Poll: Which Rate Plan will you get for the iPhone?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Which Rate Plan will you get for the iPhone? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=544)

[wrldwzrd89]

My contract status doesn't allow me to get an iPhone, so I haven't even looked at the data plans. If I did get an iPhone, though, I'd be using the data features FAR more than the voice features, so I wouldn't need very many monthly voice minutes.

[macnews]

I can't believe how competitive these prices are for data plans. I think those offering blackberry and treo phone data plans are going to be worried or have to drop their prices. Correct me if I'm wrong but last time I looked I would be paying around $60/month for bare minutes and then at least another $30-$40 more per month for data. I'm curious is any blackberry users can tell us what they pay total per month and how it compares?

[jwa276]

Maybe you should include the family plans in the poll as well... Otherwise there might be a lot of "Other" votes

[Squonk]

With these prices, I think I may discuss with my wife the possibility of ditching our home VOIP and her Sprint account and have us both get iPhones and the family plan. $80/month for two lines, 700 minutes and unlimited data strikes me an a tremendous value! Well, after putting down 1000 - 1200 on a pair of phones...

Good job Apple and at&t on these plan rates!

[zombitronic]

Maybe you should include the family plans in the poll as well... Otherwise there might be a lot of "Other" votes

Exactly why I voted "Other." The $80 family plan split between my girlfriend and I will be cheaper than what we pay now. Plus we get data. The overall minutes may be less, but with free nights and weekends and the family bonus, we'll be fine.

Also, according to the coverage map, I get service on my block! Screw T-Mobile; I can't wait 'till Friday!

Too bad AAPL investors aren't taking this kindly...

[iwork4ispot]

ya these are good prices. T-Mobile does the same with their SideKick data plan $20.00 which includes unlimited SMS, Web/Email, and Data.

I was hoping AT&T did the same which they did. I have the $99.99 for 2000minutes w/rollover so I will just add the $20.00 or $30.00 feature to my plan or even the Unlimited for $40.00 but for now I might just start off with $30.00 for 1500 SMS

Based on this of course: http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

[geoffy]

The family plan looks like a decent deal. Maybe I could split it with a non-family member.

[ISMPlus]

Other. The family plan, the 700-something minute plan, hopefully. I will wait till my contract with Sprint is over, in Sept.07, though.

[nagromme]

I'm paying more right now for voice ALONE than an iPhone with voice AND data would cost me. How I wish my 16GB model were available already :o

When you get ISP service and commit to contract period, you get a discounted rate. So it makes sense that these rates would be low in the same way. A contract commitment has to get you SOMETHING, and if it's not s subsidy then it's a lower monthly rate. Works for me! :)

One thing I'm not clear on. I'm not currently an AT&T mobile customer. Can I choose ANY AT&T plan and then add the $20 data iPhone plan to it? Or is that flexibility only for existing AT&T customers?

[adrianblaine]

With these prices, I think I may discuss with my wife the possibility of ditching our home VOIP and her Sprint account and have us both get iPhones and the family plan. $80/month for two lines, 700 minutes and unlimited data strikes me an a tremendous value! Well, after putting down 1000 - 1200 on a pair of phones...

(emphasis added)

This is where I loose my wife... Maybe someday, but not soon that's for sure!

[rickvanr]

Are these prices for real?

They are ridiculously expensive.

[nagromme]

Are these prices for real?

They are ridiculously expensive.

Actually not. What are you comparing to?

Unlimited data plans often cost far more.

[rickvanr]

Actually not. What are you comparing to?

Unlimited data plans often cost far more.

I'm a pay as you go customer.

I just never knew plans costs so much.

[darwen]

Well at least more people are buying it than not. That might be a bit slanted on mac rumors though.... :rolleyes:

[mulletman13]

Might end up going with a family plan for the iPhone -- my dad really wants one too and depending on how much we pay now... that'll be the deciding factor.

[SilvorX]

Are these prices for real?

They are ridiculously expensive.

As compared to Rogers post-paid (sounds like you're Canadian), that's cheap.

