Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Cellular devices have ESNs - Electronic Serial Numbers. The SIM broadcasts that ESN from the device to legitimize the device on the network. Swapping SIMs with two devices will befuddle the network, and may make the SIM unusable with either device.

I did put my iPhone's SIM into an old dumbphone, and was able to use it for a week until the iPhone was fixed, so it should work. (Though, the iPhone did forget my voicemail password when I put the SIM back in).
 
I want to know:

1) Can you activate when you're in the middle of nowhere and don't have access to WiFi?
2) Details of those International plans.

Problem is; if you are in the middle of nowhere then you won't have 3G service either. 3G service from AT&T is really only available in a few major cities. Everywhere else is EDGE or no service at all.

In my area the nearest 3G service is 250 miles away. Edge service is 20 miles away and there is no cell service at my home.
 
So creating the cellular data account, it asks you for your telephone number, and "Login Information".

The login information is an email and a password.

Ok, the telephone number, sure, whatever, AT&T Marketing can call my land-line. Could be a billing thing, security, whatever.

But what is the email _and_ password? password for my yahoo email? what? No explanation what this "login information" is...

The document explains exactly what it is. You supply any password you want. The email address is used as an account ID. Then you can log in later and make changes. Nothing nefarious.

Problem is; if you are in the middle of nowhere then you won't have 3G service either. 3G service from AT&T is really only available in a few major cities. Everywhere else is EDGE or no service at all.

In my area the nearest 3G service is 250 miles away. Edge service is 20 miles away and there is no cell service at my home.

Edge should work, too. The point is it works over the cellular connection, not the wi-fi connection.
 
Oh, and joy of joys, you can't use a PO Box as a billing address. Has to be a physical address. So if you get your credit card statement mailed to a PO Box, good luck with that, and have fun on hold with your credit card company.
 
AT&T stated that this is a whole new account unrelated to any other accounts.

Well that stinks. I do not want a credit card for just a $30 revolving fee. I do not want to use my Visa Debit card as I had issues with companies doing autodrafts. i already have a $157 a month AT&T bill for 2 iphones. I want to just add this to my existing bill. Heck of a lot easier to check, track, and only 1 check to write out every month, instead of 2.

I bet the reason why billing is set up that way, is so that people forget to cancel it. Most people have high credit car balances and some people really do not analize their bill, like I do. I bet they are hoping people forget to turn it off, and they do not see the additional charge, as their balance is already high and some people may just mistake it for a fee. I know some people who only look at the balance and the minimum payment each month - they do not even look at the individual charges on their statement. i had to show a couple of people how they were getting ripped off with interest, late payments, and other fees they did not know about. They did not know that their $100 payment, only $30 was going toward the balance. They just assumed they bought something that month.

Also on that screen shot. Is the Cancel, just cancelling you out of the screen - or is that a way to cancel your 3g service? I bet many people will get fed up with people overwhelming the call centers and thus being put on hold, they AT&T is betting on missing the auto-renew date and thus squeezing another month out of people.

If your not careful - this could get tricky for some people.......
 
Edge?

This may seem like a silly question but I assume it will work on EDGE as well? I've got places that fall back to EDGE and I want to make sure it'll work on EDGE as well.
 
Current ATT Mobile Broadband Customers

I wonder if ATT will support current ATT mobile broadband account to be used on the iPAD.

I currently have a USB modem that I use with my MBP. Since the hardware is already built into the iPAD and I already have a mobile broadband account with ATT, it seems I should be able to carry over the account instead of signing up for yet another account.
 
Cellular devices have ESNs - Electronic Serial Numbers. The SIM broadcasts that ESN from the device to legitimize the device on the network. Swapping SIMs with two devices will befuddle the network, and may make the SIM unusable with either device.

I doubt this. I use my iPhone SIM in several European and 1 Canadian phone which are not supported by AT&T and I've never had a problem using them seamlessly. I can't think of any reason the iPad will be any different.
 
The document explains exactly what it is. You supply any password you want. The email address is used as an account ID. Then you can log in later and make changes. Nothing nefarious.

