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

vitzr said:
Conversely, it's Apple screwing the carrier out of one of their usual income streams. But no worries, soon it will be an all Apple world with NO choices.
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Funny, usually Apple-haters are the first people to point out when Apple isn't the first to do something (e.g. Blackberry messenger).
 
I use AIM and yahoo on iChat to communicate most of the time, I am NOT a big phone texter at all, I mean not at ALL -- this is ridiculous that AT&T wants to tie you up in a $20 unlimited texting plan that you won't even need or use, they just want your money....and this in addition to capping the top-level data plan at 2GB now. I am trying to get by with a $30/month cell plan for my iPhone and now that is probably virtually impossible. By the way, I have 7,000 rollover minutes -- so you can see how little I use my phone....and I have the minimum talk plan, like 350 minutes a month.
 

THANKS AT&T!


I actually mean that.

See I got an iPhone last year, and knew I'd be texting a lot more. In fear of the insane over-texting charges my sister had recieved in the past, and with my newjob, I though "what the hell, let's do unlimited texting for $20".

Well with this news I was encouraged to go look through my history over the last year to see how much I'm really using. Turns out I'm using 650-800 text messages a month. I don't expect that to drop a lot with iMessage, but it should drop 50-100. So it looks like the 1000 messages for $10 is a better deal for me.

Now, according to the article
"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"

So I have just successfully switched and am saving myself $10 a month. And if I'm reading that correctly, I get to keep it at $10 a month into the future, presumably until I change my plan.

Thank you, AT&T, for being greedy bastards and encouraging me to not give you money you don't need.
 
Maybe this is a sign that the next iPhone is coming to more carriers.

AT&T realized that if the next iPhone goes to other carriers, users will use message. They will lower or get rid of their current txting plans.

But I do about 6000 txt a month so I'm happy with my unlimited.
 
21st century and [unlimited] texting is still at a hefty $20/month?

I think I might go buy a $100 VCR today. :)
 
As many of the earlier posters said, this is just greed and AT&T trying desperately to keep revenue up.

This drove one of my friends to switch to Boost Mobile--unlimited data, text, and voice for $50 a month, with a program where your monthly cost is reduced by $5 after six on-time payments. True, no iPhone possible, because it is on the Sprint/Nextel networks, but still . . .
 
twitt3r said:
On the basis of eight hours sleep and 30 days in a month (less the four remaining), that's over 12 text messages every hour you are awake, or one every five minutes. That is, well, just sad really. Seek help.
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While I agree that sounds sad, it's more than likely they're one of those ignorant people whose text conversations look like this:

them: hi
them: hwo are you?
them: who
them: how
me: I'm good, how are you, we should get together sometime
them: we should <- note the uselessness of this text
them: busy tonight
them: free tomorrow
them: saturday and sunday
them: but not before 5 on saturday
them: and before 4 on sunday
them: bob called me.
them: he wants to get together too.
them: he said ur dump
them: dumb
me: thanks, you just burned a third of my text plan to establish nothing over the last minute.

Annoys the hell out of me. NOT EVERYONE HAS UNLIMITED TEXTS PEOPLE.

Then when I want to put a text block on my phone, AT&T charges me. Ludicrous. They should all be fined into oblivion and taken over the by the government, there is not reason that the cell phone industry should not be considered required public infrastructure at this point. I hate government control, but I hate that we're getting less and less for more money under the disguise that it's for the better.
 
NoExpectations said:
That's not very consumer oriented. I send a bunch of texts but now I won't have any idea which ones are "free" via iMessage and which ones I pay for until the telco bill arrives.
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I read somewhere that the phone does do something to indicate when it's an iMessage vs. a regular text message. You can also disable regular text messages, I believe.
 
Mistrblank said:
While I agree that sounds sad, it's more than likely they're one of those ignorant people whose text conversations look like this

Annoys the hell out of me. NOT EVERYONE HAS UNLIMITED TEXTS PEOPLE.

Then when I want to put a text block on my phone, AT&T charges me. Ludicrous. They should all be fined into oblivion and taken over the by the government, there is not reason that the cell phone industry should not be considered required public infrastructure at this point. I hate government control, but I hate that we're getting less and less for more money under the disguise that it's for the better.
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r u paying for incoming text in the us? o_O
 
I agree that most of the masses being forced to go on this plan might downplay a little of imessages importance, but there is a way not to pay for this $20 plan.

simply opt for NO texting plan and then call customer service (AT&T) and say you want to completely block Text messages for your phone.

that way you will not be charged for this stupid feature and you can just use iMessage.. then you can use TextNow for any actual SMS type texting you might need and Imessages to message all your Iphone/ipod/ipad friends..
 
Mistrblank said:
While I agree that sounds sad, it's more than likely they're one of those ignorant people whose text conversations look like this:

them: hi
them: hwo are you?
them: who
them: how
me: I'm good, how are you, we should get together sometime
them: we should <- note the uselessness of this text
them: busy tonight
them: free tomorrow
them: saturday and sunday
them: but not before 5 on saturday
them: and before 4 on sunday
them: bob called me.
them: he wants to get together too.
them: he said ur dump
them: dumb
me: thanks, you just burned a third of my text plan to establish nothing over the last minute.

Annoys the hell out of me. NOT EVERYONE HAS UNLIMITED TEXTS PEOPLE.

Then when I want to put a text block on my phone, AT&T charges me. Ludicrous. They should all be fined into oblivion and taken over the by the government, there is not reason that the cell phone industry should not be considered required public infrastructure at this point. I hate government control, but I hate that we're getting less and less for more money under the disguise that it's for the better.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I don't think the government should take over. Socialism is a dirty word in America, unless it's medicare, medicaid or social security - and people still don't understand or want to accept that social ideas may actually increase a population's quality of life. In any case, there is an argument to be made for government regulation in the mobile field. The FCC is allowing ATT to downgrade service, charge more money, other providers follow suit, and we, consumers, end up having no choice of better service at all as providers offer the same crap. Monopoly?

I wish regulations were put in place. That would make providers invest in technology, service, upgrading thei networks, giving us faster speeds with no data cap for better prices, so that we as costumers would be the foremost drivers of quality. If we are not happy, then we switch. They could all of that for the costumers; or they can make 12 billion in net profit, as they did in 2010, and pay their CEO's 1 billion, and pay the rest in dividends without making one single investment into better service.
 
Just Call AT&T and tell them to block Text for Outgoing and Ingoing.. They have to do this if you request it BY LAW. No one can force you get to a feature..
 
AAPLaday said:
I think they must do yes, along with calls. Its unbelievable
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All US carriers charge for both sending and receiving :\. So the ala carte cost of a single txt being sent is $0.40.
It's actually cheaper to call somebody than to txt.
 
so, just don't get a texting plan when you get iPhone, all you need is iMessage and some other texting app in the app store for non ios5 users... also maybe there will be some hack or something for iMessage that allows for non-ios5 messaging through iMessage?? possible??
 
I am amazed at the US prices - everyhing else seems cheaper over there, but not so for telephony!
In Denmark, which does have a highly competitive market (but only 5 million inhabitants) I pay less than 20$/month for umlimited SMS/MMS, 2 hours talking and currently 25gb of data...
 
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