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Data-only iPhone plan for $20/month

by Erica Sadun May 12th 2008 at 2:00PM

Many months ago, I wrote about adding data packages to AT&T Pay As You Go accounts. I had hacktivated my iPhone to use the PAYG SIM to see how long it took to go through an entire 5MB data feature package. Answer? A few minutes. In case you don't see where I'm going with this, let me add that I just got off the phone with AT&T a few seconds ago. They have now officially added a new feature data package: for $19.95 you get unlimited data for 30 days.

The way this works is as follows. You go to an AT&T store and buy a $100 prepaid SIM. This SIM is good for one year of use. You get a phone number, you get $100 of credit. Calls cost you either $0.25/minute or $1/day of use plus $0.10/minute. You pick which one when you set up the account.

Read on for the rest of the details.

Next, you hacktivate your iPhone. iLiberty+ or any of the other tools out there allow you to stick in an AT&T SIM and activate the phone. This is not unlocking; this is adding authorization files directly to the phone. Your iPhone's modem remains unaffected and pristine.

Finally, you call 611 and enter the new phone number and your PIN. Tell the mechanical lady that you want to "Buy Features" and when she asks, "Data Packages". Choose the Unlimited MediaNet option. This costs $19.95 against that already-purchased $100 amount, and you're good for an entire month of unlimited data use.

What are the drawbacks? First, you *must* watch your dates and times carefully. When you go past your 30 days, you start paying at the outrageous standard data rate of $10/MB. Read that again. If you use the iPhone without the data-plan functioning, you might spend $20 to view a 2MB picture of a dog -- the way I did back in September.

Second, PAYG plans are not sanctioned by Apple. That means your non-AppleCare warranty coverage is practically non-existent. Caveat Emptor. It's not much worse than buying an iPod touch, but you will be SOL if you need any kind of Apple support.

Finally, if you plan to use data every single month, you'll need to keep adding money to your account every 5 months. The $100/one year arrangement only works until the money runs out. Make sure you're ready to re-fund that account as needed.

If you're willing to put up with all these negatives, you end up with a contract-free unlimited-data iPhone with the option of making calls for just $20/month or so. It's an amazing deal. You don't need a doctor's note. It works for both the hearing and hearing impaired alike. Just keep careful track of the plan and you're good to go.

Thanks, Anthony



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Many months ago, I wrote about adding data packages to AT&T Pay As You Go accounts. I had hacktivated my iPhone to use the PAYG SIM...
 

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31 Comments

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John

CONFIRMED. This does work. People are report this indeed works. Check out the comments:

http://www.phonenews.com/att-gophone-prepaid-adds-data-only-option-3381/

August 10 2008 at 8:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lucas

So can we do this with the iPhone 3G?

And how?

July 30 2008 at 3:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Howie

Does this work with the 2.0 firmware on a First gen iphone since as it says "This is not unlocking; this is adding authorization files directly to the phone. Your iPhone's modem remains unaffected and pristine."

July 15 2008 at 7:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
will

Alan: when you spend £25 a month on simplicity you get to choose a free bolt on, so I chose Unlimited data. I don't think any other deal comes close to this in the UK...

May 19 2008 at 3:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pankaj

I had a question for all of you regarding hacktivated iphones and at&t data plans. I recently moved out of the country but I am still an AT&T FamilyTalk subscriber. I have a very old and cheap plan which I don't want to change. However, I am back in the US for just 3 weeks and wanted to use a data plan with my iPhone without having to change my number or FamilyTalk plan. Anyone have any ideas on how I can avoid a 2yr contract and get data on my iPhone? I don't think any plans which might require an APN to be set will work because 1.1.3 of the iPhone firmware doesn't show EDGE settings under Settings->General->Network with an AT&T SIM in the iPhone :-(

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

May 19 2008 at 12:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jordo

Will this $20 plan work for an aircard by chance?

May 19 2008 at 12:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joe stalin

This sounds great. I can spend hours hacking and tracking my useage to make sure I don't end up paying the insane $10/MB rate just to save a few bucks off the go-plan. Anybody out there think their time is a little more valuable than that? Anyone?

May 17 2008 at 9:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Joe stalin's comment
John

With the pay as you go plan for voice you pay $1 daily fee when you call someone or someone calls you using the at&t network, otherwise it is $1 daily fee plus $0.10 a minute when calling someone or someone calls you on a different network(i.e. Verizon, T-mobile). If you dont call anyone and no one calls you then you dont pay any of those fees.

If you do not get the Unlimited MediaNet plan for $20 a month then you are going to pay $0.01 per kb. To the best of my knowledge you have to repurchase the Unlimited MediaNet plan every month. It's not that hard. Just make a note on your calendar to re-purchase it.

If you are to lazy to mark that on your calendar then maybe you should stick with the Iphone data plan for $60 a month.

I have no problem with rebuying Unlimited MediaNet every month. That's less than 5 minutes of my time to save $40 a month. The following is how you rebuy Unlimited MediaNet every month.

Call 611 and enter you phone number and your PIN. Tell the mechanical lady that you want to "Buy Features" and when she asks, "Data Packages". Choose the Unlimited MediaNet option.

Simple isn't it?

August 10 2008 at 8:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Seth Rubenstein

Question about the voice features, it was mentioned that you can select 1.00 per day. Is that 1.00 per day whether you use it or not, or a dollar per day that you use the voice feature?

May 17 2008 at 9:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
will

The US is very expensive compared the the UK.

I am on o2 'simplicity' which you pay monthly but can cancel at any time. So no lock-in.

For 25 UK pounds a month I get: 1) unlimited data; 2) 600 mins to any mobile/landline anytime; 3) 1000 texts

May 13 2008 at 2:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to will's comment
Madison

yeah but thats like $50 US, which is only about $10 less than the $60 base iPhone plan. Granted, the iPhone plan has Unlimited Data, Unlimited Nights and Weekends, but only 450 Rollover Minutes and 200 TXTs. Not bad considering AT&T has to cover about 40 times the area and 5 times as many people.

May 14 2008 at 12:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alan

Looking at that o2 Simplicity tariff you have to add a web bolt-on for an extra £7.50? Is that right?

May 18 2008 at 7:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jwilliek

Does anyone know:
Will AT&T Go-phone plans "auto-add" to keep adding the minimum amount of money to your account to keep it active for you or refill you when you run out? Or do you really have to monitor it manually. I only ask because I know other pre-paid plans (Virgin Mobile for example) automatically "tops you off" with the minimum to keep your pay-as-you-go active.
Similar question regarding the $19.99 Unlimited Media Net - do you have to call in and re-add that service to your account manually every month, or can I just have them hit my bank account automatically for the $19.99 and then however often I top off with $0.25 talk minutes?

May 13 2008 at 10:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to jwilliek's comment
jwilliek

ok - found what I was looking for.

You do have the option to sign up for auto-refill if you want to:
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/7285/46530659sv8.png

May 14 2008 at 9:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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