Is there no way on AT&T to not have a data plan?

[LapsangSouchong]

I keep being told this, but am still hopeful. My husband does not want a data plan. He just wants phone, text, and wifi access to the internet. I have a 3Gs that I'm not using. He doesn't need to buy an iphone.
Is there no way to do this? Could I buy him a dumbphone with ATT when I add him to my family plan and swap sims? Is there a way to set the APN (or whatever) via jailbreaking that would allow him to have the phone he wants and the features he wants (and not the ones he doesn't)?

 

[b-rad g]

The only way to not have a data plan forced on you is to not have a smartphone. Even if you don't buy the phone new and one is given to you, AT&T will recognize it as an iPhone when you activate it and force you to add a data plan. No way around it.

 

[LapsangSouchong]

The only way to not have a data plan forced on you is to not have a smartphone. Even if you don't buy the phone new and one is given to you, AT&T will recognize it as an iPhone when you activate it and force you to add a data plan. No way around it.

Thanks. That's what AT&T said. hmm. Tmobile allows it for many smart phones (or did).
Thanks for the answer. I guess the 200mb plan isn't too expensive.

 

[wvphysics]

The only way to not have a data plan forced on you is to not have a smartphone. Even if you don't buy the phone new and one is given to you, AT&T will recognize it as an iPhone when you activate it and force you to add a data plan. No way around it.

Not true. When my brother upgraded to a new iphone, he gave his old one to his son and set it up to only connect to the internet when connected to a wifi spot. To do this he had to swap the SIM card and unlock the iphone. The only way to unlock an iphone lately is to jailbreak it (which is perfectly legal). The only way that ATT "detects" it as an iphone is when you activate the phone through their system. Unlocking it circumvents having to activate it through their system, at that point ATT will only register it as the phone last registered to that SIM card.

If you don't want to jailbreak, then yes there is no other way around it.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not true. When my brother upgraded to a new iphone, he gave his old one to his son and set it up to only connect to the internet when connected to a wifi spot. To do this he had to swap the SIM card and unlock the iphone. The only way to unlock an iphone lately is to jailbreak it (which is perfectly legal). The only way that ATT "detects" it as an iphone is when you activate the phone through their system. Unlocking it circumvents having to activate it through their system, at that point ATT will only register it as the phone last registered to that SIM card.

If you don't want to jailbreak, then yes there is no other way around it.

That's false.
They can still detect it even if it's jb and unlock. Maybe he got lucky so far and they didn't catch on to him yet.

 

[techiegirl]

I think it'll work if you jb, unlock and use it on a prepaid (go phone) plan.

 

[wvphysics]

Not to sound pretentious but how do you know they can detect that it is an iPhone. As I said I've seen this done with a few people with no issues, my nephew is just one example.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not to sound pretentious but how do you know they can detect that it is an iPhone. As I said I've seen this done with a few people with no issues, my nephew is just one example.

I know because it happened to my wife.
Took them 3 months and one day she got
a text that an iPhone data plan is required and has been added to the account. With prepaid AT&T go sims you'd be fine but with postpaid plan they eventually catch it.
Att knows what device your using on their network the minute you put your sim in and turn on the phone.

 

[wvphysics]

With it further speculating what ATT can do and will do I'll just point to a thread on this topic already
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/723750/

Just googling "iPhone no data" this was the first of many links coming up. It is a thread from last year where at least a few people have been data plan free for over a year or even two. Some of them appear to not even have to unlock, they just call up and ask to have a block put on and drop the 3G. From the droves of people who have no data plan and post no problems, it would suggest those that get caught are a minority.

