AT&T Offering $200 Off Cellular iPads With 2-Year Commitment, $100 Off New Lines w/No Contract

[MacRumors]

AT&T is now offering customers $200 off cellular iPads when added to an existing Mobile Share data plan, with a two-year commitment. It's one of the best discounts we've seen for new iPads and it is available on all iPad models offered by AT&T, including the iPad Air and iPad mini, both with and without Retina display.

The deal combines an existing promotion that offers $100 off tablets with contract and a new promotion that offers $100 bill credits to customers who add a new smartphone or tablet to an existing account.

An AT&T spokesperson confirmed to MacRumors that the two promotions can be used together. $100 of the credit will be applied at purchase while the other $100 will appear as a bill credit within 3 billing cycles. Customers must remain with AT&T for 45 days to receive the bill credit.

A 16GB Retina iPad mini is normally $529, but would be available through the program for $329 after both credits, while the $629 16GB iPad Air would end up at $429.

The promotions are available to all AT&T customers, new and existing, who have or sign up for Mobile Share plans. The $100 bill credit promotion also applies to iPhone purchases when adding a new line, both on-contract and on AT&T's Next financing plan.

The new $100 bill credit is also available when customers bring their own device. That is, users who already own an iPhone or cellular iPad can open a new line on a Mobile Share plan and receive a $100 bill credit with no commitment beyond 45 days.

Purchases can be made at AT&T retail stores as well as its online store at ATT.com.

U.S. cellular carriers have been in a marketing war in recent months, particularly between T-Mobile and AT&T. Recently, AT&T began a new promotion to offer up to $450 in credits to customers that switch to it from T-Mobile, while T-Mobile launched a similar program offering up to $350 in credits to customers that switch to it.

Article Link: AT&T Offering $200 Off Cellular iPads With 2-Year Commitment, $100 Off New Lines w/No Contract

 

[bbplayer5]

No unlimited data = no AT&T or Verizon

 

[KPOM]

So out of one side of its mouth, AT&T is saying they need to cut down on smartphone subsidies, and out of the other side it is trying to create a subsidized tablet market where there currently isn't one.

 

[musika]

Please, don't make the tablet business as unclear and confusing as the US phone business.

 

[KPOM]

No unlimited data = no AT&T or Verizon

No one offers unlimited tablet data that I'm aware of. T-Mobile and Sprint have tiered data plans, and they also cap their hotspot packages on phones.

 

[barkomatic]

Still not switching to mobile share.

 

[roland.g]

They had a similar thing this time last year. Maybe it was $100 maybe it was $200. Maybe it was only certain models. However, AT&Ts 3 biggest problems:

Their LTE iPad coverage is not as good as Verizon.

Their plans are not as good.

You can only use an iPad as a HotSpot on their Mobile Share or 5GB plan. Verizon lets you at any level.

 

[ilfn143]

no thanks att, just bought the t-mo mini with free 200MB/mo

 

[kwikdeth]

2 year commitment = no thanks.

 

[Orlandoech]

2 year commitment = no thanks.

amen

 

[ricci]

Not true! I bought 2 iPad airs from best buy in Dec and they took $200 off each one! $ 400!!! ! The deal was to buy an iPhone 5s with 2yr agreement ! So I bought 2 5s's and got 2 iPads! Sweet deal!

 

[jkichline]

T-Mobile Packages

No one offers unlimited tablet data that I'm aware of. T-Mobile and Sprint have tiered data plans, and they also cap their hotspot packages on phones.

T-Mobile offers unlimited. Even there 500 MB and 2.5 GB packages are unlimited in the sense that they will just throttle you to 2G speeds but not completely kick you off. Their unlimited 4G is $20/month extra.

 

[BrianMojo]

So out of one side of its mouth, AT&T is saying they need to cut down on smartphone subsidies, and out of the other side it is trying to create a subsidized tablet market where there currently isn't one.

I came here to say exactly this.

Also, what do you want to bet that when AT&T phases out its subsidies on phones they keep service prices exactly the same, without compensating for the fact that a good chunk of it goes towards paying for your phone?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

So much smoke and mirrors.

I pay $85/mo (inc tax) for unlimited data (OK, 5GB @ LTE speed) and 450 talk (w/ free nights & weekends & rollover so essentially unlimited minutes too). Amortize the $461 I pay for my phone, activation and tax, total per month is $104. But then I sell my phone for $250 after two years so subtract $10/mo. Back to $94 per month for 2 years

Under next 18 w/ unlimited talk and 2GB data + 64GB iPhone my monthly bill would be $122.50. Subtract $10/mo for resale value. So $18/mo more for LESS DATA. No thanks ATT.

