iphone for travel? No service?

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Hey all,



I plan to get the apple phone this summer.



But Two questions.



1) I understand the apple phone comes with a 2 year cingular contract...but what I am not clear on, is do you HAVE to buy into the contract? What if you just want to use the iphone as a portable wifi device for awhile, and not use it as a phone? Can you?



2) I travel ALOT. Mostly to Taiwan. Will the iphone work over there with cingular? Or in Europe lets say?



Thanks,



:-)

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    Hey all,



    I plan to get the apple phone this summer. But Two questions.



    1) I understand the apple phone comes with a 2 year cingular contract...but what I am not clear on, is do you HAVE to buy into the contract? What if you just want to use the iphone as a portable wifi device for awhile, and not use it as a phone? Can you?



    Since many if not most of us here have already purchased our iPhones we can all officially answer your first question what a resounding "YES YOU CAN!!" errr... "NO YOU CANT??" errr... "WE JUST DONT KNOW?!?!"



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    2) I travel ALOT. Mostly to Taiwan. Will the iphone work over there with cingular? Or in Europe lets say? Thanks, :-)



    This I dunno for sure... I did hear something about the iPhone being TRI-BAND (but not QUAD-BAND) so... while (for one) can't answer with a huge degree of certainty I'd assume that YES the phone would be compatible (with Cingulars european network) but as for any providers that Cingular may have agreement with (to share towers/networks etc) I wouldn't know.



    Dave
  • Reply 2 of 8
    reganregan Posts: 474member
    Yeah, i figured it was too soon to get an accurate answer. Guess I'll have to wait.



    I know paying $500 for just using the iphone as a wifi/internet/music player and NOT a phone may seem silly...but I'd like to have that option. I mean I hope you arent forced to start paying on a contract right away.



    Or maybe I am just being a typical guy whose affraid to commit. I dunno. :P
  • Reply 3 of 8
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    The information from Apple and Cingular is pretty clear. You have to sign up to a two-year Cingular contract in order to purchase the iPhone.



    The iPhone would be much more expensive it it weren't being subsidised by Cingular in this way.



    On the travel front, presumably Cingular have deals with foreign carriers. When you use your phone abroad, you'll connect to a local carrier and get charged an arm and a leg by Cingular to make and recieve calls. I'm sure a Cingular store or Cingular's website can fill you in on the details.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    reganregan Posts: 474member
    I still dont see how they can FORCE you to sign up for cingular or you CANT buy the iphone. I mean...isnt that up to the customer?



    What if u just wanted to use it as a phone and wifi device? Isnt that the customers perogative? :P
  • Reply 5 of 8
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    I still dont see how they can FORCE you to sign up for cingular or you CANT buy the iphone.



    I can.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    I mean...isnt that up to the customer?



    No.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    What if u just wanted to use it as a phone and wifi device? Isnt that the customers perogative? :P



    Your prerogative as a customer is to choose whether or not you want the iPhone badly enough to sign up to a two-year Cingular contract.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    reganregan Posts: 474member
    Lol....noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!



    If I want to use the iphone as a $500 paperweight...THAT most definitely IS my perogative. :P
  • Reply 7 of 8
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Please don't flame me?







    But?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by regan View Post


    perogative



    It's spelt prerogative.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    reganregan Posts: 474member
    If I want to spell "prerogative" as "perogative" that is my prerogative too! Er...I mean perogative. :P



    Damn you to hell mr H! :-)



    I guess I have to rewatch some of those old school house rock videos for a refresher course in grammer.



    Still...I think I'd buy the iphone just for the wifi. I live in the hotspot rich city of NY.
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