Noob to whole cell phone thing, have a question

[C DM]

Just think though. If you buy the phone subsidized you're still going to pay more per month. Not counting the extra taxes and any other fees like the activation fee that ATT charges. Not that that's what I intended to do in the first place.

You would be paying more now, but not before. Before you get a subsidized phone for let's say $100 and pay the same per month as you would if you bought the phone outright for like $600, for example. Now you get a discount for not having a subsidized phone, although that discount might only be like $10 off a month, so even then a subsidized phone might not run you any more in the course of 2 years.

 

[nostresshere]

If one is experienced using computers, (OP must be, in order to post here) I don't see why an iPhone would be in any way intimidating for them. ...

Makes some sense. But, at the same time, the poster has NEVER had a cell phone.

And, I will say it again - we still do not know what they would use it for, budget, where, etc etc

 

[Winona Northdakota]

Noob to whole cell phone thing, have a question

All iPhones have SIM cards. Some of the unlocked iPhones Apple sells come without a SIM card, but that's because you are supposed to insert your own SIM into the slot.

The difference between locked and unlocked is the difference between being able to take your phone from carrier to carrier or not. If your phone is locked and you want to go to a different carrier, you either can't because it's locked, or you have to get it unlocked before you can do so.

If you buy unlocked to begin with then you can take your phone wherever it's supported. The difference in price is usually because of subsidies. Locked phones tend to cost less because the carrier is paying the balance of the phone for you. You pay them back over the term of your contract. Unfortunately, a lot of carriers don't reduce the price of your contract once you meet the terms so a subsidized price continues to be paid month to month.

This is incorrect. The iPhone 4 for Verizon has no SIM card. The iPhone 4S for Verizon has a SIM card for GSM/UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ roaming internationally only, not for use with Verizon's network. Neither the Verizon iPhone 4 or 4S can be used on any other network in the US.

 

[eyoungren]

This is incorrect. The iPhone 4 for Verizon has no SIM card. The iPhone 4S for Verizon has a SIM card for GSM/UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ roaming internationally only, not for use with Verizon's network. Neither the Verizon iPhone 4 or 4S can be used on any other network in the US.

Really?

Take a closer look. There may not be a SIM slot, but there is a SIM card. On the Sprint iPhone 4, which has no SIM slot, the SIM card is soldered to the logicboard inside the phone. The Verizon iPhone 4 has the Dual CDMA/GSM Qualcomm MDM600 chip. Apple on purpose locked out the GSM part and of course, there is no SIM slot. So, technically, yes, the Verizon iPhone does not have a SIM card, but it DOES have the potential (albeit very difficult) to be a world phone.

You are correct that the Verizon 4s is locked to Verizon.

 

[Ffosse]

Because until recently when carriers started providing some discounts on monthly fees for those with off-contract phones it was more expensive to buy a phone for full price and still pay the same higher monthly fees.

I've never bought a phone on contract in my life; it's always been far cheaper to buy a device outright and unlocked.

 

[C DM]

I've never bought a phone on contract in my life; it's always been far cheaper to buy a device outright and unlocked.

Again, has certainly not been far cheaper with regular post paid plans from one of the large carriers until not too long ago when they finally started offering discounts on monthly service for non-subsidized equipment.

 

[Ffosse]

Again, has certainly not been far cheaper with regular post paid plans from one of the large carriers until not too long ago when they finally started offering discounts on monthly service for non-subsidized equipment.

But that's in one country - yours.

 

[tmarks11]

Moto G + T-Mobile will do 95% of what everyone else here does here with our overpriced phones and plans.

That is true if you live on the east coast (where I lived until last year), where t-mobile has great coverage.

Here in the PNW, t-mobile coverage is horrible, and if I get more than a few miles off the freeway, you enter a t-mobile black hole.

Unfortunate, because I have relied on t-mobile pre-paid phones for year since they are a great deal compared to having a big $$$ monthly commitment, and new t-mobile data plans rock.

