Wow. Makes me want to stay with AT&T. Tmobile is looking like a better option as each day passes
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AT&T to End Traditional Voice/Data Plans, Adopt Mobile Share for New Customers on October 25
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There was an uproar, but the providers like the extra revenue, and what can you do about it as a customer? Nothing.
Better deal for who?
My wife has our only AT&T phone. We pay 88 total, after taxes and fees, and it's all ala carte. iPhone data, 3GB, 1000 texts for 10 bucks (can't get anymore) and 450 rollover minutes. Same plan on mobile share with LESS DATA, and more texts that she doesn't need since she uses iMessage, will cost 95 BASE. Ridiculous!
My wife has our only AT&T phone. We pay 88 total, after taxes and fees, and it's all ala carte. iPhone data, 3GB, 1000 texts for 10 bucks (can't get anymore) and 450 rollover minutes. Same plan on mobile share with LESS DATA, and more texts that she doesn't need since she uses iMessage, will cost 95 BASE. Ridiculous!
I was over there for a month last year. The prices were so good, I almost cried. I'd move to the UK for the mobile prices alone!
Data plan calculator
In case you want to compare prices with Verizon, there's a calculator for that:
http://www.usdataplans.com
In case you want to compare prices with Verizon, there's a calculator for that:
http://www.usdataplans.com
Because the infrastructure for that has been in place for years and is paid for, so they tout it as some sort of advantage.
Doubt it, the ball is still in T-mobile's court. The problem with T-Mobile is that while they're great in popular cities, they're still awful in other areas. If everybody start moving to T-Mobile, can they scale and maintain the same service?
They don't have finite resources, they have to spend money all the time and do they have enough money to outspend ATT/Verizon's ability to scale?
It's the other way around, nobody cares about the minutes and texts nowadays, it is all about the data, especially since you can send text and do VOIP for majority of your calls.
My mom used to like having ~500 minutes or something like that but now, she cares about having at least 500MB for her emails, texting, and Facetime/Skype. She doesn't care how many minutes she has.
ATT and other carrier knows that, which is why they're switching to focus mainly on data packages, not minute packages.
AT&T is actually cheaper for me than an equivalent T-Mobile plan, but only barely, and only so long as these factor are all true (for me, they are):
But for most configurations, and especially without a corp discount, AT&T loses handily to T-Mobile. And of course with the subsidy built-in, AT&T's plans are a full-on ripoff if you don't take advantage and upgrade every 2 years.
- 4 smartphones, 3 of which would need T-Mobile's 2.5GB plan instead of only 500MB
- Each smartphone is upgraded when its 2yr contract ends
- Corporate discount reducdes part of plan cost
But for most configurations, and especially without a corp discount, AT&T loses handily to T-Mobile. And of course with the subsidy built-in, AT&T's plans are a full-on ripoff if you don't take advantage and upgrade every 2 years.
Yep, we're screwed here in the US because of the contracts people lock themselves into. 85% of ATT and VZ's customer base are locked into contract. It's not about competition, it's about the fact that people sign into these agreements and can't switch without costing an arm and a leg. The T-Mobile effect is having a good influence on the domestic industry. If T-Mobile keeps upgrading their network at the pace they currently are, it's only going to be a win-win for consumers. I've got 7 lines on mobile share. The only thing keeping me from going to T-Mo is they don't have LTE in ONE of the cities the users live in.
As soon as they light up that city (supposedly by year end), I'm PEACE OUT to AT&T's scams and shenanigans. Why sign a contract when I don't have to? Why pay $300 a month for 7 lines with 1.66 gb each when I can pay $220 a month and have UNLIMITED LTE, and why pay $120 for a TINY global data package when it's now free and unlimited on T-Mobile?
Nonsense to stay with AT&T. For $4000 a year I can expect MORE
If I were getting new hardware, I would do www.virginmobileusa.com and get on their $30/mo plan. I'm really tempted to do so, just so I can lock in that rate and get onto LTE.
No carrier is going to put their capital on those who don't live in big cities. Can they scale? I don't know... AT&T decided to "let them come, then build it" whereas t-mo is more of a "build it and then they'll come" kinda mentality, which is certainly more customer-centric.
And everyone treats TMO like they're some small guy in a big sea. You do realize that DT, the parent\owner of TMO really does have infinite resources, and can continue to develop and dump cash into TMO... and remember, DT owns a vast network in europe, already putting them at a roaming advantage for the UA\EU roaming agreement. AT&T outside the US is "who?"
I'm watching T-Mobile, and I'm excited. I am an Apple computer and iPhone user, I don't mind being the 10% because you don't have to be the biggest to be the best, as apple demonstrates. Microsoft attacked apple for years for not having the most software, games, compatibility, yet we all know Apple beats PC hands-down any day.
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Virgin is sprint. Sprint's LTE is abysmal. T-Mo blows them away.
Let's see. 2G data cap with 3 iPhones works out to $185 plus taxes and fees.
I currently have 2 unlimited data plans with 200 texts/month (we never exceed this - iMessage is a wonderful thing) plus a 3rd phone with 2G data use and pay-per-use texting ($1.50/month on average).
I pay $179/month for what I have now. I too must be in the 5% that will not see savings.
Seems to me that based on the forum participants, most people are falling into the 5% group.
I currently have 2 unlimited data plans with 200 texts/month (we never exceed this - iMessage is a wonderful thing) plus a 3rd phone with 2G data use and pay-per-use texting ($1.50/month on average).
I pay $179/month for what I have now. I too must be in the 5% that will not see savings.
Seems to me that based on the forum participants, most people are falling into the 5% group.
I think the unlimited stuff is a smokescreen. This is a strategy to increase the price on data.
My contract ends in March. I'm just going to get a feature phone. I don't get out enough to pay all these outrageous smartphone plans that keep getting worse and worse every year.
I'll just get an iPod Touch and get on with my life.
I'll just get an iPod Touch and get on with my life.
Yes, and ARCO gas is 20 cents per gallon cheaper than Shell, which is a savings, but you don't hear me saying "Well gas used to cost $1.00 a gallon... you can't compare grandfathered plans to new plans, because the grandfathered plans are only available as long as you keep your account. And you can't go into a store and ask for last year's pricing... so the marketing and plans available aren't to entice you to switch plans, they're to entice customers from Verizon or Sprint to come to AT&T. ATT knows they have u by the nuts on a grandfathered plan anyhow, and they laugh all the way to the bank when you brag about what a deal it is.
Yes, we're going back in time, and that's why non-legacy carriers are becoming more and more popular (SimpleMobile, Tmobile, Straight Talk, etc). People are fed up with ATT and VZ... but until people start voting with their wallets (sorry, whining on here isn't going to get ATT to change), there's no reason for ATT to change. They'll just continue racking in record profits at your expense.
Because it's a commodity and no longer valued in the smartphone world. What's valued is the data and that's what they are trying to capitalize on. We all know texting costs them nothing, and people rarely talk on their phones so they opt for lower minute plans. This way, AT&T can keep their margins and profits by overcharging for data.