why "the deal" is dead, some thoughts:

[msavwah]

AT&T, for the first time ever, is dropping unlimited for tiered.
Remember now unlimited has long been a selling point for the iPhone and well for the iPad, not so long.
I believe the unlimited iPhone data plan was a part of "the deal"
Let's pretend that it's a fact, just one we don't know of aside from this post.
Part of the deal with the iPhone and now the iPad, short as it was.

I don't think it is about adjusting for customers vs infrastructure as much as it is about adjusting for competition as the deal is coming to a close AT&T no longer has to hold to the unlimited data plan that has always been part of the deal.

Likewise Apple will no longer honor the deal and we will have iPhone and iPad on different carriers announced in just a few more days.

Which brings up a good point. Why is this happening now? Why did AT&T pull that switcheroo?
It is happening now because the deal is over.

Steve and Walt already know this, that's why Steve told Walt "you know I can't comment on that"
"That" being the iPhone on other carriers. If "the deal" were still in effect Steve would have given an answer about how great a partner AT&T is.
He gave himself away.
Not much later AT&T gave themselves away.

They both dropped HUGE hints.
Strange things are happening, and happening for a reason. Because things are changing.

AT&T will be able to offload some customers and grow and tune their network, also now they can cap.
Consumers will have options due to competition.
Apple will enter and dominate new untapped markets, other carriers with all those holdouts and brand loyalty cases now counting as iPhone sales.
Millions upon millions more iPhones sold. More than we have ever seen.
All those sales on iPhones activated by T-mobile and Sprint. All of them once an android sale, which are programmed to kill iPhones. As jobs has stated, he must deploy iPhones to the other battlefields and terminate the androids so they can't kill the iPhone. "we won't let them" he said!

Apple wants the iPhone in every pair of hands on almost every carrier. I will say verizon once, they won't get the iPhone this week.

More later

 

[marksman]

Actually it is likely just the opposite.

Steve Jobs has wanted LOWER data pricing from the beginning. When they started off with $20 for the original iPhone that was still too much for him.

He always wanted to be at least $15. Now as part of an extension of exclusivity, they have managed to deliver a $15 data price point on the iPhone and the iPad.

I suspect one of the terms of Verizon, for example, ever even getting the iPhone is to have a $15 data plan, but I suspect as Verizon seems prone to do, they scoff and laugh at Steve Jobs instead of taking him seriously.

 

[azsprty]

AT&T, for the first time ever, is dropping unlimited for tiered.
Remember now unlimited has long been a selling point for the iPhone and well for the iPad, not so long.
I believe the unlimited iPhone data plan was a part of "the deal"
Let's pretend that it's a fact, just one we don't know of aside from this post.
Part of the deal with the iPhone and now the iPad, short as it was.

I don't think it is about adjusting for customers vs infrastructure as much as it is about adjusting for competition as the deal is coming to a close AT&T no longer has to hold to the unlimited data plan that has always been part of the deal.

Likewise Apple will no longer honor the deal and we will have iPhone and iPad on different carriers announced in just a few more days.

Which brings up a good point. Why is this happening now? Why did AT&T pull that switcheroo?
It is happening now because the deal is over.

Steve and Walt already know this, that's why Steve told Walt "you know I can't comment on that"
"That" being the iPhone on other carriers. If "the deal" were still in effect Steve would have given an answer about how great a partner AT&T is.
He gave himself away.
Not much later AT&T gave themselves away.

They both dropped HUGE hints.
Strange things are happening, and happening for a reason. Because things are changing.

AT&T will be able to offload some customers and grow and tune their network, also now they can cap.
Consumers will have options due to competition.
Apple will enter and dominate new untapped markets, other carriers with all those holdouts and brand loyalty cases now counting as iPhone sales.
Millions upon millions more iPhones sold. More than we have ever seen.
All those sales on iPhones activated by T-mobile and Sprint.

Apple wants the iPhone in every pair of hands on almost every carrier. I will say verizon once, they won't get the iPhone this week.

More later

Time will tell (Monday) but I don't see another carrier for the iPhone yet

 

[tac22]

Personaly I think your both wrong. But hey I want a verizon iPhone, but right now I basic sly believe 100% that it won't come to verizon yet... At the earliest the holiday season, and hopefully at the latest, next June.

But believe me if it happens Monday I'll be one of the happiest people alive, I've been waiting, there is no way I can go on AT&T. Service here sucks, and yes I've tested out an iPhone for a month when the 3G came out. And I get a better deal on verizon.

