iPhone 3G without data plan?

[JBish]

Hey all,

I was planning on getting the new iPhone and simply unsuscribing from the $30 ATT data plan and using wifi. I called a rep today to see if this would be possible, and he told me that if i took the data plan off my account, ATT wouldnt let me use my iphone for calls either.

is this true?

is there someway i can get the iphone minus the data plan?

[manho1dup]

Nope, you have to have an iPhone data plan to use the iPhone. No way around that. You might want to consider getting an original iPhone with the lower data plan.

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha everyone,

What if you switched the SIM with that of another AT&T phone? For example, I now have a find iPod touch (my 1st gen iPhone), but my wife would like to use it as her cell phone minus the data plan. Theoretically, the phone and iPod functions should still work, with the SIM from her flip phone, and if I reinsert the original SIM when I sync with iTunes, I should still, theoretically, be able to sync up her music and movies as well as install future updates.

Or, at least that's the way I think it can work. As we're already on AT&T, it's not as if we're stiffing them for what we're receiving (with the exception of WiFi on the 1st gen iPhone, but as AT&T doesn't provide that, it really shouldn't matter) or receiving any more that that for which we already pay. What do y'all think?

HawaiiMacAddict

[bonanza]

wow... they will not let us take out the data plan ???
i was just wondering that too... i unfortunately live in the middle of know where with 1 or 2 bars. and internet is no use for me ...

no way they will not let me pay 3 for a service i am not needing...

do you think they will let me take out my data plan ?
what if i told them i am selling the phone?

[Bad Ash]

Originally Posted by HawaiiMacAddict

Aloha everyone,

What if you switched the SIM with that of another AT&T phone? For example, I now have a find iPod touch (my 1st gen iPhone), but my wife would like to use it as her cell phone minus the data plan. Theoretically, the phone and iPod functions should still work, with the SIM from her flip phone, and if I reinsert the original SIM when I sync with iTunes, I should still, theoretically, be able to sync up her music and movies as well as install future updates.

Or, at least that's the way I think it can work. As we're already on AT&T, it's not as if we're stiffing them for what we're receiving (with the exception of WiFi on the 1st gen iPhone, but as AT&T doesn't provide that, it really shouldn't matter) or receiving any more that that for which we already pay. What do y'all think?

HawaiiMacAddict

Nice try... Won't work though.

[trevor]

Nope this is how Verizon is too with BlackBerrys. You cannot have a BlackBerry without a data plan on Verizon and you can't have an iPhone on At&t without a data plan.

That is how At&t is making money on the new iPhones and how you are about to get them for only $199 and $299.

[Bad Ash]

Now I know in the above post I said it would not work... I'm not hearing that is may be possible from a article I read today. Seems like the new firmware may have changed something... give it a shot. Though I'm not certain it will work.

[snoeth]

I had an existing att plan without data (but I had unlimited texts). What I did that worked perfectly was unlock and jailbreak my 2.0.2 iphone (using winpwn). Since it was unlocked, I was able to drop my sim chip in and use the phone for calls/texting. Then through Cydia I downloaded BossPrefs. BossPrefs easily allowed me turn off the edge network while keeping my wi-fi connection. So now my iphone gets internet when I am at a hotspot, otherwise I just have phone/texting capabilities. I have NO data plan and no monthly charges for data. Just a voice plan.

[Bad Ash]

Originally Posted by snoeth

I had an existing att plan without data (but I had unlimited texts). What I did that worked perfectly was unlock and jailbreak my 2.0.2 iphone (using winpwn). Since it was unlocked, I was able to drop my sim chip in and use the phone for calls/texting. Then through Cydia I downloaded BossPrefs. BossPrefs easily allowed me turn off the edge network while keeping my wi-fi connection. So now my iphone gets internet when I am at a hotspot, otherwise I just have phone/texting capabilities. I have NO data plan and no monthly charges for data. Just a voice plan.

Sure that would work for a first gen iPhone but not with a 3g. Sounded like the OP was getting a 3g. I could be wrong though.

*if you did do that on a first gen you would also lose others features such as visual voicemail, etc...

[artgirl378]

I'm just wondering if there's a way to turn off any other connections on the iPhone and just use Wi-Fi (for internet usage), so that there's no need for the data plan?

I would be perfectly fine without internet access 24/7, but I've had some of the sales people tell me that the phone can automatically switch to 3G or whatever, and you'll be stuck with a $400 bill at the end of the month without even knowing it.

They've also said that they don't have a complete way of blocking your access so that you don't use data.

Is it possible do so yourself? Or do you have to hack your phone for that?