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unlimited data plan drop opinions

R

reckless2k2

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 10, 2008
525
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I currently have an AT&T unlimited data plan for my iPhone but even with LTE now I don't get very close to 1GB per month.

I was thinking of dropping for the 3GB tiered data plan. I could pick up Facetime over cellular with this option.

I have a separate data plan for 2GB of data per month on my iPad too.

I have a family share plan (550 minutes) with 2 phones and only one is a smartphone where I pay the $30 unlimited data.

We barely even use 100 minutes talk a month because most people we know are on AT&T. And I have 200 texts (most texts are iMessage) and the other phone has 1,000 texts. My total bill is usually around $100 after a work discount.

I think the new mobile shared plans are going to be too costly but I was hoping for an option to get my iPad plan rolled in.

I'm basically looking for thoughts. Thanks.
 
I would keep unlimited if I were you. I typically use around 1-2GB of data a month and I'm on the AT&T 3GB LTE plan. However, I'm constantly monitoring my data useage since I'm paranoid about going over. At least with an unlimited plan, you have the piece of mind that you won't go over your alloted data plan.
 
nburwell said:
I would keep unlimited if I were you. I typically use around 1-2GB of data a month and I'm on the AT&T 3GB LTE plan. However, I'm constantly monitoring my data useage since I'm paranoid about going over. At least with an unlimited plan, you have the piece of mind that you won't go over your alloted data plan.
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I say drop it. I did and picked up the 10gb shared plan. I have not once looked at my usage, because if I do go over they will just charge 15 extra dollars instead of the dreaded throttling. I have already used it as a hotspot for my mini so the change was worth it!
 
wknapp0924 said:
if I do go over they will just charge 15 extra dollars instead of the dreaded throttling. I have already used it as a hotspot for my mini so the change was worth it!
Click to expand...

"Dreaded Throttling"? Lol. To each their own, but I will take the throttling over an overage charge any day. One of the other users on my plan used over 10 GB on their unlimited plan last month. I don't even think she notices the throttling. I'll take the throttling over an extra $70 added to my bill.
 
dave420 said:
"Dreaded Throttling"? Lol. To each their own, but I will take the throttling over an overage charge any day. One of the other users on my plan used over 10 GB on their unlimited plan last month. I don't even think she notices the throttling. I'll take the throttling over an extra $70 added to my bill.
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amen.. yes .8mbps is slow..but your phone is still usable. (most other 3g networks sprint/verizon tend to get .8-.1.5 mbps.
 
Keep Unlimited. If you really do use facetime, it will eat up your data.

If you really dont want your plan you can actually sell the contract and get a new plan that suits your needs. Might as well make some money!
 
BFizzzle said:
amen.. yes .8mbps is slow..but your phone is still usable. (most other 3g networks sprint/verizon tend to get .8-.1.5 mbps.
Click to expand...

Well for my wife and I throttling actually never came into the equation for us. We both had unlimited plans and never used more than 2gb each since we have wifi readily available and I can not bring my phone into my workplace. The main thing for me is being able to tether our new wifi Ipad Mini's and our macbook air when we are travelling. We probably don't even need a 10gb plan, but I look as the additional as insurance...Now if only ATT did a rollover GB plan feature life would be perfect.
 
A vote here for ditching unlimited.

I am on verizon but I ditched it since we never hit 2GB per month ever. "But you will use so much more data with 4G" people on here claimed. Nope. Almost at the end of billing cycle #2 with my iPhone 5 (wife has a 4s) and we're at .962GB between us. This month we'll probably end out around 1.2GB shared. Last month we were at .999 or something silly like that (it was either *just* under or *just* over 1GB, I can't remember).

Bigger than me getting a 4G phone was me giving my wife my old 4s. I think she's used 2.5X as much data as me this month! She streams Pandora in the car (lucky) where I can't do so every day. When I miss my daughter, we do facetime at lunch time. One of the two of us is usually on wifi when we do this. I personally have tethered to my phone several times in a pinch. It was for 20-30 mins each time with no huge drain on data or anything like that.

