using an iPhone for pic/vid without service
 

I can't find a definitive answer for this online but maybe one of you guys would know since we seem to have some techies in the house...can you use an iPhone as a camera (for both photo and video) and transfer those files via wi-fi without actually having service on the phone through a cell carrier? What about file transfer via USB onto a computer?

Simply asking since I'm in the planning stages of a trip and carrying a phone would be much easier than toting a DSLR or digital camera around. Obviously the phone would have to be unlocked but don't know how smartphones and carriers work since I'm still on pre-paid flip-phone technology and don't want to change that.

Never seen a phone that needed cellular for vid.

Easy enough to test. Airplane mode...

Simple answer.

Yes to all your questions.

Without an active SIM they are basically just iPods with additional functionality.

FWIW, I have 5 iPhones that i use in exactly that way.

I use two older iPhones for iPods also and it doesn't have to be "unlocked" either as you stated.

And if your ISP supports WIFI calls you can still use it as a phone with somewhat restricted functionality, meaing while on your personal network.

Can’t do WiFi calls because that’s based on your phone id that is matched to you phone number. You could potentially use an app such as Skyp via WiFi. Also, can’t do a USB file transfer. There is no USB port on an iPhone. You could use WiFi to transfer tho. You could take pics and vids no problem.

1. Make a gmail account
2. link it to google images
3. Link it to skype

Then you can store pictures and videos in google images and make Skype calls anywhere with WiFi with no service on your iPhone. My daughter does all that with her iPod. We use Verizon FiOS as ISP.

That's so clever, Aurel. I have a couple of iPhones laying around. Going to play around with this today and set it up.

Thanks all for the replies. Sets my mind at ease knowing this can be done by people actually doing it.

Don't need phone capabilities so no worries about using it that way.

?

Sure there is. Well, OK, technically, the port on the phone isn't a USB port, but it is a multi-pin data capable port that then with the correct cable (which comes with every phone) will allow that port to be connected to a USB port on a computer. Older phones had the wide 30 pin connector that then connected to the PC USB port. New iPhones have a lightning port which plugs into the USB port on your computer. When I connect my iPhone to my Windows computer, the computer sees it as a portable drive and opens it to allow me to pull stuff off of it. That's one of the ways that I save photos and video.

AirDrop?

You're right. I completely forgot about that and Ive been an iPhone user "forever". However, its a painful way to download pics because if the odd file system. I was thinking more of the lack of ability to put a thumb drive in the phone and DL.