Random cell phone service question

[JGood]

I currently have an old phone with a very old AT&T plan. I called today to upgrade my plan and they said they couldn't, their current plans don't work with my old phone.

So I go to upgrade/order the refurb iphone 3g 8GB for $100 from AT&T, and I realized if I select the new plan and order the phone, how will my current phone work until I get the new one? It said some shared features change instantly, does this include my actual voice plan? The plan required for the iphone is not compatible with the plan required for my old phone, so when will it "switch over"?

This wouldn't be a big deal if I could go back to my old plan, or if I had a second phone, but I don't.

So how does this work? Will it only upgrade to the new plan when I activate me new phone? Will the old one then be unusable? The lady at AT&T told me I could use my old phone until I activate the new one, but I don't want to find out the hard way that she might be wrong. I need a phone at all times for school/work/etc...

[scabzzzz]

Im surprised they even let you buy the iphone without subscribing to their ridiculous plans first, or even recommend that to you.

What phone were you using before?

[JGood]

Im surprised they even let you buy the iphone without subscribing to their ridiculous plans first, or even recommend that to you.

What phone were you using before?

What do you mean? It's the normal plan plus the $30 data plan. Which is what it would probably cost if I wanted unlimited data on my current phone.

It's a Samsung x427. It makes calls and sends texts. That's about it. Only reason I have it is because I am hard on phones and this is bay far the most durable phone I've ever seen. I actually have 7 of them.

[daniel]

you could call them to double check, but i am betting that they will allow your old phone to work with its sim card until you activate your new one.

[accident]

if you want durable go nextel. the i580 is pretty feature rich, and is in a hard plastic case coated in rubber. it's also mostly sealed off. i used to answer mine in the shower.

[Farbin Kaiber]

When they send you the new one, you will call in and activate the new phone.

[JGood]

...

Anyway, my question was this:

If I order the new plan and the new phone, will the new plan become effective immediately (as it kind of says it will on the website) making my current phone useless, leaving me without a working phone until I get the new one and get it activated?

Again, the lady I called at AT&T wasn't much help.

[Farbin Kaiber]

I just said it above. If your service gets new stuff that is not compatable with the phone, it won't matter. They should have the new one to you within 72 hours.


Your old phone will work as it does until you activate the new one. Then it may take an hour for the service to switch over. When I did this, my old phone would still ring even though I had a new one. Then the battery died, then I threw it away.

[E30 Cabrio]

I just upgraded to a 16gb iPhone thru ATT and since my old plan wasn't compatible, I had to call them to activate the new phone.

Took about 5 minutes and once the old phone is deactivated, your new phone is activated within 5 minutes.

Keep in mind the minimum plan for an iPhone will cost you about $65.00-$70.00 per month.

[ethirtydavid]

this phone can withstand a bullet, literally. it will take a serious beating butttt.. I was lying when I said it was bulletproof. :/

z400 samsung

[daniel]

this phone can withstand a bullet, literally. it will take a serious beating butttt.. I was lying when I said it was bulletproof. :/

z400 samsung

haha, you mean you were lying, literally?

[JGood]

I just said it above. If your service gets new stuff that is not compatable with the phone, it won't matter. They should have the new one to you within 72 hours.


Your old phone will work as it does until you activate the new one. Then it may take an hour for the service to switch over. When I did this, my old phone would still ring even though I had a new one. Then the battery died, then I threw it away.

Cool, thanks. Your first post didn't really say that ;)

I ordered the phone this morning and so far my old phone is still working as usual.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Yeah. You are on AT&T, so you may have to simply turn the new one on, then insert your SIM card. (If the phone you have now has one.)

[JGood]

I just upgraded to a 16gb iPhone thru ATT and since my old plan wasn't compatible, I had to call them to activate the new phone.

Took about 5 minutes and once the old phone is deactivated, your new phone is activated within 5 minutes.

Keep in mind the minimum plan for an iPhone will cost you about $65.00-$70.00 per month.

Thanks. Yeah, my current plan is $70, and the new plan will be $100. My current plan is 400 minutes, no rollover, roaming charges, no data, 1000 texts. The new plan is 450 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, rollover, no roaming charges, unlimited data. My old phone couldn't do anything, this phone can do everything. For an extra $30 a month, I'll take it.

[JGood]

Yeah. You are on AT&T, so you may have to simply turn the new one on, then insert your SIM card. (If the phone you have now has one.)

It does, but I heard you aren't supposed to swap the sim card?