iPad???

Apple CEO Steve Jobs made a remark about the attractiveness of the IPad data plan when it was unveiled. How does this make any sense when Apple worked out that deal with ATT for the iPad for the affordable data plans and now they're changing them???

Switching I guess

Wow, does that mean there is no "unlimited" plan?

I probably use about 4 GB a month, so have to look for Verizon phone?

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even suggesting 200 MB on an iphone is a joke...

This will not sit well with many customers.

New Plans

Apparently, the new plan will simply tack $10 a month per extra GB you use about 2. So if you usually use more than 2, but less than 3, then you'll usually pay an extra $10 on top of the new pro plan. Meh. I understand it, but haven't decided. I wanted to get a new iPhone (I have a 2G) and an iPad, and was thinking it would be cool to get the new iPhone and a WiFi iPad, and use the iPhone to provide internet to the iPad. I thought tethering would do this.

However, now I find:
1. you can't tether an iPad to an iPhone.
2. the new caps might mean I'd regularly go over.

However again another forum post from someone mentioned something called MyFi which apparently lets the iPhone be a WiFi hotspot which would solve the problem.

However cubed, I don't see this on the app store and don't want to jailbreak my new phone. I'm SO confused now.

RE: Switching I guess

Yeah, there's no real mention of the charges if you go over 3GB/month? That could really kill some users.

I'm not up for a renewal until Oct, so I'm gonna keep my $30/unlimited for now. But overall, the 2GB is just enough for my "average" use. Just checked my data history, and I've maxed at 1.6GB which is comfortably below the 2GB limit. Most of my usage comes from my daily 1 hr commute home where I stream 2 cnet podcasts (Buzz Out Load and The 404) everyday.

Bait and Switch for iPad

2GB on an iPad where you may be consuming considerbly more video than a iPhone is too little. Really bad form by AT&T AND APPLE. Less than 2 months into iPAD and they're already jerking their customers around. We all knew it was too good to be true. You can't use iPhone stats for pricing iPad. Two different beasts.

Expected

Verizon's data plan is way more expensive. Sprint and T-Mobile might be cheaper, but they really don't count. Most people could probably live comfortably in this limit. That means downloading movies and podcasts instead of streaming them and finding WiFi hotspots when possible.

The problem is that the phone companies have been forcing people to take data plans, whether they want them or not, whenever they get any 3G phone, and almost all phones are 3G phones. I believe Verizon is down to just 4 non-3G phones where you don't have to get data plans. And, people have been complaining. What was suppose to be just $39 per month for service is now over $100 once you add in the data plan, texting, and all the other associated charges they don't mention in the commercials. People have been complaining to the FCC about this, so the phone companies are trying to remove some of the heat.

Close, but no cigar

$55 a month is better than $70. But, no more unlimited data? Virgin Mobile is now offering a $25 a month plan with 300 minutes of talk and unlimited data, including texting and web. That's better than the pre-paid plan I had with them before, and that's why I'll be staying with them. There's making a profit, and then there's being just plain greedy. AT&T is being greedy.

sigh

So, I have to choose between keeping my old iPhone and unlimited data, or getting the new phone and getting nickel and dimmed to death by ATT, with no option for an unlimited plan?

I think estimates of iPhone 4 sales can safely be lowered now..

Death Star Shafts iPad Buyers

Can you believe AT&T and APPLE are reneging on they're unlimited $30 plan already. Not even 2 months.

Rogers

The comparison to the $45 2GB Rogers plan isn't entirely fair, since the plan includes free tethering (as do all Rogers plans that include at least 1GB of data).

And many Canadian iPhone users are on a grandfathered 6GB for $30 plan (which Rogers periodically returns during promotional periods).

That's not to say that Canadian's aren't generally screwed when it comes to the cost for data and voice, but I just wanted to note that you weren't comparing apples to apples.

At least.....

At least they are designing the next iPhone to be more conservative of bandwidth. Imagine how bad it would be if AT&T did this and the next phone had new features that used up more bandwidth with new features like a front facing camera for video chatting and stuff. Good thing AT&T isn't tring to put it to it's customers. Oh wait, the next phone will have new features that use more bandwidth!

Personally, I never get anywhere close to 2GB of data per month on AT&T's network, as I'm usually using my iPhone on WiFi; so I'll gladly save the $5/mo and go from "unlimited" (which was actually capped around 5GB) to 2GB/mo. The tethering, however, should not cost an extra $20, as long as I stay below my 2GB limit. Tethering is the kind of feature I'd use every once in a blue moon, so it's not worth anywhere close to $20 per month to me. Instead, I'll keep jailbreaking and using unofficial tethering software for free in the rare occasions I need the functionality.

Not cool

They claim it makes no difference, but if it really made no difference, then why do it?

