Jailbreaking and unlocking are two very different things. Jailbreaking is as, AV8OR said, beyond simple. Google jailbreak and you will find tons of info. I used Quickpwn and Cydia. Didn't use Installer as it doesn't seem as stable with the 3G. The phone works fine in iTunes and you can still get apps of of AppStore.

Jailbreaking is easily undone, just update the phone in iTunes.

Unlocking is all about using your phone on other carriers besides AT&T. That one is much more technical and cannot be easily undone. Last I read, unlocking is still more of risk on the 3G. The original iPhone can be unlocked easily.

Not a tech guru so I might be wrong but I was told that jailbreaking is basically unlocking phones illegally. Your reply does make sense but if so, why did my friend's phone go dead when he downloaded the latest version via iTunes?

Some phones are OK to unlock and the phone company, such as Verizon might even help you if you request it. Some phones however they will not let you unlock (iPhone) so people do it on their own.

As far as reversing - if you'd read my previous post you'd realize that sometimes reversing works fine but sometimes it doesn't. My friends phone is still dead and AT&T refuses to help since he 'voided' his warranty by unlocking the phone.

You can take the 3G iPhone with you on international trips and use the wi-fi function if available. Unless you have an international call/data plan with AT&T you will see "No Service" when you turn on the phone. That is good because the 3G iPhone can and will download data if you have email accounts setup on your phone, send/receive text messages, surf the internet, App. Store or most anything else you do on the phone. The international plans from AT&T are expensive and limited. It's not the same as having the unlimited data plan for using your phone in the states. There are many stories on the Apple and AT&T forums of people who went overseas with their new iPhones and ran up huge, and I mean huge, bills because the phone was used without knowledge of the limitations of their data plan and how the iPhone works.

Correct. To clarify the IM+ for Skype and Fring I described earlier can be used with Wi-Fi...

Has anyone had success using Truphone for International calls?

iPhone Apps - Download the iPhone Application by Truphone

I use it in combination with the attwifi roaming. Works all over the world.

The att wifi premier roaming with the truphone allows a huge number of hotspots to be used for international calling on the cheap. Take a look at the attwifi website for the details of all the roaming locations.

Worked OK in Paris at the hotel, but their WiFi is horrible, so that is why call quality was bad.
Worked with no no problems what so ever in SFS on the hotel WiFi, good call quality.

Jailbreaking allows you to add applications and access the phone like a disk drive with programs such as iPhone Browser. My phone is jailbroken, but it isn't unlocked. Still on the AT&T network. Very easy for me to take it back to the original state.

Unlocking allows you to use your phone with another carrier and more often than not cannot be undone. You said your friend had unlocked his phone. Now he has bricked his phone. :(

iPhone Question: “Unlocking” and “Jailbreaking” the same thing? | HighTechDad Blog

Gadgets and You: Iphone activation vs jailbreaking vs unlocking

Here is a link for him to try and get his phone back from the bricked state:

Step-By-Step Guide to ReVirginize or Restore iPhone - iPhone Hacks

I see, thanks it makes more sense now...

you can also download fring. then goto voipstunt.com and set up a free account then enter the account into fring under sip. you will be able to make free calls over fring and wifi to any us number. it has a about a one second delay but the call quality is fine. fring even uses your contact list so you don't have to manually enter the number you want to call

I probably misunderstood but why would you need voipstunt to use fring? I've been using fring for a while now and I use the WiFi when I call/text. How is voipstunt different? :confused:

Yep. Works well. Better than IM+ and fring, IMO. .06/min. I like fring at .02/min (uses Skype) over IM+ but have better luck with clarity using Truphone.

I'll try Fring again on my next trip but I've been having bad luck with it, dropped calls after initial connection even when the Wi-Fi signal seems to be strong...

with voipstunt you can call any number in your address book that is a local us number for free. With skype they have to have a skype account or you have to buy minutes. Fring allows you to use either skype or cellular call or sip(which is where voipstunt comes in). If you set up the "free" voipstunt acct. you can call any u.s. number for "free".

Its just another option for those people who don't have skype or fring accts set up on the other end of a phone. With truevoice you have to pay per minute from what I've been told.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm about to go get a 4G iPhone and want to make sure I'm not missing any new gouge - it looks like the FDX discount doesn't apply to the phone itself when I try the FedEx discount website. The discount should still apply to the plan. Am I right?

You are correct....

Yes, just make sure you take your ID and tell them you work for FDX Express so they will apply the correct national discount.

Thanks guys!

