Pre-Paid Data Plan on an Unlocked iPhone not possible in America
It took a good 10 hours in stores and on the phone with different support technicians to get it all sorted out. But I do finally have a data plan on my unlocked iPhone (completely legal from Thailand). It’s not the way I wanted it, and I’m completely frustrated but I’ll hit NECC with a fully functional phone and that was the goal. 
So here’s the break down of what I learned. If any of this information is wrong I would appreciate someone correcting it for me. As I was told different things from different people at different wireless stores across the state of Washington.
There is no way to use a SIM Unlocked iPhone on Verizon. Verizon uses a different signal (CDMA) then what the iPhone is made for (GSM). Think of it as an AM and FM radio. Verizon is an AM radio signal and the iPhone can only pick up a FM signal. Because of this, and until / or if Apple ever creates a CDMA iPhone, you can not use it on the Verizon network.
I was a T-mobile pre-paid customer since 2006. I never had any issues with their service and appreciated that I could buy enough pre-paid minutes to push the expiration date out a full year (can do the same with AT&T pre-paid). Meaning I could come back in the summer and use the same phone number. I had the same phone number for four years….until now.
T-mobile doesn’t have any data plans on their pre-paid accounts. If a data plan is not important to you on your iPhone while you’re in the States, then I would recommend T-mobiles service. You could still use the WiFi and make calls. But for me, I want my iPhone to do what it does best….keep you connected everywhere.
AT&T:
In steps AT&T. I’ll spare all the drama of actually being on three different plans, countless hours talking with people who didn’t understand their own system, their own options, and the iPhone…which they are suppose to support.
Although AT&T does allow a data plan on a pre-paid account. The data plan that they allow will not work with the iPhone. Why? Don’t ask me! This was the frustration as I was told by three different AT&T customer service representatives that the data plan on a pre-paid account would work with the iPhone. It wasn’t until three days into the saga of not having a phone that worked that I finally found a AT&T person who knew what they were talking about and took the time to get me all set up.
So what I ended up with:
So that brings me to where I ended up. It’s by far not what I wanted but it will have to do for this summer. AT&T put me on a Individual Cell Phone Plan without a contract which is good. It is a post paid plan which I didn’t want as the bill will come after I’m back in Thailand. It also will not allow me to keep my phone number from year to year. So when I cancel my account on August 1st when I leave the country my phone numbe will leave with it.
Hard to swallow:
It’s been a frustrating first couple of weeks back in the States for the summer. I know there are a lot of other people that live overseas that have unlocked iPhones and want to be able to use them in the States while they are here. There just isn’t a cell company that is willing to open up their network to allow short timers in the country to use their network. What’s hard for me to swallow is that last year I went to Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Bangkok, and Shanghai and was able to buy a SIM card for anywhere between $5-15 and use both voice and data while in the country. It’s not like I’m looking for something that doesn’t exist. It just doesn’t exist in America. What happens if I come back for say 1 week? What do I do? In Bangkok you can walk into any 7-11 and buy a SIM card and be up and running in 10 minutes.
Frustrated and tired at least I’ll have cell service and 3G for this summer. It comes at a cost to both my pocket book and vacation time spent in stores and on hold. Then again that’s the reason for the blog post. Hopefully I can save someone else the trouble.
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what about this:
http://www.cellfanatic.com/2008/01/25/iphone-gophone-prepaid-service-unlimited-text-internet-200-minutes
Yeah, if you look at the info there the OS was 1.1.4. They have not supported data via pre-paid since OS 2.0. Or since the 3G came out. Very frustrating!
Unlimited data is possible. It’s just that it has never been available before. iphone is in the near future, but as of right now an unlocked windows based phone will work with Global Verge.
Alternate website: http://www.pickglobalverge.com
Questions?
Call Richard Prete at 1-201-483-7016
It is also impossible to use in China. Many unblocked iphone are using in China.
