Data Only ideas for the iPhone 5...?

[Turnpike]

Though it doesnt make sense to a lof of people, there are a handful of us who really would love an iPhone 4s/5 with data-only (even if that data is limited in speed or quanity). First off, the iPhone is a nicer device than the same size ipod touch- I for one take mine on long walks, and it's also nice to have the 8mp camera with me.

The downside with the mifi pocket wireless things (besides being another device to carry) is that they don't let your phone use the "maps" with accuracy, like having a data package does.

I personally can easily justify a $900 phone to take movies and music and audio books and maps and email and Google with me on my many in-town/city hikes and train rides, especially if I only pay $30ish a month. I have the 4s with a iPad sim in it, and would love to upgrade to the iPhone 5 if it's possible to do something similar... I live in an area covered by 4G, but I dont care about limits or speed, just that my phone can get data as I walk around the city.

Has anyone done this on the iPhone 5 yet? Can you just cut down the SIM to the micro size? Are there any phones better to do this with than another? (Verizon vs ATT, etc...)

I'm happy to invest in a refurbished iPad and buying the iPhone 5 right off the shelf if anyone knows a surefire way to make this work with the iPhone 5....

 

[PhoenixMac]

Though it doesnt make sense to a lof of people, there are a handful of us who really would love an iPhone 4s/5 with data-only (even if that data is limited in speed or quanity). First off, the iPhone is a nicer device than the same size ipod touch- I for one take mine on long walks, and it's also nice to have the 8mp camera with me.

The downside with the mifi pocket wireless things (besides being another device to carry) is that they don't let your phone use the "maps" with accuracy, like having a data package does.

I personally can easily justify a $900 phone to take movies and music and audio books and maps and email and Google with me on my many in-town/city hikes and train rides, especially if I only pay $30ish a month. I have the 4s with a iPad sim in it, and would love to upgrade to the iPhone 5 if it's possible to do something similar... I live in an area covered by 4G, but I dont care about limits or speed, just that my phone can get data as I walk around the city.

Has anyone done this on the iPhone 5 yet? Can you just cut down the SIM to the micro size? Are there any phones better to do this with than another? (Verizon vs ATT, etc...)

I'm happy to invest in a refurbished iPad and buying the iPhone 5 right off the shelf if anyone knows a surefire way to make this work with the iPhone 5....

Buy an iPad and get the sim and data plan, cut it down and throw it in your phone and return iPad? Not sure if they will automatically add a phone and text plan when they detect you on the network.

Something to ask VZW maybe.

 

[Turnpike]

Buy an iPad and get the sim and data plan, cut it down and throw it in your phone and return iPad? Not sure if they will automatically add a phone and text plan when they detect you on the network.

Something to ask VZW maybe.

No, I wouldn't return the iPad, I'd just keep it.

 

[PhoenixMac]

No, I wouldn't return the iPad, I'd just keep it.

that works too and if the former doesnt work you can just use the hotspot feature on the ipad.

 

[Turnpike]

that works too and if the former doesnt work you can just use the hotspot feature on the ipad.

Yes, but just keeping the single small lightweight device in my pocket as I walked 5-15 miles... that's the beauty of it....

 

[Cagle]

Yes, but just keeping the single small lightweight device in my pocket as I walked 5-15 miles... that's the beauty of it....

This is very interesting, let us know how you get on because I for one would love to pay $50 a month for just LTE data only (5gb plan on at&t/verizon) instead of double that just so I can chigwag! Currently lugging around a TMobile 4G hotspot and contract-free iPhone 4S, and it's a real pain (4 hour battery).

 

[PhoenixMac]

Wait dont the LTE hotspots use SIMs? you could get a hotspot and just use the sim from it, as well for people who do not want to buy an iPad.

 

[cvaldes]

Your options will open up once T-Mobile USA has refarmed the 1900MHz PCS spectrum to HSPA+ in your area. They are actively working on this with a larger rollout expected toward the end of this year.

T-Mobile USA has a $30 prepaid (no contract) plan that provides 100 min. voice, unlimited text and unlimited cellular data (the first 5GB at 4G HSPA+ speeds). When T-Mobile USA lights up the tower that covers my home, I'll probably switch to that. The plan is available online or at Walmart, not at T-Mobile stores.

Currently, I am using a Straight Talk SIM with their $45 per month unlimited plan (no contract). It provides unlimited talk, unlimited text, and "unlimited data" (which anecdotally is somewhere between 2-3GB per month).

The third and most unusual option is a Tru SIM. This is a pay-as-you-go MVNO that primarily uses the T-Mobile network. Cellular data is $0.17/megabyte, so it is only suitable for those with very modest data needs. However, it is purely a metered service. You don't pay a fixed monthly fee and your balance never really expires. Let's say you go online twice and use a total of 11 megabytes of data; that costs $2.00. Calls are $0.17/minute and outgoing texts are $0.10. Incoming texts are free. This SIM will allow for HSPA+ speeds on the refarmed 1900MHz frequency.

