AT&T's iPhone pricing plans.

[ikarus79m]

There's a fairly interesting article on the Looney Apple blog, on how the iPhone might change AT&T's pricing strategy.

http://tlab.emotionp.com/?p=9#more-9

I certainly hope for this to happen!!!

 

[Troyte83]

i expect the plan to probably come to around 75-80 dollars a month, and i am fully prepared to pay that, i think it is worth it.

 

[Dead EditHer]

I think the more pressing question is whether or not you will have an all-in-one plan(voice and data), or they will both be their own seperate entities. I could see that issue going either way.

 

[/dev/toaster]

I think the more pressing question is whether or not you will have an all-in-one plan(voice and data), or they will both be their own seperate entities. I could see that issue going either way.

Chances are, voice and data will be separate packages. But, both will be required for service. Carriers do this to make the prices look much lower, until you get a smartphone and they jack the price way up.

This happened to me with Verizon and my Treo 700p. They didn't tell me until after all the paper work was signed that it was an extra $50 a month for the data plan, when I was already going to be paying $150 a month. Thats not what pissed me off, what pissed me off was that I thought I was saving money going from Nextel to Verizon. (I was paying $199 a month with Nextel).

 

[MacbookSwitcher]

Chances are, voice and data will be separate packages. But, both will be required for service. Carriers do this to make the prices look much lower, until you get a smartphone and they jack the price way up.

This happened to me with Verizon and my Treo 700p. They didn't tell me until after all the paper work was signed that it was an extra $50 a month for the data plan, when I was already going to be paying $150 a month. Thats not what pissed me off, what pissed me off was that I thought I was saving money going from Nextel to Verizon. (I was paying $199 a month with Nextel).

Representatives that work for the carriers are dumb as apes. I realized this then when I went into the local Cingular store the other day. (And also when a Sprint rep over the phone told me "Shut up mutherfu**er!")

I am going to switch to Cingular soon, and when I do, I'll be looking closely at all the numbers they give me throughout the process to make sure they don't throw in any surprises. I expect to be supervising them the whole time.

 

[/dev/toaster]

Representatives that work for the carriers are dumb as apes. I realized this then when I went into the local Cingular store the other day. (And also when a Sprint rep over the phone told me "Shut up mutherfu**er!")

I am going to switch to Cingular soon, and when I do, I'll be looking closely at all the numbers they give me throughout the process to make sure they don't throw in any surprises. I expect to be supervising them the whole time.

Pretty much. Customer service is something that ... just doesn't exist anymore and it will only get worse.

What gets you is the details they don't tell you till you are almost done with the paper work. They don't hide it from you, just wait to tell you.

Such as, data plans, cost or lack of insurance, text messages (cost, how many you get free, how much for more), taxes, cost of extra charger, case, other accessories you thought it was coming with, etc.

Anything they can do to nickel and dime you.

 

[Dead EditHer]

The best way to counter that is to do as much homework as possible on the carrier of your choice. Grab as much literature as possible and check the fine print, I know most of the reps hide hidden fees on purpose, but if you cut them off at the pass with the fees and threeaten to walk away, they will help you and try to do something about the added costs.

 

[/dev/toaster]

The best way to counter that is to do as much homework as possible on the carrier of your choice. Grab as much literature as possible and check the fine print, I know most of the reps hide hidden fees on purpose, but if you cut them off at the pass with the fees and threeaten to walk away, they will help you and try to do something about the added costs.

The most expensive of the hidden fees is the data plan. If you don't want to pay it, you don't get the phone. Simple as that. You can threaten to walk away and they will tell you to have a nice day. There is nothing you can do to get them to wave that fee, or lower it. It is what it is.

 

[zap2]

I really hope the iPhone doesn't have huge prices....Apple is aiming for a larger market, not just smartphones. I'm hoping they don't force a data plan.

