I want an iPhone, but not AT&T

September 26, 2009 9:18 PM

What's the best way to turn an iPod touch into an iPhone?

I feel like there should be some way to use/hack together a method of utilizing a wireless cellular adapter to get cell reception and then use Skype for making calls. Any thoughts on the best way to do this? I could just try to find a coffee shop whenever I need to make a call, but that's not really convenient, is it? I'm sure someone's thought of this before, right?

posted by jasondbarr to technology (27 answers total)

I'm thinking I could power the wireless cell adapter off of the iPod itself somehow? Maybe a iPod connector to female USB connector? Something like that.
posted by jasondbarr at 9:21 PM on September 26, 2009

I want an iPhone, but not AT&T … a method of utilizing a wireless cellular adapter to get cell reception and then use Skype

I think it'd be a whole lot more practical to buy the iPod Touch that has an internal cellular radio: the iPhone. You could jailbreak it and use another carrier.
posted by floam at 9:28 PM on September 26, 2009

What do you mean by wireless cellular adapter? Are you referring to a mobile broadband USB adapter like Verizon or Sprint sells that would normally plug into a laptop? Those require software and driver installation to work. This seems incredibly unlikely in your scenario.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:28 PM on September 26, 2009

s/jailbreak/unlock/ I actually meant. You can actually get iPhones which have been unlocked through various means but are running a vanilla OS.
posted by floam at 9:29 PM on September 26, 2009 [2 favorites]

Unless you can somehow reprogram the Touch to accept USB devices, write custom driver files, and can port the connection manager software of the mobile broadband device to work with the Touch's OS, this won't happen.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:30 PM on September 26, 2009

Burhanistan: I think that's what he means. Assuming he's a programmer, and is very familiar with these fields, I don't see it as entirely out of the realm of plausibility. But even once you succeed, you still have a gigantic inconvenient mess. Probably, if you were truly serious about undertaking this, the better idea would be to look at implementing support for tethering other devices' internet connection over BT (yes, the Touch has BlueTooth). This would at least let you have an unencumbered iPod Touch in a pocket without ridiculous shit taped to it.
posted by floam at 9:31 PM on September 26, 2009

Sure, there's probably a way to do this. But not more cheaply than selling the Touch and buying an iPhone. A couple of hours on eBay and you're done!
posted by rokusan at 9:34 PM on September 26, 2009

I don't think the OP is a programmer...
posted by Burhanistan at 9:35 PM on September 26, 2009

This is easy. Get a MiFi data card from Verizon or Sprint. I use that all the time with my iPod Touch and other devices. I don't use Skype on the iPod Touch, but I believe it's available.

Of course, you will have to purchase a data plan, so you might just take the path of least resistance and get an iPhone.
posted by me & my monkey at 9:37 PM on September 26, 2009

The MiFi is certainly an easy solution. Expensive, unless you can keep it under 250 MB a month, though.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:44 PM on September 26, 2009

Burhanistan: I think that's what he means. Assuming he's a programmer, and is very familiar with these fields, I don't see it as entirely out of the realm of plausibility.

...assuming all that, he'd be making a post to the blue explaining how all of this is done, not a post to AskMe asking how to do it.
posted by toomuchpete at 9:47 PM on September 26, 2009

Don't forget: the ipod touch doesn't have a microphone, so you'll definitely need one of those. I think several companies are making makeshift ones for your needs, including this one, mentioned in a lifehacker thread "Turn Your Ipod Touch into and Iphone."
posted by sharkfu at 9:51 PM on September 26, 2009 [1 favorite]

The microphone. That may be previous generations of ipod touch. I haven't really kept up with the newest generation. And I just realized they may have allowed handsfree handsets with the touch, which I don't think they did previously. So probably disregard my whole post.
posted by sharkfu at 9:54 PM on September 26, 2009

So, as a programmer, here's what I see for options:

1) Use one of the EVDO-to-wifi adapters, and carry it with you at all times. The problem I'm seeing there is that the MiFi only has five hours of active wifi time... if you're using the Touch to surf the web and what not over the MiFi, that's pretty terrible battery life.

