Hey guys,
I'm on ATT, and I was thinking about picking up an SGS2 soon. I was wondering, since my folks never use their upgrades (in a family account of 4), is it possible to upgrade their line, but never use the new sim card and instead use the phone for myself? Has anyone tried this that could possibly share their experience, and give a quick how-to?
Thanks.
If you go into the att store and just say you want to use their upgrade on your line they will do it no problem. As long as you are the primary account holder.
If you are doing it third party, or online you can upgrade their line with the new phone (activate required data plan if applicable) then put your sim card in the phone. You can deactivate the data plan on the other line whenever you want. You will need to call att to have them change your data from 3G to Faux G, but you will keep the same plan (cost and limit, even unlimited), it you won't get data on the GS II with the "3G" data provision.
I just went through this recently.
P.S. Do yourself a favor and get the original Galaxy S II (i777) instead of the skyrocket ... you'll thank me later.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
I believe number is attached to sim. Just pop your sim in and good to go. Just ask ATT, its not illegal to switch phones
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
quarlow said:
If you go into the att store and just say you want to use their upgrade on your line they will do it no problem. As long as you are the primary account holder.
If you are doing it third party, or online you can upgrade their line with the new phone (activate required data plan if applicable) then put your sim card in the phone. You can deactivate the data plan on the other line whenever you want. You will need to call att to have them change your data from 3G to Faux G, but you will keep the same plan (cost and limit, even unlimited), it you won't get data on the GS II with the "3G" data provision.
I just went through this recently.
P.S. Do yourself a favor and get the original Galaxy S II (i777) instead of the skyrocket ... you'll thank me later.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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Thanks so much! And I was definitely going for the i777; dev support is flourishing there.
"You will need to call att to have them change your data from 3G to Faux G, but you will keep the same plan (cost and limit, even unlimited), it you won't get data on the GS II with the "3G" data provision."
I'm not sure what you mean here. So when I put MY sim into the SGS 2, I should call att about my line, and have them change whatever you said?
I have an unlimited data plan - I was planning on just taking the newly bought SGS2 to the ATT store and have them transfer my unlimited plan to it. Would this work? What other options do I have to keep my unlimited plan?
Yeah they can do it in store, or call. Just tell them you got a sgs II and the data doesn't work, because it won't. They have to "provision" your line for 4G/HSPA+ data instead of 3G. You can still keep unlimited for $30. It shows up on your bill differently, you will see two pro-rated data plans with different names, but it will still total $30.
It will be easiest in store, as you can verify it works before you leave, but the phone reps can do it too.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
Just tell them you want to cross-upgrade. They will set it all up for you. If you do it from a retailer (Costco, Bestbuy...), they will set up the upgraded line and then you will call AT&T after to cancel the data plan associated with the upgrade and switch the IMEI to your line - since they need to change the data plan to the 4g variant.
When you put your current sim in the SGSII, network will work but data won't. That's because the data plan on the Captivate isn't compatible with the SGSII. I found that out last week
Careful though as some places like Amazon require you to sign a contract with them as well stating that if you cancel any part of the plan or use the phone on another line, they hit you with early term fees (I think it's just Amazon actually).
Oh yeah, and the SGSII is an awesome phone!
qwertyaas said:
Just tell them you want to cross-upgrade. They will set it all up for you. If you do it from a retailer (Costco, Bestbuy...), they will set up the upgraded line and then you will call AT&T after to cancel the data plan associated with the upgrade and switch the IMEI to your line - since they need to change the data plan to the 4g variant.
When you put your current sim in the SGSII, network will work but data won't. That's because the data plan on the Captivate isn't compatible with the SGSII. I found that out last week
Careful though as some places like Amazon require you to sign a contract with them as well stating that if you cancel any part of the plan or use the phone on another line, they hit you with early term fees (I think it's just Amazon actually).
Oh yeah, and the SGSII is an awesome phone!
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Yeah I figure Amazon and Wirefly are off limits for this. They require the line to stay with the data plan for 3-6 months, depending on the retailer.
Thanks for your help!
Grea thread ! Some more explanation..please
Ok. I am not fully understanding this great switcheroo.
Wont you still have the other non-SGSII still active and paying for it in the family plan.
Can someone please explain how this goes step-by-step? I mean what if I am not yet eligible for an upgrade, can I just add a SGSII line this way, and turn off the other phone>>>??
Step-by-step.......puhlesaseeeeee!
EDIT: Hmmmmmmmmmm......after re-reading it looks it means you have to be eligible for an upgrade to do this? So since I do not have an upgrade option I am just getting excited for nothing ????
