New AT&T data plans for iPhones, iPads, more

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Lotus Esprit

If only 2% of users are using over 2GB then does it really make a difference? The only reason to do this is to recoup revenues from lost market share. It said that the new plans go into effect on June 7th so does that mean that the unlimited is available until then?

Unlimited is available for current iPad 3G owners for presumably an..unlimited time, even after June 7th, as long as you don't try to switch to another plan.

And that 2% is based on all their smartphone customers, I assume-I have not seen any breakdown for iPad 3G users, mostly because its only been a month.

As I've noted, I don't think I'd go over 2G regardless, but I think it is pretty sleazy to change the rules after only a month.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kjk

As I've noted, I don't think I'd go over 2G regardless, but I think it is pretty sleazy to change the rules after only a month.

New device, hence new experience for the cellular data providers. They needed time to see what load the iPad was placing on their network, and adjust their pricing plans accordingly.

[scottjl]

i've seen some confusing information on the web. they keep mentioning "new" customers and say that old customers are grandfathered (for now). i wonder what that means for device upgrades. if i go to the new iphone when released, can i keep my existing plan with the new phone or if they'll force me onto the new plan. certainly something i'm going to consider when making my purchase, or not.

[HarryT]

Your plan is associated with your SIM card - that's how the network identifies you. Put your current SIM in your new phone, and you keep the same plan.

[scottjl]

yeah.. but getting a new phone some times requires a new contract.. it's the details in the contract that are going to matter. we have no details about the new iphone, if purchasing one is going to require a valid AT&T contract or not. i've only read, and it was only based on rumors, not facts, that the new iphones will be subsidized by at&t and require 2 year contracts. you will not be able to purchase them outright as you could with the 3gs. it would be at&t's opportunity to force me to go to the new data plan to get the new phone, or keep my existing phone and existing plan.

maybe they are anticipating that people with the new phone will be consuming even more data. certainly video chat will gobble that up quicker.

[dmaul1114]

It doesn't have to go that way though. Some cell phone plans will grandfather people in, even when they switch plans etc.

I know people that have special deals on data plans, text messages etc. that have kept them despite switching phones etc. as they're grandfathered into the plan. No guarantee it will last forever of course.

Point being, they don't have to tie it to the sim card, they can just tie it to a customers account number and keep them grandfathered in when they upgrade phones as an incentive for that customer to stay with them, vs. getting pissed off and switching to another carrier.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Well, for example, I've gone for O2, and they offer three different plans:

1 day's access for £2, with a 500MB data limit.
1GB/month for £10.
3GB/month for £15.

Vodafone are much the same, with:

1GB/month for £10
3GB/month for £15
5GB/month for £25.

While "3" offer:

1GB/month for £7.50
10GB month for £15

(which is clearly better for heavy users).

Orange are perhaps best for occasional users, with:

5p/MB "pay as you go", capped at £40/month.
1 day for £2, with 200MB data.
1 week for £7.50, with 1GB data
3GB/month for £15
10GB/month for £25

All the monthly plans are "rolling" 1 month contracts, which can be stopped (and restarted) at any time.

In addition, with their monthly plans, Orange give you unlimited access to "BT Openzone" WiFi hotspots (of which there are lots), while O2 give you unlimited access to both "BT Openzone" and "The Cloud" hotspots. WiFi use doesn't count against your data limits.

So, as you see, there are lots of choices!

And let's not forget if your a very heavy user you could get an o2 data sim with truly unlimited data for 15 a month on 12 month plan, however you would have to trim the sim card down.

[scottjl]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/a...rading-phones/

looks like the question i had is answered. existing users can keep the $30 unlimited plan when upgrading phones, unless you want the tethering option. then you must change plans. or jailbreak and pay $10 for mywi.

[Trubu]

Originally Posted by scottjl

if i go to the new iphone when released, can i keep my existing plan with the new phone

Yep. AT&T said on their Facebook page that you can keep your grandfathered plan when upgrading to a new device.

On the iPhone side, I'm pretty happy with the new plans - I checked data usage for both my phone and my wife's, and neither of us ever went over 200 MB/month dating back to fall 2008. So the new starter plan will end up saving us $30 bucks a month.

