AT&T Changes Smartphone Plans, Will Verizon Follow?
CNNMoney
By David Goldman, staff writer
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technology/att_iphon ... »
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- AT&T announced new 3G pricing plans Wednesday that will make iPhone and iPad bills less expensive for most customers, but will also put a stop to unlimited data plans.
Under the new pricing scheme, 3G data service for AT&T smart phones (including the iPhone) will cost $15 a month for 200 megabytes. If customers download more than 200 MB, they will be charged an additional $15 for each subsequent 200 MB that they download.
For iPad customers and heavier smart phone users, AT&T will start offering a $25-per-month plan for 2 gigabytes of data. Under that plan, if customers exceed their allotment, they will ...
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By David Goldman, staff writer
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technology/att_iphon ... »
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- AT&T announced new 3G pricing plans Wednesday that will make iPhone and iPad bills less expensive for most customers, but will also put a stop to unlimited data plans.
Under the new pricing scheme, 3G data service for AT&T smart phones (including the iPhone) will cost $15 a month for 200 megabytes. If customers download more than 200 MB, they will be charged an additional $15 for each subsequent 200 MB that they download.
For iPad customers and heavier smart phone users, AT&T will start offering a $25-per-month plan for 2 gigabytes of data. Under that plan, if customers exceed their allotment, they will ...
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Good!!! Enough with those damn Iphone threads in the Verizon forum!!! I am so, so, so sick of it!!!
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Tiered pricing is fine, but 2GB for $25 is kind of ridiculous. They should keep the $30 plan, but raise the number of GBs. And tethering should no longer be an additional cost in this day and age. It should just come out of your data buckets (so should texts for that matter, but I wont even start on that).
I think they will follow, but if they were smart they should wait and see what happens with ATT over the next quarter then evaluate their own situation.
Plus, they could really put some heat on ATT by offering BETTER, more robust plans at the same price point. Could be a way to steal a few customers from ATT.
I guess ATT finally made a move first, the plans are great for blackberry users, pretty bad iphone or android users. ...
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I think they will follow, but if they were smart they should wait and see what happens with ATT over the next quarter then evaluate their own situation.
Plus, they could really put some heat on ATT by offering BETTER, more robust plans at the same price point. Could be a way to steal a few customers from ATT.
I guess ATT finally made a move first, the plans are great for blackberry users, pretty bad iphone or android users. ...
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In their new plan, tethering is a bolt-on cost/ability that does take from the same bucket of usage. I guess the alternative, under their business model, would be to charge $40 to $45 to cover both.
As long as they can justify charging extra for tether, they will.
As long as they can justify charging extra for tether, they will.
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How can you justify? Its pure greed. If I am being for a bucket of data, its my data!!!
Whether I am tethering or watching you tube videos on a device, data is being pulled and I am paying for it.
There is no reason to charge $20 except for pure greed. Its double dipping.
Chrisw
Whether I am tethering or watching you tube videos on a device, data is being pulled and I am paying for it.
There is no reason to charge $20 except for pure greed. Its double dipping.
Chrisw
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I don't disagree with you, and I'm certainly not justifying their pricing. I'm all for equal data pricing across the board. My point was, as long as THEY justify it, they'll CHARGE for it, too.
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yeah, but their justifications are pretty darn weak....whether they are there or not...Its double dipping plain and simple.
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I'd choose the latter hands down. Every time. And I HATE Apple.
Throw any parent with a kid/kids at that plan and you have a winner.
Granted... I'm not interested in limited data plans personally.
The *ONLY* thing missing, in my opinion, is the ability to limit the data.
Once you hit that 200mb cap your DONE for the month... no downloading what... so... ever (outside of wifi)
Granted... you might be able to do that with parental controls, but that shouldn't be needed IMO.
I think AT&T might actually do good with these plans.
Throw any parent with a kid/kids at that plan and you have a winner.
Granted... I'm not interested in limited data plans personally.
The *ONLY* thing missing, in my opinion, is the ability to limit the data.
Once you hit that 200mb cap your DONE for the month... no downloading what... so... ever (outside of wifi)
Granted... you might be able to do that with parental controls, but that shouldn't be needed IMO.
I think AT&T might actually do good with these plans.
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Yep I agree I believe that's what Cellenator was saying in another tread. This could be a real winner for many people.
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If I pair up pricing with kids, sure, but the one hesitation I would have, as a parent, is the LACK of unlimited usage. Unlimited is easier to deal with as a parent.
If there were a free cap to cut off usage, that would be awesome (and amazing).
If there were a free cap to cut off usage, that would be awesome (and amazing).
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I think, that for the most part, this is a mixed blessing.
It gives people a lower use option. After all the poo-hooing about wanting a smart phone without $30/month data fee gives them that option. (I wonder if the Discount will be less because of the lowered Data prices?)
On the flip side, it removes the unlimited option. For parents that means bad thngs. For power users that means Hello Verizon or Sprint (For now...?)
Anyone who has paid attention knows that this is where AT&T wants to go...
We'll see how ths plays out...
It gives people a lower use option. After all the poo-hooing about wanting a smart phone without $30/month data fee gives them that option. (I wonder if the Discount will be less because of the lowered Data prices?)
On the flip side, it removes the unlimited option. For parents that means bad thngs. For power users that means Hello Verizon or Sprint (For now...?)
Anyone who has paid attention knows that this is where AT&T wants to go...
We'll see how ths plays out...
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Judging by the numerous forum threads on the web, the ripoff $10 per month mandatory data plan since January 18th for basic "feature" phones, such as the enV3, has alienated thousands of users. Verizon would be well advised to ditch that plan for "feature" phones and go with something similar to the AT&T model for "smart" phones. It would make both classes of citizens feel much better about fairness in plan pricing.
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More users have said 'Baaaaaa!' and went along with the price changes like good sheep.
What remains to be seen... is if AT&T keeps its "dumb-phone" price points where they are (10/15$ a month with/without texting plans for unlimited data on a dumb-phone).
If AT&T keeps it's dumb-phones requirements the same (Unlimited Texting covers requirements on *ALL* phones on a family plan) and $10/month for data... or $15+/month data for a smart phone...
I could see this being a huge selling point for AT&T.
*MUCH* better data options for the Average user (Despite all the poo-hoo-ing by the minority power-users).
What remains to be seen... is if AT&T keeps its "dumb-phone" price points where they are (10/15$ a month with/without texting plans for unlimited data on a dumb-phone).
If AT&T keeps it's dumb-phones requirements the same (Unlimited Texting covers requirements on *ALL* phones on a family plan) and $10/month for data... or $15+/month data for a smart phone...
I could see this being a huge selling point for AT&T.
*MUCH* better data options for the Average user (Despite all the poo-hoo-ing by the minority power-users).
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