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So...here's my plan about getting a new iPhone 3G

A

airfang

macrumors regular
Original poster
Currently I have the 1st gen iPhone, and I want to get my wife an iPhone 3G (we are in a family plan)

According to the AT&T video we need to pay $399 for the 8G model...

But if I upgrade to iPhone 3G and hand down the old iPhone to my wife, we end up paying $199 (in case of the 8G model)...

The only downside would be we have to tell friends that we have switched phone numbers (considering we dont have that many contacts yet, it might be worth it)

Or is it even possible to then reactivate the iPhone 3G with her number and the old iPhone with mine?

Any info on this would be appreciated! Thx guys :apple:
 
airfang said:
Currently I have the 1st gen iPhone, and I want to get my wife an iPhone 3G (we are in a family plan)

According to the AT&T video we need to pay $399 for the 8G model...

But if I upgrade to iPhone 3G and hand down the old iPhone to my wife, we end up paying $199 (in case of the 8G model)...

The only downside would be we have to tell friends that we have switched phone numbers (considering we dont have that many contacts yet, it might be worth it)

Or is it even possible to then reactivate the iPhone 3G with her number and the old iPhone with mine?

Any info on this would be appreciated! Thx guys :apple:
Click to expand...

switch out the sim cards
 
If you want to do this, you need to do it NOW. If you put the iPhone on her account after the 11th it wont work. If you do it before the 11th, it should work fine according to everything we have heard from ATT so far.

So, you need to:

1. Put your iPhone sim in her phone.
2. Get a new sim for your iPhone and convert her line to an iPhone plan.
3. Get 2 new iPhones on the 11th for $199 each since you will both be considered existing iPhone customers.
 
NeoMayhem said:
If you want to do this, you need to do it NOW. If you put the iPhone on her account after the 11th it wont work. If you do it before the 11th, it should work fine according to everything we have heard from ATT so far.

So, you need to:

1. Put your iPhone sim in her phone.
2. Get a new sim for your iPhone and convert her line to an iPhone plan.
3. Get 2 new iPhones on the 11th for $199 each since you will both be considered existing iPhone customers.
Click to expand...

This actually sounds like a pretty decent idea. You'll just be iPhone-less for a week and a half.
 
JBaker122586 said:
This actually sounds like a pretty decent idea. You'll just be iPhone-less for a week and a half.
Click to expand...

Well, you can always un-switch phones after you get the iPhone plan added to her line. ATT may do some fancy IMEI tracking to prevent this trick from working, but based on their claim of "anybody who bought an iPhone before July 11th" makes it sound like they wont, you just need to act fast.
 
NeoMayhem said:
Well, you can always un-switch phones after you get the iPhone plan added to her line. ATT may do some fancy IMEI tracking to prevent this trick from working, but based on their claim of "anybody who bought an iPhone before July 11th" makes it sound like they wont, you just need to act fast.
Click to expand...

Once the iPhone is activated on a new account it will only work with that SIM card in it, I'm pretty sure.
 
NeoMayhem said:
If you want to do this, you need to do it NOW. If you put the iPhone on her account after the 11th it wont work. If you do it before the 11th, it should work fine according to everything we have heard from ATT so far.

So, you need to:

1. Put your iPhone sim in her phone.
2. Get a new sim for your iPhone and convert her line to an iPhone plan.
3. Get 2 new iPhones on the 11th for $199 each since you will both be considered existing iPhone customers.
Click to expand...

Thx for the reply NeoMayhem

I understood part 2...but why is part 1 necessary? How to downgrade an iPhone plan to a normal plan?
And for part 3...I am just gonna get one iPhone 3G for my wife, I actually like my old one 😀
 
airfang said:
Thx for the reply NeoMayhem

I understood part 2...but why is part 1 necessary? How to downgrade an iPhone plan to a normal plan?
And for part 3...I am just gonna get one iPhone 3G for my wife, I actually like my old one 😀
Click to expand...

He's just saying part 1 so that you'll still have a phone to use.

Theoretically, the idea behind this is: you activate the iPhone onto her account, and switch back to a normal account for a few days. Then, have her plan upgraded to 3G, and accept her iPhone under their "hand-me-down" program and reactivate it. This would require you to re-up for 2 years, but that shouldn't be a problem if you decide to switch to 3G as all iPhone customers get full subsidization.
 
JBaker122586 said:
He's just saying part 1 so that you'll still have a phone to use.

Theoretically, the idea behind this is: you activate the iPhone onto her account, and switch back to a normal account for a few days. Then, have her plan upgraded to 3G, and accept her iPhone under their "hand-me-down" program and reactivate it. This would require you to re-up for 2 years, but that shouldn't be a problem if you decide to switch to 3G as all iPhone customers get full subsidization.
Click to expand...

