Dang my usage was 1.7 gigs last month.i would love to switch to the $15 dollar but i realized i used TomTom a lot last month and that kills the data usage If it wasnt for Nav..id do it, but as one user pointd out, if the 4g does have video chat on it that would kill the data usage also..
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AT&T Announces iPhone Tethering and New Smartphone Data Plans
- Thread starter ChazUK
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If the cloud rumors (yes, I know they are rumors) happen to be true, what will the data usage be? Wonder if there will be a discount for hitting apple servers in north carolina? One company starting to push streaming (lala close down on time?) and the other kinking the hose.
There is no cap on your AT&T Unlimited data plan. Check their website, Legal. And also call them. I've been way past 14GB's a month for the past several months now - still only $30 a month.
This new data cap is stop people like me - I hog way too much data. Which is why I don't get all the anger towards AT&T, be mad at people like me who torrent, and stream everything possible over my 3G.
However, good thing I'm grandfathered in.
The OS restricts you from DL'ing things over 20MB on 3G so your argument is invalid.
I didn't think TomTom used a lot of data. The maps are all stored on the phone and the GPS chip doesn't have any data usage associated. The tomtom app even works without cell service available (no data connection)... Traffic data is all the phone would need to get off the data network, I wouldn't think that would be a lot. Can someone else confirm this?
If you really want to be fair, then why doesn't Apple and AT&T:
- rollover unused bandwidth?
- allow more competition/choice in the market for iPhone usage?
Over all, and not to be an apologist for Netflix or Hulu - but moves like this will stifle an environment that fosters more creative usage of an online presence. It's the future I'm worried about.
They certainly can, no doubt about that. But they have been very good with their grandfathering plans so far. When you sign up for a plan, you keep it for life pretty much as long as you don't change your plan--at least that has been their policy up to this point.
Two things I see missing in the announcement... or perhaps wishing they would address:
1. Rollover - If I pay for 200 MB but only use 100 then need some extra next month, would be nice to bank what I have already paid for like talk mins.
2. Family Plan - Have 3 already, and likely to add a 4th iPhone. Would be great to have a family plan as 1 or two of our iPhones use data very rarely, other two tend to be a bit heavier use. Perhaps a 4GB family plan for say $50 or so would be ideal.
1. Rollover - If I pay for 200 MB but only use 100 then need some extra next month, would be nice to bank what I have already paid for like talk mins.
2. Family Plan - Have 3 already, and likely to add a 4th iPhone. Would be great to have a family plan as 1 or two of our iPhones use data very rarely, other two tend to be a bit heavier use. Perhaps a 4GB family plan for say $50 or so would be ideal.
you know what, this will make cense wen other carriers offer the iPhone and they start smacking there faces over ho is cheaper and ho is offering something that makes cense.
AT&T is Excessively Greedy
The true fact is that AT&T is excessively greedy. The are making billions of dollars and trying to squeeze every last dime out of people. I don't even have an iPhone but it does upset me with their pricing schemes.
Apple needs to end their exclusive contract with AT&T and open it up to all carriers to create competition and drive these monthly fees to a more reasonable level.
The true fact is that AT&T is excessively greedy. The are making billions of dollars and trying to squeeze every last dime out of people. I don't even have an iPhone but it does upset me with their pricing schemes.
Apple needs to end their exclusive contract with AT&T and open it up to all carriers to create competition and drive these monthly fees to a more reasonable level.
If I had an iphone, I'd be streaming pandora for the 2 hours I'm in my car (1 hour each way). That's 190kb/s times 60 seconds = 11.4Mb/minute times 120 minutes = 1.3Gb for 2 hours (all this is at the high quality setting). 4 weeks in a month, that's 18 driving days (every other friday off) so that is 24.6Gb per month.
Is the data plan bits or bytes? Bytes I can divide by 8 so it's only 8G for a month.
I better us normal (128kb/sec).
edit: I did that in my head, excuse math errors.
Is the data plan bits or bytes? Bytes I can divide by 8 so it's only 8G for a month.
I better us normal (128kb/sec).
edit: I did that in my head, excuse math errors.
Your off by a factor of 8. The cap is 2 Gigabytes, not 2 gigabits. A 190kb/s (kilabit) stream is 1.4MB/ minute (84mb/hour), the 128kb stream is about 57.6MB / hour.
What is excessive greed? If people are willing to pay for it, is it really excessive? Who determines it? Should we have a committee decide how much they can make? If people walk away from it, ATT will get the message. If they keep getting more to sign up, then business as usual.
My thoughts are that sprint will be the difference maker. I think Verizon and ATT are a lot alike. But if sprint come in with carryover data, lower cost per Gig in the areas they have good coverage, then the others have to change in that area. The the rest of verizon and att then get pissed because some areas have lower rates so maybe something gets done in those areas.
Then again ... or not.
