iPhone 4s and unlimited data plan

[maxyang]

I currently have an iPhone 3GS with grandfathered in unlimited data plan for $30. I'm planning on upgrading to the 4s. Anyone know if I can keep the unlimited plan or if I'll be forced to switch to one of the current data plans? I would like to preorder my iPhone on oct 7 from the apple website but can't find anywhere any mention about the data plans

[drumn_bass]

You can keep your unlimited data plan.

[dwill05]

There has been no information that AT&T is changing their policy on unlimited data plans, so until they officially announce a change, I'd say you still get to keep it.

[Chisand]

I just called Apple to ask basically the same thing. Apple said that as long as we never change from the unlimited plan we can keep it BUT the unlimited plan is not an option for preorder! He claimed that you have to go into an Apple store on the 14th or later to get the phone. He said there is no way to preorder and keep the unlimited plan!

[tilteddan13]

Well I was going to order from Apple tomorrow since the closest store is over an hour away from me, but hearing that I dont think I will since I have the unlimited data plan on my 3GS.  Has anyone else heard this to be true?

[dwill05]

The unlimited data plan really has nothing to do with Apple, it's a carrier specific thing. When I preordered my 4 via the ATT Premier web site last year, it gave me the option of keeping unlimited.

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

You activate your phone after you get it not at the time or placing the order.  The placing of the order on an existing account should have not impact as you can also keep voice plans that are no longer offered.  Data should not be any different.

[tilteddan13]

So I should be good to go ordering from Apple?  Is it easier to order from them than ATT?

[Chisand]

I never preordered before but the Apple CS person I spoke to said that when I do I will have to select a data plan and since the unlimited is not a current plan it is not an option. He also made a point to say that if I went through with it and got assigned to another data plan then there is no way to go back to unlimited! Hopefully he is wrong but it's what he told me...

[fiftynine]

For what it's worth, I just spoke with a rep from ATT and she said you can pre-order the phone from the ATT website and there will be an option to keep the unlimited data plan. 

[Chisand]

I wonder when you would get a preorder from ATT? I understood that Apple preorders usually get delivered on release date if they are ordered early enough.
Maybe I'll try calling Apple again and see if I get a different answer.

[hazys]

I have the iPhone 3GS with an unlimited data plan and i want to get the new iPhone 4Gs and keep my unlimited plan,

I want to preorder tomorrow so i wanted to test the online upgrade option. So when i try upgrading to the 4G phone it says i have to change my data plan...is this true? it doesnt look like it gives me any option to keep the unlimited data plan.

Can i preorder in an AT&T store and keep my unlimited data plan? bcos it doesnt look like the website will let me do it.

EDIT: i was wrong when upgrading to the 4G it lets me keep my unlimited plan, fingers crossed i'll be able to pre-order the 4GS online and keep the plan without any hassle.

[satchev]

Since there is no 4G or 4GS, you will not be upgrading to either non-existent device.

The newest iPhone is a 4S.  It helps to use correct terminology.

[arbour0713]

Stop being a [please keep it courteous]  You know what Hazys meant.  

[Chisand]

I called Apple again and spoke to another Person who basically said the same thing. He said that the unlimited data doesn't appear in their system so I will be pushed into a current plan. He suggested talking to ATT and make sure they are willing and able to switch me back.
I called ATT and they were absolutely clueless!!! The person said he thought I could keep the unlimited data and they don't do preorders and won't sell it until the 14th. He said if I preorder from Apple I can talk to them after and they can see what they can do! How's that for a clear definitive answer! Oh yeah he also tried to sell me an ATT Universe package! I wonder if Verizon or Sprint has better CS....

[jtrue28]

False. Just go to ATT.com, it says "Pre-order October 7".

[tilteddan13]

I think the only way we will find out for sure, is to go to apple.com tomorrow, try to buy the device and see what it says.  If it tries to change my data plan I'll cancel out and just end up going to a store and get one there.  i think we won't know until we actually try and see what happens.

[Miranova]

For what its worth, I used the online chat option and spoke with an Apple customer service agent.  I told him that I was grandfathered in under ATT's old unlimited plan.  I then asked if there would be an issue keeping this plan if I upgrade at the Apple site.  He said that I will be required to select a data plan and that an "unlimited data" plan is not a normal option. However, he said that my plan options would "auto populate" with the unilimited plan since I was grandfathered in.  People who were not grandfathered in would not see this option.  I hope he's correct.

I've upgraded from every iteration of the Iphone and I've never had a problem maintaining my unlimted data plan.  Hope this is of some assistance.

[racePrincess05]

I completed my 2 year contract with ATT in january and want to pre-order the iphone 4s and keep my services just as they are. I called both apple and ATT and both said to ask the other about pre ordering, they also kept mentioning "to select one of the many service plans available." Neither seems to understand that I am trying to keep my existing service plans and they keep saying the only thing they can access on their site is the preorder date. Any experience in upgrading on a completed contract and keeping your service plan?

[browski]

I think you guys are getting confused. Apple has nothing to do with the service UNLESS you are setting up a new line with a service provider and Apple is handling the contract as a third party. When I bricked my 3GS, I went into an Apple store, gave them my phone, they tried to unbrick it and they were unsuccessful. They then went and got a brand new iPhone, put my sim in it and sent me on my merry way.

Apple does nothing with existing service. When you preorder and put in your information, they are only checking to see if your account is eligible for an early upgrade. They don't change any services unless you request it.

