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iPhone 11 Pro want iPhone 12 Pro camera, but don't want to pay for 5G. Advice?

M

malch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
466
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Please let me explain. I'm sure I'd love an iPhone 11 Pro, mostly because I think the camera set-up is so nice. But I've been thinking, since I'm not in a huge rush, why don't I wait for the iPhone 12 Pro—for what sounds like an even better camera set-up (I know nothing about LiDAR, but it sounds like a positive addition, no?), and a faster processor.
However... I'm on a retiree's budget, and I currently have a nice cheap plan ($45/month for all the data that I, as someone who has never downloaded and/or watched a movie on a phone, and never intends to), and I suspect that if I get an iPhone 12 next fall, my service provider will say, 'Oh good, you have a 5G iPhone. That'll be an extra $20/month'.
I realize that many others on this forum are looking forward to 5G, and will benefit from it and happily pay the extra monthly charge, but as I say, I don't really care about receiving or sending my emails and texts just a little bit faster.
So my question is—if I wait and get the iPhone 12 for the sake of the camera, do you think that a person can tell a service provider: I know my phone is capable of 5G, but I'm happy with 4G, so I'd like to stick to my 4G plan. I can't ask Apple to give me a customized 4G iPhone 12 Pro, but if a service provider can limit my data downloads and uploads and whatever else they configure at their end, couldn't they also leave me on 4G?
Thanks for any insights,
malch
 
I definitely wouldn't worry about a potential 5G price hike by the providers of you're not interested in it.
If they're good at anything, it's throttling speeds. If getting 5G speeds indeed requires upgrading to the "Lightning Plan" it will be a choice, not a requirement. Regular ole 4G speeds and their usual prices will still be available.
 
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now i see it said:
If getting 5G speeds indeed requires upgrading to the "Lightning Plan" it will be a choice, not a requirement
Click to expand...

This.

Best to visit the website of you provider to see what their plans are like and if 5G is an extra. But for example, ATT and Verizon both include 5G in select unlimited plans of theirs. Other plans, no 5G.
 
okay, that's great. thanks for both replies. I currently own my (old) iPhone, and plan to buy, outright, my new iPhone (be it 11 or 12) as well. So it seems like I'll simply be able to say to my carrier 'Don't change a thing... I want to stick with my current $45/month plan'.
 
malch said:
okay, that's great. thanks for both replies. I currently own my (old) iPhone, and plan to buy, outright, my new iPhone (be it 11 or 12) as well. So it seems like I'll simply be able to say to my carrier 'Don't change a thing... I want to stick with my current $45/month plan'.
Click to expand...
Buy SIM-free and manually switch your SIM card to the new phone. They can't change your plan then or at least there are safeguards if they do since you're not agreeing to any new terms (likely 30 days notice and you can switch back to old plan).
 
rui no onna said:
Buy SIM-free and manually switch your SIM card to the new phone. They can't change your plan then or at least there are safeguards if they do since you're not agreeing to any new terms (likely 30 days notice and you can switch back to old plan).
Click to expand...
Okay, so I'll buy the phone from the nearby Apple store, without a SIM card, and then (maybe with the help of a friend who's good with small tools) pop my current SIM card into the new iPhone. My service provider won't even know, nor would they care... I mean, yes, they'd like me to pay more per month, but if I'm sticking with my current plan, as I'm determined to do, I can do just that. It's my choice, not theirs.
Thanks again!
 
There’s also a possibility of a one time activation fee of up to $30 when you get a new phone. Some have had luck swapping sim cards and avoiding the fee but others have not and carriers are very resistant to wave it
 
malch said:
Okay, so I'll buy the phone from the nearby Apple store, without a SIM card, and then (maybe with the help of a friend who's good with small tools) pop my current SIM card into the new iPhone. My service provider won't even know, nor would they care... I mean, yes, they'd like me to pay more per month, but if I'm sticking with my current plan, as I'm determined to do, I can do just that. It's my choice, not theirs.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Your service provider will know (change in IMEI/device ID connected to the SIM card). As mentioned, you might get hit with an upgrade fee. You didn't sign any contracts or agree to any plan changes though and that's something they can't change without your approval.
 
You’ll be better off getting the phone outright either buying with cash or card or financing through Apple 0%, and then getting a sim only contract for your calls and data etc.
 
oVerboost said:
You’ll be better off getting the phone outright either buying with cash or card or financing through Apple 0%, and then getting a sim only contract for your calls and data etc.
Click to expand...
We don't really have SIM only contracts in the US. The postpaid plans are pretty much fixed and grandfathered plans can often be better value compared to prepaid plans on the big 2's network.
 
oVerboost said:
Oh Apologies. Do you have pay as you go?
Click to expand...
Only on MVNO and it gets pretty expensive if you actually use data ($0.10/MB?). If you use 2-3GB every month, it's around $30/mo and that may not support features you get standard on postpaid such as Wi-Fi calling, visual voicemail, hotspot, etc.
 
Perhaps Comcast Mobile could be of use. There is a requirement that you have Comcast as an ISP, but after that it's my understanding that it's pretty inexpensive as a plan, especially if you don't use much cellular data.

In my experience, mobile plans can be difficult to understand. You may want to call and ask your questions. Then call and ask again.

I'm not a Comcast Moble customer, nor do I have any plans to be.
 
Check out Total Wireless prepaid . Verizon Mvno. I recently dropped Vzw for TW Costing me $60/mo for 2 lines with 30gig shared and full speed hotspot. Working as good or better than my many years with Verizon. Getting identical LTE speeds as with Verizon. Their support is actually decent. Been buying their prepaid cards for 20% off on eBay. $48 for 2 lines w/30gig. Can’t beat that unless you really need unlimited data. Only catch is you can’t just swap sims between devices, you have to call them.
 
Hi again. I'm in Canada, so different rules (and charges) no doubt apply. I've looked into prepaid plans in the past, and not been tempted. I don't download movies or music so I seem to get by fine with 4GBs of data. But I like to have unlimited texting and emails. Anyway, I'm going to buy the phone outright (it's what I've done with my two previous iPhones, and I think it works for me because I keep my phones for such a long time) and hope my provider will allow me to stick with my grandfathered plan (it should help that I'm "officially" a grandfather, as of seven months ago).
 
rui no onna said:
Congratulations! 👏
Click to expand...
Thank so. Frustrating, because the distancing measures are limiting things these days—I can push my granddaughter in a stroller, but my daughter puts her into the stroller and takes her out when I get back from walking her. I can't actually pick her up and hug her! Soon, I hope. Anyway, thanks to everyone for the advice. I might post again another day soon, asking about the LiDAR part of the iPhone 12 camera system (like, okay, maybe it'll be great for gamers and AI designers, but will it make a difference to photography—which is all I'm interested in), but I'll save that for another thread!
 
malch said:
LiDAR part of the iPhone 12 camera system
Click to expand...
Perhaps this.

ToF was rumor-raging a few months, as the magic-pixie-dust that would fix all these cameras (like Panasonic) with not-so-good autofocus.

My only suggestion after several decades in tech: capture the moments now - they won't come by again. Yes, an iPhone 12 will be better than 11. But an 8 takes pretty great pictures.
 
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