vB Easy Archive - Come July 11th, Can I buy the iPhone + a backup phone cheap/free?

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Come July 11th, Can I buy the iPhone + a backup phone cheap/free?
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Posted by: chrbut

I really would like to go ahead and join ATT now, while they have the Blackjack II's for $1, however, I'm scared that when I walk in the store to purchase an iPhone 3g it's not gonna cost $199 / $299. I would like to have an additional phone just incase I ever loose the iphone or it ends up dying from battery power.

The only other GSM phone I have is from 2000 which is a Motorola V60 on T-Mobile. I doubt that phone will even power back on.

So is it possible to buy the blackjack for $1, then turn around and purchase an iPhone 3G for $199 by renewing the contract?

Posted by: ShortSxit

You'd be getting two subsidized phones for signing one contract.

Posted by: mongoos150

I believe he can.

Posted by: Derek Zoolander

there are a billion cheap phones that you can use as backup. just buy one instead of wrangling with a contract. Samsung 437 comes to mind.

Posted by: chrbut

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek Zoolander

there are a billion cheap phones that you can use as backup. just buy one instead of wrangling with a contract. Samsung 437 comes to mind.

I would like one with Data... such as the Current Special on the Blackjack II for $1

Posted by: jasontse

I thought you can't since you must be eligible for upgrade (unless you are current 1st gen iPhone user) to get the new 3G iPhone at the subsidized price? Won't you have to sign like a 2-year agreement of you get the BJII?

Posted by: motormouth2416

No. This is called "wishful thinking", which is not supported by AT&T's GSM network.

Posted by: vinvam

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrbut

I really would like to go ahead and join ATT now, while they have the Blackjack II's for $1, however, I'm scared that when I walk in the store to purchase an iPhone 3g it's not gonna cost $199 / $299. I would like to have an additional phone just incase I ever loose the iphone or it ends up dying from battery power.

The only other GSM phone I have is from 2000 which is a Motorola V60 on T-Mobile. I doubt that phone will even power back on.

So is it possible to buy the blackjack for $1, then turn around and purchase an iPhone 3G for $199 by renewing the contract?

here's how i understood the new policy

the iphone 3g is just like another phone, so unlike the original iphone, the new iphone will not replace your current contract

so if you were to buy to a blackjack II
and then an iphone 3g
you would have to extend your contract another two years, so you'd have 4 years left on your contract...

like everyone else said, just get an iphone 3g when it comes out
and pickup a bjII on ebay for a $100

Posted by: samc

Only if it was that easy, it seems the BJ2 goes for like $200-250 on ebay. I'm thinking of just paying the $69 for the extended warranty. Not sure yet, trying to see how the current iphones are holding out to see if they will last 2 years without any problems.

Posted by: odnerd

Where can you get the BlackJack 2 for $1?

Posted by: droptop97ta

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinvam

can't keep adding years on an existing 2 yr... 2 year contract is the max u can go.. so only 1 discounted phone is allowed... try to get the backup phone on ebay like they said.

Posted by: burton1976

Quote:

Originally Posted by motormouth2416

No. This is called "wishful thinking", which is not supported by AT&T's GSM network.

Has to be one of the best thoughts I have ever seen actually written down! Nice job.

Posted by: chrbut

Quote:

Originally Posted by odnerd

Where can you get the BlackJack 2 for $1?

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-ph...ck=1-0013C2-2-1

Posted by: Yvezzi

Don't listen to these guys. yes you can do it, and it's a loop hole that att has for being greedy. Apple will sell you the iphone for $199-$299 and the att will activate and extend your contract for two years which is the max if you already have a two contract. Att will not deny nor charge extra fees for doing so. Me and my buds did the same exact thing before switching to att from sprint for the first iphone.

Posted by: oldManinFL

I thought that in order to use the 3G sim card, the backup phone has to also be 3G because the 3G sim card will not work in a 2G phone. Am I correct?

Posted by: nrvna76

no, you can't do it, they are treating this iphone different than the first.

I'll be looking to sell my BJII when I get the new Iphone.

Posted by: CocheseUGA

Why don't you call and ask? If they say yes you can, have a supervisor place notes on your account.

They will almost certainly tell you no, though.

