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mmelgar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 20, 2011
2
0
My old iPhone 4 is no longer on contract and sitting in a drawer not being used. I would like to give it to my dad but he doesnt want to spend money on a data plan. He has great wifi service in his area which would be enough for him. Its a Verizon CDMA phone. Is there any provider that will allow phone service without requiring a data plan? He prefers to do prepay without a contract because he doesnt make many phone calls.
 
Consumer Cellular would be a perfect option for him.
Isn't CC on AT&T?

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I gave a unused iPhone 3GS to a friend who is using a similar gophone sim card that was active. Works fine with the 3GS. Thus, perhaps the OP could buy a cheap gophone that shares the same sim card size as the iPhone 4 and after it's activated, swap.
 
It is, and I've got two SIM cards coming from them right now. I've been with AT&T since they were Cingular and as I understand it, Consumer Cellular is tied in with their system.

Instead of paying a bit over $120. for two iPhones our plans will now be under $50.

You need your own unlocked iPhone (I think- haven't got the SIMS yet...).

It was another member of these forums on another thread that got me to investigate.
 
As far as I know, the Verizon iPhone 4 does not have a SIM card slot. Therefore, it cannot be used on GSM networks like AT&T and their partners/MVNOs. I believe the Verizon iPhone 4 is a CDMA-only device.
 
Somehow I missed the part it was a Verizon iPhone... and yes, as stated above, as it is an iP4 your options are limited (and, AT&T isn't one of them).

Cricket might be an alternative worth checking out...
 
I know this may sound lame, but he could use a dumb phone (probably free) for calls and text, and use the iPhone 4 on wifi for obviously everything else. I would assume that would be a pretty cheap phone bill.
 
I know this may sound lame, but he could use a dumb phone (probably free) for calls and text, and use the iPhone 4 on wifi for obviously everything else. I would assume that would be a pretty cheap phone bill.

It is very lame. Why would he use two devices when he has the option to use one? There are a lot of prepaid carriers that have plans without data.
 
If you're mostly on wifi these are three easy/good options:

Skype (http://www.skype.com/en/rates/) is $2.99 a month for unlimited US calling, but you don't get texting, and still requires a Skype number ($18/3 months or $60/year in US for example) to get incoming calls.

Line2 (https://www.line2.com/) is $9.95 a month, completely VoIP, no contract. 5000 outgoing minutes, unlimited for receiving calls. Comes with unlimited text too.

Google Voice (https://www.google.com/voice/) is free, but it's not entirely VoIP. You can text from the app, but to make VoIP calls you have to use Hangouts. Some minor tinkering involved in enabling Hangouts to receive incoming calls to your GV number.

All three have apps for iOS/Android, desktop. Google Voice is accessible in browser though, and routs a call to your mobile phone for making calls. Line2 and Skype allow full functionality across multiple devices. Line2 to Line2 and Skype to Skype calls/messages are free, obviously.
 
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My 87 year old Mom does not need data, but she has it.
But, having her with data on our plan costs me almost nothing. Double check VZ group plans.
 
My 87 year old Mom does not need data, but she has it.
But, having her with data on our plan costs me almost nothing. Double check VZ group plans.

this add him to your family shared plan i don't what verizon would charge, but AT&T costs just $25 a month to add a line.
 
For verizon iphones, there are none.

Sell the verizon iphone 4 on ebay and buy an AT&T iphone 4. Then you get lots of prepaid options on AT&T, Tmobile, and 100s other prepaid mvno providers.
 
My 87 year old Mom does not need data, but she has it.
But, having her with data on our plan costs me almost nothing. Double check VZ group plans.
What plan are you on? The More Everything plan is $40/mo per smartphone, which is not almost nothing. And the Nationwide plans require a $10/mo line access fee and a minimum $30/mo data plan if you have a smartphone on the line, which comes to $40/mo and is not almost nothing.
 
My old iPhone 4 is no longer on contract and sitting in a drawer not being used. I would like to give it to my dad but he doesnt want to spend money on a data plan. He has great wifi service in his area which would be enough for him. Its a Verizon CDMA phone. Is there any provider that will allow phone service without requiring a data plan? He prefers to do prepay without a contract because he doesnt make many phone calls.

Page Plus uses the Verizon network and has several affordable prepay plans. I use a $25 plan with 400+ minutes that lasts 120 days w/ an iPhone 4.
 
What plan are you on? The More Everything plan is $40/mo per smartphone, which is not almost nothing. And the Nationwide plans require a $10/mo line access fee and a minimum $30/mo data plan if you have a smartphone on the line, which comes to $40/mo and is not almost nothing.

4 smart phones, 10gb data shared, tethering on 3 ipads and laptops, unlimited everything else. $160 total.
 
Like you, my dad didn't really need data. I got him on my AT&T shared family data plan and it costs me an extra $18 per month which he then pays me for.

So, yeah, he has data when he needs it, but at about 150 MB of use per month I didn't need to raise my plan for him or anything.

This may not apply to you, OP, if you're not on a plan like that already. But as other posters have noted, the prices vary a lot depending on what you have. Worth looking at to be sure.
 
That is a More Everything plan. Each smartphone is $40/mo and to me at least, that is not almost nothing.

Actually, it is $100 for the plan, and $15 per phone after that.

So, if someone already has a plan, adding Dad or Mom with minimal data is only $15.
 
Actually, it is $100 for the plan, and $15 per phone after that.
It is $100/mo for 15GB of shared data. It is only $15 per smartphone if you share at least 10GB of data and bring your own device or are on Edge.

So, if someone already has a plan, adding Dad or Mom with minimal data is only $15.
True but you pay full price for the phone then either by bringing your own device or through Edge.

But that is a good point since the OP was talking about a used iPhone 4. If OP is on a More Everything plan with at least 10GB of data, he could add a used iPhone 4 to his plan for his dad for $15/mo.
 
Anyway to get phone service without data plan on old iPhone

I would advise page plus though you will have to set it up. Turn off cellular data. Plans can be as cheap as 10$ every 4 months. Since I don't make many calls I get $10 every 4 months. I don't have an iPhone on it but it's the cheapest plan I can find and it works in places my mom's sprint iPhone that costs around $80 per month does.
 
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