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Prepaid ATT GoPhone on iPhone 3GS

TheMacBookPro

TheMacBookPro

macrumors 68020
Original poster
May 9, 2008
2,133
3
Hey,

I will be travelling to San Francisco next week and will be bringing my factory unlocked iPhone 3GS with me.

I have noticed that buying a GoPhone sim online will require me to purchase a phone along with it, so I have thought about buying an unactivated ATT GoPhone SIM on eBay for $5.

Will buying the SIM, plugging it into my iPhone 3GS, and calling ATT to activate it when I arrive work? I have family there so I can ship the SIM to them, so that isn't a problem.

I was wondering about data too- I will want to use GPS so I researched a bit and found that ATT has a $20 data plan for 100MB of data for prepaid GoPhones. Will I be able to add that?

Thanks!
 
TheMacBookPro said:
Hey,

I will be travelling to San Francisco next week and will be bringing my factory unlocked iPhone 3GS with me.

I have noticed that buying a GoPhone sim online will require me to purchase a phone along with it, so I have thought about buying an unactivated ATT GoPhone SIM on eBay for $5.

Will buying the SIM, plugging it into my iPhone 3GS, and calling ATT to activate it when I arrive work? I have family there so I can ship the SIM to them, so that isn't a problem.

I was wondering about data too- I will want to use GPS so I researched a bit and found that ATT has a $20 data plan for 100MB of data for prepaid GoPhones. Will I be able to add that?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You would just be better off getting Nextell's Boost mobile if your heading to SF That is if the iPhone is unlocked.
 
I thought that Boost Mobile was a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel, which is CDMA only? Which AFAIK the iPhone does not support, unlocked or not?
 
TheMacBookPro said:
I thought that Boost Mobile was a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel, which is CDMA only? Which AFAIK the iPhone does not support, unlocked or not?
Click to expand...

The boost phones I sold in 07 were all gsm even though they are part of sprint nextel is weird I know but yeah everyone of them I activated had a sim card.
 
Xexis said:
The boost phones I sold in 07 were all gsm even though they are part of sprint nextel is weird I know but yeah everyone of them I activated had a sim card.
Click to expand...

All Nextel phones are IDEN, just because they have SIM cards doesn't mean they are GSM. Get your facts straight before giving out erroneous information. This is the very reason I never listen to sales people at cell phone stores. :rolleyes:
 
TheMacBookPro said:
So does anyone know whether the ebay ATT SIM cards will work? I need to order them today as I will be arriving on the 19th.

This is the SIM I will be buying (if this works...)
Click to expand...

They will work but please don't buy the $3.99 sims. We bought 10 blue sims for $10 last week. They work perfectly fine for activating a GoPhone and then using the sim in an iPhone.

Here are some orange ones for .99 cents each. These are the seller that I've been buying from. The shipping is too high for these ones so just check out his other sim card offers. You will not be able to activate the 3GS with a phone call, a visit to AT&T is in your future.
 
So I need to go to the AT&T store to activate them? I saw that there is an online activation tool on the att website- why wouldn't those work? You mention that you activate a GoPhone (which is one of those crappy Motorolas I presume)- so will I need to buy one of those $30 to activate them?

Also, about data... I have read some stuff about needing to install the BenM profile on my iPhone before it will work?
 
I was wondering if the SIM and data plan will work also. I live in Italy and have factory unlocked phone. I'm here in the states for work and when I went to AT&T to ask about the prepaid data they told me it is not possible in iPhone. Was hoping this is just the standard salesman line. Anyone tested yet?
 
SpaceKitty said:
They will work but please don't buy the $3.99 sims. We bought 10 blue sims for $10 last week. They work perfectly fine for activating a GoPhone and then using the sim in an iPhone.

Here are some orange ones for .99 cents each. These are the seller that I've been buying from. The shipping is too high for these ones so just check out his other sim card offers. You will not be able to activate the 3GS with a phone call, a visit to AT&T is in your future.
Click to expand...

What is the difference between the blue and orange sims? When I go to the link of the original poster and this link to compare, both sims look the same, blue on one side and orange on the other.
 
sschultze said:
What is the difference between the blue and orange sims? When I go to the link of the original poster and this link to compare, both sims look the same, blue on one side and orange on the other.
Click to expand...

The ones I linked to were $.99. No other difference other than cheaper. That seller sold some for $.99 with $1.45 shipping and some for $3.99 with $5.00 shipping and some with other prices.
 
TheMacBookPro said:
Hey,

I will be travelling to San Francisco next week and will be bringing my factory unlocked iPhone 3GS with me.

