How to get a PAYG first generation iPhone
December 23, 2008 2:03 AM Subscribe
I'm interested in buying an OLD iPhone and using it with AT&T's pay as you go service. If I choose the Pay as You Go Unlimited plan, which is 10 cents per minute + 1 dollar per day only on the days I use my phone, should I be able to 1) use a payg sim card with the iphone straight out of the box, and 2) add a text messaging bundle to this?
Also, is it possible to get a payg sim card without having to purchase a phone directly from at&t?
If possible, can someone give me a quick run through of the steps i would take? for example, 1) buy first gen iphone on craigslist; 2) visit at&t store and sign up for payg; 3) add text bundle; 4)?
I am aware that I won't have unlimited data. Is there some setting I can change so that I never connect to the edge network for data?
Is it totally pointless for me to get PAYG with an iphone? My reasoning is that instead of carrying an ipod and a cheap-o PAYG phone, I can combine them. I won't loose any functionality i currently have and the price will be comparable to what i currently pay (hopefully).
If possible, can someone give me a quick run through of the steps i would take? for example, 1) buy first gen iphone on craigslist; 2) visit at&t store and sign up for payg; 3) add text bundle; 4)?
I am aware that I won't have unlimited data. Is there some setting I can change so that I never connect to the edge network for data?
Is it totally pointless for me to get PAYG with an iphone? My reasoning is that instead of carrying an ipod and a cheap-o PAYG phone, I can combine them. I won't loose any functionality i currently have and the price will be comparable to what i currently pay (hopefully).
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1. no problem with buying the phone - keep in mind till recently 1st gen iPhones sold on ebay for higher prices than before the iPhone 3G because the 1st gen ones could be unlocked.
2. also no problem - mostly. Some stores will tell you that you can't have a iPhone on PAYG; so just don't tell them it's for a iPhone.
3. also correct; no issue that I'm aware of.
4. disabling edge: this is where the problem will start. On first gen iPhones with the 1.x software, you can disable edge rather simply - go into settings, general, network, edge, delete whatever is typed in then go back to network and go refresh network settings - but on the 2.0 software it seems that does not work. If you jailbreak the phone you can ssh into it and run a command that will scramble the edge part, or just use the BossPrefs app to turn off edge.
Either way you will need to jailbreak the iPhone. See here and here. Or google around - jailbreaking the 1st gen iPhone is common now.
And that should be it.
posted by rmathew1 at 4:28 AM on December 23, 2008