Activation Question

[MattG]

My girlfriend currently has an Android G1 (Virgin Mobile), and she wants to switch to an iPhone.

She doesn't have a lot of money to spend, and we were looking to buy a 16GB 3GS for her. Unfortunately, her Virgin contract doesn't expire until late July, and we're worried that by then there may not be any stock of the 16GB left (from Apple, AT&T or otherwise). My question is: Can we order the phone now, with her current phone number attached to it, but NOT activate it until July so we can avoid Virgin's contract cancellation fees?

 

[i-John]

By July, there will be no 16GB 3GS available. They will offer the 8GB 3GS for $99.

In order to get upgrade pricing, you have to pre-qualify the number, which will port the number over, therefore cutting off the service from Virgin.

The only way to avoid it is to buy a 3GS now on a new number.

 

[MattG]

By July, there will be no 16GB 3GS available. They will offer the 8GB 3GS for $99.

In order to get upgrade pricing, you have to pre-qualify the number, which will port the number over, therefore cutting off the service from Virgin.

The only way to avoid it is to buy a 3GS now on a new number.

K, thanks. I figured that'd probably be the answer.

I asked because at work, we're currently in the process of moving all of our old Alltel phones to Verizon phones, and the way it works is they send you a new phone with the OLD number attached to it, but the actual transfer of the number to the new device doesn't happen until you turn the phone on and activate it. In other words, the old device continues to work until you go through the activation process. Wasn't sure if AT&T does something similar