I agree with this post. Such nonsense for them to charge for tethering. American mobile plans are such a rip off.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)
Well, this is about the most vicious thread I've ever seen on MR short of the political section. :-o
I do not like this move one bit. I understand the "pay more if you use more" argument, but this is basically AT&T trying to make its overloaded network look better. (btw: currently getting 140 kbps in downtown Boston on "3g." so glad I'm paying $30/month for this.)
the bottom line is that two things need to happen. 1) AT&T needs to get their crap together and upgrade the network. I know what they claim to be spending, but it's been 3 years since you got the iPhone. Time to get your act together. 2) other carriers. I've always said I would stay with AT&T over vzn and I still might depending on how it plays out. But it's become crystal clear that only competition is going to hold AT&T"s feet to the fire. And right now, there isn't really competition because nothing else is an iPhone. Yes you can leave for android/web os/blackberry, but a certain percentage of us prefer the iPhone enough that we'll put up with damn near anything, and AT&T knows it.
Well, this is about the most vicious thread I've ever seen on MR short of the political section. :-o
I do not like this move one bit. I understand the "pay more if you use more" argument, but this is basically AT&T trying to make its overloaded network look better. (btw: currently getting 140 kbps in downtown Boston on "3g." so glad I'm paying $30/month for this.)
the bottom line is that two things need to happen. 1) AT&T needs to get their crap together and upgrade the network. I know what they claim to be spending, but it's been 3 years since you got the iPhone. Time to get your act together. 2) other carriers. I've always said I would stay with AT&T over vzn and I still might depending on how it plays out. But it's become crystal clear that only competition is going to hold AT&T"s feet to the fire. And right now, there isn't really competition because nothing else is an iPhone. Yes you can leave for android/web os/blackberry, but a certain percentage of us prefer the iPhone enough that we'll put up with damn near anything, and AT&T knows it.
Uhhh...because both of them willingly picked out a plan called 'unlimited' ?
DUDE..Hello? If you drive 100,000 miles a year and I drive only 10,000 can I get a cheaper car rate? or pay less per gallon? Most of the taxes on both of those is (supposed) to go for road use and maintenance...according to your dumba$$ statement...I get to pay less now !! Wheeeeee~!
I never get close to the 5gig current iPhone cap....but G%#Dam#%it this pisses me off badly...ATT has the suckiest customer service, rates, and reception...but it has the iPhone and iPad. This BS??? I have a family of 6 iPhone users (who do not use a lot of data) 3 of us are out contract....know what ATT? See YA! I don't like to be digitally raped and the new Android will fit the bill nicely. God forbid the iPhone comes out on Verizon. I was going to upgrade to an iPad 3g...nope...not now. Called ATT and you have to keep the $30 unlimited CONTINIOUSLY on to grandfather...skip one month of coverage and BAM! No choice EVER again...
My company just switched to Verizon because ATT went up on our corporate rates...Verizon saves 20% and we get much better reception. Free wifi spots with the Palms (or download the 'tethermyblackberry' app).
Know what? I think either ATT is LOSING exclusive right to the iPhone (jack up the rates and bump up the ETF before anyone finds out)....OR...Verizon played them (hints from Verizon CEO and maybe some "yeah..you're right" brownosing). Now Verizon is going to come out and say "Nah...we ain't going up" and then watch Sprint and T-Mobile not go up...THEN what?
Buh-Bye ATT...dropping everything I can to get away from you greedy rectal monkeys...
Yeah...I am really pissed about this BS....
And that's pretty much every single provider that does that. Welcome to capitalism. When verizon get's the iPhone look for the same data plans there too.
You Call AT&T greedy but yet make it seem like they are the only one. They are not. Verizon also has high rates too and i bet around the 7th Verizon will have the same exact data plan charges.
Then it will trickle down and sprint and t-mobile will offer those same prices as well. Because they know people will pay it. You must think that wireless providers are Not for profit companies and that they are suppose to offer cheap service.
I'm surprised that TomTom would use much 3G data. The maps are on your iPhone, so all it can pull down in terms of a data stream are traffic updates, right? Given that it supports that, which I'm not sure of as I use MotionX.
But you are raising a very good point: We have no idea yet how much data will be used by the new video chat feature....
Adequate, but nothing like getting smacked in the face with $20 in overages for one month because a few too many people you know went crazy and there isn't a good way to control what we receive. One bad month on the 200mb data plan and you could be for a world of hurt, just like their sleezy text message plans.
I imagine they saw $$$ flashing from the people who are right around the line, and modeled their data plans after the pre-existing racket they call text messaging.
Except there was only one plan offered. Unlimited.
And your analogy is completely off the mark. AT&T only offered Unlimited, so someone using far less was paying as much as someone who used far more. You should be able to pay less if you use less, but that wasn't an option until now (I still think the options are... weak)
As far as driving, what is a "cheaper car rate?"
You then mention the price per gallon. Maybe you have heard of "bulk pricing." If a individual or company agreed to buy X number of gallons of fuel per year, the would indeed get a discount. Gas cards also offer benefits to those who use lots of fuel. So you can pay less per gallon the more you drive.
And as far as taxes, they have these things called "deductions" which you can use to adjust your effective tax rate. Those who utilize the roads less should be able to pay fewer taxes. The current state of the tax system does not suggest that things should be the way they are.
Your post is so misinformed that I can't begin, nor do I desire, to address all of the problems.