Combination of iPad 4G LTE & data caps characterized as a 'speed trap'

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  • Reply 41 of 131
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ShAdOwXPR View Post


    and since AT&T does not throttle the iPad I can only guess what my month usage will be.



    Don't count on that lasting. In fact I give it another 3 months tops and they will be throttling 4g if not also 3g use. They will likely follow their iPhone rules and do it after you hit 3GB a month since that's the same cost to the user on a tiered plan. And then folks will pitch the same fits they do over iPhone throttling screaming how they are paying for unlimited and throttling is a limit etc. Only to have it pointed out from the terms and conditions they didn't bother reading when they signed up that in fact they agreed to terms saying that speeds were not guaranteed and could be adjusted based on the needs of the network to insure service to all customers etc etc.
  • Reply 42 of 131
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Maybe we can get Activist Sandra Fluke to go and appeal for help before a Congressional meeting stating that at in addition to the three thousand dollars it costs for birth control over the course of obtaining a law degree in three years at Georgetown U., it also will cost almost another three grand on Verizon's 10GB/mo plan during that same time period.



    We need help there too!

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  • Reply 43 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    Don't count on that lasting. In fact I give it another 3 months tops and they will be throttling 4g if not also 3g use. They will likely follow their iPhone rules and do it after you hit 3GB a month since that's the same cost to the user on a tiered plan. And then folks will pitch the same fits they do over iPhone throttling screaming how they are paying for unlimited and throttling is a limit etc. Only to have it pointed out from the terms and conditions they didn't bother reading when they signed up that in fact they agreed to terms saying that speeds were not guaranteed and could be adjusted based on the needs of the network to insure service to all customers etc etc.



    Totally disagree. Why would AT&T and Verizon throttle a data plan where the more you use, the more you pay? You need to take Business 101.
  • Reply 44 of 131
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by thataveragejoe View Post


    This will only work to a point. There still can only be so much traffic in a given space. We're not there yet, but follow the exponential mobile bandwidth growth a little further down the line and you'll see.



    That is only true based on the tower spacing. The carriers need to encourage opportunistic use of WiFi, and utilize more pico cells in high use areas. They want to make people believe it is a scarce resource, because you can better control prices when you have scarcity. Right now, most of that scarcity is artificial.
  • Reply 45 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by thataveragejoe View Post


    This will only work to a point. There still can only be so much traffic in a given space. We're not there yet, but follow the exponential mobile bandwidth growth a little further down the line and you'll see. Have you ever tried to set up Wifi in a crowded apartment complex?.



    That's because every wifi router uses the same transmit power, so it's really not comparable. It doesn't matter if you live in a 500 square foot apartment, your router blasts its signal out with the same power as if you live in a 5000 square foot mansion. Smaller cells, on the other hand, use lower power to avoid stomping on each others feet.
  • Reply 46 of 131
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    No, it's, "You can buy this vehicle, but don't expect to use it for any of the normal uses for which you'd use any other older, slower vehicle."



    That's ridiculous.



    When you buy a car, you expect to pay for gas and maintenance. The more you drive it, the greater your costs will be.



    When you buy a tablet or phone, you expect to pay for data access. The more you use it, the greater your cost will be.



    It's entirely up to the user to use (or not use) the iPad for any purpose they wish.
  • Reply 47 of 131
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    I know everyone has a different lifestyle but I find it difficult to imagine why people would want to view full length movies while outdoors away from wifi. Sure occasionally you may find yourself in a hotel with pricey wifi and want to watch a movie. Or maybe when you go to visit your grandmother for the weekend and she doesn't have wifi. Honestly how many people spend all day outdoors using their iPad?



    I live a fairly routine existence I guess. I commute 20 minutes each way to work, which is not a situation where I would be downloading movies, then working 9-5 M-F where I have wifi and then I go home, where I have wifi. I don't see the speed trap issue at all.
  • Reply 48 of 131
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    Really what do you expect from a culture that is based on Instant gratification?



    I bought the first iPhone when it first came out. What I discovered is after the initial wow factor and walking long with my face glued to it - it was actually ruining my life. So 3 years later I decided to go back to an ordinary dumb phone. I have saved my self about $70 per month because now I have a "pay as you go" plan whch I fill up with $100 worth of minutes every 3-4 months or so. My phone calls for the year are about $400 to $500 vs $1300 for a smart phone. A saving of $800 to $900.



    I use a wifi only iPad2, which if I need access to the net, i go to a MacDonalds, Starbucks etc. Not really all that of a burden



    This is called "taking one's seniority back from Technology" so I control it, not the other way around.



    All these 3G/4G/LTE plans are just creative ways the cellular companies dreamed up to fleece the public. LTE just makes the act of removing money from our wallets faster thats all really. Buyer beware. I must admit they make it very easy to do this! BRILLIANT
  • Reply 49 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrmj2u View Post


    This is exactly why I didn't waste my money on a LTE version of the iPad. I simply tether to my iPhone for $25 more per month and I now have 5GB to use that will be shared between my phone and my iPad.



    This works out especially well for me for several reasons:

    1. I have a car charger that I can use to charge my 4s on the go if need be

    2. I normally only use about 300MB of my 2GB cap with my iPhone

    3. I spent $130 less on the device up front

    4. 5GB of space for less than it would have cost me to purchase an additional 2GB exclusively for my iPad

    5. I use WiFi when I'm at home anyway, so that data is never capped and I can stream Hi Def all day and night without any issues.



    Having a separate plan just didn't make sense in my case.



