only one iphone on family plan: possible?

[86047]

So I have verizon right now and when the contact is up, we are switching to at&t and I will be getting an iphone. Now I will be the only one on the family plan who wants an iphone.
I know that it is possible to add an iphone to an existing plan, so I could buy the family plan (and a free throw-out phone or something), and then get an iphone and activate it with the 20 a month data plan. But this would mean I would have to pay another activation fee. Yuck.
The iphone family plans I see all have two iphones. I just want a regular family plan of two phones, one of which will be an iphone with the basic 20 dollar data plan (with the 200 txt messages).
Is it possible to do so?

 

[abijnk]

So I have verizon right now and when the contact is up, we are switching to at&t and I will be getting an iphone. Now I will be the only one on the family plan who wants an iphone.
I know that it is possible to add an iphone to an existing plan, so I could buy the family plan (and a free throw-out phone or something), and then get an iphone and activate it with the 20 a month data plan. But this would mean I would have to pay another activation fee. Yuck.
The iphone family plans I see all have two iphones. I just want a regular family plan of two phones, one of which will be an iphone with the basic 20 dollar data plan (with the 200 txt messages).
Is it possible to do so?

Certainly, that's what I am doing. I've got the iPhone and my fiance has a sync, not an issue at all.

 

[Telp]

Its not a problem. I am in a family of 4 and am the only one with an iPhone.

 

[86047]

Its not a problem. I am in a family of 4 and am the only one with an iPhone.

how did you go about setting it up?
I don't already have cingular service (I'm currently with verizon), so I can't just like buy an iphone and use it for the family plan along with that extra 20 a month.
I would have to activate a new family plan.
I guess the thread shouldn't read "Possible?", but more "How?"

 

[gauchogolfer]

If you set up a regular family plan (compete with cheap throw-in phone) and pay the activation costs, there shouldn't be a new activation fee for your iPhone when you buy it. The only thing it will do is extend your contract for two additional years (and add $20 to the monthly bill, obviously).

 

[FastangV6]

I agree with gauchogolfer. This is exactly what I did a few months back and it worked great! I even got a free razr through a special they had for being a new at&t customer at the time, so I sold the razr after the first month and used the cash to help pay for the iphone.

 

[86047]

If you set up a regular family plan (compete with cheap throw-in phone) and pay the activation costs, there shouldn't be a new activation fee for your iPhone when you buy it. The only thing it will do is extend your contract for two additional years (and add $20 to the monthly bill, obviously).

so I Would be stuck with At&t for 4 years?

 

[aross99]

I left Verizon and went to AT&T just like you are talking about. I bought by iPhone from the Apple store, and then walked down to the AT&T store in the mall, and bought a RAZR for my daughter and signed up for the Family plan. AT&T set it all up and transferred my numbers, etc. I didn't even have to call Verizon to cancel.

When I got home, I used iTunes to activate my iPhone, and I was all set. I ended up with a Family plan with one iPhone and one regular phone. Both phones have a 2 year contract with AT&T - not 4 years total...

 

[Superman07]

I'm a little confused...if you look at the family rate structure you see $110 gets you two lines and unlimited, etc. etc. Is this for two iPhones and you're getting a discount? Or one iPhone and one regular phone? If you look at the bottom it states $30 extra for each iPhone.

 

[chr1s60]

So I have verizon right now and when the contact is up, we are switching to at&t and I will be getting an iphone. Now I will be the only one on the family plan who wants an iphone.
I know that it is possible to add an iphone to an existing plan, so I could buy the family plan (and a free throw-out phone or something), and then get an iphone and activate it with the 20 a month data plan. But this would mean I would have to pay another activation fee. Yuck.
The iphone family plans I see all have two iphones. I just want a regular family plan of two phones, one of which will be an iphone with the basic 20 dollar data plan (with the 200 txt messages).
Is it possible to do so?

Yes. I have a family plan that was new with iPhone and I was the only person with an iPhone out of four people. Now there are two iPhones on my plan and each time it is very easy to add. In fact, I have never once been charged an activation fee for the iPhone. You can get the iPhone when you initially sign up instead of wasting your time with a cheap phone you don't want first.

 

[devilot]

so I Would be stuck with At&t for 4 years?

