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More Details on AT&T's Data Plan Changes for iPhone and iPad
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Video calls are only going to be worth a damn over wifi. ATT can't even handle voice calls, you think they're going to handle video conferencing any better?
I suspect that the vast majority of customers use less than 2GB/month. Those users will save money.
There is evil in the world, and this is not it. You might want to recalibrate.
How? I, and most users, use perhaps a few hundred megs per month of data. We can opt for either a $15 or $25 plan. The new prices are, for the majority of users, a much better deal.
There is irony in the world, and this is not it.
Apple "fanboys" are already imprisoned by Apple. That's pretty much the definition of "Fanboy". More level-headed folks can weigh the options, and perhaps decide that the HTC Incredible or Evo 4G is more appropriate. Or not.
In fairness, AT&T's data plans do include wi-fi access at AT&T wi-fi hotspots, of which there are many. I'm not sure why someone would choose to use 3G if there were a wi-fi alternative.
I could be wrong, but I believe if you sign up for iPad service before June 7 you get grandfathered in. If you haven't bought a 3G iPad yet, then how is this a bait and switch?
Keep in mind, Apple asked a lot of AT&T as well.
If use low def video, smallish frame size, and H.264 won't be too much harder than stream a average youtube video to the iPhone in terms of bandwidth. In other words the more pixels and details you throw away the easier it is to do.
However, putting an explicit fixed cap will help deter folks from grossly running long video sessions just for giggles. It isn't the voice calls that are crippling the network. It is the constant streaming by substantive number of folks that does it. The upper 15% of consumers are what is causing the problem.
No they are not, but Verizon will get the iPad soon. at&t's changes are reflective of competing with another carrier (Verizon) with the iPad.
The iPhone 4G will stay with at&t for at least another year. IMO, the Data Plan for the 4G announced at WWDC will be impressive in order to go after the Enterprise User in a big way. OS 4.0 is ready. at&t will cover the base with the iPad Price Plan. People won't stop buying it. 90% of the people I know with a 3G iPad use less than 1g of data a month.
As was mentioned in another post the problem is with US Carriers in general. They all have big negatives in various areas.
But what do I know. I am a freak who actually receives excellent at&t 3G in my area of Upstate, NY.
That's my main concern here. They keep pushing this "all your favorite movies/music/etc. at your fingertips" crap and then cap downloads to 2GB. It's like they're forcing us to go over their artificial limits to charge for even more money.
Bait-in-switch
Where is the fed when you need them? Changing your contract every time you upgrade your phone is a ripoff... Appel is not the problem, is you AT&T.
Where is the fed when you need them? Changing your contract every time you upgrade your phone is a ripoff... Appel is not the problem, is you AT&T.
I'm in the same boat, and thought I was the only one. My current RAZR still says Cingular on it. My guess is no unlimited data for us because we never had data plans. Was looking forward to an iphone, but maybe I'll wait, yet again, and see what other carriers are offering.
If it's all the same to you, I'd rather the government keep its nose out of my voluntary commercial transactions.
MMmmkay, so I'm guessing sales of the 3g-equipped iPad will nosedive in favor of just the wifi versions?
I guess so, this will kill the iPad 3G model. No way I'm going to pay $25 for 2GB!
Only for the top 2% 3G bandwidth hogs who slow everything down for the rest of us.
Could that 2% be the reason my calls get dropped?
In the middle here
I was extremely mad this morning on my way to work when I saw this article. After reading all the details, it wont affect me unless I initiate the change so not a huge deal to me. Now after researching my wife's and my data usage, the most I ever used was 1.1GB last month. I am JB with MyWi but rarely use it. My wife uses more than the 200MB but not ever even close to 1GB. So I said to myself "Ill change both plans and just spend $10 more for tethering on one of them". Now, Im thinking that I will hold with my unlimited plan for a while and see how this rumored "Itunes Cloud" will pan out. If that is in fact coming, that will use a LOT of data right? Streaming all the music that you normally play from your Iphone directly. Anybody given this some thought?
I was extremely mad this morning on my way to work when I saw this article. After reading all the details, it wont affect me unless I initiate the change so not a huge deal to me. Now after researching my wife's and my data usage, the most I ever used was 1.1GB last month. I am JB with MyWi but rarely use it. My wife uses more than the 200MB but not ever even close to 1GB. So I said to myself "Ill change both plans and just spend $10 more for tethering on one of them". Now, Im thinking that I will hold with my unlimited plan for a while and see how this rumored "Itunes Cloud" will pan out. If that is in fact coming, that will use a LOT of data right? Streaming all the music that you normally play from your Iphone directly. Anybody given this some thought?
EXACTLY, I dont need the government getting involved in my business anymore than it already is.
