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MasonMI

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 27, 2007
152
0
I have a first generation 8GB iPhone if i purchased a 3G from Ebay or other private seller would my sim card from the 2G work in the 3G and would i get 3G coverage off of the old $20 data plan?
 
I have a first generation 8GB iPhone if i purchased a 3G from Ebay or other private seller would my sim card from the 2G work in the 3G and would i get 3G coverage off of the old $20 data plan?

Yes to all of it. I am using the sim from my 2G iPhone in my 3GS with the $20 data plan and have full 3G coverage.
 
Another question would the visual voice mail works with the sim card form the 2G?
 
I have a question that is bothering me here. What would stop anyone from just getting a 2G sim and doing this? In other words, if there are no drawbacks, why ever have a 3G sim and pay $30?

There is nothing stopping anyone from doing this. I've been doing it since the end of June and have had no problems and no warnings from AT&T that I am using the wrong iPhone for my data plan. It just works and you save about $15 because the data plan is only $20 and includes 200 SMS. The bill I just paid was only $66.

It just works....everything just works this way on the iPhone.
 
There is nothing stopping anyone from doing this. I've been doing it since the end of June and have had no problems and no warnings from AT&T that I am using the wrong iPhone for my data plan. It just works and you save about $15 because the data plan is only $20 and includes 200 SMS. The bill I just paid was only $66.

It just works....everything just works this way on the iPhone.

Beings that the SIM cards are EXACTLY the same... Nothing...

Okay, was just asking. I guess if everyone did this, AT&T wouldn't be too happy.
 
Probably not... A lot of people don't realize that the SIMs have been exactly the same since BEFORE the Launch of the original iPhone. AT&T/Cingular started rolling out 3G SIM cards at LEAST a year before. And the funny thing with that... 3G SIM cards didn't even matter, Cingular/AT&T was just being anal retentative making the sales reps change the SIM cards with the purchase of a 3G device. It was the computer POS system that required the change NOT the technology.
 
I wish I had known about this before I upgraded to my 3GS.

Saving that extra $15 a month is what kept me from going to a regular 3G in the first place.
 
I wish I had known about this before I upgraded to my 3GS.

Saving that extra $15 a month is what kept me from going to a regular 3G in the first place.

If you still have your 2G iPhone, it's not too late. You can go back to that 2G data plan.

Go to AT&T and ask for a new sim and just tell them that you want to activate an old iPhone. The card will be free.

Put the card in the 2G iPhone and connect it to iTunes. You should get the let's get started activating your new iPhone. If you get any other screen, restore the iPhone.

Activate the 2G iPhone and when it asks, you are replacing your current iPhone with this "new" 2G iPhone. Enter your 3GS iPhones phone number when asked and then select whatever 2G data plan that you want. Remember, the plan includes 200 SMS free. Complete the activation and now remove the sim and insert it in your 3G or 3GS iPhone.

3G service will work because it is not data plan specific but dependant on your phone. With AT&T, all you need to get 3G service is a 3G iPhone regardless of data plan. 3G service will even work on a GoPhone data plan.

You now are back to a 2G data plan. This is how I got my plan back to a 2G data plan. I had bought my 3GS on launch and they activated it in store. I then did the 2G activation and have been using the 2G data plan since then.

It works, just do what I did above and you will be fine.
 
Would there be any issues syncing the 3G iphone to itunes since the 2G was originally activated through itunes?
 
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