help: data plan/txting/service

[Jedi5]

hi everyone. hopefully someone way more knowledgeable than myself will chime in and help me out with some of my questions here.

on my 3gs, i have the the $5/200 txt plan. well this month i exceeded the txts and was looking to see what other txt plans were out there. in doing so, i found this thread on $10/1000 plan which is going away.

while i want to jump on the $10/1000 txt plan, from what i read and understood, if I can ride it out for a few more months, i won't need the $10 plan as iMessage will help me out with all my txting to other iPhone users.
I'd hate to pony up and upgrade to the $10 plan because from what I read, you won't be able to downgrade to the $5 plan anymore. is this correct?

in the thread i linked, there are some users claiming that with wifi everywhere, a data plan is not needed with an iPhone. is this correct?
my understand was that for email/internet, you needed a data plan.

also in the thread, there is talk on a service Straight Talk.
how good is ST on the iPhone? Pros/cons on the service?
anyone here leave AT&T for ST and either like or dislike it?
i know you need to jb your phone which what i don't want to do.
did it before didn't care for it.

thanks all for your help!

 

[forcetactic]

From what I understand, the only purpose of jailbreaking iPhone on ST is to enable MMS. The good part about ST is you only pay $45 a month for unlimited minutes/text/data and it uses the At&t network. However, you will need to buy a $180 Nokia E71 or $170 Nokia 6790 which you cannot sell back since the sim is sort of tied to the phone itself.

And data plan is required for iPhone on At&t minus the original. If they don't catch you immediately, they'll catch you eventually

 

[Gjwilly]

Yes, iOS5 allows free texting between all iOS5 devices.
You can pretty much do this now with free texting programs like TextFree or TextPlus.

No you won't be able to downgrade back to the $5 plan.

Yes, a data plan is required but a texting plan isn't.

 

[Jedi5]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Yeah I know about all the free txting apps out there but in order for them to work the best for the most part, all parties have to be using the same app.
Not to crazy bout the having 2 numbers thing... one for txting for free and then my real number.

Maybe I'll just ride out for the next few months till the release of iOS5.

So for those users that jb their iPhone on ST, how have they gotten away with for so long?
And when you say they will get caught, just how exactly do they caught?
What happens when they caught? The phone is not on AT&T, so it's not like they can cut off service, right?

Again, thanks for the help!

 

[einmusiker]

Google voice ftw

 

[takeshi74]

while i want to jump on the $10/1000 txt plan, from what i read and understood, if I can ride it out for a few more months, i won't need the $10 plan as iMessage will help me out with all my txting to other iPhone users.

I personally wouldn't wait on IOS5 rumors but YMMV. Additionally, is everyone that you text an iOS user? See below (emphasis added):

iMessage
iPad and iPod touch join the conversation.
With iMessage, we’ve created a new messaging service for all iOS 5 users. You can send unlimited text messages via Wi-Fi or 3G from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to anyone with one of those devices. iMessage is built into the Messages app, so you can send text, photos, videos, locations, and contacts. Keep everyone in the loop with group messaging. Track your messages with delivery receipts and optional read receipts, see when someone’s typing, and enjoy secure encryption for text messages. Even start a conversation on one of your iOS devices and pick up where you left off on another.

in the thread i linked, there are some users claiming that with wifi everywhere, a data plan is not needed with an iPhone. is this correct?
my understand was that for email/internet, you needed a data plan.

Subjective call though it's a moot point on at&t or Verizon.

 

[Jedi5]

I personally wouldn't wait on IOS5 rumors but YMMV. Additionally, is everyone that you text an iOS user?

Have the $5 plan for the last... 2 yrs or so. Probably 1-2 times where I surpassed the 200txt limit. I don't txt as much as is but lately I have been txting more than usual. Buddy I txt with does have iPhone so I think I'll be good there.

 

[fireshot91]

I'd say just ride it out with the $5 texting plan.