iPhone Prepaid in USA

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745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840841 21-Jun-2013 10:17

dickytim: AT&T buy sim card then recharge card, $50 will get you 250 min talk, unlimited text to 100 countries and 1GB data.

Pay cash for both and you're away.

DO NOT tell them it is for an Iphone or Ipad if you can help it.

I went on T-Mobile for my Ipad4 for $35 for 3.5GB on "4G" which is actually our 3G speed.

The coverage was good most places, with the exception of a small patch on the coast from LA to San Fran.

In Anaheim there is a block of shops with a T-Mobile and AT&T store across the road from each other, when AT&T told me they wouldn't connect my Ipad I walked across the road and T-Mobile were more than happy, in fact they broke down a mobile Wi-Fi to take the sim card out as they had no other ones in store.

Definitely however pay cash in both instances and have your NZ ID there as well.

Thanks for the info.

I didn't realize T-Mobile would take cash (much prefer to pay like that if possible).
From what I've read, T-Mobile is solid option if you've got an iPhone 5 (not to so good for our 2nd phone - iPhone 4).

From David's story, sounds like AT&T don't like selling the (cheaper?) data plans if you have a higher-end smartphone. Then again, one wouldn't buy a decent data plan unless they had a smartphone in the first place anyway, or maybe it's certain a class of smartphone - like the iPhone 5?

Did they ask you specifically if it was for an iPhone/iPad (a specific model even?) or did you volunteer it?

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#840843 21-Jun-2013 10:19

I used an NZ credit card.

I sense that there is some concern in this thread about using credit cards to buy SIMs in the US. I can't see any reason to be concerned, and as a bonus, you would get loyalty points on your card.

The AT&T prepaid plans are hard to find.

David.

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#840848 21-Jun-2013 10:21

zaptor:

Did they ask you specifically if it was for an iPhone/iPad (a specific model even?) or did you volunteer it?

The AT&T guy put the SIM card into my iPhone 5 himself, so he new what I was planning to do.

David.

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840850 21-Jun-2013 10:21

dickytim:
In Anaheim there is a block of shops with a T-Mobile and AT&T store across the road from each other...

Forgot to ask. Don't suppose you have address for those stores at all?

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#840853 21-Jun-2013 10:23

zaptor:
dickytim:
In Anaheim there is a block of shops with a T-Mobile and AT&T store across the road from each other...

Forgot to ask. Don't suppose you have address for those stores at all?

Stores are everywhere.

David.

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840860 21-Jun-2013 10:29

DrCheese:
zaptor:
Did they ask you specifically if it was for an iPhone/iPad (a specific model even?) or did you volunteer it?

The AT&T guy put the SIM card into my iPhone 5 himself, so he new what I was planning to do.

David.

Curious.

When you purchased the SIM, it was for the $25 plan.
So, I take it the implication at the time of purchase was it wouldn't be used for data, or if it was, you'd effectively be paying through the nose ($5 per 50MB - ouch).

Just wondering if your purchase was relatively smooth because the impression at sale time was because you weren't going to be using much data?

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#840865 21-Jun-2013 10:34

zaptor:
Curious.

When you purchased the SIM, it was for the $25 plan.
So, I take it the implication at the time of purchase was it wouldn't be used for data, or if it was, you'd effectively be paying through the nose ($5 per 50MB - ouch).

Just wondering if your purchase was relatively smooth because the impression at sale time was because you weren't going to be using much data?

I was expecting to get data with the plan at the store but was told it wasn't possible. I'm a skeptical kind of person, so I went online and purchased data anyway. It was $15 for 250 MB. As I mentioned before, the telephone customer service person said this was not supposed to be possible, so she gave me unlimited data for the month at no extra cost.

No, it doesn't make sense to me either! But I spent the month downloading scads of stuff with my iPhone and it didn't cost me anything extra.

Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

David.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

pkb

29 posts

Geek

#840884 21-Jun-2013 10:50

Hi

I was in the US in April/May. As I am stupidly organised I bought a prepay T-mobile sim card online via ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-Mobile-Prepaid-MICRO-Sim-ACTIVATION-Kit-10-Mins-FOR-IPHONE-4-NOT-ACTIVATED-/261149341335?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

Cost a few dollars for the sim card and a bit of shipping cost. When I arrived in the US, I put the card in my iPhone 4 and all was good. Followed instructions to set it up and top it up. I can't quite recall whether I had to google data settings but it was pretty easy. Got unlimited data and reasonable calling/text amounts. Lasted me my three weeks, but I'm not a heavy user.

Tricia

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840896 21-Jun-2013 11:11

DrCheese:
Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

Hmmm..., how do they know if you're tethering?

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#840898 21-Jun-2013 11:13

zaptor:
DrCheese:
Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

Hmmm..., how do they know if you're tethering?

No idea. Maybe something to do with PRISM.

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840899 21-Jun-2013 11:16

pkb:
I was in the US in April/May. As I am stupidly organised I bought a prepay T-mobile sim card online via ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-Mobile-Prepaid-MICRO-Sim-ACTIVATION-Kit-10-Mins-FOR-IPHONE-4-NOT-ACTIVATED-/261149341335?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

Cost a few dollars for the sim card and a bit of shipping cost. When I arrived in the US, I put the card in my iPhone 4 and all was good. Followed instructions to set it up and top it up. I can't quite recall whether I had to google data settings but it was pretty easy. Got unlimited data and reasonable calling/text amounts. Lasted me my three weeks, but I'm not a heavy user.

Tricia

Thanks.

With the T-Mobile network, were you in LA, and if so how'd you find the data speed on the iPhone 4?

pkb

29 posts

Geek

#840905 21-Jun-2013 11:23

zaptor:
pkb:
I was in the US in April/May. As I am stupidly organised I bought a prepay T-mobile sim card online via ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-Mobile-Prepaid-MICRO-Sim-ACTIVATION-Kit-10-Mins-FOR-IPHONE-4-NOT-ACTIVATED-/261149341335?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

Cost a few dollars for the sim card and a bit of shipping cost. When I arrived in the US, I put the card in my iPhone 4 and all was good. Followed instructions to set it up and top it up. I can't quite recall whether I had to google data settings but it was pretty easy. Got unlimited data and reasonable calling/text amounts. Lasted me my three weeks, but I'm not a heavy user.

Tricia

Thanks.

With the T-Mobile network, were you in LA, and if so how'd you find the data speed on the iPhone 4?

I was in Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis. As I said, I'm not a heavy user and mainly use the phone for email and a bit of internet surfing... I didn't notice any speed issues compared to here on Vodafone.

zaptor

745 posts

Ultimate Geek

#840943 21-Jun-2013 11:34

DrCheese:
zaptor:
DrCheese:
Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

Hmmm..., how do they know if you're tethering?

No idea. Maybe something to do with PRISM.

Apparently, it's quite easy to determine with an iPhone (unless you use an App to do it).

Apparently, AT&T do "allow" tethering - as a data add-on - but it costs more and only on post-paid (I think).

Hmmm... T-Mobile is suddenly looking a lot more attractive now.

pkb

29 posts

Geek

#840944 21-Jun-2013 11:36

zaptor:
DrCheese:
zaptor:
DrCheese:
Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

Hmmm..., how do they know if you're tethering?

No idea. Maybe something to do with PRISM.

Apparently, it's quite easy to determine with an iPhone (unless you use an App to do it).

Apparently, AT&T do "allow" tethering - as a data add-on - but it costs more and only on post-paid (I think).

Hmmm... T-Mobile is suddenly looking a lot more attractive now.

But T-mobile wouldn't allow tethering - at least the option didn't seem enabled in my settings. I didn't look into it at all though.

old3eyes

9120 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#840949 21-Jun-2013 11:43

zaptor:
DrCheese:
Be careful using tethering as this costs extra in the US. If they find out you've been using it without paying they'll cancel your plan.

Hmmm..., how do they know if you're tethering?

Usually when the fone boots up the fone type info is sent as part of the rego info along with IMEI.. It's all rape and pillage in the US for the mainline carriers..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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