I'm on the grandfathered unlimited plan as well and have a similar discount as you. I use enough data, about 3-5gb a month to stay on it. It's just something I don't want to think about all the time. I've priced out the other plans and they aren't better for me.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Anyone else still grandfather'd into AT&T's unlimited data plan?
- Thread starter mdwsta4
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm still grandfathered in and don't plan on ever giving that up. When I upgraded to the 5S last fall, the AT&T reps told me that they would never take my plan away from me.
Nationwide 450 min with rollover, 1500 texts, and unlimited data, and with a 22% FAN discount from my employer it brings my bill to about $76/month. I can't exactly complain about that.
And I use about 3-3.5 GB of data per month.
Nationwide 450 min with rollover, 1500 texts, and unlimited data, and with a 22% FAN discount from my employer it brings my bill to about $76/month. I can't exactly complain about that.
And I use about 3-3.5 GB of data per month.
Perpetual grandfathering?
Still on it. I stream enough podcasts/music that it's definitely worthwhile.
One surprise to me was that my son was grandfathered in too. When he first got a phone he got my old original iPhone. Took it to the ATT store and when they activated his account it came through with the unlimited plan too! This was in 2011, so long after the plan had ended.
Son#2 is about to get his first phone, so we'll see if it happens again. Much to his chagrin I'm going to start him on the original iPhone too rather than the iPhone4 (without cellular service) he has now.
Still on it. I stream enough podcasts/music that it's definitely worthwhile.
One surprise to me was that my son was grandfathered in too. When he first got a phone he got my old original iPhone. Took it to the ATT store and when they activated his account it came through with the unlimited plan too! This was in 2011, so long after the plan had ended.
Son#2 is about to get his first phone, so we'll see if it happens again. Much to his chagrin I'm going to start him on the original iPhone too rather than the iPhone4 (without cellular service) he has now.
The fact that AT&T refuses to offer the unlimited plan to any new customers tells you all you need to know. It is the best plan, bar none. It is not even close.
If any of the other plans were a better deal, then AT&T would start selling the unlimited again.
PS - I have the grandfathered plan on my iPhone 5.
If any of the other plans were a better deal, then AT&T would start selling the unlimited again.
PS - I have the grandfathered plan on my iPhone 5.
I love 'out of my cold dead hand' unlimited guy who either never comes close to the limit or even worse takes getting throttled over a possible $10 overage.....on an $800 phone.
I dropped unlimited years ago, went to a mobile share plan to get throttling and never regretted it.
I dropped unlimited years ago, went to a mobile share plan to get throttling and never regretted it.
Just switched our four lines (two of which were unlimited) to the 10GB mobile share plan. Didn't make sense to me to keep paying ~$60 more per month to keep unlimited when we were averaging 5-6GB/mo combined.
If you can pay less for a plan with a cap that you never come close to exceeding then the unlimited plan is not the best plan.
Total bill, after work discount, is around $76-$77/mo.
Thinking about checking out T-Mobile service, can I transfer my sim card to a iPad to preserve my grandfathered unlimited?
Still have mine since the 3G. 450 mins, 200 texts, unlimited data on single line (I'm also single, if any careszing). Total bill, after work discount, is around $76-$77/mo.
No significant benefit for me to drop it, yet, but these other carriers and their new promos are making that decision a whole lot more difficult than it used to be. Sent from my iPhone 5.
Thinking about checking out T-Mobile service, can I transfer my sim card to a iPad to preserve my grandfathered unlimited?
I still have it. Would kind of like to get rid of it. I have unlimited but only use about 2GB a month, I'm on wifi most of the time. Wife has 3GB limit but usually has 1-2GB ($10-20) in overages per month. We also have my mom's non-smartphone on our plan. If we could go to the new 10GB shared plan on AT&T that would work better for us, it would save us some money and get rid of the overages. Only problem is we wouldn't save enough to cover the cost of having to buy our own phones vs. the subsidized price.
im a new at&t customer for almost three months now with the 32gb gold 5s with 450min, m2m texting, 3gb. i have a 15% student discount that gets taken out from the talk and a 10% discount from the bill. i am paying about $74 a month.
i called and complained alot to to the retention department(at least 3 times) in the past 2 months. i think i am lucky to have the plan i have right now, dont u think?
i called and complained alot to to the retention department(at least 3 times) in the past 2 months. i think i am lucky to have the plan i have right now, dont u think?
