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Can I purchase an "Unlocked Sprint 4S" and add to an existing non-smart phone plan?

ET iPhone Home

ET iPhone Home

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 5, 2011
3,823
529
Orange County, California USA
For those that purchased an "unlocked" 4s directly from Apple, which domestic U.S.A. carrier would you then be allowed to utilize if the 4S purchased directly from Sprint, VZW, and ATT are locked against them?

I currently have a Sprint 4S. I knew purchasing it that I would not be using full functionality of the phone, since I do everything on my MB Air. I'm wasting a lot of money by paying for a data plan I don't use and need. Anyway, I am thinking about offloading this phone and plan to a relative. What I want to do is purchase an unlocked 4S phone, either through Sprint or Apple, and request to add it to an existing non-smartphone Sprint shared family plan, so I can use it strictly for phone use (most importantly, GSM International use, as I travel for work a lot). No need for text messaging and data. I can always use data via wi-fi as I don't have an urgency to reply to emails right away.

Can this be done? Can I purchase an unlocked 4S through Sprint and add it as a second line to an existing non-smart phone plan since I am paying full price unlocked?

Thanks!
 
Sprint's SIM slot on the 4S is already unlocked, but it is only able to work on international GSM networks. Factory unlocked iPhone 4S's from Apple will only work on GSM networks as well. Once it is activated on a GSM network, if it hasn't been previously activated on a CDMA network, then you cannot use it on Sprint or Verizon at all.
 
If I understand correctly, you are not wanting to use this phone outside of Sprint's network, you are just trying to get around paying the data plan? Unfortunately, no, you cannot do this. Sprint requires the data plan to be present on all of their smartphones regardless of how you acquire the phone. it is irrelevant (to them) that you are buying the phone off contract.
 
lordofthereef said:
If I understand correctly, you are not wanting to use this phone outside of Sprint's network, you are just trying to get around paying the data plan? Unfortunately, no, you cannot do this. Sprint requires the data plan to be present on all of their smartphones regardless of how you acquire the phone. it is irrelevant (to them) that you are buying the phone off contract.
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I've been with Sprint approx. 15 years, so I don't mind them as a cell carrier. I just don't need data. After purchasing the 4S with Sprint and selecting the minimum iPhone plan (since calls from any mobile to mobile is unlimited), I now realize, what if, I bought the phone at FULL Price, would I then be committed to a data plan? Can I just add it to an existing family non-smartphone plan since the cost of the 4S is no longer subsidized?

After reading the replies above, I guess there is no way to add a 4S to a non-smartphone plan with Sprint. I may opt for the alternative as some suggested from another thread and that is to get a Go Phone from Kmart and go from there.
 
MacBookPro13";13960164 said:
I purchased mine from Vodafone for €169.99 on a 24 month contract @ €30 p/m.
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Respectfully, how on earth is that anywhere near relevant here?

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ET iPhone Home said:
Can I just add it to an existing family non-smartphone plan since the cost of the 4S is no longer subsidized?
Click to expand...

No, you cannot. It isn't the subsidy that forces you to pay the data plan. It is the fact that you are using the smartphone on their network that makes it the requirement. No matter what methods you use to acquire said iPhone, they are going to require a data plan be active on it for as long as you plan to use the iPhone on their network.
 
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. You want two lines on a family plan without data? Or you just want a line without data or just a very little bit of data?

1. The only unlocked iPhone is the GSM version, which means AT&T. Sorry, can't use that with Sprint or Verizon (CDMA)

2. I checked the Sprint website. Seems like you don't HAVE to get the unlimited data plan if you don't want to, but, your options are more limited.

Their smallest family plan which INCLUDES unlimited mobile to any mobile is the everything data plan.

So you're strongarmed into joining the unlimited data plan whether you want to or not.



Edit: After re-reading your original post, I suggest you look into some prepaid plans with either a very generous minute plan or an unlimited plan with no data. That might work.

You could potentially look into switching to AT&T if you want, you can customize the data plan that you want per line. They also have unlimited mobile-to-any-mobile if you sign up for unlimited family messaging. And you get rollover minutes so if for some reason you go over with a lower plan you have a little cushion.

