AT&T Replaces iPad Unlimited Data Plan with 2GB Capped Plan for New Customers

[Blorzoga]

When I first read about iPad owners being grandfathered in if they activate the unlimited plan by June 7, I thought this was the silver lining on my decision to get the 3G. Now, from what I understand, you are only grandfathered in if you maintain the $30 per month plan. Once you stop it, you can't get unlimited. This is f**king bullsh*t! The whole attraction of the 3G ipad was the no-contract, month at a time deal. Now after one month of the 3G being available in the US, AT&T pulls the rug out from under us. I pray that the iPhone becomes available on Verizon and that there is a MASS exodus from AT&T to Verizon and it destroys their stock price. I was prepared for a price drop, a technology upgrade with the next-generation iPad, but this is bullsh*t. I don't have any issues with AT&T 3G coverage in my area, but once I have the opportunity, I will switch to Verizon. F**k AT&T!

 

[furi0usbee]

When I first read about iPad owners being grandfathered in if they activate the unlimited plan by June 7, I thought this was the silver lining on my decision to get the 3G. Now, from what I understand, you are only grandfathered in if you maintain the $30 per month plan. Once you stop it, you can't get unlimited. This is f**king bullsh*t! The whole attraction of the 3G ipad was the no-contract, month at a time deal. Now after one month of the 3G being available in the US, AT&T pulls the rug out from under us. I pray that the iPhone becomes available on Verizon and that there is a MASS exodus from AT&T to Verizon and it destroys their stock price. I was prepared for a price drop, a technology upgrade with the next-generation iPad, but this is bullsh*t. I don't have any issues with AT&T 3G coverage in my area, but once I have the opportunity, I will switch to Verizon. F**k AT&T!

Just don't get hit with that $375.00 termination fee, or is it $30,750... greedy bastards.

 

[furi0usbee]

It would be interesting to see how iPad 3G sales do once the word is out. The non-techies may still be buying, but I wonder how many people who frequent these sites will go out and buy one now.

 

[cliffjumper68]

Apple still advertising the unlimited data plans

On Apple.com they still have the $30 unlimited plan shown on the page. Now that is a plain lie when they are changing in less than a week. Apple is not a ethical comapny anymore, this is plain old bait and switch.

 

[requieminadream]

Well I'm a pretty heavy iPhone user. I download apps and music over 3G and surf and game constantly, and I've used 1.6 GB since I bought the 3GS last June... I don't see what the big deal is!

 

[benpatient]

I only have this to say:


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Apple knew about this when they sold you suckers that iPad 3G, too.

Tell me again how it can do netflix streaming and will stream all of your media from "the cloud" in the next version of itunes...

How many hours of streaming HD video rentals will it take to get to your monthly cap? If you're lucky and the compression is over-the-top, you might be able to watch 3 movies a month.

Whooptie dooooooo!


Sorry, but I knew when they announced the $15 and $30 plans for the ipad that it was too good to be true, and I said as much on these forums.

I thought they would wait till Christmas, though.

I didn't give AT&T enough credit for being douches.

And the timing of this tells me that Apple knew about it all along, as well. So much for 10 million ipads sold this year.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Well I'm a pretty heavy iPhone user. I download apps and music over 3G and surf and game constantly, and I've used 1.6 GB since I bought the 3GS last June... I don't see what the big deal is!

If you've used 1.6gb in a year, you are not"a pretty heavy user" no matter what you think.

 

[a1kim]

We'll see how it plays out

I looked over a few bills from the last year, and I never went over 500mb. I'd consider myself an above-average data user since I have a two-hour commute every day during which I'm almost always online. However, I don't tend to stream video during those times, so that's a big factor.

One thing that might make this a problem is if the new iPhone's video chat actually turns out to be something practical for me to use. Then, I could see the data cap as possibly becoming a problem. However, I have a feeling that video chat will be a wifi-only affair (because the quality will suck over 3G), so maybe it's not a big deal either.

 

[ThemePro]

So, if this is an issue for you, you still have time to be grandfathered into the unlimited data plan.

How do you have time when the iPad 3Gs are out of stock and you won't be able to get one until after the limited plan comes into effect?

 

[Blorzoga]

GPS for $130

So, I basically paid $130 to have an iPad with GPS, since the pay-as-you go option for unlimited is gone. I should have bought wifi only and bought a tomtom. I can't even swap it out since, being a loyal apple customer, I bought it on launch day 4/30.

 

[Blorzoga]

How do you have time when the iPad 3Gs are out of stock and you won't be able to get one until after the limited plan comes into effect?