Two things: is it reasonable for people to have to go to a webpage and read a support document when trying to set up an account so they can go to webpages?

secondly, the document states "Enter an email address and a password. This creates an AT&T account, allowing you to log in to the account later to make changes or view your usage statistics."

How is this a full explanation? An email address on the at&t system? any system? does it have to be a pre-existing email? If so, why is an "account created"? If it is merely a login identifier, why is it an email address?
 
Two things: is it reasonable for people to have to go to a webpage and read a support document when trying to set up an account so they can go to webpages?

secondly, the document states "Enter an email address and a password. This creates an AT&T account, allowing you to log in to the account later to make changes or view your usage statistics."

How is this a full explanation? An email address on the at&t system? any system? does it have to be a pre-existing email? If so, why is an "account created"? If it is merely a login identifier, why is it an email address?

You have to be kidding.
 
Problem is; if you are in the middle of nowhere then you won't have 3G service either. 3G service from AT&T is really only available in a few major cities. Everywhere else is EDGE or no service at all.

In my area the nearest 3G service is 250 miles away. Edge service is 20 miles away and there is no cell service at my home.

A few major cities? Where do you people come up with this kind of misinformation? Mind giving us a list of major cities where AT&T doesn't have 3G?
 
Problem is; if you are in the middle of nowhere then you won't have 3G service either. 3G service from AT&T is really only available in a few major cities. Everywhere else is EDGE or no service at all.

In my area the nearest 3G service is 250 miles away. Edge service is 20 miles away and there is no cell service at my home.

I've been to 35 or so states and only twice I have had no service/edge. I mean at the grand gannon I had 4 bars of 3G. You must live in the middle of no where
 
So... For $30 I can have unlimited data on an iPad... but STILL no tethering for my iPhone at any price? COME ON AT&T! What's the lame excuse now?

Oh for the day to come when AT&T is no longer exclusive with the iPhone.
 
I canceled my pre order a few days ago and yesterday I got an email from apple telling me that my order is on time and it will arrive today... I'm a little bit concerned that I might still recieve my orginal order or was that email just an mistake?? Help me out guys... Am I getting an free 64GB ipad?
 
So... For $30 I can have unlimited data on an iPad... but STILL no tethering for my iPhone at any price? COME ON AT&T! What's the lame excuse now?

Oh for the day to come when AT&T is no longer exclusive with the iPhone.

Is the same day that flash comes to the iPhone never
 
COme on!!

Can here that noise????

That's the sound of AT&T's network going down from increased 3G usage.
 
Two things: is it reasonable for people to have to go to a webpage and read a support document when trying to set up an account so they can go to webpages?

secondly, the document states "Enter an email address and a password. This creates an AT&T account, allowing you to log in to the account later to make changes or view your usage statistics."

How is this a full explanation? An email address on the at&t system? any system? does it have to be a pre-existing email? If so, why is an "account created"? If it is merely a login identifier, why is it an email address?

Most websites require a valid already existing email address (most send you an email with a confirmation link, that you must click on before the account it activated). The days of using a fake email address to avoid spam are over. AT&T uses this to send out marketing and your billing information. The password is just a password to access your account on their system - it does not have to be your email account password (for security it probably should not be, but some people have so many accesses to keep track of - hey make all passwords the same. Easy to remember, but bad for security).

I am just miffed I have to use a credit card when I already get an at&t statment. i may walk into the AT&T store, and talked to the person who activated 2 iphones for me last year and see if I can get it combined into one account.
 
Problem is; if you are in the middle of nowhere then you won't have 3G service either. 3G service from AT&T is really only available in a few major cities. Everywhere else is EDGE or no service at all.

In my area the nearest 3G service is 250 miles away. Edge service is 20 miles away and there is no cell service at my home.

Wow then you are in the middle of nowhere. I thought I was bad with an occassional spotty edge service on back country roads. I only loose my edge signal for a mile or two. Sounds like the 3g pad is not for you then, if you can't even get edge. but yeah, 3g is 18 miles from me. I will be on wifi while at home. and edge most of the time (unless I run out to the city).

