Using an iPhone 3GS on ATT, but with no data plan?

[Applejuiced]

They can't charge you for something you have asked them to disable.

Not completelly true.
Its not if they cant but if they will or when they will IMO.
I know people that have been using iphone 3G models for years on AT&T without data and with data blocked. (fake APN)
I know one person that has 2 3GS, 2 3G and 1 2G iphones all in his family plan without any data. Just calls and texts.
My wife so far has been using her 3G model for 5 months without data with no probs.
All they did was install the fake apn thru the iphones mobile safari browser www.unlockit.co.nz
No visual voicemail or MMS but everything else works fine. Data only thru wifi connections.

 

[FSMBP]

Not completelly true.
Its not if they cant but if they will or when they will IMO.
I know people that have been using iphone 3G models for years on AT&T without data and with data blocked. (fake APN)
I know one person that has 2 3GS, 2 3G and 1 2G iphones all in his family plan without any data. Just calls and texts.
My wife so far has been using her 3G model for 5 months without data with no probs.
All they did was install the fake apn thru the iphones mobile safari browser www.unlockit.co.nz
No visual voicemail or MMS but everything else works fine. Data only thru wifi connections.

Anyone in the U.S. use a fake APN for AT&T to have data disabled? This seems like it will work but then again, I'm not 100%.

 

[Scottybm]

I have had an iPhone from the first day they came out. I have had all 3. My brothers wife did not want her iphone any more so they paid the ETF fee and the 3GS phone just sat for a month. I bought it from them a month ago and took my wife's sim from her LG Shine which had data blocked. I put the sim in the iphone and it worked. But when out side of wifi it would not work. This was fine as she is home all the time anyway. 3 days ago she got the text message that said she had an iphone on the network and were adding the data plan. I have checked my account and they did add the data plan. They claim that it is required. I asked them to define what requires them to add a data plan to a phone I did not purchase from them. They really could not answer me. These guys are dirty. My wife is home 95% of the time and loves the iPhone but we don't need the extra 30.00 charge that THEY SAY WE HAVE TO HAVE. I am thinking of changing our phones to like the Nexus one and just getting a regular plan and getting one for the wife where we are not FORCED. I am really pissed that they give you NO OPTION other than just to suck it up and pay.

 

[elephunkman]

They can't charge you for something you have asked them to disable.

Problem with AT&T is that when you have an iPhone, you must be subscribed to an appropriate data plan. It's in the contract somewhere.

 

[vizkiz]

I have had an iPhone from the first day they came out. I have had all 3. My brothers wife did not want her iphone any more so they paid the ETF fee and the 3GS phone just sat for a month. I bought it from them a month ago and took my wife's sim from her LG Shine which had data blocked. I put the sim in the iphone and it worked. But when out side of wifi it would not work. This was fine as she is home all the time anyway. 3 days ago she got the text message that said she had an iphone on the network and were adding the data plan. I have checked my account and they did add the data plan. They claim that it is required. I asked them to define what requires them to add a data plan to a phone I did not purchase from them. They really could not answer me. These guys are dirty. My wife is home 95% of the time and loves the iPhone but we don't need the extra 30.00 charge that THEY SAY WE HAVE TO HAVE. I am thinking of changing our phones to like the Nexus one and just getting a regular plan and getting one for the wife where we are not FORCED. I am really pissed that they give you NO OPTION other than just to suck it up and pay.

The thing is, upon inserting an AT&T SIM card into a phone and connecting to their network, you have agreed to their TOS. It states in their TOS that you must have a data plan when using a smartphone. It doesn't matter if you bought it from them or not, it's their rules.

It does suck. If someone gives you (or sells you) an iPhone, you should be allowed to block data and use it as a regular phone with no data plan. Personally, I would still have the data plan, but I know others who wouldn't want it.

 

[Geckotek]

The thing is, upon inserting an AT&T SIM card into a phone and connecting to their network, you have agreed to their TOS. It states in their TOS that you must have a data plan when using a smartphone. It doesn't matter if you bought it from them or not, it's their rules.

It does suck. If someone gives you (or sells you) an iPhone, you should be allowed to block data and use it as a regular phone with no data plan. Personally, I would still have the data plan, but I know others who wouldn't want it.

If you think about it, this is where the lack of competition truly hurts the consumer. We have no "legal" option to use the iPhone at that point. It's basically the outcome of a monopoly.

I put "legal" in quotes, but legally we can unlock the phone and take it to T-Mobile, but it's not simple (for the non-techie) and if you've upgraded, not fully possible at this point. It should be a simple process for a consumer in the US to take a fully paid iPhone and use it in whatever way they wish on whatever carrier they like (on the same technology).

I personally think we need further consumer protection laws in this area. AT&T is taking advantage of the iPhone monopoly at this time.

 

[Applejuiced]

If you think about it, this is where the lack of competition truly hurts the consumer. We have no "legal" option to use the iPhone at that point. It's basically the outcome of a monopoly.

I put "legal" in quotes, but legally we can unlock the phone and take it to T-Mobile, but it's not simple (for the non-techie) and if you've upgraded, not fully possible at this point. It should be a simple process for a consumer in the US to take a fully paid iPhone and use it in whatever way they wish on whatever carrier they like (on the same technology).

