AT&T international data plans even more costly

[cbronfman]

When I last went to Canada in February for 4 days - I had 250 of data (I guess MB) for $24.95. I just checked, lowest price now is 120 for $30. That's quite an increase.

I know I can shut off data roaming etc., just don't know how often I'll have access to fast WIFI so I should add it, but it gets a little nuts. Problem is, as I remember for the last time, the phone is on Telus (say), but it keeps looking for an AT&T signal so you fairly burn through data. My phone is locked so I can't get a Canadian Sim for it. Irritating.

 

[shenan1982]

When I last went to Canada in February for 4 days - I had 250 of data (I guess MB) for $24.95. I just checked, lowest price now is 120 for $30. That's quite an increase.

I know I can shut off data roaming etc., just don't know how often I'll have access to fast WIFI so I should add it, but it gets a little nuts. Problem is, as I remember for the last time, the phone is on Telus (say), but it keeps looking for an AT&T signal so you fairly burn through data. My phone is locked so I can't get a Canadian Sim for it. Irritating.

Why not unlock your phone? $15 and you never have to pay roaming charges again. ???? Then u can go to canada and buy a pay as you go SIM for about $2 a day... ????

 

[cbronfman]

?

How do I do that? I know how to jailbreak, but not how to unlock. I thought only AT&T could do that?

 

[shenan1982]

How do I do that? I know how to jailbreak, but not how to unlock. I thought only AT&T could do that?

I used *****.com for my unlock, which I shouldn't be putting on here as I don't want to advertise for anyone. There are tons cheaper on eBay tho... for $10-15... just search it. It's quick and easy and is a factory official unlock. I did mine last night and it's fantastic. Saves a ton.

 

[cbronfman]

Hmm. I'll check. I wonder if AT&T can tell.

 

[shenan1982]

Hmm. I'll check. I wonder if AT&T can tell.

Huh? They have agreements with AT&T to unlock devices for them... AT&T doesn't care. And if it was up to Apple they'd all be unlocked. Bottom line is AT&T locks devices to try and get you to roam using their partners. There are so many competitors (Sprint, Verizon) who come unlocked or will unlock to allow international roaming with someone else's sim that they're basically forced to have relaxed their unlock policies, through themselves and through contract unlocks like IM ZDL

 

[cbronfman]

Even for phones still under contract? I know people with the iPHone 4 were able to get them unlocked. I didn't know for the 4S. I definitely will look into these possibilities.

I bought my 4S on release day (It came I think 10/12 or 10/14 2011). So there's a good year left on my contract.

 

[0007776]

Even for phones still under contract? I know people with the iPHone 4 were able to get them unlocked. I didn't know for the 4S. I definitely will look into these possibilities.

I bought my 4S on release day (It came I think 10/12 or 10/14 2011). So there's a good year left on my contract.

Third party unlockers can do it for you even if you have a contract, they don't care. AT&T won't do it for you though.

 

[shenan1982]

Even for phones still under contract? I know people with the iPHone 4 were able to get them unlocked. I didn't know for the 4S. I definitely will look into these possibilities.

I bought my 4S on release day (It came I think 10/12 or 10/14 2011). So there's a good year left on my contract.

Mine is an iPhone 5 and all of the sites can unlock it just fine. I spent $25 for mine on I M Z D L and it worked like a charm, tho I felt like a fool when my friend just did his this morning for $15 on eBay, and the unlock came back completed in 20 mins... the auction ID on eBay is 190729711275

I attached a screen shot from the Apple genius bar app showing it's unlocked. ;-)

 

[cbronfman]

Thanks

While I was googling - I saw ARSTechnica article that AT&T was unlocking some iPhone 4 and 44S still under contract with many months remaining. I submitted an unlock request. http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09/atfor-now/

I'll also check out what you wrote - thanks a lot.

 

[brand]

AT&T doesn't care

Don't you think that if AT&T didn't care that the phone wouldn't be locked in the first place. AT&T requiring the phone to be locked in the first place would indicate that they do in fact care.

 

[shenan1982]

Don't you think that if AT&T didn't care that the phone wouldn't be locked in the first place. AT&T requiring the phone to be locked in the first place would indicate that they do in fact care.