No they are not forcing you to do anything. They are charging based on actual usage. It should provide an incentive for people to utilize WIFI when it is available.
We can all rue the prices charged and wish for additional data tiers, but personally I am glad they are charging based on usage. At this point in time, the wireless cellular networks cannot handle any where near the capacity of the wired internet. However, many of the malcontents that frequent this site expect cellular data speeds and reliability to be on par with their home or office internet.
well sure man... because there's no one else using the bandwidth. OF COURSE you get fast speeds... it's ALL YOURS.
if people moved in any real numbers to sprint 4G, that speed will TUMBLE.
we use clear at my office (in dallas too! come on by!)... just a BIT too slow to be great for regular computers (we have 2 modem things going in tandem), but would be great on a mobile device. so i'm down.
but there's just nobody using it, so the speeds now aren't very realistic.
i've read 4G has something like 100,000 people NATIONWIDE. if 3G had that, it would be flying.
It takes about 5 minutes to file and FCC complaint for both Apple and ATT about these changes.
Www.FCC.gov
The spirit of no contracts and $30 a month was a huge incentive to purchase the 3G iPad. These types of changes don't happen over night, Apple and ATT were aware of this change prior to the start of sales. It should have been better explained.
That to me is bait and switch.
Www.FCC.gov
The spirit of no contracts and $30 a month was a huge incentive to purchase the 3G iPad. These types of changes don't happen over night, Apple and ATT were aware of this change prior to the start of sales. It should have been better explained.
That to me is bait and switch.
cell phone now data plans
The thing you are talking about happened with cell phones many years ago. They had unlimited programs that then went to 3000 min then 2000 min & so forth. Now most of the cell phone companies have unlimited time plans available once again. They are actually at much lower prices than they once were. Data plans have gone from limits, no limits, back to limits, then the current no limits for smart phones & for less than 2 months for the iPad. Now the swing is starting to go back to time limits. Next may come more choices & a new unlimited plan. But in the data plan case the price does not appear to a lower one.
All of this will probably keep me from the smartphone & internet tablet (iPad type device), but then stay with my dumb phone & Intel MacBook Pro with WiFi & wired internet. I guess Apple & whoever would be my data plan provider as I'll stay out of this poor speed service
The thing you are talking about happened with cell phones many years ago. They had unlimited programs that then went to 3000 min then 2000 min & so forth. Now most of the cell phone companies have unlimited time plans available once again. They are actually at much lower prices than they once were. Data plans have gone from limits, no limits, back to limits, then the current no limits for smart phones & for less than 2 months for the iPad. Now the swing is starting to go back to time limits. Next may come more choices & a new unlimited plan. But in the data plan case the price does not appear to a lower one.
All of this will probably keep me from the smartphone & internet tablet (iPad type device), but then stay with my dumb phone & Intel MacBook Pro with WiFi & wired internet. I guess Apple & whoever would be my data plan provider as I'll stay out of this poor speed service
EXACTLY, i just want to be left alone to drill for oil HOWEVER I WANT TO.
I dont want to get into a debate about this on a cell phone data plan board, but government environmental regulations play a part in this mess along with the usual suspects. There are vast stores of oil that is much easier and safer to get out of the ground that BP and everyone else would love to be getting. Dont think for a minute that they WANT to be drilling for oil in the most hostile and extreme places on the face of the earth. They are essentially being forced to these extreme depths due to environmental regulations. Just something I dont think people are giving consideration to, like I said at the beginning though, not trying to provoke anything. Just something for reasonable people to think about.
I'm also in that boat as my iPhone got ripped off a few weeks ago so I had my old RAZR reactivated temporarily. I stopped the data service with the intent of restarting it on the 7th, but I spoke to someone at AT&T today who suggested I start it back up to keep my "iPhone user status." The RAZR is like 3 years old, and also says cingular on it, but the AT&T rep just activated my IMEI code so it's essentially a RAZR running on an iPhone data plan -- but now I'm set for grandfathering.
I liked the hierarchy somebody had suggested earlier -- the jump from 200mb to 2gb just seems too wide. I average about 300mb's a month so if it was $15 for 1gb I'd do it in a heartbeat but until I see how data-greedy some of the new functionality will be, I'm staying unlimited.
EXACTLY, i just want to be left alone to drill for oil HOWEVER I WANT TO.
Not the wittiest quip.
Anyway - Am i the only one who is somewhat pleased by this? I Know, i Know harumph HARUMPH for no unlimited, but i read this as 15 dollars off my required cost if i choose to own an iphone.
The only thing that has kept me from an iphone until now has been the added monthly cost. So much so that i would rather pay the unsubsidized price and simply not add a data plan. That not being an option (data plan required no matter what) 15 dollars i s much easier to cope with than 30. i'm still not there yet, but let's see what the next iteration of the phone brings.