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AT&T Employees - Can you explain the various upgrade swap scenarios to us?

I

Iron Chef

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 11, 2008
92
0
I've always appreciated the AT&T employees that are members on this board for answering questions about how to do an upgrade swap with another person on a family plan. Perhaps we can even make this designated thread since I know a lot of people are asking these types of questions in many different threads.

Here's my scenario:
I'm on a family plan. I used my sisters upgrade to buy the 4S. I currently have iPhone 4. My sister uses the ancient Samsung phone that has a normal SIM. I will sell my iPhone 4 and she plans to keep existing Samsung phone.

How do I go about doing an upgrade swap without having to call AT&T? Is it just about putting my iPhone 4 micro-sim into her new iPhone 4S before I activate it through iTunes?
 
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Had this problem last year, as soon as you upgrade the device, the old sim card will go dead. You then need to take both phones, the one activated under your sisters number (4S) and her phone to AT&T. They will give you a new micro-sim for your phone/number and a new regular sim for her cell phone/number. Its a 5 minute process. Make sure you go to a Corporate store, otherwise you will be charged for a new sim card.
 
Yes, the take her to an ATT store and trade the full size sim card from her phone for a micro sim for the iPhone 4.

:apple:
 
But say his sister had an iPhone 4 (micro-SIM). Could he, before activating the new 4S, just put his current SIM in that, and put his sister's SIM card in his old phone? Then activate as normal without going/calling ATT? I know his sister would be going from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, but say she broke her iPhone 4 for the sake of argument.
 
sb1805 said:
But say his sister had an iPhone 4 (micro-SIM). Could he, before activating the new 4S, just put his current SIM in that, and put his sister's SIM card in his old phone? Then activate as normal without going/calling ATT? I know his sister would be going from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, but say she broke her iPhone 4 for the sake of argument.
Click to expand...

Alternatively, since the 4s is "technically" his sister's phone, why can't he activate it when it arrives, and then swap SIM's putting his iPhone 4 sim in the 4s and his sister's newly activated SIM in the old iPhone 4?
 
Thanks guys. Do any of you know if AT&T has a policy against upgrade swapping? Or does it not matter to them since they get someone in the family plan to extend for another 2 years regardless? Reason I ask is because I want to know if I need to be coy and make up a story of why my sister "doesn't want" her brand new 4S, or just tell them straight up, I want to swap the numbers on these phones?

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protobiont said:
Alternatively, since the 4s is "technically" his sister's phone, why can't he activate it when it arrives, and then swap SIM's putting his iPhone 4 sim in the 4s and his sister's newly activated SIM in the old iPhone 4?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind though that I am going to sell the iPhone 4 to a friend, so she still needs to be able to use her existing Samsung phone. She doesn't care about technology and is fine with just being able to text and talk until her phones crap out.
 
Iron Chef said:
Thanks guys. Do any of you know if AT&T has a policy against upgrade swapping? Or does it not matter to them since they get someone in the family plan to extend for another 2 years regardless? Reason I ask is because I want to know if I need to be coy and make up a story of why my sister "doesn't want" her brand new 4S, or just tell them straight up, I want to swap the numbers on these phones?
Click to expand...


Everything I have heard is that they have no issue with it. Like you said, why would they care who has what phone as long as the contract it signed?

They have articles about it on the site (search some of the threads on here), but they aren't explicit about how to perform the upgrade. As best I can tell, the most secure way is to call ATT before you do anything after you get your phone (which I don't want to do, cause I don't want to sit on hold!)
 
In order to get her phone to work again you will need to go to an ATT store. Your best bet is when you get the 4S, take that phone and your sisters phone in and have it all done there. Probably be easier for all parties involved.
 
Mlrollin91 said:
Had this problem last year, as soon as you upgrade the device, the old sim card will go dead.
Click to expand...
Mine did not go dead, it shorted out and burned the house down.

Mlrollin91 said:
You then need to take both phones, the one activated under your sisters number (4S) and her phone to AT&T.
Click to expand...
So I went to AT&T but they wouldn't pay for the fire damage, they said it wasn't covered.

Mlrollin91 said:
They will give you a new micro-sim for your phone/number and a new regular sim for her cell phone/number. Its a 5 minute process.
Click to expand...
Since my sim was burned, they charged me $75 for a new one, but at least the new phone was fine. Smelled of smoke but that was easily removed with soap and water.
 
I have a similar situation, and thought I'd ask it here instead of starting a new thread...

I added two extra lines to my Family Plan to get the subsidized price of the iPhone 4s. However, I want to use the iPhone 4s on my existing lines so that I don't have to change my phone number, and can keep the unlimited data. Is this, too, just as simple as swapping Sim Cards?

(Once I put the old Sim Card in my new iPhone 4s, I plan to just put "dummy" phones on the two new lines and get rid of the iPhone data plan.)
 
Looks like nobody read the OP. The sister doesn't want a new phone.

Anyway, OP you don't need your sister for anything. When you get the phone, call AT&T and tell them you're activating the phone under a different line (yours). You can say Upgrade Swap if you want, the rep told me last night they do it all the time.

Once AT&T finish, your sisters old phone will still work and nothing is required on her part. No need to switch SIM's either.
 
Don't need to switch sim cards. Just go into the store or call AT&T and give them your IMEI #. That number is located in the phone settings and on the original box. They will switch the IMEI number in the system and that's it. Simple!!!
 
How long will that conversation take? Will the phones be slammed friday?

Also, wouldn't it be easier to go to an ATT store and get a microsim with your number and when the iPhone arrives just put your new microsim in and trash the one it came with?
 
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Just bring both phones to the AT&T and have them do an upgrade swap and tell them to activate the new iPhone on your line, and then not to do anything on your sister line and to cancel the newly added data plan. I am doing the same as well.
 
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