Need help: Buying iPhone 3GS but how not extend contract

[alex--]

Ok so I was a first gen iPhone user but after my iPhone died I got a BLACKBERRY BOLD I have hated this thing so far and it is just filled with too many bugs. I asked when I could upgrade my phone and it was 2011 xP. So if I bought a iPhone (3GS) could I insert my sim into the 3GS and activate it or will it not work? Would I need a new contract? Is there anyway to avoid this by activating it not by iTunes. To sum it up I want to switch but I don't want to be tacked by another 2 years of contract. BTW I have had my BB for 3 months.


I also have this topic up on another forum but I was wondering if anyone else knew how on this forum.

I was thinking maybe Pwnage tool? But I don't know.

 

[jmann]

If you buy the phone at the commitment-free (no contract) price, then your contract will say the same, but you will have to shell out like $600 for a new phone.

 

[Applejuiced]

The 3GS will work with any at&t simcard as long as it has originally been activated first.
You can find one at ebay probably for full price.

 

[TheMBC]

Didn't the BlackBerry Bold extend the contract? If so, I'd say just take the plunge. If not, get it at the no-commitment price.

 

[alex--]

Couldn't I use Winpwn to activate it and say I got it as say a "gift"

 

[Applejuiced]

You could do it with Redsnow with the latest 3.0.1 firware and hactivate it like that.

Couldn't I use Winpwn to activate it and say I got it as say a "gift"

 

[alex--]

I will try redsn0w (Does it only activate or does it unlock too?) or winpwn but I wonder if I would have to change my BB plan to the iPhone plan. If anyone has done something similar. If not and I end up doing this I will tell you guys what happened.

 

[1rottenapple]

Most likely they'll be able to tell that your using an iPhone from what I've read oN the forums based on the imei number each phone has. So they'll add the appropriate data plan. I wonder if there is a cydia app that can fool AT&T and let them think ur using a non iPhone phone.

 

[alex--]

thanks for the response

 

[NathanA]

Okay, from the top:

1) When you buy another phone from AT&T that is either partially or fully subsidized, your contract start date is RESET to be from the date that you bought your new phone. It is not TACKED ON to the end of your current contract end-date. So if you had a year left on your contract, and you re-upped it, you would then have two years left, not three. A quick phone call to AT&T would confirm this.

2) If you already bought a subsidized phone -- ANY phone model...Blackberry, iPhone, cheap-ass Samsung thing: it really doesn't matter -- three months ago, then there is no way that AT&T is going to allow you to buy another subsidized phone already. You are going to have to pay full-price. Now, depending on their mood, you may luck out and discover that you are eligible for what is called an iPhone "Early Upgrade" price, which is $200 more than the $199/299 fully-subsidized price instead of the $400 more you would need to pay for an unsubsidized phone.

So you will either be paying $399/499 and resetting your contract date to 2 years from now, which means that instead of a 2 year contract you will have had a 2 year + 3 month contract (really not a huge difference between them), OR you will be paying $599/699 and not having your contract date reset at all.

Now, I'm willing to bet that after 3 months, there's probably no way in heck they are going to extend the "Early Upgrade" price to you, but I could be wrong, seeing how you have obviously been with AT&T for a while given that you had an original iPhone before you went with the Blackberry, and they may be willing to take that into consideration.

If they give you the Early Upgrade price, then I say take it. 3 months of extra contract for $200 off is a no-brainer.

Oh, and yes: you will have to switch to an iPhone data plan. And no, there is no way around that. The unique IMEI number that the phone broadcasts to the cellular tower tells AT&T what the make and model is. It is a federal felony to tamper with a cellular phone's unique electronic identifier (IMEI or ESN depending on the cellular system) for the purpose of defrauding a phone company.

-- Nathan