Can I use an iphone as an ipod touch?
I recently purchased an iPhone 3G after having an iPod Touch, so I can relate to this pretty well. I too hated the fact that the iPod Touch had no external speakers! Lame! With regards to using an iPhone 3G as an iPod Touch, it’s hard to say. The question comes down to activation. You basically can only buy a new iPhone 3G via retail if you sign up for an AT&T service, and once you do buy it from retail, they activate it on the spot. That’s for the 3G though. You might be well served by looking for a 1st generation iPhone on eBay or Craigslist that is unlocked (i.e. not tied to a cell carrier) – you should, I would think, be able to use that iPhone’s functionality (minus calling, voicemail, and SMS) without having it actually activated on a cellular network. It has all your “wants” and it can be updated to the most current iPhone firmware (2.0.2) so you can have current functionality. The iPhone 3G uses AT&T’s 3G data network, which is faster than the EDGE technology. 3G has been spott
There really isn’t a way to get a 3G iPhone in the US without a cell phone plan, at least not without getting billed another $300 or so. It sounds like the original iPhone would really do everything you want. You might be able to find one used, but I don’t know what kind of prices they are fetching. Once you’ve got one, my understanding is that you’d need to use a 3rd party tool to activate it so you can use all the non-phone features. I’d wait a few days though. There is an apple event next week where they are expected to refresh the iPod line. I doubt they’ll add a speaker or camera to the touch, but you never know.
I have both an older and a 3G iPhone. It’s all a contract issue. If you can get your hands on a 3G, then it will certainly work as a non-phone. Just don’t insert a SIM card, or don’t activate the SIM card that’s inside, etc. I just pulled the SIM card from mine to check, and it works fine, you just get to stare at the tiny words “no SIM” in the top left corner of screen. It also worked this way when I first got it, since I remember playing with the software for a few hours before ever inserting my SIM. Works fine, including Wifi. If you can’t get a 3G (because it’s only available carrier-subsidized or gray market), then sure, an older “classic” iPhone will also do. Again, I just pulled the SIM from my older one to check. Works fine, including Wifi. Also, I agree that the tiny speakers are surprisingly good. I wouldn’t call it audiophile quality or listen to much music that way, but it’s fine for TV shows.
The new iPhone supposedly has faster internet capability via the 3G network, versus the old iPhone which used the Edge. The only reason this should matter to you is if you want to access your web apps, information dynamically updated, or miscellaneous things like baseball scores if you are away from an open WiFi connection. Otherwise, there’s no reason to get the iPhone as opposed to the iPod Touch. In fact, if you want any of that savvy stuff (stocks, email, wikipeia, etc) away from a wireless connection, you will HAVE to purchase a data plan from ATT/Cingular. No question. And you’ll have to have an iPhone to access those capabilities. That said, get the iPod touch. There’s enough WiFi to source if you need it in a pinch (you may have to pay $3 an hour at some hip coffee shop, or ask a friend for their PW at their home) for a Touch to be supported, and is far cheaper in the long run than an iPhone. iPod Touch is what you’re looking at. Especially since you can upgrade to the 2.0 and
