iPhone without data

[jrcsh6]

Anyone know of a way to have an iPhone without data? I'd like to set up one up JUST to be a phone. Nothing else. It's for my dad. He has a hard enough time with his Mac and doesn't want all the junk on an iPhone but would like the touch screen and his address book to sync up. Odd request I know but does anyone know of a way? I've read in the past that the only iPhone that this could be done on was the original by jailbreaking?

 

[Tyler23]

Anyone know of a way to have an iPhone without data? I'd like to set up one up JUST to be a phone. Nothing else. It's for my dad. He has a hard enough time with his Mac and doesn't want all the junk on an iPhone but would like the touch screen and his address book to sync up. Odd request I know but does anyone know of a way? I've read in the past that the only iPhone that this could be done on was the original by jailbreaking?

Not possible. To have the phone, he'll have to have a contract with a carrier. The carrier will see that his phone is an iPhone - they require all smartphones to have a data plan.

 

[scaredpoet]

It could probably be done if you bought an unlocked iPhone and went with a prepaid carrier. There is a setting to disable cellular data on the iPhone, and you'd have to set up a prepaid voice-only plan with a carrier.

On contract though, it's currently not possible because the postpaid carriers all require data plans on iPhones.

 

[Interstella5555]

Not possible. To have the phone, he'll have to have a contract with a carrier. The carrier will see that his phone is an iPhone - they require all smartphones to have a data plan.

This isn't...entirely accurate. Depending on the phone model you can easily do PAYG on AT&T [Source - my GF has been ding it with my old phones for the past 5 years].

 

[Tyler23]

It could probably be done if you bought an unlocked iPhone and went with a prepaid carrier. There is a setting to disable cellular data on the iPhone, and you'd have to set up a prepaid voice-only plan with a carrier.

On contract though, it's currently not possible because the postpaid carriers all require data plans on iPhones.

This isn't...entirely accurate. Depending on the phone model you can easily do PAYG on AT&T [Source - my GF has been ding it with my old phones for the past 5 years].

Thanks guys - as I have never used a pre-paid service, not entirely sure how they work, so I had no idea if this is possible on one of those plans - if it is, that'll be good for the OP.

 

[MonkeySee....]

Get a Sim only or Pay as you go plan with the lowest amount of data offered on it or none if possible and turn off "data" on the phone.

Easy, like Sunday morning.

 

[CEmajr]

Get on the Tmobile $50/mo plan or one of the prepaid carriers

 

[SimonQQ]

I've set up a pay as you go for my dad for his unlocked iPhone 4. He doesn't have data, only for voice and taking pictures.

I am in Canada though so that may be different.

 

[jrcsh6]

Pretty much what I thought. He still has my original iPhone that I jailbroke. I think it must be the 3G connection that informs the carrier that it's a smartphone/iPhone. We're on an ATT family plan so the prepay work around won't work.

 

[Ih8reno]

Try iphonenodata website. It installs a profile on your iphone which supposedly disables all oncoming data connections except wifi.

 

[vmaniqui]

Anyone know of a way to have an iPhone without data? I'd like to set up one up JUST to be a phone. Nothing else. It's for my dad. He has a hard enough time with his Mac and doesn't want all the junk on an iPhone but would like the touch screen and his address book to sync up. Odd request I know but does anyone know of a way? I've read in the past that the only iPhone that this could be done on was the original by jailbreaking?

totally impossible. i tried it so many times and they kept on adding data on my plan. my wife just wants an easy way to use texting. but no can do. i asked so many customer reps and answer is always NO. i wish apple will come out with an iPhone for texting and voice call only. nowadays your stuck with a really dumb phone if you want just voice on your plan.

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I've set up a pay as you go for my dad for his unlocked iPhone 4. He doesn't have data, only for voice and taking pictures.

I am in Canada though so that may be different.

yes. canada and europe i think have different ways/plans unlike here is US. here in US even if you have an unlocked/jailbroken iPhone, it will not work. they will still add a data plan as they can detect it.

