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Carrier Canceling Voice Plan and Get All Data Instead

hungx

hungx

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 8, 2012
346
47
Davis, CA
My contract for my iPhone ends in November and I'm considering canceling my plan. I only have 500 minutes and no texts and am considering using that money toward a larger data plan (maybe 5gb, currently have 3gb data). I will then port my number over to Google Voice. Has anyone tried to do this? If there are threads regarding this issue, I didn't have time to search through them.

Edit: I probably wasn't clear enough, but I'm looking to get a tablet data only plan and use it in my phone. AT&T does not prohibit this, though AT&T does not approve of the other way around (iPhone/smartphone SIM in tablet).
 
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Don't think thats an option with the iPhone. They'll eventually audit and append a "Proper" plan.
 
TWO2SEVEN said:
Have you asked your carrier? I'm not sure that they offer data only on the iPhone.
Click to expand...

It's not a data only plan for a smartphone, but the tablet data plan. Putting an iPhone SIM into an iPad is frowned upon by AT&T and they can even cut off your service, but you can put an iPad/tablet SIM into your phone and have no problems.
 
Google Voice isn't what you think it is. You still need a voice plan on your phone. Google Voice isn't VOIP. You might try Skype if you want to make voice calls to actual phone numbers.
 
chabig said:
Google Voice isn't what you think it is. You still need a voice plan on your phone. Google Voice isn't VOIP.
Click to expand...

I'm not particularly familiar with Google Voice, so excuse my ignorance.

I have an alternative app on my phone (TextPlus) that allows me to make unlimited calls for $2.99 a month. It's still cheaper than my current contract.
 
you should consider the T-mobile $30 100 minute, ultd text, 5GB data plan. a few minutes for when you need to make an emergency call, and plenty of data.

Oh and you can use google voice with google hangouts to make voip calls.
 
dickdaney said:
you should consider the T-mobile $30 100 minute, ultd text, 5GB data plan. a few minutes for when you need to make an emergency call, and plenty of data.

Oh and you can use google voice with google hangouts to make voip calls.
Click to expand...

The T-Mobile offer is tempting, but my iPhone is currently locked to AT&T (my iPhone 5 was stolen, so I bought a 5s off eBay).
 
I would echo the T-mobile suggestion.....why not try and see if u can't get ATT to unlock your phone before you drop your plan? You must not be under contract or you wouldn't be able to drop your plan, or if you are then you'll pay your ETF but then they should unlock you. I do exactly what you suggest with Google Voice. When I'm home I just call over wifi. When I'm out calls over LTE seem to work great. The only thing that isn't so great is VOIP in a moving vehicle in my experience...too much variability of the data signal over time. But I just don't talk while I drive so it's not an issue.
 
BruiserB said:
I would echo the T-mobile suggestion.....why not try and see if u can't get ATT to unlock your phone before you drop your plan? You must not be under contract or you wouldn't be able to drop your plan, or if you are then you'll pay your ETF but then they should unlock you. I do exactly what you suggest with Google Voice. When I'm home I just call over wifi. When I'm out calls over LTE seem to work great. The only thing that isn't so great is VOIP in a moving vehicle in my experience...too much variability of the data signal over time. But I just don't talk while I drive so it's not an issue.
Click to expand...

The problem is that the phone that I currently have is not the original phone I had purchased from AT&T. My contract doesn't end until November, so I'm not looking to end my contract now. I'm just curious to see if anyone has gone the all data route and if this is a feasible option.
 
Well I got the ultimate tablet data plan for u but I know u said it was too much.
 
hungx said:
I can get an unlimited plan on eBay for $200. You're charging me $1k.
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Just want to clarify dude you're talking about the an att unlimited data SMARTPHONE PLAN. It's throttled after 5 gb. Those are on eBay for 200 yes.

I have the att IPAD UNLIMITED DATA PLAN. It's never throttled, ever. And it's 30 a month. Ask anyone knowledgable in here. It's way different than what you're thinking. And there's nobody selling these for 200, I barely see any in eBay right now for less than 1k.
 
Truefan31 said:
Just want to clarify dude you're talking about the an att unlimited data SMARTPHONE PLAN. It's throttled after 5 gb. Those are on eBay for 200 yes.

I have the att IPAD UNLIMITED DATA PLAN. It's never throttled, ever. And it's 30 a month. Ask anyone knowledgable in here. It's way different than what you're thinking. And there's nobody selling these for 200, I barely see any in eBay right now for less than 1k.
Click to expand...