A "decent" data plan on Rogers alone for a PDA is $60 for around 25MB data, then there's the voice plan, for $35 (in most of Canada) you can get 250 minutes and 9PM nights/weekends (or unlimited incoming and 100 minutes for $15 and 1000 night/wkends)

So it's usually near $100 before taxes (and before other options) and whatever.. ouch. So it isn't ridiculously expensive ;)

[L3X]

Exactly why I voted "Other." The $80 family plan split between my girlfriend and I will be cheaper than what we pay now. Plus we get data. The overall minutes may be less, but with free nights and weekends and the family bonus, we'll be fine.

Also, according to the coverage map, I get service on my block! Screw T-Mobile; I can't wait 'till Friday!

Too bad AAPL investors aren't taking this kindly...
make sure you read the fine print. It's $80 before adding the second line, which is $30 more. So, the family plans start at $110 for 2 lines. Honestly, the family plan is still quite expensive.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

[sanford]

Are these prices for real?

They are ridiculously expensive.

Thank you! I'm wondering from where people are pulling all these ridiculous prices and chattering about how much money they will save. My T-Mobile plan, 1000 minutes, free nights and weekends*, unlimited data: $60. That's off contract, too. And according to T-Mobile's own stated policy, I'm welcome to use any phone I can get to work on their network. These AT&T rates on a two-year contract, no hardware subsidy, $175 cancellation fee anyway, and the freaking phone is *locked* without a contract -- yes, almost certainly meaning if you cancel your contract or just quit paying, they'll deactivate your $500 phone and *all* it's features.

And someone mentioned getting rid of their VOIP service for this? That's what $30 a month for free North American calls any time, lots of countries in Europe for free, really low rates to Asia, to instead pay at least $150 a month for a family plan package -- AT&T only gives you one line on the iPhone family plan; the second is $30 per month -- *plus* $1,000 for two iPhones? Anybody ever heard of, like, taking a vacation, getting your kids a surprise, saving for your old age, buying land; you know anything besides paying US$4,600 for 24 months of phone service.

*Hey does AT&T still make you use up all your free minutes first before nights and weekends kick in? They used to. Say you had 500 free minutes plus free weekends. You'd have to use all 500 minutes, even on weekends, and only then would you get free calls on weekends, while paying exorbitant metered rates during the week.

[sanford]

Exactly why I voted "Other." The $80 family plan split between my girlfriend and I will be cheaper than what we pay now. Plus we get data. The overall minutes may be less, but with free nights and weekends and the family bonus, we'll be fine.

Also, according to the coverage map, I get service on my block! Screw T-Mobile; I can't wait 'till Friday!

Too bad AAPL investors aren't taking this kindly...

That's good you get coverage on your block so you'll be able use your iPhone at home. Because, you know, it's AT&T: you aren't going to get coverage anywhere else.

Apple's investors aren't taking this kindly because they have the foresight to see that in many years of uninterrupted, huge product successes, on 29th June Apple is about to introduce a brick. A very pretty brick. But still a brick.

[zombitronic]

make sure you read the fine print. It's $80 before adding the second line, which is $30 more. So, the family plans start at $110 for 2 lines. Honestly, the family plan is still quite expensive.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

I did see that later in the day...I must've been too excited at first. Even split at $110, it's still as much as we pay now and I don't have data. So it won't pay for itself in savings, but it'll make up for that in bliss, and you can't put a price on happiness.

...Actually, $599.

[zombitronic]

That's good you get coverage on your block so you'll be able use your iPhone at home. Because, you know, it's AT&T: you aren't going to get coverage anywhere else.

Apple's investors aren't taking this kindly because they have the foresight to see that in many years of uninterrupted, huge product successes, on 29th June Apple is about to introduce a brick. A very pretty brick. But still a brick.

I know plenty of people in Milwaukee with AT&T and they love it. Again, it depends on your area. T-Mobile sucks where I live. In other areas, people love it.

Sorry that the release of this device is bothering some of you so much. Funny that you guys make your way into the depths of an iPhone forum just to express your disdain... What's that all about?

[sanford]

I did see that later in the day...I must've been too excited at first. Even split at $110, it's still as much as we pay now and I don't have data. So it won't pay for itself in savings, but it'll make up for that in bliss, and you can't put a price on happiness.

