Gen 1 iPhone Stolen - replacement question

[Scott-n-Houston]

I'm buying a buddy's 3G that is without a sim card to replace my stolen first gen iphone. I don't want to buy a new iPhone or pay for any subsidized phone that would lock me in with HORRID AT&T.

Two questions:

1) Are the data plans the same from Gen 1 to 3G? In other words, can I just activate this new (to me) iPhone 3G on iTunes or do I need to let ATT know I have a 3g now?

2) If I cannot get hold of a sim card, will crappy ATT just give me a new sim without signing a new commitment?



PS. The Find My Phone feature is cool. Watching my phone haul ass down the freeway was sickening. I messaged it offering a "reward if found" but no response so I had to remote wipe it. Wish I had put a lock on it, so I could have kept tracking it while not worrying that they could see my personal data.

 

[tilmonabbott]

the real question is how much are you buying your friends 3g for, because if its more than 300 i'd say just spend the extra and go for the 3gs unsubsidized. And the find my phone feature is pretty awesome too. luckily i havent had my phone stolen, but i've used it just for fun.

edit: that does suck that your phone was stolen and to answer your question you would probably have to let them know you have a 3g since it does use 3g data. And if you go to an att store thats a corporate store they'll give you a new sim card for free if you explain the issue.

 

[sysiphus]

I'm buying a buddy's 3G that is without a sim card to replace my stolen first gen iphone. I don't want to buy a new iPhone or pay for any subsidized phone that would lock me in with HORRID AT&T.

Two questions:

1) Are the data plans the same from Gen 1 to 3G? In other words, can I just activate this new (to me) iPhone 3G on iTunes or do I need to let ATT know I have a 3g now?

2) If I cannot get hold of a sim card, will crappy ATT just give me a new sim without signing a new commitment?



PS. The Find My Phone feature is cool. Watching my phone haul ass down the freeway was sickening. I messaged it offering a "reward if found" but no response so I had to remote wipe it. Wish I had put a lock on it, so I could have kept tracking it while not worrying that they could see my personal data.

You will get bumped to the 3G's higher pricing scheme. Expect to pay ~20 bucks a month more for the same services.

 

[Scott-n-Houston]

I'm getting the 3G for $80 from my friend, so it's definitely the way to go. I want to be able to leave AT&T for Verizon when/if that happens, so buying a subsidized phone is not something I wanted to do.

I just got back from the AT&T store, and they gave me another SIM and changed my plan to the 3G plan. It's about $15/month more.
My wife, who primarily uses the phone, doesn't care at all about 3G. I wish I could keep the old data plan and just not turn on 3G, but they said it won't work.

Thanks for your help, both of you.

 

[Applejuiced]

I didnt think the Find My Phone feature worked on a 1st Gen iphone.

 

[acfusion29]

I'm getting the 3G for $80 from my friend, so it's definitely the way to go. I want to be able to leave AT&T for Verizon when/if that happens, so buying a subsidized phone is not something I wanted to do.

I just got back from the AT&T store, and they gave me another SIM and changed my plan to the 3G plan. It's about $15/month more.
My wife, who primarily uses the phone, doesn't care at all about 3G. I wish I could keep the old data plan and just not turn on 3G, but they said it won't work.

Thanks for your help, both of you.

They lied, I think? I'm not sure though...

You should have just told them to give you a new sim card because your phone got stolen. Put that sim into your new iPhone and if data didn't work, THEN call and change it.

 

[Scott-n-Houston]

I didnt think the Find My Phone feature worked on a 1st Gen iphone.

It works by triangulation like it does on the maps app.


acfusion, good point. Maybe I'll call and ask to go back because I got another gen 1 phone.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

It works by triangulation like it does on the maps app.


acfusion, good point. Maybe I'll call and ask to go back because I got another gen 1 phone.

They won't switch it unless you can provide the IMEI number from a generation 1 iPhone.

 

[sysiphus]

I'm getting the 3G for $80 from my friend, so it's definitely the way to go. I want to be able to leave AT&T for Verizon when/if that happens, so buying a subsidized phone is not something I wanted to do.

I just got back from the AT&T store, and they gave me another SIM and changed my plan to the 3G plan. It's about $15/month more.
My wife, who primarily uses the phone, doesn't care at all about 3G. I wish I could keep the old data plan and just not turn on 3G, but they said it won't work.

Thanks for your help, both of you.

So you know, it's $15/month more for data, but you no longer get the 200 texts/month thrown in for your fee--so if you're looking to replicate the services from the original phone, throw in an additional 5-10 bucks for a texting plan.

Also--there's no way to avoid the higher rate plan--they can see which phone you're using from the IMEI that is broadcast from the device--and since a 3G phone will always identify itself on the network as a 3G iphone, there's no way to trick the network into giving you the non-3G pricing scheme. Thus why both my sister and I chose to buy other 3rd-party unlocked smartphones to replace our first-gen iPhones--we can keep our non-3G data plans!

 

[uneek1]

They lied, I think? I'm not sure though...

You should have just told them to give you a new sim card because your phone got stolen. Put that sim into your new iPhone and if data didn't work, THEN call and change it.

Yea they lied. Ive been used an iPhone 3G on the 2g plan for about a month by turning off 3G...then I got ballsy and turned it on, and have been using 3G on my 2g plan. Maybe I got lucky I dunno, but it has been working for the last 2 months..

 

[Applejuiced]

Many others have also.
Some that act like knowitalls will tell you it's not possible but some get away with it without AT&T noticeing.

Yea they lied. Ive been used an iPhone 3G on the 2g plan for about a month by turning off 3G...then I got ballsy and turned it on, and have been using 3G on my 2g plan. Maybe I got lucky I dunno, but it has been working for the last 2 months..