Anyone know if the FDX discount works for the data plan on I Phones?

OBTW. I recently made a call to Hong Kong from SFO to check on the hotel since I was deviating. I thought my AT&T World Connect option (for 3.99/mo) was turned on. When I got my bill I was charged $3.99/min as opposed to 0.17 cents/min due to my bafoonary. AT&T was nice enough to correct my bill and only charge me the 0.17 cents per min for the calls. Make sure you turn this on before calling overseas.

The World Traveler option ($5.99/mo) is used while you are overseas to call back home or in country. The rates there are expensive but you do get a discounted rate for turning it on (takes about 20 minutes worth of calls to break even). It's not worth turning this one on unless you make more than 20 minutes worth of calls. Texts are .50 cents per text from overseas.
Jolly

Skype on iPhone

Discounts

Your account type qualifies you to the following discounts. Service discounts are applied to the primary line under eligible agreements and exclude certain rate plan types and devices (e.g. iPhone data features and packages).


Service : 22.0%

This is a little confusing. You do get 22% off the iPhone data PLAN. I pay $23.40 for the unlimited data plan.

As I recall, AT&T seems to have an option on their website to backdate feature changes. After selecting a feature change, you will be given a choice of when to start the feature that includes something like the start of current billing cycle or month as well.

Searched and found this old thread, which was revived in Dec. Rather than starting a new thread I thought I would just continue with this one.

So here goes. Need some help from all the Mac heads. I am thinking about making the plunge. Initially, I would like to get a 3rd gen Iphone on AT&T network. They are only 50 bucks with a 2 year plan. Data is $15 for 200mb per month and messaging $30 per month (ouch). It would essentially replace my current non smart cell phone and my Ipod touch. More data is either $25 for 2GB per month or $45 for unlimited. Can't imagine I could possibly need that.

Is 200mb enough data to simply surf the web and check open time? Does Iheartradio work on the Iphone through the cell phone and/or the wifi? Does the FedEx discount apply to the data and messaging plans?

Is there any compelling reason to wait until Jul when the new phone comes out, considering that I really only need to web surf, listen to my music and Iheartradio, and oh yeah, talk on the phone? Any great advantages of the new phone or the next new phone?

The Verizon plan is more, and I can go there since I don't fly international right now, but was trying to keep the cost to a minimum, thus AT&T.

I am also thinking about an Imac, but that can be a topic for another day. Right now the downside for me is no TV tuner. I can plug my cable right into my sony vaio and use it as a poor man's dvr. Very handy.

Any opinions and advice would be appreciated.

200MB is enough for me. I've run close to 200MB once in 2 yrs and AT&T sent me a text saying I was close before I went over. I never went over before the next billing period & it hasn't been a problem.

I don't use Iheartradio but I do use Stitcher occasionally and again, I have no problems. It comes through as streaming data so it goes on your data usage.

We get 22% off of the Phone PLAN but I'm not sure if that includes data or not. I've got the $99/month unlimited phone plan, the 200MB data, and basic texting and my bill is rarely over $90/month. If you do the math then I guess it does cover data and text...

I'm waiting on the new phone but only because I've got an older 3G, it's not even a 3Gs.

I use a MacBook Pro and either use my Slingbox at home or JustinTV to watch the tube. No problems as long as my internet connection is good.

Welcome to the best technology decision you'll ever make!

Not to start a flame war:

I am upgrading the entire family to the 21st century. 2 questions.

1. Which cell provider has the best family plans+data? 5 lines total.

2. Android or Iphone?

Looking at switching from Sprint to ATT... unlimited data VS. cheaper per month? And looking at the Samsung Infuse VS. Iphone 4?

Anyone have any experience with the Samsung?

Any and all advice mucho appreciated.....

ATT sucks......dropped calls all the time. Go with Verizon

Sprint has unlimited data plan. If you jailbreak your iPhone and install pdaNet, you can turn your phone into a modem and tether your iPad or laptop to the phone for unlimited "free" internet. Although most hotels already have internet, free wi-fi can be useful at airports...

I think that the ATT vs Verizon debate depends a lot on where you live and where you spend most of your time. I originally had Verizon but switched to ATT because the service is better where I live. I've never had a problem with ATT. Verizon appears to work much better in the west, especially the Rocky Mountain area.

I'm partial to the iPhone and Apple products. Since all my computer products are Apple, all of my contacts, music, etc are shared easily across all of my devices.

The few people I have talked to that have had the Android and the iPhone, prefer the iPhone.

