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Getting rid of 1 of 2 iPhone 4s on Family Plan

A

amitdoc2b

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 25, 2008
938
81
Hi.

I need some clarification with this scenario.

Suppose right now there are 3 phones on a family plan and none of them are smart-phones. All 3 are eligible for AT&T upgrade to iPhone 4. I will get 2 of these upgraded to an iPhone 4. That means $15 data is added to each of these 2 phones.

Now suppose I decide in 4-5 months that I want to get rid of and sell one of these iPhone 4's for whatever reason (either for the money, or to exchange for a white one, or whatever personal reason it may be).

Now my question is..

Since I got rid of 1 iPhone 4 and start reusing an old non-smartphone that I was originally using prior to it, do I have to continue paying the $15 data for it because it is under 2 year contract, or can I remove the $15 data and just live out the 2 years as a phone plan contract without having to pay the data in addition to it? I still have 1 iPhone 4 on the family plan so obviously I know I will continue paying $15 for that one though.

Thanks!
 
Yup, sounds like you got it right. Just remember that once you sell that iPhone or give it away or whatever it is you plan on doing with it, that your upgrade is gone and cannot get another phone (at upgrade pricing) for another two years. But yes, you can remove your data plan once you go back to your old phone. However, if you go back to the iPhone AT&T will eventually find out that you are using an iPhone and will automatically put a data plan back on.
 
Upgrade swap makes it possible to upgrade a line to the iPhone 4 and then downgrading that line to a dumbphone with no data, so yes, you can get rid of the iPhone 4 and ride out the contract with no data.
 
Robby C said:
Yup, sounds like you got it right. Just remember that once you sell that iPhone or give it away or whatever it is you plan on doing with it, that your upgrade is gone and cannot get another phone (at upgrade pricing) for another two years. But yes, you can remove your data plan once you go back to your old phone. However, if you go back to the iPhone AT&T will eventually find out that you are using an iPhone and will automatically put a data plan back on.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your comments. Yeah, I realize the upgrade eligibility will be gone for 2 of the phones. Which is why I am saving 1 of the 3 lines for an iPhone 5 upgrade next summer. I guess my bigger concern was if the 2 year contract includes commitment for an iPhone data plan for 2 years as well? I don't want to be hit with an early cancellation fee.
 
If OP decides to sell his iPhone only after 5months after the contract, AT&T is going to charge more for the iPhone 4 since he didn't use it for 2 years, am I correct?
 
painholic said:
If OP decides to sell his iPhone only after 5months after the contract, AT&T is going to charge more for the iPhone 4 since he didn't use it for 2 years, am I correct?
Click to expand...

No. There's now the higher smartphone ETF fee on the contract should he end the contract early, but at&t is going to recoup the money through the monthly bills on the dumbphone that replaces it.
 
amitdoc2b said:
I guess my bigger concern was if the 2 year contract includes commitment for an iPhone data plan for 2 years as well? I don't want to be hit with an early cancellation fee.
Click to expand...

Shoot, I didn't even think about that when you put it in that perspective. I'm not sure to be honest, sorry!

Someone in here will answer your question eventually, there are a lot smarter people in here than me! :p
 
amitdoc2b said:
I guess my bigger concern was if the 2 year contract includes commitment for an iPhone data plan for 2 years as well? I don't want to be hit with an early cancellation fee.
Click to expand...

No, people have used their lines to upgrade to the iPhone 4 only to sell them and put their dumbphones back on the lines. You'd be hit with the $325 early cancellation fee only if you end the contract early, regardless of what phone you're using.
 
amitdoc2b said:
Thank you for your comments. Yeah, I realize the upgrade eligibility will be gone for 2 of the phones. Which is why I am saving 1 of the 3 lines for an iPhone 5 upgrade next summer. I guess my bigger concern was if the 2 year contract includes commitment for an iPhone data plan for 2 years as well? I don't want to be hit with an early cancellation fee.
Click to expand...

Why would you be hit with a cancellation fee? You would only be getting rid of the iphone and going back to another phone. The line on your family plan is still there so you aren't cancelling anything but the data if you go back to a non smarttphone.
 
The ONLY requirement of the ATT contract is that you keep ATT cellular service for 2 years. You can junk the phone, sell the phone or just never use ANY phone as long as you pay them a minimum of $39.95 per month. They don't care about data service or text plans ... just that you pay them at least 24 x $39.95 on any line that gets a subsidized upgrade.
 
TB07-NJ said:
The ONLY requirement of the ATT contract is that you keep ATT cellular service for 2 years. You can junk the phone, sell the phone or just never use ANY phone as long as you pay them a minimum of $39.95 per month. They don't care about data service or text plans ... just that you pay them at least 24 x $39.95 on any line that gets a subsidized upgrade.
Click to expand...


What if I buy iphone 4, switch to dumb phone, and come back to iPhone again?
Do I need to pay the data plan again in this case?
I just wanna use the iPhone without 3G.
 
amitdoc2b said:
Hi.

I need some clarification with this scenario.

Suppose right now there are 3 phones on a family plan and none of them are smart-phones. All 3 are eligible for AT&T upgrade to iPhone 4. I will get 2 of these upgraded to an iPhone 4. That means $15 data is added to each of these 2 phones.

Now suppose I decide in 4-5 months that I want to get rid of and sell one of these iPhone 4's for whatever reason (either for the money, or to exchange for a white one, or whatever personal reason it may be).

Now my question is..

Since I got rid of 1 iPhone 4 and start reusing an old non-smartphone that I was originally using prior to it, do I have to continue paying the $15 data for it because it is under 2 year contract, or can I remove the $15 data and just live out the 2 years as a phone plan contract without having to pay the data in addition to it? I still have 1 iPhone 4 on the family plan so obviously I know I will continue paying $15 for that one though.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

In case the other responses have not been competely clear for you, the iphone required data plan is still just a feature. You are free to add or remove it at any time even if you just wanted to switch to a dumb phone for a couple months and switch back to the iphone. You could still remove and re add the data. There will be no cancellation fee for the data plan, it only applies to the actual line itself.
 
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