Drop my Unlimited Plan?

[gcortes]

I have an unlimited plan from AT&T for $30/month. I could go down to the $15/month plan (200Mb ?) and still be well above my historical monthly usage. My low usage could have a lot to do with my dead slow phone: the 3G. I'm getting a 4s on Friday so I may find new uses for it. What would be big data hog? Video would certainly be one. I have a huge music library on the phone so I wouldn't listen online. Anything else?

Curt

 

[theDUB]

Just live with your new phone for a few months then re-evaluate you data usage and make a decision from there.

 

[Bkfraiders7]

You also have to remember iCloud will push that data usage up. As far as how much higher noone really knows. As of right now I'd stick to the $30 plan and after a couple more months to see your new data usage switch.

But for me, Im staying (but on Verizon :/)

 

[mikethebigo]

Wait until you have the 4s. When people get new phones, they use them more than usual for a period of time. This may lead to more data usage than usual. It also contributes to most of the battery life complaints the first few weeks.

Once the dust has settled, and you're still using <200, you can go ahead and switch. AT&T lets you modify your data plan at any time online.

Don't fear losing unlimited, I guarantee you we'll all lose it with the LTE transition anyway.

 

[rhinosrcool]

I have an unlimited plan from AT&T for $30/month. I could go down to the $15/month plan (200Mb ?) and still be well above my historical monthly usage. My low usage could have a lot to do with my dead slow phone: the 3G. I'm getting a 4s on Friday so I may find new uses for it. What would be big data hog? Video would certainly be one. I have a huge music library on the phone so I wouldn't listen online. Anything else?

Curt

If you go to any other data plan, you will lose the unlimited plan, forever. Since you haven't even used the 4s, yet, it would be unwise to get the cheaper plan. In the future, you will be better able to assess it's worth.

 

[ap3604]

Don't fear losing unlimited, I guarantee you we'll all lose it with the LTE transition anyway.

You mean just like how Verizon users lost their unlimited once LTE came out?

 

[Kendo]

You mean just like how Verizon users lost their unlimited once LTE came out?

Does this mean they lost it or didn't with LTE? Sorry it is hard to figure out based on the context and I have no prior knowledge with grandfathered Verizon unlimited plans.

 

[haticK]

on verizon everyone was grandfathered in, doesnt matter if you have a LTE phone or not

 

[ONEDVSMOFO]

I have unlimited with Verizon and bought a used Thunderbolt and was able to keep my unlimited data. I ordered the iPhone 4s through Verizon and kept my unlimited data as well.

 

[rkahl]

Why will iCloud up your data usage?

 

[mikethebigo]

Why will iCloud up your data usage?

iCloud actually won't increase data usage that much. It usually does most of its syncing while plugged in and on wifi.

Also, you guys are deluding yourselves if you think Verizon will allow unlimited data to stick around forever. Maybe for a while, but when we have 10 million iPhones pulling LTE data, caps will be put in place.

 

[NoHo]

Just because you don't use more than 2gb a month NOW doesn't mean you won't always not use 2gb a month.

There are apps we haven't even imagined yet and haven't even been created yet and with new features, data is going to be at a premium and you're going to really wish you still had that unlimited plan that isn't offered anymore.

Remember the old dial-up days? Imagine if the internet companies offered a tiered plan at 25gb? It might be worth it. I mean, you don't use 25gb a month. Why not save $5 a month? Well, now it's 5 years later and 25gb isn't very much data to have with all the cool things the internet can do now. Now you're forced to pay even more to upgrade to a higher tiered data plan or else you're forced to really cut down on your usage for the last couple weeks of the month.

In the beginning of the world wide web, the internet companies screwed themselves and their ability to maximize profits at the expense of the customers they cater to by always offering unlimited and we the people ended up getting used to it so now if they try to take it away so they can maximize their profits while forcing us not to use their product very much while still charging us the same amout, people will be MAD and won't allow it. The mobile broadband companies are doing their best to not make the same mistake. They want us to be used to having tiered data plans so right now in the infancy of mobile broadband, they're implementing tiered plans and getting rid of unlimited so we're used to having to pay for what we use right off the bat.

I use between 1.5gb and 5gb a month just doing normal everyday stuff with my phone. Streaming music while i exercise, watching YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc. Just using my iPhone for what it's meant to be used for. Enjoyment.

Keep your unlimited data plan for as long as you can. In the very near future, 2gb isn't going to last you very long. It may last you now, but when new ideas and innovations to mobile broadband are invented, data is going to be very important.

 

[gcortes]

Just because you don't use more than 2gb a month NOW doesn't mean you won't always not use 2gb a month.

There are apps we haven't even imagined yet and haven't even been created yet and with new features, data is going to be at a premium and you're going to really wish you still had that unlimited plan that isn't offered anymore.

...

Thanks for everyone's posts. I was definitely going to wait awhile to see if my usage went up. @NoHo, you make an excellent point about future apps. With bandwidth improving, developers will take advantage of it to deliver new functionality. Who know what will come along.

 

[Virance]

Thanks for everyone's posts. I was definitely going to wait awhile to see if my usage went up. @NoHo, you make an excellent point about future apps. With bandwidth improving, developers will take advantage of it to deliver new functionality. Who know what will come along.

The problem with the "future apps" argument for keeping it is that once that day comes, where the average user is using significantly more data, the unlimited plans will no longer be grandfathered in.

They have absolutely zero legal obligation to grandfather your unlimited data plan - they do it because they have no real compelling reason not to. Once the average smart phone users data usage goes up to the point where it matters, it's going to disappear.

 

[NoHo]

The problem with the "future apps" argument for keeping it is that once that day comes, where the average user is using significantly more data, the unlimited plans will no longer be grandfathered in.

They have absolutely zero legal obligation to grandfather your unlimited data plan - they do it because they have no real compelling reason not to. Once the average smart phone users data usage goes up to the point where it matters, it's going to disappear.

I think AT&T will always grandfather unlimited data plans in as long as you're not one of those people in the top 5% who's using 40gb a month doing tethering and other stuff you're not supposed to. AT&T is expensive. Easily more expensive than the other carriers, but people like me are happy with them because they work well and we have an unlimited plan and don't have to keep watching and monitoring our data bandwidth usage and that peace of mind is worth the hefty price tag that AT&T charges compared to other carriers. I think AT&T knows it's worth letting people like us who use around 2-5gb a month stay on our unlimited data plans because it's worth keeping us as customers. The second they take away unlimited data I and many others will go to another carrier that offers unlimited data and if none of them do, we will go to the carrier that is the cheapest and that certainly isn't going to be AT&T.