Unlocked iPhones work fine in China. You can even use their Edge network on a pre-paid sim.
hi there..
just wondering if you can tell me more about prepaid data plan for china carriers as I´m planning to go there for holidays in the near future (Hong Kong, shanghai and Beijing)
thanks!!
i run into the same issues traveling and wonder why the US phone service is so crappy.
you can buy a tmobile prepaid card in germany, and they text you the settings so that you can check email etc with NO problem in a matter of minutes.
tmobile in the US is retarded and want you to sign up for something for two years. i WONT BE HERE in two years. they apparently just dont make enough money to bother. what they dont realize is that they then miss all the money they would make by offering this service to tourists or people just here for a few months. obviously the technology is readily available within their own company…
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@betchaboy talk to @jutecht He just went through that http://bit.ly/19Jruh
I got an iPod touch a couple of days ago but I think I had better bought an iPhone
This sucks, not only for short timers, but also for us who don’t use that many minutes. I finally got the pre-paid T-Mobile plan for my iPhone, and for $100 I can call for a year, but even if I wanted to add a data plan ($9.99 unlimited web), they simply won’t let me. Grr
@realkarl did you see http://tr.im/rbWB yet?
i’ve been reading around and maybe you can help me: i’m moving to Thailand in September. i have a legitimate American iPhone with AT&T. if i canceled my service here and took the phone to Thailand, could i get a sim card in Thailand to work with it?
Bethany,
No you will not be able to use your US iPhone in Thailand. US iPhones are “Tied” (Meaning they only work with one carrier) to AT&T in the states and will not work with any other carrier around the world.
There are two ways around this…one’s the cheap way the other the more expensive way.
You can run a program on your phone that will “untie” it from AT&T. I would not suggest doing this yourself, but you can get it down in Thailand. This is illigal and you will void your Apple warranty and it will not work with AT&T anymore if you go back to the states.
The expensive way is to do what I did and buy a SIM Unlocked iPhone (Meaning it’s not tied to any carrier) this way you can go to different countries around the world, drop in a SIM Card and have phone service. A SIM Unlocked iPhone cost about $800 in Thailand. But you own the phone and are not tied to a plan. I spend about $40 a month for unlimited data, unlimited text, and unlimited calls. If you don’t need the data you have a hard time spending $20/month. So even though the iPhone cost more it’s actually cheaper then a two year contract in the states.
Hope this helps!
that’s very helpful. thanks a lot!
Jeff,
It is good information. So, if I get an Iphone 3GS and somehow get it unlocked, then I could use the pre-paid card from AT&T?
Your confirmation is really appreciated.
Factually incorrect. This will not void your warranty. iPhones are flashdrives that run firmware or operating systems. If you have problems or have unlocked and jailbroken your phone. If you ever need to claim your warranty simply RESTORE your phone and it will go back to factory settings. APPLE has no way to know it was jailbroken making YOUR WARRANTY perfectly FINE
Will I be able to use the phone with data back in the states on AT and T if I purchase an unlocked IPhone in Thailand ?
If you are on tmobile prepaid, when you are going to be using the iphone’s data services, switch to the Sidekick plan. For $1/day, you get unlimited data and text. Voice minutes are 15 cents a minute so use it sparingly but once you’re no longer using the iphone’s data or are not in the US, switch back to the regular 10 cents a minute prepaid plan.
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/11/t-mobile-stops-offering-prepaid-sidekick-data-service-to-iphone
It no work like that no more.
@bjeanes doesn’t look good: http://bit.ly/19Jruh
#paininthearse
Just Shared: Pre-Paid Data Plan on an Unlocked iPhone not possible in America http://bit.ly/OxLhU
Hi Jeff,
I read this post with great interest. Before I left Hanoi, I had considered buying an iPhone in Bangkok or Hong Kong (two places I was visiting on my way out of Asia) to use when I got back to N. America. My reasoning was that although I knew it would be more expensive, I didn’t want to be locked-in to any kind of plan once I got back on this side of the planet. I am so opposed to the way cellular companies run their services in Canada and the USA it makes my blood boil. After doing a heap of research, I decided against buying an Asian iPhone simply because it was SO difficult to find any information as to whether or not I would be able to get any “proper” service for it on networks in the States. No one in my Twitter network seemed to know, and message board after message board were filled with hundreds of people asking the same questions I was, with few solid answers.
