Contributor
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3 Messages
iPhone 4S for just calls and SMS on Prepaid, Possible?
Hello everyone.
I've been combing through your forums for a solution to my problem and I've yet to really see anything definitive. So I'm just going to post and hope that you guys can help me out. 🙂
I've been a user of GoPhone since '09, stuck with the same plan ($1 daily charge, 10c/min, 25c/sms). My trusty LG Neon met its demise the other day when it fell out of my jacket pocket and slipped down a very loooooong flight of stairs. Cracked screen and the ear speaker no longer works (but thats always been a problem with my Neon to begin with...). But yea. My sister recentely changed carriers and handed me down her old iPhone 4S so I didn't have to go buy a new phone. She told me that I could get my existing simcard transffered over to a microsim, pop it in and its ready to go.
Thing is, I'm reading on the forums and everyone says that iPhone on GoPhone isn't supported. But in those threads, everyone is wanting to know how to get data to work in correlation with a GoPhone unlimited/how to unlock/how to do this or that/. I don't want nor plan to ever use data on 3G/4G/whatever-it-may-be that is NOT wi-fi. The only things I want my iPhone to do outside a wi-fi network is to make/receives phonecalls and SMS. If I have to use data, I have wifi mostly available to me.
Is it still possible for me to use this iPhone for just that?? I don't even know if I can afford a plan change and a data rate just so I can use this handmedown iPhone for phonecalls/sms.. I'm a pretty poor college student as is and need the money for my next top-up.
So a little insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
dwill05
ACE - Master
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10.4K Messages
12 years ago
The iPhone requires a data plan, whether or not you ever plan to use network data or not. If you try to use an iPhone on AT&T's network and they detect it, they can and will add a data plan for you, whether you want one or not.
The iPhone is not supported on a Gophone prepaid plan. AT&T only supports postpaid plans. People have managed to get it working using outside methods, but it is not officially supported and you won't get any help from AT&T.
To be honest, if you just want a phone to make phone calls and SMS, then maybe you don't really need an iPhone.
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JKnight22
Contributor
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3 Messages
12 years ago
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brainwaver
Guru
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402 Messages
12 years ago
I thought dwill did a good job of answering your questions! In the future, if you want help it's best not to chide the person taking their time to respond to your post.
Since you can not afford a data plan then your only options are to purchase another Gophone or, if your sister will allow you to, sell the iPhone 4S and purchase a new (no contract) non-smartphone. You should be able to get quite a bit of money for the 4S. Just remember if you do purchase a new phone that ALL smartphones require a data plan.
Good luck!
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stufried
Guru
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1.1K Messages
12 years ago
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johninsj
Professor
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3.1K Messages
12 years ago
iPhone on GoPhone isn't supported. Exactly as you yourself discovered. That means you won't find any help here, at the AT&T hosted user discussion forums, on how to get around that unsupported configuration. Perhaps trying some other forums would be more fruitful.
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youngjm
Master
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7.1K Messages
12 years ago
You got a great answer to a question that has been discussed here many times before with the same answer. Sorry you do not like it and want to focus on one compnent of your original question that may make your case special but it is not. You can always try to use it but do not be suprised if it works for some period of time but then does not in the future.
What may work technically does not mean that ATT will support it based on everything they publish about the use of iPhones on their network.
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dwill05
ACE - Master
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10.4K Messages
12 years ago
The title of your thread was "iPhone 4S for just calls and SMS on Prepaid, Possible?". I took that to mean that you wanted to 1) use an iPhone without a data plan, and 2) wanted to use an iPhone with a prepaid GoPhone SIM. Plus, you said "Possible?", which implied you were asking about any options to be able to do what you are asking. .What did I miss?
My point was that you couldn't do either and that if you wanted both of these things maybe some other phone would be better for your purpose.
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Kerry78
Scholar
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390 Messages
12 years ago
Why don't you contact AT&T and see if they can
Help u with a tariff that can be tailored for your purposes 🙂
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JKnight22
Contributor
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3 Messages
12 years ago
Oh geez. You guys took my reply all wrong!
I was simply just looking for an answer and dwill05 answered to a tee. There was no bad water to be had here with it and I see that the train of "lovely" responses that have garnered here has put a negative light on my topic. So apoligies if my reply seemed not what I had intended it to be. It was all I wanted to know and it was answered. So again, thanks dwill05 (and the others). I guess whoevers in charge can close the topic. 🙂
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Garbage_Man
Contributor
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1 Message
12 years ago
So if its not possible, then how am i able to use an iPhone 3G with a GOPhone Sim and use it just for calls and SMS? I would like to think but have not tried that you should be able to do the same thing with the iPhone 4.
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