Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

kklenz · Mar 16, 2008, 11:38 AM

Hi, I'm just wondering if it is possible to buy an iphone without signing up with AT&T but still use it for wi-fi emails, internet, etc. similiar to the ipod touch? Thanks.

Ozmodiar · Mar 16, 2008, 12:26 PM

Yes, you could, but why wouldn't you just buy a Touch?

mduell · Mar 16, 2008, 12:31 PM

Officially, no. It's just a shiny brick until you activate it with AT&T.

Unoffically, yes, there are hacks to let you use it with wifi/as an iPod without AT&T.

MacinTommy · Mar 16, 2008, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

Yes, you could, but why wouldn't you just buy a Touch?

I want to know this answer, too. Is it for the crappy speaker? Or maybe because the lock button is on the top right instead of top left?

analogue SPRINKLES · Mar 16, 2008, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by MacinTommy

I want to know this answer, too. Is it for the crappy speaker? Or maybe because the lock button is on the top right instead of top left?

Volume buttons? Camera? Bluetooth? Remote on headphones?

0157988944 · Mar 16, 2008, 06:28 PM

Is that REALLy enough to warrant more money for less space and missing the biggest feature?

Ozmodiar · Mar 16, 2008, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

Is that REALLy enough to warrant more money for less space and missing the biggest feature?

Buying a phone and voiding the warranty just to have an iPod with a camera, volume buttons and Bluetooth doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, either.

TravisReynolds · Mar 17, 2008, 12:15 AM

did it ever occur to you guys that maybe the phone is a lot better than what they had? even without wifi and stuff like that

Big Mac · Mar 17, 2008, 12:35 AM

Huh? We're talking about an iPhone with the phone disabled.

kklenz · Mar 17, 2008, 11:56 AM

Reason is that my Blackberry contract with T-Mobile doesn't expire for 7 more months, and I'd like to use the Wi-Fi emails while traveling in China soon without roaming and/or international charges. Also I believe the iphone has more storage and battery time for viewing movies on the flights to/from China than the ipod touch. Am I right? Thanks.

Big Mac · Mar 17, 2008, 12:08 PM

The touch has twice as much capacity on the high end versus the iPhone. The iPhone supposedly has a two hour edge in battery capacity.

kklenz · Mar 17, 2008, 12:33 PM

So will the iphone's WiFi emails work or not without signing up for AT&T? I'm not clear on the previous answers. Thanks.

Big Mac · Mar 17, 2008, 01:04 PM

i'm pretty sure it will, but the point is it's a bit of a waste of the hardware to use it only for WIFI.

analogue SPRINKLES · Mar 17, 2008, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by adamfishercox

Is that REALLy enough to warrant more money for less space and missing the biggest feature?

No, but I would never buy an iPod touch without volume buttons.

Ozmodiar · Mar 17, 2008, 01:49 PM

To use the iPhone as an iPod Touch you would have to jailbreak and activate it. People who don't activate the phone through official channels have no claim to a warranty and are not eligible for service if something goes wrong with the phone (people who activate the phone with Apple/AT&T but still jailbreak it are also out of luck).

I'm not sure about battery life on the iPhone vs. the Touch. I would think if they have the same batteries and WiFi is turned off (on the airplane), they would have similar performances. Again, I don't know for sure. That's just my guess.

Any thought to unlocking the phone and putting your T-Mobile SIM card in it?

tridentinecanon · Mar 18, 2008, 09:25 AM

You have two options:

1) Buy the Touch. It will do what you want out of the box with no hacks. In 7 months, and after you return from China, sell the Touch, and then see where you're at in the cell phone market.

2) Get the iPhone and hack it to work with T-Mobile. If you're going to hack it anyways, you might as well make it work to its full capacity with your current cell phone provider.

I know you didn't ask, but if it was me, I'd go with option number 2. Freak AT&T - one of the worst cellular service providers out there.

kklenz · Mar 19, 2008, 11:06 AM

I forgot to mention that I'm deaf, and I don't need the phone part of the iphone except maybe for SMS. Thanks.

analogue SPRINKLES · Mar 19, 2008, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by kklenz

I forgot to mention that I'm deaf, and I don't need the phone part of the iphone except maybe for SMS. Thanks.

Snap.

psz · Jan 6, 2009, 12:36 PM

Current AT&T customer here, been with them for over 2 years, no major complains. Have a family talk plan with 700 minutes and three phones sharing them.

I would like to get an iPhone but what is holding me is that I would have to get an additional internet/data plan for PDAs for an extra $30 per month.

The thing is I am in a big city and I am surrounded with wi-fi everywhere. I cannot justify paying extra $30/month for internet on top of my already high AT&T DSL dues at home...

I was thinking that maybe I can get an iPhone second hand, not from AT&T and this way I will not be forced to get the expensive internet/data plan from AT&T.

I would have to just configure the internet part of the iPhone to use wi-fi modem only and *never* atempt to go to the internet via GSM/Edge/3G modem.

Is this doable? If so, which iPhone version or software revision should I look for?

Anybody walked this path already?

BTW - How real is the possibility that AT&T somehow detects I use iPhone and forces me to get this data/internet plan for PDAs even I do not get the iPhone from them?