So you've been under contract for almost 3 months...and spent 2 of those months 'complaining a lot' to the customer retention department?
Not really, you're grandfathered in to a plan that was recently discontinued, it's standard operating procedure.
BTW, assuming you signed a contract for a subsidy and didn't go the Next route, you have 21 months left on your contract with a $300 ETF. You have absolutely zero leverage negotiating with retentions.
yes pretty much. 2yr contract
----------
what do u mean? what is etf? sorry i am kinda new to all this. and why dont u think i am lucky with the plan i have? $74 a month for 2yrs is pretty damn good if u ask me.
I am still with grandfathered unlimited data plan and no plan to give up. I don't watch too much YouTube video or others but I am not worried about using FaceTime a lot. 
I'm never giving up my unlimited data.
I use my sling-box to watch my TV shows and sports away from home.
A 2 hour sports game can rack up around 2GB of data.
Do that a few times a week and I will be paying overages or use up all the data if I had a family shared data plan.
And since I pay $22.50 for unlimited data with my FAN discount its a no brainer.
As time goes by more apps and cellphone data usage will increase but those unlimited plans will never be available. What will be there is more ways for the carriers to nickel and dime us with data overages.
I use my sling-box to watch my TV shows and sports away from home.
A 2 hour sports game can rack up around 2GB of data.
Do that a few times a week and I will be paying overages or use up all the data if I had a family shared data plan.
And since I pay $22.50 for unlimited data with my FAN discount its a no brainer.
As time goes by more apps and cellphone data usage will increase but those unlimited plans will never be available. What will be there is more ways for the carriers to nickel and dime us with data overages.
You don't get throttled?
I went over 5 or 6 GB on my unlimited a couple of times while on vacation and it became so slow that paying for any overage would have been preferable.
Early termination fee - the amount you have to pay AT&T to get out of your contract if you cancel early. So you really have no leverage with retentions - "Oh, so you're going to cancel if we don't give you a discount? Fine, that'll be $300 please."
You're plan is fine, but it's not like you're lucky to have it - pretty sure $65/mo can get you 2 gigs of data with unlimited talk and text now on AT&T. Then once you add on your discounts it's less than that.
Of course, I get such a great discount on my phone service that I'm a bit jaded as to what's a good deal for everyone else, because I'm sure that whatever anyone else considers a good deal is a lot more than I pay.
I have had the unlimited plan for years. It is nice to not worry about how much data you have used. I have used way over the throttle amount and never been slowed.
I hear you. My wife's employer reimburses $100 a month for her cell phone bill, regardless, on top of the FAN discount. We pay, out of pocket, $58 and change for 4 smartphones, unlimited talk and text, and 10 GB of data.
Sometimes I go up to 7-8gb until I get throttled.
And even then I still get 1mbps down so it's not that bad.
The new plan costs $65 per month for unlimited minuets and text and 2GB of data. If you add in your student discount, you'd probably save $6 on top of that.
Not sure why you've been calling the retention department so much. Are you having trouble with your service?
well im not really planning on breaking my contract, im pretty happy with at&t. but the last couple of times i talked to retention, i just pretty much told them that i felt like i was paying too much for my service, i didnt really say that i would leave. i guess i was lucky to get someone that made me happier.
i did hear about the 65$ plan. but i am pretty happy and safe with 3gb and i barely talk on the phone, i dont need unlimited talk.
----------
id rather pay that $6 for an extra gb. well, i called them alot to get a better deal, and it did work, just took alot of calling and talking to different ppl.