Unlocking phone prevents data plan billing?

[py17]

So I was at the AT&T store today and one of the sales reps said that even if you put another at&t sim chip in an iphone it would recognize that that sim chip was in a smart phone and would automatically add a data plan to said sim chip (30 dollar one) if it didn't have one.

So my question is, is it true? can the sim chip tell if it's in a smart phone and would it add a data plan?

Also if your phone is jailbroken/unlocked would this still happen?

[reaven]

Did you found an answer ? I also have an iphone new without activating and want to know if putting my ATT sim card will work...

[soulthoughts]

Yup. Your IMEI identifies your phone.

[reaven]

So the solution is unlock it or jailbrake it ?

I doubt everyone that have one with any company including AT&T as soon as you connect your iphone they activate a data plan..and i mean beside the one you buy and activate at the store because those you cant buy it without a data plan.

[soulthoughts]

If you buy from the store they automatically add a data plan. If you don't activate in store, they can detect that you do have a smart phone via your IMEI. Does everyone with an iPhone have a data plan? No. Some have been able to get away w/out it. Can ATT detect your smart phone w/out a data plan..yes.

Now whether or not they add the data plan automatically is another thing. There are tons of threads in the ATT subforum about this.

Cliffnotes:
1. Yes ATT can detect your phone.
2. They may or may not add a data plan automatically.
3. Unlocking only allows you to use your phone on any GSM carrier.
4. Unlocking does not prevent ATT from detecting your phone is an iphone.

[wannabprogramma]

Ummm...I dont want to say your wrong soulthoughts....but I'm pretty sure you are....my reasoning:
1) I had a 2g....i did what it says below...no billing
2) I have a 3g...i did what it says below.....no billing
3) My brother AND sister AND mom ALL got me to do the same thing with 2g's and 3g's eventually and all......No BILLING!!!!!

So what you do is:
1) get an iPhone from eBay, craigslist, friend, etc. BUT NOT FROM AT&T OR APPLE!!!!!!!!!
2) JAILBREAK IMMEDIATELY!!!! (immediately means before you put in your sim) and if you're on another carrier then unlock now as well.....
3) Still without putting in your sim, go to Cydia or Rock and download SBSettings.
4) Once it is done installing and setting up slide your finder across your status bar and go to the "more" button.
5) Then click "Set Toggles"
6) Toggle ALL THE FOLLOWING to the OFF position: 3g, Edge, and Location
7) go "Back" and click on "Extras & Options"
8) Toggle Apple Killswitch to the off position
9) NEVER TOUCH THESE TOGGLES
10) put in your sim card
If you follow this you won't be charged for data plan.....but, of course, you can't access any internet....there is a tutorial for using other internet plans on the iPhone here: iPhone OS 3.0 (7A341) Kills Any “Non-iPhone Data Plan” (Yeah right. I’ve got you covered!) but I can't be sure it works because I myself have not tried it......Let me restate: If you do the above you will not be able to access internet unless you are by WiFi, but you will not be charged!!!! I think what I said is what you wanted but if you were looking to use a different plan to access data you can try the link but i don't know how well it works.....Happy Hacking!!!!!!!



Edit: forgot to include the reason this works......AT&T can tell you're on an iPhone when you access the internet and therefore can send you a bill....but if you never access the internet then they don't know....so in theory you could just never click an app that uses internet whilst out and about but this is safer because if you click one while you're out it will tell you it can't instead of telling apple you're cheating

[reaven]

Thanks wannabprogramma that makes more sense and yes that is what I'm trying to do. I have two 3gs one is activate and bought from American telephone & telegraph with data plan and all the bells, I get a hold of another one new and seal, never activate dont have any rate plan associate with it. the line I want to use it with have inet and internet block. I just want the phone, ipod and wifi to work, so if I dont have to jailbreak it to do it much better. I want to know all this before my wife even open the phone on Christmas.

[soulthoughts]

I stand corrected, but your IMEI is still registered when you make a call. It's how CSRs can tell what phone you're using when you call them for help from your iphone.

[wannabprogramma]

Yes, soulthoughts you are completely correct about the IMEI but I haven't heard of them billing any phones that do what I said....I guess they just think that if we're not using the internet then they won't bill us or anything....i dont know why but I can tell you this works...but again there is always a small risk because you are right about the IMEI

[AndyGt]

I'm a newbie to this forum and I think it's one of the best I've came across online.
I'm in the process of buying an iPhone not from ATT or store because, like OP, I don't want to pay for the data plan.
The IMEI is a problem like soulthoughts said because that happened to me with a different smart phone.
I've been searching this forum to gain knowledge about this topic and so far I learned that unlocking and jailbreaking will not prevent ATT from discovering that i have the iPhone but I wanna know if there's a way for ATT to not know that I have an iPhone at all.

[Cer0]

When you make a call it will identify you using an iPhone. But if you toggle all Internet access off you have hide the chance of a data plan. In Curia there is a all in one toggle that turns all data items off that recently got put up.

Cydia, sorry.

[AndyGt]

Thanks cerote! Is there a way to a have a non-iPhone data plan on the iPhone? The $30 data plan is too much for me at the time and wanted to know if there's a way to getting the $15 data plan instead.
Thanks again.

[wannabprogramma]

iPhone OS 3.0 (7A341) Kills Any “Non-iPhone Data Plan” (Yeah right. I’ve got you covered!)
read this article...should help

[AndyGt]

That's awesome! Thanks a lot!!! But as I was reading through the comments. The latest person commented that he recieved the msg telling him that he's using the wrong plan, that was 3 days ago. Any thoughts on that?

[wannabprogramma]

It's completely luck really.....it happens to some people but if they send you that message just immediately stop data usage and you won't be charged and you can start again in like a week i think.... btw congrats cerote

[AndyGt]

Oh I see. Alrighty, thank you!