You can add a line for a new phone, such as SGS II, and then use that phone for your line. But, you cannot cancel your existing line until the contract ends, which would be ~3 months after you are eligible for an upgrade. You can cancel the dataplan you are forced to add if you add another line, but you are stuck paying $9.99 + taxes and fees, a month for that line for 24 months. So it adds up costing $250+ over the next 2 years.
You can call and try to talk your way into a early upgrade. If you are nice, and mention considering ending your service they may let you upgrade early for new price plus $30. Several others have said that worked for them. But, it may depend on how close you are to an upgrade. If you got a new phone 6 months ago you may be stuck for a while.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
You can add a line for a new phone, such as SGS II, and then use that phone for your line. But, you cannot cancel your existing line until the contract ends, which would be ~3 months after you are eligible for an upgrade. You can cancel the dataplan you are forced to add if you add another line, but you are stuck paying $9.99 + taxes and fees, a month for that line for 24 months. So it adds up costing $250+ over the next 2 years.
You can call and try to talk your way into a early upgrade. If you are nice, and mention considering ending your service they may let you upgrade early for new price plus $30. Several others have said that worked for them. But, it may depend on how close you are to an upgrade. If you got a new phone 6 months ago you may be stuck for a while.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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Thanks quarlow..........I hit the button !
chappatti said:
Thanks quarlow..........I hit the button !
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YW
I hope you find a way to get your new phone.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
I did this with an iPhone 4S (my upgrade's not up until this spring, the contract outlasted my patience with the Samsuck Craptivate). If you go to a CORPORATE AT&T store, it's no big deal to do. The lady there handled the whole thing for me and I was up and running in no time...
Alright, so I went ahead and got the SGS 2 from Radioshack because they had a 50 dollar deal for Black Friday. I looked at the receipt though, and it says that "If the Device and its wireless service agreement are not continuously in service for 90 days after the original purchase date and the Device is not returned to the Retailer, I agree that the Retailer may charge my credit card an unreturned merchandise fee equal to the Device's Non Activated Price minus the activated price I paid".
I bought it with no sim card for my mom's line. I have the primary line, and I was wondering if it's still okay for my to just insert my sim in the phone to use (would I be charged the above stated fee?). The phone hasn't had any sim card put it in yet at all. Is there any way to get around this? Does anyone have any experience with upgrading like this through Radioshack?
EDIT: Just talked to an ATT rep and he told me that I would not incur any fees/charges for switching equipment, and proceeded to do so for me. I'm still sort of anxious though, don't want to be charged a ridiculous amount for doing this. I saved the chat as a PDF (talked to an online rep) just in case. Anyone want to chime in with an opinion of what I should do?
ri3tn said:
Alright, so I went ahead and got the SGS 2 from Radioshack because they had a 50 dollar deal for Black Friday. I looked at the receipt though, and it says that "If the Device and its wireless service agreement are not continuously in service for 90 days after the original purchase date and the Device is not returned to the Retailer, I agree that the Retailer may charge my credit card an unreturned merchandise fee equal to the Device's Non Activated Price minus the activated price I paid".
I bought it with no sim card for my mom's line. I have the primary line, and I was wondering if it's still okay for my to just insert my sim in the phone to use (would I be charged the above stated fee?). The phone hasn't had any sim card put it in yet at all. Is there any way to get around this? Does anyone have any experience with upgrading like this through Radioshack?
EDIT: Just talked to an ATT rep and he told me that I would not incur any fees/charges for switching equipment, and proceeded to do so for me. I'm still sort of anxious though, don't want to be charged a ridiculous amount for doing this. I saved the chat as a PDF (talked to an online rep) just in case. Anyone want to chime in with an opinion of what I should do?
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They are just trying to prevent you from using your upgrade to get a new phone, then immediately terminating the contract and selling the phone. As long as you are actually using it on your plan, you're all good.
apbthe3 said:
They are just trying to prevent you from using your upgrade to get a new phone, then immediately terminating the contract and selling the phone. As long as you are actually using it on your plan, you're all good.
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Careful, some stores (Amazon) will charge you an early term fee if you move the phone to another line within 6 months.
Anyone experienced this?
I was looking to upgrade my "Even More Minutes" Plan (that was started late 2010) to a higher tier version of the plan (needed extra minutes since I went dangerously close last time), but I learned that they actually completely discontinued non-contract Post-Pay plans. I got grandfathered in, but once I leave this plan, I can't go back. I CAN convert to a *contracted* Post-Pay plan, but nothing along the lines of what I have now.