...Actually, $599.

I'm all for buying luxuries you enjoy, but I really would suggest you use one of these in the wild before you buy if you're looking that much forward to it. From what I've read the data network is slow it's actually painful to use. All that spiffy quick e-mail and Web access you see on TV is via Wi-Fi, not the mobile network. And without the data features, you have a very expensive low-capacity iPod that makes phone calls... Well, it makes phone calls from a few places, anyway.

It's not Apple here. The iPhone is generally the best mobile device of its kind on the market. It's AT&T. The carrier service is awful. And when you pay out $5,000 for two somewhat niftier iPods, I'm not sure how much bliss you'll feel.

[zombitronic]

I'm all for buying luxuries you enjoy, but I really would suggest you use one of these in the wild before you buy if you're looking that much forward to it. From what I've read the data network is slow it's actually painful to use. All that spiffy quick e-mail and Web access you see on TV is via Wi-Fi, not the mobile network. And without the data features, you have a very expensive low-capacity iPod that makes phone calls... Well, it makes phone calls from a few places, anyway.

It's not Apple here. The iPhone is generally the best mobile device of its kind on the market. It's AT&T. The carrier service is awful. And when you pay out $5,000 for two somewhat niftier iPods, I'm not sure how much bliss you'll feel.

The thing is, it's all speculation at this point. Most of the bad press is from competitors. Some of it is from people who have never had their hands on one and just regurgetate bad press. Most of the good press is from reviewers. Some of the good press is from Apple fans who just regurgetate good press. Meanwhile, Apple and AT&T are just stating their facts. The world will find out the truth this weekend.

I don't need more than a few GB of music. I'm sold with the internet in my pocket. I disable flash with Flashblock on my computers. I've got Wi-Fi access 90% of my day; work, school, home, friend's homes, favorite restaurants, etc. The time that I don't, I'm driving. I'm not gonna be surfing the web while I'm driving.

It sounds like the iPhone wouldn't be a good buy for you. I'm just not sure what fuels people who are trying to discourage other people, who feel that the price is fair and the device is useful, from buying one. I wouldn't buy a Microsoft Surface, but I'm not going to inform someone who wants to buy one about why I think their opinion is wrong.

Yin and yang, I suppose.

[sanford]

I know plenty of people in Milwaukee with AT&T and they love it. Again, it depends on your area. T-Mobile sucks where I live. In other areas, people love it.

Sorry that the release of this device is bothering some of you so much. Funny that you guys make your way into the depths of an iPhone forum just to express your disdain... What's that all about?

I grant you that. That's my whole problem with the iPhone. It's too big a venture from Apple to hang on one carrier, a carrier that is rated something like 19th of 20 carriers in the national for overall satisfaction. If you're in Milwaukee, you may buy an iPhone and be thrilled with, but Apple as a company can't built a whole new market segment based on customers in Milwaukee.

The other big problem here is that I don't know if people realize it, but AT&T is draconian about their credit checks. They used to run brutal credit checks for their cable TV service of all things. Whereas Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, you can get service contracts with pretty poor but just not horrendous, near-thievery credit ratings, AT&T will not approve a contract for a lot of people. I mean for many people who charge their new iPhone at an Apple Store on a Visa with a $10,000 limit, get it home to activate it, discover AT&T won't approve their credit, and have to return it, opened, and lose a minimum of $50 in the deal.

I'm just not sure what fuels people who are trying to discourage other people, who feel that the price is fair and the device is useful, from buying one. I wouldn't buy a Microsoft Surface, but I'm not going to inform someone who wants to buy one about why I think their opinion is wrong.

I wouldn't discourage you from buying an iPhone. I really stress that it's an elegant device, although not a match for me, as the only thing I could possibly want from technology now is a real "digital notebook" that can reliably convert to text my rather neat hand printing -- seriously, I write quite neatly when I print. But I'm a writer, so the benefit of being able to hand writer tens of thousands of words in notes or straight prose but not have to key it into a computer would be enormous for me; for others, on-screen keyboards or specialized handwriting recognition formats like Palm uses are plenty for making calendar appointments. At any rate, reliable handwriting recognition seems as far off the as the moon right now.

