[TVMAN92]

Hey guys. I live in america and am desperately waiting for the bold to come to AT&T. In the mean time, I have an iPhone 3G which I like, and would like to keep. Would it be possible to get the blackberry bold and then switch between the two seamlessly? I have the unlimited 3G iphone Data plan. Would that work with the new bold? Has anyone tried this in Canada or anywhere else? I'm just curious to see what actual people have experienced other than what the AT&T people are telling me. Thanks! TVMAN92

[Allyson Kazmucha]

Hey guys. I live in america and am desperately waiting for the bold to come to AT&T. In the mean time, I have an iPhone 3G which I like, and would like to keep. Would it be possible to get the blackberry bold and then switch between the two seamlessly? I have the unlimited 3G iphone Data plan. Would that work with the new bold? Has anyone tried this in Canada or anywhere else? I'm just curious to see what actual people have experienced other than what the AT&T people are telling me. Thanks! TVMAN92

You can do this, but you need to make some changes to your plan.

If you keep the iPhone plan, you will not be able to use BB messenger, PIN messages, BIS or any BB specific features.

I switched between my 1st iPhone and my curve all the time.

Call AT&T, cancel your iPhone 3G data plan, add the BB personal plan. It's the same price, 30/month. Then you'll get all the BB features you'd want. (Without them, a BB is kind of pointless in my opinion)

The only thing you will lose on the iPhone is the visual voicemail. It'll call your voicemail just like any other phone, which never bothered me.

[TVMAN92]

Hey amkls704, thanks for answering my question. Couple more for you. What if I wanted to use both? Is it possible that I could just the blackberry without getting a blackberry data plan and just not use bb messenger or the internet or anything else that uses bb data, and pop my iPhone sim card in and out of the two? I'm just not sure whether you can even use a blackberry on a number without having a blackberry data plan? Like is operating the blackberry contingent upon the purchase of a BB data plan? ------ What if i switched data plans every other month? Like January have an iPhone data plan, and then the next month get the bb data plan? I just want to have both with only paying one data plan. Thats the main objective. All suggestions are welcome haha

[Branta]

Why have a Berry without the real BB data service? It will work with your iPhone sim but it becomes a very expensive DumbPhone. Amkls704 makes the best suggestion - if you must alternate both do it withthe BB data service, that way you lose fewer useful features.

I seriously doubt any service provider will let you alternate months between iPhone data and BB data, the admin workload is just too much.

[TVMAN92]

Thanks. That I would understand but I want the blackberry as a travel phone because you can unlock it without voiding the warranty. Just wanted to see if AT&T will let me use the blackberry w/o the bb data plan. Will I just have to buy the phone outside of at&t and then activate it through them or what? I want to keep the iphone data plan and just have the blackberry as a backup. But the bold is awesome and id still have unlimited minutes and texting with it. What should I do?

[JM12345]

Thanks. That I would understand but I want the blackberry as a travel phone because you can unlock it without voiding the warranty. Just wanted to see if AT&T will let me use the blackberry w/o the bb data plan. Will I just have to buy the phone outside of at&t and then activate it through them or what? I want to keep the iphone data plan and just have the blackberry as a backup. But the bold is awesome and id still have unlimited minutes and texting with it. What should I do?

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think AT&T will let you get a BB without the plan. The BB is constantly talking to the network so you have to get a plan with it.

[mfang210]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think AT&T will let you get a BB without the plan. The BB is constantly talking to the network so you have to get a plan with it.

You can get a BB without a BB plan. 2 of my friends that have AT&T has the Curve but no BB plan.

[Allyson Kazmucha]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think AT&T will let you get a BB without the plan. The BB is constantly talking to the network so you have to get a plan with it.

False. You can definitely have a BB without a BB data plan.