The closer it comes to the launch the more worried I get. On the off chance I think the fees are too high I'll pick up a real basic phone(small and makes calls)

 

[feelthefire]

I really hope the iPhone doesn't have huge prices....Apple is aiming for a larger market, not just smartphones. I'm hoping they don't force a data plan.

The closer it comes to the launch the more worried I get. On the off chance I think the fees are too high I'll pick up a real basic phone(small and makes calls)

Without a data plan, about 50% of the features are useless...no web browsing, google maps, etc. Means you just bought a REALLY expensive phone and music player.

 

[suneohair]

Without a data plan, about 50% of the features are useless...no web browsing, google maps, etc. Means you just bought a REALLY expensive phone and music player.

Wrong. There is also WiFi. I am always near Wifi and wouldn't need the data plan. I have it at home, at school, at work. Heck there are so many networks open around here it doesn't even matter if I am not at one of those places.

A data plan is not necessary especially if you live in a big metro area like New York, San Fran, etc. With the push for free WiFi in some of the major cities this will be come more and more true an will hopefully force data plan pricing down.

 

[AHDuke99]

exactly ... the WiFi makes it useful so that you dont need data. all you need is to be near a hotspot, which are common if you are in an urban area. plus, since it lacks 3G, using EDGE the majority of the time will be frustrating at best. i wish it did have 3G.

 

[feelthefire]

well, regardless, cingular requires you to purchase a data plan with currently available smartphones, so I can't see them dropping that requirement for something as high-margin as this.

And if you can afford to spend $500 for the thing...can't you also afford $40 a month for data? Seems like if you're going to buy a luxury item, you should be willing to pay for the things that make it useful...

And despite the way it might seem, most people do NOT live in urban areas, and the iPhone wifi won't work on any networks that have secure access via VPN, which is increasingly common.

 

[zap2]

Without a data plan, about 50% of the features are useless...no web browsing, google maps, etc. Means you just bought a REALLY expensive phone and music player.

lol...no. It still has Wi-Fi...and its not even close to being 50% of the feartures are based on Internet usage.

With out a data plan I lose Web browsing, and google maps(I'll never use it) and thats it, and thats only when I'm out of a Wi-Fi network. 2 features of hardly make up 50% of what the iPhone can do. And the with out 3G I question how much time I'd browse with my iPhone.


I thought about this, know what I want, know what I need. Please don't even try to tell me what I need on my iPhone. And I never said I wasn't getting a data plan, I said I wanted to see what choices they'd give me, and I'd go from there.



Edit-looking at your post history, you talk about the Zune, and letting people buy what they want. Why not do what your telling people to do, and let me buy my iPhone the way I want? And as for being allowed to not have a data plan with Cingular, you can. I just made a Paln Treo with the lowest amount of talk time, and no data plan, and it let me check out fine? What are you talking about?

 

[feelthefire]

lol...no. It still has Wi-Fi...and its not even close to being 50% of the feartures are based on Internet usage.

With out a data plan I lose Web browsing, and google maps(I'll never use it) and thats it, and thats only when I'm out of a Wi-Fi network. 2 features of hardly make up 50% of what the iPhone can do. And the with out 3G I question how much time I'd browse with my iPhone.


I thought about this, know what I want, know what I need. Please don't even try to tell me what I need on my iPhone. And I never said I wasn't getting a data plan, I said I wanted to see what choices they'd give me, and I'd go from there.



Edit-looking at your post history, you talk about the Zune, and letting people buy what they want. Why not do what your telling people to do, and let me buy my iPhone the way I want? And as for being allowed to not have a data plan with Cingular, you can. I just made a Paln Treo with the lowest amount of talk time, and no data plan, and it let me check out fine? What are you talking about?

Funny, I just bought a blackberry pearl and an 8525 from cingular and they will not sell you the 8525 without a data plan. The blackberry, well, they'll let you, but they don't give you the rebates. Considering the 8525 is the closest thing they currently have to the iPhone, I can't imagine how that would be different.

