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Want to get iPhone...questions about current AT&T Contract

odinsride

odinsride

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 11, 2007
1,149
3
I currently am in the middle of a 2 yr contract with AT&T that includes the 450 minute voice plan and an unlimited data plan on my Cingular 8100 phone. The phone is crap and only holds a charge for about 10 hours, so I want to get an iPhone today. Will they let me activate the iPhone plan and cancel my current one? Will I have to pay any cancellation fees? Can I keep my current phone number (by swapping out my current SIM card)?

Sorry for all the questions....thanks!
 
odinsride said:
I currently am in the middle of a 2 yr contract with AT&T that includes the 450 minute voice plan and an unlimited data plan on my Cingular 8100 phone. The phone is crap and only holds a charge for about 10 hours, so I want to get an iPhone today. Will they let me activate the iPhone plan and cancel my current one? Will I have to pay any cancellation fees? Can I keep my current phone number (by swapping out my current SIM card)?

Sorry for all the questions....thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't know about the contracts as I moved from T-Mobile. You can transfer your phone number through the activation process and don't need to use your old SIM card (I don't think the iPhone will work with it anyway). The only issue that I had with transferring my number was that I now live in a different state than when I first got the number so the automated process didn't want to let me keep it. So I had to call AT&T to work that out.
 
You would just sign another 2 year extension in the iTunes activation process, and replace this phone with an existing phone on your account, which would be your 8100. There's no cancelation fee. You can just use your new SIM card in the iPhone. You can always call ATT customer service for your questions if you are going to activate legit.
 
i was in the exact same situation when i got my iphone. i had a treo 680 on at&t's 450 minutes/month plan with the media max unlimited data plan. when i got my iphone, i had to agree to 2 more years with at&t and my existing plan was changed (without any cancellation fees) to the iphone plan i selected.

you will have to use the new sim that comes with your iphone - you cannot take the sim you currently have in your 8100 and just put it in your iphone. you transfer your existing cell number to your iphone during the activation process in itunes - the process automatically deactivates your old sim and activates the sim in your iphone with your existing number. (once the sim in your iphone is activated, you can take it out and use it in another at&t or unlocked cell phone.)

enjoy! you'll love your iphone!
 
thanks everyone? So I don't really have to deal with AT&T employees at all other than to pay for the iphone? Everything is done on itunes?

My employer gives a 12% discount through AT&T so I wonder if I need to do something special for that to carry over for the iphone...hmm
 
odinsride said:
thanks everyone? So I don't really have to deal with AT&T employees at all other than to pay for the iphone? Everything is done on itunes?

My employer gives a 12% discount through AT&T so I wonder if I need to do something special for that to carry over for the iphone...hmm
Click to expand...

nope, you don't have to do anything with at&t employees when you buy your iphone. i have heard of them asking to do a credit check before they let you have an iphone, but just tell them you're a current customer and you're just switching your current number to the iphone. they don't need to do anything, so don't let them try to...

no discounts apply to accounts with iphones on them, so you're out of luck there. this was a major complaint area when the iphone was released even though it was clearly stated on at&t's site prior to iday, but it's died down now...
 
if you live close to an Apple store you can buy one there too. Then you don't have to deal with AT&T at all.
 
posting from my new iPhone...this means everything worked out

Woohoo!
 
InfiniteLoop said:
How about activating using iTunes? How does that work? Do you have to enter an SSN into iTunes?
Click to expand...

The process really isn't that complicated. I didn't look up or research anything. I bought my phone at the Apple store, and came home and plugged it into my cumputer and followed directions. That was all!

But I was an existing AT&T customer, so I wasn't very concerened about things related to that.
 
odinsride said:
I currently am in the middle of a 2 yr contract with AT&T that includes the 450 minute voice plan and an unlimited data plan on my Cingular 8100 phone. The phone is crap and only holds a charge for about 10 hours, so I want to get an iPhone today. Will they let me activate the iPhone plan and cancel my current one? Will I have to pay any cancellation fees? Can I keep my current phone number (by swapping out my current SIM card)?
Click to expand...
My goodness. ATT was busted to a non-company in 1975 because of arm-breaker tactics. They just broke them up - and they went kicking and screaming "We'll ruin you! We'll charge you per-minute rates on local calls! Per Minute - you understand? We are VERY powerful - we can cut off your phone!"

So who the hell allowed them back into the market to exploit more by-the-minute draconian billing? I mean come ON - this per minute stuff went out with ATT in the 70s!

My Cingular (we don't recognize ATT - that really pizzes them off) bill was 341 pages long - just LAST MONTH. Make out your check to Cingular and watch - you'll get an armbreaker calling you
 
mackk said:
The process really isn't that complicated. I didn't look up or research anything. I bought my phone at the Apple store, and came home and plugged it into my cumputer and followed directions. That was all!

But I was an existing AT&T customer, so I wasn't very concerened about things related to that.
Click to expand...

The demo video only shows the new customer case, where the user is getting a new number. I am already a Cingular customer and I want to get an iPhone to use with one of my numbers on my account but I do not want to change my contract (I do not care for the data connection) and I do not want to give my SSN to Cingular/AT&T or Apple.

So what information do I need to provide if I am getting iPhone as an existing Cingular user to be used with an existing number? Also what about the activation fee? How much is that?
 
InfiniteLoop said:
The demo video only shows the new customer case, where the user is getting a new number. I am already a Cingular customer and I want to get an iPhone to use with one of my numbers on my account but I do not want to change my contract (I do not care for the data connection) and I do not want to give my SSN to Cingular/AT&T or Apple.

So what information do I need to provide if I am getting iPhone as an existing Cingular user to be used with an existing number? Also what about the activation fee? How much is that?
Click to expand...

This is what I did. I got my iphone shortly after my 2 years were up- so my plan renewed itself I guess. I plugged in the iphone and followed directions. As I recall, I just typed in my phone number. The iphone data plan will replace your current one. Things that don't apply to the iphone, like phone insurance, will cease.

Chances are you'll make the switch in the middle of a billing cycle, so whatever add-ons you have (insurance, data packages, etc) will be cancelled starting THAT DAY. They'll show up as prorated charges in your bill. I didn't see any activation fee. I think that's just when you go in and upgrade a phone. I'm not 100% certain though.
 
odinsride said:
thanks everyone? So I don't really have to deal with AT&T employees at all other than to pay for the iphone? Everything is done on itunes?

My employer gives a 12% discount through AT&T so I wonder if I need to do something special for that to carry over for the iphone...hmm
Click to expand...

If you are using our current phone under your employers account, you will have to call ATT and change your account to a personal account. This is one of the reasons I am holding up on the iPhone, until they allow iphones on business accounts.
 
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