Not paying fees with att

[integra2000]

hey i dont know if i need to unlock it, but i am buying a 3g not from att, but i dont want to pay their 20 or 30 a month for the data, anyone know how i can get around it???

[Hawk]

Well, you have to have service to be able to use data at all, so no matter if it's AT&T or T-Mobile or whomever, you are going to need a data plan to take advantage of your phone.
Since most data plans are a standard $30 in the US, you are going to have to figure something out, or simply buy a Touch, and sacrifice a few features besides calling.

[integra2000]

ok thanks, i pay something like an unlimited text and i think data, i wounder if that would work out for me

[belanski]

Lot of people think that when you unlock iPhone you somehow get free internet. That is wrong. There is no free meal. You just unlock it so you can use your iPhone with other than ATT networks.
I have got my unlock from
http://www.unlockediphone.info (http://www.unlockediphone.info/)
You can ask them for more info if you need, they are quite helpful.

[xcissexc]

isnt it possible to get the iphone without the data plan and get just the voice plan so that you dont pay that extra 30 a month

[Hawk]

isnt it possible to get the iphone without the data plan and get just the voice plan so that you dont pay that extra 30 a month
Maybe with another carrier, or if AT&T doesn't know it's an iPhone. The problem you face is that there are so many functions that require connectivity, that if you don't have the data plan, you will end up facing a $1000 phone bill after your first month if you forget and check mail, use maps, have location services on, etc.
The iPhone was designed to be an "always connected" device. There are stories on here about people that took their phones over-seas, and DIDN"T USE THEM, and still got nailed for international data charges. HUGE bills.

This is my personal opinion, but if you don't want the data plan, don't get an iPhone, get an iPod touch and some cheap free phone with whatever carrier you choose. Because owning and iPhone and not using data, is kinda like having a set of lungs, but not wanting any air to breathe.

[SikShift]

isnt it possible to get the iphone without the data plan and get just the voice plan so that you dont pay that extra 30 a month
But then what's the point of getting an iPhone? You'd be better off just getting an iTouch

[SikShift]

Maybe with another carrier, or if AT&T doesn't know it's an iPhone. The problem you face is that there are so many functions that require connectivity, that if you don't have the data plan, you will end up facing a $1000 phone bill after your first month if you forget and check mail, use maps, have location services on, etc.
The iPhone was designed to be an "always connected" device. There are stories on here about people that took their phones over-seas, and DIDN"T USE THEM, and still got nailed for international data charges. HUGE bills.

This is my personal opinion, but if you don't want the data plan, don't get an iPhone, get an iPod touch and some cheap free phone with whatever carrier you choose. Because owning and iPhone and not using data, is kinda like having a set of lungs, but not wanting any air to breathe.

Very well said Hawk, I feel the exact same way :smile:

I was just too sleepy to type all of that out, so thanks! lol

[tiffanyleigh0212]

This is my personal opinion, but if you don't want the data plan, don't get an iPhone, get an iPod touch and some cheap free phone with whatever carrier you choose. Because owning and iPhone and not using data, is kinda like having a set of lungs, but not wanting any air to breathe.[/quote]


so funny but yet so true!
but to help with the person who asked the question
i don't have a data plan.. most of the time i can use wifi, but with tmobile you can set something in your APN so you can get edge for free. edge will allow you to use the internet. it's not near as fast as it would be with a data plan.. but still works.. if you get an iphone and go with tmobile you can message me and i can tell you the steps to get edge with tmobile

[Hawk]

This is my personal opinion, but if you don't want the data plan, don't get an iPhone, get an iPod touch and some cheap free phone with whatever carrier you choose. Because owning and iPhone and not using data, is kinda like having a set of lungs, but not wanting any air to breathe.


so funny but yet so true!
but to help with the person who asked the question
i don't have a data plan.. most of the time i can use wifi, but with tmobile you can set something in your APN so you can get edge for free. edge will allow you to use the internet. it's not near as fast as it would be with a data plan.. but still works.. if you get an iphone and go with tmobile you can message me and i can tell you the steps to get edge with tmobile[/quote]
This might be something that you could make a tutorial on...Although, there might be legal ramifications if the edge connection is not legitimately free...

