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AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers
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Text messaging doesn't cost telcos any money? Really? If that's true, why don't you create your own Text Messaging company and pocket all those profits?
People forget that a text message service relies upon a network of servers that require hardware/software, network and storage capacity, power, floor space, and the cost to maintain/troubleshoot/upgrade such components (people). It ain't free. However, it is profitable....but hey, business is business.
Unlike the unlimited data plan (which was never unlimited, it just had a much higher limit) sms messages cost them next to nothing to transmit. SMS costs much less than data and they have a much much higher markup on SMS already. I wouldn't rule out AT&T being unregulated and greedy and announcing that customers want AT&T to turn the unlimited plan into a capped one but I'm not sure they'll do it quickly.
for which we are already paying in the form of separate data and voice plans. the argument is that the marginal cost to carriers to send SMS messages is close to zero, yet they charge an arguably price-gouging amount to send them.
I wouldnt put too much faith into the word "grandfathering".....i was the first to buy the first gen ipad with the unlimited data plan. Not even a year later, ATT got rid of the unlimited plan....and said people still on the unlimited plan would be grandfathered in. Then a few months later....they CAP the unlimited plan! LOL. So no more unlimited.....even tho i pay for unlimited. Lol. I havent gone over yet....but thats NOT the point. I paid for unlimited.
So dont put too much faith in being grandfathered in....or keeping your old text messaging plan that you have now. I am sure that those paying for a limited text plan now will be forced one way or another to pay more or get less soon enough.
Less confusion. Isn't that the same reason why all of Apples stuff is so streamlined?
Question to all, how useful is iMessage when you are in an area of poor network signal?
No matter, I'll keep using the (WhatsApp App) which is my backup when I run over my 1000 text plan I currently have. Its not as purdy as my BiteSms app but it will do. 
How useful is any phone in an area of poor network signal? Troll smarter, not harder.
There is no data cap, there is a bandwidth throttling at some nebulous amount of data transfer.
If I have bars, I can send an SMS. iMessage will eventually send as SMS (I think it waits 5 minutes). My train ride into DC is littered with areas of meh signal. Yet I can still send SMS (and sometimes even hold on to a phone call).
presumably just as useful as a regular SMS - they both travel over the same network connection.
Thank you. Like I said, AT&T's strategy is to always oversell you stuff they think you won't need. But then, if you actually start using it, they'll cap it back, with the new price.
I seem to recall a time where data plans were $15 for pre-iPhone smartphones, but then they created a special iPhone data plan for $25, raised it to $30, then capped it when people actually used it. And rather than capping it at a resonable 500 MB / 3 GB, they cap it at 200 MB / 2 GB, so that both casual and heavy users easily go over. Great.
I'm wondering if iMessage has that funtionality already. In the settings you can add Email addresses to your iMessage under the "You can be reached for messages at" section. I know this is likely just for communication between iOS devices... but it potentially could function between platforms.
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.
This is all practical if you're an old man.
Us in our 20s though, even if we don't like texting, know lots of people who do like to text and will.
You know.... I get the feeling that ALOT of people in this thread all assume that all 98.6 million att subscribers all have iPhones which is NOT the case. So to assume that this change is because of the upcoming iMessage is really off base.
I personally use a Windows 7 Phone and after using both I think it beats the iphone hands down. But that's just my opinion.
I personally use a Windows 7 Phone and after using both I think it beats the iphone hands down. But that's just my opinion.
My point is that its price gouging pure and simple. The cost is NOT justified. It's like bank ATM fees. Banks charge it, because they know people will pay. But its completely overpriced. Up to $5 charged by both banks for taking out $20 of YOUR money? From a machine that replaces a human? LOL
But i digress. The point is, that $20 for unlimited texting is a total rip off. Imessage will be FREE between iOS 5 users. Free vs $20 a month. Hmmm.
Plus....how long before ATT starts capping that unlimited text plan? Hmmm. They did it with their so called unlimited data plans.
This is getting ridiculous, and their will be a backlash. Given the choice....people will revolt. There is a limit, and ATT is pushing it.
Obviously in response to iMessage. To hell with them.
I will cancel my text plan altogether once iOS5 comes out. Almost everyone I text is on an iPhone. All others will be discouraged from texting me.
I will cancel my text plan altogether once iOS5 comes out. Almost everyone I text is on an iPhone. All others will be discouraged from texting me.
Wow, US telcos are strange (I find networks selling phones awkward, it's a buy your own phone, get a plan later here).
I don't even have a text plan but it's dirt cheap. Considering it's RM0.01 per text which is barely a cent in USD. I don't pay to receive SMS too.
I don't even have a text plan but it's dirt cheap. Considering it's RM0.01 per text which is barely a cent in USD. I don't pay to receive SMS too.
What you mean there is NO data cap? Bandwidth? Thats just bloody semantics mate!
Point is....before you could surf the web, watch videos or listen to pandora to your hearts content on your ipad under your "unlimited" data plan.....now you can't. For heavy users who travel alot....unlimited aint unlimited anymore. You gotta WATCH how much "bandwidth" youre using.....um....which kinda defeats the purpose of paying for unlimited does it not?
Calling it data or bandwidth is a moot point. Its a sly dirty trick ATT used as a reach around to take away what you supposedly paid for.
And mark my words....it will happen to this so called "unlimited" text plan too.
$240 a year?? When iPhone-to-iPhone will soon be free??
I’ll just spend that $240 to pay my friends:
• $50 if they get a real smartphone with Internet! They can email me, or Meebo or iMessage or Skype IM or whatever they want—texting the modern way is free.
• $10 if they learn to use voice instead of texting. (Breathing exercises help.)
If half my friends take each option, then in just ONE year I’ve got 8 friends out the SMS money chute.
And I have less than 8 friends who are obsessive texters without iPhones. That means by year two I’m making pure profit! In two years without a text plan I can have a refurb iPad! Or, just go out to eat someplace good once a month!
I’ll just spend that $240 to pay my friends:
• $50 if they get a real smartphone with Internet! They can email me, or Meebo or iMessage or Skype IM or whatever they want—texting the modern way is free.
• $10 if they learn to use voice instead of texting. (Breathing exercises help.)
If half my friends take each option, then in just ONE year I’ve got 8 friends out the SMS money chute.
And I have less than 8 friends who are obsessive texters without iPhones. That means by year two I’m making pure profit! In two years without a text plan I can have a refurb iPad! Or, just go out to eat someplace good once a month!
It is really the consumers here. They don't want to pay full price for phones and get to choose a plan. They want "cheap" phones and higher month bills. Costs lot more that way but that is the mentality of the population here, generally speaking.
Not really. Turn off Cellular Data and see which one still works...
(Though MMS won't work without a data connection)