Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Alternative iPhone Activations: No Contract, Widescreen iPod / Wifi

here's the response from the original submitted

Had two phones to set up: one for me and one for my wife. Accidently plugged in the wrong phone (Phone #2 in step #4), after I had initially began registering the first phone the day before. It was a pretty stupid mistake and I forced phone #2's activation through thinking it wasn't working with the same number.

I have spent all day on the phone with Apple and AT&T to fix this issue - apparently, the steps outlined below cause a serial number database mismatch between the IMEA numbers stored in databases at Apple (iTunes) and at AT&T. Additionally, AT&T's database does not see Phone #1 anymore when you 'overwrite' the information using the same cell phone number (e.g. Cell phone Number X). Apple's database sees Phone #1, but not Phone #2 for some reason - hence the partial activation (and unlock of its features).

This does not produce a fully unlocked phone that can accept any simcard - it simply allows an individual to semi-activate an iPhone to use most its features over WiFi (e.g. Youtube, Mail, etc) without a cell number association (thus and a bill from AT&T) on a phone. The phone will always display a quick message "waiting for activation from AT&T" at boot up, but will then allow you to use the phone's features (except ones that need the cellular network).

Let X= 'a phone number you want to port over from another carrier' (e.g. 888-555-1212)

6.) Fill in the information re-using "Cell Number X" as the primary phone number again - it will over-ride the first registration. Allow the iPhone #2 to fully-activate using this number. This phone should work with this .

7.) Plug in iPhone #2, it will unlock the phone for use (not necessarily with another carrier), but without a cell phone number assigned or an account from AT&T. This phone will be in a semi-activated state.
Click to expand...
 
You are all going to a lot of trouble for nothing.

Why don't you activate the phone with AT&T, and then cancel your service - you have 30 days to do that at no charge:) . Then just keep the phone!
 
arn said:
If you stop paying the $60/mo, your phone (+ wifi) will stop working.
Click to expand...

What? So I buy an iPhone now and decide to buy a rev 2 iPhone next year. I can't cancel/move the plan and use my rev 1 iPhone as a wifi web-device? iPod? Are you sure?
 
als2663 said:
Why don't you activate the phone with AT&T, and then cancel your service - you have 30 days to do that at no charge:) . Then just keep the phone!
Click to expand...

Not possible. You will have to return the phone as it says in the contract.
 
123 said:
What? So I buy an iPhone now and decide to buy a rev 2 iPhone next year. I can't cancel/move the plan and use my rev 1 iPhone as a wifi web-device? iPod? Are you sure?
Click to expand...

hey when you buy a second iphone in the future, it adds 2 years to your service.. so you will have 3 years left on the contract when you buy an iphone next year... i know its a bummer cuz i just reupped this year too... :( lets hope they take that silly crap off and make it like any other fone. :)

i heart my :apple: iphone
 
Airforce said:
Not possible. You will have to return the phone as it says in the contract.
Click to expand...

Are you sure the contracts says so? It is rather odd that you'd have to "return" a phone you bought (full price) and therefore own.
You may have to pay an early termination fee for breaking a contract with at&t but the phone is yours.

Am I wrong?
 
Ok, how about the two methods combined...

Get an iPhone place register the phone with the 999-99-9999 SS#, then when the activation email comes in, request the moving from another carrier and use the registration/activation number from the email provided. Now, in theory, you should have a contract-less activated phone. Which Apple will see as activated with full service and the new darkside will see as pay-as-you-go plan, so no 2 year contract.

Just a thought, and being that I haven't activated my phone yet, I think I might give it a try.

I agree, we all need to get a method of unlocking the iphone... I travel, A LOT and I have sim cards from many providers, even place ATT doesn't cover. Not to mention that roaming charges are out of space with then.
 
McBain2 said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it illegal to knowingly give out a false social security number? Or maybe it's just illegal in certain circumstances. Anyway, not something I'd ever try.
Click to expand...

No company but the Social Security Administration actually has the legal right to require you to give your serial number for anything. But good luck trying not to these days. Your Social Security Number has one singular purpose by law, - to obtain your Social Security Benefits when you retire. But it's been hijacked as an identifier number.
 
catdog02481 said:
Just did that, it starts fine and says no sim and cannot connect to edge but then went on to work with the wifi well without any problems...! More on that later...
Click to expand...

Um, but it's already activated. You're paying for it.
 
stainless said:
Get an iPhone place register the phone with the 999-99-9999 SS#, then when the activation email comes in, request the moving from another carrier and use the registration/activation number from the email provided. Now, in theory, you should have a contract-less activated phone. Which Apple will see as activated with full service and the new darkside will see as pay-as-you-go plan, so no 2 year contract.

