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AT&T's GoPhone Prepaid Brand to Gain iPhone and LTE/HSPA+ Support Tomorrow

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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MacRumors has learned that AT&T's GoPhone prepaid wireless brand will be undertaking a significant expansion of its services starting tomorrow, offering support for AT&T's fastest LTE and HSPA+ data networks for the first time and also adding official support for the iPhone.

Until now, GoPhone has allowed iPhone users to sign up for service, but without cellular data access. With the changes coming tomorrow, the iPhone will have access to the full range of AT&T services through GoPhone, including LTE data and Visual Voicemail.

gophone.jpg
GoPhone will support three service plans for the iPhone, including the high-end $65/month plan that offers unlimited calls and texts and 1 GB of data. Users can also opt for cheaper $25 and $50 plans, but they must purchase separate data packages on top of those plans if they wish to use cellular data.

For iPhone purchases, GoPhone customers can either bring their own off-contract iPhone or purchase one in-store at the full no-committment price. Existing GoPhone iPhone customers will be automatically updated with support for cellular data access on June 21, but support representatives will be able to manually upgrade customers before that time upon request.

The iPhone has been making significant inroads into the U.S. prepaid carrier market, led by Cricket nearly a year ago. Since that time, Sprint's Virgin Mobile brand and AT&T's prepaid brands Straight Talk and Aio have also begun offering the iPhone. Sprint prepaid brand Boost Mobile has also been rumored several times to be launching iPhone support, but has yet to do so.

Article Link: AT&T's GoPhone Prepaid Brand to Gain iPhone and LTE/HSPA+ Support Tomorrow
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/05/23/atts-gophone-prepaid-brand-to-gain-iphone-and-ltehspa-support-tomorrow/
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pmenadue

macrumors newbie
May 23, 2013
1
0
Still month on month

It still amazes me that, unless you sign up for an ongoing monthly plan (which, yes, you can cancel), you cant get access to data.

As a regular traveller to the US, I can't just have a prepaid amount that comes with data with ATT. Does T-Mobile allow this?
 
T

toaster64

macrumors regular
May 14, 2013
164
0
This has very little to do with Apple. I'm not complaining that it's a waste of time or stupid, just that it doesn't really belong here.

----------
OrangeSVTguy said:
Just think if the buyout had been granted :D
Click to expand...

That would have sucked. I'm not switching to T-Mobile, just waiting for them to bring AT&T's prices down like what happened with long-distance calls back in the day.
 
H

heyitsfez

macrumors member
Sep 24, 2012
44
0
By installing a configuration profile, you can enable data access on an iPhone on Gophone. It's a well known technique and it works. Also I wonder what will happen to grandfathered Gophone users. I'm grandfathered in an older plan that lets me purchase data and use the phone as I please (10¢ min calls, $5 gets you 200 txt messages) and I also get to use data as a bonus on an unlocked iPhone 5. The speeds aren't great (it gives me a "4G" indicator but the speeds are more like 3G) but hopefully with this change it improves :)
 
ThatGuyInLa

ThatGuyInLa

macrumors 6502a
Oct 26, 2012
827
1,109
SC
$40 a month unlimited at Boost Mobile...

I still see no compelling reason for any of these new pay-as-you-go plans when Boost is offering GOOD multi-core smart phones with full 4G unlimited, 2.5gb monthly caps and then only 3G throttling for data there-after for FOURTY-DOLLARS A MONTH. Contract free!

Come on! Boost will be getting iPhones and then it's DONE.
 
Y

Yeezus

macrumors member
May 20, 2013
46
0
pmenadue said:
It still amazes me that, unless you sign up for an ongoing monthly plan (which, yes, you can cancel), you cant get access to data.

As a regular traveller to the US, I can't just have a prepaid amount that comes with data with ATT. Does T-Mobile allow this?
Click to expand...

Yes, T-Mobile allows this. I currently use T-Mobile's $US30 prepaid plan which comes with 100 mins of talk/unlimited text and web - first 5 GB up to 4G speeds, then it drops to 2G after. I am a heavy data user so I couldn't be more than happy with this plan.
 
F

flux73

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2009
1,019
134
OatmealRocks said:
Did you even bother to read the link?

It is $65 for SMARTPHONE with 1 GB of DATA.. and you can buy extra data at $25/GB.

Competition is good? How they manage to make it worst than contract prices??? :confused:
Click to expand...
T-mobile's plans are unquestionably better. Still, that AT&T is even offering this as an option right now is only because they're being threatened by T-mobile. This move is meant to stop the defections. They probably can't go any lower because they've been spoiled by past high margins. But if they keep losing customers to T-mobile, you'll see improved pricing from AT&T real fast. Of the 3 top carriers, AT&T hurts the most by T-mobile's new deals, because T-mobile's network upgrades are now compatible with AT&T hardware.

I think for now, AT&T may be able to justify its pricing because they do still have wider LTE coverage. But that's changing quickly.
 
Last edited:
Codyak

Codyak

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2012
370
127
DC
I'm glad my employer pays for my cell phone. The whole thing outside of TracFone and Vodafone pre-paid seems like a ripoff...
 
Jessica Lares

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
Meh. My current postpaid plan on AT&T is $60 with the taxes included, it's the cheapest I've ever paid so I'm not complaining. I'm pretty sure by the end of the year they're going to bump everyone up to 1GB at the minimum and discontinue the 500MB plan with all the LTE devices we have now.
 
F

flux73

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2009
1,019
134
Yeezus said:
Yes, T-Mobile allows this. I currently use T-Mobile's $US30 prepaid plan which comes with 100 mins of talk/unlimited text and web - first 5 GB up to 4G speeds, then it drops to 2G after. I am a heavy data user so I couldn't be more than happy with this plan.
Click to expand...
This plan is only available for new activations. And if you ever change the plan, you can't switch back.
 
Y

Yeezus

macrumors member
May 20, 2013
46
0
flux73 said:
This plan is only available for new activations. And if you ever change the plan, you can't switch back.
Click to expand...

True, the plan is only available for new activations, but it offers the most bang for the buck. T-Mobile's Simple Choice Plan starts at $US50 with unlimited talk, text, and unlimited data - 500 MB of 4G data ($US10 for 2 GB more of 4G, $US20 more for unlimited 4G) Not to mention that there are additional taxes on top of the $US50 plan. I only have to pay for sales tax if I choose to buy a prepaid refill card (other options are via credit card, debit card, etc.)

I can easily port my number over to Google Voice and use Talkatone or GV Phone for additional calls over data. Honestly, I don't see how anyone would ever change the $US30 plan for a simple choice plan. The value is unmatched in comparison.
 
Saladinos

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
Yeezus said:
Yes, T-Mobile allows this. I currently use T-Mobile's $US30 prepaid plan which comes with 100 mins of talk/unlimited text and web - first 5 GB up to 4G speeds, then it drops to 2G after. I am a heavy data user so I couldn't be more than happy with this plan.
Click to expand...

Thank God there's a European carrier over there to bring some sanity! :p
 
D

Diseal3

macrumors 65816
Jun 29, 2008
1,072
95
Should be interesting if Verizon follows. Post paid is really loosing its incentive.
 
gotluck

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
getting there att but not good enough yet. LTE is nice but 1gb isn't enough - and the price is too high. MVNO's & Tmobile still win for the value approach
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
AT&T has never really competed with their prices, except maybe with Verizon. Not sure why people are shocked at the $65 price tag and 1GB data. Of course they won't match TMobile...

If you do the math, this is about on par with what you might have paid with their on contract plans minus the cost of phone subsidy.
 
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