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Calling only iPhone

A

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
Hey,

I just got a new iphone, and i can only call. I am going through att. I didn't get a data or texting plan because i really dont want to.

What apps can i use to work around this problem to text anywhere.

Again, i dont want to purchase a data or texting plan.

Thanks in advance!
 
appleva said:
Hey,

I just got a new iphone, and i can only call. I am going through att. I didn't get a data or texting plan because i really dont want to.

What apps can i use to work around this problem to text anywhere.

Again, i dont want to purchase a data or texting plan.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I didn't think you could even purchase an iPhone without a data plan...
 
... seriously? What's the point? Why not just get a regular phone and an iPod Touch for the wifi instead?
 
mrobit said:
... seriously? What's the point? Why not just get a regular phone and an iPod Touch for the wifi instead?
Click to expand...

I dislike the idea of carrying two devices.
Anyways, it was a gift, which is why i have no option.
 
there is no texting anywhere. You wanted the phone only and you got it, so nothing with data at all. Sorry man, you lost. Unless you have a mobile wi-fi hotspot you will just have to put it on a contract.
 
You wanna text anywhere? Get a texting plan

You wanna get an app to allow texting anywhere without a texting plan? If it exists its gonna need a data plan.

Simple.
 
DefBref said:
You wanna text anywhere? Get a texting plan

You wanna get an app to allow texting anywhere without a texting plan? If it exists its gonna need a data plan.

Simple.
Click to expand...

Ok. Thanks!

How much would the minimum texting plan cost? From ATT?
 
She says in one post that she bought it with no contract and in another post she says it was a gift. Contradict yourself much?
 
I have a similar question. I bought an iphone 5 for me but now I need to add a line for my parents. Is it possible on AT&T to add a line for $9.99 then give my parents my old iPhone 4 for that line with no data plan? Or will AT&T force me to get a data plan on that line also just because they are using an iPhone. My parents only need a phone to make phone calls but I would love them to have the functionality of an iPhone when they are at home on wifi, such as FaceTime. Thanks in advance.
 
appleva said:
Ok. Thanks!

How much would the minimum texting plan cost? From ATT?
Click to expand...
Not much less than the minimum data plan, and the minimum data plan would allow you to use iMessage, which would effectively give you unlimited texts to iOS devices, and other apps, which would let you text non-iOS devices.

On the other hand, what you have is an iPod touch which can also make calls. You might actually get by with that if you're often around WiFi.

----------
Beson said:
I have a similar question. I bought an iphone 5 for me but now I need to add a line for my parents. Is it possible on AT&T to add a line for $9.99 then give my parents my old iPhone 4 for that line with no data plan? Or will AT&T force me to get a data plan on that line also just because they are using an iPhone. My parents only need a phone to make phone calls but I would love them to have the functionality of an iPhone when they are at home on wifi, such as FaceTime. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
When I added my daughter with an old iPhone, they forced us to add a data plan. It might be different now.
 
zandermom23 said:
She says in one post that she bought it with no contract and in another post she says it was a gift. Contradict yourself much?
Click to expand...

The person who bought if for me bought it without a contract.

Just wanted to make the question simpler. Sorry.
 
I just simply put my old sim card from a basic phone into this iphone, and i could start calling.

I can call, so its more than an itouch
 
what iPhone model is it?
iPhone 3g, says iPhone 3G on the back
Iphone 3GS say iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4 has that one antenna on the top next to the headphone jack
iPhone 4S has antenna's on the side
iPhone 5 has the front centered camera and color coded antennas with headphone jack on bottom
 
tymaster50 said:
what iPhone model is it?
iPhone 3g, says iPhone 3G on the back
Iphone 3GS say iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4 has that one antenna on the top next to the headphone jack
iPhone 4S has antenna's on the side
iPhone 5 has the front centered camera and color coded antennas with headphone jack on bottom
Click to expand...

It's a 4S.
 
appleva said:
The person who bought if for me bought it without a contract.

Just wanted to make the question simpler. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Sorry. I should not have replied to you with this. It is just that it happens so often people saying 2 different things. It was not the point of your post so I apologize to you.
 
tl01 said:
I thought that eventually you would be put on a data plan even if you don't choose it.
Click to expand...

if you buy device only there is no contract. It's if you buy it at the subsidized price and try to cheat the system by selling it for full retail do you get screwed royally.
 
Get a prepaid plan. No data plan required. My mom uses an AT&T iPhone 4 prepaid unlimited texts and calls with no data plan.

If you do contract you are forced to get a data plan.
 
appleva said:
I just simply put my old sim card from a basic phone into this iphone, and i could start calling.

I can call, so its more than an itouch
Click to expand...

Ok, ignore the the mean folk. I wonder why people that don't have something nice to say post so much... Anywho, they are partially correct. You can't text anywhere, as you don't have data, but I don't have a texting plan and can still receive texts. I think it just costs me thirty cents or so each time I get one.

I only mention this because if the folks you want to text have a smartphone, you can get an app call WhatsApp. It's sends you a single text to get it set up, but from there, you can use it instead of texting for free... Though, again, in your case, the texts will only come through when you're somewhere with WiFi. I'd suggest Apple's iMessage, but it has the tendency to deliver as a text if it can't deliver over data... After like 5 minutes, I think. That means you'd end up getting most of the texts as actual texts, not iMessages...

There are other apps that will do the same, but I like WhatsApp best.

Hopefully, that will be of some help.
 
There's a free app called Text Free (made by Pinger) that issues you a weird phone number assigned only to use for texts. I used it on my iPod Touch for a while in 2009 before buying my iPhone. You give that "pretend" phone number to your friends to use when they text you and you use it when you text them, using wifi for all.

Even after I got my iPhone, I used it when I didn't have a texting plan (charged by ATT for each text sent or received.) Just my luck, my friends/family couldn't remember to actually use the Text Free number so I was getting regular texts to pay for. :( Mobile Share got rid of that nonsense.
 
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Order a prepaid plan from straight talk, net10, or h20 from online. They all include lots of talk, text, and a bit of data for $60 or less. AT&T is more expensive and for some reason doesn't do prepaid plans for iphones. They're no-contract post paid plans are pretty expensive.
 
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