When you sign up for a 2 year agreement, with the rebates it's always a stipulation to add more features. When I bought my Curve you either had to add a BB personal plan, or an unlimited text package. You had to keep whichever you chose at least until you got the rebate back. When I was in the AT&T store, a mom was buying her 18 yr old daughter a Curve and just added the unlimited txt and had them disable the browser so she couldn't rack up data charges or something of the sort.

Either way - you don't HAVE to have anything. If you don't have a data plan at all and get on the net, why would AT&T care? They get more money because they just charge you insane out the as* data fees. For most of us though, without it, it defeats the purpose of blackberry goodness.

To the OP, I'm telling you, if you are even considering a BB, use the BB data plan. I don't think you are understanding what I'm saying.

Both phones will function with the BB personal data plan. It is the exact same price and the iPhone 3G data plan ($30).

Here are the benefits of the BB personal plan when using a BB that you can ONLY get with a BB plan:

*Blackberry Messenger
*PIN messaging
*Push e-mail on up to 10 accounts (I believe it's 10 anyways)
*Unlimited data
*Access to BIS

Here are the benefits of the iPhone data plan:

*Visual Voicemail

Pretty much nothing for the iPhone. If you stick your sim into your iPhone with the BB data plan, it will function just fine. You still have unlimited data, use it as normal.

As I said earlier, the ONLY difference is that when you go to Phone --> Voicemail, instead of showing the voicemails on the iPhone, it will just call your voicemail like any other normal phone would.

It is really that big of a deal?

It seems to me like you are just making a really easy solution harder for yourself.

Just drop the iPhone data plan, add the BB personal, enjoy the benefits of BOTH phones, minus the visual voicemail on the iPhone. Swap SIMs whenever you like, as often as you like, and you are good to go.

Believe me, there are many more benefits to a BB plan and you will appreciate it a lot more once you begin using your BB.

[slashTom]

False. You can definitely have a BB without a BB data plan.

When you sign up for a 2 year agreement, with the rebates it's always a stipulation to add more features. When I bought my Curve you either had to add a BB personal plan, or an unlimited text package. You had to keep whichever you chose at least until you got the rebate back. When I was in the AT&T store, a mom was buying her 18 yr old daughter a Curve and just added the unlimited txt and had them disable the browser so she couldn't rack up data charges or something of the sort.

Either way - you don't HAVE to have anything. If you don't have a data plan at all and get on the net, why would AT&T care? They get more money because they just charge you insane out the as* data fees. For most of us though, without it, it defeats the purpose of blackberry goodness.

To the OP, I'm telling you, if you are even considering a BB, use the BB data plan. I don't think you are understanding what I'm saying.

Both phones will function with the BB personal data plan. It is the exact same price and the iPhone 3G data plan ($30).

Here are the benefits of the BB personal plan when using a BB that you can ONLY get with a BB plan:

*Blackberry Messenger
*PIN messaging
*Push e-mail on up to 10 accounts (I believe it's 10 anyways)
*Unlimited data
*Access to BIS

Here are the benefits of the iPhone data plan:

*Visual Voicemail

Pretty much nothing for the iPhone. If you stick your sim into your iPhone with the BB data plan, it will function just fine. You still have unlimited data, use it as normal.

As I said earlier, the ONLY difference is that when you go to Phone --> Voicemail, instead of showing the voicemails on the iPhone, it will just call your voicemail like any other normal phone would.

It is really that big of a deal?

It seems to me like you are just making a really easy solution harder for yourself.

Just drop the iPhone data plan, add the BB personal, enjoy the benefits of BOTH phones, minus the visual voicemail on the iPhone. Swap SIMs whenever you like, as often as you like, and you are good to go.

Believe me, there are many more benefits to a BB plan and you will appreciate it a lot more once you begin using your BB.

Very informative post.

I also have a 3g iPhone and ordered a bold from SNTraders. It's already shipping. I don't know if I will keep my iphone, it's the 16gb version. Maybe use it as an ipod touch.

[Allyson Kazmucha]

Very informative post.

