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Sourpatchkid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 20, 2010
2
0
If I already have AT&T regular service, but want to buy an iPhone 3gs from a friend will unloking mean that I will be able to simply put my sim card in it and be able to us it without getting the AT&T iPhone service plan that is like $40 bucks extra?
 
no Unlocking has nothing to do with not paying for service. I allows you to use any GSM network and not be locked to AT&T. in the us your Choices are AT&T or T-Mobile but you still have to pay for that service. btw Data plan is between 20-30 bucks depending on what you get not $40.
 
If I already have AT&T regular service, but want to buy an iPhone 3gs from a friend will unloking mean that I will be able to simply put my sim card in it and be able to us it without getting the AT&T iPhone service plan that is like $40 bucks extra?

You do not need to unlock your iPhone to swap a new AT&T SIM into it. AT&T requires a data plan (min. $15) for all smartphone's on their network, though. Unlocking won't change your contractual obligations.
 
if you use/consume data and dont have a data plan you will be charged per KB used. And that can get expensive.
Or if you block carrier data you wont be charged for it.

I have heard several first-hand accounts of AT&T adding iPhone data plans to people's accounts,now, so I'm unsure what the future holds in this area.
 
I have a similar situation. When I got the 3GS I gave my wife my original iPhone after unlocking and jailbreaking it, then put her SIM card in from the free Sony they gave her (on our family plan).

Under my AT&T account her iPhone still shows up as the Sony phone, but shows a picture of the iPhone. There's no data plan on it and I don't see that we're being charged for data. Her iPhone can't get any data unless it's on Wifi.

I'm wondering now, since I have a new iPhone 4 on the way and she dropped her iPhone in the sink :)() if I can just switch SIM cards in my 3GS and pass it on to her, or if I need to unlock it. I don't remember exactly why I unlocked her phone in the first place.

Should I wait for an unlock? Is there a definitive answer on this type of situation?
 
I already have a data plan but it is ony 10 bucks a month for unlimited data. They also make you get on an iPhone plan. So what I was wonderig was if I just take my sim card out and put it into an iPhone will the service work without me having to pay extra and would unlocking it make me able to do that.
 
I already have a data plan but it is ony 10 bucks a month for unlimited data. They also make you get on an iPhone plan. So what I was wonderig was if I just take my sim card out and put it into an iPhone will the service work without me having to pay extra and would unlocking it make me able to do that.

Unlocking has nothing to do with it.
Unlocking lets you use the phone with other nonAT&T simcards.
The data will prob work untill they notice and change it to an iphone data plan.
 
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