[tiffanyleigh0212]

Edge is legitamly free. I know I spelled that wrong. I don't want to make a tutorial because I learned this from another user here and don't wanna take credit away from them

[Hawk]

Then the 2 of you should collaborate on put something together for our T-Mobile users out there. I am quite sure that some of them would love to drop their data plans for free edge data. Especially the V1 users that don't have access to 3G anyway.

[tiffanyleigh0212]

how would i go about doing that

[Hawk]

how would i go about doing that
Just write down the instructions step by step, make sure that the person that helped you initially is given credit, and that he agrees with your instructions, and then post them and contact a mod to make it a sticky,

[integra2000]

anyone know any way that you can get the iphone without needing the 2 year contract extension, mine is not up for another 1.5 years

[lost_texas_guy]

i totally get not wanting to pay the 30 bucks more a month to use the iphone .. especially when i can use the iphone just about anywhere in town that has a wifi -- for free.. so yes it's not just a paperweight..

to get out of paying it is another story.. i know that i read somewhere else that if you have another phone that you can use you can call and tell them that you are done using the iphone and are going to only be using your old phone and that you want to make absolutely sure that the data is cutoff.. once thats done you can just take out the sim card and put it into your iphone and you won't be charged for using their data plan.. again .. i haven't done this so i don't know if it works just something i read..

[ricks2gtouch]

i totally get not wanting to pay the 30 bucks more a month to use the iphone .. especially when i can use the iphone just about anywhere in town that has a wifi -- for free.. so yes it's not just a paperweight..

to get out of paying it is another story.. i know that i read somewhere else that if you have another phone that you can use you can call and tell them that you are done using the iphone and are going to only be using your old phone and that you want to make absolutely sure that the data is cutoff.. once thats done you can just take out the sim card and put it into your iphone and you won't be charged for using their data plan.. again .. i haven't done this so i don't know if it works just something i read..

The problem is that AT&T, and other carriers I'm sure, know what kind of phone you are using. Since the 3G and 3GS require a data connection, AT&T can add the data plan to your account without your consent - actually you gave your consent when you bought the phone as the data plan requirement is stated in several places.

[popuptoy]

carriers like sprint do know exactly what phone you are using .. other carriers with sim cards don't .. you can just pop your sim card into any phone that uses their network..

so as of yet .. nope they can't tell which one.. that's why if you find a phone online or rummage sale or on the street and it works you can use it if you pop in your sim card .. with sprint if they deactivate it.. it turns into a paperweight..

[ricks2gtouch]

carriers like sprint do know exactly what phone you are using .. other carriers with sim cards don't .. you can just pop your sim card into any phone that uses their network..

so as of yet .. nope they can't tell which one.. that's why if you find a phone online or rummage sale or on the street and it works you can use it if you pop in your sim card .. with sprint if they deactivate it.. it turns into a paperweight..

Actually AT&T DOES know what kind of phone you are using. I bought a used Blackjack and took my sim card out of my "dumb" phone and put it in the Blackjack to use. Two days later, I looked online and my phone was listed as a Blackjack. That was a couple years ago. Just a few months ago, my wife was using an LG phone that died. I bought her a Moto Razr v3xx off of ebay because she liked mine and they were no longer available through AT&T. Within a day of swapping the sim card, the online account manager had her phone listed as a Razr v3xx.

[diverdown]

Actually AT&T DOES know what kind of phone you are using. I bought a used Blackjack and took my sim card out of my "dumb" phone and put it in the Blackjack to use. Two days later, I looked online and my phone was listed as a Blackjack. That was a couple years ago. Just a few months ago, my wife was using an LG phone that died. I bought her a Moto Razr v3xx off of ebay because she liked mine and they were no longer available through AT&T. Within a day of swapping the sim card, the online account manager had her phone listed as a Razr v3xx.

You are correct. I upgraded some phones on my account and I moved them between users (switching out the SIMS) and within 2 days, AT&T's online program had the phones associated with the corresponding users. I believe they use the devices Imei number....

~S