I also have a 3g iPhone and ordered a bold from SNTraders. It's already shipping. I don't know if I will keep my iphone, it's the 16gb version. Maybe use it as an ipod touch.

I'm in the same boat as you. I have a 16GB white one. I'm debating but I think I'm going to keep it. It's always good to have a backup phone anyways.

I'm waiting for the Bold to drop on AT&T so I can actually see one and then request one for an "early" Christmas present from my loving girlfriend, haha

Then I'll drop my iPhone 3G plan, add the BB personal and make that my daily phone and the iPhone my iPod/backup/play phone

[TVMAN92]

I'm in the same boat as you. I have a 16GB white one. I'm debating but I think I'm going to keep it. It's always good to have a backup phone anyways.

I'm waiting for the Bold to drop on AT&T so I can actually see one and then request one for an "early" Christmas present from my loving girlfriend, haha

Then I'll drop my iPhone 3G plan, add the BB personal and make that my daily phone and the iPhone my iPod/backup/play phone

thank you soo much! ahha I was only saying taht I would keep the iPhone data plan because I like the safari browser on iPhone better than the bb browser, but I thought that the data plans weren't compatible with eachother. Well at least thats what everyone in the store and from customer care told me. Are you 100% positive that the blackberry sim will work iwth the iPhone and that the BB data plan will work with the iPhone? They told me that each phone (BB and iPhone) have seperate data plans even though they both will be 3G. Where are you getting this info from? Just wondering. But if you are correct you are actually my hero haha.

This thread is great! I love talking with the small community of iPhone 3g and future bold owners. Its a good way to share our experiences. Check back once in a while if you have personal experiences or anything that may help some of us. Thanks for everything really! TVMAN92

[TVMAN92]

Very informative post.

I also have a 3g iPhone and ordered a bold from SNTraders. It's already shipping. I don't know if I will keep my iphone, it's the 16gb version. Maybe use it as an ipod touch.

Also, slashTom, once you get your bold that youll be operating on the AT&T network, will you let us know what's up with the data packages and whether the BB data plan is compatible with the iPhone and if there are any problems along the way. Thanks! TVMAN92

[daretobebold]

Apart from the carrier and plan side, and I apologize if this is off topic.

I keep both devices in sync just by simply using Exchange and a few improvising of my own. Of course, both devices are on an Exchange network, but you can use services such as Mail2Web for a cheap/free and reliable exchange service.

I have not had the chance to experience Blackberry Unite, but I just sync my Blackberry with the iPhone's contacts and email through Exchange. And both device's data using FreeNas.

If you do not currently use an Exchange service, Mail2Web gives an excellent free Exchange 07 service. Use along side with Outlook, Address Book.app or Blackberrry Unit to sync contacts and emails. A great tutorial can be found at Iphone 2.0: Set Up Push Email, Contacts, and Calendar on Your iPhone for Free

FreeNas, is an open-source NAS software that has most of the services you will ever need. I use it to sync the media files and data once both devices on on the same LAN network. FreeNAS: The Free NAS Server - Home

[TVMAN92]

Yea its ok. But can you keep this on a different forum? I really need to find someone who will let me try using their blackberry sim card in my iPhone to see if safari will work without being charged extra. But if anyone has tried this and knows personally that it the BB data plans is compatible with the Phone 3g, please let us know.

[Allyson Kazmucha]

OP: Safari and blackberry browser have NOTHING to do with the way the data is provisioned.

On the BB, if you don't have the BB data plan, you need to use Opera mini I believe, but with the iPhone, with the BB data plan, safari will function just the same. There is no difference in data.

Data is data, plain and simple. No other questions.

I'm telling you what to do to make things go seamlessly, the only thing you lose is visual voicemail.

Drop iphone plan, ADD BB personal plan.

Everything in the BB will function perfectly, safari, text, e-mail, data, will all function flawlessly and perfectly on the iPhone 3G. The ONLY thing you lose like I said is VVM.
You don't need to test this, several have done it, including myself.