 

[Carlanga]

iPhone IMEI number

Your nephew is lucky...the thing is each cellphone in the world has a unique IMEI number, AT&T uses that number to know what phone model exactly is the phone you have. Other countries use the IMEI to block the phone completely when someone steals it, they can't use it, here in the US is just used to set you up to the correct plan (no cheating). It cannot be changed on a 3GS, if it was an original first gen. Iphone it was possible to change it to an IMEI of an old 'dumb' phone, but from the 3G model and up is not possible to change it since it uses the 3G technology and is not possible to change it. Also is illegal to change the IMEI of a phone! What you could try is putting his SIM on an old dumb phone make sure that is setup as the dumbphone in the plan then call AT&T and ask to completely block data and they override the data connections from over there, but if they do a sweep check of IMEI's and discover is an iphone they will charge you the data... The easiest would be to just buy a prepaid plan that has no data and use that sim on the iphone and it should work for a longer time....

 

[wvphysics]

Again, final answer is...yes it can be done. Read afore-mentioned thread for further information. A google search will give a number of other threads or articles on this topic. More than just a few people were lucky.

 

[Applejuiced]

With it further speculating what ATT can do and will do I'll just point to a thread on this topic already
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/723750/

Just googling "iPhone no data" this was the first of many links coming up. It is a thread from last year where at least a few people have been data plan free for over a year or even two. Some of them appear to not even have to unlock, they just call up and ask to have a block put on and drop the 3G. From the droves of people who have no data plan and post no problems, it would suggest those that get caught are a minority.

That was over a year ago.
Now for over 3 months they require it and started adding it automaticly to everyone.
Hope you dont think Im making it up, try and see how far you get.

Again, final answer is...yes it can be done. Read afore-mentioned thread for further information. A google search will give a number of other threads or articles on this topic. More than just a few people were lucky.

Yes, lucky for a little while till they eventually catch it.

 

[eastercat]

Your best bet is pay as you go. AT&T can't force a data plan on you then.
This is financially viable if your husband doesn't make a lot of calls. You should do a financial analysis to see what is the cost over a year for both plans.

 

[SpaceKitty]

I think it'll work if you jb, unlock and use it on a prepaid (go phone) plan.

GoPhone plan is the only way to use an iPhone without a data plan.

$60 for unlimited talk and text.

 

[Risen]

I have been using an iPhone that is NOT jailbroken and NOT unlocked for a year and a half with NO data plan. ATT has even detected it because it shows an iPhone on my online account and I am still NOT using a data plan....

 

[Applejuiced]

I have been using an iPhone that is NOT jailbroken and NOT unlocked for a year and a half with NO data plan. ATT has even detected it because it shows an iPhone on my online account and I am still NOT using a data plan....

You're lucky so far.
Doesnt guarantee it will last forever or others will get away with it though.

 

[mstrswrd06]

Lucky indeed. My smartphone died and I had to send it for repair. To keep me from having to use my old phone, a 3 year old Palm Centro, my wife decided to take the bullet and we swapped my SIM into her phone, a non smartphone. Her SIM went into the Centro. She doesn't have a data plan of any sort on her line. AT&T picked up on the switch and tacked on $25 for data on her line, despite 0 KB of use on it. No warning, no notification. Just showed up on the bill.

AT&T is only out to make money on stupid stuff like this. There is no justification for what happened, in fact it's probably borderline illegal. After finding out what happened I had to call their customer service number. First guy thought it was a technical problem. After getting disconnected I called back and let the leash loose for my wife to take over (I try too hard to keep my cool on the phone, doesn't get far when the going gets tough). After lots of shouting and waiting we were finally able to get a credit of $25 on our next bill. Now I'm back on the Centro until my good phone comes back from repair.

We got lucky, but don't expect that kind of thing to get easily reversed if it happens to you. I've read on several other forums of antics like this happening. Granted, in my situation neither of these phones were iPhones but the same thing could easily happen to you. Just a forewarning.

 

[MaxBurn]

GoPhone plan is the only way to use an iPhone without a data plan.

$60 for unlimited talk and text.

This is the answer. Plus if you find you want data for a while you just do a one time buy 10/100/500MB which lasts for 30 days. The system has a compatible ease of operation like the iPad plans in that respect.

More people need to look into the go phone smartphone plans. If you are a fairly light user you can cut your bill down to the range of $20-30/mo.