Meaning my plan will be automatically downgraded if I insert my sim card into a regular phone?
 
Similar situation...

I have a friend who has an iPhone.. although I'm not sure if she plans on upgrading to the new 3G.

Could I take her iPhone for say.. 3 days before July 11th, insert my SIM card, upgrade my plan to an iPhone plan... then walk into AT&T on July 11th and be considered an iPhone customer?

This would work correct? So long as my friend can stand being w/o her iPhone for 3 days...


Also.. would this screw her over if she does decide to buy the iPhone 3G? Do you think they would do some sort of IMEI tracking and block that specific 1st gen iPhone from being used as a customer eligible for upgrading after I did so?
 
apb509 said:
I have a friend who has an iPhone.. although I'm not sure if she plans on upgrading to the new 3G.

Could I take her iPhone for say.. 3 days before July 11th, insert my SIM card, upgrade my plan to an iPhone plan... then walk into AT&T on July 11th and be considered an iPhone customer?

This would work correct? So long as my friend can stand being w/o her iPhone for 3 days...


Also.. would this screw her over if she does decide to buy the iPhone 3G? Do you think they would do some sort of IMEI tracking and block that specific 1st gen iPhone from being used as a customer eligible for upgrading after I did so?
Click to expand...

This is kind of my concern, too.

Because if it is not the case, basically one 1st gen iPhone can be given to as many people to start an iPhone plan before July 11th and then every one of them will be eligible for upgrade price.

Correct me if I am wrong. Because I don't know what will happen to my iPhone plan if I give the iPhone away to somebody else. Do I still have the plan? Or it automatically downgrades to a regular plan upon the activation of the 1st iPhone by another number?
 
airfang said:
This is kind of my concern, too.

Because if it is not the case, basically one 1st gen iPhone can be given to as many people to start an iPhone plan before July 11th and then every one of them will be eligible for upgrade price.

Correct me if I am wrong. Because I don't know what will happen to my iPhone plan if I give the iPhone away to somebody else. Do I still have the plan? Or it automatically downgrades to a regular plan upon the activation of the 1st iPhone by another number?
Click to expand...

You still have the plan.
I sold my iPhone on eBay a month ago, but I'm still on the iPhone plan.
 
Then does it mean that I can just give the 1st iPhone to any number of other people to help them get a 1st iPhone plan...and then with that they can get the 3G version on the 11th?
 
airfang said:
Then does it mean that I can just give the 1st iPhone to any number of other people to help them get a 1st iPhone plan...and then with that they can get the 3G version on the 11th?
Click to expand...

Thats what it sounds like so far, but I am sure they will change their minds if to many people do it.
 
Under no circumstances should you pay the $399. I mean, paying $175 cancellation (less depending on how long you have left) plus the $199 is cheaper than paying for it outright. You should still be able to keep the phone number too. However, I'd only do that if the other methods don't work.
 
airfang said:
Currently I have the 1st gen iPhone, and I want to get my wife an iPhone 3G (we are in a family plan)

According to the AT&T video we need to pay $399 for the 8G model...

But if I upgrade to iPhone 3G and hand down the old iPhone to my wife, we end up paying $199 (in case of the 8G model)...

The only downside would be we have to tell friends that we have switched phone numbers (considering we dont have that many contacts yet, it might be worth it)

Or is it even possible to then reactivate the iPhone 3G with her number and the old iPhone with mine?

Any info on this would be appreciated! Thx guys :apple:
Click to expand...

I wear the pants in my household....I'm getting the 3G. I am passing the iPhone Classic down to the Mrs. She currently has an LG Shine, so it will be new to her. 🙂
 
apb509 said:
I have a friend who has an iPhone.. although I'm not sure if she plans on upgrading to the new 3G.

Could I take her iPhone for say.. 3 days before July 11th, insert my SIM card, upgrade my plan to an iPhone plan... then walk into AT&T on July 11th and be considered an iPhone customer?

This would work correct? So long as my friend can stand being w/o her iPhone for 3 days...


Also.. would this screw her over if she does decide to buy the iPhone 3G? Do you think they would do some sort of IMEI tracking and block that specific 1st gen iPhone from being used as a customer eligible for upgrading after I did so?
Click to expand...

Has anyone Tried this yet?

My wife is obviously able to upgrade to the new iphone for 199 since she has a iphone but my line says I'm not eligible for an upgrade. So by me taking her sim and putting it on another phone for the meantime and then upgrading my data plan with her existing phone should make my line automatically available right?
 
doug0365 said:
Has anyone Tried this yet?

My wife is obviously able to upgrade to the new iphone for 199 since she has a iphone but my line says I'm not eligible for an upgrade. So by me taking her sim and putting it on another phone for the meantime and then upgrading my data plan with her existing phone should make my line automatically available right?
Click to expand...

That's my understanding so far...
 
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