I might have to get an android phone to tide me over, im still on a dumb phone and can't stand it anymore... I mean what else can I choose from.... A pre....

 

[Geckotek]

Actually it is likely just the opposite.

Steve Jobs has wanted LOWER data pricing from the beginning. When they started off with $20 for the original iPhone that was still too much for him.

He always wanted to be at least $15. Now as part of an extension of exclusivity, they have managed to deliver a $15 data price point on the iPhone and the iPad.

I suspect one of the terms of Verizon, for example, ever even getting the iPhone is to have a $15 data plan, but I suspect as Verizon seems prone to do, they scoff and laugh at Steve Jobs instead of taking him seriously.

There's no way I'm believing that the current data plans are a result of what Steve wanted. NO WAY.

 

[AHDuke99]

Why? These new rates are, again, good for all but those who abuse the system.

 

[Cougarcat]

There's no way I'm believing that the current data plans are a result of what Steve wanted. NO WAY.

Lowering the total cost of ownership can only be a good thing for Apple.

 

[i-John]

I don't get the big deal. 98% of users will save money if they go to a tiered plan... because 98% of users currently don't use more than 2GB on their iPhones.

Tiered plans are the way things are going... including Verizon.

 

[Zaft]

that maybe the case, im hoping for a sprint iphone all unlimited for $69.99 yummy..

Apple right now needs to broaden its market share with android being on every carrier.

 

[Zaft]

Personaly I think your both wrong. But hey I want a verizon iPhone, but right now I basic sly believe 100% that it won't come to verizon yet... At the earliest the holiday season, and hopefully at the latest, next June.

But believe me if it happens Monday I'll be one of the happiest people alive, I've been waiting, there is no way I can go on AT&T. Service here sucks, and yes I've tested out an iPhone for a month when the 3G came out. And I get a better deal on verizon.

I might have to get an android phone to tide me over, im still on a dumb phone and can't stand it anymore... I mean what else can I choose from.... A pre....

what state are you from?

 

[hushmartin]

I seriously hope that the iPhone is going to other carriers. Don't even care which one(s).

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

Why? These new rates are, again, good for all but those who abuse the system.

In what way is using an unlimited data plan in an unlimited manner "abusing" the system? Sounds like people are getting what they pay for.

 

[shamash]

I don't get the big deal. 98% of users will save money if they go to a tiered plan... because 98% of users currently don't use more than 2GB on their iPhones.

Tiered plans are the way things are going... including Verizon.

I was actually reading something that said that 98% of users don't use that much data, BUT that is ALL ATT SMARTPHONE USERS. That includes Blackberries and other phones that usually use 50mb a month...

Basically, that's AT&T using tricky wording to lie.

 

[PlaceofDis]

In what way is using an unlimited data plan in an unlimited manner "abusing" the system? Sounds like people are getting what they pay for.

it's always had a soft cap of 5gigs afaik. but without tethering it is pretty hard to get up to that.

the good thing about the new plans is that it might actually help ease the network congestion in some respects if people are more aware of their data usage and turn to wifi more often, which is what i can see this doing. the only other good part is the somewhat decent overage fees now rather than the outrageous ones we had previously.

personally, as i read elsewhere today, now that we're paying per bytes and per minutes, why doesn't AT&T give us rollover bytes?

 

[i-John]

I was actually reading something that said that 98% of users don't use that much data, BUT that is ALL ATT SMARTPHONE USERS. That includes Blackberries and other phones that usually use 50mb a month...

Basically, that's AT&T using tricky wording to lie.

That proves that most abusers on the network are iPhone users then. Why should the people who aren't data hogs pay for the people who are? If you want the bandwidth, you pay for it. If you don't, then you will save money.

 

[beaner454]

When I see quotes like yours I this, I start to think that AT&T's marketing is really working. When in reality it's textbook deceptive "logic".

If all data abusers use more than 2gb data/month, then everyone who uses more than 2gb is a data abuser...

In reality a very small minority of the users were abusing the network using 30gb/month, but the majority of those who are upset about the rate change use only about 3-4gb. Hardly abuse, especially when you consider that AT&T was calling it "unlimited".

 

[marksman]

There's no way I'm believing that the current data plans are a result of what Steve wanted. NO WAY.

You don't think Steve Jobs wanted a $15 data plan?

HAHA.

That was the part about the iPad plan that he announced that was breakthrough pricing. Not offering $30 unlimited data, which everyone and their grandma offers, but offering a lower tiered pricing that is more affordable.