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

JangoFett124 said:
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?
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Not specifically an iPhone, but I think if you don't have a smart phone things are going to get more and more complicated.

I ditched my txt/pic/vid package months ago, put a block on being able to receive them and use google voice for that for free. Google voice can also be used for the web so you don't need a iOS/ Android device.
 
JangoFett124 said:
Where's the source for this? At least on the iPhone, texting cost is independent from the calling cost.
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Not exactly. I have two lines and the $30 unlimited texting. It includes this feature: all mobile-to-mobile calls are excluded from your minutes. Suddenly, sharing 700 minutes is very, very easy, because we know hardly anyone who uses their landline.
 
Apple... said:
I (partially) blame this on iMessage.
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Maybe...but aren't the majority of cell phones in the US non-smartphones? Also, what percentage of US smartphones are even iOS 5 compatible? You have to take this in consideration as iMessage only works on iOS 5 devices.

It seems like more AT&T isn't being fair. I understand they are a business, but at least make it seem like you care about your customers.

I'm paying $10 for a 1,000 messages when I barely use half that at the most. AT&T is awful!
 
Ammo said:
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.
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Please post a link or something cause I can't find any info and have never heard of this.
 
I don't know if there's a bigger racket out there than text messages. I'll be dropping my text plan completely with iOS 5 (or switching to another carrier).
 
nylonsteel said:
dumb that txt is a separate charge - should be free
hate txting anyway
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Or significantly cheaper than what we're paying for it in the US. Hopefully this plan is part of them just including a set number of sms messages with every plan (and no, I don't care that unlimited gives me free mobile to mobile with any carrier — I can't even use 450 minutes).

trouble747 said:
I don't know if there's a bigger racket out there than text messages. I'll be dropping my text plan completely with iOS 5 (or switching to another carrier).
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Verizon will do the same thing shortly after AT&T. The whole thing is a legalized racket.
 
If you want the $10 a month plan, you can still switch to it on your AT&T account online. I did that just now, anticipating that I'll want a much smaller plan with iMessages.
 
Texting is the single biggest ripoff these mobile phone companies have ever created. Charging people for tiny bits of data, when they already pay for a freaking data plan. It's truly hilarious that so many people pay for this stuff.


Anyway, Facebook's recent Messenger App, and the upcoming iMessage are fantastic alternatives that offer free texting to people. Eventually texting fees will disappear as people realize there are free alternatives.
 
You know what's better than AT&T's texting plan? No texting plan!

I remember back when I first signed up and got my iPhone 3GS I was told I "had" to have a texting plan - even if it wasn't the $20 or $10 plan. It could be the ala carte, $0.25 per text plan.

The next day after I got the iPhone I called AT&T and said to completely turn off texting. I didn't want to send or receive texts, ever. They turned the service off.

Never had to pay for texting.

It's a smart phone. It's got email, IM and just about everything else that doesn't require any extra fees. :)
 
MarrkDaviid said:
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?
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$199 or $299 w/ 2 year contract. Otherwise it's like $700 with no contract.
 
Ammo said:
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.
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I guess that would be true if the only numbers you ever call are other cell phones. However, if most of your calls are to land-lines you will still need your 900 minutes.

For those of us who never text it is a huge rip-off.
 
dgree03 said:
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
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it is in Canada, so is visual voicemail and call display
 
notjustjay said:
Sure, but the problem is that only a small fraction of the people I text actually have iOS devices.

Is there a data-based standard that works across platforms?
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AIM, Yahoo, MSM, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ (I think), etc... There are lots of data only messaging services (you can even include email). The problem is that a lot of people only use sms because they're still stuck on dumb phones or know someone who is stuck on dumb phones.
 
Zaren said:
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.
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I've been grandfathered in the $25/month plan, and have been waiting for the new iPhone. Now with the Moto Triumph on VM, it's going to be really hard for me to justify $90/month for an iPhone with a 2GB cap vs. $25/month for unlimited data/texts on a perfectly capable Android phone. Apple needs to cut the cord to the major providers with the iP5 and provide a pre-paid option as well.
 
Wow this is unbelieveable. I was planning on switching to the 1000 plan after iOS5 came out, knowing that iMessage would take away a lot of my texts. Now I'm kind of forced into making that decision right now. But I know I'll go over 1000 before iOS5 is out. I can't believe they're only offering unlimited.
 
So ATT is going to charge even more money for a service that costs them nothing to provide. How about include text messaging in my data plan. I'm already paying $30/month for that. Text fees is the worst scam out there. Hurry up, iMessages.
 
Ha! Unlimited. Riiiiiight. Whats next? I bet you that 8 months from now, ATT starts CAPPING the number of texts you can do in their so called " unlimited" plan. LOL. Just like they just did with their so called "unlimited" data plans.

Its all a big scam.

The telecom companies think they've got the consumers by the balls. And in a way they do.

BUT there will be a backlash.

When iOS 5 comes out, you will be able to do texting with iMessage over wifi and 3G.....so many people will just drop their ATT text messaging. :p

And more people will be using skype and facetime and other options to connect with people. The telecom companies are getting greedier and greedier. Pretty soon it will be just ONE giant telcom company charging whatever they want. Its crazy.
 
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