AT&T

How to Resell Your Old iPhone At the Best Price

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

With the new iPhone 3G S now available, some of you will most likely decide to upgrade their old iPhone 2G or 3G to get the "fastest iPhone yet". Depending on your upgrade eligibility with AT&T, you might be able to get the best price on the new iPhone ($299 for the 32GB), or if you're not eligible, the 32GB will cost you up to $699.

A good way to offset the price of the new iPhone 3G S is to sell your old iPhone. There are a few sites out there that "specialize" is buying out old iPhones but I recommend staying away from them. While they may be completely legit sites, they won't give you as much as you could get if you sold your iPhone directly to a third party. The following is what I did to sell my last 2 iPhones and believe me, it worked very well...

Simple Hack to Enable Free iPhone Tethering On Any Carrier

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

Just a few hours after Apple released firmware 3.0 to the public, some smart guy already figured out a way to hack the iPhone to allow free tethering on most carriers, including AT&T. What's even better about this hack is that you don't have to jailbreak your iPhone.

How to enable free tethering on iPhone 3.0?

1. On your iPhone, launch Safari

2. Go to the following website: http://help.benm.at/tethering.php

3. Find your country, select your provider, and tap "download".

4. Go to Settings > General > Network > Internet Tethering Bluetooth or USB

5. Done!

Is this legal? Well, not really... I suggest you don't tether your iPhone too much using this hack as carriers have a way to find out and can very well overcharge you or simply disconnect you, as UK carrier 02 reportedly said it would:

Under those terms we reserve the right to charge customers making modem use of their iPhone or disconnect them.

Use with caution...

AT&T’s iPhone 3G S Upgrade Price Drop Is A Marketing Stunt

Sébastien Page ∙ June 17, 2009

Earlier today, AT&T issued a press release aimed at calming down its angry customers (I am one of them) who pre-ordered the new iPhone 3G S and were not eligible for an upgrade.

Previously, only customers who were eligible for an upgrade could get the iPhone 3G S at the best price. So if you bought your iPhone 3G last year at launch, like most of us, you theoretically wouldn't be eligible for a full upgrade until December of 2009.

According to AT&T's press release:

We’re now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.

That's incredibly nice of AT&T except that most 3G customers aren't eligible until December anyways. Still according to AT&T, those eligible for their best upgrade pricing are customers "who spend more than $99 a month per line".

My opinion is that this is just a marketing stunt from AT&T. If you read various iPhone blogs right now, they are all excited about this piece of news basically saying that AT&T redeemed itself and did the right thing. You should not be fooled by their good words. Unless you spend over $100/month on your iPhone plan, you will not be eligible for the best price ($299 for the 32GB).

For those of you who spend more than $100/month on your iPhone plan, you might be eligible. In this case, read the following information from AT&T:

If you’re one of the customers who benefits from this change, and you’ve already preordered from an AT&T store, we’ll adjust the price of the device when you pick it up. If you benefit from the change and you pre-ordered from AT&T online, we’ll send you an e-mail and issue you a credit.

If you pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S through Apple’s online store, your upgrade eligibility will be reassessed based on AT&T's new upgrade policy for iPhone 3G owners. If you are eligible for the lower price, Apple will issue you a credit for the difference as applicable.

I called AT&T this morning and they confirmed I was not eligible. I was very polite and friendly with the customer service rep and explained her my situation. I switched from T-Mobile to get the iPhone back in 2007. I've been a loyal customer since then and I pay my bills as soon as they show up in the mail. I told her that I feel left out and that it would be a nice commercial gesture to credit the price difference (roughly $200) to my account. In the end, she credited my account of $50, which is better than nothing.

Still, I feel that AT&T is not doing the right thing here.

6 Reasons the iPhone 3G S Sucks

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 5, 2016

If you read this iPhone blog on a regular basis, you know that I'm not a big Apple fan, and I take any chance I get to talk smack about them. There are enough fanboys, so someone needs to be the devil's advocate... Last week I wrote about 7 reasons to buy the new iPhone 3G S and today I'd like to give a few reasons why the new iPhone 3G S is kind of a joke.

The Name Sucks

Lets' start with the obvious: the name - iPhone 3G S. I had speculated about several names for the new iPhone and I really thought they would simply call it "iPhone". You have to admit that "iPhone 3G S" is a pretty clunky name. If you were going to have a "S" in the name, why not simply call it "iPhone S". It would have been a shorter and more "esthetically appealing" name.

The Design Is Boring

I think what I hate the most about the iPhone 3G S is the design which is exactly identical to the iPhone 3G. When I pay $560.16 for a new phone, I expect to have something that looks different from everybody else. Yes, the iPhone is a phone for the elite, I admit it. I kinda miss the days of the first iPhone, when people came to me and candidly asked me "wow, is this the iPhone?". I was proud of it. Now everyone has an iPhone, and even worse, everyone has an iPhone that looks similar.