Grandfathered in to the unlimited as long as you maintain your $30/month. So much for the "amazing" option of no-contract.(or was it a "magical" option, I can't remember)

 

[essinger]

So, I basically paid $130 to have an iPad with GPS, since the pay-as-you go option for unlimited is gone. I should have bought wifi only and bought a tomtom. I can't even swap it out since, being a loyal apple customer, I bought it on launch day 4/30.

IANAL, but I think you could reasonably argue that the originally announced flexible data plan was an inducement to buy the 3G version. Therefore you should be able to return the iPad "as defective" since that plan is no longer being offered.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Well I'm a pretty heavy iPhone user. I download apps and music over 3G and surf and game constantly, and I've used 1.6 GB since I bought the 3GS last June... I don't see what the big deal is!

I looked over a few bills from the last year, and I never went over 500mb. I'd consider myself an above-average data user since I have a two-hour commute every day during which I'm almost always online. However, I don't tend to stream video during those times, so that's a big factor.

One thing that might make this a problem is if the new iPhone's video chat actually turns out to be something practical for me to use. Then, I could see the data cap as possibly becoming a problem. However, I have a feeling that video chat will be a wifi-only affair (because the quality will suck over 3G), so maybe it's not a big deal either.

ARRGGGHHHHHHH.

This is an iPad thread.

iPad usage.

NOT iPhone.

Different devices, different data usage.

 

[nikkor]

No iPad for me.

I will not be purchasing an iPad now.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I just dropped Steve an email... I suggest we all do... it's funny how I was thinking about seeing if Apple or Best Buy had any this morning. I'm glad I came home first.

=========================

AT&T drops unlimited iPad plan, I drop plan for iPad 3G

Just today I was planning on buying a 3G iPad for a trip to NYC. Didn't want to spend $$$ buying hotel internet. Now with a 2GB/month cap on iPad data plans, the 3G iPad is pretty much pointless. All the features require WiFi, so I'm keeping my WiFi iPad. No need to upgrade now. 2GB is what, half a movie download from iTunes??

I think this strict change means AT&T will be the sole carrier in the US for the time being.

This will hurt Apple's bottom line.

Bryan

I sent one - but related to the DISGUST i'm having with my MBP repaid and the LACK of customer service at the genius bar (i have a Customer Relations case on it already).

I sent one last week, but it appears to have vanished into cyber space. So i drafter another - and added how this was the nail in the coffin.....

 

[kingtj]

That's fine ....

AT&T wants to screw us over as customers? I'm in charge of all of our corporate telephony and Internet broadband service where I work, and I'm pulling the plug on *all* of our AT&T services we've used for the last 5-10 years.

We've been stuck in 5 year contracts with them on our T1 circuits for voice and data at multiple locations, but almost all of those are expiring now. I already switched out our Internet service a few months ago when that contract expired, and saved over $140/month with a circuit provided by Covad.

I just switched one of our locations from AT&T to Windstream for their voice circuit last month, and again, it should net a decent monthly savings. (With AT&T, they were charging us for long distance calls, on top of the monthly fee for the circuit itself. Windstream throws 2000 long-distance minutes into the package, and still costs a bit less per month than AT&T did for the circuit.)

The AT&T voice circuit in this location is on the chopping block too, next month! Even if I don't see a savings, I'm willing to switch them on principle. (Tired of calling for assistance when a circuit is down and their bureaucracy making it turn into a 1-2 day long project to get it fixed! Inevitably, a whole day after a trouble ticket is finally resolved, some tech. of theirs who wasn't notified calls me to update me with the "status" of the ticket -- giving me outdated information. WTF?)

Admittedly, at home, I'm still using their U-Verse service for TV and Internet (but won't pay their inflated rated for the U-Verse phone portion -- so I use PhonePower, LLC for that). But in that case, I'm stuck because my only other viable option is the local cable company, who I have major customer service issues with and refuse to use anymore.

I'm going to have to think *really* hard about getting the new iPhone at this point.....

I thought AT&T was overdue for some horrendous decision to make it's customers livid. It's about time.

 

[distortedloop]

I looked over a few bills from the last year, and I never went over 500mb. I'd consider myself an above-average data user since I have a two-hour commute every day during which I'm almost always online. However, I don't tend to stream video during those times, so that's a big factor.

I'm sorry, but to say that you only use 500mb per month and then to claim that you're "an above average data user" is almost laughable. You're being facetious, right? 500mb wouldn't even cover a few daily podcast subscriptions, let alone any video streaming (which you acknowledge you don't do), but I'd say 500mb is average or below average at best, based on both the new plan offerings from AT&T (designed to piss off the least amount of people they can get away with and still maintain their profit margins) and the number of posts here about how much data they use.

