Possible iPhone Data Plan Pricing?

[Asar]

What I don't understand from all of these comments is why someone would buy an iPhone and not have a data plan. Are these posters saying they'd buy a "mobile Internet device" and use it only as a telephony-based iPod?

because wifi is free, and wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy faster then edge. when you get your iphone, let me know how long it takes to download a mp3 song with edge lol.

 

[tttexxan]

Hopefully you will not be required to have a data plan. I don't have one now, so I won't miss it. I on an old $30 Cingular voice plan that gives me all the minutes I need. I want to use my iPhone to make calls, listen to music, and to access the internet over WiFi. I've got WiFi at home, and at work. Who needs a data plan!

why would you surf on 3.5 inch screen then at work or at home...Much rather use my 17in mac book pro

 

[plumbingandtech]

I just cannot believe people look ate $35-45/month for data on top of the usual overly high price for cell phone plans and can say that is reasonable. As much as I would like an iPhone, I will be waiting until AT&T loses their exclusive so there is some competition for the device. I'm perfectly happy paying only $15/month for unlimited data on my Treo 700p through Sprint. In Madison, WI coverage is much better than AT&T and even when I am out of network my data plan still works wonderfully. No way am I paying more for data on my cell phone than I do for DSL to my home.

It will be a long wait though... 5 years maybe... I think $35 - 45 is right in line with others for web and email and text but i see your plan is lower, any sprint users want to post any thoughts about their data plan vs. an att data plan they used? (bandwidth, web, email...)

 

[Asar]

It will be a long wait though... 5 years maybe... I think $35 - 45 is right in line with others for web and email and text but i see your plan is lower, any sprint users want to post any thoughts about their data plan vs. an att data plan they used? (bandwidth, web, email...)

i'm coming from sprint. my 6700 has unlimited 3g for $15 a month. so $45 for edge??

 

[peharri]

I'm surprised

It looks like the same old deal we've come to know and hate from the operators, a bolt-on to an already convoluted plan.

Now, if I were AT&T&T&T, and I'm not, so what does it matter, I would take advantage of the fact that I'm going after an audience that expects things to "just work" and produce a plan that effectively does that. A straightforward "$99/mo" plan that does everything. Unlimited minutes, unlimited data (both internal and tethered), unlimited SMS, nothing else to pay except for some obvious exclusions (more expensive International destinations, international roaming.)

The way AT&T do their current plans, with roll-over minutes, free mobile to mobile, and free nights and weekends, makes this very close to what people get anyway. It's not like they, as an operator, make that much from overages.

I'm surprised that it would be another bolt-on data option. So, lemme see, you get 1,000 messages plus unlimited EDGE (but probably no tethering), plus 450 minutes, but 2,000 to use on nights and weekends, but some of them roll-over, see small print for details, etc. Wow, that really "just works" for us. Not.

 

[crackintosh]

We will never see iChat on the iphone. AT&T wants to make money off SMS messages. iChat would cut into their profits.

 

[plumbingandtech]

I just got back from an ATT store.. some poster suggested going down now and do a credit check with them so there are no suprises... I would say do it..

I was fine and he told me they can use that credit check for 3 months...

other then that:

a) he said he would "hold" one for me... and would call me.. yah right.... i told him i was standing in line.

b) No info from them. we know more re the iphone.

c) two women were there 25 Yr's Old? and did NOT look like mac rumors posters... one of them was talking to another customer and saying she was going to pick on up friday...

If average people are going to buy on day one then look out sales projections....

 

[ajhill]

Maybe this is just a trial balloon

Hey, maybe ATT and Apple threw out this rumor to see how it would float, or sink. The original rumor that started this all is nothing more than a posting of their current Blackberry pricing. The prices are exactly the same.

We've been had people, FUD is going to be hip deep this week.

Better wait for the official release. And not trust any source with "BOY" in his name...

 

[plumbingandtech]

i'm coming from sprint. my 6700 has unlimited 3g for $15 a month. so $45 for edge??

Whoah.

(I don't know how they can charge so little for something that can really clog up the lines... I think we can agree though that the iPhone customer is going to use MUCH more bandwidth on edge (convient web apps, whole pages etc..))

(granted some or most will be on wifi which is not ATT lines.)

 

[Segmac]

Is this honestly a surprise to anyone? This is what my bill looks like-

NATP900RUMMUNW 59.99
ANSWER TONES 0.99
MEDIA MAX 1000 BUNDLE 29.99
TOTAL MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGES $90.97
TOTAL CREDITS, ADJUSTMENTS & OTHER CHARGES $2.46
TOTAL GOVERNMENT FEES & TAXES $11.96
TOTAL AMOUNT DUE $105.39

900 minutes with rollover, voicemail, mobile to mobile and all the other junk they throw in to their voice plans. Answer tones just because, and 1000 sms/mms messages with unlimited non-3G data.