I have noticed that buying a GoPhone sim online will require me to purchase a phone along with it, so I have thought about buying an unactivated ATT GoPhone SIM on eBay for $5.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Will buying the SIM, plugging it into my iPhone 3GS, and calling ATT to activate it when I arrive work? I have family there so I can ship the SIM to them, so that isn't a problem. Yes. You can activate it via phone or online

I was wondering about data too- I will want to use GPS so I researched a bit and found that ATT has a $20 data plan for 100MB of data for prepaid GoPhones. Will I be able to add that? Yes, you will need to change your APN settings to match Att's MediaNet settings. I wouldn't let Att know you are using an iPhone tho
 
sschultze said:
I was wondering if the SIM and data plan will work also. I live in Italy and have factory unlocked phone. I'm here in the states for work and when I went to AT&T to ask about the prepaid data they told me it is not possible in iPhone. Was hoping this is just the standard salesman line. Anyone tested yet?
Click to expand...

On my HK factory unlocked iPhone, the Cellular Data Network blank disappears as soon as the ATT sim is inserted. Therefore you cannot enter the ATT/Cingular APN (wap.cingular). Because of that you cannot access data. Simply install the AT&T profile- visit this page from your iPhone and touch the ATT selection- from BenM.net, add the data package (dial 611 and follow instructions) and it will work after that. Confirmed to be working on my HK iPhone 3GS :)

Carl G35c said:
Will buying the SIM, plugging it into my iPhone 3GS, and calling ATT to activate it when I arrive work? I have family there so I can ship the SIM to them, so that isn't a problem. Yes. You can activate it via phone or online

I was wondering about data too- I will want to use GPS so I researched a bit and found that ATT has a $20 data plan for 100MB of data for prepaid GoPhones. Will I be able to add that? Yes, you will need to change your APN settings to match Att's MediaNet settings. I wouldn't let Att know you are using an iPhone tho
Click to expand...

You are unable to change the APN to match ATT's APN. Installing the ATT profile remedies this (link above).

Thanks for all your help =)

PS When you plug in your iPhone to iTunes after applying the BenM profile iTunes will ask you to update the carrier profile. Ignore it- clicking OK will just result in an error.
 
Do I need to write anything down from my current provider APN before installing the fix from BenM so I can go back to my overseas network when I return home?
 
Nah, All you do is go Settings > General > Profile > Tap the AT&T Profile and Tap Remove. AT&T settings removed and restored to your original :)

If you have any problems going back, go Settings > General > Network > Cellular Data Network (you will only see this when original SIM is in, cannot be seen with AT&T SIM in) and Tap Reset Settings. This will return to your Carrier Default Settings :)
 
I have a GoPhone SIM, added the data package, downloaded the AT&T profile, but still can't seem to get the data services to work. Anyone have any ideas what I am doing wrong?
 
TheMacBookPro said:
So does anyone know whether the ebay ATT SIM cards will work? I need to order them today as I will be arriving on the 19th.

This is the SIM I will be buying (if this works...)
http://cgi.ebay.com/AT-T-3G-SIM-Card-for-GoPhone-or-ANY-Unlocked-GSM-Phone_W0QQitemZ220523386445QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSIM_Cards?hash=item335837d64d#ht_1943wt_941
Click to expand...

Hi! So is this the simcard that got eventually? I'll be going to the USA in a few weeks time for training and will be bringing my factory unlocked (HK unit) 3GS with me.

Can you share what plan you got? Did you get the $3/day plus the $19.99 data plan?
 
Unless you need the SIM card before you get to the US, you can walk into any AT&T store and buy a GoPhone SIM, they are free as long as you buy $25 credit with it :) Nothing to stop you going on eBay, just may be an easier/cheaper route for you :)

Colin
 
ukcolinr said:
Unless you need the SIM card before you get to the US, you can walk into any AT&T store and buy a GoPhone SIM, they are free as long as you buy $25 credit with it :) Nothing to stop you going on eBay, just may be an easier/cheaper route for you :)

Colin
Click to expand...

That's what I did also. Put $40 on it and had them activate the data feature before I walked out, 5 minutes total. Left the store, swapped SIMS, downloaded the profile listed above, phone turned off then on and everything worked great.

Returned to Italy and deleted profile as described above and all returned to normal.

Thanks to all of you for the input.
 
ukcolinr said:
Unless you need the SIM card before you get to the US, you can walk into any AT&T store and buy a GoPhone SIM, they are free as long as you buy $25 credit with it :) Nothing to stop you going on eBay, just may be an easier/cheaper route for you :)

Colin
Click to expand...

Just wanted to warn people that some AT&T reps will try to sell you a SIM card for $100. It happened to me. If that happens just try another store.
 
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