This was at a cingular store, this week. But if you just did that online, you didn't see that they gripe at you AFTER you checkout via email.


Buy whatever you want. It just seems so resoundingly odd to buy a $600 smartphone, and not use any of the "smart" features. That's just buying a really, really expensive iPod that can sometimes browse the internet, but only when you're in a place where you could access it...without the iphone.

The difference between the zune posts and this one is that people aren't calling the hardware crappy or people who buy it all kinds of names--I just can't understand why you'd pay that much money and not use it. You're obviously going to buy it anyway, so I don't think I'm exactly disallowing you from doing much of anything, am I?

No need to get so defensive, really. But just so you know, visual voicemail, at least as it already exists (yes, the blackberry already has this, it's not revolutionary. It's just an added app) requires a data plan.

 

[zap2]

Buy whatever you want. It just seems so resoundingly odd to buy a $600 smartphone, and not use any of the "smart" features. That's just buying a really, really expensive iPod that can sometimes browse the internet, but only when you're in a place where you could access it...without the iphone.
.

Wow...
1) The "smart" features of the iPhone don't call need a data plan. The Web browser, google maps need Internetm but Wi-Fi works
2) Simply because I'm in a Wi-Fi hotspot, doesn't mean I always have a Wi-Fi device, the iPhone would cover that
3) The iPhone is worth the price TOO ME, without a larger data plan because I'm often in a Wi-Fi hotsport, I like the feature that don't use the internet all the time(full screen iPod, sync with OS X, phone etc)


One last time, you don't know my needs, or my wants, so their for you can't really tell me what I need for my iPhone.

 

[iMichael72]

If June 11th really is the launch date, (though I don't think it is) you would think they would announce the data plans soon.

I plan on getting an iPhone regardless, but I anxiously await the pricing plans.

 

[neven]

If June 11th really is the launch date, (though I don't think it is) you would think they would announce the data plans soon.

I don't think they'll announce them any sooner than the shipping date of iPhone (at WWDC or a week later). Remember, Steve will want us to run out and buy these things impulsively, without doing a lot of fancy calculation.

 

[starcrossed]

I'm personally betting that AT&T will offer a very attractive voice+data especially for the iPhone. They want the iPhone to be a hit as much as Apple does and since Apple is the upper not allowing the price of the phone itself to go any lower then its retail value they set, AT&T has no choice but the offer a nice cheap plan to attract customers, to give the a different mindset where we are used to signing a contract to get a nice discount on the phone, but the opposite where we sign a contract to get a nice discount on the plan. Its inetivible in order the launch the phone with a bang, rather than turn away customers with a $500-600 phone upfront, plus $80 plan every month, and if you are a new customer too $36 activation fee. The would need a unlimited data/voice plan at least between $20-$50, to really attract the people.

 

[xfiftyfour]

I agree. I understand the sentiment that the iPhone is just like any other smartphone, and therefore the plans will be similar, but I think those saying that are overlooking a HUGE point: Cingular has quite a bit vested in the success of the iPhone. Looking past monetary reasons, think of the "pride", or the rules/standards that they bent in order to make this happen with Apple. Surely they wouldn't want all of this to have been for nothing. They'll come out looking like suckers if they let Apple push 'em around for a product that flops. And, for all we know, other phone manufacturers are already demanding the same treatment - which in of itself could have monetary implications.

Unlike Blackberry, Apple is brand new to the game. Their name alone will not sell their phone, and certainly their pricetag isn't swaying new customers either. I think we'll all be surprised with what Cingular pulls from up their sleeves in order to move these.

 

[feelthefire]

I'm personally betting that AT&T will offer a very attractive voice+data especially for the iPhone. They want the iPhone to be a hit as much as Apple does and since Apple is the upper not allowing the price of the phone itself to go any lower then its retail value they set, AT&T has no choice but the offer a nice cheap plan to attract customers, to give the a different mindset where we are used to signing a contract to get a nice discount on the phone, but the opposite where we sign a contract to get a nice discount on the plan. Its inetivible in order the launch the phone with a bang, rather than turn away customers with a $500-600 phone upfront, plus $80 plan every month, and if you are a new customer too $36 activation fee. The would need a unlimited data/voice plan at least between $20-$50, to really attract the people.

