Decaflon Thread: Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Oli — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:24:37

I'm actually really surprised that AT&T would let people do this.

And I'm surprised you're surprised. Seriously: I don't get it.

I've seen this thread buzzing away in RSS and I haven't paid it any attention, just marking it read and moving on but now I've read it and I don't understand why you're surprised.

What was the alternative? AT&T forcing people to keep their units tethered to an AT&T account?

Or are you shocked that the iPhone can run SIM-free? Even so, surely the US has pay-as-you-go SIMs that only cost £1 or thereabouts?

News would be: AT&T allow you to convert your old iPhone to wlan VOIP handset. Or is that already a viable feature?

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Gnorb — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:18:22

Not odd at all. Profit.

Of course, Apple could be trying to give SMS the floppy drive system treatment. Remember when the iMacs were first introduced without floppy drives? Many, many people screamed at Apple for not having one, while their supporters said they were "ahead of the curve". Still, doesn't quite make much sense, considering the system's rather useful. Here's a guess: AT&T decided to go with the draconian SMS policy despite Apple's objections. And I'll also venture to guess that services which turn SMS's sent to you into emails and emails you send out into SMS's will grow in usage.

Still, RightOn, I'm sort of with you on SMS. I'm not a big fan of it myself. I still do receive a few, however, which means that if I decided to get the new iPhone (as I had planed) I'm either stuck paying an outrageous $.20 per message, or paying an extra $5/mo for 200.

I'll continue to consider getting one, mostly because of the interoperational functionality with the other Apple devices in my house, but I'm now also considering other options whereas a week ago, it was a sure thing I'd get one.

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

RightOn — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:48:40

Honestly, that would actually MAKE me want the plan more... I can't stand SMS.

Odd that they would do that, when the iPhone ships stock with an SMS app.

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Scrivs — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:07:10

Meanwhile, AT&T is screwing over the people actually paying for the service by not including SMS with the phone plan, and charging $10/month more for the service.

Yeah you figure they had to do something "cool" at one point. Hard to imagine them making customers bend over anymore to use a device they bought.

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Gnorb — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:41:20

Meanwhile, AT&T is screwing over the people actually paying for the service by not including SMS with the phone plan, and charging $10/month more for the service.

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

RightOn — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:58:31

I would love an iPhone minus the phone... I want the Camera on my iPod. :)

Keep Your Original iPhone As A WiFi-Enabled iPod

Mike — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:48:48

I'm actually really surprised that AT&T would let people do this. Cellphone companies are always trying to milk users out of every dollar they have, so letting "old" iPhones still exist without AT&T activation or a contract is pretty cool.

So you can check your email, download iPhone apps via the App Store, do the iTunes thing, and essentially have yourself an iPod touch.

Of course the flipside of this issue is that if AT&T deliberately made your old iPhone unusable as soon as you deactivated it in favor of a new 3G one, the masses would be at their doors with pitchforks.