I was really looking forward having a revamped iPhone design. To those of you arguing with this, think about it this way. What would you say if BMW came out with the same car design twice, even though the engine was different? Any car critic would just roast BMW for their lack of creativity. Strangely, no one seems to care that the iPhone design is the same as the previous one.

The Camera Still Sucks

We went from a 2 to 3 megapixels camera. It's better than nothing but it's still 4 years behind every other smartphone, possibly more. The camera doesn't even come with a flash. My old BlackBerry pearl did all this 4 years ago...

New Features Are Old News

Voice dialing, video recording and copy/paste were welcome as the messiah during WWDC. That's BS if you want my opinion. This is just a software update, and once again, any smartphone on the market has had these features for years.

The Pricing Is Scandalous

The attractive $300 price tag for the 32GB iPhone 3G S is only applicable to new AT&T customers. While I understand the whole subsidize thing, I am really pissed I have to pay $560.16 for this new phone, especially when I see that the iPhone 3G S costs about 17% more than the G1 and 32% more than the Palm Pre over the course of a 2 year contract. AT&T is cashing in on existing customers, yet it won't give throw them a bone and sell them the iPhone 3G S at $299?

No Tethering Or MMS At Launch

This is not specific to the iPhone 3G S, but rather to AT&T. AT&T has most likely been aware of these new features for months, and it still couldn't manage to get its shit together on time. That's a huge fail for AT&T who claims tethering and MMS will be available "later this summer". At least AT&T won't charge extra for MMS but I can't see their future tethering plan under $30. I'll stick to PDAnet for my free tethering.

The iPhone 3G S really is a non-event for existing 3G owners but the success of the pre-orders shows once again that fanboys are willing to throw money at anything Apple releases. If it wasn't kind of my job to have the latest iPhone, I probably wouldn't have upgraded.

I look forward to reading your comments and see whether you will upgrade or not.

AT&T Says No Extra Charge For iPhone MMS

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

The long awaited MMS feature for the iPhone is finally coming with the release of 3.0. It is legitimate to wonder how much AT&T will charge iPhone users for this feature. Well, a good news uncovered by TiPB reveals that AT&T will not charge extra for sending MMS from your iPhone.

Later this summer, as part of the 3.0 software, AT&T will make multimedia messaging (MMS) available at no extra cost to customers with a text messaging bundle.

It makes sense but it's always good to be reassured, especially knowing how AT&T likes to overcharge its customers. Now the question is: when? AT&T only says "later this summer", which could be anytime from June 19th (which would make sense) to sometimes in September...

Click here for more answers from AT&T to your questions about the iPhone 3G S.

How to Buy An iPhone 3G S Without A Contract

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

If you were thinking about upgrading your iPhone 3G to the 3G S, you may have been turned off by AT&T scandalous prices for its "valued customers". Indeed, current 3G owners willing to upgrade to the 3G S will have to pay between $499 and $699 depending on the model you want and renew their contract with AT&T for 2 more years.

A smart folk over at iTalk iPhone figured out how to purchase an iPhone 3G S without an AT&T contract.

I Just Spent $560.16 On the New iPhone 3G S

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 5, 2016

I ragged about how AT&T is raping iPhone 3G owners who want to upgrade to the iPhone 3G S earlier today but I couldn't resist the temptation... When I first tried to pre-order this morning, it said I would have to pay $699 for the 32GB. I tried again a few minutes ago and it was saying "only" $499.

So I cracked and pre-ordered the new 32GB iPhone 3G S. Total price including taxes: $560.16. Nowhere it mentions anything about activation fee and upgrade fee although it wanted to charge me an extra $36 for this when I first tried to pre-order this morning. I assume AT&T will charge this to me at some point, in which case I will ask them not to as this bill clearly doesn't say anything about these fees.

That's an expensive purchase and I really didn't plan on spending that much but a couple things make me feel better about it. First, I will probably be able to get a couple hundred bucks from my current iPhone 3G as I will sell it unlocked. Second, my accountant will write this off of my taxes next year, so all in all, it shouldn't cost me too much.

There were several delivery options. I took the free one as it said it would be delivered by June 19th. This or waiting in line for 3 hours like I did last year at the store? It's a no brainer.

Once Again AT&T Is Screwing iPhone Users. Wants to Charge You $699 For the New iPhone 3GS

Sébastien Page ∙ June 8, 2009

AT&T is once again showing proof of how much it sucks. The new iPhone just came out with two basic features that we've been waiting for a long time: MMS and tethering. Unfortunately, AT&T sucks so much they were not able to get their shit together on time and we'll have to wait to be able to use these features. How long do we have to wait? Well, we don't know... As Jason Kincaid from TechCrunch says:

At launch on June 17th, MMS is going to be supported by 29 carriers, and tethering will be supported by 22 of them. So when can we finally expect these stateside? MMS is apparently coming “later this summer”. And tethering? A much more nebulous (and ominous) “later”.

This is ridiculous, plain and simple. AT&T has almost certainly known about Apple’s plans for many months if not years, and was probably involved in determining when these features would be launching in the first place.