So back to my point: I wouldn't discourage you from the iPhone, but I would discourage you from locking yourself into 24 months of contract with the only available carrier without giving them a workout with the device you intend to use with them. I think if you go into an AT&T store or Apple Store and they have iPhones out on display, and they have them on the EDGE network and not Wi-Fi, and you use them in that condition and you're happy, go for it. I certainly have spent various large amounts of money on things others deem silly -- where I live, sometimes people deem buying *books* silly! But if they won't even let you try it on the EDGE data network before you buy it, I think they have a problem, they know it, and they're covering it up.

[zombitronic]

I grant you that. That's my whole problem with the iPhone. It's too big a venture from Apple to hang on one carrier, a carrier that is rated something like 19th of 20 carriers in the national for overall satisfaction. If you're in Milwaukee, you may buy an iPhone and be thrilled with, but Apple as a company can't built a whole new market segment based on customers in Milwaukee.

Touché. I'm not sure why they HAD to stick with a single carrier, if they even did. I'm also not sure why any carrier would have turned down the chance to sell the iPhone, especially with the crap phones that they give away. Seems like turning down free money.

I wouldn't discourage you from the iPhone, but I would discourage you from locking yourself into 24 months of contract with the only available carrier without giving them a workout with the device you intend to use with them. I think if you go into an AT&T store or Apple Store and they have iPhones out on display, and they have them on the EDGE network and not Wi-Fi, and you use them in that condition and you're happy, go for it. I certainly have spent various large amounts of money on things others deem silly -- where I live, sometimes people deem buying *books* silly! But if they won't even let you try it on the EDGE data network before you buy it, I think they have a problem, they know it, and they're covering it up.

I would guess that they wouldn't have them on the EDGE network, and I think their reason would be that it might need a phone number, and I don't think they'd want people making calls from the store. Or maybe they do; maybe they really want people to try it out. That would be a positive move.

As for me, personally, I could survive without EDGE. The ability to use it, even if slow, is just a bonus in my eyes. It's almost impossible for the voice service to be worse than my current carrier. As for the phone itself, it's leagues better than any phone I've ever owned.

A couple days time will tell if these views are shared across the country. Despite coverage issues, I still believe that the iPhone will do more good for Apple, than bad.

[sminman]

I'm going to be updating my current AT&T plan which will include adding the iPhone data package.

That is all that I need to do.

So I guess that falls under the category of "Other."

[sanford]

Touché. I'm not sure why they HAD to stick with a single carrier, if they even did. I'm also not sure why any carrier would have turned down the chance to sell the iPhone, especially with the crap phones that they give away. Seems like turning down free money.



I would guess that they wouldn't have them on the EDGE network, and I think their reason would be that it might need a phone number, and I don't think they'd want people making calls from the store. Or maybe they do; maybe they really want people to try it out. That would be a positive move.

As for me, personally, I could survive without EDGE. The ability to use it, even if slow, is just a bonus in my eyes. It's almost impossible for the voice service to be worse than my current carrier. As for the phone itself, it's leagues better than any phone I've ever owned.

A couple days time will tell if these views are shared across the country. Despite coverage issues, I still believe that the iPhone will do more good for Apple, than bad.

Zombitronic,

As for demo phones, most of the demo phones in T-Mobiles stores work on their data and voice networks so there's no good reason AT&T can't do the same.

I think Apple actually had a bit of a deal finding a carrier. To put the cart before the horse, as in referring to the as yet indefinite EU launch, all their negotiations have fallen through. Chiefly, I believe, because EU carriers have indicated that the data technology is behind the EU standard and the phone itself is nice but nothing spectacular compared to a rather more diverse selection of equipment in the EU. Also the mobile business model is radically different in the EU: there are seldom contracts, monthly fees -- if any -- are small and almost all customers pay metered service for messages, data and outgoing calls, and landline and other mobile customers pay the metered fees for phoning into a mobile phone number. Further complicating things, a lot of EU mobile carriers are partially or wholly socialist as divisions of nationalized telephone companies, and how they operate their business is a matter of national concern and can have political consequences if not concrete, strict regulatory barriers.