 

[C DM]

But that's in one country - yours.

Sure, there's definitely that. But then what I said certainly still applies (or at least applied) to a lot of people there.

So perhaps what you said holds, but perhaps only for your country (which you also didn't qualify in your post).

 

[nostresshere]

I've never bought a phone on contract in my life; it's always been far cheaper to buy a device outright and unlocked.

Well, I guess. In the past, ATT charged me the same monthly fee if my phone was under contract, or if I had the same phone for 3 years.

I know it has changed in the past year, but it made no sense for me to buy the phone outright in the past as my monthly cost was the same if I bought it outright or had a contract. Or was I stupid all those years?

 

[Ffosse]

Certainly in the UK, and Western Europe generally, what phone you buy doesn't really have anything to do with the carriers - contracts are available, but that's not the norm. It's always been cheaper to buy a device unlocked and outright.

Data is so cheap, many go pay as you go or a 12 monthly sim-only deal.

 

[26139]

Huh?

I do not buy phones on contract. Why would you?

All the added fees?

The inability to prevent overage charges on data usage?

The confusing bill?

The extra taxes?

Late fees?

Restoral fees?

Being stuck on one carrier?

Not being able to unlock your own phone without meeting certain requirements?

I don't get why anyone would do it.

I have to pay someone for my monthly service, why do I care which company that happens to be? The only thing I agree with you about is the confusing bill, but it's not like we have a bevy of options to choose from.

 

[pure-rockstar]

I just like it for the fact that I can do whatever I want with my phone anytime. I can switch to a different carrier I want to go anywhere I want without any cancellations or international service for roaming charges or fees.

I'm extremely fickle but it's empowering.

 

[Winona Northdakota]

Noob to whole cell phone thing, have a question

Really?

Take a closer look. There may not be a SIM slot, but there is a SIM card. On the Sprint iPhone 4, which has no SIM slot, the SIM card is soldered to the logicboard inside the phone. The Verizon iPhone 4 has the Dual CDMA/GSM Qualcomm MDM600 chip. Apple on purpose locked out the GSM part and of course, there is no SIM slot. So, technically, yes, the Verizon iPhone does not have a SIM card, but it DOES have the potential (albeit very difficult) to be a world phone.

You are correct that the Verizon 4s is locked to Verizon.

The CDMA iPhone 4 doesn't have the GSM radio portion connected to anything. There is no antenna for it. There isn't enough antenna to go around. It doesn't even have a SIM card. The phone doesn't even have an IMEI. There is no need with CDMA with Verizon. Most likely the version of iOS running with the iPhone 4 for Verizon doesn't contain any necessary API or code for a GSM radio. There is only one model of CDMA iPhone 4, A1349.


Sprint handles the iPhone 4S different and uses a SIM card, like "C-SIM" SIM cards.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...n-att-gsm-iphone-4-verizon-cdma-iphone-4.html

 

[eyoungren]

The CDMA iPhone 4 doesn't have the GSM radio portion connected to anything. There is no antenna for it. There isn't enough antenna to go around. It doesn't even have a SIM card. The phone doesn't even have an IMEI. There is no need with CDMA with Verizon. Most likely the version of iOS running with the iPhone 4 for Verizon doesn't contain any necessary API or code for a GSM radio. There is only one model of CDMA iPhone 4, A1349.


Sprint handles the iPhone 4S different and uses a SIM card, like "C-SIM" SIM cards.

Allright. I will concede to your argument. I've had a look back at what I was basing things on and I made some assumptions.

So, then. The iPhone 4 CDMA is the one iPhone that does not have a SIM slot or a SIM card.

 

[theapplefanboyj]

In the uk, my iPhone 4s is off contract. Generally, when you buy a new phone on contract, the monthly fee is around $50-$80. However, if you buy it off contract, it is much cheaper. I get 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and 3gb of data for $12 here in the UK.