As far as SIMs go, a SIM is a SIM. The iPhone does not have a "special" sim, nor does a blackberry. All the SIM does is store your information for your number, etc, and provisions you to be on the AT&T network. It doesn't even know what device you are using. It's a moot point.

Believe me, just add the BB plan, you'll never even know a difference except for vvm. If you keep the iPhone data plan though, you'll have problems. You'll get weird texts on the BB all the time because the iPhone plan is provisioned to send texts for visual voicemail. You'll lose a multitude of features on the BB. So just add the BB data plan and avoid all that

[Allyson Kazmucha]

OP: Safari and blackberry browser have NOTHING to do with the way the data is provisioned.

On the BB, if you don't have the BB data plan, you need to use Opera mini I believe, but with the iPhone, with the BB data plan, safari will function just the same. There is no difference in data.

Data is data, plain and simple. No other questions.

I'm telling you what to do to make things go seamlessly, the only thing you lose is visual voicemail.

Drop iphone plan, ADD BB personal plan.

Everything in the BB will function perfectly, safari, text, e-mail, data, will all function flawlessly and perfectly on the iPhone 3G. The ONLY thing you lose like I said is VVM.
You don't need to test this, several have done it, including myself.

As far as SIMs go, a SIM is a SIM. The iPhone does not have a "special" sim, nor does a blackberry. All the SIM does is store your information for your number, etc, and provisions you to be on the AT&T network. It doesn't even know what device you are using. It's a moot point.

Believe me, just add the BB plan, you'll never even know a difference except for vvm. If you keep the iPhone data plan though, you'll have problems. You'll get weird texts on the BB all the time because the iPhone plan is provisioned to send texts for visual voicemail. You'll lose a multitude of features on the BB. So just add the BB data plan and avoid all that

[TVMAN92]

I understand that I should get the BB data plan now, but I need to be 100% sure that this is actually true. Have you tried this, or is it just common knowledge. I really want to hear if someone has done this successfully because I've googled this issue and I've been getting mixed responses along with mixed responses from at&t reps. I just want to put the rumor to rest and call it fact.

[Allyson Kazmucha]

I understand that I should get the BB data plan now, but I need to be 100% sure that this is actually true. Have you tried this, or is it just common knowledge. I really want to hear if someone has done this successfully because I've googled this issue and I've been getting mixed responses along with mixed responses from at&t reps. I just want to put the rumor to rest and call it fact.

Ok, I am so done with this thread.

YES! I owned a curve and an iPhone 3G! I toggled back and forth ALL the time. I also owned a 1st gen iphone which I toggled back and forth with my Blackberry curve.

It is 100% true. Let me tell you something else useful, people on here know a LOT more than most AT&T reps do.

I'm not cocky, it's a fact. Reps are there to get a paycheck, people in this forum are here because of their love of phones. They know ins and outs better than most reps.

I guarantee you it will work, I don't care if every rep you talk to says no.

Every rep is going to say when you use the BB you need to call in and add the BB plan, when you use the iPhone, u need to call and use the iPhone plan, blah blah blah. They are reading from a script if you haven't noticed.

I don't care what they say, it's not the case.

Add the BB personal plan, drop the iPhone 3G plan. Switch as much and as often as you want. Guaranteed, you will be fine.

110% I don't know what other confirmation you need.

[TVMAN92]

YES! Thank you thank you thank you!! Im so excited!! Im so sorry for being so repetitive but I just wanted to make sure. Thank you so much! I've been worried about this stupid data plan for weeks now and have gotten so frustrated with those dumb f***ing at&t reps, and you finally aswered my questions! Thank you so much! This is awesome, I'm so excited!! haha I have so many more questions for you! I'll PM you and ask you. Thank you so much! your a blackberry goddess! hahav

[DVS_WiNdz]

amkls704, I'm just wondering.. are you using a Blackberry plan?

