iPhone upgraders forced into new 2-year contracts? [updated]

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iPhone upgraders forced into new 2-year contracts? [updated]

A number of iPhone users upgrading from older 4GB or 8GB units to the new 16GB model have been presented with conflicting information regarding whether or not their AT&T contracts are being extended, and whether they should attempt to use their prior iPhone SIM cards in the new model. A discussion thread on Apple’s support site outlines the problems, with an Apple employee admitting to not having a concrete answer. “Use the SIM from your current iPhone,” said Apple employee Nathan C., before editing his post to say “My apologies these steps may not work. You may need to activate it with the new SIM choosing the option to ‘replace’ an existing phone on your account.” Another user claims that an AT&T sales agent said that the original 2-year plan would end as soon as he activated the new iPhone, and that a new 2-year contract would be initiated. iLounge has contacted AT&T for clarification on the issue, and will be updating this story once we receive a response.

Update: Mark Siegel, Executive Director of Media and Analyst Relations with AT&T, told iLounge in an email, “If you upgrade from an 8 to a 16 GB iPhone, you sign a new contract. However, we automatically backdate it to the starting point of your contract on the 8 GB phone.” He added that the company “will make every effort to ensure that our reps provide customers with the correct information,” and clarified that customers should activate the SIM card that comes with the new model.

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Comments

1

I hate contracts. When will companies cut that crap out. Most countries don’t have these Contracts, where the only way you can get out is with a death certificate.

Posted by brian on February 6, 2008 at 11:40 AM (PDT)

2

Next question: Will they run a credit check on you when you activate a new iPhone to an existing iPhone contract (using the replace existing phone option) the way they do when you create a new contract or add a new line to an existing contract?

Posted by dodo on February 6, 2008 at 11:50 AM (PDT)

3

I hope this is ironed out by the time 3g iPhones come out, because then there will be a flood of upgraders.

I want to get the 3G and give my old iPhone to my wife (who would be a new AT&T customer). I wonder how that will work?

Posted by Ted T. on February 6, 2008 at 2:30 PM (PDT)

4

Thanks to iLounge for going straight to the source for an official statement to clarify the situation. One of the many reasons I always come back.

Posted by BJ Nemeth on February 6, 2008 at 4:13 PM (PDT)

5

can someone explain to me what the purpose is of signing a new contract if they automatically go and backdate it anyway? Isn’t that identical to having the original contract anyway? So am I missing something or is that completely pointless??

Posted by Thayne on February 6, 2008 at 6:32 PM (PDT)

6

att suckers, im going to call collect to those bastards and im going to tell them hey hello why dont you keep your contracts im using a jailbroken iphone and even if i upgrade to 16 gb version it still will be jailbroken suck on that longlive the hackers att suckers 0 hackers 3

Posted by alex on February 7, 2008 at 8:34 AM (PDT)

7

Once you activate the new phone, using the new sim, what happens to the old sim? If I sell my phone, will the buyer be able to activate on their own account

Posted by lee on February 7, 2008 at 12:42 PM (PDT)

8

I just got back from returning my not yet 14 day old 8gb iphone for a 16gb iphone.

I used the old sim, in the new phone and chose to replace current phone with new phone in itunes.

It only asked a few questions to make sure that me was me, and activated the phone.

I called the local store afterward and my contract did restart from today. But since I only had the 8gb phone for 4 days, what does it really matter?

But those of you that are far into your contract, I dunno ?

Posted by Tim on February 7, 2008 at 1:16 PM (PDT)

9

You mean you can’t just take the AT&T iPhone plan SIM card out of the under contract 4GB or 8GB iPhone and put it into your new 16GB iPhone that you just spent $500 on (on top of the $400 to $600 you spent on the old iPhone)

Why? Why? Why the eff can’t Apple and AT&T make it that simple?

Posted by drmanhattan on February 8, 2008 at 10:47 AM (PDT)

10

because these people dont care about customer service, i say it from experience i will never be with att, im with another company and i even can put my sim card on a new iphone or an old one why bother???

Posted by alex on February 8, 2008 at 3:30 PM (PDT)

11

Another classic example why I still haven’t switched my t-mobile iPhone over to ATT.

Posted by djfred on February 8, 2008 at 5:50 PM (PDT)

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