Hey Everybody,


When I get to NY, I'd like to have a working phone ASAP, that is a day 1 thing for me (and surely most people )

I have an iPhone 4 (on o2) and I *think* it should accept any sim, so when I get to NY, I am looking to buy a sim card to put in it.

Here's the catch:

I don't want to be bound by a 12, 18, 24 month contract as I'll want to buy a new iPhone 5 which will probably come out around June 2012.

Do any of the main carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint) do monthly/rolling sim cards that will work with my iPhone and have some free minutes/text/data included in the monthly fee?


Thank you!

Leo

Verizon and Sprint don't use SIM cards. If you want a working phone ASAP, go to any phone store, Target, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, etc and buy a pre-pay phone until you buy the next iPhone or sort out what to do with yours. One of the AT&T options with an unlocked iPhone is probably your only real option.

You may be in for a big shock when you start dealing with cell phone companies here though.

Im confused, could you elaborate a little

thanks

AT&T is the only national GSM network (i.e., one that uses SIM cards) in the US that will allow full use of an iPhone. T-Mobile is GSM, but uses non-standard frequencies, so your iPhone would not be able to get 3G on their network.

oh wow so what do verizon/sprint phones use instead of sims?

Verizon is a CDMA network with the SIM-like information hardwired into the phones.

You can get an AT&T pay as you go sim card, BUT you have to jump through quite a few hoops, including:

1) Get an AT&T pay as you go SIM card
2) Physically cut the card to fit the micro sim size of the iPhone
3) Register a non-iPhone IMEI with ATT (say the SIM is for some old RAZR you have lying around the house)
4) Reprogram the APN settings to reflect ATT

It can be done--I've done it--but it isn't easy.

Your other option is to go to a 2G network like T-Mobile. That's a walk in walk out kind of thing. You can use the iPhone via wifi in your hotel for heavy data work but you would have a phone number available basically immediately.

Re AT&T I did exactly what penguinsix said except I never had to register my IMEI it just worked (with a factory unlocked iPhone 4). A SIM cutter makes that part foolproof - you just slide in the SIM and punch out the micro-SIM. I got my SIM cutter for about £20 on Amazon and it's worth it for knowing you won't destroy your SIM. Setting up the data APN is pretty easy too - just download the iPhone Configuratiin Utility for free from Apple and plug in the settings - lots of online guides.

A friend of mine has an iphone4 (I think) and when his 2 year AT&T contract was up (most US phone co's are 2 year), he managed to unlock it and use a Straight Talk (Walmart) SIM in it. $30 or $45 pm no contract and works fine he says.

T-mobile does a SIMilar thing (pardon the pun!). I unlocked my wife's cheap Samsung phone and got their $30 pm no contract SIM to work ok in it. Dunno if it would work on an iphone though.

ATT would want you to sign a 2 year contract even if you weren't getting a phone from them.

Faff around with one of their PAYG phones and sims, but the data would be a bit shite.

Or as I said on your previous post about phones, sell it on Ebay before you come over and buy one over here

I sold my Iphone4 for £350 on Ebay as a BIN, sold within 5 minutes! I bought an Iphone4S for $199 the day it came out over here

I will warn you that the tariffs over here make up for the phones being a lot cheaper but thankfully through my hubby's work we get it discounted (20% off I believe), it's worth checking that out with your work benefits.

Vicki

AT&T, the GSM Iphone carrier, no longer sells "Unlimited data plans", original users were Grandfathered in. New subscribers, get plans from 200mb to 4gb per mo, depending on how much you pay + need messaging plan + minutes plan + phone your granny often plan.

If you use your unlocked iphone & sign up with AT&T iphone SIM (No subsidized phone), you would/should still be able to take advantage of a NEW phone at price, i.e $199 up, anytime during the 2 year contract.

Also note (you may already know), we pay for incoming calls/SMS & billed by the minute, rounded up. So 300 min plan UK, will need 700/800 plan USA.

You will grow to love & mostly hate the USA Cell phone carriers.

Reg. Frank R.

Check out H2O Wireless. Unlimited calls and data for $60 per month, no contract. We found it a little hard to find top-ups - Best Buy had the SIM cards and some top-ups but not the $60 ones, but you can do it online with a credit card. Some people complain the data is throttled compared to AT&T (who provide the network to AT&T) but we've found it fine for the odd bit of Shop Savvy, Google Maps etc.

Thanks for the suggestions / updates folks!

If I go this route, I have a couple of questions:
- Can I get the SIM in any AT&T store?
- What's the name of the SIM/Tarriff & will it include data? minutes? texts?

I had considered the option of selling my iPhone here and getting a new one there but I don't want to be tied into a 2 year contract when I'm intending to get the new iPhone 5 around June/July.

I'm considering this route too, just for how simple it sounds. I could even do both i.e. get the 2G T-Mobile SIM on day 1 and then I can spend a couple of days figuring out the more bothersome AT&T route described above.

T-Mobile do a PAYG micro sim for iPhone4.

http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/?shape=simalone

Cheers dude. I'm assuming I'll be able to get one of those in-store for $9.99 (out of stock on the site currently).

Two things that concern me:

1) It says 2 year contract!
2) I can't see any tariff info, e.g. if I can pre-pay for minutes/texts/data or if I'll simple get charged through the nose per minute/text/MB.

Any ideas?

ta!
Leo