Unsubscribe to iPhone Data (EDGE) to Save $20/month

[MacRumors]

Per TUAW, TalkiPhone reveals that AT&T is now allowing users to remove their EDGE Data plan at a savings of $20 per month.

This would still allow you to browse the web, check email, and whatever else through Wifi networks, but would prevent any EDGE transfers. For a select few, this may be a useful option to save some money on their monthly bill.

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[motorazr]

does that also take the 200txt off? not that I would remove the data...

 

[dborja]

does that also take the 200txt off? not that I would remove the data...

Probably would. It's part of the package. I'm also keeping mine. $20 for unlimited data, even though it's Edge, is a very good deal.

 

[darwen]

does that also take the 200txt off? not that I would remove the data...

It says iPhone Data + 200

unless you have any better ideas on what the 200 stands for?

 

[janitorC7]

if anybody does this, please sell your iphone.

this would also kill visual voicemail I believe.

 

[AHDuke99]

it would be silly to get the iphone if you cant afford the $20 a month for data. the phone isnt the same with just wifi.

 

[overanalyzer]

No text messages, no visual voicemail and no EDGE. Say what you will about the slowness of EDGE, but I still use it plenty. And I just upgraded my text messages to 1500/month for an extra $10 because I already use my included 200.

I'll keep my data plan, thank you very much.

Edit - and geez, no maps while driving, no e-mail access, no YouTube to amuse me while waiting around, no weather updates. The more I think about this, the more I think that people who'd cancel their data plan either live in a WiFi utopia or would be better off with something other than an iPhone.

 

[ortuno2k]

Anyone who does this is intentionally crippling their iPhone and all its cool features!
Why buy a ferrari to just drive it from home to work & back? Same applies I guess...

 

[Small White Car]

So you people all think iPod Touch owners are stupid morons?

After all, if taking EDGE, voicemail, and texting out of the iPhone is dumb, those poor Touch owners must be equally stupid!



Until today I was thinking about buying an iPod Touch and a simple cell phone. If this news is true it might change my plans and I might get an iPhone after all. So sorry you can't all understand why this might be good for me.

 

[overanalyzer]

So you people all think iPod Touch owners are stupid morons?

After all, if taking EDGE, voicemail, and texting out of the iPhone is dumb, those poor Touch owners must be equally stupid!



Until today I was thinking about buying an iPod Touch and a simple cell phone. If this news is true it might change my plans and I might get an iPhone after all. So sorry you can't all understand why this might be good for me.

No, but the iPod Touch is a different device with a similar but not identical purpose. The iPhone is about mashing a bunch of features into one device, and the data plan is needed to make all those pieces come together as intended. The Touch is more focused on being an iPod first, with added functionality second. Other than making phone calls, you lose a lot of the functionality that the iPhone has over the Touch if you use it without a data plan.

So as I was saying before, if that's what people want, they should probably just get something other than an iPhone...like, for instance, an iPod Touch and a basic mobile phone, just like you suggested.

 

[samh004]

Step in the right or wrong direction ? I'd rather see a prepaid plan myself, with good deal on EDGE usage. I've used my phone this month once, so I don't do much on it. An iPhone could make me use it more, but I still think I'd have no one to text/phone... so the deal would be on the EDGE not the other stuff

So as I was saying before, if that's what people want, they should probably just get something other than an iPhone...like, for instance, an iPod Touch and a basic mobile phone, just like you suggested.

The thing that's stopping me getting an iPod touch is the Mail feature, if that were included I'd jump right in, I'd find that very useful and I have access to a lot of wifi hotspots in HK already so it's not an issue not having EDGE.

Apple has made it clear however that I'd need to use an iPhone for that purpose, and although it hasn't been released here yet, doesn't seem to want to budge much on the idea that I might not actually use the phone functions as much, so shouldn't have to pay for all this extra BS.

