AT&T Introduces New Smartphone Data Plans w/3GB and 5GB Options

[redscull]

Across the board price increase. For no reason. This doesn't serve customers in the slightest. Nor does this compete with Verizon's 4GB for $30 or Sprint's unlimited plan.

When I saw the headline, I was momentarily excited. I thought maybe we'd finally get family data. Or maybe a new cheaper plan for those of us that actually know how to conserve data and are primarily on wifi. But then I read the details, and it's full-on fail.

I'm paying them $1 per MB already. Isn't that enough profit?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

This is nothing but a price increase. If you have $30 unlimited -- why pay $30 to get stuck with 3 gig -- at least the $25/2-gig had some monetary incentive.

Stupid AT&T.

Huh? AT&T isn's requiring anyone to change their existing plan to a new one.

 

[longofest]

So this is basically a price hike.

Does this apply to unlimited users as well? I have a 3GS that I pay $30 for the unlimited data. This won't change will it?

I will give this to AT&T... at least when they change things, they change things so that they make sense. When they intro'd the tiered plans, they made it so that you saved $5. Now, they are giving those users another GB for $5 more.

For users like you who still have unlimited plans, then yes it stinks, but on the other hand it is no worse than what Verizon did.

 

[topmounter]

Oh wow, a rate increase cloaked in bs.

Hopefully I can keep my $45/month 4GB w/ tethering plan. I've never used the full 4GB, so bumping it up to 5GB is a waste.

If you want to do something that actually benefits me, then let me pool my monthly allocation of GB's across Family Plan phones like you do with minutes.

 

[trainwrecka]

wall phones + excessive fees = users leave for cell phones
cell phones + excessive fees = users waiting for a way to leave

 

[funnyent]

Does that mean that if you upgrade your phone, you have to choose between these plans (because getting a new phone means a new contract). That's a pretty big change from how they have been operating, which is basically if you like what you have, you can continue it.

I personally like my 2GB for $25 plan, and my wife fits fine under the $15 200MB plan. I really don't want to have to pay $10 more per month once we upgrade phones...

You can keep your data plan when you upgrade. I still have unlimited from my first iPhone which I am now using on my 4s.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Why are you folks even surprised?

Without true carrier competition in the USA, which will only happen if they are forced to use the same frequencies, technology, and share TOWERS, this is to be expected.

 

[hexonxonx]

This is nothing but a price increase. If you have $30 unlimited -- why pay $30 to get stuck with 3 gig -- at least the $25/2-gig had some monetary incentive.

Stupid AT&T.

Because unlimited isn't unlimited. People are being throttled when they hit 2GB of usage in many areas. At least with these plans you won't be tethered.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I actually really like this.
I always thought the pricing was weird before when it was $25 for 2GB. Now if I pay an extra $5 I get 3GB instead? Yeah, I'll probably do that. And instead of $45 for 4GB and tethering, now it's $50 for 5GB and tethering? Sweet. Also sounds reasonable. I like this. For once, a phone company changing their data plan setup doesn't really tick me off. Impressive.

Indeed , a very sweet way to suck more of your blood and keep you happy at the same time. They got you, man.

 

[kycophpd]

"Taking all of this into account – and our ongoing commitment to deliver value to our customers – we’re launching new smartphone and tablet data plans on Sunday, Jan. 22" - from their release.....really???? Ongoing commitment to deliver value??

 

[stoopkitty]

Honestly, they should have kept the $15 price point and bumped up the data limit from 250MB to 300MB as a courtesy.

Bumping up the rates with modest limit increases is just plain greedy. Thanks anyway, AT&T.

especially since it costs $20 for an extra 300MB if you are on the 300MB plan. they pretty much force you to spend at least $30 a month

 

[KrakaJap]

This seems pretty worthless... they're working up their cheapest plan back to $30 by keeping their lowest data down next to nothing (mb). If 3gb is $30, 5gb is $50, and an additional 1gb is only $10... give us 1gb for $10 and that's it!

 

[edk99]

Ouch. I might just hold out until my contract expires, then switch to a different provider. Really, AT&T? Raise the prices? Brilliant move. The only way I'd even consider staying is if I can still grandfather my unlimited data, but something tells me that it won't be an option anymore.

..and your going to go where...Verizon??

 

[SoldOutMatinee]

srsly tho the $20 for 300MB package makes no sense. that's a lot of money for so little. it's just there to make the 3gb option look more enticing right

 

[sswanky]

I'm thinking this is not a good price structure to attract new customers...until Verizon follows suit. 3gb is the new 2gb and $30 is the new $25, I guess. Grrr.

 

[shareef777]

I actually really like this.
I always thought the pricing was weird before when it was $25 for 2GB. Now if I pay an extra $5 I get 3GB instead? Yeah, I'll probably do that. And instead of $45 for 4GB and tethering, now it's $50 for 5GB and tethering? Sweet. Also sounds reasonable. I like this. For once, a phone company changing their data plan setup doesn't really tick me off. Impressive.

Except it's already been stated that 90%+ of their users don't use 2GB.

 

[dwsolberg]

Remember a few years ago when it was $30 for unlimited service....

On the other hand, a few years ago, 99.9% of people used much, much, much less than 1 GB of data.

 

[JonneyGee]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

Would have been nice of they had added these plans in addition to existing plans, giving customers greater flexibility in choosing a plan. I'm keeping my unlimited data until family data plans are introduced. If my wife and I could share 5 GB with hotspot and tethering ability for $50, I'd be all about it.

 

[tigres]

I'll keep my unlimited. Thanks AT&T. Until thay take it away

 

[backinblack875]

"and continue to deliver a great value to customers"

what a farce.

 

[Grimsrud]

I bet they'll raise the prices again once their LTE deployment nears completion. I'm so sick of these clowns and the US mobile market in general, it's ridiculous that iPhone users have one GSM carrier to get 3G data on.

 

[xdhd350]

This is nothing but a price increase. If you have $30 unlimited -- why pay $30 to get stuck with 3 gig -- at least the $25/2-gig had some monetary incentive.

Stupid AT&T.

It reads to me like you won't have the choice of keeping the grandfathered $30 unlimited plan if you upgrade your device as has been the case before.

IOW, I can keep my unlimited as long as I stay on iphone4s, but the next iphone iteration won't allow that.

So, you're gonna want the $30/3GB plan, whether you want it or not.

Oh, and they aren't stupid. They meticulously analyze customer usage patterns and then determine the best way to hose us down in the bent over position.

 

[Mochi Hana]

You can have my unlimited data plan when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

 

[wordoflife]

Greedy bastards.

 

[kirky29]

Surely one day, Apple, Google & the rest of them (certainly Google) will be pushing them to bring back an unlimited option (or something better than we have currently)...their business IS the internet! So they could do without these caps and such.

Maybe...hopefully...one day?