Need Advice: Can I downgrade to a non-iPhone plan on AT&T and use an original iPhone?

[TheSpaz]

If I can... what do I say to AT&T? I don't want them to blacklist my iPhone 3G (just in case I want to upgrade again in the future), but I'm sick of the huge monthly bill and I love texting on the iPhone so I don't really wanna use a non-iPhone.

Has anyone done something like this? Do you have any advice for how I should go about accomplishing this task?

Also, I *do* know how to hacktivate my first gen iPhone and I also know how to block data so those aren't issues. I just wanna know how to go about trying to get a lower plan with no data.

Thanks guys!

 

[Scott6666]

I'd like to know this as well. I want to give my 1st gen to my kid and have her have phone + text messaging but don't want to pay $30 for a data plan.

 

[himedc]

Yes you can. I have my 2G set up as an extra line and share the minutes with my 3G. $10 per month.

 

[d21mike]

I'd like to know this as well. I want to give my 1st gen to my kid and have her have phone + text messaging but don't want to pay $30 for a data plan.

That would be $20 for data and 200 text message for 1st gen phone.

Of course without a data plan you really have to be careful with all of the data usage on the iPhone. Could be quite expensive without unlimited data.

 

[TheSpaz]

That doesn't really answer my question. How do I get AT&T to downgrade my plan?

 

[dave006]

That doesn't really answer my question. How do I get AT&T to downgrade my plan?

What do you mean by downgrade?

Also you mentioned both a 3G and a first gen, which iPhone do you really have and what rate plan do you have today?

first gen aka original iPhone
2nd gen aka iPhone 3G

Have you considered a GoPhone solution without data?

Dave

 

[TheSpaz]

What do you mean by downgrade?

Also you mentioned both a 3G and a first gen, which iPhone do you really have and what rate plan do you have today?

first gen aka original iPhone
2nd gen aka iPhone 3G

Have you considered a GoPhone solution without data?

Dave

I should have been clearer. I have 2 iPhones. The iPhone I am using currently is an iPhone 3G with unlimited text messages. I also have an original iPhone. I want to save some money so I'm thinking about downgrading to a non-smartphone plan with no data access. I basically want to ditch my iPhone 3G and have an iPod touch that makes phone calls and texts... by using my original iPhone "hacktivated"

I hope that makes more sense.

 

[polythene pam]

I should have been clearer. I have 2 . The I am using currently is an 3G with unlimited messages. I also have an original iPhone. I want to save some money so I'm thinking about downgrading to a non-smartphone plan with no data access. I basically want to ditch my iPhone 3G and have an that makes phone calls and texts... by using my original iPhone "hacktivated"

I hope that makes more sense.

I'm curious to know the answer to this as well.
At two different ATT stores I was told the same thing -- that as long as I didn't cancel my 2 yr contract, I could , without penalty, downgrade from the data plan, assuming I change to a non-iPhone. But how would they know if I later place my SIM card back into the iPhone and use it as an iPod-touch-phone?

 

[alphaod]

You have to unlock it and tell them you don't have an iPhone anymore; when you decide to add your 3G back on to your plan, you'll need to sign a new contract.

 

[polythene pam]

I would have to unlock it even though I'd still be using it on AT&T?
I guess I don't really understand what unlocking does, then. I thought it had to do with using a phone on a different carrier.
Do you mean I would have to unlock the phone so that ATT doesn't find out I'm using the iPhone without paying for the data plan?

 

[Cescfabregas4]

You have to unlock it and tell them you don't have an iPhone anymore; when you decide to add your 3G back on to your plan, you'll need to sign a new contract.

no you do not need to sign a new contract. You can just call and add the 3g back.

 

[RetiredInFl]

Unless there is some hack that "hides the identity" of the phone if you have an iPhone registered with ATT you will always have to pay a data plan on ATT as long as the phone is active for telephone calls.

They can tell by your imei number what type of phone it is and WILL add the data plan back on automatically within a short period of time.

If the phone won't be used for calls (you have it removed from your account completely) it can be used as an iPod Touch without a data plan.

 

[aneftp]

This question has been asked thousands of times in the past two years since the iphone release.

Per ATT's Terms of Service (TOS). You need an iphone data plan WHEN using an iphone on their network (with either first gen iphone ($20/35/40 data/messaging bundle) iphone 3g/3gs ($30) data only.

Now to "circumvent" their policies.

1. Put ATT SIM into regular/dumb phone (it can be ATT dumb phone or a unbranded unlocked phone that ATT doesn't recognize). Ususally the system recognizes the regular/unlocked/unbranded phone right away. However, I usually let the ATT SIM sit overnight for the systems to properly recogznie the dumb phone.

2. Call ATT up the next morning. Tell them you are not using the iphone any more and wish to delete the data plan. Give them the IMEI number of your "new" dumb/unbranded phone.

That's it you are done.

3. Now, it's up to you whether you want to cheat the system or not. Some people elect to call ATT and tell them they wanto to have the medianet $15 plan on their iphone and data works fine (if you are using iphone OS 3.0, you will have to change the APN) because ATT is getting stricter on illegal data plans being used on ATT (with either first gen or iphone 3g/3gs) Please do a search to find out how to change the APN on the iphone (first/second/third generation). It's easily searchable and it's very easy to change the APN to get data working propertly.

4. Or you can call ATT to block data all together if you don't want to get charged for data. Ask them for a WIX block. They will know what that means. You can also block data by using the APN change (again use the search features on this forum or go over to HowardForums.com).

Just remember the search button is your friend for asking a lot of questions on these forums.