AT&T will automaticly turn my basic plan to iphone plan?

a53ng

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Hi im new, here is my situation. Im thinking to buy an iphone 3GS once the unlocked tools come out; Im currently an AT&T customer with basic plan without data plan. My question is, if i got the 3GS over the ebay, jailbreak and unlocked, put my sim card in, will AT&T change my basic plan to their iphone plan? im kinda trying to save money by avoiding the data plan. Any suggestion on how to have Iphone 3Gs that doesn't require data plan on AT&T service?

Thank you
 

a53ng

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then i have no other option other than switching to T-mobile? will t-mobile charge data plan too if im using an i-phone?
 

BradM73

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AT&T doesn't allow people to use iPhones on their network without the appropriate data plan if you buy the iPhone through either them or Apple. That being said, let's get some more info.

First, right now the ONLY way to currently get an iPhone 3GS though AT&T is by buying the phone from Apple or AT&T and signing up for the two-year contract. Then, you can cancel the contract and pay the cancellation fee. I'm not sure what the cancellation fee is off the top of my head, but I think it's currently a couple hundred bucks. Once you do that, you'd be free to do whatever you want with the phone.

Since there is currently no jailbreak or unlock compatible with the 3GS, you'd essentially have a paperweight at that point. I'm 100% sure they're currently working on it, but no guarantee on an ETA.

Now if you pick up an unlocked iPhone or iPhone 3G and you're just planning to use the iPhone as a phone, then you should be okay, you just won't be able to get Edge or 3G (if applicable) access through the iPhone. The only way to use the internet stuff would be through Wi-Fi, and you should be able to get away with it. Why? Because if you don't have a data plan anyway, you won't be able to send and receive data over the phone via AT&T's wireless network so I don't think AT&T can tell, but you can still access internet, email, etc via Wi-Fi hot spots.

But, IF you have a data plan though AT&T and you start using an iPhone on that plan, they yea, I think they can detect that and will put you on the iPhone plan automatically. I'm not 100% sure about this part, but you should be able to use an unlocked iphone on the AT&T network as a regular phone without all of the data and stuff. You're just not going to be Edge or 3G (if you have an iPhone 3G).

As far as T-Mobile, if you have an unlocked iPhone or iPhone 3G and have the T-Mobile data plan, you can use Edge all day long with the iPhone or iPhone 3G. But you can't get an actual 3G signal because T-Mobile's network architecture is different and isn't compatible with the iPhone 3G. Same would go for the 3GS.

Hope that helps.
 
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Leanna Lofte

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Wait, wait. I think there is some confusion here. If you're just planning to use the iPhone as a phone, and only use the internet stuff through Wi-Fi, I think you might be able to get away with it. Why? Because if you don't have a data plan anyway, you won't be able to send and receive data over the phone via AT&T's wireless network, but you can still access internet, email, etc via Wi-Fi hot spots.

AT&T does not allow you to have an iPhone without a data plan. AT&T will detect that an iPhone is in use and they will add the iPhone data plan automatically. They have this disclaimer all over the place.

From what I understand, you can only get away with the unlocking trick with a 2G iPhone and not have the data plan.
 
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BradM73

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AT&T does not allow you to have an iPhone without a data plan. AT&T will detect that an iPhone is in use and they will add the iPhone data plan automatically. They have this disclaimer all over the place.

From what I understand, you can only get away with the unlocking trick with a 2G iPhone and not have the data plan.

Are you sure about that? I thought you could use it as a phone, as long as you don't have a data plan. But if you have a data plan, then they can tell it's an iPhone and then they'd upgrade you to the iphone plan. If they can detect it's an iPhone just by using the phone itself, then I didn't know that. I do know that with T-Mobile, it doesn't matter. The phones just use Edge.
 

a53ng

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This is y im not sure about the AT&T plan. My friend have a basic plan witout data plan, and he put that sim card on an iphone, AT&T send him an SMS saying that he cant use the iphone in his plan, but my friend just ignore that message and keep using his basic plan on i-phone 3G not 3Gs. Anyway AT&T know that he's using his i-phone on basic plan, but they dont charge him data plan or switch his plan to i-phone plan...yet. its been 2 months tho. i was just wondering if any of u guys have the same kind of experience?
 

Jeremy

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This is y im not sure about the AT&T plan. My friend have a basic plan witout data plan, and he put that sim card on an iphone, AT&T send him an SMS saying that he cant use the iphone in his plan, but my friend just ignore that message and keep using his basic plan on i-phone 3G not 3Gs. Anyway AT&T know that he's using his i-phone on basic plan, but they dont charge him data plan or switch his plan to i-phone plan...yet. its been 2 months tho. i was just wondering if any of u guys have the same kind of experience?

