Nexus 4 unlocked with iPhone 5 unlimited data plan

rkspangler · ‎12-16-2006

I've been an unlimited-data-plan iPhone 5 guy for many years, and have ordered the iPhone 5, but probably will return it upon delivery. For better or worse I live in the Googleverse (and now have Google Apps at work) so I'd like to try the Nexus 4, stock Android when it comes out. I am disappointed with Apple's relative move away from Google compatibility, and I think their Web-based stuff (iCloud) is awful.

I don't think I care about LTE, live where it isn't available, work where it is, but so what? Is it that much better?

I don't use more than 2GB of data per month, so the unlimited thing doesn't matter that much.

What do I do if I get this thing? Do I just switch SIMs? Do I have to modify my plan? Do I even have to notify AT&T? How would this work?

Thanks

redpoint73 · ‎10-01-2007

I agree that if you are a big user of Google products, Android is the place to be.

You can keep your unlimited plan. Not sure if you have to change off the iPhone plan or not. But if so, they should be able to put you on an equivalent non-iPhone unlimited plan.

Also not sure if you can just swap the SIM from your "old" phone (iPhone 4 or 4S?). When you get your Nexus 4, I would just go to an AT&T store and tell them what you want to do. They will get your account setup properly if any changes are needed. And if you need a new SIM, they should just give it to you for free. Also ask them to take the iPhone off your account, or you will continue to get SMS messages on the iPhone, even though there is no SIM in it (due to how iMessage works).

A tiered data plan like 2GB may seem like plenty. But apps are becoming more data hungry, and your behaviour will also probably change over time to use more data, as well. So its to your benefit to cling to the unlimited plan as long as you can.

Whether LTE is "better" or not depends on your own habits and needs. You can easily get 30 to 40 Mbps (possibly even higher) on LTE, where the HSPA+ network (3G as some people call it) on AT&T is limited to under 10 Mbps, often much lower. 3 to 5 Mbps is probably more average. I've gotten 1 Mbps and even slower at my home. Now, if you are just doing things like web browsing, synching email, and using some cloud services, the HSPA+ network is probably just fine. But if you do downloading of big files, lots of video streaming, you may see some benefit to LTE. And as devices become more data hungry, this is only going force more bandwidth.

Another benefit of LTE, which I did not predict, is that the data reception at my house has always been dodgy (resulting in the slow speeds I've mentioned, and occassional - sometimes frequent - dropouts as well). But on the LTE network, its been rock solid with speeds around 30 Mbps. But if your reception is good in the locations you use your phone, this isn't an issue either.

rkspangler · ‎12-16-2006

Thanks, redpoint73 for the thorough and very informative reply. I misspoke in my original post, I do have the 4S currently.

I'm still a little unsure, I think I've been told that if I leave the iPhone at all, I lose the grandfathered unlimited. (But they throttle past 5GB anyway, no?)

Thanks Again...

redpoint73 · ‎10-01-2007

rkspangler wrote:

Thanks, redpoint73 for the thorough and very informative reply. I misspoke in my original post, I do have the 4S currently.

No problem, that's what I figured (that you meant the 4 or 4S). And your welcome!

rkspangler wrote:

I'm still a little unsure, I think I've been told that if I leave the iPhone at all, I lose the grandfathered unlimited. (But they throttle past 5GB anyway, no?)

I'm not positive, but I think I've read other users that jumped from the iPhone to Android, and kept their unlimited plans. But just what I've read either here or other forums, not personal experience. I don't think they can take unlimited data away just because you switch devices. They let you upgrade non-iPhone devices and keep unlimited data, that I'm sure of, and have done.

The throttle limit is actually 5 GB only if you are on LTE. Its 3 GB otherwise. So it comes down to what you prefer, to get throttled if you go over 3GB on an unlimited plan; or get paid overages (or have to switch to a more expensive tiered plan) if you go over the limit on the tiered plan.

21stNow · ‎07-07-2010

Redpoint73, I kept unlimited data as I switched from an iPhone 4 to a Galaxy Note, to a Lumia 900 and back to the Galaxy Note. You can switch devices, platforms or whatever and keep unlimited data (for now).

