illJazz
Premium
join:2002-09-04
switzerland
| reply to illJazz
Re: Leaving the US for about 5 months--what to do about service?
As it turns out, it's very likely that I will remain in Europe for the time being. I'm still paying my monthly iPhone 3G bill at AT&T.
I currently use my unlocked iPhone 2G with prepaid over here in Switzerland. I also have my iPhone 3G over here, but don't really use it unless I'm accessing wifi at home (it has a much better wifi range than the iPhone 2G).
Since it looks like I'm staying here and I want to get back on a real subscription (I've never been on prepaid this long, and I really hope I'll never have to use it again), what do you think my options are? I obviously will be canceling my AT&T service and will have to pay the early termination fee. But what about my iPhone 3G? To get a plan with with Swisscom, my local mobile carrier that also has the iPhone, my iPhone 3G would have to be fully unlocked.
I also want to use 3G of course.
I'm guessing AT&T still won't unlock my iPhone 3G for me, right? And even if they did, how would they? Would I have to send my iPhone 3G back to the US?
--
I r a lolcat. |
|
NY Tel
Premium
join:2004-04-09
Smithtown, NY
1 edit | reply to illJazz
Just dial 611 from the phone (free call) and ask AT&T.
It makes no sense to tell you that you can suspend your service but continue to pay the bills.
What part of "stupid" does not apply to that AT&T salesperson....lol |
|
illJazz
Premium
join:2002-09-04
switzerland
| said by NY Tel  :Just dial 611 from the phone (free call) and ask AT&T. It makes no sense to tell you that you can suspend your service but continue to pay the bills. What part of "stupid" does not apply to that AT&T salesperson....lol Well, of course they'll let me suspend service. That's not the issue. I'll pay the cancellation fee and that will be that. The question is... what the heck do I do with my iPhone 3G that's locked to AT&T? I can definitely get it unlocked (»www.iphoneservices.ch/index.php?···vice_new or »www.i-lock.info/index.html) but will have to pay about $80 to do it AND will have to be very careful each time Apple drops an iPhone software update. The iPhone Services guys apparently already have a working iPhone 2.2 unlock.. the i-Lock guys don't just yet, but will soon.
I'd rather have a non-jailbroken/unlocked phone as I've never been into the whole Installer/Cydida world. I'm quite happy with the App Store and its offerings, and I'd like to be able to install software updates on the phone without worrying whether it will stop working..
What this boils down to is... will AT&T unlock the phone for me? Somehow I doubt it.
I'll give them a call and see what they say. If not, I suppose I'll have to get my THIRD iPhone (second iPhone 3G but third overall because I also have an iPhone 2G) with my local provider, Swisscom. |
|
pepe3738342
@comcast.net
| Maybe we are arguing over semantics, but suspending service is not the same as canceling service, which is what incurs the ETF.
Unfortunately, ATT still won't provide subsidy unlock codes for their 3G iPhones. [ Why would they give away the cow when they can sell so much milk?  ] Will Swisscom sell you an unlocked iPhone like you can get in some other parts of the world? Since you like it so much, paying such a premium might be ideal so you can always get the updates w/o messing with the functionality. |
|
illJazz
Premium
join:2002-09-04
switzerland
| said by pepe3738342 :Maybe we are arguing over semantics, but suspending service is not the same as canceling service, which is what incurs the ETF. Unfortunately, ATT still won't provide subsidy unlock codes for their 3G iPhones. [ Why would they give away the cow when they can sell so much milk? ] Will Swisscom sell you an unlocked iPhone like you can get in some other parts of the world? Since you like it so much, paying such a premium might be ideal so you can always get the updates w/o messing with the functionality. I suppose that's what'll end up happening. I'll have to figure out what the hell to do with the current, ATT-locked iPhone 3G.
Swisscom does sell them with their plans, and they even have a special plan for people under 26. It's 39 Swiss Francs a month with 250MB data included. The 16GB iPhone 3G is 299 Swiss Francs. Not bad--but the 299 suck when I *already have* an iPhone 3G.
I haven't called them yet but will do it later today. |
|
pepe319431943
@northwestern.edu
| Just sell it. Ebay, craigslist, etc. It's a no brainer since folks want the phone but are not eligible for upgrade, etc. Some folks even want to use it w/ T-Mo regardless of the fact that it is not compatible with the frequency bands T-Mo uses for 3G in the U.S. |
|