So what I'm saying is I personally think this should be going in the other direction. Leaving EDGE for a certain fee and using pay-as-you-go for phone calls and text, or some other combinations.

 

[bigbossbmb]

I'm thinking of actually activating my iPhone to use as a work cell phone JUST to use the data plan...

Anyone that does this A) is stupid and B) doesn't deserve an iPhone.

 

[Small White Car]

So as I was saying before, if that's what people want, they should probably just get something other than an iPhone...like, for instance, an iPod Touch and a basic mobile phone, just like you suggested.

Wouldn't going with this new plan give me an iPod Touch + phone + external speaker?

Am I wrong about that? That's pretty much what I want. Why is carrying a 2nd device BETTER for me?

I mean, the Touch + 2nd phone is still an option for me. I can't see how that's better, though. What does it gain me?

Anyone that does this A) is stupid and B) doesn't deserve an iPhone.

So read my first post and help me understand. You all seem to think that, instead of this, I should get an iPod touch and a small cell phone.

WHY is that better? Everyone is saying "it just is" but I'm not getting much in the way of reasons so far.

 

[overanalyzer]

Step in the right or wrong direction ? I'd rather see a prepaid plan myself, with good deal on EDGE usage. I've used my phone this month once, so I don't do much on it. An iPhone could make me use it more, but I still think I'd have no one to text/phone... so the deal would be on the EDGE not the other stuff

I have to say, having an iPhone has radically changed my mobile usage. I used to have the crappiest free Nokia and a prepaid T-Mobile account that I spent $100 on per YEAR for two years - that's roughly 80 minutes per month. In a matter of months of having an iPhone, I now use 400-500 minutes a month and over 200 text messages. I'm also now totally used to having constant e-mail, web, maps etc. access and can't imagine going back to my old simple prepaid.

So read my first post and help me understand. You all seem to think that, instead of this, I should get an iPod touch and a small cell phone.

WHY is that better? Everyone is saying "it just is" but I'm not getting much in the way of reasons so far.

Oh no, it's definitely not. Barring getting a 16GB Touch, I totally get the argument for still wanting your phone and iPod to be the same device, plus you get the camera built in too. After carrying multiple devices for years, I definitely get the convergence argument.

It's just that for me, based on my actual usage of the iPhone for 4.5 months, losing my data plan would severely cripple many of the features that make an iPhone worthwhile to me.

 

[samh004]

I have to say, having an iPhone has radically changed my mobile usage. I used to have the crappiest free Nokia and a prepaid T-Mobile account that I spent $100 on per YEAR for two years - that's roughly 80 minutes per month. In a matter of months of having an iPhone, I now use 400-500 minutes a month and over 200 text messages. I'm also now totally used to having constant e-mail, web, maps etc. access and can't imagine going back to my old simple prepaid.

So your saying your now addicted to spending money, just like a cigarette company giving you a pack for instance. They're milking you now and you can't stop

I understand what your saying, but I really don't see why I'd talk to the people I know now more often just because I had a plan that allowed me to. They're the same people after all.

However I do understand what your saying with the EDGE usage, which is the point I was trying to make, by introducing a plan with EDGE usage (unlimited or to a certain extent) but not including calls or texts, as I really wouldn't see myself changing those habits, and if I did I'd be wasting a lot of money

Of course, though, they'd like that.

 

[Halsey12]

AT&T's website said I could do the same thing with my Palm Treo, but it wouldn't actually allow you to remove the plan. Has any one tried it, or is the option simply listed for removal like it was on the Treo data plan?

 

[Small White Car]

It's just that for me, based on my actual usage of the iPhone for 4.5 months, losing my data plan would severely cripple many of the features that make an iPhone worthwhile to me.

Oh, yeah. I totally get that downgrading TO this from someone who's used to cellular internet is probably a bad idea. But for me, it was going to be an iPod Touch until I learned of this. I still consider it a step up.

I mean, my current cell phone looks kind of like this:

http://www.mobilecowboys.nl/images/upload/1161666949Nokia-1112.jpg

Pretty much ANYTHING I do will be a step up.

