Can iPhone be used w/o contract

I have been offered a free iphone from a friend. I would seriously love one, but I'm locked into a contract w/ my blackberry for like 8 months or so & essentially my life is already organized in that device. What I'm wondering, Can I use the iphone just like an ipod touch w/ wifi but w/o the phone contract? In 8 months, I can decide if I want to use the iphone exclusively & sell the blackberry on ebay or just keep with the status quo.

Yes. However, I can't discuss how as it's a violation of the iPhone EULA and as such, against forum rules.

I take it that you do not have AT&T as your carrier? If you did you could switch back and forth all you like.

Kash said:

Yes. However, I can't discuss how as it's a violation of the iPhone EULA and as such, against forum rules.

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I fail to see how this question can be against the EULA? He is not asking about unlocking an iphone, he is simply asking whether or not he can use the iphone as an ipod by simply purchasing the phone and not registering it with o2.

I gathered from reading the apple site that you buy the phone, you then sign up to o2 to use the phone features. Therefore if you choose not to use the phone features, and not sign up to o2, you are not doing anything wrong, but simply choosing to use a subset of features available.

Without 'some form' of activation (authorised or not), it cannot be used just for the iPod features. There are tools, however, that can be used to unlock iphone.
e.g. ziphone

like_mike said:

I fail to see how this question can be against the EULA? He is not asking about unlocking an iphone, he is simply asking whether or not he can use the iphone as an ipod by simply purchasing the phone and not registering it with o2.

I gathered from reading the apple site that you buy the phone, you then sign up to o2 to use the phone features. Therefore if you choose not to use the phone features, and not sign up to o2, you are not doing anything wrong, but simply choosing to use a subset of features available.

Click to expand...

As charlie mentioned, the iPhone is unusable without activation. You have to bypass activation through some method in order to use the other functions. The programs that do this violate the iPhone EULA, and as such, cannot be discussed on this forum.

Ah, sorry i was lead to believe you could access the functionality directly. Which it seems is not correct.
Thanks for informing me though, its good to know.
My appologies!

Mike.

Unless you activate the iPhone with an official carrier, you can't officially use it at all. You can call 911 and look at the wallpaper all day, but that's about it.

But let's put it this way:
If I was being offered a free iPhone, first I'd try to find out what the catch is.

Then I'd assume I'm not the first person to ever be in that dilemma and go and Google 'tings.

Of course, you'll be disappointed that OFFICIALLY there's nowt to be done.

Ok here is what you do goto AT&T get a FREE sim card go home activate the phone through itunes enter a fake S.S. or like 999-99-9999 or all zero's this take you to the option of signing up for GoPhone. get the cheapest plan pay for it one time. And your phone is activated. then after that don't pay the gophone again and now you have ipod/wifi .Or you can PM me and I can show you how to do it for free.

Hey guys I just came home from the apple store and had a kind of doubt.. I did unlock my iphone, and a week ago it stopped working.. The screen was dead, it didn't have sensitivity. So, I downloaded the update for mi iphone, so the apple store couldnt realize that I had unlocked my phone. They wont give me another iphone in replacement for my dead one, because i do not have an AT&T plan.. And since im not american, at&t wont sell me one..

what should I do? i mean it is none of apple's bussiness if i just want to call 911 as many times as i want.

and stare at the earth wallpaper all day