I am not. I was actually looking at the unlimited tablet plan for Verizon, but I see that the ones on AT&T are around $500-$600. $1K is still too much.

Also, I don't need unlimited.
 
Canceling Voice Plan and Get All Data Instead

hungx said:
I am not. I was actually looking at the unlimited tablet plan for Verizon, but I see that the ones on AT&T are around $500-$600. $1K is still too much.

Also, I don't need unlimited.
Click to expand...


Oh ok you said 200. There's no att iPad unlimited data plans for that. And I don't see any for 600 either. I did see one for 975 from a eBay seller with 0 feedback though.

Fair enough. Good luck on your find

If you're phone is locked to att you can't put a Verizon sim in there. Verizon won't activate it unless you get it unlocked and you can get them to either put in a Meid (which gsm iPhones don't have) or you might be able to use another devices Meid to get it to work. Don't think it'll work for an iPhone though. If u have a Verizon 5s though you can do it
 
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Truefan31 said:
If you're phone is locked to att you can't put a Verizon sim in there. Verizon won't activate it unless you get it unlocked and you can get them to either put in a Meid (which gsm iPhones don't have) or you might be able to use another devices Meid to get it to work. Don't think it'll work for an iPhone though. If u have a Verizon 5s though you can do it
Click to expand...

Verizon doesn't use SIM cards.

This just seems too much agravation to me. By the time it's all said and done, how much are you really saving? A few bucks? T-Mobile seems like they have a pretty sweet deal if the service is good in your area.
 
Just get the $30 Tmobile 100min Voice and 5gig/LTE+unlimited2Gdata plan. Then you have no issues. Pick whichever VOIP you want.
 
Doesn't Verizon use SIM cards for LTE? I had a Verizon SIM card in my iPad.

I'm not here to discuss cheap plans. I have an AT&T locked iPhone.
 
iolinux333 said:
Just get the $30 Tmobile 100min Voice and 5gig/LTE+unlimited2Gdata plan. Then you have no issues. Pick whichever VOIP you want.
Click to expand...

Also if you go over the 100 min of voice, then it's 10cents/min, it doesn't cut off. Just keep a few extra dollars in your account in case you go over voice minutes. Anyway, since you'll be using VOIP you won't have to worry.
 
Canceling Voice Plan and Get All Data Instead

Primejimbo said:
Verizon doesn't use SIM cards.



This just seems too much agravation to me. By the time it's all said and done, how much are you really saving? A few bucks? T-Mobile seems like they have a pretty sweet deal if the service is good in your area.
Click to expand...


They use SIM cards for lte.

Issue is if it's a gsm iPhone with no Meid, only a imei then Verizon won't activate it on their network unless a nice rep does it. At least on iPads this can be done. Not sure with an iPhone.
 
hungx said:
My contract for my iPhone ends in November and I'm considering canceling my plan. I only have 500 minutes and no texts and am considering using that money toward a larger data plan (maybe 5gb, currently have 3gb data). I will then port my number over to Google Voice. Has anyone tried to do this? If there are threads regarding this issue, I didn't have time to search through them.

Edit: I probably wasn't clear enough, but I'm looking to get a tablet data only plan and use it in my phone. AT&T does not prohibit this, though AT&T does not approve of the other way around (iPhone/smartphone SIM in tablet).
Click to expand...


I would say the experience is not the same using google voice....because you cannot accept incoming calls on google voice unless you use google hangouts on your iPhone (I have been using it temporarly and I would say the experience is *****) Google voice no longer allows apps like TalkaTone that allows you to make and receive calls via google voice using a app....

If its something you want to try out, I would say try it out but don't go as far as porting your number out to google voice (its $20 + another $20 after 90 days to make it permanently stay with google voice unit ported out post the 90days)...instead try to use it side by side and see how you like it for at least a moth...since you don't use as many minutes I would say 1 month will give you good feel for it.

I would recommend trying out services like AIO or the new Cricket plans that give you larger data pools for a pretty decent price....

Also simply avoiding watching videos over cellular data can make 3GB plenty...only time I find my self using plenty of data is ONLY when i watch videos, streaming music (8hrs/week), google maps (100-150miles weekly) and ton (50+ mostly without attachments) of emails on daily basis only take me as far as 2-3GB max.

AIO / Cricket sims will work on a AT&T locked iPhone since they are now all owned by AT&T.
 
I miss the 3rd party GVoice apps a lot, but I'm getting along fine with hangouts and find the voice quality excellent about 80% of the time. A new version just came out - maybe you should try it again?
 
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