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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > Want an iPhone, but locked into T-Mobile? Not for long...

Want an iPhone, but locked into T-Mobile? Not for long...
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parsec_kadets
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Mar 19, 2007, 06:38 PM
 
So the buzz over at howardforums.com is that T-Mobile is about to increase their per message charge for SMS to $.15 starting June 1st. When Cingular and Verizon did this customers were able to cancel service without paying early termination fees (ETF), even though they were still under contract. The same is likely to be true for anyone on T-Mobile who activated before March 15th. This has me seriously scoping out pricing for Cingular. Does this excite anyone else?
     
Jasoco
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Mar 19, 2007, 07:30 PM
 
The iPhone is Cingular...
     
earthlings
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Mar 19, 2007, 07:54 PM
 
Cingular is now ATT, lol.
     
parsec_kadets  (op)
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Mar 19, 2007, 10:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
The iPhone is Cingular...
Exactly my point. If you're locked into a T-Mobile contract they're about to make a change to their services which will result in a "change to material costs which adversely affects" you. In your contract it states that you can cancel service in this event without paying an ETF. Thus allowing you to switch to Cingular to get the iPhone.
     
icruise
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Mar 19, 2007, 10:08 PM
 
Apparently people have had mixed success trying this approach with their providers, but it's worth a try. Does anyone know what the situation is for people who are already Cingular users? As luck would have it, my Cingular contract expires in May of this year, so I would think that I could just quit and sign up again to get an iPhone if I wanted to (I don't even care if I get a new number). But would there be any kind of advantage to keeping my current contract and just switching to the iPhone (rather than quitting and signing up again)?
     
parsec_kadets  (op)
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Mar 19, 2007, 10:34 PM
 
Usually providers require that you wait at least 90 days before they'll give you the new customer deals again. However, I don't think Cingular is going to alienate the customers they already have, especially those willing to spend extra cash on things like data services.
     
icruise
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Mar 19, 2007, 10:40 PM
 
I figure I can always just have my wife sign up instead if they want to be pissy about it.
     
pyn
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Mar 19, 2007, 10:45 PM
 
usually you just have to call them up and the person will just change your plan to a new one that starts the day of your signing-up [what i did]. no extra cancellation or activation charge
     
butterfly0fdoom
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Mar 19, 2007, 11:21 PM
 
Just go to a Cingular store and tell them you're willing to get a data plan and they'll be mroe lenient on you. Even if you cancel it after you get home; the sales people still get a bonus.
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earthlings
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Mar 20, 2007, 12:52 AM
 
I think Apple should stop advertising Cingular and advertise ATT for the iphone.
     
shifuimam
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Mar 20, 2007, 11:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by icruise View Post
Apparently people have had mixed success trying this approach with their providers, but it's worth a try. Does anyone know what the situation is for people who are already Cingular users? As luck would have it, my Cingular contract expires in May of this year, so I would think that I could just quit and sign up again to get an iPhone if I wanted to (I don't even care if I get a new number). But would there be any kind of advantage to keeping my current contract and just switching to the iPhone (rather than quitting and signing up again)?
Does Cingular not have a new-every-two type policy? With Verizon, I get a new phone at new customer pricing every two years when I sign on for another two years.
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-Q-
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Mar 20, 2007, 02:08 PM
 
That is most encouraging news about T-mobile's planned change. I've been wondering if there would be an easy way to get out of my T-mobile contract I signed in December and this appears to be it. Thanks for the news.
     
icruise
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Mar 20, 2007, 03:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
Does Cingular not have a new-every-two type policy? With Verizon, I get a new phone at new customer pricing every two years when I sign on for another two years.
That's sort of what I'm asking. They may very well have that policy, but I haven't taken the time to look into it.
     
