So I plan on purchasing the next iPhone during the pre-order stage as soon as it becomes available online. I currently have been grandfathered into a text plan on AT&T that is no longer offered that I do not want to lose. (1000 texts a month for $10.) I'm pretty sure that if I attempt to pre-order on Apple's site then I'll be forced to select from one of the current text plans offered by AT&T. My thinking is that I'll be able to keep my current text plan if I pre-order through AT&T's site instead. Is this true? Also, will I be able to simply pop out the sim card on my iPhone 4 and place it into the new iPhone and have it up and working with no issues or do I need to call a number to activate it? Thanks.
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Keeping Grandfathered Plan During Pre-Order?
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You're asking about a future product that's not even announced yet.
Most likelly you will be able to keep your old text plan but noone knows how the system will work, when, if, what and why yet.
Most likelly you will be able to keep your old text plan but noone knows how the system will work, when, if, what and why yet.
I'm asking in reference to how this worked in the past. (iPhone 4, 4S release, etc.)
I'm assuming that however it worked for the last two iPhone's with respect to pre-orders will be the same this fall. Hence my initial question.
I guess it depends on what the AT&T policy is. When my sister pre-ordered her iPhone 4S, she was given an option to either stay with the unlimited data plan and unlimited texting plan or switch to a tiered data plan. So she kept the unlimited data plan and unlimited texting.
IMHO if all your friends have a smartphone I don't think it is necessary to have texting plan anymore since most would use an app like whatsapp or kakaotalk or any texting app to text with for free (of course it will count against your data plan).
IMHO if all your friends have a smartphone I don't think it is necessary to have texting plan anymore since most would use an app like whatsapp or kakaotalk or any texting app to text with for free (of course it will count against your data plan).
I know the policy well, I have grandfathered unlimited data & text on my 12 yr old AT&T plan. It's very easy. Each year when I upgrade to a new iPhone, I pre- order it through AT&T. I've always received the new phone on release day, or one day sooner.
The beauty of ordering via AT&T is the phone comes ready to activate including a new sim. Once in hand I call the special activation number and it's all automated. Activation is instant & trouble free. My grandfathered plans remain in place & I'm all set.
Usually I give my wife the iPhone I'm replacing. That's easy too, one call to the automated service and it's all hers. Before I make that call I remove my apps etc, and replace them with hers. It's very easy.
The beauty of ordering via AT&T is the phone comes ready to activate including a new sim. Once in hand I call the special activation number and it's all automated. Activation is instant & trouble free. My grandfathered plans remain in place & I'm all set.
Usually I give my wife the iPhone I'm replacing. That's easy too, one call to the automated service and it's all hers. Before I make that call I remove my apps etc, and replace them with hers. It's very easy.
Do _not_ put your existing sim into the new phone. Instead do as I outlined in my post above.
If you switch sims, that will automatically cancel your plan & you'll lose your grandfathered arrangement. The new phones unique identifier is different than the one registered to your sim.
That's why it's crucial that you buy your new phone through AT&T. It will be registered to your account & upon activation the new sim in the phone will be recognized as yours with the grandfathered plan attached.
There is no faster, easier, and better way than this.
Apple.com always has the option to keep your old plan even if they don't offer it anymore - whether they are unlimited data or 1000 texts.
AT&T Should have the option too but it might be more confusing on their website. I'd order through Apple - they are more clear imo.
AT&T Should have the option too but it might be more confusing on their website. I'd order through Apple - they are more clear imo.
Apple gave me that option when I got my 4 during pre-order.
I HOPE they let me keep my current unlimited data plan when I upgrade 2 phones in Sept/Oct
That is not true at all. I have switched my SIM many times through various phones and always kept my unlimited Data. ATT has no clue what phone I am using. The only reason you may not be able to switch your sim this time is if the new iphone is using the nano sim. If they stick with the micro, you can just pop the old one out of your 4S and into the 5 and it will instantly have service w/ the same plan.
Consider yourself lucky.
What you are doing, is what I used to do for years, as I've always had several phones for variety. However recently AT&T has changed the software that communicates with the phones on the network.
They now can detect the IMEI / Unique identifier on each phone in use. Therefore when you switch phones, which changes that number, it's automatically detected within the system. When that info is sent back to AT&T, they will send you a warning. If you don't respond within 72 hours, they cancel your plans and assign one of the new plans. I have no reason to lie about this, and I only post it to keep others advised.
After all, once they remove your unlimited plan, it's gone and there is no re-reinstatement.
Why take the risk?
I mean if they sent me and email about the issue, I would just give them the phone information....but they seem to think I still have an iphone 4 even though I have changed phones about 4 times since then.
The proper procedure as outlined in the terms and conditions, is if you want to switch phones, you call them first and they make the IMEI change for you. Then it's ok to use the phone.
If they detect you've made the change without advising them, they automatically cancel your grandfathered plan. Then when you speak with them you're given the choice of current plans. So it's not quite as simple as just giving them the phone info, they've already detected that.