As for difficulties in negotiating a stateside carrier, Apple had a few requirements that I know of, one that the phone would be sold at a set retail price and would not be subsidized by the carrier -- probably to avoid bleeding Apple retail sales to carrier retail sales due to steep discounts offered by the carrier. In order to meet profit expectations for the unsubsidized phone and still sell it at a competitive price -- people have mentioned Blackberries and Treos available at much lower equipment costs than the iPhone, but not at unsubsidized prices they're not -- they had to negotiate some substantial, for lack of a better word, "royalty" on carrier's service fees. A lot of carriers didn't want to pay out anything or as much as they Apple wanted. Then there was the matter of the back-end network. "Visual Voicemail" is the most obvious, but there are probably other iPhone features requiring back-end network modifications by the carrier. So of course it was difficult to find a carrier who would make substantial alterations and additions to their technology infrastructure to support one phone from one carrier.

Therefore Apple went out with this rather unique shopping list of requirements. AT&T, newly relaunched and re-branded out of Cingular after a long series of consolidations and brand changes -- didn't we just go through the whole works to break them up in the 1970s? -- as well as some of the lowest satisfaction ratings among stateside carriers *nationwide* was ripe for such a deal as they need new customers for their new business and desire reasons for existing customers to stick around. But because of the money flowing back to Apple involved -- as I understand it's rare if not unheard of for equipment manufacturers to make money off carrier service; usually they just sell mobile handsets wholesale and the carriers can price them as they please -- and the necessary changes to their network's technological infrastructure, even AT&T wouldn't enter into such a deal without some particular concessions from Apple. Specifically, exclusivity for, I think, five years, two-year contract requirements on special rate plans, the right to lock down all the features of the phone until activated under contract and the right to deactivate all features of the phone even if the contract is lawfully terminated according to their own terms set forth.

I'm about 90% certain you'll be thrilled with the device itself. I, on the other hand, would be content if we went back to party landlines. But I think there's nothing wrong with either perspective. The only thing I'd advise going into it is to realize that for two years AT&T will own you. After your contract expires, if you wish to continue using your iPhone, they'll still own you for another three years either by contract or an arrangement that is tantamount to contract, because for a full five years you will be unable to move your iPhone to another carrier.

Oh, and the final thing I'd advise is that before buying an iPhone, have AT&T run your credit against their criteria, no matter how sure you are of a good credit score, so that in the unlikely event AT&T won't sign a contract with you, you're not out $50 or $60 in restocking fees. (I would advise this even if you are a present AT&T customer, as you may be entering into a new contract and something could have changed since you first signed up.)

[VCD20]

I am with Nextel (sprint) right now, and have been for 8 years.
My plan is unlimited incoming and outgoing to anyone locally for $99.00 per month. An extra $30.00 per month or so for nation wide unlimited (long distance). My bill with taxes and everything else is around $160.00 per month.
This is a business and personal phone so I use around 3000 minutes per month.
What plan will fit me the best with AT&T? My wife and son are currently with AT&T.

[Billy Boo Bob]

My contract status doesn't allow me to get an iPhone, so I haven't even looked at the data plans. If I did get an iPhone, though, I'd be using the data features FAR more than the voice features, so I wouldn't need very many monthly voice minutes.

Well, if you notice what is says:

*Current AT&T customers, just add one of these data plans to your existing voice plan.

Minimum new 2-year wireless service plan and activation fee required to activate iPhone features, including iPod; plans are subject to AT&T credit approval.

It sounds like since you're not going after a new subsidized phone that you should be able to add 20/30/40 a month per phone for data and start a new 2-years, even on your same existing contract... It's been their policy all along that when your two years is up you can still renew your existing plan (assuming you want a new subsidized phone). Or, you can change your plan at any time (without new phones), kicking off a new 2 years, if you see one posted that's better than your current one.

I can understand not being able to if you're going after a new subsidized phone (and you're not due yet to be eligible), but it shouldn't make any difference to them with this phone. Either give the new 2 years plus data, or lose a customer (perhaps for good if it pisses someone off enough (which wouldn't be me... pissed, but still gotta have one someday)).

