Travel Technology - Does one absolutely need a data plan with AT&T

TMO is our area worsens, and the Mrs. has problems getting a signal at home. Verizon insists on both data and voice plan if we use a smart phone. I called AT&T and got same answer.

Question: we have an unlocked iPhone 3gs that works perfectly fine with TMO. So can I go into AT&T store, bring along an older non-smart phone, port my wife's TMO to AT&T, activate it with voice ONLY, use for a few days, then swap sim card into iPhone?

AT&T CS insists the answer is NO, their network will register a different IMEI number. Is that true?

Yes. It is true. Been there, done that. You have two solutions. Get a third party phone that Apple doesn't sell (and isn't Blackberry or Android) and pray or go with an MVNO (H20, Pocket Red, etc).

Not aware of any of the big four that offers a smart-phone without a dataplan.

All else fails, get a microcell for your carrier. If you complain enough, and have service long enough, they'll usually comp you the hardware. Go from getting 0.5/bars from the tower, to 5/bars inside the hosue.

TMO is our area worsens, and the Mrs. has problems getting a signal at home.

Does her phone have T-Mobile's Wi-Fi Calling feature? This eliminated the indoor signal strength problem at our home, and has greatly improved the battery life.

Can you use a goPhone SIM and turn off data access on the iphone?

Possibly. A Walmart Straight Talk prepaid SIM works in an ATT iPhone, even if it is locked.

Thanks for all the comments.

1. TMO's wifi [UMA] does not work on apple iPhones - i offered her my old BB which has UMA but she declined :(
2. She wants a larger screen so traditional non-smart phone won't do - again,i have older samsung with UMA call feature that would work, but she declined!
3. Prepaids are not economical - plus I don't think you can't port existing number to prepaid

So we're debating whether to switch her over to Verizon, get a new iPhone 4s or to wait for new iPhone later this summer before making the switch. Regardless, her mobile phone bill is going to get a huge spike when we make the move!

Get a USB modem from Clear (it cost $49.99 for unlimited data) and setting up a personal mobile hotspot via a Cradlepoint device or this is how to use data on the iphone with a Straight Talk sim card http://www.ehow.com/how_12209600_make-iphone-work-straight-talk-e71-sim-card.html

Thanks for all the comments.

1. TMO's wifi [UMA] does not work on apple iPhones - i offered her my old BB which has UMA but she declined :(
2. She wants a larger screen so traditional non-smart phone won't do - again,i have older samsung with UMA call feature that would work, but she declined!
3. Prepaids are not economical - plus I don't think you can't port existing number to prepaid

So we're debating whether to switch her over to Verizon, get a new iPhone 4s or to wait for new iPhone later this summer before making the switch. Regardless, her mobile phone bill is going to get a huge spike when we make the move!

AT&T prepaid has unlimited voice and text for $50/month. This is cheaper than a plan with 2 year contract. Just purchase a prepaid AT&T SIM card and insert it into your unlocked iphone and call AT&T to port your number from T-Mobile. Simple as that!

I am certain the answer to the original question is "Yes", you can port in to AT&T on a pre-paid or post-paid plan. AT&T Wireless offers voice-only monthly contract plans. AT&T also offers decent pre-paid plans: $50/month with unlimited voice/text (I think the base contract plan is $39.95 for 450 min.), or $2/day unlimited voice/text only on the days you use the service.

You can activate an AT&T pre-paid SIM either in a non-iPhone (you must be in the U.S.), or on-line using an AT&T iPhone IMEI. You can then use the SIM in an unlocked iPhone. You can add a data plan on top of a pre-paid SIM. I have colleagues who have done this many times.

The biggest challenge is cutting a normal-sized SIM down to a uSIM.

In any/all cases you should not tell AT&T you have an iPhone.

edited to add: You could also port in to Straight Talk, the pre-paid MVNO using the unlocked GSM SIM (uses AT&T's network) ($14.99) and a $30 or $45/month plan.

[Quote] The biggest challenge is cutting a normal-sized SIM down to a uSIM.

** micro sim cards (iphone size) are now available = ebay etc **

AT&T prepaid has unlimited voice and text for $50/month. This is cheaper than a plan with 2 year contract. Just purchase a prepaid AT&T SIM card and insert it into your unlocked iphone and call AT&T to port your number from T-Mobile. Simple as that!

Unfortunately we want to migrate to Verizon, not AT&T.