I've personally tried this on the one cellular tower that has been activated in Santa Clara, CA (www.airportal.de) about a week ago. I'm planning on trying the one cell tower in Sunnyvale, CA that was activated less than 48 hours ago with my iPhone 4S this weekend. I hope to get close to the maximum HSPA+ throughput that the device allows (14Mbps, I believe).

Hopefully in early 2013, I will switch to the T-Mobile SIM (with $30 prepaid plan) for my iPhone 4S at HSPA+ speeds and put the Tru SIM in my iPad. I don't use my iPad very often in a place that doesn't have WiFi, but it would be nice to hop on the Internet without shelling out for a monthly data package for extremely light usage. Or I have the option of switching the SIMs between the two devices and hitting the Internet hard while still having voice calls on the iPhone via the Tru SIM.

Note that I use Google Voice, so it really doesn't matter what my phone's number is.

Another advantage with my strategy is that I can use the Tru SIM in my iPhone (or my unlocked dumbphone) for voice service while traveling abroad (that's what it was designed for).

 

[smitty303]

Though it doesnt make sense to a lof of people, there are a handful of us who really would love an iPhone 4s/5 with data-only (even if that data is limited in speed or quanity). First off, the iPhone is a nicer device than the same size ipod touch- I for one take mine on long walks, and it's also nice to have the 8mp camera with me.

The downside with the mifi pocket wireless things (besides being another device to carry) is that they don't let your phone use the "maps" with accuracy, like having a data package does.

I personally can easily justify a $900 phone to take movies and music and audio books and maps and email and Google with me on my many in-town/city hikes and train rides, especially if I only pay $30ish a month. I have the 4s with a iPad sim in it, and would love to upgrade to the iPhone 5 if it's possible to do something similar... I live in an area covered by 4G, but I dont care about limits or speed, just that my phone can get data as I walk around the city.

Has anyone done this on the iPhone 5 yet? Can you just cut down the SIM to the micro size? Are there any phones better to do this with than another? (Verizon vs ATT, etc...)

I'm happy to invest in a refurbished iPad and buying the iPhone 5 right off the shelf if anyone knows a surefire way to make this work with the iPhone 5....

I'm curious about your iPad sim in your 4s. I've been exploring doing the same thing. I've been nervous, though, that AT&T would detect the fact of using a data only sim in an iPhone and cut it off or penalize me. I don't actually know their terms and conditions for such a situation. Anyway, how long have you been doing this? Any issues? Any tricks? Thanks.

 

[supak111]

Its easy to get DATA-ONLY any iPhone including 5

I'm using iPad 3 data in my iPhone 5, $25 per month 2gb LTE. Just cut the sim down to size. 3.5/4g (9-12mbps down/ 1-3mbps up) works just download the apn from unlockit.co.nz. But they keep kicking me off LTE. LTE I was getting (9-18mbps down and around 9mbps up) LTE would work for about 24 hours then ATT would kick me off LTE and not let me back on. Only if I change the IMEI in ATTs system will the LTE come back for another 12-24 hours and then kick me off again. Right now I'm at the point where even changing my IMEI doesnt help, I think they blocked my iPhone 5 IMEI in their LTE system lol.

Anyone know how to get LTE back??

PS: 3.5/4g (9-12mbps down/ 1-3mbps up) always works ;-) even when I'm kicked off LTE

PS: NO YOU WILL NOT GET CAUGHT, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, I DON'T EVEN HAVE AN IPAD.

 

[smitty303]

I'm using iPad 3 data in my iPhone 5, $25 per month 2gb LTE. Just cut the sim down to size. 3.5/4g (9-12mbps down/ 1-3mbps up) works just download the apn from unlockit.co.nz. But they keep kicking me off LTE. LTE I was getting (9-18mbps down and around 9mbps up) LTE would work for about 24 hours then ATT would kick me off LTE and not let me back on. Only if I change the IMEI in ATTs system will the LTE come back for another 12-24 hours and then kick me off again. Right now I'm at the point where even changing my IMEI doesnt help, I think they blocked my iPhone 5 IMEI in their LTE system lol.

Anyone know how to get LTE back??

PS: 3.5/4g (9-12mbps down/ 1-3mbps up) always works ;-) even when I'm kicked off LTE

PS: NO YOU WILL NOT GET CAUGHT, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, I DON'T EVEN HAVE AN IPAD.

Well, it sounds like they caught you and are messing with you. Why else would you keep losing LTE? How did you activate the sim? In an iPad3, I assume? Good luck.

 

[supak111]

Well, it sounds like they caught you and are messing with you. Why else would you keep losing LTE? How did you activate the sim? In an iPad3, I assume? Good luck.

Yea they keep kicking me off LTE but 4g still works and yup I'm guessing they are messing with me but atleast they don't block me from 4G. And you DON'T need and iPad to activate the SIM you can do it online at at.t website same place you log-in to view your data usage for the iPad.