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This isn't...entirely accurate. Depending on the phone model you can easily do PAYG on AT&T [Source - my GF has been ding it with my old phones for the past 5 years].

yes. there was a cut off date/year with ATT that they allow smartphone to be used without data plan. but as if today, all smartphones need to have a data plan. there's no getting away with it. i wish there is as my wife just wants a phone she can use for easy texting and she doesn't used any internet.

 

[Applejuiced]

Unfortunately on post paid AT&T plans they will add the iPhone data automatically.

 

[iParis]

Three years ago I had an iPhone 3GS, took it to AT&T, and asked for a PAYG sim card and they did it. In fact, they weren't even sure if data would work so it was at my own risk. I was able to make it work installing an APN certificate, but that's not really an issue in your case!

 

[aneftp]

Unfortunately on post paid AT&T plans they will add the iPhone data automatically.

This is the backdoor sneaky thing ATT and sprint and verizon and tmobile (at least tmobile is cheaper).

Att and verizon don't like it that u pay just $10- month for extra line. They want the data revenue. Let stop this BS about "its a smartphone" and "needs data".

To ATT and verizon it's about the $$$ from data plans especially now they all want tiered data. First it was unlimited data "because we want you not to have any surprises with your cell phone bill". Yup. That was the excuse for mandatory data back in 2008 with ATT post paid. They didn't start enforcing this on everyone till 2011

So telling someone to just prepay at $30-50 isn't cost effective when some really wants to use iPhone on secondary line at $10/month without data.

 

[powerstrokin]

Buy your dad a Lamborghini and then cut off the roof, doors, body panels and strip the interior down to just a driver's seat and a radio. It'll still get him around as it's technically intended to do, but it'll be just the basics that's needed to perform said task.




Your old man is probably more right to say 'no' to all the newest tech (internet) though. It's a long dark path that's hard to give up once you start going down it.

 

[aneftp]

Buy your dad a Lamborghini and then cut off the roof, doors, body panels and strip the interior down to just a driver's seat and a radio. It'll still get him around as it's technically intended to do, but it'll be just the basics that's needed to perform said task.




Your old man is probably more right to say 'no' to all the newest tech (internet) though. It's a long dark path that's hard to give up once you start going down it.

Again. This is the dumbest analogy. iPhone works perfectly fine without 24/7 Internet. There are many people around wifi 70-80% of the day. The other part of the day they could care less.

Data revenue is the only form of real cash cow for carriers these days.

 

[powerstrokin]

Again. This is the dumbest analogy. iPhone works perfectly fine without 24/7 Internet. There are many people around wifi 70-80% of the day. The other part of the day they could care less.

Data revenue is the only form of real cash cow for carriers these days.

...the Lambo would work perfectly fine, too. You'd just be missing out on a lot of features.

Also, if people 'could care less' then that means they still care a little. What you meant was COULDN'T care less...

 

[Applejuiced]

Buy your dad a Lamborghini and then cut off the roof, doors, body panels and strip the interior down to just a driver's seat and a radio. It'll still get him around as it's technically intended to do, but it'll be just the basics that's needed to perform said task.




Your old man is probably more right to say 'no' to all the newest tech (internet) though. It's a long dark path that's hard to give up once you start going down it.

There's millions of users on prepaid and other carriers that don't have a carrier data plan.
Guess what? The phone still works fine without it and suits their needs.
Not everyone has the same needs or wants and on post paid accounts it would be nice if they gave the customer a choice.

 

[aneftp]

The real point I want to make is don't be brain washed by carriers.

ATT mobile share and Verizon share everything are back door ways around trying to force data plans down people's throats even flip phones.

Before add a line without data was $10/month regardless if u had smartphone or not with att. They starting forcing data back in 2008.

It's simply a money grab. As for whether people need data on their smartphones. Yes. Many people like convienene of 24/7 data. But there are people who don't need it.

 

[joshdammit]

...the Lambo would work perfectly fine, too. You'd just be missing out on a lot of features.

Also, if people 'could care less' then that means they still care a little. What you meant was COULDN'T care less...

