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Voice only plan available?

C

California King

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
1,066
8
When the 3G iPhone is released, can you just purchase the voice plan only? No data/no sms? I've always wanted to buy an iPhone, but because I saw the lowest price per month on Apple's website (when old iPhone was available) it was $59.99 a month, I thought that it was too expensive for me. But after just seeing this chart that points out that the voice plan is $39, it's right in my price range. Thanks for any help

Chart:
http://gizmodo.com/5015540/iphone-3gs-true-price-compared
 
Nope, a data plan is required.

To be honest, it'd be silly to own an iPhone without a data plan in the first place.
 
Don't forget the $5/month extra for 200 text messages (not included in the new $30 data plan).

I think people talking about voice-only plans are thinking to use the WiFi (ala the iPod Touch) for their internet features. I don't see why they should be charged via the per kb rates from AT&T for that.
 
California King said:
When the 3G iPhone is released, can you just purchase the voice plan only? No data/no sms? I've always wanted to buy an iPhone, but because I saw the lowest price per month on Apple's website (when old iPhone was available) it was $59.99 a month, I thought that it was too expensive for me. But after just seeing this chart that points out that the voice plan is $39, it's right in my price range. Thanks for any help

Chart:
http://gizmodo.com/5015540/iphone-3gs-true-price-compared
Click to expand...

The $59.99 from Apple old iPhone website was $39.99 (voice + 200 SMS) plus $20.00 (data)

The $39.99 for iPhone 3G is for (voice only, 200 SMS is $5 extra) with the $30.00 (3G data) for a total of $69.99

I haven't seen that you are required or not required to get data. I did not even see this as a question to consider since the main appeal of the iPhone is combining phone + internet + iPod in 1 device.

I would agree that it's silly to get an iPhone just as a phone. If you just want a phone, then just get a regular cell phone.
 
JBaker122586 said:
Yeah, the minimum plan is the $69.99 plan with 450 minutes and unlimited data.
Click to expand...

Wait a minute. Is this really the case? $69.99? I have a family plan for two people for that much. Now i'm really not getting the iPhone. I don't know how i missed this huge detail in the iPhone. $70 for 450 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:
holy s***

And for the comment on what is the point of the iPhone without the plan.... it's still very useful without the data plan, especially if there if Wi-Fi available. Why pay for the data when there is Wi-fi? Maybe the GPS wouldn't work too well with that but i don't care about GPS.

EDIT: I just realized this quote included the Data. OK. that makes sense. I thought it was 70 plus 30!!!!
 
Even if AT&T did allow you to have a voice-only plan with no data it is very hard not to EVER use any data, at least with the current generation iPhone. There is no setting for turning off the network data and use only WiFi; there IS a setting to disable data roaming, but that does not affect your home market (or anywhere other than international I don't believe). You can, after signing up with the current plan, drop the data portion of the plan, but you then get charged by the kb of usage, and you can't completely stop that from happening. If somebody knows from experience that you can, then please correct me.
 
Sweetbike40 said:
And for the comment on what is the point of the iPhone without the plan.... it's still very useful without the data plan, especially if there if Wi-Fi available. Why pay for the data when there is Wi-fi?
Click to expand...

Personally, I get annoyed when I've got my Powerbook and there's no free/open Wi-Fi available. I want the internet to be available when I need it, so I'm willing to pay for it.
 
danny_w said:
Even if AT&T did allow you to have a voice-only plan with no data it is very hard not to EVER use any data, at least with the current generation iPhone. There is no setting for turning off the network data and use only WiFi; there IS a setting to disable data roaming, but that does not affect your home market (or anywhere other than international I don't believe). You can, after signing up with the current plan, drop the data portion of the plan, but you then get charged by the kb of usage, and you can't completely stop that from happening. If somebody knows from experience that you can, then please correct me.
Click to expand...

you can have a block put on the EDGE service. this way everytime you accidently hit safari when your out of wi fi range, it just says you dont have EDGE service and you dont get charged for it, thats how I have it on my plan, no DATA service just wi fi and text plan
 
SleepyHead157 said:
you can have a block put on the EDGE service. this way everytime you accidently hit safari when your out of wi fi range, it just says you dont have EDGE service and you dont get charged for it, thats how I have it on my plan, no DATA service just wi fi and text plan
Click to expand...
OK, that's good to know. I wasn't aware of that. So you just dropped your data plan and called AT&T and had them put a block on the data? So now you only get data when WiFi is available? I assume you don't get Visual Voicemail, but I hardly ever get VMs anyway. I think I'll do that if it works to save $20/mo.
 
JBaker122586 said:
Nope, a data plan is required.

To be honest, it'd be silly to own an iPhone without a data plan in the first place.
Click to expand...
Well that's a blanket statement that makes little sense.

I am looking for this also. I will buy an iPhone only if I can get one with a voice only plan or without a plan at all. I would buy one *with* a plan only if the total cost of ownership is something like 40 - 50 a month everything included. IMO anyone paying higher than that is either rich or a fool.