I think it's hilarious you people are more than willing to pay $600, tax, and all the associated activation fees... but are up in arms over the monthly fees.

How can you be happy about paying more than you should? These prices are crazy. No way does a single cell phone need to cost more than a home phone + DSL. There is no possible way the costs of keeping my home lines for phone and DSL running can be less than running those cell towers... just not possible. Im all for companies making a profit but I'm not stupid.

BTW- You are already getting ripped off, I've got a treo with unlimited data and another voice phone together on a family plan with 3000 voice min/month and its the same price as your current plan. So forgive me if your assessment on fair pricing is taken with a grain of salt.

 

[bytethese]

I just cannot believe people look ate $35-45/month for data on top of the usual overly high price for cell phone plans and can say that is reasonable. As much as I would like an iPhone, I will be waiting until AT&T loses their exclusive so there is some competition for the device. I'm perfectly happy paying only $15/month for unlimited data on my Treo 700p through Sprint. In Madison, WI coverage is much better than AT&T and even when I am out of network my data plan still works wonderfully. No way am I paying more for data on my cell phone than I do for DSL to my home.

See you in June 2012.

 

[rishio]

why would you surf on 3.5 inch screen then at work or at home...Much rather use my 17in mac book pro

You assume too much...

- I live on a college campus and the whole campus has free wifi.
- I go to starbucks sometimes and I have a wifi account with them.
- There are many places that have free wifi
- Sometimes I don't want to be tied to my computer to access content from the web..

etc.. etc...

BTW, I don't think youtube will even work with the edge network...

 

[FeralCat]

What I don't understand from all of these comments is why someone would buy an iPhone and not have a data plan. Are these posters saying they'd buy a "mobile Internet device" and use it only as a telephony-based iPod?

I believe that you keep missing the "I'd use (free) WiFi for the data-requiring applications" posts. This is the camp that I'm in, too. Why in the world would I pay for a separate, slower data plan when the city I live in is blanketed w/ freely available WiFi?

 

[ajhill]

Average phone plus basic voice plan vs. iPhone basic voice + data:

1.) $1060 for two years = $50 phone + 12($40) voice plan
2.) $2420 for two years = $500 iPhone + 12($40) data + 12($40) voice plan

That is a big difference coming from a $50 phone with normal package. However, coming from a Treo etc.- it's right on par, other than a slightly higher initial phone cost. I hope folks know that $40 is pretty good for a PDA unlimited data plan. Anything LESS than that would be a bargain, and I imagine that Steve negotiated for that.

If AT&T wasn't paying any subsidy on the iPhone itself, they must be making a deal for the customers in pricing.

My gosh, you posted a well thought out, intelligent, reasonable posting. Clearly this pricing structure would not have presented a problem for Verizon. What would they have objected to here that would have made them pass??? I don't see it at these "RUMORED" pricing plans. Never trust a source with "Boy" in the name...

 

[guzhogi]

I'd like to get an iPhone, but way too expensive for me. I don't even make $17,000 a year. So a $600 phone, plus $40/month for data and $40/voice is a lot. Maybe if they added 3G and other networks, GPS, some kind of compact flash/secure digital removable storage, SIM & battery at 1/2 the cost (both phone & plans). Or pay as you go. I wouldn't use the phone part that much.

 

[Digital Skunk]

What's your point?

It's not unreasonable to question the plan rates, especially if it means paying over $3000 over a two year period.

Yeah.. I have a feeling that is what everyone with an iPhone may be paying.

Wow. My wife's Treo 700p on Sprint pays only $15 a month for unlimited data over EVDO... $35 to $45 seems really pricey by comparison, especially at EDGE speeds.

Sprint and Treo 755p here I come...!

thats $1080 over 2 years ... and that would go on the contract you sign.

plus the data services are bound to become cheaper in coming years .. you need to consider that as well.

And that 1080 is going to be added to the voice plan that you already have as well as taxes... consider that too. And things being better then doesn't constitute spending the money now.

 

[diamond.g]

Average phone plus basic voice plan vs. iPhone basic voice + data:

1.) $1060 for two years = $50 phone + 12($40) voice plan
2.) $2420 for two years = $500 iPhone + 12($40) data + 12($40) voice plan

That is a big difference coming from a $50 phone with normal package. However, coming from a Treo etc.- it's right on par, other than a slightly higher initial phone cost. I hope folks know that $40 is pretty good for a PDA unlimited data plan. Anything LESS than that would be a bargain, and I imagine that Steve negotiated for that.