 

[GaresTaylan]

I know when I left Verizon I was able to get out of my contract because of the adjustment in pricing they made to their text and pic/vid messaging.

Wouldnt there be some sort of a loophole available with AT&T as well that would allow you to get out of their contract with the iPhone? Even though you would get to keep your plan that you have, as long as it could have a materially adverse effect on you... wouldn't it still count?

Maybe shady, but just thinking that if the iPhone 4G were to get announced for Verizon... would be an easy way to switch back to Verizon and null the ETF fee from AT&T.

 

[Mirice]

Everybody should email Steve about this. Yes I know its AT&T that changed the plans but he has some leverage over them still.

Yeah I am sure jobs had no idea that AT&T was going to do this.

 

[distortedloop]

A more optimistic theory: the next iPhone may actually be a 4G device, and the new 3G pricing may be designed to persuade people to switch to the network having far greater bandwidth.

Your theory would require that the new iPhone is WiMax (the only current 4G network in the US), or are suggesting that AT&T has secretly rolled out, tested, and is ready to offer nationwide the LTE solution they've said isn't coming until next year or later...?

Yours may be an optimistic theory, but not a very plausible one.

 

[GooMan]

Just checked the usage on our 2 iPhones.

• Wife's highest data usage = 144MB.
• My highest data usage = 351 MB.

Looks like these new plans will save me money. I've never been interested in tethering so that's not an issue.

 

[furi0usbee]

The ONLY reason I have AT&T is because I need an iPhone. I tried using other phones, but with my Mac, the only phone I was happy with and had zero issues with was the iPhone. Having said that, if Verizon gets the iPhone, I'll pay $500.00 to get out of my AT&T contract. You don't realize the poor voice service I get. On 5 bars (both parties using iPhone 3GS), I often get dropped within a few minutes.

I am dropping my data plan to that $15.00/month option. I don't use it for browsing or downloading. I use my iPad with WiFi for that or my MBP.

 

[neoelectronaut]

I was planning on upgrading my Motorola SLVR this year to the iPhone that gets released this year...but I'm hesitant now, on Smart Phones in general.

Thanks, AT&T, for putting doubt in my head.

 

[distortedloop]

Everyone has the freedom of buying an SUV and taking a weekend driving holiday in manhattan island - but if everyone did it at the same time....

Does it suck? Yes

Is it fair? Its reality.

The alternative to making people think about their responsibility is to let the whole system grind to a halt.

How much data is 2GB anyway in terms of typical media consumption?

The problem with your SUV and highway theory is that the car manufacturer (GM?) didn't sell you a more expensive model with the promise that you could drive it in the car-pool lane or on all the toll roads any time you wanted without additional fees beyond a non-contracted low monthly fee to whoever owns those roads that you could turn on and off as needed.

In your scenario, the car manufacturer offered us just such a plan, so folks bought the more expensive car, and now they're being told that they can only drive their shiny new SUV, less than 60 days old, on those toll roads and car pool lanes only a limited amount of time. I'd be pissed in that scenario, wouldn't you.

Feeling glad I haven't bothered with the iPad right about now.

Can't work with T-Mobile if you wanted to - wrong spectrum. :'(

http://www.gearlog.com/2010/01/unlocked_ipad_wont_work_on_t-m.php
Quote: The reason, as usual, has to do with frequency bands. Apple advertises the iPad as running on UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 Mhz. T-Mobile's HSDPA network runs on the AWS band, at 1700 Mhz. No AWS band, no T-Mobile 3G.

But you can still use it on T-Mobile EDGE, if you're willing to put up with the slow speeds. The thing with EDGE is that it's self limiting on bandwidth, since it's so slow it's impossible to use much data.

 

[btcutter]

By the way, I looked up my data usage trends, which are reportable back to November or so, and I was really shocked that my iPhone data usage peaked at 540mb in one month. I thought for sure it would be much higher as I am a heavy user of the 3G. I don't stream video though, and rarely stream audio so that could be the real kicker.

All-in-all I am glad for the change.

I checked my usage.

My peak was month where I tethered my iphone to MBP for 1 wk. My total use.....581 MB. that's tethered for 1 wk!! Even though I don't stream movies or download music files.

I think MOST people will actually SAVE money with this. Only heavy users get penalized which they should. We should PAY for WHAT WE USE. Unlimited data just sounds good. In reality, you never come close to that usage.