How to activate your iPhone 3GS and give your 3G to another person

[Merlosso]

Thanks fireshot91, you've been incredibly helpful.

John

 

[patniemeyer]

Huh. I never heard of that. They can't tie a phone to a specific account/number. They can only tie a SIM card to it. I would try again ,and when it says enter in your number, I'd enter in your number, not your wife's.

The problem is that iTunes doesn't give you a choice - it pops up her account information with her phone number and asks for confirmation (social, zip code). I was very surprised at this as a) I'm logged in to my account b) I put my sim in the brand new phone.

Somehow iTunes knows that she is expecting an upgrade. Another friend of mine suggested that it's to force her to activate the more expensive data plan on her account.

 

[groggu]

The big swapparoo

Thanks for all the fine info in this thread. I just want to make sure that I understand this correctly. We have a family plan and my wife and I both have iPhone 3G (I'd pluralize that, but it would look like 3Gs and be too confusing .

My wife's phone just died the wonderful WSoD (white screen of death) and we need to get her going again. Even though we've been ATT customers for years, she's not good enough to get an upgrade until sometime next year, so we're looking at $300-500 for a new phone (just plain ridiculous).

Being on the family plan, I proposed that we go to the ATT store on-line and add a line to our plan for our youngest and get that line a new iPhone 3GS.

When the new phone comes -
1) I put the SIM from my iPhone in the new 3GS and activate.
2) I put my wife's SIM in my old phone and activate (how does activation get triggered/happen? Do I have to wipe the phone first?)
3) I put the SIM that came in the new 3GS in the old RAZR we have lying around and it just works (right?) (but what about the data plan? - can cancel it?)

Thanks for any sage advice from those that have been though this,

Greg

 

[sp44]

The problem is that iTunes doesn't give you a choice - it pops up her account information with her phone number and asks for confirmation (social, zip code). I was very surprised at this as a) I'm logged in to my account b) I put my sim in the brand new phone.

Somehow iTunes knows that she is expecting an upgrade. Another friend of mine suggested that it's to force her to activate the more expensive data plan on her account.

I had the same problem. I couldn't activate the new phone with my sim card. It knew the new phone was for my wife. Anybody find a way around this?

 

[aigooalex]

how to make your 3g iphone to work as an ipod touch

my friend just got the 3gs and has no need for the 3G.
i want to take it off his hands but can i use it as for just an ipod/wi-fi?
i'm new to this and the whole sim card is a little confusing for me...
what do i do to use the iphone as an ipod without getting an ATT plan?
-alex

 

[Ozzhead]

sp44 - just go to the AT&T store they can give u a new sim and activate right there.

aigooalex - I dont think you can, when ever i take my sim out i makes me put it back in to work, but you "might" be able to if you jailbroke it and made it unlocked.