Here's how it's going to work for me. I'm going to wake up tomorrow and preorder my iPhone 4S from Apple.com. I am going to select the option to pick it up at an Apple store on Oct. 14 (which I advise any of you to do that are remotely close to a store because of carrier delay, errror and the fact that UPS/FED EX won't leave the phone without a signature). I will go into the Apple store on Oct. 14, hand them my 3GS, they will either put my sim card in the phone or they will transfer the service from my sim card to a mini-sim (whichever the 4S uses). Then I'm going to walk out of the store with my unlimited data, rollover minutes and unlimited messaging that I walked in with because again, Apple or Best Buy or Wal Mart doesn't change the service unless you request it.

This is all from numerous experiences. I don't feel the need to justify myself by explaining each and every one. If you are interested, message me and I will bore you to death with the stories of my adventures with faulty iPhones. It's really not that big of a deal people, just calm down. The release date is set and everyone who wants one will eventually get one. I can tell you, if you try something shady to cut corners or beat the system, you might get away with it. But chances are, it's going to blow up in your face and you will be right back here pee-peeing and moaning about it incessantly.

[JaTaN]

Apple's website alrdy lets to try and pre-order the 8GB iPhone 4 so I used that to test it out

Once I picked the existing customer looking to upgrade option it asks me to type my phone number, zip, last 4 SSN

Pricing and plan info comes back as:

iPhone 4
8GB : Black
$99.00
AT&T Account
2-year contract required
Voice 450 minutes $39.99/mo
Data Unlimited $30.00/mo
Text 200 messages $5.00/mo
Plan Total :$74.99/mo

I hit OK and then it asks to pick delivery or store pick up so I exited out of there -- it asked nothing about changing my plan

Either way I'm ready to pre-order from Apple directly -- have my shipping and billing info saved alrdy so that I can checkout quickly (dont want to risk using their express checkout option incase it messes up my data plan accidently so I'll go through regular checkout but it should be fast since I have everything saved in there alrdy)

[browski]

---

JaTaN wrote:

Apple's website alrdy lets to try and pre-order the 8GB iPhone 4 so I used that to test it out

Once I picked the existing customer looking to upgrade option it asks me to type my phone number, zip, last 4 SSN

Pricing and plan info comes back as:

iPhone 4
8GB : Black
$99.00
AT&T Account
2-year contract required
Voice 450 minutes $39.99/mo
Data Unlimited $30.00/mo
Text 200 messages $5.00/mo
Plan Total :$74.99/mo

I hit OK and then it asks to pick delivery or store pick up so I exited out of there -- it asked nothing about changing my plan

Either way I'm ready to pre-order from Apple directly -- have my shipping and billing info saved alrdy so that I can checkout quickly (dont want to risk using their express checkout option incase it messes up my data plan accidently so I'll go through regular checkout but it should be fast since I have everything saved in there alrdy)

---

Exactly what I saw when I ran my test. haha I guess we are just doing our due diligence.

[DannyGGG]

I was just ordering my iPhone 4S online on Apple's site, but it kept crashing so I decided ordering through ATT's site.  No crashing but it said that my grandfathered unlimited plan was NOT compatible with the device I'd chosen (the iPhone 4s) and that I should go to my plan settings and choose a different data plan after I finished ordering my phone.  Then later in the checkout process it said that I would automatically be changed to another data plan ONCE I'D RECEIVED MY PHONE AND ACTIVATED IT.  I was going to continue with checkout because I'm not keeping that phone for myself and so I wasn't going to be the one activating it and ruining my unlimited data plan, but if it had been for me that would have been unacceptable. Anyway, before I checked out the other window waiting on Apple's website kicked back in and reserved my iPhone so I dodn't need to go through ATT after all.  

...just wanted to share what ATT's website told me about the unlimited plan.

[DannyGGG]

Just wanted to add that I suspect that there's more of a chance of keeping unlimited if you go through Apple. That's what I would suggest for anyone out there.

[crbake4]

I originally signed into the Apple Store from my phone, ordered the new 4S, and selected my current unlimited plan.  I got a "Bad Gateway" error upon checkout so I jumped on AT&T's website to pre-order.  When I did that, it wanted me to change my data plan.  Keeping my current unlimited plan was not an option.    Boo on you AT&T....  Anyway, I enabled WiFi on my iPhone, went back to the Apple Store, and retried checkout.  Verified that my data plan was still on unlimited ($30.00/mo) and finalized the purchase.  So if you want to pre-order, I would suggest using the Apple Store on your device so you don't get duped by AT&T....

Good luck and happy 4S'ing!!!

-C

[boyzdynasty]

Just tried to pre-order off AT&T and there was [no] option for unlimited data plan. I guess I will keep my old iPhone for now.

[Max69 ACE - Wizard]

---

boyzdynasty wrote:

Just tried to pre-order off AT&T and there was [no] option for unlimited data plan. I guess I will keep my old iPhone for now.

---

Why not order direct from Apple? It will let you keep your unlimited plan.

[boyzdynasty]

Just read prior posts.. and that is what I did. Thanks.

[ripped53]

Just tried to pre-order via the ATT site and I got a nice disclaimer saying I had to change my data plan. If there was an option to keep my current plan I apparently missed it.

[jimsoars]

I tried the apple site and it did offer the option to keep my unlimited data plan - but I also have the 200 message plan and it only offers the by message, or unlimited plans - no option to keep my 200 message plan.

I guess I'll try the ATT store.  This is a bunch of crap - I just want to keep the plan I have.