Buying a used iPhone

[psylichon]

So my wife isn't exactly clamoring for her own iPhone nearly as much as I would be in her situation, but an opportunity may have come in the form of a friend wanting to go from 8 to 16 GB. He's willing to sell his to us for very cheap (since he basically got it for free because of an AT&T screwup with his activation). My wife is no geek, but she knows a great deal when she sees one, and we've been contemplating getting her an unlimited data plan anyway for mobile email and maps.

My question is, what is the procedure here? We're both on AT&T, she's in the last year of a 2-yr contract, I just re-upped for 2 years in Oct. when I got my iPhone. Will the warranty still carry over from Apple (based on first activation?) Will my wife's service contract need to be renewed for another 2 years now? And what does one do in iTunes? Restore the phone and then set up as new user? How does her phone number carry over... do we need a new SIM from AT&T?

Ok, that was many questions, but I'm sure some of you have been there. Thanks for any advice...

On a side note: Anyone wanna guess as to whether a 16GB price drop might accompany this SDK announcement on Thursday?

[jjvaldez]

you will need a new sim that att can provide for 15 bucks I beleive. Also I beleive that another 2 yr contract will have to be singed, a good deal I'd a good deal! I'd take it. As for her number I'm going I tell you that I had att 2 yes before the iPhone came out and had the worst time gettng my number changed over that I just quit and took a new number. last, I beleive that the one yr waranty carries over so she'll be ok there.

Good luck with all of this ... Keep us posted ....

[ColsTiger]

Your wife's commitment will be extended for two years to go with the iPhone Data Plan.

You will need to get her a new sim card from at&t when you set up the account.

The person that sells it to you will probably delete all data before he releases it. IF not, then you can do a full restore at any time.

At&t will move her existing number to the new sim card.

I don't see a price drop right now. Maybe after the 8GB is deleted, but not right now.

[jjvaldez]

the issue that i had was that i live in a city, salinas, but im living in sacramento so itunes insisted that i get a number from the zipcode that matched my creditcard address, that is sacramento so that i get my mail and what not.... att could not understand why i wanted to 831 number [my old one] and not a 916 the sacramento area code. you should be fine. mine was a weird situation...

[psylichon]

One last thing, the person who is selling his phone to me happens to sync his phone on my computer (he doesn't have one at the moment), so is that going to confuse things at all?

So what would be the order here? How's this sound:

1. Restore his phone on my computer to factory, but don't recover his last backup
2. Go to AT&T store, get new SIM
3. Connect to iTunes, set up as new user? Existing customer? Here's where it gets fuzzy for me...

[fury]

It would be as an existing customer. From what I understand, you will be prompted to modify the account to include the new data plan, and extend the contract. But while you're there at AT&T you might as well ask them how to go about it.

If you can bring the computer with you, you might do that, in case there are any complications that the store could fix up in a jiffy.

[psylichon]

anybody else been through this procedure and care to share the experience?

[themanofthedark]

here is what you and your friend will need to do

1) him get that new phone, take out SIM from iPhone, and use it in his new phone.
2) you go get a new SIM from AT&T, put it in iPhone.
3) you restore your phone, do not restore from backup, set up as a new phone,
4) activate again.

have a great day.

[aahitman]

You can use the sim card from the new phone for the old phone. I did this with my daughter. I bought an 8 gig and gave her my 4 gig. I just swapped sims and she had no trouble activating it.

[psylichon]

Awesome... great info guys! I knew I'd get all I needed here. Thanks again, and I'll keep ya updated.