iphone 5 purchase strategy help needed

[kporangehat]

I currently have an iPhone 4S on AT&T that I got when it was released last year and am still on my 2-year contract until May 08, 2013. My wife is on T-Mobile using an unlocked iPhone 4 and is off contract.

The end goal is to have both of us on a shared AT&T plan. Me with the new iPhone 5 and my wife with my current iPhone 4S.

I could do the early upgrade, buy the iPhone 5 for myself and eat the $250 fee (total $649.00) and then my wife could get a new iPhone 4S for $99. But that seems ridiculous since we're adding a new subscriber.

Is it possible to buy the iPhone 5 for my wife, for $399.00 as a new customer, then once everything is up and running, swap phones with her so she's using my iPhone 4S and I get the iPhone 5? I know the sim cards are different so we can't just swap the sim cards ourselves. But could we maybe go into an AT&T store and have them do the reconfiguring after we do the purchase? Or are they potentially going to be annoying about that?

I'm not being mean stealing the iPhone 5 BTW, she just doesn't care.

cheers.

 

[mobhit101]

I bet you could just go to ATT and have them swap out the SIM cards. Isn't there some type of micro-SIM card adapter?

 

[falterego]

The first question for AT&T to answer for you is if they are able to issue just a nano SIM. If they can, you'll have to go through this process:

Order a new line with AT&T.
Then port your wife's T-Mobile number to the new AT&T device.
Then go into the AT&T store with both devices and ask them to swap the SIM cards. (you may have to pay for each SIM)
Put new SIMs into individual phones.
Make sure they update IMEI's registered with the lines so that your new device IMEI is listed with your PTN.