Sunday, 28 December 2008

• How To Get Rid Of Your Forced iPhone Data Plan

  
   
  

  
  This is a guide for those of you thinking of getting the iPhone but don’t want to pay for the ridiculous data plan or already have the iPhone and want to get rid of the data plan.  
  
  For those of you that didn’t know, the AT&T forces iPhone customers to get a data plan when they purchase the iPhone 3G.  The data plan is $30 dollars a month without any text messages.  
  
  I had the previous iPhone and now have the 3G iPhone and both times was successfully able to get rid of the data plan without any problems.  If you call AT&T to get rid of it they’ll say no, but there is a way to slightly manipulate the situation to get rid of the plan:
  

  1.  Get an old phone compatible with AT&T or Cingular.  You should have one considering you just got an iPhone or planning to get one.  If you don’t have an AT&T phone, just call your previous service provider to unlock your previous phone, takes a few minutes
  2. After purchasing the iPhone and it’s service plan, call AT&T customer service, or you can chat with them through their website.
  3. Tell them you just got iPhone but you’re thinking of returning the phone but want to keep the voice plan since you’ll be using a different phone (you’re allowed to return the phone but keep the service).  Make sure to tell them to get rid of the data since you’re no longer using an iPhone.
  4. If you’ve already had the iPhone for a few months then just tell them you’re no longer planning to use it so you don’t need the data plan but would like to keep the service on a basic service.
  5. The rep will ask you for the serial number of your other phone.  Give them that.
  6. They’ll then ask you to take the SIM card out of the iPhone and put it into the other phone.
  7. Once you see service is working, ask them to block out the Internet service (WAP) completely.  This will come in handy later.  
  8. After you’re done hang up and switch the SIM card back to the iPhone.
  9. On the top right hand corner you should no longer see the 3G data sign, which means you no longer have data service.  
  10. The reason for asking to completely block out Internet service (WAP) is so that if you accidentally hit the Safari browser you don’t get charged per kilobyte, which can get expensive.
  11. Now with wi-fi you can access the Internet.  There are some people who believe you get charged for using wi-fi, YOU DON’T.  If the wi-fi is free, ATT cannot charge you for that.

  For the rest of you who are thinking what’s the point of getting rid of a data plan on an iPhone, well for me it’s useless.  I work in an office with Internet access all day, I have wireless Internet at home (iPhone has wi-fi capability) and almost every block around NYC has wi-fi hot spots.  
  
  Plus iPhone customers get free Internet service anywhere ATT has wi-fi, which are places such as Starbucks, McDonald's, Barnes & Noble.  So for me to pay an extra $30 dollars a month makes no sense.
  
  For international iPhone users, you can try this method for your service providers.  This method is not guaranteed to work internationally but has worked for a number of people here in the States.
  
  Do you have or thought about getting an iPhone?  Does this help make your decision easier? What phone do you have?
  
  

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