AT&T's iPhone FAQ and Policies

[rapps]

The iPhone has changed the rules and realigned the playing field, turning the old "system" into a new one. Just as the iPhone is evolutionary in what a handheld device does, so, too, are is the new "system" evolutionary in the way the company chooses to do business.

Bottom line: There are no discounts on the iPhone, period. Not from Apple, and not from AT&T. Someday, after the glow has worn away, there may be "incentives" to buy an iPhone --maybe along the lines of "Unlimited text messaging" for a time period, or a rebate on a Bluetooth headset when purchased with an iPhone-- but, for now, things are what they are.

Gators....We are on two different wave lengths. I'm talking about getting a different phone today or tomorrow using my upgrade and then purchasing the iphone on Friday. This would effectively 'reward' me for my upgrade eligibility with a subisidized phone. I'm trying to get an understanding of whether this is feasible. btw...go gators. graduated '04.

 

[rapps]

Oh, in that case, yes you an buy a subsidized phone now, then when you get an iPhone on Friday or whatever, your contract will be reset, leaving you with a basically discounted/free phone you can sell for profit on eBay.

Thank you. That's my question. Do you have any link stating that anyone (in contract or out of contract) is eligible to buy the phone? Is anyone else out of contract thinking about doing this?

 

[Gators Fan]

Gators....We are on two different wave lengths. I'm talking about getting a different phone today or tomorrow using my upgrade and then purchasing the iphone on Friday. This would effectively 'reward' me for my upgrade eligibility with a subsidized phone. I'm trying to get an understanding of whether this is feasible. btw...go gators. graduated '04.

First, it is always GO GATORS! capitalized.



Second, take a close look at the contract you sign for the "free" phone. In most instances, the "free" disappears if that particular contract isn't at least partially fulfilled. There are just so many ways you can "skin a cat," and AT&T didn't get to where it is not knowing what they are. You may find yourself charged for the "free" phone, probably a lot more than you could sell it for in the after-market of E-Bay.

Sec 17, Row 87, Seat 24
The Swamp

 

[rapps]

First, it is always GO GATORS! capitalized.



Second, take a close look at the contract you sign for the "free" phone. In most instances, the "free" disappears if that particular contract isn't at least partially fulfilled. There are just so many ways you can "skin a cat," and AT&T didn't get to where it is not knowing what they are. You may find yourself charged for the "free" phone, probably a lot more than you could sell it for in the after-market of E-Bay.

Sec 17, Row 87, Seat 24
The Swamp

That's what I was afraid of....but I wanted to see what the inside scoop was.

 

[rapps]

For what it's worth, I just spoke to AT&T's main customer service number and they said buying a phone today with my upgrade then getting the iphone on friday would be fine. :/

 

[macmerrill]

Family Plans Itunes Account?

In my situation I am currently on my wife's family plan as an additional line. I plan on getting an iPhone for myself on Friday. When/If activating the phone through iTunes would use my iTunes Account info. and my wifes AT&T info. Since I plan on just adding the data plan to her existing account and not sign up as a new customer. Also she has like 5 lines on the account how is Itunes going to know which is my number also would my current additional line @ $9.99 go up to $29.99 even though I will be the only iphone on the account? How is that going to work? The people at my local AT&T store are clueless when I called them about it. I hope they can work it out for me by Friday night.

 

[Gators Fan]

Apple has posted a FAQ here. It answers many pertinent questions but does not get into the more esoteric ones, such as "If I'm aboard the Starship Enterprise traveling through the Rigal galaxy at warp 4.5, will the EDGE technology still send inline photos in my e-mail with no loss of quality?"

 

[mpast]

So if I am currently receiving a discount on my voice plan, and I buy an iPhone and add the data plan do I lose the discount I'm getting on the voice plan?

 

[trekerboy]

According to at&t customer service, at&t has a 30 day grace period where you can try out their service and if you don't like it, you can cancel your contract without any cancellation fees!

