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HOWTO - iPhone & prepaid data in USA

S

Steve Kay

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 29, 2010
5
0
Pre-req - an unlocked iPhone

1. Buy the cheapest AT&T Go Phone package from any electrical store, I bought a Nokia 2320 from Best Buy for USD30.

DO NOT PUT THE SIM CARD IN THE DEVICE IT CAME WITH

2. Go to att.com/gophone and choose "Activate"

3. Enter the SIM number, any IMEI that isn't your iPhone IMEI, name and email address, plus a ZIP code, and AT&T will activate the SIM and assign it a number

4. Call the AT&T top up line, press 0 to go through to an operator. Give them your newly assigned US phone number (from step 3) and ask for the USD19.99 100MB data package feature.

5. They will take your non-US debit/credit card, and bill you USD19.99.

6. Now you can put your SIM card in your iPhone. Reboot it.

7. Now you should have AT&T as your carrier. Using wifi, visit www.unlockit.co.nz and download and activate the US AT&T APN profile.

8. Reboot again, and you should have 3G data service on your iPhone.


(I found a lot of conflicting info on this, but I've just done this and it worked first time!)
 
Steve Kay said:
Pre-req - an unlocked iPhone

1. Buy the cheapest AT&T Go Phone package from any electrical store, I bought a Nokia 2320 from Best Buy for USD30.

DO NOT PUT THE SIM CARD IN THE DEVICE IT CAME WITH

2. Go to att.com/gophone and choose "Activate"

3. Enter the SIM number, any IMEI that isn't your iPhone IMEI, name and email address, plus a ZIP code, and AT&T will activate the SIM and assign it a number

4. Call the AT&T top up line, press 0 to go through to an operator. Give them your newly assigned US phone number (from step 3) and ask for the USD19.99 100MB data package feature.

5. They will take your non-US debit/credit card, and bill you USD19.99.

6. Now you can put your SIM card in your iPhone. Reboot it.

7. Now you should have AT&T as your carrier. Using wifi, visit www.unlockit.co.nz and download and activate the US AT&T APN profile.

8. Reboot again, and you should have 3G data service on your iPhone.


(I found a lot of conflicting info on this, but I've just done this and it worked first time!)
Click to expand...


Dude all you need to do is buy a micro sim from ebay for $5 activate it on at&t go plan site with imei and micro sims number. Add whatever package you want from there on.
 
whats the simplest way for somebody who wants to get some access to 3g/talk/mms while travleing throughout the US for a short time?
 
cycomiko said:
whats the simplest way for somebody who wants to get some access to 3g/talk/mms while travleing throughout the US for a short time?
Click to expand...

That's exactly the reason I've done this - cos I'm here for two weeks and need to stay in touch on email without paying my UK carrier the extortionate rate they charge for roaming data.

If you can get a Go plan SIM without buying the phone too, the rest of that guide will work. I just wasn't sure about that when I was in Best Buy.
 
iphone with unlimited data in usa

hello,
T mobile proposes a contract plan with sim card for smartphones offering unlimited data, texts, 500 min talk, for 75 dol inlc taxes. No long term agreement, monthly renewal. - This information comes from T mobile shop sales representative in santa monica today, over the phone.

Another T mobile sales representative (general customer service) proposed me the same card for only 55 dol (but maybe without taxes) and told that this is the cheapest way, as the vendors are adding service fees in the shops.
To take the order, she needed a US credit card and US shipping address, but she told me that non US credit card could maybe work too...

So I would like to know if someone has actually used this service, does it really work on monthly bases, without longterm contract ?
 
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