Just a thought, and being that I haven't activated my phone yet, I think I might give it a try.

I agree, we all need to get a method of unlocking the iphone... I travel, A LOT and I have sim cards from many providers, even place ATT doesn't cover. Not to mention that roaming charges are out of space with then.
Click to expand...

I think it's important to note that an unlocked iPhone and a non-SIM iPhone are two very different beasts. We were told not long before the release that the phone would be 100% feature-locked until activation. This is true, and activation allows us to get at those features. However, this does not mean the phone is unlocked in the common sense of the word, as the phone features can only be used with AT&T.

It seems what Jeff is doing is helping us to progress towards unlocking the phone, and it is certainly a good step.
 
Digress or no?

I dont know if this would be considered off topic, but I didn't think so and I find it very curious; When I bought the iPhone, the woman at the desk said 'You must activate it within 30 days'. What the hell is that supposed to mean? After those 30 days, is it considered a dud and no longer activateable or what, is it then auto activated maybe?

Anybody else predict some hidden signifigance in this verbal warning? I could be wrong.
 
musiq021 said:
I dont know if this would be considered off topic, but I didn't think so and I find it very curious; When I bought the iPhone, the woman at the desk said 'You must activate it within 30 days'. What the hell is that supposed to mean? After those 30 days, is it considered a dud and no longer activateable or what, is it then auto activated maybe?

Anybody else predict some hidden signifigance in this verbal warning? I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Have you activated yours yet? Even if you did, I'd call them up and ask what she meant. Make up some story like you have an emergency 31 day trip to Africa coming up. Ask them what will happen when you try to activate it when you return.
 
waiting

im not in a hurry, ...
from what i heard, the european/german version (hopefully coming out in october) will be an overhauled one.

but it would be great anyway :)

btw, can you not change the information on a simcard?
AND I WANT iPhone2 to be able to videocall/chat someone via UMTS

uuuh i love my :apple:
 
Ugg said:
You would have to pay the first month's charges of $50.

At this point, there's no confirmation that wifi will work without an active phone. I'd hold off until somebody actually confirms it.
Click to expand...

Actually - if you cancel the Att service within 30 days all you pay is the activation fee. And they won't let you return the phone after 14 days - you already have a 10% stake in it from the second you open the box.

From what others have seen there are clear indications that killing the phone service does not necessarily kill the wi-fi and the rest of the 'features'; however, I agree with this post that I'm sure not going to be the one to test that out. There is a 'chance' though I think it unlikely that att will update apple's registry of who is being naughty and nice... However, at some level - it's one thing to lock it to make sure you activate it, and to make sure it only works with att - it's another thing altogether to 'break' it after the fact, and I read nothing that implies they will re-lock it if you kill your contract.
 
I called att to cancel today... they instructed me to return the phone to the apple store and I will have to pay is the restocking fee and whatever minutes I used (no activation fee). So if I cancel after 14 days, I shouldn't be able to return it the apple store according to apple's return policy right? Or is ATT's cancellation policy different like everything else about ATT's policy with the iPhone?

About the two phone activation process. It makes sense logically.... Say if by some chance my iPhone breaks or gets "lost" tomorrow and I go buy a new one to replace it. Then, I would activate my new phone with iTunes and say i'm already a customer... that should then activate my new phone and deactivate the "lost/missing/broken" phone for obvious reasons(two phones can't have the same number). The only question then is... Will apple recheck if the phone is activated with ATT properly when you connect to iTunes, update the firmware, restore software? Is that initial unlocking of the phone only performed once for the life of an iPhone? They shouldn't check because customers will be really pissed off if iPhone 1.0 locks up because they upgrade to iPhone 2.0. I mean you're already paying an arm and leg for this thing and you can't even truly own it without selling your soul to ATT? If this method works then it's possible to get an open iPhone with no contract at the cost of a 50 or 60 dollar restocking fee. However, this is only the first step to truly unlocking the phone...

I'm like many others waiting for someone else take the risk for 50 or 60 dollars to test this method. I'll probably wait a week or so to see if it's confirmed, if not i'll try it out. If it works the opened iPhone is definitely worth value overseas even if it's still locked to ATT, if not -50/60 bucks.
 
Does the whole social security number credit check thing only appear for new ATT customers? So if I am already an ATT customer, then the prepaid iPhone option won't show up for me, right?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back