AT&T rate plans for one iPhone and a second regular phone

[iPhone envy]

I plan on getting an iPhone as soon as the 3G model is released, and want to set up a family plan so that my wife can have a phone sharing the same bucket of minutes. Thing is, she just wants whatever cheapy flip phone I can get from AT&T.

Has anyone sucsessfully set up a family plan with AT&T pairing an iPhone with a regular cellphone, in which the second phone isn't paying a huge sum for data?

 

[NeoMayhem]

Setup a new ATT plan in a store or online and get two free free/cheap phones. Then buy an iPhone at an apple store.

This way you can sell the phone that you wont use, and activate your iPhone on the plan. You will only pay for the data plan on the iPhone line.

So if you get the $59.99/month plan you will pay an additional $20/month on the line with the iPhone, making the total $79.99+tax. But, you should be able to sell your free phone for about $200 to help bring down the price of your iPhone.

 

[Surely]

Setup a new ATT plan in a store or online and get two free free/cheap phones. Then buy an iPhone at an apple store.

This way you can sell the phone that you wont use, and activate your iPhone on the plan. You will only pay for the data plan on the iPhone line.

So if you get the $59.99/month plan you will pay an additional $20/month on the line with the iPhone, making the total $79.99+tax. But, you should be able to sell your free phone for about $200 to help bring down the price of your iPhone.

I second that. That's what we did. However, I've just kept the phone around as an emergency spare.

$200 for an AT&T locked "free/cheap phone"? Really? Maybe I should try to sell the Samsung I got for free.....

 

[iPhone envy]

Dataplans for iPhone the same as other phones?

Is the data plan for other phones (the $20 upgrade you speak of), the same as the iPhone? Or is this some sort of sneak around iPhone billing?

I guess I am asking, why go and get two free phones 1st then do the iPhone run-around as opposed to getting the iPhone and free phone set up at the same time?

 

[NeoMayhem]

Is the data plan for other phones (the $20 upgrade you speak of), the same as the iPhone? Or is this some sort of sneak around iPhone billing?

I guess I am asking, why go and get two free phones 1st then do the iPhone run-around as opposed to getting the iPhone and free phone set up at the same time?

The iPhone data plan is same as the $15 unlimited data + $5 200 sms options that any ATT user can get, it just have a different name and enables visual voicemail on your account.

You dont have to get two free phones first, but if you dont, you are signing a 2 year contract on your iPhone for nothing. If you do get the phone first you have a nice device that you can either keep as a backup or sell to help pay for an iPhone.

$200 for an AT&T locked "free/cheap phone"? Really? Maybe I should try to sell the Samsung I got for free.....

I paid $30 for my samsung and sold it the next day for $175. Worked out very nicely.

 

[iPhone envy]

Very cool, thanks

The iPhone data plan is same as the $15 unlimited data + $5 200 sms options that any ATT user can get, it just have a different name and enables visual voicemail on your account.

So, the free phones first route means no visual voicemail, but no two year contract too?

Visual voicemail is just a log of calls with call timers right?

 

[nickspohn]

So, the free phones first route means no visual voicemail, but no two year contract too?

Visual voicemail is just a log of calls with call timers right?

No....


Visual voice comes with the data plan, which lets you choose what voice mail you want to listen to, and you can fast forward / rewind it.

 

[NeoMayhem]

So, the free phones first route means no visual voicemail, but no two year contract too?

Visual voicemail is just a log of calls with call timers right?

No, getting the free phone first is just a good way to get your account setup + get a free phone. If you goto a store, you have a lot more control over the phone number you get then if iTunes picks one for you.

Once you plug in your iPhone, you will convert your existing ATT line (that you created 1 hour ago, or one day ago, or whatever) to an iPhone plan. This will add $20/month to your bill. After this is done, the SIM in your free phone will be disabled, and your iPhone will work just like it would if you did not get the free phone. You will have Unlimited data and visual voicemail, plus 200sms.

Then, you can throw away the SIM that came in your free phone and sell the device, or keep it as a backup phone incase you need to send in your iPhone for repair.

 

[iPhone envy]

Got it, thanks!

All I need now is the 3G iPhone... come to papa!

 

[Sky Blue]

That's actually a pretty good idea. Is it possible to join a current plan that my wife has, get the best free phone, buy an iPhone and sell the free phone.

This would be cheaper than two separate ATT contracts right?

 

[Kblakeshot]

I actaully just did this. I joined my girlfriends account, got a cheap phone, and sold it and got an iPhone. Go online and set up your account, then when you get the sim and phone go to the store. Online has great refurbished phone for cheap. I got the Moto Q Global for $99 and sold it the next day on ebay for $305, then bought an iPhone and set it up. That $200 profit went straight to my Sprint Early Termination Fee though.