I've been browsing around a few forums today and they said that you can't remove the iPhone 3G data plan..

[darbsllim]

Rogers told me that I couldn't use an iphone and a blackberry on the same data plan.

[Allyson Kazmucha]

amkls704, I'm just wondering.. are you using a Blackberry plan?

I've been browsing around a few forums today and they said that you can't remove the iPhone 3G data plan..

Right now I am not, as I don't have the Bold yet, and I had sold my Curve before I got my iPhone 3G.

CS may give you crap about "removing" a data plan altogether but if you are replacing it with a data plan of the same price, they don't care. $30 is $30 regardless how it shows up on your bill, correct?

Now, to anyone who CS gives crap to, tell them when you call "I need to remove my iPhone 3G data package and add the Blackberry Personal plan as I am no longer using an iPhone and I am using a Blackberry now."

If they question that (which most CSRs won't), just say "Well I broke my iPhone so you can't really expect me to keep a data plan for a phone that doesn't function, that's ridiculous. It's the same price, why the heck would it matter?"

I have not seen any CSR give a valid argument to that.

And plus, look through your 2 year, it was not on the data plan, it was specifically on the line of service.

But yes I know people that HAVE dropped the 3G data plan. I even know some people that are running an iPhone 3G on a 15$/month mediaNET plan. That I would not recommend as I assume eventually, they will get caught and AT&T will charge them pay per use.

With the BB plan and iPhone plan, they really don't care as they are both the same price. Now that they are not revenue sharing w/ Apple, it doesn't make a difference. If anything, AT&T should have been more strict w/ the data plans with the first iPhone as then they were profit sharing with Apple on iPhone plans. Now they are no, it's strictly their profit now, so they don't have Apple on their backs anymore about "correct data plans".

OP and anyone who wants to do this, you can. If you get a crap CSR, hang up on them, call back and get someone else. I've never had a CSR question a data plan. If they say "With an iPhone you must have that" Just say "I understand that, but I'm not using my iPhone"

[Allyson Kazmucha]

Rogers told me that I couldn't use an iphone and a blackberry on the same data plan.

I have no idea how things are done in Canada. I'm speaking on behalf of what AT&T's policies and how their data structure works.

Do you sign 3 years on data or just the voice plan? That's where you need to look. Can you drop your iPhone 3G plan if you want?

If so, don't explain your situation to Rogers.

Just call them and say "I need to drop my iPhone 3G data plan as my phone got stolen/I don't use it anymore/my work won't let me have it (whatever excuse you want to give them) and tell them, I am now using a BB so I need you to then add a BB personal plan"

that's it. That's all you have to do.

Any rep will tell you you need to have the correct data plan or "it won't work" and that is because they have been trained to think and say that. Most of them aren't trying to scam you, they honestly just don't know the difference.

But believe me, an iPhone 3G will work just fine on a BB plan. The only thing you'll be lacking is VVM.

Oh, the only thing I would recommend, if you get mail-in rebates with your Bold, I may not put your SIM in the iPhone 3G until you get your rebates. If they do an IMEI scan when processing and it comes up iPhone, they may reject your rebate.

Not too sure how that stuff works, but just to be safe, if I have rebates, I stick w/ the phone the rebate is for until I get it, just in case.

[laij]

Just out of curiosity, even though I agree that data is data. Do you think AT&T will charge you extra because you are on the 3G band rather than edge?

Reason I am asking is that I have a bold from Rogers which I will use (planning to) on AT&T. I actually am planning to sign up for the blackberry international plan so I can use it both in Canada and the states without much worry. My only concern is that if I roam on a 3G band, will the unlimited blackberry plan covers it too?

My guess is "yes" since some of the earlier replies here say using a BB plan on a 3G iphone without trouble. So the BB plan will also cover 3G data rate transfer.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[bodisaffa]

LOL! I never knew that blackberry and apple have there own types of data which need seperate plans!!

LMAO......... Data is data regardless of handset!!