I still have unlimited at at&t and use pdanet. The problem is now when you reach a data usage value that they determine is is the top 5% of your region average usage, they will throttle you back to Edge speeds. This occurs around the 3GB point, which is of course at the top of the new 3GB/$30 plan. So, not much fun to use at Edge speeds. Sprint and Verizon do the same thing with the throttling for heavy users. The pdanet tethering works well with my wifi iPad when I need a connection away from a local wifi signal but I shy away from video streaming over 3G unless no other option is available.

I don't get many dropped calls anymore with the 4S, so that's not as big an issue anymore. The big thing I like on at&t is the ability to use the phone AND Internet at the same time. It doesn't seem like a big deal but it actually is. I know Verizon can't do it but not sure about Sprint.

FWIW ... The last "Consumer Report" on cell phones and cell plans gave AT&T REALLY BAD ratings (In fact, the magazine cover says "Sorry AT&T") :eek:

Because of that I decided to go with Verizon (plus they had free smart phones) but with my unlimited data (I'm not certain unlimited data is still available from Verizon?) I feel like I'm paying WAY TOO MUCH for my "Family Plan."

I looked in to Walmart's cell plan. I kind of wish I'd gone with that now. It uses the T-Mobile network (I liked T-Mobile when I had them years ago).

Walmart Offering $45 Unlimited Cellphone Plan Nationwide

You dont have to jail break a droid for tethering. I pay 170 a month for 2 droids and an I phone; unlimited data with sprint. I would imagine 5 phones would be 210.

Sprint will be around $220. ATT is quoting &170.... Still gathering data...

True. It's one of the things I miss about the android Evo I used to have. However, I now have FxCal on my iPhone :), and as someone else pointed out, the iPhone works great if you have other apple products.

With Sprint, we pay $200 a month for 1 iPhone and 3 HTC Evo's, unlimited data (internet) plan, unlimited nights/weekends/cell to any cell. Insurance on two of the phones. I've never known Sprint to slow down the connection when we reach a certain amount of data, and I would have noticed because the HTC Evo is our only internet connection at home, with 4G. We can watch Netflix streaming movies with no problems, it's that good with PdaNet. And I seem to never have dropped calls, something I hear from AT&T users frequently.

Just put 2+2 together...you are a 777 guy with a Sprint phone? Have things changed recently or is your phone still pretty much a brick overseas?

Not flaming either - would really like to know. I switched to AT&T when I went to the Mad Dog, and luckily that was iPhone time. I try not to use the local service when on the other side of the world, but having it able to ring if something goes wrong at home is still worth something. Has Sprint improved their overseas coverage/partnerships recently? I remember some hoo-ha about the new iPhone being CDMA capable for them or something but I'm hazy on the details.

Good luck in your search. Make sure to post your results and decision so every other lazy pilot can just do what you did and be done with it.

Pilot141,

I will admit, I don't even turn the brick on when I am on a trip. Skype on the computer is it.

So far: Verizon $255, Sprint $220 and ATT $170..... Leaning towards ATT and Iphone's..
I will post the results once the real decision maker approves.

I do appreciate the help.

Just curious.......does ATT and/or Verizon have truly UNLIMITED data plans?

if not, how much are the overage charges?

are the Sprint commercials accurate? Sprint the only truly unlimited provider?

I have Sprint, & heavy family plan data use - never any overage charges - not familiar with ATT or Verizon. I would think it would add up pretty quick the way I use the data services though. jmo

You can also get the discount at Verizon with no limitations on plans or phones. I did not have my ID with me but they accepted my insurance car that ad FedEx on it.

My Verizon plan is unlimited and I have had no problems with it.

unlimited DATA? or voice/messaging - big diff.

there are no unlimited data plans advertised on Verizon's web site:

Verizon Nationwide Family SharePlan

all the DATA plans on this site are limited with overage charges listed as well?

I just chatted with the Verizon rep online, and they said they no longer offer any unlimited data plans to new customers. The only unlimited plans are existing customers who have been "grandfathered"

not sure about ATT?

The only "unlimited" plan for new customers is Sprint, at least that I have found. But it really depends on how you access the internet. My kids and I will use it a ton at home via WIFI...not so much on the cell networks, so those GB's don't even count.

So far Sprint is going to run about $15 more a month than ATT (ATT's initial quote was incorrect, about $195 is more accurate).... Verizon came out to $25 more than Sprint.

ATT offers refurb Iphones for $50....
Sprint offers them new for $99...but I can pick them up locally and not wait to have them shipped....

Choices......hmmmmm