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Do I have to get the Data Plan in order to get the iPhone 3G? Thanks in advance to anyone that helps

billy5115

Aug 8, 2008, 10:59 PM
Thank you anyone that helps
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Larrys7791

Aug 12, 2008, 8:43 AM
You don't have to have the data plan, you just pay more for the phone. Ask AT & T the cost as I don't recall. 😲
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Deadeye-Jim

Aug 12, 2008, 9:30 PM
yes, it is required.
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chillmagnet

Aug 14, 2008, 9:09 AM
I have a question, Why is the data plan required. The data plan isn't essential for the phone to dial out. Now I know you will need the data plan for e-mail, internet, maybe visual voice mail(I'm not sure). But my point is that a call can be made without it. (unless I'm wrong and the iPhone works differently) If anyone can go into further details as to why that would be greatly appreciated. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, I would just like to know.
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lennydude

Aug 14, 2008, 9:42 AM
Just a guess on my part.........it would be like buying a PC and not having internet access.
The phone is all about its features and ability to install 100's of apps and they most all use the internet.
As a "basic" phone the iphone IMO does not fare well against top of the line others but all other features (which would require a plan) it is the best 🙂
Overall i can not understand why someone would want the Iphone without a plan unless it would be just to have a status symbol? Which by the way is understandable considering what the iphone is 🙂🙂
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chillmagnet

Aug 15, 2008, 11:09 AM
LOL I uderstand. It's just that the phone comes with a built in wireless card, so one has the option to use that instead of the data plan. I'm the type of person that doen't like to be forced into one thing when there are other options. But all in all most likely when I get the phone I will get a data plan. Those pay per use/overage charges can be a bitch. Thanks for replying, if anyone else has more to add feel free. I would like to know/hear more about this subject. 😎
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Phone_Revenger

Aug 14, 2008, 12:39 PM
Money, pure and simple.

The phone can work without internet access (just like the iPod Touch), they know they can get away with charging extra for the phone.
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Deadeye-Jim

Aug 17, 2008, 6:57 PM
Ok, the data plan is contractually required with an iPhone activation. Apple and AT&T do not allow it to be removed.

It would be a bad idea to remove the data plan in any case, since the iPhone regularly connects to the internet via EDGE or 3G in order to do God-Knows-What, even if you're not using data services that auto-update. This would result in data charges if you took the plan off.
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stephen5688

Aug 22, 2008, 4:28 PM
Wrong but it can be removed, I had it removed
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Phone_Revenger

Aug 27, 2008, 3:04 PM
really? please explain yourself
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aaguirre67

Aug 27, 2008, 5:41 PM
Just go into any store and ask for the feature to be removed(or even have the internet block).. I wouldn't recommend removing it though, iTunes connects to the internet when you load it up(because of the itunes store). If you do remove it you're looking at pay-per-use charges when you lisent to your music. If you do block the internet, beware because you'll get error codes when you try to access your music, applications, even sms(found only one case)

Someone mentioned it before and i'm going to restate it because i find it important... Why would you want the iPhone without the data features? It's like buying a Ferrari just for the shell and putting a Geo engine in it.... it makes no sense. If you want to impress someone just go to ebay an...
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Deadeye-Jim

Aug 28, 2008, 8:11 PM
no, i'm not wrong, it IS required. just because you got an idiot to remove it for you doesn't mean it was allowed. any employee that gets caught doing something that stupid gets fired, immediately.
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Deadeye-Jim

Aug 28, 2008, 8:14 PM
*cough* that response is @ stephen there.
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stephen5688

Aug 29, 2008, 3:49 PM
not true buddy, lets say you loose your iphone or it gets broken and you dont have 400 or 500 dollars to replace it, so you go to ebay or even better you still have you old moto V400 😉
so you call up ATT and tell them that you wont the iphone package removed cause you dont have it anymore and you are using and old phone, they will say ok but we need the IMEI number off the phone that you are using now to remove the iphone package, give them the number, make sure you do have the sim in the old phone and that the phone does work, and they may or may not make a test call to it but either way they will and have to remove the iphone package, them hang up put the sim back in the iphne and there you go, just remember that you will not have ...
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lovelydaria

Sep 1, 2008, 10:37 AM
Ok, so maybe this will help. I actually work for at&t. Here's the deal. at&t has a contract with Apple. We do ABSOLUTELY require a data plan to be on an iPhone you cannot activate an iPhone without one (I have an iPhone myself) the reason is this: iPhone's are always streaming data, non-stop, as someone put it before it's like having your PC hooked up to internet, the connection doesn't stop. Where a regular phone, for instance my Blackjack II I had previously may use 50-60MB of data with regular use a month, my iPhone used 100MB of data in only 3 days of use. Do you know how much that is in pay-per-use terms? Let me tell you.... 100MB @ 1024kb per MB would be 102,400kb at&t has a data pay-per-use rate of $0.01 per kb... so that makes a tota...
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lovelydaria

Sep 1, 2008, 10:39 AM
BTW - If you want to do that. Why don't you just buy a regular phone and get an iPod Touch.
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deltasigmatheta

Nov 10, 2008, 12:34 PM
Do I also have to change my current rate plan...I have had the same one since the company changed from Cingular.
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SunYam

Aug 30, 2008, 9:06 PM
To me it would be silly to go out and buy a phone like the iPhone and not have a data plan. If you or whoever doesn't want a data plan then why not stick to a plain mobile phone?
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klee0032

