AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

[MacRumors]

Late yesterday, Engadget reported that AT&T will be eliminating its $10/month texting plan offering 1000 text messages, leaving the carrier's unlimited texting plan for $20/month as the only option for new customers. Within hours, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed that the change is coming on August 21st and that existing customers can keep their current texting plans, even when upgrading devices.

Starting August 21, we're streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don't have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets."

Just this past January, AT&T dropped its texting plan options from three to two by eliminating its $5/200 text and $15/1500 text plans and replacing them with the $10 plan offering 1000 texts. But just eight months later, the company is now doing away with that option as well and pushing new customers into unlimited text messaging plans.

Article Link: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

 

[Ammo]

The texting package gets you unlimited mobile to mobile calling to any wireless carrier, so it's not like it's JUST a texting package.

More bang for your buck. People who needed 900 minutes and had 200 text messages can drop to 450 minutes and get unlimited texting for less.

 

[AAPLaday]

You guys get screwed so much on your mobile deals. Liveprofile/iM etc FTW?

 

[TMacken]

Is this AT&T sticking it to Apple users for having iMessage in iOS 5 to use instead of text messages?

 

[JangoFett124]

The texting package gets you unlimited mobile to mobile calling to any wireless carrier, so it's not like it's JUST a texting package.

More bang for your buck. People who needed 900 minutes probably won't need them anymore.

Where's the source for this? At least on the iPhone, texting cost is independent from the calling cost.

 

[illitrate23]

so, good thing iOS5 is bringing iMessage then

 

[Apple...]

I (partially) blame this on iMessage.

 

[MarrkDaviid]

I get unlimited texts included in my $59 cap in Australia ($700 worth of calls + 2GB data). How much does data and voice cost on top of this with AT&T?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

A typical AT&T move... what was wrong with the previous plan??? Is it just that they want to get more of people's money or have them sign up for Unlimited Plan, which is not really Unlimited. And if you want Tethering, you'll have to pay a lot extra, even when you are just using the same data volume.

APPLE, PLEASE BUY AT&T MOBILE!

 

[AiralynRose]

Where's the source for this? At least on the iPhone, texting cost is independent from the calling cost.

This was a bonus added to the unlimited texting plans in Feb. http://www.macworld.com/article/157774/2011/02/att_unlimited.html

 

[Ammo]

Where's the source for this? At least of the iPhone, texting cost is independent from the calling cost.

It's not independent. It's on ALL cell phones. You do have a base minute plan, but you can drop from a higher minute plan to a lesser minute plan to get unlimited mobile to mobile calling to any cell phone.

Instead of having 900 minutes and 1000 text messages, for less you can have 450 minutes and unlimited texting AND unlimited calling to ANY cell phone. It's a better value.

My source is AT&T's website and brochures.

 

[dagamer34]

The texting package gets you unlimited mobile to mobile calling to any wireless carrier, so it's not like it's JUST a texting package.

More bang for your buck. People who needed 900 minutes and had 200 text messages can drop to 450 minutes and get unlimited texting for less.

And what if I already had 450 minutes because I barely use them? I'd rather have a ton of data and pre-paid minutes but AT&T makes data godly expensive if you want to use an iPhone that way.

 

[JangoFett124]

so, good thing iOS5 is bringing iMessage then

That doesn't work with non-iPhones. Now you can't get a cheap plan combined with that. You either have to pay per-message or get the $20 unlimited. Can they even pretend this isn't an anti-consumer money grab?

 

[Le Big Mac]

I get unlimited texts included in my $59 cap in Australia ($700 worth of calls + 2GB data). How much does data and voice cost on top of this with AT&T?

Depends on minutes, but data is $25/2GB and voice plans start at $40 and go up for more minutes.

 

[Zaren]

I've said it before...

I'd love to have an iPhone, but I can't afford the plans. So instead I've got a Virgin Mobile smartphone, with unlimited data, unlimited text, and 300 voice minutes for $25 a month. (They increased that plan to $35 recently, but it's still a steal.) If AT&T / Verizon ever gets their heads out of their butts, I might move over, but there's no way I'd do it for 3-4x the price now.

 

[rdowns]

Hey FTC, it's **** like this why you should not let them swallow up T-Mobile.

 

[AiralynRose]

A typical AT&T move... what was wrong with the previous plan??? Is it just that they want to get more of people's money or have them sign up for Unlimited Plan, which is not really Unlimited. And if you want Tethering, you'll have to pay a lot extra, even when you are just using the same data volume.

APPLE, PLEASE BUY AT&T MOBILE!

How do you suppose the unlimited texting plan isn't really unlimited?

 

[larrymarshall2]

Ugh. Yeah, like the others, I think this is a response to iMessage. Personally, I only "txt" people that already have iphones. I was honestly thinking of getting RID of my texting plan when iOS 5 comes out! I already have kik and fb messenger...

 

[Le Big Mac]

I don't understand the rationale that "The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans".

That means some people prefer something else, but AT&T isn't willing to offer that option. The "vast majority" of people going to Morton's prefer steak but they still have a chicken and fish option on the menu.

 

[goobot]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

What the hell is this, what about the users that choose not to text everyother second of their lives but still want to text to a certain extent?

 

[Sportcat]

Glad my wife and I just upgraded to the 1000/$10 each.

 

[dgree03]

Why isnt text messaging a part of data plans? How come we always see increase in price or feature cuts but NEVER decreases in price? Why do cell phone companies still charge you for minutes? Why dont cell phone companies(with exception to T mobile) give you a discount on your phone plan if you bring in your own device?


Why Why Why Why Why

 

[MarrkDaviid]

Depends on minutes, but data is $25/2GB and voice plans start at $40 and go up for more minutes.

Wow, I remember the days when Australian's used to envy America's mobile and broadband plans, it seems that a lot has changed. So the minimum you can pay for voice, data and unlimited texts is $85 per month? Does the iPhone cost anything on top of this, or is it included free in the contract?

 

[miles01110]

Google Voice gets better every day.

 

[sportsfan]

****

Texting should be FREE!