El Ricky · ‎11-03-2012

Hi Everyone,

I found this thread very helpful. I would like to clarify something which is something the customer service rep. at At&t was not able to answer. If I buy the Nexus 4 from the Google store, will I be able to get the most out of the Nexus 4? I mean will I still be able to get the 4g/Hspa+ capabilities and other functions to get the most out of my Nexus 4 device. The customer service rep. thought that I would be limited because the device is not an AT&T phone.

Thank you.

Ricky

21stNow · ‎07-07-2010

El Ricky wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I found this thread very helpful. I would like to clarify something which is something the customer service rep. at At&t was not able to answer. If I buy the Nexus 4 from the Google store, will I be able to get the most out of the Nexus 4? I mean will I still be able to get the 4g/Hspa+ capabilities and other functions to get the most out of my Nexus 4 device. The customer service rep. thought that I would be limited because the device is not an AT&T phone.

Thank you.

Ricky

Yes, you will get HSPA+ on the Nexus 4. The only thing that you wouldn't get would be LTE data service. Once you put in your SIM card, the Nexus 4 may read the proper APN settings for data and MMS. If it doesn't, you can look up the correct APN settings and enter them yourself.

carlzhuang · ‎05-02-2008

I know this might be too much to ask for, but I currently use an ATT-3G-compatible Nexus One on my ATT/Cingular number, not being recognized as smartphone (meaning using grandfathered $15/mo unlimited data with tethering). (I never go beyond 300MB even now, but I do want to keep the unlimited+tethering capability handy.)

If I swith to unlocked Nexus 4, will I lose all what I have now, and be forced to use sth like $20/mo 200MB no tethering ?

Thanks.

El Ricky · ‎11-03-2012

Thank you

dmapr · ‎02-04-2004

carlzhuang wrote:

I know this might be too much to ask for, but I currently use an ATT-3G-compatible Nexus One on my ATT/Cingular number, not being recognized as smartphone (meaning using grandfathered $15/mo unlimited data with tethering). (I never go beyond 300MB even now, but I do want to keep the unlimited+tethering capability handy.)

If I swith to unlocked Nexus 4, will I lose all what I have now, and be forced to use sth like $20/mo 200MB no tethering ?

Thanks.

It largely depends on two things:

Was your data plan given to you before Smartphone data plans were introiduced? If so, you might be able to keep it.
If not, does AT&T think that what you're using now is not a smartphone.

If AT&T thinks that Nexus One is not a smartphone and decides that you have "switched" to a smartphone, then they may change your data plan.

GunninZombiesDo… · ‎12-13-2012

@carlzhuang:

I know you posted this over a month ago and probably already have a Nexus 4, but to somewhat answer your question, the AT&T page shows my Nexus as a standard flip phone. So you'll probably be ok.

PS- thanks for the idea

carlzhuang · ‎05-02-2008

My started to have data with e71x, when smartphone data wasn't yet introduced.

I switched to N1 and it has never been recognized as smart, so I continued to have the dumb data. btw, I never abused the data (<300MB a month).

It seems if I switch to N4 (or anything not sould by ATT), I might still be treated as having a dumb phone, hence no change to my data plan ?

kella9 · ‎02-01-2013

Hey guys.

Good info in here. As the Nexus 4 just yet again became available through Google, I put mine on order. I'm currently using an iPhone 4. Unlimited data grandfathered since the 3G.

From what I understand, I could just swap the SIM and get phone and data no proble, but I might not get SMS from other iPhone users since it will attempt to come in through iMessage.

So it looks like I need to go to the AT&T store and have them drop my iPhone from their system and make it a regular smartphone.

That about the long and short of it?

dmapr · ‎02-04-2004

kella9 wrote:

Hey guys.

Good info in here. As the Nexus 4 just yet again became available through Google, I put mine on order. I'm currently using an iPhone 4. Unlimited data grandfathered since the 3G.

From what I understand, I could just swap the SIM and get phone and data no proble, but I might not get SMS from other iPhone users since it will attempt to come in through iMessage.

So it looks like I need to go to the AT&T store and have them drop my iPhone from their system and make it a regular smartphone.

That about the long and short of it?

It's probably the most reliable way to make sure other iPhones don't think that they can iMessage you.