Is there a need to unlock the iphone with new ATT plan?

**guide210** · 06-14-2008, 05:20 PM

Here is my question, if you have another att data plan can you slide that sim into the phone and have it function normally? I am guessing that you will lose the voicemail stuff but that is not a big deal for me.

My original thought was to buy the new iphone, cancel service, pay the etf, then use the att unlimited PDA/text package and fring/skype for unlimited sms/web/voice for only $45/mo on the iphone.

That would be my ideal goal. I know that there has been some talk about att requiring you to take the iphone back if you cancel service but we'll see how paying $199 for the phone, $175 for the ETF, AND having to bring the phone back will hold up in court.

Am I way off base here on my assmption or if this plausable. Feel free to tear it apart.

**Haas_Dave** · 06-14-2008, 06:08 PM

By means of the activation, it will probably need to either be factory activated (hactivation/bypassing activation/whatever you want to call it) or unlocked to use a non-iPhone3G plan.

Everything else is speculative, but it's been mentioned before that AT&T can waive an ETF on anyone within the 30-day 'trial' window by requiring return of originally purchased equipment at cancellation, plus applicable fees and service charges incurred until cancellation. I doubt both [ETF and requiring the return of equipment] will (or can legally) occur, but I could see them refusing to cancel within 30 days unless one returns the original equipment.

**RF9** · 06-14-2008, 06:27 PM

I'm assuming the $30 iPhone data plan will work on any other phone or PDA. If that's true I see no need to unlock the iPhone to use the "wrong" data plan with it just so you can use your SIM in any phone.

If it's NOT true, then I will sit on the phone ALL DAY LONG until tech support finds a way to provision my data so that it will work in both an iPhone as well as WM PDA (or any other) phone.

**jslappa** · 06-14-2008, 07:31 PM

I can think of only 2 reasons to unlock the 3G iPhone if you remain an AT&T customer.

1. You travel abroad and wish to use local SIM's in you iPhone while you travel. This circumvents AT&T's exorbitant international calling fees.

2. You want to change your 3G IMEI to your older 1st Gen iPhone's IMEI to keep the $20 data plan. (this may only require jailbreaking, not unlocking)

**guide210** · 06-14-2008, 08:08 PM

What I am talking about is using att's unlimited PDA connect which has ulnimited data and sms for $35/mo on an iphone, and using fring/skype for voice, circumventing having to pay the $70-80/mo for the iphone plan.

So if I was able to get an iphone would it be able to use att's pda connect plan alone with no voice?

**RF9** · 06-14-2008, 08:30 PM

Oh, you want to do a data only plan. Well you can certainly try. They just say you have to have a 2 year contract, and you can have a 2 year contract on data only plans. So I don't see why they should require a voice plan. So it's worth a shot.
Let's just hope the AT&T people aren't jerks about it and refuse to sell it to you that way whether they can or can't, if you know what I mean.

**guide210** · 06-14-2008, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by RF9

Oh, you want to do a data only plan. Well you can certainly try. They just say you have to have a 2 year contract, and you can have a 2 year contract on data only plans. So I don't see why they should require a voice plan. So it's worth a shot.
Let's just hope the AT&T people aren't jerks about it and refuse to sell it to you that way whether they can or can't, if you know what I mean.

There you go big boy, now you're catching on. I have a phone already on contract and I would get the iphone 3g, cancel it, pay the $175 etf, then say add the unlimited pda connect to my current phone, drop off the voice and then put the PDA connect plan sim card into my new 3g iphone.

Then I would just make calls using a combo of fring/skype and have unlimited internet and text as well. I would get a skype in # and then use grandcentral to connect it to both my cell # and my skype # (with the pda connect plan voice is 40c/min.)

It is probably against att policy but worse comes to worse I have an internet tablet/ipod for $35/mo and I can call at any wifi connection.

The financial reasoning would go like this:

iphone: $199
iphone plan: $75/mo x 24 months
Unlimited sms $20/mo x 24 months
More minutes ~ $20-30/mo x 24
----------------------------------
$2900 total

or

iphone: $199
ETF: $175
PDA/Skype plan: $45mo x 24months
-----------------------------------
$1454 total

Basically Iam getting an iphone plan for half price, and since I am in an area with good 3g coverage the voip should work fine. Like you said, whether att will let me do this is another thing.