Are you asking if you can go with your 3GS on VZW? If so, not possible. 3GS was GSM only. Another option would be one of the MVNO outfits, like Cricket or similar. You do have to pay for the phone up front but can get away with a voice/text only plan.

Are you asking if you can go with your 3GS on VZW? If so, not possible. 3GS was GSM only. Another option would be one of the MVNO outfits, like Cricket or similar. You do have to pay for the phone up front but can get away with a voice/text only plan.

Cricket is an actual carrier, not a mvno. They are also cdma so that wouldn't work.

FWIW, you don't need a data plan with the original 2G iPhone on AT&T. Their network won't be able to detect it and force a data plan upon it.

Cricket is an actual carrier, not a mvno.
not true. cricket is a sprint mvno.

Unfortunately we want to migrate to Verizon, not AT&T.

Since Verizon uses CDMA phones, you will have to get a new phone as the unlocked iphone that you used previously on Tmobile will not work. It will work on AT&T, which is why people here are mentioning AT&T prepaid as an alternative.

Since Verizon uses CDMA phones, you will have to get a new phone as the unlocked iphone that you used previously on Tmobile will not work. It will work on AT&T, which is why people here are mentioning AT&T prepaid as an alternative.

I assumed migration to Vz also meant a new iPhone [4s], sorry for the oversight :D

We might wait and try to Cricket, or wait till Sept for iPhone 5....

3. Prepaids are not economical - plus I don't think you can't port existing number to prepaid

The second part is just not true. MANY prepaid plans allow you to port. As for the first part, there are lots of very affordable prepaid plans. I like straighttalk - runs on AT&T's network and offers unlimited talk, text, and data for $45/month. $42 if you pay three months at a time. Post-paid can't touch that - and your wife would get data to boot. Even if you found a carrier where you couldn't port, you could always port the number to Google Voice and direct that to the phone.

The second part is just not true. MANY prepaid plans allow you to port.

Again sorry for bad communications on my part - I was referring to Vz only.

Cricket is an actual carrier, not a mvno.
not true. cricket is a sprint mvno.

You're both partially right. In about one third of the country, Cricket operates its own network. In the rest of the country, it's an MVNO.

Since Verizon uses CDMA phones, you will have to get a new phone as the unlocked iphone that you used previously on Tmobile will not work. It will work on AT&T, which is why people here are mentioning AT&T prepaid as an alternative.

I assumed migration to Vz also meant a new iPhone [4s], sorry for the oversight :D

We might wait and try to Cricket, or wait till Sept for iPhone 5....

Won't work with cricket either. CDMA again. Basically, that phone will only work on the At&t or T-mobile networks.

Just for the record, I have had iPhones on ATT with no data plan for a couple of years. I already had the numbers, just bought the phones used. In each case ATT told me I had to have a data plan and I told them my contract was years out and I did not need a data plan. It worked. This was for two lines on a family plan & a third line did have a data plan.

Those plans still had data available so I would pay if any data was used. I kept data turned off on the phones so they only did data on wifi. This also disabled MMS texting and texts to multiple numbers.

I tried the TMO $30 prepaid plan but it doesn't work in China. In the end I got a RAZR Maxx & two years to life on Verizon.

AT&T prepaid has unlimited voice and text for $50/month. This is cheaper than a plan with 2 year contract. Just purchase a prepaid AT&T SIM card and insert it into your unlocked iphone and call AT&T to port your number from T-Mobile. Simple as that!

Just want to confirm above. Went to AT&T store, talked with a real tech savy sales guy re prepaid and post paid accounts. Got a prepaid account for my wife's iPhone 3gs [currently on TMO], paid $10 plus tax for 100 minutes with option to upgrade to $50 unlimited plan any time we want. No data plan. Got home and behold, full bars of service.

Sales guy told us we can port her TMO anytime we want. With prepaid, no data required, with post paid, require data but no two year contract. So far so good.

An even better option is to go prepaid with H2O Wireless. It's way cheaper than ATT

It's super easy and super cheap, just $.05/min and $.05/sms or a $30 unlimited talk and SMS plan. They have other plans too with data and the like.

H2O works with all ATT phones.

It's almost free to try, just go onto Ebay and you can buy a SIM for $1. Log on to their website to activate.

Pop it in, and you're going!

I use this when I'm back in the states with my iPhones and they're awesome, highly recommended.