1 + area code and phone number

It is sad to see that you posted this question over two weeks ago and still have no responses. I have the same question you do and would like to know that a solution exists. It would be nice if someone who knows something would see this question and respond. Where I live, area codes must be dialed even for local numbers, and the "1" changes whether the call is in the local or long distance network. With a national plan on the phone, the "1" is not required. In the Mac OS X Address book, the format can be selected to avoid the "1" but the "1" goes back in when synced to the iPhone.

if you are refering to when you look on the map and get info for a restaurant for example and they have the 1 there, there is no way to remove that set up...its some thing that was programmed in quite a few months ago...i dont think it would affect your calling charges though

In areas that have more than one area code for the same geographic area, 10 digit dialing with area code is mandatory. 1+ dialing is required from land lines, but the 1+ is optional from mobile phones.

"What is an Area Code Overlay?

An overlay is the addition of another area code to the same geographic region as an existing area code. An overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code.

What Will be the New Dialing Procedure?

To complete calls from a landline phone, the new dialing procedure requires callers to dial 1 + area code + telephone number. This means that all calls in the 310 area code that are currently dialed with seven digits will need to be dialed using 1+ area code + telephone number.

To complete calls from a cellular or mobile phone, callers may dial the area code + telephone number or 1 + area code and telephone number whenever placing a call from a phone number with an overlay area code."

Since it doesn't matter using a mobile phone, I guess the databases have included the 1+ for completeness and all users (mobile and land line) can be accommodated.

The problem is that the iPhone is in effect corrupting any contacts database it is sync'd with. If your contacts database is your dialing database for your landline at your office and/or home, your screwed.

An option for syncing contacts should allow handling the 1 abd area code.

Here in the sticks of Southern Maryland, the phone company seems to have done things differently than Southern California when they created the overlays. On land lines, we don't have to use the 1 when we dial in our local area, but we do have to dial the area code. If we dial 10 digits, we are connected through the local carrier. If a 1 is used additionally, the call is routed through the long distance carrier. Maybe it doesn't matter on the cell phone, but I agree that this situation on the phone screws up syncing contacts databases between phones, desktop and the "cloud" (i.e. MobileMe). *Just one more inconsistency in Apple's not-completely-thought-out MobileMe idea.* The phone software should have an option for one to set a default phone number format.

Are you saying people in the US store the numbers in the format as they are dialled by a landline?

I've always store them in international format (e.g. +12225551212, +61391234567). GSM based networks understand this format and will route the call accordingly. It's very handy for when you travel, either domestically or internationally.

A dialler for a landline should also allow rules for handling calls according to the phone line you have, but replacing or removing digits.