In Store Activation - WTF??

[Stugotz]

Hi,

Just wondering if someone can shine some light my way and explain why I would need to go to the Apple or ATT to activate the 3G iPhone when it comes out? I do understand they want to get you into that two year contract and update your data plan but what else do they need to do? I was under the assumption I could slap in my sim card into the phone and let it be.
I do want the new iPhone but I don’t want to pay $30 for the 3G data plan and $5.00 for 200 text when I could just buy the phone keep my $20 plan and get 3G access with 150 text messages since the 3G is built in on the phone not the sim card.
If I can use my current sim card from my iPhone and get 3G access using a ATT HTC phone I should be able to do the same with the 3G iPhone, right?

[jakecigar]

you are wrong!

keep your htc!

[Stugotz]

I dont have an HTC, I said "If I can use my current sim card from my iPhone and get 3G access using a ATT HTC phone ".
Tell me why am I wrong and how do you know I am wrong..EXPLAIN YOURSELF??

[jakecigar]

3g is a new deal, new rules!

you buy it for CHEAP, and pay lots monthly!

[mastercyberjedi]

Hi,

Just wondering if someone can shine some light my way and explain why I would need to go to the Apple or ATT to activate the 3G iPhone when it comes out? I do understand they want to get you into that two year contract and update your data plan but what else do they need to do? I was under the assumption I could slap in my sim card into the phone and let it be.
I do want the new iPhone but I don’t want to pay $30 for the 3G data plan and $5.00 for 200 text when I could just buy the phone keep my $20 plan and get 3G access with 150 text messages since the 3G is built in on the phone not the sim card.
If I can use my current sim card from my iPhone and get 3G access using a ATT HTC phone I should be able to do the same with the 3G iPhone, right?

AT&T is offering the 3g Iphone for $199.99/299.99 with a two year contract and they raised the price of the data plan to compinsate for the cheaper price. If you could just buy the Iphone and leave the store you could go home and unlock it and use it on T-mobile so they make you sign the contract in store. The data plan goes with it so if you whant the Iphone you need the data plan. Also Iphones need new sim cards so you can't slap in your sim and use it on the Iphone. Unless you unlock it but no ones unlocked the new 2.0 software yet let alone a 3g Iphone.

[Stugotz]

AT&T is offering the 3g Iphone for $199.99/299.99 with a two year contract and they raised the price of the data plan to compinsate for the cheaper price. If you could just buy the Iphone and leave the store you could go home and unlock it and use it on T-mobile so they make you sign the contract in store. The data plan goes with it so if you whant the Iphone you need the data plan. Also Iphones need new sim cards so you can't slap in your sim and use it on the Iphone. Unless you unlock it but no ones unlocked the new 2.0 software yet let alone a 3g Iphone.

Thank you mastercyberjedi,
You answered my question. I will wait for a unlock 3g iphone and use the same data plan I have now with att.
As for jcigar I highly recommend you should not reply to others post if you dont know what they are talking about. I feel like I am talking about DVD's and he is talking about VHS or when MS-DOS / Windows 1.0 first came out.

[Faxmonkey]

The thing is, if you could get an unlocked Iphone 3g, you could sign up for the same unlimited data service through AT&T and pay half as much for it. They have unlimmited data that you can add to any voice plan for ANY PHONE and pay only 15 bucks a month for it. It could even be an iphone 3g, if you imported one from Europe that didn't already have a contract on it.

In other words, they are charging you a special "Iphone tax" by only letting you do a 30 dollar a month data plan which is really just a ploy get their 200 bucks back (from the subsidized cost) and to get 40 bucks interest in the process.

I can't wait until this whole contract nonsense dies and you can buy your phone, full price, and pick any provider you want (of course *any* provider I want assumes that the 3rd generation Iphones (or 4th generation or whatever) adds support for EVDO in addition to EDGE. Iphone on the Sprint Sero plan would be hot. Sero gives you 500 anytime minutes, Unlimmited 3g data (faster than AT&T's 3g too), and unlimmited texts *AND* a 200 dollar price break on your phone for only 30 bucks a month with a 2 year contract. That blows anything AT&T can offer out of the water -- in other words, that would be 45 dollars less a month for a BETTER service plan with FASTER data and you get the same subsidy on your phone. All we need is a iPhone that would actually work on Sprint's network and we're good to go.

[redcard]

Hi,

Just wondering if someone can shine some light my way and explain why I would need to go to the Apple or ATT to activate the 3G iPhone when it comes out? I do understand they want to get you into that two year contract and update your data plan but what else do they need to do? I was under the assumption I could slap in my sim card into the phone and let it be.
I do want the new iPhone but I don’t want to pay $30 for the 3G data plan and $5.00 for 200 text when I could just buy the phone keep my $20 plan and get 3G access with 150 text messages since the 3G is built in on the phone not the sim card.
If I can use my current sim card from my iPhone and get 3G access using a ATT HTC phone I should be able to do the same with the 3G iPhone, right?

How long you had your phone? Unlocking the 1st gen iphone happened so long ago , right? I think people ask misleading questions so they can have a rant at Apple

[Stugotz]

I bought my Iphone last year in Novemeber. I never been a big fan of Apple or the whole iphone but I will admit the phone does have a touchscreen and is slim. I lean more on the Windows Mobile side but not a big fan of the phones running windows. The phones I do like are not available in America and dont work on att networks.
If the iphone supported MMS and had copy and paste I would be very happy with the phone but we will se what happens next month.
I will wait when the 3G iPhones are available to purchase w/o any contracts at full price. If that for some reason becomes hard to do then I will checkout up coming iphones clones.