Clarification of iPhone data plans and unlocking...

[fredleysir]

OK everyone.. I'm looking to eventually (like 97 posts from now) trade my 16GB iPod touch for an 8GB iPhone and I am currently an AT&T customer. Now.. what I'm wondering is... I want to use my current SIM card with the iPhone and I DO NOT want the data plan from AT&T (I have a ton of Wi-Fi spots near me).. What would I have to do to achieve this?
Can I just get the iPhone (without activating it) and use something like ziPhone to SIM unlock it, pop my SIM card in and I'll be good to go?

 

[carfac]

ATT will KNOW you have an iPhone, and charge you accordingly.

Hell, I am on T-Mo, and when I called in the other day, the tech guy said, "Hey, I see you have an iPhone- how is that working for you?" Now if T-Mo KNOWS I have an iPhone (and I surely did not tell them1), ATT will, too!

 

[sethypoo]

ATT will KNOW you have an iPhone, and charge you accordingly.

Hell, I am on T-Mo, and when I called in the other day, the tech guy said, "Hey, I see you have an iPhone- how is that working for you?" Now if T-Mo KNOWS I have an iPhone (and I surely did not tell them1), ATT will, too!

This makes me wonder if T-Mobile and the other GSM cell providers have detailed numbers of how many iPhones are on their networks. I bet they get some kind of sick pleasure from it...

 

[fredleysir]

Charge me for what though? If i never officially activate it through iTunes or AT&T, I wouldn't even have the data plan on my contract. Or if for whatever reaosn I do, if i cancel the data plan which I've heard of people doing and turn off EDGE, it'd be just like using any other phone, right?

Basically, what I'm tyring to do is get an iPhone, take the current, activated, in-use SIM card I have now, and just put it into the iPhone. Is that possible without subscribing to the data plan or any other additional fees?

 

[sethypoo]

Charge me for what though? If i never officially activate it through iTunes or AT&T, I wouldn't even have the data plan on my contract. Or if for whatever reaosn I do, if i cancel the data plan which I've heard of people doing and turn off EDGE, it'd be just like using any other phone, right?

Basically, what I'm tyring to do is get an iPhone, take the current, activated, in-use SIM card I have now, and just put it into the iPhone. Is that possible without subscribing to the data plan or any other additional fees?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I would get the iPhone, and jailbreak it using ZiPhone or iNdependence (I recommend ZiPhone), and then put your SIM in. YMMV, but I think this would make your existing AT&T SIM card work as usual in your iPhone.

 

[fredleysir]

That's what I thought, but if someone knows for sure, please let me know!
Assuming that is all I need to do, would I still be able to use my unlimited text option or would the fact that it is an iPhone somehow prevent that?

 

[MacCurry]

The IMEI number is reported back to the GSM operator, in this case AT&T, and they would then know exactly what phone you have, when you got and the calls you've made with. There is no way around this unless AT&T doesn't care - which is definitely not the case.

ZiPhone does offer a utility in its advanced tab that does a software spoof of the IMEI number. I'm all for unlocking, but spoofing your IMEI number to the GSM operator could possibly get you in serious trouble. Terrorist and criminal cell phones are tracked through the IMEI number, and if someone guessed that you might be spoofing the IMEI number, the authorities may make the conclusion you may be a terrorist or a person of high interest. It would complicate the situation more if you have a non-American name, foreign relatives, foreign born, if you're not white (sorry, but this is true) and worse yet a Muslim or have ever travelled to Pakistan.

 

[fredleysir]

That, to me, sounds pretty intense in regards to trying to pry an extra $20 a month from my wallet...
Haven't people successfully cancelled their data plans on their iPhones on AT&T?

 

[aneftp]

OK everyone.. I'm looking to eventually (like 97 posts from now) trade my 16GB iPod touch for an 8GB iPhone and I am currently an AT&T customer. Now.. what I'm wondering is... I want to use my current SIM card with the iPhone and I DO NOT want the data plan from AT&T (I have a ton of Wi-Fi spots near me).. What would I have to do to achieve this?
Can I just get the iPhone (without activating it) and use something like ziPhone to SIM unlock it, pop my SIM card in and I'll be good to go?

You can do what you want. It's a free world. I'd recommend you disable all data because the iPhone will update itself/download your emails automatically and you will get stuck with a huge data bill. I do not think there is a way to manually disable the wap settings if you are a att customers. If you are with another provider, than you are presented with this option. This is especially true you if you plan on using yahoo mail (technically it's the only "push" email) and you do not have the option to manually check emails like you do with gmail, aol etc.

Another word of caution,especially since you are an ATT customer. If you want to change any options on your plan (ie text messaging, nights and weekends, etc) have a spare phone available. ATT knows when you are using the iPhone (even if you unlocked it) and they will give you a F999 error message if you try to change your account plans online. You should put the SIM into a "regular cingular/att" phone overnight and than relog into your account if you want to change features.

So go ahead and save yourself $20 a month but be extremely careful with the pay per use data because the iPhone will log onto the internet itself.