If I borrow a friend's SIM to activate my old iPhone 2G, will it mess up their plan?

[elistan]

I went from an iPhone 2G to 4S (I keep tech for a long time ).
I did a factory reset on the 2G to use it as an iPod Touch, and now it's asking to be activated. (I should have kept it as-is, I guess, and simply put it in airplane mode.)
From what I've read, if I put an active SIM in the 2G I will be able to activate it. But I'm concerned that that would change the AT&T plan of the person I'm borrowing the SIM from. I.e., will they be put on the $20/mo unlimited plan, and would need to change back to whichever plan they had before?

(I realize that resn0w can do a "hacktivate" but I don't want to go that route just yet until I know whether borrowing somebody else's activated SIM will work.)

 

[kre62]

I went from an iPhone 2G to 4S (I keep tech for a long time ).
I did a factory reset on the 2G to use it as an iPod Touch, and now it's asking to be activated. (I should have kept it as-is, I guess, and simply put it in airplane mode.)
From what I've read, if I put an active SIM in the 2G I will be able to activate it. But I'm concerned that that would change the AT&T plan of the person I'm borrowing the SIM from. I.e., will they be put on the $20/mo unlimited plan, and would need to change back to whichever plan they had before?

(I realize that resn0w can do a "hacktivate" but I don't want to go that route just yet until I know whether borrowing somebody else's activated SIM will work.)

Get yourself a prepaid ATT sim.

 

[GhostMac24]

How do I get one? I assume the ATT store? Do you pay for it in advance? I don't mind paying a small fee to fix my screwup as I am in the same boat

 

[GhostMac24]

So I just picked a SIM card from my local att store and nothing. Argh!

Called ATT and they told me that Apple has to activate the SIM. Called APPLE and they said I need a $29.95 tech support payment before they will talk to me. WTF is going!!!

 

[boshii]

You could get a microsim adapter and put your 4S microsim in it, then put that in the 2G.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

How on Earth would changing a SIM card's device alter the contracted plan on that SIM number. Just absurd.

 

[terraphantm]

Why not just use something like redsn0w to hacktivate it and then use something like SAM to convert it to a legit activation?

Conversely, just get a deactivated SIM from eBay or something.

 

[mkrishnan]

What happened to the SIM that was in it before? You didn't cut it down to put it in the 4S, did you?

I'm pretty sure you can just use one of the old unlock tools to activate that iPhone without a SIM card... there are some tutorials like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKzxgpN-sQ

 

[shelbymayer]

How on Earth would changing a SIM card's device alter the contracted plan on that SIM number. Just absurd.

IT WOULD CHANGE THAT PERSONS PLAN...the old (2G) iphone activates differently....when you hook it up to itunes with a sim card in it the activation wizard starts requiring you to change your plan to the old $20 unlimited iphone 2G data plan through itunes...if it was a 3G or above there wouldn't be a problem since apple fixed the way those phones activate

 

[i hate phones]

How on Earth would changing a SIM card's device alter the contracted plan on that SIM number. Just absurd.

um he's talking about the data plan, and yes if you put your sim in a device that is not compatible with your current data plan they will autimatically put you on one that is.

is he currently on an unlimited data plan? unless something has changed (and that would be the only cause for concern), being switched to the $20 unlimited still counts as being grandfathered in to umlimited so it should automatically switch him back to unlimited when he puts his sim back in his phone. this actually used to be a loophole to get unlimited data after they stopped offering it. not sure that still works though...

 

[dennisjr631]

I would love to know if this works. Then I can get unlimited data. I will try it when I get home.

 

[elistan]

How on Earth would changing a SIM card's device alter the contracted plan on that SIM number. Just absurd.

Well, certain devices are only eligible for certain plans. People still use (or used to use?) the iPhone 2G to activate the $20/mo unlimited plan, so they can then "grandather" into the otherwise unavailable $30/mo plan. Similarly, people who take a formerly iPhone 2G SIM and put it into a 3G device are forced by AT&T into a 3G supporting plan. I'm concerned that if I pop in an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS SIM from a friend, when the iPhone 2G activates it'll force a change to the plan. Or, maybe it'll even stop working when I put it back in the original iPhone 3G/3GS?

----------

What happened to the SIM that was in it before? You didn't cut it down to put it in the 4S, did you?

I'm pretty sure you can just use one of the old unlock tools to activate that iPhone without a SIM card... there are some tutorials like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKzxgpN-sQ

Nope, I still have it. It's deactivated in AT&T's eyes, though. So since the SIM isn't active, the iPhone 2G refuses to activate.

If I don't get reassurances that popping in a friend's SIM won't mess up my friend's service in any way, I'll research the unlock tools. I was just hoping to avoid that if possible, you know?