The bait-and-switch iPad pricing sucks, though. The no-contract, truly unlimited plan for the iPad was a big selling point, and it's ridiculous that they're pulling it when the 3G model has only been available for a month. I can't imagine that Apple is happy about this either.

And paying an extra $25/month for tethering, and not getting any additional data for it? Total facepalm. It's like AT&T is trying to drive customers away.

I live in an area of the country where AT&T's service is actually pretty damn good (yes, they do exist), so I never cared that much about a Verizon iPhone, but now I'm hoping that one is announced at WWDC. Preferably one with wallpaper of a big middle finger aimed at the AT&T Death Star logo.

[Lotus Esprit]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes. It only takes a tiny percentage of heavy downloaders to cripple a network. For example, when my ISP introduced data caps (pretty much all UK ISP's have caps) they said that, at the time, 1% of users were using 80% of the available bandwidth, and slowing things down for everybody. Data caps are pretty essential for everyone's benefit.

I understand what you are saying but look at it this way. Everyone isn't maxing out a 2 gigs on 1 days worth of usage. And the 2% can still get more data if they pay another 10.00 per gig. This isn't about network congestion it is more about AT&T generating more revenue.

This also coincides with Skype being allowed to work over 3G on the iPad last week. Maybe AT&T didn't have a choice but to allow it and is now worried that VOIP will take away from their regular voice revenue.

[Exer]

I must be one of those data hogs that the stats speak of, since I have quite a few months of data usage that went above the 4 gig mark. I can only blame my previous job that ALWAYS kept me out of town and on the road, especially the Anchorage - Fairbanks 16 hr round trip, in which I'd stream Pandora the whole way (aside from those pesky dead-zones that I became all too familiar with) and I did that trip multiple times a week. And that was my SHORT trip. Alaska is freaking huge, it really is hard to grasp just how big this place is.

More recently it was marathon Skype sessions with the ol' girlfriend that had been my data killer, since we'd much rather use up my data plan than my actual minutes while I was out of town.

Having said all that, even with my rather uncommon usage, I still never passed that 5 gig mark. I guess I'm one of the few who will benefit from the grandfathered rate though, so I'm happy they are giving us the ability to stay with it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stustaff

And let's not forget if your a very heavy user you could get an o2 data sim with truly unlimited data for 15 a month on 12 month plan, however you would have to trim the sim card down.

Very good point! I'm finding the Cloud/Openzone WiFi access included with O2 to be very useful; I was at my local airport this morning and they have a "Cloud" WiFi, which worked beautifully. I just had to click the "O2" link on the login page, enter my mobile number (although I must admit it did take me a minute or two to find this - it's under "View Account" on the "Cellular Data" page of "Settings") and away it went.

[CyGuy]

I think a huge problem of limiting data like this is advertising. Every single advertisement that is embedded on a web site you visit, you will now pay for just to deliver it. That 2MB animated advertisement, cash out of your pocket. And you don't even have control over it really, I mean you might go to your favorite news sites home page and it could be a total of 1MB one day and 20 MB the next. I think this is not going to go over well, especially when there is a push for even more advertisement to be delivered to everyone on the web, and now you pay for it directly without even having any say in how many MB the content might contain...


Edit: The more I think about this the worse it seems. You will now be paying cash to have advertisements delivered to you!

Edit2: Correct me if I am wrong but don't some of those ipad apps have embedded advertisements in them? Does it go get active content every time you open the app? Won't you now have to pay every time you open one of those apps?

[kjk]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

Edit: The more I think about this the worse it seems. You will now be paying cash to have advertisements delivered to you!

Sounds like the unsolicited ads I get on my fax machine. I hate those guys.

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by kjk

Sounds like the unsolicited ads I get on my fax machine. I hate those guys.

I am full electronic on my faxes now so that doesn't bother me too much, but it is still irritating.
I really have a problem with this bandwidth cap, and the fact that you can't control how large a web site might be or how much embedded content it might contain. I mean a web site with lots of advertisements makes AT&T extra profits, without anyone even clicking on one of the advertisement links.