Thanks,
Psz.

kalex · Jan 13, 2009, 05:42 PM

psz,

you can definitely do this if u want. you can do it with either 2g iphone or 3g. you would need to jailbreak it and unlock it. once thats done you can use your current sim for voice and sms. You would also need to disable 3G and Edge service which can be done with a jailbroken phone. ATT can probably tell if you are using iphone and sometimes can force internet plan on to your account. but if you never use Edge i'm sure the chances of that happening are slim.

Luca Rescigno · Jan 13, 2009, 06:13 PM

I've heard that, for the deaf, some mobile phone providers do offer cut-down plans that eschew voice service.

Personally, I'd like to be able to use something like the iPhone as my phone without having to buy the data plan. Otherwise I have to carry two devices around—my normal cell phone and an iPod Touch. Having just an iPhone would make things simpler, but I also can't justify the $30/mo premium for a data plan that would be nice but not necessary. I too am in a city and there's so much WiFi everywhere that I don't really need 3G access.

psz · Jan 13, 2009, 06:44 PM

Do we have a reliable jailbreaking routine described in this forum?
I am having trouble finding one...

Also, is this procedure reversible?

Thanks!

ddolde · Jun 19, 2009, 09:34 PM

I had to cancel my AT&T contract because they said I was using over the limit off network data services. Before canceling I locked the SIM and turned on WIFI.

Everything works except the phone. I never liked the phone aspect of the iPhone to begin with.

Prof_Geek · May 18, 2010, 11:31 PM

(Gosh, and I used to think PC users were closed-minded.) The best forums are those to crowd-source assistance, not be so judgmental of someone with a legit question. Loosen up guys! In my case, I am NOT going to buy and activate an iPhone for my 36 college students who need remote audio and other apps via wifi on campus only PLUS VIDEO (which the iTouch doesn't have). Duh. It was and is a good question.

driven · May 22, 2010, 01:43 AM

I use my old Gen1 iPhone as a wi-fi device. (Actually the family uses it as sort of a cross between an iPod Touch-with-camera and a Nintendo DSi game unit. :-) The phone is deactivated on this device. Works swimmingly well for what we do with it.

turtle777 · May 22, 2010, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by Prof_Geek

(Gosh, and I used to think PC users were closed-minded.) The best forums are those to crowd-source assistance, not be so judgmental of someone with a legit question. Loosen up guys!

WTF are you talking about ?

I didn't see anyone judging anyone, just stating the fact that a jail broken iPhone w/o the use of radio is basically an expensive iPod Touch alternative.

I guess you spend too much time with PC users... *shrug*

-t

annalewis718 · Jun 8, 2010, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by kklenz

I forgot to mention that I'm deaf, and I don't need the phone part of the iphone except maybe for SMS. Thanks.

my sister has an itouch.it does everything my iphone does except calls...
she has an app she pays maybe $10 for that activates SMS via Wifi.
its set up just like SMS on an Iphone.
and the cool part is, once you run out of text, you just buy the app again, or more messages on the app.
that way you don't have to pay a monthly bill and you get the same features.and there is different sizes of GB of the itouch you can purchase.
hope this helps!!

annalewis718 · Jun 8, 2010, 03:41 AM

Well here's my problem...
i'm heading off to college next month and renting a house.
i already pay my $30 data plan a month for my iphone and car insurance (im trying to not work 40 hours a week to pay for all this crap and do nursing school).
so...the town im going to is a small country town...no 3g (which my iphone internet i pay for runs SLOW on 3g anyway..not worth the $30 a month).
trying to cut down on bills.
if i already have Wifi (which i do, its all i ever use on my iphone), do i have to pay $30 a month??
my mom use to work for AT&T and said its not required (they just tell you it is)...but a guy at AT&T here told my dad that if u cancel ur internet that AT&T charges you out the butt for some of the apps you use..
is that true??
im not tryimg to cancel my internet and end up paying hidden fees when im only paying $30 with the plan...
help!!

Spheric Harlot · 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES

No, but I would never buy an iPod touch without volume buttons.

There is no iPod without volume buttons. The headset volume remote is supported, as well.

Ar****, timelined. This thread is from January 2009.

macaddict0001 · Jun 8, 2010, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by annalewis718

Well here's my problem...
i'm heading off to college next month and renting a house.
i already pay my $30 data plan a month for my iphone and car insurance (im trying to not work 40 hours a week to pay for all this crap and do nursing school).
so...the town im going to is a small country town...no 3g (which my iphone internet i pay for runs SLOW on 3g anyway..not worth the $30 a month).
trying to cut down on bills.
if i already have Wifi (which i do, its all i ever use on my iphone), do i have to pay $30 a month??
my mom use to work for AT&T and said its not required (they just tell you it is)...but a guy at AT&T here told my dad that if u cancel ur internet that AT&T charges you out the butt for some of the apps you use..
is that true??
im not tryimg to cancel my internet and end up paying hidden fees when im only paying $30 with the plan...
help!!

If you cancel your dataplan, they will charge you per kilobyte. Given that some apps automatically send/receive data without asking, this can add up to a huge bill.