Buying an iPhone in Off Topic

ID:78015
 
Jul 30 2009, 6:55 pm
I was walking home last night and dropped my phone for the first time, it broke. I was walking to work this morning and dropped my iPod for the first time, it also broke.

So I figure I might as well get an iPhone. Going back down to 32GB is going to be a pain but I'll deal with it until something better pops up.
My real concern is that I may have to change my phone plan. Right now I'm off contract and the bill is never over $30. I only get like $20 of a free calls, but my rates are so low that $20 actually means something.
The problem is that when I set up my plan mobile internet was a joke, and thus my data allowance is ridiculously expensive and woefully inadequate.

What I want to know is whether or not you can limit the internet capabilities to WiFi? If I can then there should be no problem keeping my existing plan. I wont be able to access the internet everywhere, but I think I can continue living in a world where I don't have instant access to Cracked's latest article on the Top 6 Cavemen Mating Rituals (That Are Still Used Today!).


So yeah, does anyone know whether I can turn the internet off completely on the iPhone? Also any other advice would be great.
#1 Jul 30 2009, 7:02 pm
First hit:

http://brent.kearneys.ca/2008/07/21/ iphone-20-how-to-disable-cellular-internet-access/

Seems like a little bit of work, but doable.

*Edit*
Also, talk about a bad 24 hours! Breaking your phone and iPod one after the other :P
#2 Jul 30 2009, 7:02 pm
I think that's referred to as "Airport mode" and it should be a normal feature. If it isn't a normal feature, then it's a jailbreak feature (everyone should jailbreak, though, as it opens up so many more possibilities, such as more programs, better prank calls (caller ID spoofing apps), etc.).

EDIT: Looked it up, airport mode disables all cell phone functionality.
#3 Jul 30 2009, 7:14 pm
I'm 99% sure that you *must* pay the extra $20 or $30 monthly iPhone charge just for having an iPhone. It doesn't just pay for unlimited browsing, it's also for features like visual voicemail etc.

If you don't want to pay that fee, an iPod Touch might be more up your alley. If you do go for an iPhone then definitely get yourself a car charger -- the only problem is the battery life.
#4 Jul 30 2009, 7:30 pm
Darkview, you must have a data plan with an iPhone. Its $30/month. The cheapest monthly phone plan will run you at $40/month.

I'm not sure how old you are, but you could consider cancelling your home internet service and tether your iPhone to your desktop/laptop. You'll have to find a nice cost/benefit tradeoff that you can live with.
#5 Jul 30 2009, 8:42 pm
Bootyboy wrote:
Its $30/month. The cheapest monthly phone plan will run you at $40/month.

I'm guessing that's USD. So far I'm looking at $60-$70 AUD per month just to have a new feature installed then disabled (my home and work internet connections destroy anything the iPhone is capable of, so I'll stick with WiFi even if I'm paying for 3G).
That said, the idea of tethering it is cool. Wouldn't work for me, but cool none the less.


SilkWizard wrote:
I'm 99% sure that you *must* pay the extra $20 or $30 monthly iPhone charge just for having an iPhone.

I went looking for a fee like this when I brought the phone. I'll pay it if I have to, but if I'm reading everything right it wont come to that. I guess we'll see when it gets here (or more likely, when the next bill gets here).

If you do go for an iPhone then definitely get yourself a car charger -- the only problem is the battery life.

Damn. Hopefully it fits the iPod universal docking system. I've got those all over the place.

Jeff wrote:
I think that's referred to as "Airport mode" and it should be a normal feature.

This is where I get derailed. I'm not sure if the few people I've found who will admit its possible to turn the net off (never trust a phone salesman =P) seem to be talking about this. If this works like any other airport mode it'll turn the phone services off as well, so its not a solution to my problem.


DarkCampainger wrote:
Also, talk about a bad 24 hours! Breaking your phone and iPod one after the other :P

I'll say. I'm struggling to think of another time this century I've dropped something like this, and the closet I can come up with is back in '99 when my sister dropped my discman and broke the battery cover. Two drops and both of them are fatal. What are the odds?
#6 Jul 31 2009, 11:36 am
Are you sure you didn't "drop" them on purpose? Just so you can get something new?
#7 Jul 31 2009, 5:25 pm (Edited on Aug 5 2009, 9:25 pm)
Child Prodigy wrote:
Are you sure you didn't "drop" them on purpose? Just so you can get something new?

Well I wouldn't have thought a single drop would break either of them. Seriously, my iPod is in mint condition if you don't count the broken hard-drive.