Plus this $15 per month 'gotcha' plan, makes little sense, even for the casual user...It makes no sense at all to offer a 200MB plan that has an overage of $15 per 200MB, so that if you use 4GB, the total charge for the month is $300!

If you accidentally go over, once you reach the $30 per month level, it should switch to the same $10 per GB overage charges of the other plan.

It's getting wildly exaggerated, unexpected bills that have no bearing to the cost, that is really really tiresome.

It would be better if AT&T allowed someone to say, hey, my max bill for the month is $35, after that shut the data service off.

They somehow never allow that option, do they. Then they claim they keep their customers well informed and they have all the options in the world...but you never have the option of turning off the surprise bill 'feature'....

this is a huge step backwards.

65% use under 200MB = lie

It may be true that 65% of their customers, on one particular month, have not used more than 200MB.

But it is completely untrue to say that 65% of their customers, never use more than 200MB, throughout the contract..

So you don't use more than 200MB, on a typical month, but then there is that one month where your car breaks down in some remote town, and you watch a movie on the phone while you are in the waiting room.

That's the month you get whammied with an unexpected cell bill for $75 more than usual.

Math: (iPod encoded video plays at 500MB per hour...a single 2 hour movie will run you 1gb. That plan is $15 per 200MB, or $75 per 1gb)

You never planned to spend such an absurd amount to watch a movie. But you never went over before, you got to thinking that you don't use much data.

AT&T knows full well that telling you 65% of their customers don't use more than 200MB is false and misleading...

The only way that would make sense, is if they allowed you to change plans on the fly, based on usage, and they absolutely don't do that. So they could be far more honest by saying, if the 65% of our customers who didn't use 200MB this month, actually subscribed to the 200MB plan - over a third of them of them would be whammied with an unexpected, unusually high bill that was $50 more than usual, some point during their contract, and 1/4 would have a bill of $100 more than expected.

Those numbers (about people getting surprise unexpected cell bills) are from the FCC, but those numbers are actually low, because they included those on unlimited plans who were shielded from such surprises....so the 33% that get whammied now, will raise, perhaps to more than half of AT&T's customers can expect to get the whammy at some point.

shame on you at&t

@jwdsail

You should be able to keep your existing unlimited plan when you upgrade to the new iPhone. It's just new customers that can't get the unlimited plan.

This pricing is stupid. $15 for 200MB, $25 for 2GB, and an additional $10 for an extra 1GB? $10 per GB would make much more sense. 1GB will cost you $10, 2GB will cost you $20, etc. Or even tier it at $15/$25/$35/etc.

The obvious implication...

Many had conjectured that AT&T had negotiated an extension of the exclusive deal with Apple in exchange for the extremely affordable iPad plans. Now, less than a few months after the iPad has been introduced AT&T is changing, and withdrawing those plans. Clearly there was no deal, or the deal has subsequently collapsed. While this is a negative for high usage iDevice users, it bodes well for the end of AT&T exclusivity and the introduction of true competition to the iDevice service market.

Someone state Verizon's smartphone data plans are

However, as it stands now, ATT is doing away with all their unlimited data plans on smart phones.

Verizon still has their intact.

From the verizon website: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/plansingleline.jsp?lid=//global//plans//individual
"
3G
Multimedia or 3G
Smartphones $29.99 Unlimited —

Data package of $29.99 or higher required for 3G Smartphones.
"

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I'd be fine with this new plan if there was a max--- say for instance, the data charged could not be over 60 dollars a month or whatever.

But by leaving it wide open they can nickel and dime you to death.




I'm ready for the FCC to classify all forms of broadband as a utility.

Blame Apple?

Apple only makes the iPhone/iPad. ATT provides the connection. Are we sure that Apple had any say in this change? They may be just as upset as the posters here. Just wondering.

Re: Blame Apple

Apple only makes the iPhone/iPad. ATT provides the connection. Are we sure that Apple had any say in this change? They may be just as upset as the posters here. Just wondering.


Well, if you praise Apple for getting cheap unlimited data (which was never unlimited, but why let that get in the way) to make the iPhone experience so much better, then they get to be blamed for letting ATT get away with such things.

And, seriously, do you really think Steve lets anyone connected with his company do anything he doesn't want them to do? He got them to offer it cheaply when it was necessary. Now that the iPhone is the must have phone, it matters less.

iPad is affected

To those who say the iPad pricing isn't changing, you are wrong.

From the press release:

For new iPad customers, the $25 per month 2 GB plan will replace the existing $29.99 unlimited plan. iPad customers will continue to pre-pay for their wireless data plan and no contract is required. Existing iPad customers who have the $29.99 per month unlimited plan can keep that plan or switch to the new $25 per month plan with 2 GB of data.

Following on vintagegeek's remarks.