Aug 15, 2008, 3:04 PM
YES YOU HAVE TO GET A DATA PLAN. IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR NEW PRICE PLAN FOR THE I PHONE 3G. IT'S TEN OR TWENTY DOLLARS MORE A MONTH MORE THEN REGULAR PLANS.
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Phone_Revenger

Aug 15, 2008, 10:00 PM
$20 FOR 1ST IPHONE WITH 200 TEXT
$30 FOR 2ND IPHONE, NO TEXT INCLUDED
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ariveradse

Aug 16, 2008, 1:59 PM
according to at&t policy you must have the iphone data plan there is no way around it unless you just stick your sim card in the phone how ever the phone some times requires you to still activate it through itunes and itunes will add the data plan to your account and you cannot remove it for as long as you have your iphone according to at&t the reason behind making you have the data plan is because the iphone is a data intensive device and uses three times more data than your average phone. i know it sucks that the data plan is $30 but thats how much it costs to have a pda plan and the iphone uses just as much data as a pda if not more.
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chillmagnet

Aug 18, 2008, 11:54 AM
thanks to all of you for your replies, Does anyone know what is constantly running in the background that would cause the phone to access the data network??? The updates should be OTA or by USB connection. Any other ideas besides the updates.
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dequardo

Aug 22, 2008, 9:56 AM
It's NOT. What makes you think otherwise?
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chillmagnet

Aug 22, 2008, 2:38 PM
Well tell ATT that it's not required, b/c they make u add that to ur plan, if not I believe they charge extra. I'm still trying to figure out y is it required?
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dequardo

Aug 22, 2008, 2:41 PM
Please read my response to the thread reply in question.
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chillmagnet

Aug 22, 2008, 2:47 PM
Did you have any other responses besides
"It's not! What makes you think other wise?" b/c I didn't see any other ones.
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dequardo

Aug 22, 2008, 2:51 PM
Sigh 🙄 PLEASE read the replies in order, and in context.
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chillmagnet

Aug 22, 2008, 3:04 PM
-For starters to answer ur questuion of "what's makes us think other wise" is the fact that ATT requires it.
-Ok I went through the replies, I've only seen u reply 3 times, if there's more than that I'm having a slow moment today. Other wise ur (3)replies didn't answer the question. I've read everyone elses replies and no one has given an answer that suggest other wise(to the proposed question of y is the data plan required) except by just sticking ur sim card into an iPhone. Which in that case when you connect it to iTunes, it will get added from there. I'm really trying to understand what you are saying but you are not helping. So if you have an answer that you would like to share please point me in the right direction instead of "sighin...
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dequardo

Aug 22, 2008, 3:16 PM
AAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Here is the 'picture' you seem to need:

ORIGINAL QUESTION POSED:

thanks to all of you for your replies, Does anyone know what is constantly running in the background that would cause the phone to access the data network??? The updates should be OTA or by USB connection. Any other ideas besides the updates.

MY REPLY (which you fail to fathom)

It's NOT. What makes you think otherwise?
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chillmagnet

Aug 22, 2008, 3:30 PM
Thanks, all of this could have been avoided. Ur response could have been to another question, thats what I was trying to figure out. Thanks again for your help........ Now to move the discussion along, I'm trying to figure out y the data plan is necessary. If noting is running in the background that would cause the phone to constantly access the data network, then what else could be the cause of the data plan being required?
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dequardo

Aug 22, 2008, 3:34 PM
You are over (under?) thinking this. It's necessary because the Apple/ATT agreement you agree to SAYS it is. Doesn't matter if you NEVER use any data. It's $30 a month. ATT is charging this because they are now subsidizing the cost of the phone.

Same reason you now pay separately for texting. ATT recouping revenue.

This is simple.
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ariveradse

Aug 23, 2008, 8:45 AM
no att requires it because when people access medianet or use visual voice mail and it access the inter customers dont call in to the call centers and complain about having such a high bill.
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Phone_Revenger

Sep 1, 2008, 3:16 AM
visual voicemail doesn't require internet, it's just a sound file that's sent to your phone via the network (like a text message)

And yeah for u need internet to access medianet (no duh), but he means if he's not gonna use why pay for it.

iPhone does NOT require a data plan for it to function, Att/Apple does. iPhone works no different than iPod Touch on how it gets things done, via data connection or wifi.

Otherwise every PDA in the market would require it, so why just the iPhone? what's so different? honestly it doesn't work any different once u go down to specs and everything, ATT/Apple knows that people will buy it no matter how much the cost, and they've proved it at launch.
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ariveradse

Sep 1, 2008, 3:07 PM
not to start an arguement but yes visual voicemail does use data it uses the same principles as the visual voicemail used in verizon and lg products. and sound files are transfered using mms principles which the iphone doesn't do.
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ariveradse

Aug 23, 2008, 8:40 AM
weather, email, and visual voicemail all use data on the iphone and it stays connected constantly thats why it requires the internet.
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Jrockemsockem

Aug 25, 2008, 11:48 AM
Any way to get away with having the basic $15 unlim medianet on the iphone???
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Fredd

Aug 27, 2008, 2:54 PM
No. If you have an iPhone, you MUST have an iPhone data plan. Personal data plan is $30/month. If you do NOT want the iPhone data plan, your option is to get a different phone.
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