Iphone activation question...

[know-it-all5]

So here it goes...

It's mine and my brother's intention to go pick up iphone 3gs on July 11th. He currently has an iphone plan with his work, and I am in a sprint contract with my father that ends july 1st (thank god). Our plan is to both get new iphones and give his old one to our father who isn't quite the tech nut we are.

For the record, my brothers current iphone is jailbroken.

My intention is to set up a new family plan contract with my dad and I. Me with a new iphone, him with my brothers old. My question then becomes, How would such an activation work? Since the old iphone was always activated in itunes, how would we put both on the same plan? Does it matter that my brothers iphone is jailbroken?

I know we lack solid information on this, but if anyone has a current situation that may be similar, such as having a family plan that has an iphone on it, along with a different phone. Im just curious how that set up would work. do you activate the regular phone in store, and then add the iphone to the account when you get home?

 

[Ivan P]

Does it matter that my brothers iphone is jailbroken?

That's an automatic "yes". As long as your brother's iPhone is jailbroken then both Apple and the network carrier will refuse to help, as it's breaking the license agreement that would have been agreed to when activating the device.

 

[know-it-all5]

That's an automatic "yes". As long as your brother's iPhone is jailbroken then both Apple and the network carrier will refuse to help, as it's breaking the license agreement that would have been agreed to when activating the device.

You're telling me that even simply to initiate a new contract, it can't be jailbroken?

 

[toneloco2881]

When you go to AT&T to pick up the new iPhones, tell them you want to set up a family plan with your father. You might as well get them to give u a free phone with an already activated sim card. I don't know if your father is planning on porting his number but that might add to the headache. Anyhow, I wouldn't even mention to them that your father has intentions of activating an iPhone on the account. The only problem I possibly see is that on the 11th, their going to be so swamped with iPhone customers they might not even have time for "regular" customers.

When you guys get home, simply have your father restore his iPhone through iTunes first before activating it. Just pop in the newly acquired sim into the iPhone and go through the iTunes activation process. Have your father just add the data plan onto his existing number, and he should be set to go.

 

[Ivan P]

You're telling me that even simply to initiate a new contract, it can't be jailbroken?

I guess, considering Apple and AT&T try to discourage it and Apple's even gone to the extent to refuse repairing faulty/damaged iPhones if it can be proved it's been jailbroken (ie: it also voids the warranty).

 

[know-it-all5]

When you go to AT&T to pick up the new iPhones, tell them you want to set up a family plan with your father. You might as well get them to give u a free phone with an already activated sim card. I don't know if your father is planning on porting his number but that might add to the headache. Anyhow, I wouldn't even mention to them that your father has intentions of activating an iPhone on the account. The only problem I possibly see is that on the 11th, there going to be so swamped with iPhone customers they might not even have time for "regular" customers.

When you guys get home, simply have your father restore his iPhone through iTunes first before activating it. Just pop in the newly acquired sim into the iPhone and go through the iTunes activation process. Have your father just add the data plan onto his existing number, and he should be set to go.

Thanks, but we do intend on porting the number over. Also, we'd like to keep him eligible for a free phone, just in case he either doesn't love the iphone, or decides he needs 3g speeds and gps and wants to buy a new one (we still dont know how upgrade eligibility works with the new iphone.)

Question, would it just work to have my brother upgrade to 2.0 early on the 11th, which would break the jailbreak... Then Later the 3 of us go to the att store, and set everything up there (including the activation of the old iphone, which in the att memo says it can be done at the store now as well to accommodate customers.). So basically walk in, have them switch my bro to a new phone on his own business contract, then port my old sprint number to a new iphone, then give my dad my brothers iphone and have them port his number from sprint to that (and set up the contract etc.)? I think it could work.

 

[toneloco2881]

Thanks, but we do intend on porting the number over. Also, we'd like to keep him eligible for a free phone, just in case he either doesn't love the iphone, or decides he needs 3g speeds and gps and wants to buy a new one (we still dont know how upgrade eligibility works with the new iphone.)

Question, would it just work to have my brother upgrade to 2.0 early on the 11th, which would break the jailbreak... Then Later the 3 of us go to the att store, and set everything up there (including the activation of the old iphone, which in the att memo says it can be done at the store now as well to accommodate customers.). So basically walk in, have them switch my bro to a new phone on his own business contract, then port my old sprint number to a new iphone, then give my dad my brothers iphone and have them port his number from sprint to that (and set up the contract etc.)? I think it could work.

That sounds feasible. I just was trying to avoid having you bring in a jailbroken phone for AT&T to activate. Keep in mind that as a new AT&T customer, the both of you all would have 30 days to try out the service. Even if your father got the cheap freebie, he would have 30 days to exchange it for something else shall he find out the original iPhone is not for him.

I just think the AT&T store is going to be a zoo on the 11th, and trying to get all that handled amongst the chaos might be an excercise in extreme patience. Hopefully I'm wrong, and if the rumors of them opening at 8 are true then it could work. Good luck!

 

[know-it-all5]

That sounds feasible. I just was trying to avoid having you bring in a jailbroken phone for AT&T to activate. Keep in mind that as a new AT&T customer, the both of you all would have 30 days to try out the service. Even if your father got the cheap freebie, he would have 30 days to exchange it for something else shall he find out the original iPhone is not for him.

I just think the AT&T store is going to be a zoo on the 11th, and trying to get all that handled amongst the chaos might be an excercise in extreme patience. Hopefully I'm wrong, and if the rumors of them opening at 8 are true then it could work. Good luck!

Thanks a lot for your help. I am considerably lucky that my area has at least 5 corporate att stores within a 15 mile radius and also is home to a couple close apple stores, so hopefully it won't be too crowded.