The end result is that I pay $17 per month less than I used to when I had unlimited data on both lines. I can now tether to my phone when I need to -- which is not too often, and use FaceTime whenever I want.

I don't see why everyone is so adamant about hanging onto (and more importantly paying more for) unlimited data. Some folks do use a lot of data and I'm still unsure how they do so...

Just figure out what's best for you and your family and do it. If you get 100 replies, you'll have 100 different things to consider when making your decision!
 
wknapp0924 said:
Well for my wife and I throttling actually never came into the equation for us. We both had unlimited plans and never used more than 2gb each since we have wifi readily available and I can not bring my phone into my workplace. The main thing for me is being able to tether our new wifi Ipad Mini's and our macbook air when we are travelling. We probably don't even need a 10gb plan, but I look as the additional as insurance...Now if only ATT did a rollover GB plan feature life would be perfect.
Click to expand...

ahh yes roll over data! such bs you cant.. you pay for it.
Yeah my remarks regarding the throttling was geared at the gentleman who said dreaded throttling or w/e.

by all means if you dont think you guys will use your unlimited do it! save some $.. and get those features.


i for one.. could never get rid of my udp.
 
since getting the iphone 5. my usage went from around 700-1.2 GB to last month's whopping 4.7GB. keep your unlimited plan. :p
 
I pay about $108 a month now not included the $25 iPad data fee. I have 1 smart phone and 1 regular phone.

I don't think I can get on a mobile share plan. I think that requires a smart phone only. My 2nd line that is a regular phone would not be eligible.

I'm not necessarily looking to pay more money. I just am looking for efficient use.
 
reckless2k2 said:
I pay about $108 a month now not included the $25 iPad data fee. I have 1 smart phone and 1 regular phone.

I don't think I can get on a mobile share plan. I think that requires a smart phone only. My 2nd line that is a regular phone would not be eligible.

I'm not necessarily looking to pay more money. I just am looking for efficient use.
Click to expand...

With a share plan you will pay more and get less/limited internet with potential overage fees.
 
If you switch to the shared plan, you can say goodbye to being able to upgrade to the latest mid-contract by device swapping as even a dumbphone is $30/month instead of the usual $10/mo for an additional (dummy) line.
 
Data usage will only continue to rise among people. I use about 200mb/month on my current Android phone but will pay full price to keep unlimited since I anticipate using more data on 4G.
 
Applejuiced said:
I dont get it.
So people that work dont use up much data than students or is it the other way around?:D
Click to expand...

In other threads where we've debated the whole "data" thing, it's been noted that many students are iPhone owners (cause student loans can be used for ANYTHING) and that they may be the ones using a lot of data.

I'm at home until 7:30AM when I leave for work. I'm on my home wifi (24mbps connection). I'm in the car until 8:00 AM and then from 8:00 until 12:30, I'm working. Not on my phone. At 12:30-1:30, if I'm not reading or doing school work, I am on my work computer. If I want to do facetime, I go to the breakroom and connect to the company wifi. From 1:30-5:00, I'm working. Not on my phone. At 5:00 I'm in my car for 30 minutes on 3/4G and then back at home on my wifi.

Students don't have a similar schedule so it would make sense if they use more data than a desk jockey like me :D

When I was an undergrad living on campus we didn't have wifi everywhere and the internet connection was slow. I presume they have wifi everywhere on campus these days but I'm not sure how fast it is.

I'm still a tad confused as to how some people use so much data but I can see it from a student more than a full-time employee who works through the day.
 
I ditched the ulimited plan for Verizon 3 months ago..I had one iphone line with unlimited min/text/and data and it ran me about $125 with taxes. My husband and son were on Sprint and grew tired of their network issues. So I moved to the family share plan with 8 gb and with my company discount that plan for 3 lines 2 iphones (iphone 5 and 4s) and 1 razr maxx my bill is $205 with taxes. We use about 5 gb of data combined every month.

Unlimited is great but the share plans save money if you do not use alot of data
 
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