If someone is paying 70 - 100 bucks a month just for the privilege of getting an email once in a while or cruising the web when you happen to be out of wi-fi range, I think I know who's "silly." ;)

It really depends on what wi-fi is available in the areas you frequent doesn't it?

:)
 
SleepyHead157 said:
you can have a block put on the EDGE service. this way everytime you accidently hit safari when your out of wi fi range, it just says you dont have EDGE service and you dont get charged for it, thats how I have it on my plan, no DATA service just wi fi and text plan
Click to expand...

Yep, I've done this too. Originally you had to call AT&T to cancel the data plan to get $20 taken off your bill (for a total bill with fees and taxes of $47). Now you can do it online by managing your own features on their website. The question is, will you be able to do this with the new iPhone, and nobody knows for sure. Chances are you will.

By the way, turning off and on the data plan gives you and takes away EDGE immediately. It is also prorated to how much you have it on per month.

Edit: Know also that you cannot SMS or get visual voicemail after the data plan is off. You will need to set up regular voicemail.

For those who say this info is false, I've been doing this for several months now.
 
Virgil-TB2 said:
Well that's a blanket statement that makes little sense.

I am looking for this also. I will buy an iPhone only if I can get one with a voice only plan or without a plan at all. I would buy one *with* a plan only if the total cost of ownership is something like 40 - 50 a month everything included. IMO anyone paying higher than that is either rich or a fool.

If someone is paying 70 - 100 bucks a month just for the privilege of getting an email once in a while or cruising the web when you happen to be out of wi-fi range, I think I know who's "silly." ;)

It really depends on what wi-fi is available in the areas you frequent doesn't it?

:)
Click to expand...

Do you pay for broadband Internet at home?
Seems pretty silly when you can check your email with a free dial-up service and bring your laptop to one of many free WiFi hotpspots if you want to surf the web. ;)
 
leodavinci0 said:
Yep, I've done this too. Originally you had to call AT&T to cancel the data plan to get $20 taken off your bill (for a total bill with fees and taxes of $47). Now you can do it online by managing your own features on their website. The question is, will you be able to do this with the new iPhone, and nobody knows for sure. Chances are you will.

By the way, turning off and on the data plan gives you and takes away EDGE immediately. It is also prorated to how much you have it on per month.

For those who say this info is false, I've been doing this for several months now.
Click to expand...

very interesting... so how much does edge cost you if you need to use it in an emergency?
 
I'll get the new phone if I can drop the data plan, otherwise I'm sticking with my old Iphone and either getting the data plan for that (maybe), or just sticking to voice only.

I really don't understand why people think the iphone is so useless without the data plan. Lets see, it's a video Ipod, a phone, and a PDA and when it's connected to Wifi, which is everywhere in the city, it works just like one with a data plan. So should we go out and buy an ipod touch and a carry around a cell phone as well just so we don't seem ridiculous for wanting an iphone without the data plan?

Surfing the internet on a phone and having access to email is cool and all, but it's still enough of a novelty to many that it's not worth the $30 a month for data at this point.
 
thechidz said:
very interesting... so how much does edge cost you if you need to use it in an emergency?
Click to expand...

To tell you the truth AT&T has screwed up my bill every month until this one. It's varied around $32 actually and I never questioned it because of the discount. It looks, based on previous bills that if you use it for, say, 1 day a month, then you pay about $1.50 for that day. But like I said I can't say for sure. I turned it on for about 2 days this month and got billed $47. If someone else with a a data plan off chimes in with their bill we will have a better idea I guess. That is if AT&T got my bill right this month, and didn't screw it up again.

Edit: I should make clear again that I was informed that you pay for how much you use by the guy who sold me the phone, and the customer service rep.

Edit 2: I just found out that when you turn on the data plan it takes an extra billing cycle for the charges to show up.
 
California King said:
When the 3G iPhone is released, can you just purchase the voice plan only? No data/no sms? I've always wanted to buy an iPhone, but because I saw the lowest price per month on Apple's website (when old iPhone was available) it was $59.99 a month, I thought that it was too expensive for me. But after just seeing this chart that points out that the voice plan is $39, it's right in my price range. Thanks for any help

Chart:
http://gizmodo.com/5015540/iphone-3gs-true-price-compared
Click to expand...

If you're not going to get data and don't care about GPS, you might as well just get a regular iPhone right now.
 
leodavinci0 said:
Yep, I've done this too. Originally you had to call AT&T to cancel the data plan to get $20 taken off your bill (for a total bill with fees and taxes of $47). Now you can do it online by managing your own features on their website. The question is, will you be able to do this with the new iPhone, and nobody knows for sure. Chances are you will.

By the way, turning off and on the data plan gives you and takes away EDGE immediately. It is also prorated to how much you have it on per month.

For those who say this info is false, I've been doing this for several months now.
Click to expand...
I hope you can cancel the data plan online!
 
gloss said:
If you're not going to get data and don't care about GPS, you might as well just get a regular iPhone right now.
Click to expand...
I've considered it, but after checking eBay a day or 2 ago, it's still really expensive. Maybe prices will go down after the release of the 3G. In that case, I might.
 
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