I think AT&T requires you to have a data plan with the phone, so you'll either have to pay $15 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB of data. Your choice.

There are a few threads here that have mentioned that you can use a SIM card from T-Mobile with an unlocked iPhone 3GS that uses EDGE data, but I'm not sure what else you can do.

Prepaid plans, maybe? Also some threads of using AT&T prepaid with iPhone 4's around. But I think minutes could possibly be an issue for you in that case. Check it out.
 
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pilot1226 said:
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. You want two lines on a family plan without data? Or you just want a line without data or just a very little bit of data?
Click to expand...

Just to reiterate. Prior to my upgrade to the 4S, I was on a shared family plan with Sprint - two non-smartphones 1000 mins. for $55. With the recent upgrade to the 4S, I now had to convert to two individual plans for each phone- One for a non smart phone for $55 and one for the 4S at $80. Ultimately, I wanted to keep the $55 plan for both phones, that included the 4S, but that wasn't going to happen because of the required Data upgrade for all the 4S.

I don't really have a need for a smartphone per se, just the GSM feature. But, because the majority of phones being sold today are smartphones, I thought, why not join the masses. The non smartphones Sprint offered were cheap. Otherwise, I would have chosen one of them.

I do need a GSM phone because I travel internationally quite often - Sydney, Hong Kong, Japan, South America, so I really need this 4S strictly for phone use only - domestic and international. This will allow me to carry around one less phone when I travel abroad. The next feature I would use is the (iPod) music player and that's about it.

I knew, beforehand, I would not be using the Data Feature of this phone. After owning it for one month, I thought, maybe, had I purchased a non subsidized 4S from Sprint, would I have been able to add it to my existing non-smart phone plan for $55/mo.?

I thought, by purchasing the 4S Full Price (non-subsidized), I would then be allowed to add it. I notified Sprint about it today and they said "NO". And from the replies I've received in this thread, the same answer applies.

I do like the 4S a lot, so I'll just live with my decision and continue to pay according to the selected plan, even though I don't use data. I've had the 4S for a month now and I may have checked my email on 3G twice just to see if it works. So as you can see the data plan is money not well spent.

Hope I was able to explain it better. Thanks again for all your replies. Enjoying the 4S with the Mophie Air.
 
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ET iPhone Home said:
Just to reiterate. Prior to my upgrade to the 4S, I was on a shared family plan with Sprint - two non-smartphones 1000 mins. for $55. With the recent upgrade to the 4S, I now have two phones and two individual plans for each. One for a non smart phone for $55 and one for the 4S at $80. Ultimately, I wanted to keep the $55 plan for both phones, which includes the 4S, but that wasn't going to happen because of the required Data upgrade for all smartphones .

I don't really have a need for a smartphone, but because the majority of phones being sold are smartphones, I thought, why not join the masses. The non smartphones Sprint offered were cheap. Otherwise, I would have chosen one of them.

I need a GSM phone because I travel internationally quite often - Sydney, Hong Kong, Japan, South America, so I really need this 4S strictly for phone use only - domestic and international. The next feature I would use is the (iPod) music player and that's about it.

I knew, beforehand, I would not be using the Data Feature of this phone. After owning it for one month, I thought, maybe, if I purchased a non subsidized 4S from Sprint could I then add it to my non-smart phone plan for $55/mo.?

I thought, by purchasing it Full Price, I would then be allowed to do add it. I called Sprint and they said "NO". And from the replies I've received in this thread, the same answer applies.

I like the 4S a lot, so I'll just live with my decision and continue to pay according to the plan, even though I don't use the Data. I've had the 4S for a month now and I may have checked my email on 3G twice just to see if it works.

Hope I was able to explain it better. Thanks again for all your replies.
Click to expand...

I don't think that it's possible to use a smartphone on any carrier without a data plan.
 
Unless you consider getting a prepaid SIM card plan like the AT&T Pay as You Go plan...

But again, you might exceed your minutes this way since you won't get free mobile to any mobile like you do now with Sprint. AT&T has this option on their contract devices, but you'll have to sign up for a data plan.
 
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