I personally think we need further consumer protection laws in this area. AT&T is taking advantage of the iPhone monopoly at this time.

Even though I agree I think if it was on Verizon or another carrier they would also mandate a data plan.
Just like they do with their BB and other smartphones.
So it wouldnt make much of a difference.

 

[Geckotek]

Even though I agree I think if it was on Verizon or another carrier they would also mandate a data plan.
Just like they do with their BB and other smartphones.
So it wouldnt make much of a difference.

Once they raise the ETF, I don't see a good arguement for any carrier to require this. Debating writing my congressman. Doubt it'll do much, but that's crappy I feel about this situation.

 

[hbenitez09]

Really you paid a full 600 dollars or 700 dollars for your iPhone 3gs? Highly doubt it you recieved a heavy subsidy on the purchase of your iPhone and signed a TOS in which you agreed to abide by both the rules of Att and apple. No one forced you to buy this phone you did that on your own free will and therefore the terms were also presented to you at the time of purchase. Plus Att hasn't made it a secret that when purchasing an iPhone the data plan is required not for the life of your contract but as long as you have an iPhone on your acct.

The thing about Americans is we expect everythig for free tell me what percentage of Americans will pay 600 or 700 for a phone in order to have it be universal with every carrier I'm sure it's below 5 percent so when 95 percent of Americans stop being cheap and cry babies about prices this and that suck it up.

If you think about it, this is where the lack of competition truly hurts the consumer. We have no "legal" option to use the iPhone at that point. It's basically the outcome of a monopoly.

I put "legal" in quotes, but legally we can unlock the phone and take it to T-Mobile, but it's not simple (for the non-techie) and if you've upgraded, not fully possible at this point. It should be a simple process for a consumer in the US to take a fully paid iPhone and use it in whatever way they wish on whatever carrier they like (on the same technology).

I personally think we need further consumer protection laws in this area. AT&T is taking advantage of the iPhone monopoly at this time.

 

[Geckotek]

Really you paid a full 600 dollars or 700 dollars for your iPhone 3gs? Highly doubt it you recieved a heavy subsidy on the purchase of your iPhone and sign a TOS in which you agreed to abide by both the rules of Att and apple. No one forced you to buy this phone you did that on your own free will and therefore the terms were also presented to you at the time of purchase. Plus Att hasn't made it a secret that when purchasing an iPhone the data plan is required not for the life of your contract but as long as you have an iPhone on your acct.

The thing about Americans is we expect everythig for free tell me what percentage of Americans will pay 600 or 700 for a phone in order to have it be universal with every carrier I'm sure it's below 5 percent so when 95 percent of Americans stop being cheap and cry babies about prices this and that suck it up.

You apparently didn't read the entire post.

 

[Applejuiced]

Once they raise the ETF, I don't see a good arguement for any carrier to require this. Debating writing my congressman. Doubt it'll do much, but that's crappy I feel about this situation.

I hear you.
With the mandatory data and higher ETF the consumer gets screwed twice.
Hope something is done about it down the road.
At least take the full amount of the higher $325 and $350 ETF's and divide them by 24 and then reduce the amount monthly.
That would make perfect sense but companies care about their pockets than the customer in the end.

 

[kdarling]

At least take the full amount of the higher $325 and $350 ETF's and divide them by 24 and then reduce the amount monthly.
That would make perfect sense but companies care about their pockets than the customer in the end.

Both Verizon and ATT do reduce their high ETFs $10 a month over two years ($240), and then the extra ETF $$ just disappears.

You're right though, that's slower than $350/24, which is almost $15 a month.

 

[wardev]

Sorry, many ppl have reported that AT&T added the data plan when they detected the IMEI as belonging to an iPhone.

This happened to me, it took a month or so though. Your best bet is popper her SIM into your 3GS and waiting for AT&T to add data, then trick them by putting the SIM in your old phone then have the data removed, and repeat. Or buy a new phone after they add the data.

 

[Irish Rose]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/7E18)

Sorry, many ppl have reported that AT&T added the data plan when they detected the IMEI as belonging to an iPhone.

This happened to me, it took a month or so though. Your best bet is popper her SIM into your 3GS and waiting for AT&T to add data, then trick them by putting the SIM in your old phone then have the data removed, and repeat. Or buy a new phone after they add the data.

You can't trick AT&T. Unless the device you switch your SIM card to is unbranded, they will always be able to detect it by the IMEI number, and add the data plan if the device that you are using requires it.

 

[Applejuiced]

You can't trick AT&T. Unless the device you switch your SIM card to is unbranded, they will always be able to detect it by the IMEI number, and add the data plan if the device that you are using requires it.

Yes, sometimes they might catch it within a month other times 6-7 months later. I know one guy that has 5 iphones with no data in his family plan for over a year now.
Its a pain in the rear back and forth thing if one wishes to play it.

 

[Iphoneuser96]

Does this still work

I currently have an unlocked mytouch 3g on my at&t plan with no data, I am getting an Iphone 3GS from a friend, I wanted to know if jailbreaking the iphone and downloading the thing that turns off the edge so a data plan can not be put on my account automatically, does this still work? also does the other way where you go on the website on your iphone without a jailbreak that does the same thing still work? Thanks