Your post confirms my suspicions! And it’s maddening! It reminds me a bit of this post by David Warlick, where he discusses the evolution of technology, and it makes me wonder: why hasn’t the US and Canada evolved to be as mobile-tech friendly as the rest of the world? And why don’t American consumers demand it?
My parents, who recently returned to the USA after having lived in Azerbaijan for several years, voice similar frustrations about the lack of freedom and ability on their cell phones in the US compared to what they could do with their phones in Azerbaijan! Hard to believe which one is the developED country when you’re just looking at mobile tech sometimes…
I hear you brutha!
It all comes down to regulation and monopolies. I live half of the year in Australia and the other half in Canada. It is frustrating how in Canada, Rogers owns everything and you are not allowed to do anything. You cannot even get Ringtones or wallpapers in your phone if you don’t buy them from them. Australis is just as the other forward thinking countries. You can get a SIM card everywhere, even the grocery store, put it in your phone and off you go, and then just buy more prepaid time in the same manner. I was shocked when I arrived in Canada, how they screw you big time. BUt when you have a Monoply, controlling TV, communications (both land line and mobile), internet and God knows what else,you betcha the costumer will always be screwed. and don’t even get me started with the Canadian banks, (just five) that charge customers throught their noses and provide crappy service.
all because nanny states and big companies work together to ‘protect’ the consumer.
End of Rant
http://bit.ly/537Eo – fml
Jeff, I would just like to clarify that an unlocked iPhone will work with prepaid T-Mobile minutes. So this means that I would be able to use an unlocked iPhone as a glorified iPod Touch (GPS, Mic, Camera, Wifi Internet access, etc.) and still make calls (at T-Mobile’s prepaid rates)?
Thus I should be able to make cheap wifi calls through Skype, and text for free through Google Voice – and simply use my minutes in emergencies and the rare instances where I need to make a call and don’t have wifi access… is this correct?
So, to do this, I guess I would enable “airplane mode” to stop all attempts to connect to a cell network; and then turn the wifi back on, right?
I may be completely off with this whole line of thought; but if I am on to something, let me know! The iPod Touch interests me a great deal, but if I could use the latest iPhone as a glorified iPod Touch (with prepaid cell capabilities), then that is just awesome! Less devices in my pockets (with more functionality)!
Simon,
Your line of thinking is right. If you just want a glorified iPod Touch you can just just what you’re talking about with a Pre-paid T-Mobile SIM. If you know you’ll be spending most of your time in free WiFi areas not a bad approach.
Could you please confirm: Will an official unlocked IPhone 3gs that is bought from Australia work with At&t data plan?
Yes, an official unlocked iPhone 3GS will work on AT&Ts data plan. You will have to sign up for a post paid plan with the $19.99 (or so it was this last summer) unlimited data plan. Double check when you go into the store, but this is what I used this summer with an 3G Unlocked phone.
Good Luck!
So is there a way to get data with the iphone on a prepaid plan?..email me back asap please..hnic857@yahoo.com
I bought an unlocked iphone in italy, worked al great in Europe, you buy in the countries yoy visit for about 15 euros a sim carf with voice and data (50mgb a day). Coming back to good old advanced USA……no we do it different here, still need contract with att and t mobile crap reception with prepaid card and no data per month possible, only contract. Generally aal this sucks, you shoul be able to buy contract free services, Anybody out there with the solution?
AT&T should allow you to sign up for a post-paid plan without a contract. That’s what I did this summer. It’s expensive to sign up for, but you are not under a contract and can end it at any time.
