Are there fees to temporarily establish LTE after into period

[dmaxdmax]

I don’t intend to activate LTE but what if I’m going to vacation at the beach for two weeks - could I buy one month of a data plan? I’d love to be able to turn it on and off when needed - obviously for minimum 30 day periods. I can imagine wanting to do this 1-2x per year.

 

[waw74]

you'd have to call and talk to your cell provider

and that would all be subject to change

 

[lclev]

You would have to contact your carrier. There may be an activation fee that might make it not worth turning it on and off. My carrier charges $10/month and activation is $30. They waved the activation fee for this first time as it is a new device. I also get a $5/month discount for autopay.

So in my case if I shut cellular off and only activated it twice a year that potential cost would be $80 a year versus $120 for all year long service.

Contact your carrier.

Lisa

 

[Otflyer]

You would have to contact your carrier. There may be an activation fee that might make it not worth turning it on and off. My carrier charges $10/month and activation is $30. They waved the activation fee for this first time as it is a new device. I also get a $5/month discount for autopay.

So in my case if I shut cellular off and only activated it twice a year that potential cost would be $80 a year versus $120 for all year long service.

Contact your carrier.

Lisa

Don’t forget the taxes and fees which bring the total closer to $13 per month.

 

[dmaxdmax]

I’m certain that this topic has been beaten to death on these boards but it seems absurd to charge 10(13) a month for a device that doesn’t have its own number.

 

[ersan191]

I’m certain that this topic has been beaten to death on these boards but it seems absurd to charge 10(13) a month for a device that doesn’t have its own number.

It’s true, $5 was the norm for Android and other wearables but when the AW came out all the carriers saw yet another opportunity to be scumbags and double it.

 

[dmaxdmax]

It’s true, $5 was the norm for Android and other wearables but when the AW came out all the carriers saw yet another opportunity to be scumbags and double it.

Not scumbags, just for-profit businesses. Can you imagine the following conversation:

PENSION FUND MANAGER: Are you going to beat last years numbers?
CEO: Probably.
PFM: Well do your best as long as you don’t raise prices.
CEO: No, I wouldn’t want to upset anyone. I’ll still get my year end bonus right?
PFM: Sure. The teachers whose pensions I manage wouldn’t want you to be a scumbag.l

 

[ersan191]

Not scumbags, just for-profit businesses. Can you imagine the following conversation:

PENSION FUND MANAGER: Are you going to beat last years numbers?
CEO: Probably.
PFM: Well do your best as long as you don’t raise prices.
CEO: No, I wouldn’t want to upset anyone. I’ll still get my year end bonus right?
PFM: Sure. The teachers whose pensions I manage wouldn’t want you to be a scumbag.l

I don’t think the telcos who are charging us more than any other country for worse service are managing any teachers’ pensions, but ok.

And the $4 billion in profit per quarter they post makes me think maybe they’ll be alright not nickel and diming their customers on data they already pay for just because a new Apple product came out.

 

[dmaxdmax]

The pension and mutual funds own the telcos. The fund managers are in the business of purchasing stock in companies that maximize their share prices.

 

[dave006]

I’m certain that this topic has been beaten to death on these boards but it seems absurd to charge 10(13) a month for a device that doesn’t have its own number.

The Apple Watch (GPS + Cellular) does have it's own phone number once you activate a wearable plan from your carrier.

Apple just thought they would make it easier on you by using some fancy technology to make your LTE watch "appear" to share your iPhone number. That way individuals can reach you on your watch or your iPhone by using a single phone number and have the call seamlessly reach you depending on which device you are currently "actively" using.

Personally, I prefer to have my LTE watch and iPhone appearing to use a single phone number. It keeps me from the need to reach out to all my contacts to have them add my watch's phone number as an alternative to my iPhone phone number.

Dave

 

[ersan191]

The Apple Watch (GPS + Cellular) does have it's own phone number once you activate a wearable plan from your carrier.

Apple just thought they would make it easier on you by using some fancy technology to make your LTE watch "appear" to share your iPhone number. That way individuals can reach you on your watch or your iPhone by using a single phone number and have the call seamlessly reach you depending on which device you are currently "actively" using.

Personally, I prefer to have my LTE watch and iPhone appearing to use a single phone number. It keeps me from the need to reach out to all my contacts to have them add my watch's phone number as an alternative to my iPhone phone number.

Dave

Fun fact: Originally T-mobile, AT&T, and Sprint charged $5 for a wearable and then an additional $5 for the number share feature - if you didn’t want your watch to share your number it would have its own for less than it would cost for it to share. AFAIK they did away with that and just made it $10 all inclusive after the watch came out. Verizon charged $5 including numbersync but upped it to $10 when the watch came out.

Once numbersync is enabled the phone number assigned to the watch stops working.
[doublepost=1511634804][/doublepost]

The pension and mutual funds own the telcos. The fund managers are in the business of purchasing stock in companies that maximize their share prices.

If you’re trying to defend price hikes by making me feel sorry for telcos AND mutual fund managers you’ve honestly lost your mind.

 

[dmaxdmax]

Fun fact: Originally T-mobile, AT&T, and Sprint charged $5 for a wearable and then an additional $5 for the number share feature - if you didn’t want your watch to share your number it would have its own for less than it would cost for it to share. AFAIK they did away with that and just made it $10 all inclusive after the watch came out. Verizon charged $5 including numbersync but upped it to $10 when the watch came out.

Once numbersync is enabled the phone number assigned to the watch stops working.
[doublepost=1511634804][/doublepost]
If you’re trying to defend price hikes by making me feel sorry for telcos AND mutual fund managers you’ve honestly lost your mind.

Ha! The last thing I want is for you to feel sorry for them. I’m just pointing out that they aren’t nickel and diming us, they’re doing what they’re supposed to: charge the most they can without losing customers.

 

[dave006]

.....Once numbersync is enabled the phone number assigned to the watch stops working.

No the watch still uses it's assigned unique phone number to initiate all calls. If you carrier provides detailed billing you can see each call initiated by the watch, either cellular or Wi-Fi. The "Number Sharing" or NumberSync in AT&T terms upstream in the Carrier's network.

I don’t intend to activate LTE but what if I’m going to vacation at the beach for two weeks - could I buy one month of a data plan? I’d love to be able to turn it on and off when needed - obviously for minimum 30 day periods. I can imagine wanting to do this 1-2x per year.

Depending on your carrier, there may be a $25 - $30 fee to activate LTE each time you activate it. For example if you activate is now most carriers waive or refund your activation fee and in the USA 3 months of your initial service. If you then cancelled your wearable plan and then want to enable it next summer, you would have to pay for another activation.

Dave

 

[ersan191]

No the watch still uses it's assigned unique phone number to initiate all calls. If you carrier provides detailed billing you can see each call initiated by the watch, either cellular or Wi-Fi. The "Number Sharing" or NumberSync in AT&T terms upstream in the Carrier's network.

I meant you can't receive calls on the original watch number, it is functionally disabled.