iphone 4 with ipad sim activation

[eriphone]

Hi Everybody,

I have this plan and would like your expert opinion on it.

I am thinking about buying an iphone 4 without a plan at the apple store and putting an ipad 3g micro sim in there. I bought an ipad micro sim and will activate it as shown on this website: hijinksinc.com/2010/07/08/activating-an-ipad-3g-micro-sim-without-an-ipad

My question to you guys is, can I activate my iphone 4 with this sim card? Or do I still need a phone number to activate it?

Thanks!

 

[iGaz]

If your buying a iPhone without a contract buy a factory unlocked one. You won't need to activate it and never have to worry about unlocking it. Well worth the little bit extra. Also it will be worth alot more if/when you come to sell it...

 

[eriphone]

Thanks for your reply. The difference between buying an iphone direct from the apple store or a factory unlocked one from ebay is 300 dollars. That is not a little bit to me. And as I plan to use the iphone with AT&T but only with a data sim I don't really want to spend the extra 300 bucks. So, my question still stands. Can I activate the iphone with an AT&T ipad micro sim?

 

[iGaz]

Bit expensive to get an iPhone just to use data is it not?

I don't see why it wouldn't as long as it's an AT&T sim. A normal iPhone sim would probably work in an iPad. I'm fairly sure an iPad 3G sim is just an AT&T sim with a data only plan. Don't quote me on that though...

 

[eriphone]

Let me explain why I'm doing this.

AT&Ts iPad data plans are 25 dollars a months for 2Gb. And I figured I could do all my calling and texting with voip services like skype and google voice. So I'm saving at least 40 dollars a month by not having a voice and text plan. With a two year contract that adds up to 960 dollars in total. Add the 200 bucks I'd have to pay for the phone if I'd buy it with a contract and we're up to 1160. If I get an iphone at the apple store without a contract the phone costs 600 bucks. So over two years time I'd save 560 dollars

Doesn't sound so expensive to me...

 

[Dj101]

if the amount of money you art going to spend over the next two years under contract is that big of a deal,maybe you cant afford to have one in the first place.

i personally think the extra 23.333333333 bucks a month for the convienence of using my PHONE ANYWHERE,way out outways the minimal cost.

and i hope the 2gb is enough for you to make calls and all the other stuff with....i burn through 1gb a week.granted i never use the wifi at all,whats the battery drain gonna be like running those apps constantly in the background just to recieve calls

 

[iGaz]

Your still going to have to pay the iPad contract aswell. So the phone costs you 600 plus the 25 a month for the data thats an extra 300 a year. That totals 1200 over two years for the phone and the data? So over two years your paying an extra 40 so that you can't use your iPhone as a normal phone?

It doesn't just sound expensive to me...

 

[eriphone]

Your still going to have to pay the iPad contract aswell. So the phone costs you 600 plus the 25 a month for the data thats an extra 300 a year. That totals 1200 over two years for the phone and the data? So over two years your paying an extra 40 so that you can't use your iPhone as a normal phone?

It doesn't just sound expensive to me...

Sorry, you're wrong.

If you get an iphone with an AT&T contract you have to get both a voice and a data plan. That would mean 25 for data and 40 for voice, totals to 65 a month. Over two years that becomes 1560 dollars, plus the initial 200 you have to pay for the phone makes it 1760 dollars. Compared to the 1200 I'd be paying it saves me 560 dollars.

To me that just seems like a lot of wasted money, since I'm in 3g and WiFi areas most of my time.

@Dj101: 2Gb gives me almost 36000 minutes if I use it just for voip. So I guess that should be enough.

 

[iGaz]

I was going by your initial quote of 1160. I don't live in the US so I wouldn't know. Im glad I don't though. Just worked it out from what you've said. Its around $500 more expensive over there for an iphone over two years.

I would have to agree with what dj101 said in that case or stand by my original post...

 

[eriphone]

I just moved to the US from Europe and I was shocked at the outrageous prices for cell phone plans here. So that's why I started looking into a cheaper alternative. I don't like getting f*cked over by cell phone companies.

I might go with your suggestion of getting a factory unlocked one though. That way I can pop in a cheap prepaid sim whenever I go into areas that don't have 3g and I can use the phone if I ever go back to Europe.

Thanks for the tip.