I understand you don't want to subsidize my phone and I'm fine w/ buying outright. But I expect lower fees, not higher, for doing so.

 

[Chocolatemilty]

So, basically what AT&T is doing is subsidizing the cost of the mobile share fee for the iPad over 2 years, so instead of paying $240, you pay $40, all by reflecting that "cost savings" into the device cost and then the bill. I know folks will most likely agree, but for those who either have no intention of leaving AT&T in the near future or have accounts through their jobs with AT&T, this isn't a horrible deal. Yes, you still have to pay for the Mobile Share data that's attached, so that's where it really gets silly and gripes are there; but frankly, if you're already on Mobile Share plans, you're paying for it anyway. Now, you can attach a cellular iPad if you've been wanting one and get the tablet fee subsidized one way or the other. Yet, t-mobile has made it simpler and more enticizing with the free 200MB no questions asked, so it's still hard to decide with AT&T even if you're an existing customer. That's where AT&T's really gonna have to get creative.

 

[bbeagle]

2 year commitment = no thanks.

If you're on a family plan already....

A 2-year commitment is $10/month or $240. They're giving you $200 off.

So, you're in essence only paying $40 for your iPad to be enabled over a 2-year period. This is a GREAT deal. And you're upset with this? Seriously?

 

[notabadname]

T-Mobile offers unlimited. Even there 500 MB and 2.5 GB packages are unlimited in the sense that they will just throttle you to 2G speeds but not completely kick you off. Their unlimited 4G is $20/month extra.

Unlimited 2G or 4G is a joke, and useless with today's internet. It's like getting "free" water at a restaraunt. As is the free 200MB per month plan - what's that, a half, to one-day's worth of surfing and and a 20 minute visit to YouTube. Fine if you are really disciplined about never using your device outside of WiFi, but that defeats the freedoms that come with a cellular equipped tablet.

 

[2457282]

Wait, this offer is from AT&T? oh... No thanks!

Even if was from a carrier that I actually respected, I am waiting for the iPad to come out with touchID and a keyboard cover (12" or the current size).

 

[Will do good]

no thanks att, just bought the t-mo mini with free 200MB/mo

Same here, what a good deal from T mobile.

iPhone unlimited data and 200 minutes $30
iPad air 200 mb free data per month.

Total cost for the 2 $30/month.

 

[CEmajr]

No unlimited data = no AT&T or Verizon

Agreed. Mobile share plans are a joke

 

[dwhittington]

Too Late AT&T

... I changed to T-Mo last week.

 

[Arran]

What they won't do to get you right where they want you. Committed.

I'll pass.

----------

So, you're in essence only paying $40 for your iPad to be enabled over a 2-year period.

Technically, yes. But they're betting they'll to catch you out on the overages. Most likely will.

 

[unplugme71]

I switched to MS from Unlimited with AT&T and truthfully could not be happier. Yes I am spending $20 more per month, BUT I know have the following:

1) 3 iPhones instead of 1 iPhone and 2 non-smart phones on the account
2) Unlimited sms/mms and voice minutes vs unlimited only on my iPhone
3) ability to tether any of the 3 iphones into hotspots, never was able to do this
4) have my iPad Mini on the account, previously only used WiFi at home or stores

To me, this was a big win. All while sharing 10GB of data, which we never even get close to. Highest was 7.3GB.

 

[Icaras]

If you're on a family plan already....

A 2-year commitment is $10/month or $240. They're giving you $200 off.

So, you're in essence only paying $40 for your iPad to be enabled over a 2-year period. This is a GREAT deal. And you're upset with this? Seriously?

Definitely agree. Of course it won't appeal to users who are accustomed to upgrading their iPads annually. I myself have my family subscribed to AT&T family mobile data share plan and this would sound good, considering that we only ever use around 7GB out of our 10GB, and that our iPads don't leave the house as often as our iPhones do.

The flip side to this however, is that the Mobile Data Share plan already includes mobile hotspots for all our iPhones, and this is what we currently use to get all our iPads Internet access whenever we're on the go. And so far, it's been working good. But then, the downside to that is slower bandwidth for your iPad, so things like streaming movies I find less than ideal, and battery life drains faster for your iPhone. So there's definitely many things to weigh in this deal for every user.

----------

Technically, yes. But they're betting they'll to catch you out on the overages. Most likely will.

That's always been the user's responsibility. Nothing's changed.

And with all the text, app, and email notifications you actually get from AT&T, including a way to always check your data usage via their app (as well as dial codes for instant text messages), you really have no excuse these days not to know how much data your using.

 

[BuffaloTF]

So as a current AT&T customer with Mobile Share... this essentially buys me 10 free months... at which point I could simply boot it off my share, and take up T-Mobile's free 200 mb? Tempting...... could even use both concurrently...