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Iphone 3G tethering plan official for launch this week...

$30. I was hoping it would be less. Oh well, I have a 15% business discount. Hopefully it'll apply.
 
Isn't tethering free with other phones on the AT&T network?

I don't get it.
 
dissdnt said:
Isn't tethering free with other phones on the AT&T network?

I don't get it.
Click to expand...

$30 is the tethering charge for all AT&T phones and it looks like the iphone is no different. Which sucks because we're already paying a premium for the iphone service. I will however probably subscribe because I'm using an AT&T data card right now for my laptop which is $60/month.
 
Wonder if this will be cracked to allow anyone without a tethering plan to use this feature.

I already use 300+mb/month. A extra 100mb or so a month (just those few times I have my laptop and no wifi) shouldn't cause red flags.
 
Very sad

What is most pathetic is that 10 years ago I used to do this with a regular old motorola when I still had Omnipoint/Voicestream at no extra charge to my already existing data plan.

It's not like this is new technology people and I'm hardly a tech buff.

I am really not into the whole jailbreak thing but to be honest I think I'd rather go that way at this point since it seems obvious that this is going to end up costing more for something that should just be included.

When did Apple stop being the good guys??
 
Clocker14 said:
What is most pathetic is that 10 years ago I used to do this with a regular old motorola when I still had Omnipoint/Voicestream at no extra charge to my already existing data plan.

It's not like this is new technology people and I'm hardly a tech buff.

I am really not into the whole jailbreak thing but to be honest I think I'd rather go that way at this point since it seems obvious that this is going to end up costing more for something that should just be included.

When did Apple stop being the good guys??
Click to expand...

Well this has more to do with AT&T, but I will agree with you that Apple has indeed succumbed to the almighty dollar.
 
Clocker14 said:
What is most pathetic is that 10 years ago I used to do this with a regular old motorola when I still had Omnipoint/Voicestream at no extra charge to my already existing data plan.

It's not like this is new technology people and I'm hardly a tech buff.

I am really not into the whole jailbreak thing but to be honest I think I'd rather go that way at this point since it seems obvious that this is going to end up costing more for something that should just be included.

When did Apple stop being the good guys??
Click to expand...

This is AT&T's doing, not Apple. But AT&T isn't alone in doing this. I'm pretty sure the other big boys in the US do the same thing.

What AT&T ought to do is offer a free 500MB of tethering/month. That would allow basic e-mail checking from time to time and a little Web browsing, maybe downloading a few songs. Offer 5GB at $30/month and maybe something like 15GB for $60/month.
 
I agree, paying money for this is ridiculous. How is using 3G via my iPhone any different than using 3G tethered to my laptop? True, I could do a lot more damage in terms of downloading on my laptop, but if they want to prevent this, then just enact a cap. Downloading 3 gigs over my iPhone using 3G is no different than downloading 3 gigs while tethered. In fact, as long as your not dl'ing like crazy, how would they even know your tethered?

These price-fixing cellphone crooks need to be investigated. Interestingly enough there was an article in the NY Times on Dec 26th about the mysterious uniform rise in SMS prices across all carriers when there isn't really a cost for sending/receiving texts. Now there seems to be 20 class action lawsuits pending across the country. I would post the link, but don't have c/p on my iPhone yet.
 
I don't think they realize that it's actions like this that cause people to WANT to jailbreak their iPhones.
 
Very true but I have started to have my doubts

The fact that Apple has been able to hold off the entire record industry from increasing prices for years now but is unable have any leverage with AT&T is hard to believe.

To take a step back a few years, this is the same company that was AT&T and sold it's cellular division due to lack of profit and poor service to Japan's NTT which later found that it was so bad it wasn't even worth having, which then led to it's buyout/merger with Cingular which then changed it's name, yet again, to AT&T.

AT&T needed the iphone to have some interest otherwise can you think of a single phone that they have/had at that time that would get you to switch? Rationally, AT&T needed Apple more than the other way around.

In short, I guess I am still leaning towards the fact that Apple's goals have shifted to those of the companies it now works with.

Notes:

I think iTunes' 69, 99, and 129 cent breakdown is much better because it recognizes that some songs are in more demand or popular than others. It also could allow more independent artists greater leverage so I don't think this is an "Acquisition" to the record industry.

With that, I'm actually visiting Japan now and can't believe that people are buying the iPhone here since it doesn't have common features such as TV viewing or even a simple microchip that would allow them to swipe their phone for debit use at all Tokyo trains and most stores across the country. It just seems like poor planning or the popular sales method of "We'll have it in the next model but you'll have to buy that too".

Also, re the note above, I'm miffed too about my lack of copy/paste. How many firmware upgrades until we get that settled?
 
Clocker14 said:
The fact that Apple has been able to hold off the entire record industry from increasing prices for years now but is unable have any leverage with AT&T is hard to believe.

