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Reminisce32

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 13, 2009
221
1
Would cingular/at&t still sell a first gen iphone to me or do they only sell the 3g one now? or would I have to buy the phone from some where else then try to activate it with at&t?
 
This is dated October 2008 and the policy has been in effect for quite awhile:

Tonight, some AT&T subscribers were texted with the news that AT&T will discontinue the $20/month "Unlimited" MEdia Net option as of November 12, 2008. Until now, off-service (no-plan, Pay as You Go) iPhone users could purchase Unlimited MEdia Net and use their iPhones with the service to up to 5GB of data transfer.

This policy change means that off-service iPhones (those without a standard iPhone voice and data plan) will be unable to subscribe to this low-cost Pay-as-You-Go service after the 12th of next month. AT&T's $4.99 for 1MB and $9.99 for 5MB MEdia Net options remain unaffected by this decision.

The message reads: "AT&T Free Msg: Unlimited MEdiaNet packages will no longer be available as of 11/12. 1MB and 5MB MEdiaNet packages still available. Call 611 for details."

We aren't clear on whether this means you can no longer use current unlimited MEdia Net plans as of the 12th, or whether you simply can't buy new unlimited MEdia Net packages as of that date. Calling 611 did not reveal any further details at this time, although it did allow me to add on one more month of service at $20 per month. We will update you if we learn more.
Who is affected

* All Pay as You Go customers, regardless of phone type, particularly those who use lots of data rather than voice.
* Original 1st Generation iPhone users using the $20/month PAYG Unlimited MEdiaNet service for EDGE connection without a standard plan.
* New 3G iPhone users who have canceled their plans, paid the $175 early termination fee and are using the $20/month PAYG Unlimited MEdiaNet service for 3G connection.
* Hearing impaired users who don't or rarely need voice service who have chosen to use Pay as You Go instead of the much higher priced disability-specific plan offered by AT&T

Who is not affected

* Any iPhone that is currently under contract with AT&T, regardless of whether you are on the original grandfathered $20/month unlimited data plan or the current $30/month unlimited data plan.
* Any Pick Your Plan 1st generation iPhone.

Sadly, AT&T wants to have everyone on board with the 3G iPhone and the $30 a month data plan...:eek:
 
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The first gen iPhone was discontinued almost a year ago. They haven't been sold in stores since last May. You'll have to buy it from eBay or CL.
 
SFStateStudent said:
This is dated October 2008 and the policy has been in effect for quite awhile...
True for people trying to enrol in a prepaid MediaNet service. But that wouldn't be the plan you'd be using if you enrolled as a postpaid customer.

You can't get service for an iPhone 2G anymore.

Of course you can! AT&T even has a video explaining how to activate a hand-me-down original iPhone.

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6158&cat=32&u=619

You definitely cannot buy one brand new any more though. If you want to get your hands on one today, it'll have to be obtained second-hand.

When you activate a second-hand iPhone in-store, AT&T will lock you into a 2-year postpaid contract with the original iPhone 2G data plan - exactly what you are looking for.

Alternatively, you could choose to activate it at home as a PayGo phone. Since in that case you wouldn't be a postpaid user, you wouldn't be bound by AT&T's postpaid contract - so the requirement that the iPhone must be accompanied by an eligible data plan wouldn't apply. On the other hand, since there is currently no unlimited data plan available for PayGo customers, you'll be left with a choice between the lower tiers of limited data packages, or pay-per-use data at a rate that is probably too expensive to be worthwhile on an iPhone, or else going out of your way to prevent data from flowing.
 
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