'll try going through the provider (we're in Canada) but if that fails than jailbreaking it is.

Thanks again guys. This forum rocks.
 
Sloth, what did you end up doing.....

I'm facing exactly the same problem. Not too keen in jailbreaking the devices we send out but modding the ipsw seems too complicated.
 
Wait a second...

Your looking to give your clients FREE iphones?

......


What service do you provide and how do i become a client?! :p
 
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