Family on Verizon/me & iPhone on ATT - ramifications?

[jhewes]

I'm rather confused as to the OP's situation. Why does it matter what network you're on for texting? There is no free mobile to mobile texting on any network. Texting AT&T to Verizon is the same for Verizon to Verizon. It's free mobile to mobile TALKING!

There are two scenario's here for your teens friends:

1. They're on Verizon and HAVE unlimited texting: great they have unlimited texting.....to both AT&T and Verizon.

2. They're on Verizon and they DON'T have unlimited texting (highly unlikely): they pay per message, same cost whether its from Verizon to Verizon or AT&T to Verizon.

Point: Texting is not like Voice. There is no free mobile to mobile within the network. You must pay for unlimited texting either way, or else pay per message, no matter where it originates from.

Your teens won't suffer from being on AT&T. In fact, its cheaper for family unlimited, and you get an iPhone!

All excellent points, and this is what I am discovering. Unlimited texting (from any network to any other network) is an added monthly cost. The difference in monthly charges between the two networks is negligible. So upon further research the points are all becoming moot. Most parents nowadays are foolish if they don't spring the extra bucks for unlimited texting for their teens.

It is looking like a family plan with AT&T, with one iPhone for me, will be no more than $30 per month more than the same number of regular phones on either carrier.

Now, the wild card is, how is AT&T service at my wife's parents house? Verizon is thin at best. If AT&T is significantly worse, or even non-existent, that could make a bigger difference than cost.

I think I will ask a friend with an iPhone to take a ride over and see how many bars he gets.

 

[gabe90]

So riddle me this, batman... I have done a rough cost analysis.

For a AT&T family plan, I choose the three-line option, add in unlimited texting, and it comes out the same as Verizon (with the exception that the Verion plan is 900 minutes and the AT&T is 700). Then, to add in an iPhone, I merely add the $30 data plan. Does this seem right?

in which case, it makes obvious economic sense to switch everyone over to AT&T, and the iPhone only costs $30 more than three lines on Verizon (with no iPhone at all)

And if I do get the iPhone, the three-pack plus data from AT&T rather than two lines on Verizon family plan and then a whole new single-person iPhone from AT&T is cheaper.

Boy talk about much ado about relatively little. I'm trying to work the economics of all this (the easier to justify to the missus).

This is what I can't seem to understand. Why in god's name would anyone sign up for the iPhone family plan?! This is a serious question.

I am thinking about moving to AT&T too, and the iPhone family plan is $129 for 2 iPhones. We would have 3 iPhones and 2 regular phones on the plan. What reason is there to do the iPhone family plan instead of doing a cheaper regular family plan and adding 3 $30 iPhone lines?

Am I missing something?

This is what I can't seem to understand. Why in god's name would anyone sign up for the iPhone family plan?! This is a serious question.

I am thinking about moving to AT&T too, and the iPhone family plan is $129 for 2 iPhones. We would have 3 iPhones and 2 regular phones on the plan. What reason is there to do the iPhone family plan instead of doing a cheaper regular family plan and adding 3 $30 iPhone lines?

Am I missing something?

Annnnnd nevermind...I just looked at the math again, and it seems to be cheaper to do the iPhone family plan and add $10 lines than to do the $89 regular family plan and add the iPhones. Especially if adding more than one iPhone.

 

[beamer8912]

Verizon has a deal (I think 4.99 a month) where its unlimited texting to Verizon to Verizon and you get 50 other texts. Also all their plans either 500, 5000 text messages, if it's Verizon to Verizon, it's unlimited and to the other carriers that's where it takes away from what you pay for. So yes it's "free" from mobile to mobile with in the Verizon network, just for $4.99 a month and unlimited.

I can't follow what you're saying. Could you provide a link?

I've never heard of this. Although, none of my friends who have Verizon use this $5 unlimited Verizon only. All of them have the $10 unlimited on any network.

 

[Primejimbo]

I can't follow what you're saying. Could you provide a link?

I've never heard of this. Although, none of my friends who have Verizon use this $5 unlimited Verizon only. All of them have the $10 unlimited on any network.

I can't find it on their site. I just found out when I 1st started texting and the rep told me about it. At the time I was only texting Verizon people and the rep told me and set me up with this.