    I don't consider it waste. To me, it is insurance. I work from home so I'm on wi-fi most of the time. But I can tell you, on those occasions when I wanted a connection, I would have gladly paid the money. And since you can turn it on or off, to me, it was a no-brainer. And now, when I eventually part with the device, most likely giving it to my mother or an in-law, they've got a self contained solution ready to go if necessary.
  • Reply 50 of 131
    kent909kent909 Posts: 731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post


    I wonder why this is a top story with the iPad when there were several Android devices with LTE last year. I assume they all consume more data than 3G devices.



    Faster data does not mean more data. The web page you just downloaded is the same size regardless of how fast you download it. It's that you will have more time to surf the Internet because of less waiting time, thus more data will be consumed. It's like the guy who is at the "all you can eat bar". If you give him a bigger plate he will put more food on it. It won't be about hunger it will be about consumption.
  • Reply 51 of 131
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    Hmm...."everyone hates the carriers". Half the carriers aren't even making a profit (Sprint, T-Mobile) and the other half are just doing "OK" (Verizon, AT&T). Yet when the carriers want to raise more capital in order to invest in the infrastructure, all of us cry foul over the increase in our monthly bills. Yet Apple is able to earn 50% profit on every item they sell and we are OK with that. Strange world.



    Look at why they aren't making a profit before making those statements. I'm pretty T-Mo makes a marginal profit, but can't quickly find the data. The gross margins on mobile phone service are around 70%, offset simply by the cost of your phone subsidy. The cost of bits through the air is negligible; it is the fixed infrastructure that forms the costs.
  • Reply 52 of 131
    kent909kent909 Posts: 731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Paul94544 View Post


    Really what do you expect from a culture that is based on Instant gratification?



    I bought the first iPhone when it first came out. What I discovered is after the initial wow factor and walking long with my face glued to it - it was actually ruining my life. So 3 years later I decided to go back to an ordinary dumb phone. I have saved my self about $70 per month because now I have a "pay as you go" plan whch I fill up with $100 worth of minutes every 3-4 months or so. My phone calls for the year are about $400 to $500 vs $1300 for a smart phone. A saving of $800 to $900.



    All these LTE plans are just creative ways the cellular companies dreamed up to fleece the public. Buyer beware. I must admit they make it very easy to do this! BRILLIANT



    Not to mention the ways to have an iPhone at feature phone prices.
  • Reply 53 of 131
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    No, it's, "You can buy this vehicle, but don't expect to use it for any of the normal uses for which you'd use any other older, slower vehicle."



    Rubbish. You can use it freely for any of the uses for which you used your old iPad. Just beware of data usage if you watch video over 4G LTE. It ain't rocket science.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    That's ridiculous.



    When you buy a car, you expect to pay for gas and maintenance. The more you drive it, the greater your costs will be.



    When you buy a tablet or phone, you expect to pay for data access. The more you use it, the greater your cost will be.



    It's entirely up to the user to use (or not use) the iPad for any purpose they wish.



    Exactly. Maybe the new iPad should have a warning sticker: "Streaming video over 4G LTE will generally burn through your data package quicker than if you stream over 3G, depending on the bandwidth of the video stream"
  • Reply 54 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    Totally disagree. Why would AT&T and Verizon throttle a data plan where the more you use, the more you pay? You need to take Business 101.



    He's talking about unlimited plans...
  • Reply 55 of 131
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    Hmm...."everyone hates the carriers". Half the carriers aren't even making a profit (Sprint, T-Mobile) and the other half are just doing "OK" (Verizon, AT&T). Yet when the carriers want to raise more capital in order to invest in the infrastructure, all of us cry foul over the increase in our monthly bills. Yet Apple is able to earn 50% profit on every item they sell and we are OK with that. Strange world.



    Could you provide some evidence that they're not making money? I'd be very curious to read up on this. Thanks!
  • Reply 56 of 131
    kent909kent909 Posts: 731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brutus009 View Post


    He's talking about unlimited plans...



    AT&T has publicly stated that they are not currently clamping down on Unlimited plans on iPads. The iPhone does not have LTE so this is all a moot argument for LTE on unlimited. It would make me think that people consume more data on the phones than iPads, which you would think the opposite.
  • Reply 57 of 131
    This.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrmj2u View Post


    This is exactly why I didn't waste my money on a LTE version of the iPad. I simply tether to my iPhone for $25 more per month and I now have 5GB to use that will be shared between my phone and my iPad.



    This works out especially well for me for several reasons:

    1. I have a car charger that I can use to charge my 4s on the go if need be

    2. I normally only use about 300MB of my 2GB cap with my iPhone

    3. I spent $130 less on the device up front

    4. 5GB of space for less than it would have cost me to purchase an additional 2GB exclusively for my iPad

    5. I use WiFi when I'm at home anyway, so that data is never capped and I can stream Hi Def all day and night without any issues.



    Having a separate plan just didn't make sense in my case.



  • Reply 58 of 131
    kent909kent909 Posts: 731member
    I think this whole data issue is an unforeseen situation for the carriers. After all, they have sold you the phone and locked you up for two years. Let's remember if you never use your phone you will still pay them. All they ever wanted to do is sign you up. When it was just phone calls it was never an issue. Now all this data crap is a thorn in their side. I bet they just wish it would all go away and they could just charge us for not using our phones.
  • Reply 59 of 131
    This is exactly the reason why, several weeks ago, AT&T raised the possibility of allowing content providers to opt into a service of subsidizing their customers' mobile data usage (akin to 1-800 numbers, but for wireless data).



    AT&T saw the writing on the wall -- They knew this sort of situation would arise, and they've already proposed their solution.
  • Reply 60 of 131
    Verizon's entry level plan is 1GB for $20 a month. I am using that right now on the new iPad.
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