 

[sananda]

I think you wrong. I cant imagine apple making completely different phone for other markets. Im pretty sure its gonna be exactly the same phone. So why go with the hassle of locking the phone on hardware level?? That would juds add to overall cost of production. I can bet my left testicle that within two weeks someone will hack it to work with any SIM card. Except of visual voice mail of course, but I dont think its a big issue

there is no way apple could sell the present iphone in the UK. we don't use EDGE.

 

[tranced25]

Has Anybody Noticed?

Anyone else see that on the AT&T website, they list the family plans starting at $109.00 vs. $80.00 on the Apple website?

Is it $29.00 MORE than what Apple is saying, or did I miss something?

 

[alfonsog]

Anyone else see that on the AT&T website, they list the family plans starting at $109.00 vs. $80.00 on the Apple website?

Is it $29.00 MORE than what Apple is saying, or did I miss something?

Didn't you notice the at&t prices include two iPhones but the apple prices list just one with fine print +29.99 each additional iPhone? 80+29.99 = 109.99 (plus you forgot that .99)

 

[taberrr]

Anyone else getting tired of the hype?

I'm not! But if I could play the violin for you I would. Don't worry, it'll be over next week. Or will it!?!

 

[taberrr]

Please do tell us what you REALLY think of the RAZR!! . Not a satisfied customer of the RAZR huh?.

I'm with them - as long as the iPhone doesn't have an interference buzzzz in my ear while I'm talking, I'm good.

Edit: sorry for the double post.

 

[penguy]

In my situation I am currently on my wife's family plan as an additional line. I plan on getting an iPhone for myself on Friday. When/If activating the phone through iTunes would use my iTunes Account info. and my wifes AT&T info. Since I plan on just adding the data plan to her existing account and not sign up as a new customer. Also she has like 5 lines on the account how is Itunes going to know which is my number also would my current additional line @ $9.99 go up to $29.99 even though I will be the only iphone on the account? How is that going to work? The people at my local AT&T store are clueless when I called them about it. I hope they can work it out for me by Friday night.

you should only see a $20 increase (the data plan), provided your minutes meet whatever minimum there is for a family plan

 

[macmerrill]

I should be fine we have 6000 anytime minutes on our plan. $20 dollars is a small price to pay for the added features of the iPhone. I hope upgrading is as easy as Apple and AT&T claim.

 

[m51r50s]

switching family plan

this may have already been answered so bare with me if you dont mind but my question for you all is that i am currently under a family plan with sprint and am planning to switch over to at&t. I want to get two lines with one being an iphone and the other just being a plain old flip phone. I need both numbers ported from sprint but i have no idea how the activation will work for that since the iphone is done through itunes and im sure i cannot do the regular phone at the same time. any ideas?

 

[Ugg]

this may have already been answered so bare with me if you dont mind but my question for you all is that i am currently under a family plan with sprint and am planning to switch over to at&t. I want to get two lines with one being an iphone and the other just being a plain old flip phone. I need both numbers ported from sprint but i have no idea how the activation will work for that since the iphone is done through itunes and im sure i cannot do the regular phone at the same time. any ideas?

Sounds like your best bet is to call AT&T. You might be able to transfer one number via iTMS and the other through normal channels, but, who knows for sure?

 

[trukurt]

It's not a phone, it's a tool.

At $499 and $599 per phone why would we want to sign a 2 YEAR contract? One year maybe. The people buying this phone have to be making lots of money, living on the edge or living cheaply.