No, getting an iPhone essentially "restarts" your existing 2-yr contract. For example, say "Bob" had some Nokia phone w/ AT&T and had started a 2-year contract one month ago. Bob buys and activates an iPhone today. His 2-year contract now begins today (so he sort of is/ has been/ under contract for 2yrs + the previous month that has already passed).

Make sense?

Otherwise, no problems.

I joined an existing 2 line family plan w/ my iPhone. No activation fee. $9.99 a month for voice, $19.99 for iPhone unlimited data, $5 for unlimited texts "mobile-to-mobile" (meaning to other users with AT&T).

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

I just want a regular family plan of two phones, one of which will be an iphone with the basic 20 dollar data plan (with the 200 txt messages).

if you sign up for the family unlimited txt then it will over ride your " 200 iPhone txt" and you can txt all you want. just thought that would be some helpful info

 

[SFStateStudent]

Family Unlimited TEXT will not override...

your Apple iPhone 200 Text Message with Family Plan. I wanted Family Unlimited Text for $29.99 for the other three phones on my plan, and I would go with my "200" Text Messages, but AT&T has refused to make this possible, so my other three phones are on the "400" text messages at $9.99 per phone line, while I'm at "200" messages on my iPhone! Whomever you are receiving your information from, hasn't spoken with AT&T as of 11.14.07 @1530 hrs. If you check your current Family Plan, you will see that the $29.99 Family Unlimited Text will not even show-up as an option; only the $9.99 per line for non-iPhones. Sorry, to be the bearer of BAD NEWS!

Also, it's $59.99 for (1) iPhone and $109.99 for (2) iPhones

 

[Juggler9000]

The iphone family plans I see all have two iphones. I just want a regular family plan of two phones, one of which will be an iphone with the basic 20 dollar data plan (with the 200 txt messages).
Is it possible to do so?

I thought this is how my at&t family plan would work out as well. I was wrong. My wife played with the iPhone in the store and we ended up with a two iPhone family plan. Good Luck...

 

[SFStateStudent]

Change 1 To Change 2...

AT&T Customer Service emailed me and apologized for the WRONG information that was passed on to me, and they asked me to call 611 on my iPhone or 800-331-0500 on a land line and they would assist me with my request to change my Text Msg Plan to Family Text Msg UNLIMITED for my iPhone & my other (3) phones for the cost of $29.99, and eliminate the $9.99 charge on each line and place my iPhone on the UNLIMITED Text Msg Plan as well. It took them about 15 minutes, and then to top it off, they credited my account $69.70 for my son's text msgs that were OVER the 400 msg limit!!!



I'm in iPhone HEAVEN!!!

 

[csi24]

No, getting an iPhone essentially "restarts" your existing 2-yr contract. For example, say "Bob" had some Nokia phone w/ AT&T and had started a 2-year contract one month ago. Bob buys and activates an iPhone today. His 2-year contract now begins today (so he sort of is/ has been/ under contract for 2yrs + the previous month that has already passed).

Make sense?

Otherwise, no problems.

I joined an existing 2 line family plan w/ my iPhone. No activation fee. $9.99 a month for voice, $19.99 for iPhone unlimited data, $5 for unlimited texts "mobile-to-mobile" (meaning to other users with AT&T).

Sorry to sound like a newb, well since this is my first post maybe it does. But I thought you had to pay $59.99 for the 'cheapest' iPhone data plan. I also am paying $9.99 on my family plan and it's kind of confusing to hear you say that I can pay $20 for the stuff that is listed as costing $59.99. Any clarification would be appreciated.

And since this is my first post, hello everyone!

 

[86047]

Sorry to sound like a newb, well since this is my first post maybe it does. But I thought you had to pay $59.99 for the 'cheapest' iPhone data plan. I also am paying $9.99 on my family plan and it's kind of confusing to hear you say that I can pay $20 for the stuff that is listed as costing $59.99. Any clarification would be appreciated.

And since this is my first post, hello everyone!

Welcome to MacRumors!
erm I think you are referring to the voice and data plan for a single iphone. The $20 for unlimited data is on top of an exisiting voice or a family plan.
at least that's what I got from the stuff on At&t's site.

 

[csi24]

Welcome to MacRumors!
erm I think you are referring to the voice and data plan for a single iphone. The $20 for unlimited data is on top of an exisiting voice or a family plan.
at least that's what I got from the stuff on At&t's site.