To take a step back a few years, this is the same company that was AT&T and sold it's cellular division due to lack of profit and poor service to Japan's NTT which later found that it was so bad it wasn't even worth having, which then led to it's buyout/merger with Cingular which then changed it's name, yet again, to AT&T.

AT&T needed the iphone to have some interest otherwise can you think of a single phone that they have/had at that time that would get you to switch? Rationally, AT&T needed Apple more than the other way around.

In short, I guess I am still leaning towards the fact that Apple's goals have shifted to those of the companies it now works with.

Notes:

I think iTunes' 69, 99, and 129 cent breakdown is much better because it recognizes that some songs are in more demand or popular than others. It also could allow more independent artists greater leverage so I don't think this is an "Acquisition" to the record industry.

With that, I'm actually visiting Japan now and can't believe that people are buying the iPhone here since it doesn't have common features such as TV viewing or even a simple microchip that would allow them to swipe their phone for debit use at all Tokyo trains and most stores across the country. It just seems like poor planning or the popular sales method of "We'll have it in the next model but you'll have to buy that too".

Also, re the note above, I'm miffed too about my lack of copy/paste. How many firmware upgrades until we get that settled?
Click to expand...

I would say the behemoth that is AT&T is much harder to deal with than the recording industry. AT&T has to deal with a monstrous nationwide network, and Apple isn't the biggest name in the cell phone biz. But Apple is the biggest music retailer in the US, so it has a LOT of pull with the RIAA.

I would also point out that before the iPod and iTunes, did Apple really have to do agreements on this scale with companies? Sure, they had part suppliers, but they really need a service or content for something to work.

Also, AT&T is I believe the biggest cell carrier in the US, or was before the Verizon-Alltel deal. AT&T had plenty of business before the iPhone. Most phones are unlocked, so it's not as big as I think you're making it out to be. I think the BlackBerry Bold is AT&T-exclusive, and supposedly some people like it.
 
I don't see the big deal...Where are you going to use you're computer where there won't be an accessible WiFi network??? :confused: Worst case you could buy an Airport Express and plug it into a wall socket. I mean places like Starbucks give you outlets to plug in laptops so I don't see why you couldn't just do that. Maybe I'm missing something but I can't think of a single reason to pay $30 a month for this.....
 
Mr. Giver '94 said:
I don't see the big deal...Where are you going to use you're computer where there won't be an accessible WiFi network??? :confused: Worst case you could buy an Airport Express and plug it into a wall socket..
Click to expand...
First off, an AX is a wireless router; it doesn't provide a connection to the internet.

My work takes me all over the place, and I need to be able to have internet access in the strangest of places. I do think that this is way overpriced, especially considering we are already paying for internet access, and I, too, remember the days when I could tether my laptop before it was even called tethering, and just be billed minutes used during the early days of Verizon, or even the later days of Airtouch.

Anyway, my point is I'll probably get it and bill the company for reimbursement, but for personal use, no thanks. I mean, even Verizon who I just left, only charged $15/month for the "privilege."
 
Mr. Giver '94 said:
I don't see the big deal...Where are you going to use you're computer where there won't be an accessible WiFi network??? :confused: Worst case you could buy an Airport Express and plug it into a wall socket. I mean places like Starbucks give you outlets to plug in laptops so I don't see why you couldn't just do that. Maybe I'm missing something but I can't think of a single reason to pay $30 a month for this.....
Click to expand...

There are plenty of places where a WiFi network is not accessible but that really is not the point.

The point is they are gauging for something that should have inherently been included in the product to begin with.
 
Mr. Giver '94 said:
I don't see the big deal...Where are you going to use you're computer where there won't be an accessible WiFi network??? :confused: Worst case you could buy an Airport Express and plug it into a wall socket. I mean places like Starbucks give you outlets to plug in laptops so I don't see why you couldn't just do that. Maybe I'm missing something but I can't think of a single reason to pay $30 a month for this.....
Click to expand...

Travel outside of LA and you'll see. I went to visit relatives in the other LA (Lower Alabama) and it's awesome fun trying to find WiFi around there. Even when it was available, the darn person didn't know his password. :eek:
 
Clocker14 said:
With that, I'm actually visiting Japan now and can't believe that people are buying the iPhone here since it doesn't have common features such as TV viewing or even a simple microchip that would allow them to swipe their phone for debit use at all Tokyo trains and most stores across the country. It just seems like poor planning or the popular sales method of "We'll have it in the next model but you'll have to buy that too".
Click to expand...

I just got back from japan myself ( and was shocked at how few wi-fi spots there were ! )

while the iphone is quite primitive at a lot of things, most people who had never seen an iphone in japan were still pretty suprised at what it could do ( especially the gps maps and street view). They have pocket organizers in Japan that have tv tuners in them, so perhaps the iphone is just aimed at a different market.

It was kind of weird that softbank and docomo are pretty much the only phone carriers, and almost everyone has the same phone ( long, with a flippable screen).

how about that cute DOCOMO girl =)
 
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