I verified with a guy I've made good relations with at the local T-Mobile store and a customer representative on the phone that this was the case.
Has anyone recently had luck going to a post-pay plan or did T-Mobile eliminate them all? Granted, the contracted post-pay plan that they're offering offers unlimited minutes (though the data is tiered and is actually less than what I have now), I still find it kinda crappy that they're no longer offering flexible options for different types of customers.
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Hi all, this is my first post here. I'm relatively tech-savvy but mobile development isn't my forte. Anyway, I've tried many search strings on the site but I haven't found a directly relevant answer.
Essentially the issue is I have a grandfathered service plan from approximately 2004 where I'm getting data for $5/month. I was using a lame HTC Touch Pro until it shattered. Unfortunately, to purchase a new smartphone (figuratively anything that isn't a flip phone), I would need to enter into a new contract on their exponentially more expensive terms. Additionally, I'm going to get nailed with all kinds of new bull**** fees (a 4G fee when it has barely been developed in NYC). Obviously I'm hoping for a more cost-effective approach.
Furthermore, I saw someone briefly mention in another thread that the OP could just buy a phone outright. I'm wondering if purchasing a phone unlocked and then somehow activating it on Sprint's network or some other hack would be possible. Price is a significant constraint; it's not feasible for me to drop $750 on an unlocked smartphone, so it's preferable if I can find some kind of workaround that's subsidized.
Thanks for reading through this, hope you can lend some advice on the optimal solution.
Sprint won't accept unlocked phones. I don't think there is a such thing as a unlocked cdma phone.
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So towards the end of June I was planning on leaving Sprint and heading over to At&t with the girlfriend. I had a plan with my brother to swap lines, his being off contract, allowing him to continue using my GSII and having me leave Sprint without any ETF worry. However now it seems that my brother is backing out of the whole idea which is leaving me at a whopping $300 ETF that doesn’t look too pretty.
I figure by selling the SII I am still looking at a big chunk just to get out of Sprint and buying a new phone until I realized something. I noticed that the difference between smartphones and basic phones half the ETF fee, $150 in my case. So what if I were to downgrade my plan with a basic phone, pay the ETF, sell the SII for around $200, and have some left over to put into the new phone. It all just seems too good to be true and I might just be overlooking something just in the thought of a somewhat loophole but what do you guys think? Could it be that easy? Should I read the terms and conditions instead of writing a thread out of shear excitement?
What do you think?
Generally speaking, it is much harder to downgrade than it is to upgrade. When you entered the contract for the smartphone you agreed to pay for service for a full two years in return for a subsidized phone. Legally they can (and odds are they will) tell you to either keep the phone & plan or pay the etf.
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If your rooted get roam control.
They will drop you after a while.
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So, I am looking to find a good, but reasonably priced android phone for my sister before she goes overseas.. T-mobile USA has the galaxy s 2 for free today... Could she get it, pay a months service, then pay the 200 dollar etf and keep the phone? I couldn't find anything that says otherwise.
Yes you could, that is what the ETF is for, however it will probably be much higher than 200, more like 375 ish. You would also have to wait until 31 or 32 days into the contract. 31 or 30 days or less and you can return for phone without paying an ETF (I would expect them to pressure you to do this instead of paying the ETF however after that initial month you are good)
The ETF will slowly go down as you progress through the contract. You will also need to get the phone unlocked, and since T-Mobile doesn't use standard 3G Bands you will only receive 2G speeds for internet I think almost everywhere else in the world. (don't exactly quote me on that, i'm not positive whether or not there are more companies who use the non-standard bands in other parts of the world)
You may be better off buying a used AT&T Galaxy S 2 and using it. (AT&T samsung codes are also cheaper than T-Mobile Samsung codes to unlock the phones.
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lufc said:
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Sorry about that!
Reading through the t-mobile terms, their initial etf seems to be 200 for all devices. And it seems that the returns period is 14 days. Also, the t-mobile galaxy s II (sgh-t989) seems to have a radio capable with all the umts bands, while att's is only compatible with their umts bands. I was just wondering if they'd have some crazy subsidy rule for advanced devices.
bigraymeehan said:
You may be better off buying a used AT&T Galaxy S 2 and using it. (AT&T samsung codes are also cheaper than T-Mobile Samsung codes to unlock the phones.
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You don't need to buy anything. Its free. But if u wanna pay be my guest.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.sgs2simunlockcode