-Q-
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Mar 20, 2007, 03:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by icruise View Post
That's sort of what I'm asking. They may very well have that policy, but I haven't taken the time to look into it.
Most larger carriers do, thanks to the advent of number portability. They realized that unless they offered their customers similar deals to those being offered new customers, they were quickly losing old customers to other carriers with number portability. I know T-mobile does, as does Verizon. Don't officially know if Cingular/ATT offers it but I'd be surprised if they didn't.
     
olePigeon
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Mar 20, 2007, 03:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by earthlings View Post
Cingular is now ATT, lol.
F**king hell that pissed me off. First AT&T sells their wireless to Cingular, then tells their customers to piss off and everyone has to buy a new phone.

Then AT&T buys Cingular and we're back where we started after being forced to buy a new damn phone when my old one was perfectly fine.
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earthlings
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Mar 20, 2007, 05:07 PM
 
It sounds better to say you are a Cingular member instead of ATT.
     
badsey
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Mar 20, 2007, 08:22 PM
 
I hate Cingular and I hate my Nokia phone = but what can you do? I blame my phone for this because it has too many features and too few buttons (no keyboard etc). The data rate for Cingular is $.01 per KB(highest rate) =How can an iPhone run on costs like that. The unlimited data package is $60 (not including voice packages)

Data Connect - Cingular Wireless

I want the iPhone with VOIP and WiFi. (free)
     
icruise
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Mar 20, 2007, 08:42 PM
 
Where do you get $60 from?
     
earthlings
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Mar 20, 2007, 08:45 PM
 
Cingular has bad receptions in hospitals, while friends with different cell phone providers have good reception in hospitals.
     
badsey
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Mar 20, 2007, 08:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by icruise View Post
Where do you get $60 from?
I was looking at the Laptop one. The cell plan is $20 = that's a steal for unlimited data.
     
indigoimac
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Mar 20, 2007, 09:00 PM
 
Personally, not even the iPhone can get me to go back to Cingular, what a crappy experience, I switched to T-Mob a year and a half ago and never looked back.

And I'll weigh in on the ATT thing too, originally I was an ATT Blue (as they called it post merger) customer, great service for the 1st year until they merged w. Cingular then it all went downhill, and as soon as my 2year from tem was up I went to T-Mob and signed up for a 1year contract, got 2 free phones and have stuck w/ them, no reason to leave in my opinion.
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icruise
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Mar 20, 2007, 09:03 PM
 
I'm curious what issues you've had with Cingular. I switched from T-mobile to Cingular (because at the time Cingular had the RAZR) and I'd say the experience has been pretty much the same, except that Cingular has markedly better reception in my area.
     
earthlings
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Mar 20, 2007, 09:10 PM
 
Cingular also has rollover!
     
butterfly0fdoom
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Mar 20, 2007, 10:58 PM
 
We had AT&T before it merged with Cingular and, subsequently, Cingular. We never had any service problems with them, before and after the merger. And I personally plan to just stick with AT&T. My mom has T-mobile, and that's been pretty troublesome.
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typoon
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Mar 21, 2007, 07:53 AM
 
Yes cingular lets you upgrade your phone when you have about 6 months left on the contract. Or at least they used to. I know that you can upgrade your phone every 2 years though. I've not had any problems with Cingular since I've had them.
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homeruntilly
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Mar 21, 2007, 08:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by icruise View Post
Apparently people have had mixed success trying this approach with their providers, but it's worth a try. Does anyone know what the situation is for people who are already Cingular users? As luck would have it, my Cingular contract expires in May of this year, so I would think that I could just quit and sign up again to get an iPhone if I wanted to (I don't even care if I get a new number). But would there be any kind of advantage to keeping my current contract and just switching to the iPhone (rather than quitting and signing up again)?

they're called upgrades. verizon has them. evey two years (or when your contract expires) you get an upgrade. An upgrade just gives you a new nice phone for cheap. i got my Razr v3m for like $50. i think cingular has upgrades...
     
buymeaniphone
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Mar 22, 2007, 09:51 AM
 
Has anyone actually tried this? What would you tell a representative to get them to let you cancel without being charged? My phone plan was over this January but my wife is still locked in until next October and I dont want two phone plans thru different carriers.
     
   
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