...and we're to believe that AT&T and Apple didn't have this brewing 2 months ago at the launch of the iPad? Is it real that they thought up this new price structure just in the past month or so? Really? They certainly are NOT concerned about the long-term use, only the "minimum price to enter." As someone working in a consumer product industry undergoing a massive change (lighting...traditional forms to LEDs), the price to entry is huge but the total cost of ownership really does matter!

This turns the no-contract $29.99 plan into ...

essentially a contract. If you skip a month, you can't go back to the $29.99 unlimited plan.

Re: This turns the no-contract $29.99 plan into ..

essentially a contract. If you skip a month, you can't go back to the $29.99 unlimited plan.

It is NOT a contract. You have a choice to pay or not. For iPhone users, they HAVE to pay their $30 a month regardless (or now $25 a month, regardless), since they don't have any option to go without the data plan.

Question: Can new iPhone customers get just the $15 plan?

The $15 plan

Plus this $15 per month 'gotcha' plan, makes little sense, even for the casual user...It makes no sense at all to offer a 200MB plan that has an overage of $15 per 200MB, so that if you use 4GB, the total charge for the month is $300!

and

This pricing is stupid. $15 for 200MB, $25 for 2GB, and an additional $10 for an extra 1GB? $10 per GB would make much more sense.

Why is this surprising to anyone? This is standard marketing for most everything. You make low/high options that makes the high-end more palatable and seem like the better deal, to up-sell users to that item. Apple does this all the time. The iPhone 3G vs 3GS, for example. Or their Macs. You look at the low-end vs. middle version of the 15" MBP, for example, and you're like "Why wouldn't I want to pay the extra $500!". h***, Apple sold a POS PowerMac G5 single-processor minimalist tower at one point for $1500. It only existed so Apple could say "We have a $1500 tower!" and so users would be more willing to see the need for the $2000+ versions.

In fact, the shocking thing would be if you found someone who didn't try to upsell to their customers.

Steve is blowing it ...

It never fails to amaze me how people, smart people, are able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. For the last couple of years (iPod, Touch, iPhone, iPad, Macbook, iMac lineups) Apple has been growing and has taken the tech spotlight --- oh, and the arrogance that goes with it. Steve needs to remember what the company was like in 1997. He now has everyone aiming at him (Google, Adobe, Microsoft) him but seems to have lost sight of the fact that now is the time to become razor sharp and creative. Android is not going to go away and this move will SHOVE people away from iPhones to HTC, Motorola, whomever (ie; Verizon). I wouldn't think you'd want to create inertia AWAY from you because it may take your customers to an Android type iPad with it. He (they?) have now opened the playing field wide open for the competition when he was in such a good place 1 month ago. He stands to lose the mobile market and be left with what --- the desktop market ??? Add to this most recent blunder the treatment that some of the developers are getting ..... sigh ...

And if you think Steve isn't in on this, if by no other means than looking the other way, you're kidding yourself. It was Steve that announced the data plans and their prices at the iPad rollout event and it is up to Steve to see to it that it continues --- unless, as others have mentioned, this was the end game from the very beginning. That plan that was originally announced was negotiated between Apple and AT&T --- AT&T didn't just call Apple up one day and say, "He that iPad thingy I hear you're working on --- how 'bout a $30 unlimited data plan" and Steve says; "Sure ... Gee THANKS".

This is Russian roulette for Apple, the bottom could drop out of their lofty perch quickly.

Some clarification is in order...

This page has the charts........

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technology/att_iphone_ipad/index.htm?hpt=Sbin

For iPhone... 200 megs is 15 dollar a month, 400 megs is 30 dollars a month, 600 megs is 45 dollar a month, 2 gb is 25 dollar a month, and 3 gb is 35 dollar a month....

For iPad... 250 megs is 15 a month, 2 gig is 25 a month, and 3 gig is 35 a month.

I dunno what all the hullabaloo is about, people who want to keep their 30/unlimited can keep it till they enter a new contract, and everyone else has these very reasonable options to choose from.

Now, if only unlimited messaging were dropped to 5 dollars for individual and 10 for family we'd be cooking with gas!

- A

I understand the frustration...but

On whim, i checked my usage for the last 4 months. It averages about 600Megs per month. And I am a pretty heavy user. Not so much Radio or video, but yes the occasional Pandora or Youtube. So even if I did a lot of Pandora and youtube, i still would have come in under their limits. I am not defending AT&T, just giving one more example that this may a be a bit of a tempest in a teapot. I'm not going to dump my iPhone, and let's be honest, even if Verizon is offered, I'm not going to jump ship. I like (and use) my international roaming.

How about this : The extra 1gig fee should be a one time deal where if you go over for that month you get charged the $10 and then you get unlimited after that for that billing cycle?

unlimited $30 plan

I am pissed over the fact that I have paying for unlimited data plan since the iphone's stone age and I am still not entitled to tethering...WTF??
Somebody has some serious issues to talk to me about.