By obtaining the right Straight Talk SIM, you can use an iPhone on Straight Talk's service.
Straight Talk is a TracFone Wireless plan offered by Walmart. It gives users unlimited talk, text and data for approximately $45 per month at the time of publication. The iPhone, however, is only available through AT&T and Verizon, with a monthly bill of approximately $100. The advantage of using the iPhone on the Straight Talk network is obvious -- a cheaper bill with the same great phone. You can do this, but it takes some maneuvering.
SIM Cards and GSM
The iPhone can be used with other networks because it runs on the GSM network. All phones on the GSM network come with interchangeable SIM cards. These little chip cards can be replaced with other SIM cards from other networks, enabling you to use other service providers with your iPhone. This "unlocking" process works only with the AT&T iPhone, because Verizon's iPhone doesn't have a SIM card. Straight Talk offers both GSM and CDMA networks, so a few phones have SIM cards. These cards can be used in the AT&T iPhone, giving you Straight Talk service.
Things Needed
Only two Straight Talk phones have SIM cards that work in the AT&T iPhone at the time of publication: the Nokia E71 and 6790. Purchase one of these phones from Walmart; not online, as you can't be sure that it contains the SIM card you're looking for. You also need a SIM card cutter, because the AT&T iPhone uses a micro SIM card and Straight Talk's GSM phones have regular SIM card. You need an iPhone 3, 3Gs or 4; earlier models haven't been proven to work with Straight Talk SIM cards.
Talk and Text
To use talk and text on your iPhone, you must first activate your Straight Talk phone. Follow the instructions on the package for activation. Next, remove the Straight Talk SIM card from the Nokia phone that you just activated. Insert the SIM card into the SIM card cutter with the gold circuit facing out of the bottom. Press down on the handle of the SIM card cutter. The excess plastic around the outside of the SIM will be removed, creating a micro SIM card. Remove the SIM card from your iPhone and insert the micro SIM card from your Straight Talk phone. Your iPhone should now allow you to make and receive phone calls, as well as text messages on the Straight Talk network. No unlocking is necessary.
Internet
Your Straight Talk iPhone now has talk and text, but no Internet and no multimedia messaging, or MMS. You can get 3G Internet working on your iPhone without jailbreaking the device, but you must jailbreak it to use MMS. If you can live without MMS but need Internet, it's easy: Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi connection and log onto http://unlockit.co.nz on its Safari browser. Touch the "continue" button that appears on the Web page; then touch "Custom APN." Type "att.mvno" without the quotation marks into the APN field, leaving the user name, carrier and password fields blank. Touch the "Create Profile" button and then follow the on-screen prompts to install the new profile. Once the profile has been installed, you should receive 3G Internet through your Straight Talk iPhone.
MMS
Multimedia messaging enables you to send and receive pictures and videos by way of your mobile phone. To get MMS abilities on your Straight Talk iPhone, you must first jailbreak it and install the Cydia Installer app. After you have Cydia, open the app and click the "Search" button at the bottom of the screen. Type "TetherMe" into the search bar and touch the result that says "TetherMe." Click the "Install" button in the upper right corner of the screen; then click "Confirm." After the app has installed, click "Return to Cydia." Then click the "Home" button on your iPhone. You should now be able to send and receive MMS messages for free. Your Straight Talk iPhone should be a fully functioning iPhone on the Straight Talk network.
Warning
Jailbreaking your device isn't illegal, but it does void your iPhone warranty. In addition, modifying its hardware contents or adding alternate SIM cards may also void the device's warranty. If you want to jailbreak your iPhone or swap out its SIM card, do so at your own risk.
Tags: Straight Talk, your iPhone, Straight Talk iPhone, Talk iPhone, card cutter