Turned Off iPhone Gets $4800 Bill from AT&T

Tech.Luver writes "Jay Levy says he has been stung by Apple's iPhone pact with AT&T after he took an iPhone on a Mediterranean cruise. They didn't use their phones, but when they got back they had a 54-page monthly bill of nearly $4,800 from AT&T Wireless. The problem was that their three iPhones were racking up a bill for data charges using foreign phone charges. The iPhone regularly updates e-mail, even while it's off, so that all the messages will be available when the user turns it on. ""

Comments

Re:ihpones

[altoz]

yet another reason not to get this hyped up gadget. you can bet that no business person is going to buy this after this gets publicized.

Re:It is obvious - it works like every other phone

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

When you shut your phone, does it turn off?

Er... Yes, actually. And so it has been with every mobile I've ever owned.

People know they have to press something to really turn "off" a phone, as per every other phone ever made.

Apparently you are mistaken on both counts.

After all, how is a phone supposed to receive calls if it's really off?

It's not! If I wanted to receive calls, I wouldn't have turned my phone off, would I?

There needs to be a difference between a sleep mode and off, and this is obvious on the iPhone.

Apparently you are mistaken on that one, too.

Re:It is obvious - it works like every other phone

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

My trusty Samsung A series has only two modes: off (which means "off"), and on (in which calls can be made or received and messages can be received and sent).

Frankly, I don't see why you need a sleep mode on a mobile phone. Of course, you guys who have to upgrade your phone every five minutes, and now use something running a vastly overpowered operating system that supports myriad other features, crashes on occasion, and does stupid things like incurring $4,800 of charges because you pressed the wrong button or didn't press the right one, may find your mileage varies.

Re:The mistake you made

[SuperKendall]

You've completely lost the plot.

You should try reading the parent again.

And you are also mistaken about usablity. The iPhone is just as easy to check by holding down home - easier in fact to check than the RAZR was, even with the front LCD, because you see the whole screen light up. But again, the point is that usability wise inidcators as to the phone being active are irrelevant since you know if you've turned it on or off, very concious choices.