----------

Why not just use something like redsn0w to hacktivate it and then use something like SAM to convert it to a legit activation?

Conversely, just get a deactivated SIM from eBay or something.

Yeah, that's my Plan B if this doesn't work. (Not having messed with any hack/unlock tools like redsn0w, I'm not comfortable enough with it right now to make that my Plan A. )

I don't think the deactivated route will work - I already have my old, deactivated SIM after all...

 

[THEAnonymous]

Conversely, just get a deactivated SIM from eBay or something.

That's usually a good approach.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

I just can't imagine your plan changing without real consent. Seems highly illegal to me. I guess that's just a weird US thing, because I certainlyhaven't heard of it in the UK. Do your contractual agreements consent the carrier to alter your plan under such a situation?

 

[i hate phones]

what data plan is your friend currently on? if its a plan that's still offered you have absolutely nothing to worry about. they will autimatically get switched back to an appropriate data plan when they put their sim back in their phone, and if its not the one they want they can simply change it on the internet. easy as pie. if they're on the unlimited, then you need to confirm that at&t still considers the unlimited 2g as being grandfathered in.

----------

I just can't imagine your plan changing without real consent. Seems highly illegal to me. I guess that's just a weird US thing, because I certainlyhaven't heard of it in the UK. Do your contractual agreements consent the carrier to alter your plan under such a situation?

2g is different technology than 3g... they don't change your contract terms, they just change your plan "features" to one that works with your phone. you get a text immediately that says the phone you are using is not compatible with your data plan, you have been moved to a similar plan that is compatable with your phone or somethign like that. not sure why that sounds illegal to you. saves you the trouble of having to go on the internet and do it yourself.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

2g is different technology than 3g... they don't change your contract terms, they just change your plan "features" to one that works with your phone. you get a text immediately that says the phone you are using is not compatible with your data plan, you have been moved to a similar plan that is compatable with your phone or somethign like that. not sure why that sounds illegal to you. saves you the trouble of having to go on the internet and do it yourself.

In the UK, data is data, no matter whether it's downloaded over 2G or 3G. Every SIM is compatible with any device, except the one specific 3G only network that naturally only supports 3G phones.

It sounds illegal to me, because what I gather from the OP is that it will force them to pay $20 a month for different a data plan. If it's so handy why is it considered a problem?

 

[i hate phones]

In the UK, data is data, no matter whether it's downloaded over 2G or 3G. Every SIM is compatible with any device, except the one specific 3G only network that naturally only supports 3G phones.

It sounds illegal to me, because what I gather from the OP is that it will force them to pay $20 a month for different a data plan. If it's so handy why is it considered a problem?

the sim is compatible with any device... but the technology the phone uses to get the data is different. like its $30 for unlimited 3g, who would want to pay the same price for unlimited 2g which is MUCH slower? that sounds illegal to me ok not illegal but definitely not fair! lol, the only data plan available for the original iphone (here in the u.s.) was $20 and that was unlimited data. and you have to have a data plan when using an iphone so it is the only option and thefore the system defaults you to it. there are multiple options for 3g data (200mb, 2gb, etc) so when you change your sim from a 2g device to a 3g device your selected data plan changes to a 3g data plan. if you were on unlimited 2g it defaults you to unlimited 3g (which is not offered anymore, but ths is or at least used to be a loophole to get it), you can always easily change it to a lower plan. you are notified when they make any changes.


and the only way i would consider it a problem is if you are changing from an unlimited 3g data plan which is not offered anymore. as of a year ago you would still be grandfathered into that plan using the 2g unlimited data but i don't know if anything has changed since then.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

the sim is compatible with any device... but the technology the phone uses to get the data is different. like its $30 for unlimited 3g, who would want to pay the same price for unlimited 2g which is MUCH slower? that sounds illegal to me ok not illegal but definitely not fair! lol, the only data plan available for the original iphone (here in the u.s.) was $20 and that was unlimited data. and you have to have a data plan when using an iphone so it is the only option and thefore the system defaults you to it. there are multiple options for 3g data (200mb, 2gb, etc) so when you change your sim from a 2g device to a 3g device your selected data plan changes to a 3g data plan. if you were on unlimited 2g it defaults you to unlimited 3g (which is not offered anymore, but ths is or at least used to be a loophole to get it), you can always easily change it to a lower plan. you are notified when they make any changes.


and the only way i would consider it a problem is if you are changing from an unlimited 3g data plan which is not offered anymore. as of a year ago you would still be grandfathered into that plan using the 2g unlimited data but i don't know if anything has changed since then.

Ah, thanks for the explanation. The US system is just rather different. Here we don't have to have data plans for iPhone - you'd just get charges added to your accounting you used data.