Posted by: mongoos150

There isn't a specific rule disallowing this. It's not exactly ideal for AT&T, but it's well within standard practices. ANY AT&T customer is being allowed to purchase the iPhone (at subsidized rates) if they re-up their contract. This includes someone who just signed up with AT&T the day before.

Posted by: importluva

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoos150

There isn't a specific rule disallowing this. It's not exactly ideal for AT&T, but it's well within standard practices. ANY AT&T customer is being allowed to purchase the iPhone (at subsidized rates) if they re-up their contract. This includes someone who just signed up with AT&T the day before.

Where are you getting your info from? There hasn't been an official announcement about this, everything we knew about the 1st iPhone is now different with iPhone 3G. We should probably wait on AT&T's official word before telling people what to do. It COULD be 199/299 for EVERYONE, or it could be more, like 399/499 for people that aren't qualified for upgrades.

Posted by: mongoos150

Quote:

Originally Posted by importluva

Where are you getting your info from? There hasn't been an official announcement about this, everything we knew about the 1st iPhone is now different with iPhone 3G.

Read the mega-thread. It's been posted several times that people who have called AT&T, inquiring whether they will be allowed to upgrade by extending their contract have ALL been told yes. It may have even been an official statement release from AT&T, but I'm unwilling to read through dozens of pages to find it for you.

Posted by: mongoos150

Also, read through this thread for further reassurance:

http://howardforums.com/showthread....23&page=1&pp=15

Posted by: FTR79

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldManinFL

I thought that in order to use the 3G sim card, the backup phone has to also be 3G because the 3G sim card will not work in a 2G phone. Am I correct?

No you got it wrong, 3G sim cards will work in in a 2G phone(2G sims are not available anymore in the U.S. anway) but a 2G sim will not work in a 3G phone. I learned this at Convergys working for AT&T

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoos150

Yes, you can get a iPhone 3G by extending your contract, but the price for non-qualified upgrades has not been determined.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008...wanted-to-know/
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/...llowup-questio/

Posted by: daphuon2

i have already called, and this is how it works...

if u buy sign a contract with a subsidized phone (which is what you want to do) you can't get the iphone 3g at a subsidized price even if you decide to sign a new 2 year contract. because the new 2 year contract does not "add" to what ever is left to in your contract, but just starts all over. so you are no longer eligible for an upgrade. you can only do this if you decide to do this way in the past where enough time passes by where you are eligible for an upgrade.

but there is one way u can get around this, but its pretty stupid to do it now. only if u did it in the past. you do this, you buy a subsidized phone with the 2 year contract, then buy the first gen iphone and active it on the same line.
you are still eligible for the subsidized price of the iphone 3g, because you are a current iphone user.

but it doesn't work the other way around.

this is what i did, i signed up with a 3rd party, and got a subsidized phone and sold it, so i can use that money to help pay for the price of the first gen iphone. i did this like 4 months ago, then i bought the iphone and active it on the same line. even tho its only been about 4 or 5 months and im not eligible for an upgrade, since i am currently a iphone user, i can still get the subsidized price for the iphone 3g by just re signing up for a 2 year contract and get that new data plan that cost 10 bucks more.

Posted by: jslappa

Daphuon2 is right. My wife and I just switched from Sprint to AT&T and picked up 2 razr V3xx's for $50 each. A third line has my iPhone on it. I just picked up a 1st gen iPhone for her and switched her line to an iPhone plan. After checking AT&T's customer web site, both our iPhone lines are eligible for upgrades. We have only been with AT&T for 3 months, so there is no way we have repaid our subsidies on the razr's yet.

Posted by: CocheseUGA

I have a feeling those of us who have been with the company for awhile and are in good standing will get exceptions.

Posted by: ivwshane

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvezzi

Don't listen to these guys. yes you can do it, and it's a loop hole that att has for being greedy. Apple will sell you the iphone for $199-$299 and the att will activate and extend your contract for two years which is the max if you already have a two contract. Att will not deny nor charge extra fees for doing so. Me and my buds did the same exact thing before switching to att from sprint for the first iphone.

The key being "first iphone". It worked the first time because at&t wasn't taking any loss on the original iphone so they were willing to sell it to you at any time and where happy to get a two year contract out of you without having to take any loss.

The game has changed with the iphone 3g and I can almost guarantee the OP will not be able to buy one phone at a discount and then get the iphone 3g.