Car analogies are frequently used on the internet and are typically flawed in their execution. They also derail the conversation because (case in point) if there are any flaws in the analogy, those participating in the conversation get sidetracked by pointing out what's wrong with the comparison and what would make it more accurate.

If you can't make your point (or in this case, talk down to somebody) without making a terrible analogy, you probably didn't even need to post in the first place.

Getting back on topic:

Go with T-Mobile's $50 a month plan. Sure, your dad will get 500mb of LTE data, but it's not like he has to use it. The iPhone is only as complicated as the user wants it to be. If you hand your dad a new iPhone and don't download any new apps or rearrange anything, he should have no issue using it, regardless of whether there's data or not.

 

[scotrinaf]

It could probably be done if you bought an unlocked iPhone and went with a prepaid carrier. There is a setting to disable cellular data on the iPhone, and you'd have to set up a prepaid voice-only plan with a carrier.

On contract though, it's currently not possible because the postpaid carriers all require data plans on iPhones.

Actually, with most carriers, you are "pre-paying" your next month's service when you pay your bill... Which is why you get a partial refund if you terminate your service mid-month.

 

[imlynxy]

Anyone know of a way to have an iPhone without data? I'd like to set up one up JUST to be a phone. Nothing else. It's for my dad. He has a hard enough time with his Mac and doesn't want all the junk on an iPhone but would like the touch screen and his address book to sync up. Odd request I know but does anyone know of a way? I've read in the past that the only iPhone that this could be done on was the original by jailbreaking?

Att Easy: Put your sim with an adapter in dumb phone, wait 30 min , call Att tell them that you have a dumb phone, ask them to remove data plan and block pay-per use data. After that wait 30 min swap sim card and use it as long as you want.

 

[scaredpoet]

Actually, with most carriers, you are "pre-paying" your next month's service when you pay your bill... Which is why you get a partial refund if you terminate your service mid-month.

Not only is this rather persnickety semantics lesson not the point of the thread, but it also fundamentally misses the point of why "postpaid" is called what it is. While one does pay in advance for a pre-arranged "bucket" of minutes and data within a monthly billing cycle, a postpaid account is called such because the user is extended credit by the carrier, with the ability to go over and above the prearranged bucket. That overage is then billed the following month... post-paid.

The concept is actually extended further when you consider that up until recently (and even today), the majority of postpay accounts are under contract for a set amount of time. If one were truly "pre-paying" a two-year contract, then they would be paying the entire amount of their bills for those two years up-front.

With prepaid, there is no extension of credit beyond what has already been paid by the user, no contractual commitment, and no overage allowance. if you use your bucket, you're cut off until you pay more money.

 

[fiat]

I just bought a T-M iphone5s from apple online store. I setup it as new with T-M sim in it. I took TM sim out and went to an att authorized dealer store and asked to sign up 10 cents/min prepaid plan (no contract). The guy put an att sim and sign me up with a new line (phone #) with $0 fee. In a min, I got 4 dot signal on my phone and I left. Then I called att prepaid acc customer service to remove all services (including data, texting, ..) except TALK and it's done in 3 min (you have to call customer service. ATT stores do not take this kind of requests). The "not so good" about att's 10c/min plan compared to T-M's is that they don't give you "bonus min" when you prepay up to $100 any more, but good thing is they let you roll over unused min to next period if you continue to refill (if you don't refill, you lose unused min if expired).

 

[ET iPhone Home]

Anyone know of a way to have an iPhone without data? I'd like to set up one up JUST to be a phone. Nothing else. It's for my dad. He has a hard enough time with his Mac and doesn't want all the junk on an iPhone but would like the touch screen and his address book to sync up. Odd request I know but does anyone know of a way? I've read in the past that the only iPhone that this could be done on was the original by jailbreaking?

T-Mobile is your answer. My parents have an unlocked iPhone 4. T-Mobile has a $30/plan for 1000 mins. of both text and calls (1 text = 1 min.). No data is required. Works perfectly for them. I plan on doing the same next year with the iPhone 6.