Oh and for the person who quoted you about "major city" I guess that depends on your definition of major city. I know a few large cities that do not have 3g service - you would think they would. But (laughing) I know a few locals who think going uptown to the area with the 1 grocery store, gas station, post office, and a couple of small hardware and automotive stores. To them, that is "going to the city" and because it is more than 5 miles, "it is an all day trip". gotta love native country southerners. The only reason I moved here, is because I was laid off 12 years ago and there was a job here, plus I kinda wanted to get away from the concrete jungle, the attitudes, and the hussle. I wanted to slow down and enjoy life a bit.
 
Cellular devices have ESNs - Electronic Serial Numbers. The SIM broadcasts that ESN from the device to legitimize the device on the network. Swapping SIMs with two devices will befuddle the network, and may make the SIM unusable with either device.

I have handed down every iteration of iPhone to my wife who has swapped SIMs with each iteration and zero issues.
Maybe we've been lucky?
 
I bet the reason why billing is set up that way, is so that people forget to cancel it. Most people have high credit car balances and some people really do not analize their bill, like I do. I bet they are hoping people forget to turn it off, and they do not see the additional charge, as their balance is already high and some people may just mistake it for a fee. I know some people who only look at the balance and the minimum payment each month - they do not even look at the individual charges on their statement. i had to show a couple of people how they were getting ripped off with interest, late payments, and other fees they did not know about. They did not know that their $100 payment, only $30 was going toward the balance. They just assumed they bought something that month.

Also on that screen shot. Is the Cancel, just cancelling you out of the screen - or is that a way to cancel your 3g service? I bet many people will get fed up with people overwhelming the call centers and thus being put on hold, they AT&T is betting on missing the auto-renew date and thus squeezing another month out of people.

If your not careful - this could get tricky for some people.......

Yeah, but it's not a re-occuring billing, if you pay for one month you get one month of service, it doesn't autmatically take credit for that next month dude....its not a contract, you can cancel and add it anytime.
 
If you have two iPads with Wi-Fi+3G can both of them share the same 3G plan?

Or do you have to pay for 2 separate plans for each iPad?

Marcus

Separate plans for each device...like on the iPhone.

I canceled my pre order a few days ago and yesterday I got an email from apple telling me that my order is on time and it will arrive today... I'm a little bit concerned that I might still recieve my orginal order or was that email just an mistake?? Help me out guys... Am I getting an free 64GB ipad?

No, you are either not getting an iPad, or paying for the one you do get.
 
Yeah, but it's not a re-occuring billing, if you pay for one month you get one month of service, it doesn't autmatically take credit for that next month dude....its not a contract, you can cancel and add it anytime.

Wrong wrong wrong. You have to go to AT&T's webpage one day before the end of your billing cycle and cancel, otherwise it automatically renews. It is a contract. Read the terms and conditions before you accept your 3G plan.

Also International roaming charges automatically are charged to your credit card, unless you turn off roaming through the ipad.

"you can cancel at any time" does not imply "does not automatically renew". It does automatically renew.

edit: Oh, and 3 hours after getting my 3G ipad, two calls to my bank, one to AT&T apple support (800 694 7466), my iPad still won't 3G. For the poster earlier who thought my "what email?!" was a ridiculous troll, the customer service rep at AT&T (apple support directs you to A&T) wanted me to use my apple ID/itunes password. Verified she is trained on the iPad and iPad setup and it was a correct answer. Probably wrong, but hey, thats what AT&T support said.
 
Wrong wrong wrong. You have to go to AT&T's webpage one day before the end of your billing cycle and cancel, otherwise it automatically renews. It is a contract. Read the terms and conditions before you accept your 3G plan.

Also International roaming charges automatically are charged to your credit card, unless you turn off roaming through the ipad.

"you can cancel at any time" does not imply "does not automatically renew". It does automatically renew.

edit: Oh, and 3 hours after getting my 3G ipad, two calls to my bank, one to AT&T apple support (800 694 7466), my iPad still won't 3G.

Wrong. You can cancel from the ipad itself at any point before the billing cycle ends, and on the day after the billing cycle you are cancelled.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.