So what would the total cost be? Does that mean I have to pay $59.99 plus the $9.99 for the family plan and $20 for the unlimited data plan? Sorry to sound dumb, it's just that I need a nice solid answer before I go to my AT&T store. And thanks for the welcome!

 

[86047]

So what would the total cost be? Does that mean I have to pay $59.99 plus the $9.99 for the family plan and $20 for the unlimited data plan? Sorry to sound dumb, it's just that I need a nice solid answer before I go to my AT&T store. And thanks for the welcome!

Naw, the data is included in the $59.99, for one anyway. Then again I'm not sure if you have two of them, as I've never looked into it. What do you want your situation to be? Two iphones? A regular phone and an iphone?

It's not a stupid question at all. AT&T should really fix their website to be more explanatory of their plans, but then again, they never really were #1 in Customer service ...

 

[csi24]

Naw, the data is included in the $59.99, for one anyway. Then again I'm not sure if you have two of them, as I've never looked into it. What do you want your situation to be? Two iphones? A regular phone and an iphone?

It's not a stupid question at all. AT&T should really fix their website to be more explanatory of their plans, but then again, they never really were #1 in Customer service ...

We have four phones on the family plan and are paying $59.99 for our family plan. I'm not the main line so I pay $9.99 a month. I would be the one getting the iPhone, so as devilot said, would I then have to pay $9.99 for my regular monthly plan and then $20 for the unlimited iPhone data plan or would I have to pay my regular $9.99 a month and $59.99 a month? Sorry if that's a little confusing but if you or anyone else can manage to give me an answer it would be greatly appreciated

 

[devilot]

An example:

Family plan with two voice lines: $79.99
Additional voice lines: $9.99 each

So... the way my family's plan works is like this:

Two main account lines for $79.99 a month
Add my voice line: $9.99
Add my iPhone data: $19.99
Additional features, add more $
______________________________________

Tentatively: "my" iPhone line on an existing family plan is:
$9.99 + $19.99= $30 a month.


Got it?

 

[csi24]

An example:

Family plan with two voice lines: $79.99
Additional voice lines: $9.99 each

So... the way my family's plan works is like this:

Two main account lines for $79.99 a month
Add my voice line: $9.99
Add my iPhone data: $19.99
Additional features, add more $
______________________________________

Tentatively: "my" iPhone line on an existing family plan is:
$9.99 + $19.99= $30 a month.


Got it?

I think I've got it. So I'm going to have to upgrade my family plan so I can get an iPhone or is you're family plan just $79.99? I know I'm sounding dumb but before I go to AT&T I want to know as much as I can about the family plan and how I can get an iPhone on it

 

[mrgreen4242]

Dumb question, but if I'm reading all this correctly, for someone (like me) who is currently on a family plan on another network (2 lines) who wants to get an 1 iPhone and one new phone on a family plan with ATT, the course of action and the end result would be:

• Buy iPhone, but don't activate it.
• Get a family plan (say the $59.99 plan) which will come with two (free or discounted after contact discount) phones.
• Activate both non-iPhone phones, porting existing numbers over to them (this will probably cost $36 or something)
• After that's complete, activate iPhone using the now ported to an ATT family plan number (this shouldn't have a fee)
• Add $20/month data plan to iPhone
• Non-iPhone will have whatever features are on the original family plan
• iPhone will share the minutes (anytime, nights and weekends, and M2M) of the original family plan, but will have unlimited internet use and 200 texts
• Bill should be $80 ($60+20), and contract will be 2 years from iPhone activation date
• The "extra" free phone from original family plan can be used with either the iPhone SIM or the SIM from the currently being used on the plan phone (as a backup, spare, whatever) or sold outright.

Again, if I read all the comments, I think this is accurate, but I'm not sure so was hoping someone could point out any errors in this list. I'm definitely interested in the iPhone, but it's right on the high end of what I'm willing to pay for a cell phone/media player so I need to be sure I'm considering all the costs.

 

[kimguroo]

I thought this is how my at&t family plan would work out as well. I was wrong. My wife played with the iPhone in the store and we ended up with a two iPhone family plan. Good Luck...

Similar thing happens to me. my wife does not care about a cell phone (she is not a high tech gadget person). I got my iphone last week and she played with my iphone and now she wants one. I was surprised by that.
I will buy another iphone next week, when I trip to delaware again (Tax free is sweet).