I'm pretty sure if they offered an unlimited data and voice plan for $50, they would get the pants sued off them by current owners of other smartphones. I'd certainly join the suit.

Other smartphones are $500 and get charged $100/mo for service. iPhone is a limited market luxury item. Don't see them cutting any deals on this one. If anything, i see them charging a lot more for things like visual voicemail.

There's plenty of apple fanboys who will shell out for the phone and make it a success, so I don't think cingular is running scared on this one.

 

[xfiftyfour]

I'm pretty sure if they offered an unlimited data and voice plan for $50, they would get the pants sued off them by current owners of other smartphones. I'd certainly join the suit.

Other smartphones are $500 and get charged $100/mo for service. iPhone is a limited market luxury item. Don't see them cutting any deals on this one. If anything, i see them charging a lot more for things like visual voicemail.

There's plenty of apple fanboys who will shell out for the phone and make it a success, so I don't think cingular is running scared on this one.

lol.. sue them? for what? Not giving them the best price? That wouldn't make it too far in court.

I'm not saying those numbers are right, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was an alternative iPhone plan that was cheaper than what most are paying to have their Blackberrys and whatever else. I don't think it'll be so ridiculously low as to alienate current customers, but it certainly might be lower. That's just too bad for current owners of other smartphones.

And anyway, what other PDA/Smartphones are $500 from Cingular? I'm not talking retail prices, I'm talking prices after Cingular offers their contract discounts and rebates. Because right now, the most expensive phone is only $299.

 

[Gonzlobo]

I'm pretty sure if they offered an unlimited data and voice plan for $50, they would get the pants sued off them by current owners of other smartphones. I'd certainly join the suit.

Lol. Good luck with that.

Just because you signed up for a contract (cell phone, job, car et. al.) doesn't entitle you (or anyone else) to sue someone for offering others lower price. That's rich!

 

[feelthefire]

Lol. Good luck with that.

Just because you signed up for a contract (cell phone, job, car et. al.) doesn't entitle you (or anyone else) to sue someone for offering others lower price. That's rich!

Actually, it does. If I pay X dollars for a service, and an identical customer pays half that for the exact same service, a case could be made for antitrust. It's not legal to monopolize a service for a particular product by vastly undercutting the price of other available service providers. If they can't legitimately match that price without losing money, then a case could be made.

If it costs $50 to serve another PDA handheld with internet service, having another handheld recieving the same data service for only $20 could absolutely be considered illegal.

Just because you bought the expensive cable box doesn't mean your cable is cheaper, does it? Is TiVo cheaper if you get the newer one? nope. Because a) it makes terrible business sense and b) it's not legal to distinguish between customers like that.

But my service costs in the range you posted, for unlimited data, 1500 text messages, and 900 phone minutes, so I guess I shouldn't complain all that much. Discounts are your friend.

 

[feelthefire]

And anyway, what other PDA/Smartphones are $500 from Cingular? I'm not talking retail prices, I'm talking prices after Cingular offers their contract discounts and rebates. Because right now, the most expensive phone is only $299.

There aren't any rebates on the iPhone, so throw those out of the picture...If you walk into a cingular store today and try to buy an 8525, you will walk out of the store having paid $450 for it (2 yr contract price). The rebates aren't instant deductions, it takes 180 days before you're generally eligible.

And the service for that phone (I just bought one last week) is $45 a month before a voice plan. With no visual voicemail (which, by the way, for the blackberry is $10/mo for the first 40 messages and some number after that).

Can't see it being cheaper since all told the services the data carrier provides for the iPhone and the 8525 are the same.