Do you really need to have a phone plan?

[buymeaniphone]

Ok I was thinking about this...if the phone is going to cost $500-$600 because there probably wont be any rebates, then whats to stop people from getting an iPhone, signing a contract and then cancelling the contract shortly there after? Usually the only thing that stops you from doing this is that the phone you get with your new plan has rebates to make it super cheap, but you have to stay with that carrier for at least a little while to receive the rebate check (if you receive the rebate check at all).

So your probably asking why I'd want to get the iphone and then cancel the AT&T service so I can't use the phone capability. Well I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that someone will be able to unlock the iPhone so I dont have to leave Tmobile and hopefully the iPhone will function properly (Yes I know, minus VisualVoice mail). I'm also sure that some people will just buy the iPhone so they can sell it on ebay and double their money.

My Questions is, do you think it will be this easy to get an iPhone without having to stay attached to AT&T? I haven't signed up with a carrier in about 7 years so I'm not too familer with the process anymore.

 

[clevin]

u will need to pay early termination fee(~$200), normally, not sure if ATT will attach more restrictions with iphone.

I have no doubt u will be able to get iphone from ebay soon after the releasing, however, i doubt u will get it to work with other networks (physically or legally), I m also not sure if the iphone u get this way will have full warranty package.

 

[jng]

I believe the prices are with a 2 year contract. I don't think there is a no contract price.

There were rumors that AT&T would discount the plans (not the phone) because Apple is sticking to those price points.

You can hope, wait and see.

 

[buymeaniphone]

u will need to pay early termination fee(~$200), normally, not sure if ATT will attach more restrictions with iphone.

I have no doubt u will be able to get iphone from ebay soon after the releasing, however, i doubt u will get it to work with other networks (physically or legally), I m also not sure if the iphone u get this way will have full warranty package.

Isn't there usually a grace period where you can cancel your plan without having to pay the termination fee? And the iPhone should work with any GSM networks, it might not function 100% like it would on AT&T but it will work, I have a Cingular Treo 650 thats unlocked and I use it with Tmobile and it works perfectly. Also, its no longer illegal to have your cell phone unlocked and to use it with other networks.

 

[clevin]

Isn't there usually a grace period where you can cancel your plan without having to pay the termination fee? And the iPhone should work with any GSM networks, it might not function 100% like it would on AT&T but it will work, I have a Cingular Treo 650 thats unlocked and I use it with Tmobile and it works perfectly. Also, its no longer illegal to have your cell phone unlocked and to use it with other networks.

I have no idea about the grace period

about unlock, treo series officially offer unlocked phones.

With such a ambitious campaign, I would be surprised if ATT has no plan to at lease restrict their new users from jumping ship soon after they got iphone.

 

[josepho]

Whilst there may be a "grace period" on the contract, cancelling within this time frame would involve returning the phone. Whether there is a mail-in rebate or not, there will be some form of subsidy of the phone's price from Cingular AT&T, so there would be no reason why they would let you cancel with no penalties yet still keep the phone.

As for unlocking, there is no legal impediment to this, it will just take time before the way to unlock it can be discovered. I would imagine that this may become easier when the iPhone is sold to other networks (in Europe, for example) as there will be differences in the software/firmware to compare. It would be interesting to know if Apple has any plans to sell the iPhone in Italy, for example, where network subsidy locks are illegal and all phones must be sold without restriction.

 

[feelthefire]

Cingular's terms of service include a 30 day grace period but requires you to surrender any equipment you purchased at the start of the contract.

i bet getting cingular to unlock the phone for you would be a veryyyyy long uphill battle. They usually only do this if you beg and plead, but for a phone they have a two year exclusive on? You'll have to start bribing.

 

[aricher]

Not to mention that Apple & AT&T/Cingular worked together to add the visual voicemail function. My guess is that Vis VM will only work with AT&T/Cingular for the time being.

 

[robram]

Cingular contract

I am currently a Cingular customer. Last evening I called Cingular customer service and they told me there would be a contract required anytime a new device is acquired. Currently my contract was a two year minimum with a $200 penalty for early cancellation! They also told me that they would only recommend unlimited data packages with a phone like the iPhone. My current $39.95 a month plan costs about $57.00 monthly and my usuage is usually about 80 minutes! I have 5000 minutes rolling over at any given time becuase I don't like talking on the phone. The unlimited data that is currently offered is another $39.95 a month. With fees and taxes that would bring my bill to about $115 monthly! Forget it… I don't need the iPhone that badly. I already pay for high speed broadband at home and at my design studio, I'm not paying it for a portable "web browser". I'm being 'technologied" to the poor house. So long iPhone.

 

[feelthefire]

I don't know how you did that math but my phone bill for my blackberry with 450 minutes, blackberry unlimited and 1500 txt messages is $39.99 for the minutes and $39.99 for the data service, and my bill is $86 a month, including the $1.25 fee and taxes. For 900 minutes a month it was $109. You must have some text messages or downloads on there, because taxes shouldn't add $17 to a $40 bill.