It will catch up to him soon enough. Perhaps even hit you with higher charges.
 

a53ng

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i wish i can afford it, i guess i'll have to switch to T-mobile once 3GS is unlocked. that way i dont have to pay extra $30 every month. thx guys
 

a53ng

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$5 cheaper :( still i just dont feel like paying $25 for internet that i only use for few min maybe less than an hour per month, but i still like the idea of having wifi :p
 
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That will definitely catch up with him. I've seen people put a SIM card in an iPhone from another line on their account and they ended up being charged for an iphone data plan. That was only after using the iphone for a day. That particular line generally uses a LG Vu.
 

waz#IM

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AT&T doesn't allow people to use iPhones on their network without the appropriate data plan if you buy the iPhone through either them or Apple. That being said, let's get some more info.

First, right now the ONLY way to currently get an iPhone 3GS though AT&T is by buying the phone from Apple or AT&T and signing up for the two-year contract. Then, you can cancel the contract and pay the cancellation fee. I'm not sure what the cancellation fee is off the top of my head, but I think it's currently a couple hundred bucks. Once you do that, you'd be free to do whatever you want with the phone.

Since there is currently no jailbreak or unlock compatible with the 3GS, you'd essentially have a paperweight at that point. I'm 100% sure they're currently working on it, but no guarantee on an ETA.

Now if you pick up an unlocked iPhone or iPhone 3G and you're just planning to use the iPhone as a phone, then you should be okay, you just won't be able to get Edge or 3G (if applicable) access through the iPhone. The only way to use the internet stuff would be through Wi-Fi, and you should be able to get away with it. Why? Because if you don't have a data plan anyway, you won't be able to send and receive data over the phone via AT&T's wireless network so I don't think AT&T can tell, but you can still access internet, email, etc via Wi-Fi hot spots.

But, IF you have a data plan though AT&T and you start using an iPhone on that plan, they yea, I think they can detect that and will put you on the iPhone plan automatically. I'm not 100% sure about this part, but you should be able to use an unlocked iphone on the AT&T network as a regular phone without all of the data and stuff. You're just not going to be Edge or 3G (if you have an iPhone 3G).

As far as T-Mobile, if you have an unlocked iPhone or iPhone 3G and have the T-Mobile data plan, you can use Edge all day long with the iPhone or iPhone 3G. But you can't get an actual 3G signal because T-Mobile's network architecture is different and isn't compatible with the iPhone 3G. Same would go for the 3GS.

Hope that helps.


Can't i say that I lost my iphone 3gs and i am not willing to pay for a new one and I don't want to pay the rental for no reason? :cool:
 

bergman

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data

AT&T noticed immediately when I activated a used 2G with a SIM that was in a Palm Centro with the bargain priced MediaNet plan. If anyone has a delay in automatically upgrading to the iPhone data plan, it's just plain lucky. The data plan is just part of the iPhone deal.
 

BradM73

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Can't i say that I lost my iphone 3gs and i am not willing to pay for a new one and I don't want to pay the rental for no reason? :cool:

Yea, you could say that, but you'd have to pay the $175 early termination fee on the iPhone contract. No way to really get around that unless you're past the subsidy date. But once you've done that, it's anyone's guess. I've talked to people who claim to be using iPhones on AT&T's network without data plans with no problems, and I've talked with people who say that AT&T immediately notices iPhones being used on other data plans.

A good friend of mine actually works for local telco who is an AT&T service carrier and uses an iPhone 2G regularly over their local network, which shares AT&T's data network in my area, and he isn't having any issues with using the phone or Edge at all. He just can't get some of the additional features like YouTube videos through the YouTube app (unless he's on Wi-Fi) and he can't get visual voicemail, and I don't think he could get 3G either, even though his carrier's network supports it, which is why he's still using the 2G phone. I'd have to ask him and report back. I would imagine that it's more than likely that it's because he's going through a local carrier and there's not much AT&T can do about it, but he does travel a lot and says he's gotten Edge all over the country where it is supported by AT&T's network.

Anyway, I'm rambling now, but yea, you're taking a risk by paying the cancellation fee, and then risk being put back on the same plan that you cancelled, which would obviously stink. Then you're pretty much out of the $175 for no reason. You could obviously switch to a different carrier, like T-Mobile, but you're not going to be able to get 3G, only Edge, and since the jailbreak and unlocks appear that they're not going to be out until after the next firmware update, you're not going to be able to unlock it to use it elsewhere anyway.

I hate being the bearer of bad news.
 

onesolution

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Unlock Iphone Detected

Well I have an iphone 3g. I jailbreak the phone today with iPhone1,2_2.0_5A347_Custom_Restore.ipsw. and did a restore with x12220000_4_Recovery.ipsw. I put my ATT sim card into the iphone and made a test call. Test call when through and I login my att account and sure enough the iphone was display on the first page of my account. They knew I had a iphone even unlock.

I am trying to find a way to unlock my iphone and keep it on ATT. I work for ATT and I have seen them changing peoples plans without their consent. :eek:

Iphone 16gb 3g w/ 3.0 firmware
Jailbreak works with different att sims and tmobile.
 

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