And the big question is? How much did u pay Per. Month for the service, data plan included. Just to have an idea and to see if its worth the expense.
Thanks
I paid $77/month with unlimited data and 200SMS
Hi Jeff,
Firstly thanks for all of this info, it is a godsend. I am living in Myanmar and looking to get an unlocked Australian iPhone from Apple much the way Sam described above.
You said that the data post-paid was $77/mo – did that include voice and if so, how many minutes?
Finally, explain what happens if you get an AT&T iPhone and go on their 2 year plan – what happens to the iPhone AFTER the 2 year contract – do they unlock it for you then?
@justpado 미국에서 언락된 아이폰에 DATA PLAN 지원되는Prepaid SIM 찾기가 거의 불가능하다고 들었어요. 이를 문제시 삼는 글도 상당수고.. http://bit.ly/7YrFa 혹 방법을 발견하면 알려주시면 감사. ^^
This article sums up the US market very nicely: http://bit.ly/1GBm5x
RT @atl This article sums up the US market very nicely: http://bit.ly/1GBm5x
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the advice. I’ve been on the fence regarding a purchase of an iPhone in the UAE until reading this.
You don’t have to change the phone number you give out each summer. Just use Google Voice and attach your new AT&T mobile account to it each summer.
Bill
That’s my plan now. When I wrote this article Google Voice wasn’t out yet. But I’ve already got my GVoice number and can’t wait to use it when I get back to the states this summer.
Hi Jeff,
Firstly thanks for all of this info, it is a godsend. I am living in Myanmar, moving to the US very soon. I am looking to get an unlocked Australian iPhone from Apple much the way Sam described above.
You said that the data post-paid was $77/mo – did that include voice and if so, how many minutes?
Finally, explain what happens if you get an AT&T iPhone and go on their 2 year plan – what happens to the iPhone AFTER the 2 year contract – do they unlock it for you then?
Yes the $77/month was 200 call minutes, unlimited data, and 200 text messages.
After the two year contract AT&T DOES NOT unlock the phone for you. IF you buy the phone in the states via AT&T you will only ever be able to use it on AT&T unless you hack it.
I’m looking into the TMobile Sidekick plan, some rumors out there that you can get the Sidekick plan and have that data work on your unlocked iPhone. The problem is I don’t think they sell that plan pre-paid like I’d like.
Trying to get our German Smartphone working with data in the US while we’re here on vacation has been a challenge.
Last year we bought a prepaid SIM card from T-Mobile on eBay that allowed use data on our Palm Centro, but we had to talk to numerous customer representatives to get it properly activated (the seller offered an activation interface at his website, but something went wrong).
I wanted to buy the same card again this year but the seller is no longer active on eBay, and its difficult to figure out what would work.
I just spoke with 3 different AT&T representatives and another 3 at T-Mobile, all of whom were totally clueless and could barely put a sentence together. No one could explan to me why you can buy prepaid SIM cards with data virtually everywhere in Germany (including the shitty discount supermarket ALDI) but virtually no where in the US, the country that saved democracy and put a man on the moon.
Does this all boil down to greed? Are telecom providers colluding to prevent prepaid data plans from cutting into profit margins? Or is there some sort of technical problem in the US which makes this difficult to offer?
I suspect we may have been using the Sidekick $1/day plan last year, but it appears that this is no longer available from T-Mobile:
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/11/t-mobile-stops-offering-prepaid-sidekick-data-service-to-iphone/
Can you confirm this? Would the Sidekick plan work for our Palm Centro, or is there another provider out there, in this great land of “perfect markets”?
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very much appreciated, I have a Canadian five year plan that I have to keep paying while I don’t even live there. I am in New York, and have come up to the same wall. I might just bite it and by a cheap cell phone. Your ost is totally appreciated because i was about to do this bag of research to find all of this out.
here’s to the end of cellphone companies acting like loan sharks.
jamie