2) Jailbreak the Touch and then communicate over the sync/headset port with one of these. This would be quite an impressive feat. If I worked on it fulltime, I still think it'd take me a year or more--given the amount of reverse engineering to be done--and I've worked with that chip before. That said, it wouldn't really add much in the way of bulk; certainly no bigger than the MiFi, although they'd be physically attached instead of discrete devices. Also, this approach would only add satisfactory voice calls, and not internet, as the Telit only does GPRS data (9600bps or something like that).

Both of these options require a cellphone plan. The MiFi plan is apparently going to be $60/mo for 5GB; a bog-standard GSM+GPRS plan is $20/mo, or PAYG.

3) Move to and find work in Center City Philadelphia, which has wifi throughout. There are other places this would work.
posted by Netzapper at 10:01 PM on September 26, 2009

Not on preview: The microphone. That may be previous generations of ipod touch. I haven't really kept up with the newest generation. And I just realized they may have allowed handsfree handsets with the touch, which I don't think they did previously. So probably disregard my whole post.

Uh, yeah... duh. You're absolutely right.

There's no microphone. That kills both of my ideas dead.
posted by Netzapper at 10:03 PM on September 26, 2009

You can buy external mics for the iPod Touch.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:53 PM on September 26, 2009

The ipod touch has wifi right? Just get One of these and you should be good to go.

Except for the lack of a microphone, of course.
posted by delmoi at 10:58 PM on September 26, 2009

With an S60 phone with wifi (mine's a Nokia N95 8gb) you can get an app (JoikuSpot) to share the CDMA (?) net connection over the wifi.... Of course, if you've got an N95, there's not much point using the iThingy...
posted by pompomtom at 3:36 AM on September 27, 2009

Don't the new Touch's have a mic these days?
posted by mediocre at 6:56 AM on September 27, 2009

New iTouches have mics yes. I also use my first gen iTouch as a Skype phone, however, with no problem as long as I have a solid wireless connection, using an external MacAlly mic. Works just fine for audio.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:00 AM on September 27, 2009

I have a Touch.. I have a set of earbuds with a mic built in, I have the skype program on the touch... I can make calls whenever I'm near a wireless network...

memail me for details if this interests you...
posted by HuronBob at 7:01 AM on September 27, 2009

1. Buy Unlocked iPhone on eBay
2. Insert T-Mobile SIM card
3. Make calls.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:06 AM on September 27, 2009

How much bandwidth does Skype require? My apartment building has free WiFi, but it is slow at best.. I am wondering if it would be advantageous of me to get a new model Touch with my fancy new college financial aid money (thanks, taxpayers!) mic and speaker and use it as a phone..
posted by mediocre at 7:19 AM on September 27, 2009

> New iTouches have mics yes.

According to the Wikipedia page for the iPod Touch, the third generations have "bundled earphones with a remote and microphone". My guess is this is the same as the earphones and mic I bought separately for my 2G one. So they still don't have built-in mics as I understand it. I couldn't see why that wasn't the feature everyone wanted or expected to see in the newest one, instead of a crappy camera.
posted by galaksit at 10:27 AM on September 27, 2009

per blue beetle:

1)sell ipod
2)buy unlocked iphone
3)buy sim card
4)make calls without a lot of extraneous crap hanging off your iphone. (Cell adapter, etc) Isnt the point of buying sick, beautiful expensive hardware to keep it beautiful? That's like painting a diamond red because you wanted the functionality of a ruby instead. Is there another device you could simply buy on open market that would have the functionality you are looking for?
posted by wuzandfuzz at 11:01 AM on September 27, 2009 [1 favorite]

Thanks for all the input, folks. I would have thought it was obvious, but, yeah... I'm definitely not a programmer. The Mifi idea is interesting. And yes, you can get integrated mic/headphone sets from apple for $30. Not the greatest sound, but sufficient for the occaisional Skype call.
posted by jasondbarr at 8:51 AM on September 28, 2009

You've pretty much found the only route for doing this already, then -- you're going to need a WiFi connection, an iPod touch that supports a microphone (which would be the second or third generation -- the first does not support a microphone), and an IP telephony application like Skype.

You might look into a WiFi provider that has decent coverage across areas you'll be in, but you'll still be limited to making and receiving calls while in wireless network range, and you'll have to have existing access to that network.

There are currently no external devices that interface with an iPod that provide anything other than microphone capability that will be relevant to this question.
posted by mikeh at 11:14 AM on September 28, 2009