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Data only plans for iphone 3g as of March 2010

M

Magrathea

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 21, 2008
201
0
I've had it with dropped calls and ***** service and I'm ready to untether myself from the death star, tired of paying $107 per month for every call to be dropped!

So as of March 2010, what are my options, I assume I'll have to unlock her but do Tmobile / Sprint (the other GSM) carriers offer a similar service for my phone. I'd also be happy with just a data plan seeing as right now I don't even use my phone for calls that much. I'm in Colorado. I really don't want to unlock the phone but AT&T have really given me no other option. My contract is up.

:mad:
 
You probably know this already, but the iPhone has no Data Only plans.

Your best option is that Mi-Fi thing from Verizon or the OverDrive 4G from Sprint with an unlock iPhone. :rolleyes:
 
Sprint is not GSM. The Only US GSM carriers are Tmobile and AT&T.
With Tmobile you will only be able to get the slower 2G data, their 3G in not compatible with the iphone.
Or you can pick up any of those 3G wifi cards for data only but then mind as well get an Ipod touch since it will be the same thing but cheaper.
 
I've heard about the "hearing impaired" plans from AT&T which let you have a data plan without voice, I think you need to have a text plan as well. Just call and tell them that you are giving the phone to your hearing impared uncle or whatever and you can get data only from AT&T. Other than that it's carrying around a myfi or something along those lines and using your phone wifi all the time. T-Mobile 2g is an option for $20 a month.

I know what you mean with the dropped calls.
 
Go to T-Mobile. You will save around $45 a month from att. No 3g but no contract and cheaper plans.
 
lostime said:
I've heard about the "hearing impaired" plans from AT&T which let you have a data plan without voice, I think you need to have a text plan as well. Just call and tell them that you are giving the phone to your hearing impared uncle or whatever and you can get data only from AT&T. Other than that it's carrying around a myfi or something along those lines and using your phone wifi all the time. T-Mobile 2g is an option for $20 a month.

I know what you mean with the dropped calls.
Click to expand...

you need proof to do this. Data on tmobile is sloooow, you won't get 3G service. You can get a go sim card from AT&T and pay $15 a month for 250mb of data. That's what I did.
 
lostime said:
I've heard about the "hearing impaired" plans from AT&T which let you have a data plan without voice, I think you need to have a text plan as well. Just call and tell them that you are giving the phone to your hearing impared uncle or whatever and you can get data only from AT&T. Other than that it's carrying around a myfi or something along those lines and using your phone wifi all the time. T-Mobile 2g is an option for $20 a month.

I know what you mean with the dropped calls.
Click to expand...

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/a...ources/text-accessibility-plan-for-iphone.jsp

While I've thought about getting this plan as I am hearing impaired. The only thing is I use voice and not willing to fork out 0.40 a min. If there was a simple voip solution, I'd be willing to reconsider.
 
Here is what I ended up doing

Turns out my contract is up in July so I'd pay a $75 termination fee so I just lowered my minutes to 450. This reduced my bill by $20 so now it's probably around $87. The rep said there was a 50 minute plan that was $30 less not $20; hardly seemed worth it as for $10 more I get 400 extra minutes.

I'm gonna wait a month or so and probably dump the iPhone for voice use and use a crappy nokia with a tmobile pay as you go - if you pay $100 / 1000 minutes your plan lasts a year without the stupid monthly fees and per additional call charges.

Still miffed that I have to pay for a crappy sub standard phone service. Why should I have to carry around a mini wifi adaptor or unlock the bloody thing just to get decent service. And lets not get started on the delayed voice mails, hours after someone calls our phone ......

[end of rant]
 
Sorry to hear about your crappy cell service but right now I have a Nokia N900 with T-Mobile 3G data only for only $30 a month after taxes. Add a $99 a year unlimited Skype World calling plan, I can make pretty much "unlimited" calls to anyone. The 3G calling is amazingly clear and easy to use. I would look into that as the N900 has Skype integrated into the phone OS (so when you dial a number, you can choose Skype or cell calling). As with tethering, they push that you can tether on their data only plans, so I'm pretty sure that means you can do it.

Good luck.
 
Magrathea said:
I've had it with dropped calls and ***** service and I'm ready to untether myself from the death star, tired of paying $107 per month for every call to be dropped!

So as of March 2010, what are my options, I assume I'll have to unlock her but do Tmobile / Sprint (the other GSM) carriers offer a similar service for my phone. I'd also be happy with just a data plan seeing as right now I don't even use my phone for calls that much. I'm in Colorado. I really don't want to unlock the phone but AT&T have really given me no other option. My contract is up.

:mad:
Click to expand...

Where in Colorado are you located? Until recent both my wife and I have noticed a lot of dropped calls. And now it seems we are forced to use 3G cause edge no longer works in our area. I live near DTC.

I'm thinking of heading over to Verizon. Never had a problem with their coverage, just their customer service.
 
djinn said:
Where in Colorado are you located? Until recent both my wife and I have noticed a lot of dropped calls. And now it seems we are forced to use 3G cause edge no longer works in our area. I live near DTC.

I'm thinking of heading over to Verizon. Never had a problem with their coverage, just their customer service.
Click to expand...

Forced to use 3G?
Why wouldn't you want to use 3G instead of Edge?
 
Co & At&t

I am up here in Boulder. As I told the AT&T rep; I first got an iphone about 6 months after the main launch and it dropped calls like a fiend until a software update came around and it was magically fixed. All was well till the 3gS rollout when millions more user came online and swamped the network. Now I get dropped calls all the time, even driving out on 52 from Boulder to I-25 where one would think you were fine because it's basically the flat plains.

Waiting for 4G but AT&T came out with that microcell thing today, but this will only help around the house where i can use skype on wifi.
:mad:
 
I caught this late, but did anyone else notice OP's dilemma is quite ironic in it's own?

I've had it with dropped calls and ***** service and I'm ready to untether myself from the death star, tired of paying $107 per month for every call to be dropped!
Click to expand...
So you're tired of calls being dropped.
I'd also be happy with just a data plan seeing as right now I don't even use my phone for calls that much.
Click to expand...
But then you said that you don't care about making calls.

So umm...get a touch?
 
Magrathea said:
Still miffed that I have to pay for a crappy sub standard phone service. Why should I have to carry around a mini wifi adaptor or unlock the bloody thing just to get decent service.
Click to expand...

You don't. Switch to a carrier that works best in your area and just use your iPhone as an iPod Touch. I don't see how this is a difficult decision for you...
 
Update

I ditched the crappy AT&T service a couple of months ago. I miss having data on my phone but I don't miss paying $100 for ***** service. I current using T-Mobile via an unlocked 3G, phone is a little slow but it works and I'm only spending about $20 pm on my phone bill. Those stand alone Mifi things look OK but $60 pm is too much tom for my liking. I've pondered trading in my iPad for a 3G version as the $15pm data plan seems ok.

Cheers
Mag
 
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