Remember what you are doing is very common. Thousands of users do this, therefore they do not always respond immediately. I know users that have gone for months, and others just days. But once you are discovered, your account is flagged and they watch you very closely. You may get lucky and you may not. At least you now know so you won't be surprised.
Many people prefer to be in denial about this. I have four good friends that have lost their unlimited plan this way, then get upset with AT&T. But they are the ones that caused the problem by keeping AT&T out of the loop and ignoring the system AT&T has in place.
thanks. Is there a way to do this online? I just logged into my account and it shows I am using an iphone 4S...it literally just changed today haha, and i still have the unlimited plan.
I've always preordered my iPhones through apple and my plan has never changed. They give you the option to keep it the same during the order. As for the SIM card- every iPhone I've bought from Apple has come with a SIM card. No need to swap the old one. Just make sure you remove it from your old phone if you plan on selling it.
I have never used the text apps because not enough of my friends use them, but my girlfriend, my family, her family, and many of my friends have iPhones using iMessage, which does not count towards texts.
I opted out of my Grandfathered Unlimited Data because I never used more than 1 GB per month. I watched it for several months before deciding to drop down to 2 GB plan. I am happy with the extra $60 (plus tax) a year I save.
And now I have unlimited Data on my work phone through sprint, except Sprint is dreadfully slow in StL (unless you are downtown).
Additional: Oh Yea, I had no problem switching phones through Apple while I still had Unlimited Data. I would assume they will use the Nano Sim... So you probably won't be able to use your current sim.
My biggest problem with the new plans is that I only use like 30 minutes a month. Most of my calls go to my work phone or they are from my friends and family who mostly have AT&T anyway.
I opted out of my Grandfathered Unlimited Data because I never used more than 1 GB per month. I watched it for several months before deciding to drop down to 2 GB plan. I am happy with the extra $60 (plus tax) a year I save.
And now I have unlimited Data on my work phone through sprint, except Sprint is dreadfully slow in StL (unless you are downtown).
Additional: Oh Yea, I had no problem switching phones through Apple while I still had Unlimited Data. I would assume they will use the Nano Sim... So you probably won't be able to use your current sim.
My biggest problem with the new plans is that I only use like 30 minutes a month. Most of my calls go to my work phone or they are from my friends and family who mostly have AT&T anyway.
For me, I doubt I'll have a choice. IF the new iPhone is 4g as we suspect, I'll be forced out of me grandfathered, unlimited 3G plan with VZ.
But yesterday, I also remembered that my daughter has an upgrade available NOW, so I will probably use her upgrade to go from my 4s to the "5" or whatever it will be called, and give her my 4s. Then it'll be everyone on VZ's "share everything" plan, which pretty much = what I'm paying now anyway.
My wife and I rarely use more than 1 GB each per month anyway.
But yesterday, I also remembered that my daughter has an upgrade available NOW, so I will probably use her upgrade to go from my 4s to the "5" or whatever it will be called, and give her my 4s. Then it'll be everyone on VZ's "share everything" plan, which pretty much = what I'm paying now anyway.
My wife and I rarely use more than 1 GB each per month anyway.
That is dirty that verizon does that. How does the unlimited share everything work? What if you only have phone service through them?
I went from an iPhone 4S to a Galaxy Nexus on AT&T so I had to go get a regular sim. They screwed it all up and removed everything but my minutes. My data plan was gone for 2 days before I noticed. I had to call 4 different times. They can readd an unlimited data plan. It has to be escalated. Or it might be they did it because it was their fault. I'm not sure.
Really, it is your word versus theirs...you could always say you went in store and told them you had a new phone. When I tried out the nexus I just bought a micro SIM adapter...
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Thank you to everybody for your contributions in this thread. I think it's an important subject to discuss. I have absolutely no desire to wait in line for the next iPhone.
What I'll probably end up doing is firing up both AT&T's site and Apple's once the pre-order becomes live (assuming they both are live at the same time). I would prefer using AT&T's site however it's just a question of what site works best for me. As you probably know the pre-order pages can be a mess once they become live because of high traffic. I've also bookmarked this thread and will refer back to it on the morning of September 12th. Does anybody recall when the online pre-order begins? Is it immediately after the keynote? Another day afterwards?
What I'll probably end up doing is firing up both AT&T's site and Apple's once the pre-order becomes live (assuming they both are live at the same time). I would prefer using AT&T's site however it's just a question of what site works best for me. As you probably know the pre-order pages can be a mess once they become live because of high traffic. I've also bookmarked this thread and will refer back to it on the morning of September 12th. Does anybody recall when the online pre-order begins? Is it immediately after the keynote? Another day afterwards?
perfect example of throttling not mattering.....I stream a lot of music when i Drive....they can slow the speed, but it still streams flawlessly and I do not have to worry about how much data I use.