 

[DMann]

Wi-Fi

it would be silly to get the iphone if you cant afford the $20 a month for data. the phone isnt the same with just wifi.

Until 200 mile Wi-Fi becomes standard, no way I'm giving up EDGE. Wi-Fi is great when and where available, but EDGE does the job when it isn't.....

 

[overanalyzer]

Oh, yeah. I totally get that downgrading TO this from someone who's used to cellular internet is probably a bad idea. But for me, it was going to be an iPod Touch until I learned of this. I still consider it a step up.

I mean, my current cell phone looks kind of like this:

http://www.mobilecowboys.nl/images/upload/1161666949Nokia-1112.jpg

Pretty much ANYTHING I do will be a step up.

Looks just like my old phone! Mine had a color screen, though the graphics weren't much better. So I'll say one thing at least - if you do pursue this plan, don't wait too long to drop the data plan. Otherwise you'll end up addicted like me and won't want to downgrade.

At a certain point, $20/month really isn't that much for all the extra functionality. Unless you're on a family plan (I am, and it's a great deal), you're going to pay something like $1,400-$1,500 for the iPhone and two years of AT&T without the data plan. $480 over two years is sizable, but certainly not the bulk of your cost.

 

[DMann]

Nokia

Oh, yeah. I totally get that downgrading TO this from someone who's used to cellular internet is probably a bad idea. But for me, it was going to be an iPod Touch until I learned of this. I still consider it a step up.

I mean, my current cell phone looks kind of like this:

http://www.mobilecowboys.nl/images/u...Nokia-1112.jpg

Pretty much ANYTHING I do will be a step up..

Had that same phone before a RAZR with T-Mobile. I bailed out on the contract on June 29th - it has been more than worth the breech charge. Definitely a step up without DATA, but Visual Voicemail by itself is enough to justify switching. Besides, roll-over minutes rock.

 

[ravenvii]

Well, that's great... but can you remove the voice plan to save, oh, $40 a month?

 

[overanalyzer]

Well, that's great... but can you remove the voice plan to save, oh, $40 a month?

Prepaid perhaps? It'd be sweet if there was a VoIP option, though. But, again, until there's ubiquitous WiFi, I don't think that'd be very practical, at least for me.

 

[DMann]

At$t

Well, that's great... but can you remove the voice plan to save, oh, $40 a month?

Yes, I propose that we remove $60/month. For the purchase of the iPhone, in exchange for dramatic exposure to the public, customers shall receive 2 years of free service with each iPhone purchase.

addendum
customers receiving free service agree not to call Customer Service, ever, since such calls would weigh heavily on the deficit such a move would cause AT&T.

 

[chr1s60]

Or instead of getting an iPhone, sign up for the free phone with whatever company you wish and get an iPod touch.

I am confused over why someone would want to take away EDGE. The iPhone is in fact a phone and is meant to be used all over, not just in a WiFi hot spot. Losing EDGE takes at least 1/3 of the functions away depending on your location. It seems like it would make more sense to allow someone to remove the 200 text messages to save a few dollars a month, could just be me though.

 

[deckwalker]

It makes sense to me

Yeah, yeah, I hear you naysayers.

However, in my very specific situation it makes sense. I live somewhere where there is NEVER going to be an official iPhone carrier: Afghanistan. BUT, I'll be home in the US for Christmas, and then only have three months left on my contract here. I'll then be moving back to the US for a while.

I've been debating buying one at Christmas, using for the month I'm home, coming back here, jailbreaking it and using it with a local SIM. That however, would cost me $180 just to get it three months early (because of the AT&T monthly bill).

If I can turn off the edge and only pay $40 a month while I'm not using AT&T, then that means I'm only burning $120.
When I get back to the US, I'll put the AT&T SIM back in and turn EDGE back on. And voila - money saved and I get to show off the iPhone here!