Yes and no. They obviously care... Remember when they sell DVD players and Blu Ray players and laptops how the manufacturers put little stickers all over them like "Netflix Compatible" and "Intel Inside" and "nVidia Graphics" etc... we all take those stickers off, but they're there in hopes that we'll leave them on and they'll get a little free marketing. By AT&T allowing (via third parties they ARE allowing now via contracts) the unlock, the phones come locked, and the vast majority of their users will just assume it has to stay that way and when they go internationally use their phone via roaming on AT&T. Whereas if ATT didn't lock it, if someone went to put a sim in internationally, they would be able to. It's the speedbump concept.. those who want to speed will speed, but by putting in a speedbump it means the vast majority will slow down and follow.

Reminder: Americans are sheep. Most tend to follow the herd and not question anything in life. AT&T knows this, and for that reason lock phones. LOL

 

[brand]

They obviously care

You just said that didn't care now your saying that they do care. Which is it?

Remember when they sell DVD players and Blu Ray players and laptops how the manufacturers put little stickers all over them like "Netflix Compatible" and "Intel Inside" and "nVidia Graphics" etc... we all take those stickers off, but they're there in hopes that we'll leave them on and they'll get a little free marketing. By AT&T allowing (via third parties they ARE allowing now via contracts) the unlock, the phones come locked, and the vast majority of their users will just assume it has to stay that way and when they go internationally use their phone via roaming on AT&T. Whereas if ATT didn't lock it, if someone went to put a sim in internationally, they would be able to.

Those two concepts are not related in any way at all. Try again.

Reminder: Americans are sheep. Most tend to follow the herd and not question anything in life. AT&T knows this, and for that reason lock phones.

You seriously think that AT&T locks phones because Americans are sheep. Just wow.

 

[shenan1982]

Those two concepts are not related in any way at all. Try again.

You seriously think that AT&T locks phones because Americans are sheep. Just wow.

You argue for the sake of arguing.

Locking phones because Americans tend to walk around following blindly without questioning things... YES.

 

[KPOM]

You argue for the sake of arguing.

Locking phones because Americans tend to walk around following blindly without questioning things... YES.

You underestimate the American people.

AT&T locks phones because they can, and because for most people it doesn't matter so they aren't going to raise a fuss about it. Most people aren't aware of the prohibitive costs of overseas roaming because unlike people in small countries we are less likely to go to other countries. Ignorance is not the same as blind acceptance.

Savvy customers who travel overseas buy unlocked phones and know the "tricks." Most people who don't go overseas and don't change carriers don't really care if the phone is locked or unlocked. If you don't roam, under the prevailing pricing system it makes no difference if your phone is locked or unlocked,

 

[shenan1982]

You underestimate the American people.

AT&T locks phones because they can, and because for most people it doesn't matter so they aren't going to raise a fuss about it. Most people aren't aware of the prohibitive costs of overseas roaming because unlike people in small countries we are less likely to go to other countries. Ignorance is not the same as blind acceptance.

Savvy customers who travel overseas buy unlocked phones and know the "tricks." Most people who don't go overseas and don't change carriers don't really care if the phone is locked or unlocked. If you don't roam, under the prevailing pricing system it makes no difference if your phone is locked or unlocked,

Funny how when reading what you wrote it sure sounds an awful like what I said, in a less blunt fashion. Americans don't travel (compared to the rest of the world) so don't question having a locked phone because a) they don't know that there is a whole world outside of the US and the "norm" is to have an unlocked phone and chose whatever carrier you want, and b) don't question the fact that AT&T wants them to use their roaming vs buying a local sim wherever they go.

It all comes down to us being a very untraveled country. It has nothing to do with the SIZE of the country as you stated... less than 1 in 4 Americans has a passport. I live life to travel and experience the cultures of the world. My current passport has had to have additional visa pages sewn in twice since it was issued I travel so much. If you take a country like Australia where 75% of their citizens have passports, it shows how untraveled we are (Australia is a good example because they too are geographically separate, similar economy, physical size, etc).

Bottom line is ATT does it because people accept them doing it. People accepted many dictator regimes for years because they hadn't seen\experienced anything otherwise. With less than 25% of the US population ever having left US soil, "the world according to AT&T" has become the norm.