Prepaid iPhone on Straight Talk?
SIM-only deals from Straight Talk and Net10: it could, and probably does, mean that users can activate iPhones. Andrew Berg of Wireless Week cites Walter Piecyk of BTIG, an analysis firm, who talks about the disruptive possibilities of such an offering. “We are unaware of any way to use an iPhone on prepaid,” writes Piecyk. That’s true generally, though there are the tech-savvier among us who have figured out ways. Yet there might be a few problems involved with this. Here’s a key line in Berg’s article: “Piecyk writes that Straight Talk does not appear to cap or throttle its data.” They might not appear to, but there have been more than a few stories of Straight Talk users getting their accounts cancelled for excessive usage. This includes not only voice and text services, but also data. If users can, in fact, activate an iPhone on Straight Talk, they’d still be subject to Straight Talk’s whims. They could easily get booted for excessive usage. Another issue, from the article:
“The disparity in pricing between Straight Talk’s $45 per month and AT&T’s is simply too great to ignore and Straight Talk is clearly indicating that the customer will be using the same network,” notes Piecyk.While Straight Talk might use AT&T’s network, it does not have AT&T’s roaming capabilities. It is not the same network at all, then. While Straight Talk does borrow from all networks, it’s unclear how roaming will work in this instance. Chances are, however, that users will have a much more restricted network. The deal might seem too good to pass up, and in many ways it is. This is an easy way to get an iPhone on prepaid. But it’s not all candy canes and rainbows. There are restrictions on Straight Talk that simply aren’t there on AT&T. It’s not as though users will get the same service for half the price, which is exactly what Piecyk implies. ]]>
If there are roaming limitations on ST I haven’t experienced it. I have been using iPhone(s) on ST for a year, and their service has been pretty close to perfect. If I am out of AT&T 3G coverage, it will use a partner network (probably tMobile) and drop down to EDGE speed, but that’s rare, and it doesn’t cost a penny more. I’ve used both an AT&T iPhone and a factory unlocked version. With ST, I have never been in an area where I didn’t have coverage, and I do travel nationwide. Typical speedtest is between 2-4Mb/s, but I have tested as high as 6Mb/s in some places.
Tell me again what restrictions I have with ST that I don’t have with AT&T? I can think of plenty of restrictions I would have with AT&T that I don’t have with ST, hard data caps being the big one. Another is that they will NEVER unlock an AT&T iPhone, even after you have completed your contractual obligation. So, you are left with having to purchase another phone or re-up with AT&T. How’s THAT for a restriction? How about being restricted to using AT&T’s international roaming partners at super-expensive per-minute rates?
The only thing I don’t get with ST is the astronomical cost of doing business directly with AT&T. AT&T pricing works out to ~$1500 more than ST over 2 years, even after factoring in the cost of purchasing an unsubsidized iPhone up front.
You are correct about one thing. ST is not all candy canes and rainbows. There’s also a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.
I use an iPhone on Straight Talk.
1. Get a google voice account (Straight Talk won’t have your number, google does…if something goes wrong you still have your number)
2. Do not go over 2 gigs of data. There are apps you can download to monitor this. I use dataman.
“We are unaware of any way to use an iphone on prepaid.”
This guy’s supposed to be telling us he knows what he’s talking about? What a joke. Tmobile alone has a million unlocked iphones on their network and I bet some of them are prepaid. H20 and Red Pocket’s facebook site are loaded with people using gsm /Att iphones.
If this guy’s getting paid to say garbage like this, I want his job.
That is mere sillyness what this articles suggests and Ike is absolutely right just check out any of the following sites and they have been using iPhone for long time now:
AT&T iPhone Prepaid plans:
http://www.iphone-unlimited.com (H2O Wireless)
http://www.goredpocketmobile.com (Red Pocket Mobile)
Verizon iPhones:
http://www.mypageplusactivation.com
To name that it is a new thing is just closing your eyes and taking one from the back since it is clear there are millions of iPhones on prepaid plans nationwide.
I live in Wyoming and AT&t service is poor. WIll I still be able to use an Iphone?
I’m happy with my iPhone on Tmobile. I signed up for the $30 Walmart prepaid plan and it works great. There’s a tutorial here https://sites.google.com/site/cheapsmartphone that shows how to set it up. I’m lucky because I’m in an area where I’m getting 3G speeds on Tmobile. But, I read somewhere recently that Tmobile is planning to roll out 3G support for all iPhones very soon. I think that $30 a month is the perfect price for a phone. Even $45 or $50 is starting to get expensive to me. (Especially if they’re capping your speed or limiting your data).
I have an unlocked iPhone 3G. I have good service with ST except I do not have internet unless I am at a location that has wireless WIFI. What do I need to do? Apple and AT&T both agree the phone is unlocked.
I’ve used a locked AT&T Iphone on Red Pocket. I then switched to Straight Talk (which, so far, is more reliable than either AT&T was or Red Pocket was) but I could activate my I-Phone on Straight Talk without unlocking it which AT&T refused to do even though I met all of their criteria for a free unlock. So, I went online and paid the grand sum of $4 and my I-Phone was unlocked in 12 hours and works great on Straight Talk and international carriers. So, I’m happy. A much better deal for me than AT&T ever was and Straight Talk is certainly no worse that AT&T’s and, in some ways, it’s better.
Typo alert! That should have read “I could NOT activate my I-Phone on Straight Talk without …..”
Straight talk has the poorest customer service I have seen, as it relates to getting poor reception corrected, credit issued for non working product, or simply getting a CSR you can hear, and understand? They have an no return policy on SIM Cards even if never used?
Their policies are their way or the highway. BUYER BEWARE.