Want to hear even more ridiculous? I tried to pre-order the new iPhone 3GS on Apple's website and I can't get it for under $599... Yes, the price tag says $299 but you have to qualify for it. Here is what the fine print says:

Requires new two-year AT&T wireless service contract, sold separately to qualified customers; credit check required; must be 18 or older. For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).

This is far beyond scandalous. I switched to AT&T to get the first iPhone. I renewed a 2 year contract to get the iPhone 3G last year, and now, I have to pay full price - $699 - for the new iPhone 3GS. Are you serious? I hope this is a mistake and it will be fixed quickly.

AT&T iPhone Tethering Plan To Be Announced This Week

Sébastien Page ∙ January 5, 2009

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about how an iPhone tethering plan was officially on its way, and it seems that we are getting very close to an announcement, most likely this week at MacWorld.

According to TUAW:

It's been under the rumor banner for some time now, but we've been told by a trusted source that the long-awaited AT&T iPhone-as-modem tethering plans (preliminary details in MacBlogz' post from November: 5 GB data cap, $30/month supplementary cost) may be ready for prime time during Macworld Expo this week. The tethering announcement might not rise to a keynote-worthy level; it could simply be publicized as a press release during the show.

I stick to my guess of a $40/month plan for this. Given that PDAnet already tethers your iPhone for free, I'm not signing up for this plan anytime soon.

Fewer Bars In More Places: AT&T Downgrading 2G Service

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

According to Timothy Butler with OFB, AT&T has been shifting transmitters to the weaker 1900 MHz band in some areas. What if you're one of the unlucky customers? Well, simply get a new phone... that's pretty much what AT&T is saying...

This shift has resulted in customers past their 30-day return policy, but still with relatively new phones, finding themselves stuck with equipment no longer able to pick up signals properly in previously strong coverage areas, even though the equipment itself is without defect.

Reports suggested the problem started to appear as AT&T ramped up its 3G network in preparation for the iPhone 3G in early 2008. Each AT&T technician OFB talked to concerning this problem offered the same solution: that the customer should purchase new, 3G-enabled equipment at the customer’s own expense.

AT&T reps obviously denied this information but if you've been noticing slower data transfers lately while on Edge... don't look any further. Look at the bright side though; you now have another good reason to get yourself an iPhone 3G!

$99 iPhones For Sale!

Sébastien Page ∙ December 27, 2008

Walmart was rumored to sell cheap iPhone for $99 but that was just a rumor. Walmart will sell iPhones at a $3 discount from the usual price.

However, AT&T is now selling $99 8GB iPhones. Don't get too excited... For that price you only get a refurnished iPhone but hey, if you couldn't afford the full price, that might be the right time for you to buy an iPhone. You can also get a 16GB for $199.

This offer is available through December 31st and to take advantage of it, you will have to sign a 2-year contract with AT&T.

Hurry up before they sell out!

Forget Fring, Use TruPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 22, 2017

Ok, don't forget Fring yet as it is a pretty good "all-in-one" app. But if you are using Fring solely for the Skype calls feature, then you might want to give a try at TruPhone, a VoIP app that was the first of its kind to be approved in the App Store.

So, what's so good about TruPhone? Well, I guess the best feature of this application is that it allows you to make VoIP calls from your iPhone to any phone in the world over wifi, and most importantly you can make calls even if you are not in a wifi zone. Now I have to admit this part is a bit shady. I had a look at Truohone's website and I can't figure out how this works exactly. It doesn't say anything about 3G or Edge but it does say that you can make calls even if you don't have an Internet connection. It's confusing but it still sounds great!

Fring allows you to do pretty much the same (and actually more) but the problem with Fring is that the app doesn't let you make VoIP calls over 3G or Edge, unless you implemented my Fring hack, of course... It seems that TruPhone is making this possible, without having to hack anything.

Let's have a look at what TruPhone can do for you:

Cheap international calls

The Truphone iPhone app routes iPhone calls over the Internet which can save you loads of money on international calls from your home country and on calls when you're abroad. You can look at the rates here. Calling a landline in my home country (France) is $0.06/minute but calling a cellphone there is $0.30/minute. All calls in the US are $0.06/minute.

Use Truphone Anywhere

If you're not online Truphone Anywhere can still route your call over the internet. So now you can make cheap VoIP calls even when you're not connected to a Wi-Fi network. How does that work? I'm not sure...

Free calls worldwide

Calls to other connected Truphone users are FREE, worldwide. So if you and your friends all download Truphone, you can call each other for FREE, wherever you are in the world!

Know who's online

A new feature lets you know which of your Truphone contacts is online. It's great news if you want to make FREE Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi calls on your iPhone because calls between connected users are always FREE Worldwide.

Receive calls for free

You can receive FREE Truphone calls whenever you're connected to a Wi-Fi network.

iPod Touch users for once shouldn't feel left aside. If you have a headset with a microphone you can also use this great app on your iTouch, which means that you can turn your iPod Touch into a phone!!!

Truphone is free and you may click here to download Truphone for iPhone or Truphone for iPod Touch.

One question still lingers in my mind though... Is AT&T ok with that?