If AT&T wasn't paying any subsidy on the iPhone itself, they must be making a deal for the customers in pricing.

Shoot, I paid 650 bucks (read 1300) for my and my wifes treo 650's. 600 is a bargin comparativly.

It will be a long wait though... 5 years maybe... I think $35 - 45 is right in line with others for web and email and text but i see your plan is lower, any sprint users want to post any thoughts about their data plan vs. an att data plan they used? (bandwidth, web, email...)

See 35-45 would be great if it included 3g access. Sprint users look at paying 15-25 bucks for unlimited 3g data. The other data plans on Sprint's site are for either data cards or BlackBerries. If the 35-45 includes unlimted texting then I can see an equivilence. Right up until you realize that you can get the same speed service from sprint for 10 bucks. That and for some reason some of Sprints CSR's are real nice and give freebie's (like how I pay 15 bucks and get unlimited txt on two phones which should cost me 15 per phone). I want to switch over but am very interested in hearing how much the plan cost. I actually expected to pay about 200 a month for two cell phones so anything less is actually nice.

 

[dcwckd]

How about $34 - $44, with the voice plan.

Did I just shake things up?

 

[dashiel]

i suppose the cost/benefit all depends on what at&t will classify the iphone as. is it a smartphone or a pda?

smartphones have an unlimited data plan for $20

pdas cost $80 ($100 with wifi).

i'm sure they'll decide the iphone isn't really a phone, it's pda with a phone

but if the fees are $35-$45 for unlimited data and that includes access to at&t hotspots. then cool i'm cool with that. those at&t spots are wicked expensive for one time use.

 

[ocyrus]

I just got back from an ATT store.. some poster suggested going down now and do a credit check with them so there are no suprises... I would say do it..

I was fine and he told me they can use that credit check for 3 months...

other then that:

a) he said he would "hold" one for me... and would call me.. yah right.... i told him i was standing in line.

b) No info from them. we know more re the iphone.

c) two women were there 25 Yr's Old? and did NOT look like mac rumors posters... one of them was talking to another customer and saying she was going to pick on up friday...

If average people are going to buy on day one then look out sales projections....

Theres a credit check?

 

[ajhill]

I'm call BS on this rumor

Okay, it's time to call Bull*&%t on this rumor.

Here's why.

1. These plans are okay, nothing special considering we are talking 2.5g here folks.

2. This is no where near painful enough to make Verizon walk away from the deal.

3. These rates won't create lines out the door.

4. These rates are nothing special and certainly not worth Apple tying up an exclusive deal for 5 years.

This rumor stinks.... NOT TRUE.

 

[DaBrain]

I can see your point then if your going to have WIFI all the time....At my place of work no wifi at the moment so will use the data plan if needed...If Im out and about probably will have to use the data minutes instead of wifi...

Dont get me wrong I would Love for it to be cheaper but come to realize with cingular this is just the way it is...Get ready to bend over.

Which leads to a saying I have, " When one ventures out in the real world, one needs to bring a 55 gallon drum of vaseline with them, cause your gonna need it! "

 

[plumbingandtech]

See 35-45 would be great if it included 3g access. Sprint users look at paying 25 bucks for unlimited 3g data. The other data plans on Sprint's site are for either data cards or BlackBerries. If the 35-45 includes unlimted texting then I can see an equivilence.

thanks. yes I agree. I didn't know that bb had their own data plan costs that were different..

come Jan. when we have iphones with 3g things will even out more... for me though to pay $10-$15 premium per month until then is a steal compared to the new things I will be able to do....

(ahhhh google traffic before I leave anywhere how i love thee... (until they come out with iGarmin,

 

[rotlex]

Wow. My wife's Treo 700p on Sprint pays only $15 a month for unlimited data over EVDO... $35 to $45 seems really pricey by comparison, especially at EDGE speeds.

Ditto, only mines $10.00 due to grandfathering. $40 is ridiculous and another reason I won't be getting an iPhone - I'd have to switch providers and NO ONE even comes close to Sprints data plans.

 

[Antares]

I used over 4,000 minutes on incoming calls last month on my cellphone - and paid for *none* of them with US Cellular.

Wow! Over 60 hours worth of incoming calls in a month? Do you use your phone as a part of a customer service call center?

Anyway, this "potential" plan pricing doesn't seem too bad for the phone.