Edit:

Also, from Apple's site (rate page):

Existing AT&T Customers

If you’re already an AT&T customer and want to keep your current voice plan, you can just add an iPhone Data Plan with unlimited data (email and web) and Visual Voicemail for just $20 per month.
This would be per phone, of course. That's my plan.

[bankshot]

I'd like to see a $39.99 plan with no voice minutes. 40 bucks a month for internet anywhere, on the go sounds pretty reasonable (excruciatingly slow speeds notwithstanding). But I'm one of the 3 people on this planet who couldn't possibly use up the voice minutes on even the minimum plan. I average maybe 3-5 minutes a week on the phone so I can't imagine getting anywhere near the 450/month plan. What a waste of time! :eek: Seriously, who are you people talking to, and what do you talk about all day? :rolleyes: ;)

Is there nobody left out there like me?

[wrldwzrd89]

Well, if you notice what is says:



It sounds like since you're not going after a new subsidized phone that you should be able to add 20/30/40 a month per phone for data and start a new 2-years, even on your same existing contract... It's been their policy all along that when your two years is up you can still renew your existing plan (assuming you want a new subsidized phone). Or, you can change your plan at any time (without new phones), kicking off a new 2 years, if you see one posted that's better than your current one.

I can understand not being able to if you're going after a new subsidized phone (and you're not due yet to be eligible), but it shouldn't make any difference to them with this phone. Either give the new 2 years plus data, or lose a customer (perhaps for good if it pisses someone off enough (which wouldn't be me... pissed, but still gotta have one someday)).

Edit:

Also, from Apple's site (rate page):


This would be per phone, of course. That's my plan.
Doesn't help me at all, since I'm not an AT&T customer currently.

[zombitronic]

I'd like to see a $39.99 plan with no voice minutes. 40 bucks a month for internet anywhere, on the go sounds pretty reasonable (excruciatingly slow speeds notwithstanding). But I'm one of the 3 people on this planet who couldn't possibly use up the voice minutes on even the minimum plan. I average maybe 3-5 minutes a week on the phone so I can't imagine getting anywhere near the 450/month plan. What a waste of time! :eek: Seriously, who are you people talking to, and what do you talk about all day? :rolleyes: ;)

Is there nobody left out there like me?

I hear ya, brother. Here's my average phone call:

Hi.
Hi.
Blah, blah, blah?
Blah, blah, blah.
Blah, blah?
Blah.
Cool, bye.
Bye.

Even sharing the 700 minutes with my girlfriend will be too much, especially since it won't use minutes to call her. I'm good with 100. She can use the other 600.

[nbs2]

make sure you read the fine print. It's $80 before adding the second line, which is $30 more. So, the family plans start at $110 for 2 lines. Honestly, the family plan is still quite expensive.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

That's what I can't figure out. I'm paying $59.99 for two lines on my family plan (550 minutes). Does this mean that I am going to pay $79.99 for two lines (my wife isn't planning on getting an iPhone). It's only $10 cheaper than the 700 minute plan, but the minutes are more than plenty (we average about 110 rollover/month) and an 11% discount. Somehow, I'm still going to ba on an affordable plan...

I'd like to see a $39.99 plan with no voice minutes. 40 bucks a month for internet anywhere, on the go sounds pretty reasonable (excruciatingly slow speeds notwithstanding). But I'm one of the 3 people on this planet who couldn't possibly use up the voice minutes on even the minimum plan. I average maybe 3-5 minutes a week on the phone so I can't imagine getting anywhere near the 450/month plan. What a waste of time! Seriously, who are you people talking to, and what do you talk about all day?

Is there nobody left out there like me?

I think a lot of folks are like you. My minutes collect on calls to both my and my wife's parents and siblings (4 parents, 5 sisters) and a lot of little 1-2 minute calls where we just check to see if someone is home before we go visit them. It adds up, but when you don't have a house phone, 50 minutes a week isn't a lot to use. Do most use 3-5 a week? No. But still just a few minutes - yeah