 

[Sky Blue]

I actaully just did this. I joined my girlfriends account, got a cheap phone, and sold it and got an iPhone. Go online and set up your account, then when you get the sim and phone go to the store. Online has great refurbished phone for cheap. I got the Moto Q Global for $99 and sold it the next day on ebay for $305, then bought an iPhone and set it up. That $200 profit went straight to my Sprint Early Termination Fee though.

That's what I'm thinking of doing. The online store has a bunch of phones with a high retail value (~$300) that are pretty cheap (~$50) if you sign up for a 2 year plan. I'll get one of those, sell it and buy an iPhone.
Can I join my wife's plan after I buy the phone, or can I do at purchase online?

 

[Kblakeshot]

That's what I'm thinking of doing. The online store has a bunch of phones with a high retail value (~$300) that are pretty cheap (~$50) if you sign up for a 2 year plan. I'll get one of those, sell it and buy an iPhone.
Can I join my wife's plan after I buy the phone, or can I do at purchase online?

Join with her from the beginning. Go online on her account and add a line. I did mine last week and they was having problems online adding a line to a family plan, so I had to just add another individual line and then you can merge to a family plan either by calling or going into the store.

 

[signingnick]

Setup a new ATT plan in a store or online and get two free free/cheap phones. Then buy an iPhone at an apple store.

This way you can sell the phone that you wont use, and activate your iPhone on the plan. You will only pay for the data plan on the iPhone line.

So if you get the $59.99/month plan you will pay an additional $20/month on the line with the iPhone, making the total $79.99+tax. But, you should be able to sell your free phone for about $200 to help bring down the price of your iPhone.

Does this work with the iphone 3G?

 

[Surely]

Does this work with the iphone 3G?

No.

 

[efice32]

Just sign up for an AT&T family plan with however many minutes you need then you just pay the extra $30 for the unlimited iPhone data on one line. Then add however many text messages you need. Simple as that

 

[signingnick]

Thanks both of you,

So just to confirm, I CANNOT sign up for a family plan and get regular phones, and then 6 months later buy an iphone for $200/300 and add data to one of the lines?

My family is looking to switch carriers now but I am waiting for the next generation iphone to come out. Do I need to hold off on getting an AT&T account until I am ready to buy the iphone so that I can get the subsidized rate? If the rest of my family gets a family plan now, can I join AT&T in 4 months and get added into the pre-existing family plan?

 

[Surely]

Thanks both of you,

So just to confirm, I CANNOT sign up for a family plan and get regular phones, and then 6 months later buy an iphone for $200/300 and add data to one of the lines?

My family is looking to switch carriers now but I am waiting for the next generation iphone to come out. Do I need to hold off on getting an AT&T account until I am ready to buy the iphone so that I can get the subsidized rate? If the rest of my family gets a family plan now, can I join AT&T in 4 months and get added into the pre-existing family plan?

You have to wait, unless you are willing to pay $399/$499 for the iPhone instead of $199/$299. You will not be entitled to upgrade for 1.5 years (?) once you sign a contract on a regular plan.

I think you can be added to the existing family plan as long as it's a new line.

Just call AT&T and ask.

 

[dave006]

Thanks both of you,

So just to confirm, I CANNOT sign up for a family plan and get regular phones, and then 6 months later buy an iphone for $200/300 and add data to one of the lines?

My family is looking to switch carriers now but I am waiting for the next generation iphone to come out. Do I need to hold off on getting an AT&T account until I am ready to buy the iphone so that I can get the subsidized rate? If the rest of my family gets a family plan now, can I join AT&T in 4 months and get added into the pre-existing family plan?

The discounted price you want on the new iPhone X is determined by something AT&T calls a subsidy. So when you switch carriers to AT&T and sign up for your FamilyTalk plan, each line will have an option to get a "Free" or discounted phone. If you accept a phone on a line, that line will have used it's subsidy and will not be eligible for a discount on the iPhone X when it comes out.

So if you want to be eligible for the best pricing on the new iPhone X, don't accept a Free phone on that individual line on the FamilyTalk plan. Pay for a cheap phone, but again Do Not accept any FREE phone on that line.

You have to wait, unless you are willing to pay $399/$499 for the iPhone instead of $199/$299. You will not be entitled to upgrade for 1.5 years (?) once you sign a contract on a regular plan.

I think you can be added to the existing family plan as long as it's a new line.

Just call AT&T and ask.

Your ability to upgrade during your contract term is discussed here:

General Upgrade Rules

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/why/upgrade-advantage.jsp

You can add a new add-a-line to your FamilyTalk plan up to the max number of lines, 3 on the 550 minute plan and 5 on the 700 minute and up plans. You can also merge an existing line or lines into a FamilyTalk at anytime without changing the contract length.

Dave