Using 3rd family line for Iphone upgrade, will this work?

[radiologyman]

Hi,
We have 2 ATT lines with Iphone, not eligible for full upgrade. The 3nd line with dumbphone is off contract. I plan to use 3rd line to get the new iphone but then replace it with the dumbphone and put the new iphone on the 1st line. How should I go about transferring phone numbers so at the end the dumbphone will be back on dumbphone number and new iphone will be associated with the old iphone number? Will att accommodate me in providing proper size of the sim cards?

And if my math is correct this will be much cheaper than simply paying an early upgrade fee of $250 and loosing eligibility for next upgrade cycle.

EDIT: clarified that I have 3 lines in total on the ATT family plan.

Thx!

 

[greytmom]

Once you have the phone, you'll need to call the carrier to do the switch for you, then cancel the data plan on the dumbphone line.

 

[boshii]

You'll probably have to go in to your carrier's store to get a new nano sim with your number on it.

 

[bbeagle]

Yes, this will work.

However, you'll need to keep both lines active. Line 2 - for another 2 years, and line 1 for 1 more year.

It costs $15 x 12 = $225 to keep a line active for a year, $250 more to buy an upgraded phone on the existing line. It's only a savings of $25.

 

[nostresshere]

As discussed in a few hundred messages today and a few hundred yesterday, you can easily do this. Done all the time.

Just understand whatever PHONE NUMBER does the upgrade will have a 2 year term. Whatever other phone number you have still has the rest of the term to meet as well. Both will require a data plan.

 

[bunnicula]

You'll probably have to go in to your carrier's store to get a new nano sim with your number on it.

Hmm... I forget how this worked last year, but do you?

I need to make sure I have an extra nano sim, then.

I was thinking that since they don't activate the sim before they ship it (due to the fact that one's phone service would go dead on the phone they're already carrying) that once you got the phone at home you could just call the carrier and tell them to activate that SIM under the line that you wanted to use for the iPhone 5, and not mess around with activating and deactivating SIM cards.

Hmm... Must call ATT to verify.

 

[radiologyman]

Yes, this will work.

However, you'll need to keep both lines active. Line 2 - for another 2 years, and line 1 for 1 more year.

It costs $15 x 12 = $225 to keep a line active for a year, $250 more to buy an upgraded phone on the existing line. It's only a savings of $25.

Thanks, I actually have 3 lines on a family plan but decided to keep the third line out of the picture to simplify the story. I will cancel the data plan on the old dumbphone line which will leave me with $10 per month for 24 months for this third line. I was planning to have this third line anyways.

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Just understand whatever PHONE NUMBER does the upgrade will have a 2 year term. Whatever other phone number you have still has the rest of the term to meet as well. Both will require a data plan.

Unless I will cancel the data plan

 

[boshii]

Hmm... I forget how this worked last year, but do you?

I need to make sure I have an extra nano sim, then.

I was thinking that since they don't activate the sim before they ship it (due to the fact that one's phone service would go dead on the phone they're already carrying) that once you got the phone at home you could just call the carrier and tell them to activate that SIM under the line that you wanted to use for the iPhone 5, and not mess around with activating and deactivating SIM cards.

Hmm... Must call ATT to verify.

Last year I just put my 4 sim in the 4S and I had service.

 

[dieburnbot]

I did this last year. Don't go to the store they are retarded. Just call up AT&T and tell them the situation before activating or even turning your phone on. They'll have you move the sim cards around. Takes all of 15 minutes.

Also when you buy/preorder make sure you buy it from AT&T and not Apple. Last year Apple was sending out sims that were locked down to the phone number used to place the order so AT&T couldn't swap them. They actually specifically asked me before doing my swap who I had bought the phone from. I don't know what's going to happen this year, but to be safe I would just buy it from AT&T unless you want to jump through hoops.