I was talking to my dad about how it works since I'm switching from verizon to AT&T, obviously. He said I wouldn't have to cancel my verizon (I am on a family plan) til after I get the iphone and activate my AT&T plan, but I don't understand how that is possible especially if I want to use the same number. Do I need to cancel my Verizon plan beforehand or can I really activate an AT&T plan and then cancel while still having the same number?
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Stupid question about switching providers
- Thread starter LaHaine
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If you activate at the AT&T Store and tell them you are porting a number over from Verizon, they will port your number, which will cancel your Verizon contract automatically.
You need to keep your number, as in don't cancel it yet cause you will lose it, when AT&T ports your number over it automatically ends your number with Verizon and it takes about 6-7 hours until the transfer is fully complete.
Heed that warning!
Once you cancel your current account your phone number it will be lost! It will drop from Verizon's control and into a pool of numbers where it will eventually be recycled.
As Waterpolo820 said, when you sign up with AT&T they will handle the transfer from Verizon. You can dial out immediately and my new AT&T phone was receiving calls to my old number in less than an hour.
6 - 7 Hours!!! Does that mean I won't be able to use my phone when I leave the store?
It shouldn't take that long. It took my port from T-Mobile about 45 minutes to an hour.
On your new phone you can make calls, not recieve them. Your old verizon phone will still ring when someone calls you during this time.
True or false: The only place I can have port my number will be at the AT&T store, right? Apple won't be able to do this?
That remains to be seen. You could purchase it @ an Apple store setup the account and then call AT&T CS to port over your number. I did this when I copped both me and my wife phones from Best Buy & Radio Shack.
When I said 6-7 hours i was quoting what most carriers say, but I think when I ported my number from Sprint to T-mobile it took about 1 hour, If I recall correctly you can make calls once you port it, but to receive them takes that hour or so. If you really want to, get a new number from Apple, set your current phone to forward to your new number, and then if there is a time that you don't need your phone, and then call and port it then, so it doesn't matter that your line will be down for an hour or so.
To get into line??
If your talking about that then probably, but it depends on how long yuo want to stand in line, Most people here are going at 4-5 but some earlier. So if you don't mind standing in line AND your going to an Apple store, (which will have more stock) then you should be fine on getting one. I won't be able to get into line until 2pm, but I think that I should be fine with getting one, and if not then I have to wait to Saturday, which isn't bad..
I was thinking about the AT&T store which is in this small town next door to me
Depends on how big your city is. My city I'll probably be able to go 30 min to an hour early and still be fine.
I asked at two of my local Apple stores and both said that they can port the numbers there at the Apple store
AT&T is only going to be getting a small fraction of what Apple stores get. I think depending on the size of your town and how many people would be coming to it, the sooner the better for that especially if it a small town, which means they will be getting even fewer iPhones
So how about 2 hours early. ahaha I mean it's new hampshire... but I guess people would get there extremely early if they can.
Better safe than sorry, but I can't judge that AT&T store, because i have no idea how busy it is, etc. But two hours, I imagine, is going to be fine. The worst that could happen is you go again Saturday and get one, because they re-stock every night