I don't live on the edge or cheaply. I do make a lot of money in my business, which requires an incredible amount of communication with all sorts of people every day. I'm a Sprint customer, but adios amigo! I can't wait to manage my calendars, contacts, voice mails, phone numbers, music, etc. all in one device that operates seamlessly through Apple's tightly integrated software solutions... ones that will no doubt get better as Leopard comes out, web 2.0 apps kick in, AT&T ramps up its network speed, and Google does more of what Google does - with Apple. I will buy iPhone 1.0. I will upgrade immediately when iIPhone 2.0 comes out (with GPS and all sorts of other goodies). I bought Apple stock three times during Steve Job's March iPhone keynote intro. I'm not wining about the cost of the phone or data plans. Apple paid for my iPhone with a 40% increase in stock price (86 to 120's) So quit your wining and get in line. I'm going camping tomorrow --- at the Apple store in my town. Sure, I might get service faster at an AT&T store, but I couldn't live with myself if I missed out on the total experience. I'll make more money using this phone than I know what to do with. It will be a better conversation starter than a puppy on a leash at the park.

 

[Padriac]

In my situation I am currently on my wife's family plan as an additional line. I plan on getting an iPhone for myself on Friday. When/If activating the phone through iTunes would use my iTunes Account info. and my wifes AT&T info. Since I plan on just adding the data plan to her existing account and not sign up as a new customer. Also she has like 5 lines on the account how is Itunes going to know which is my number also would my current additional line @ $9.99 go up to $29.99 even though I will be the only iphone on the account? How is that going to work? The people at my local AT&T store are clueless when I called them about it. I hope they can work it out for me by Friday night.

My situation is pretty much the same and my AT&T folks basically said that iTunes will handle it fine. You will input the phone number for the phone you are replacing, and you will pay an additional $20 (or more, depending on how many texts you want) on top of whatever your additional line fee is for that line (likely $10). They were a bit unclear as to what happens with all the services you currently have on that particular line, but believed that *everything* gets automatically cancelled and replaced with the iTunes plan. So let's say you were paying $5 a month for insurance and $5 a month for 200 texts on that line: those services would get automatically cancelled and replaced with the "iPlan" you have chosen. (iPhones are non-insurable BTW)

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I still want to know about the sim card thing. Part of the reason I like AT&T/Cingular so much is because of the sim card. It great when one phone craps out on them because all I have to do is pop mine out and put it in the new phone and look all my contacts are moved as well.
If I got the iPhone I would like to be able to use my current sim card in it. I can deal with the activation crap but I want to use MY sim card in it because it has all MY contact on it.

 

[Ugg]

I still want to know about the sim card thing. Part of the reason I like AT&T/Cingular so much is because of the sim card. It great when one phone craps out on them because all I have to do is pop mine out and put it in the new phone and look all my contacts are moved as well.
If I got the iPhone I would like to be able to use my current sim card in it. I can deal with the activation crap but I want to use MY sim card in it because it has all MY contact on it.

All your contacts and numbers are going to go through iCal so I'm not sure if this would work. Only two more days until we all know!

 

[Rodimus Prime]

All your contacts and numbers are going to go through iCal so I'm not sure if this would work. Only two more days until we all know!

one my problem. My desktop and everything contact wise is a PC. My mac is a macbook and I used it as a laptop which means it's contact list is normally never as good and the stored numbers on my PC are not even fully match up. It is my cell that has everything in it.
But if it lock down where I could not use my sim card it is yet again another example of Apple short sighted thinking and forcing their way everyone.
Hell if it can only use the "pre installed" sim card then as far as I can tell it is no different than any of the CMDA phones so well it does not matter if it CMDA or GSM for the consumer because CMDA is tied to the phone

 

[3Tabernacles]

Will a Current Cingular SIM card Work?

Now that it's out and we learned that the SIM card has easy access, will it work if I were to simply use my existing ATT SIM card?

 

[chillywilly]

Now that it's out and we learned that the SIM card has easy access, will it work if I were to simply use my existing ATT SIM card?

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. I have a current Cingular SIM card in my Moto SLVR L7 and wouldn't mind swapping it out on an iPhone before I purchase it.

I don't even mind the activation part, if I can use my current # from my current SIM card.