$70 US/month and texting still isn't free!?!?
What is this BS?
Space scientist says texting is four times more expensive than receiving scientific data from space. (Note: This is about what is CHARGED for texting, NOT the incredibly cheaper price of delivering text services.)
I hardly ever do any texting anyway, but this is still outrageous. I'd planned to jump on the new 3G iPhone the day it came out, but now I'm not so sure. I feel more like telling Apple and AT&T to f*ck off.
I'm sure as hell not going to pay an extra $20/month for unlimited texting.
When you consider the bandwidth requirements for texting, the charges are clearly unwarranted. They only charge like this because they can get away with it, not because the service is so terribly expensive to provide.
Consider that the maximum text message is 140 bytes (160 characters at 7 bits/character). Let's say that overhead for addressing to/from info and the like brings that up to 200 bytes, or 1600 bits.
Typical GSM voice transmission is encoded to a data rate of 13200 bits/sec. In other words, every single second you talk you're doing the data rate equivalent of sending more than eight max-length text messages.
Every minute of voice is equivalent to roughly 500 max-length text messages.
Yet free minutes are available in abundance, while the minuscule demands of texting on the phone network incur extra charges.
Space scientist says texting is four times more expensive than receiving scientific data from space. (Note: This is about what is CHARGED for texting, NOT the incredibly cheaper price of delivering text services.)
I hardly ever do any texting anyway, but this is still outrageous. I'd planned to jump on the new 3G iPhone the day it came out, but now I'm not so sure. I feel more like telling Apple and AT&T to f*ck off.
I'm sure as hell not going to pay an extra $20/month for unlimited texting.
When you consider the bandwidth requirements for texting, the charges are clearly unwarranted. They only charge like this because they can get away with it, not because the service is so terribly expensive to provide.
Consider that the maximum text message is 140 bytes (160 characters at 7 bits/character). Let's say that overhead for addressing to/from info and the like brings that up to 200 bytes, or 1600 bits.
Typical GSM voice transmission is encoded to a data rate of 13200 bits/sec. In other words, every single second you talk you're doing the data rate equivalent of sending more than eight max-length text messages.
Every minute of voice is equivalent to roughly 500 max-length text messages.
Yet free minutes are available in abundance, while the minuscule demands of texting on the phone network incur extra charges.
Comments
What is this BS?
Space scientist says texting is four times more expensive than receiving scientific data from space. (Note: This is about what is CHARGED for texting, NOT the incredibly cheaper price of delivering text services.)
I hardly ever do any texting anyway, but this is still outrageous. I'd planned to jump on the new 3G iPhone the day it came out, but now I'm not so sure. I feel more like telling Apple and AT&T to f*ck off.
I'm sure as hell not going to pay an extra $20/month for unlimited texting.
When you consider the bandwidth requirements for texting, the charges are clearly unwarranted. They only charge like this because they can get away with it, not because the service is so terribly expensive to provide.
Consider that the maximum text message is 140 bytes (160 characters at 7 bits/character). Let's say that overhead for addressing to/from info and the like brings that up to 200 bytes, or 1600 bits.
Typical GSM voice transmission is encoded to a data rate of 13200 bits/sec. In other words, every single second you talk you're doing the data rate equivalent of sending more than eight max-length text messages.
Every minute of voice is equivalent to roughly 500 max-length text messages.
Yet free minutes are available in abundance, while the minuscule demands of texting on the phone network incur extra charges.
I agree. This is horseshit. See my post in the main thread on pricing and tell me what you think. Buying an iphone is WAY more expensive than you think.
I agree. This is horseshit. See my post in the main thread on pricing and tell me what you think. Buying an iphone is WAY more expensive than you think.
Unlike most of your political commentary, I can agree with what you said about the iPhone here.
I was ready to shell out the extra $10/month on top of what I'm already paying for my current iPhone. I don't even remember what's allowing for texting on my current iPhone plan -- something like 200 messages/month, I think, but way more than I typically use.
I'm such an infrequent texter that I'd probably be better off paying per message than buying any texting plan, but it just galls me that what texting I have now would be taken away. I won't even normally be in an area with 3G coverage, so taking away my texting on top of charging $10 more every month is even more insulting.
What's the per-message charge without a plan? $0.05? $0.10? $0.25?
Since this is a guy who reads this kind of thing online, and he even referred me to phonescoop.com, I'm guessing he's a bit more informed than your average drone, and he seemed interested in actually getting to the bottom of this when he put me on hold to talk to his manager, rather than just trying to placate an irate customer and make up excuses.
From what he can tell there's no plan to take texting away. You get 200 messages per month on the current $20/month 2G plan, and as far as he can tell and from what his manager has discovered, those 200 messages will remain. He cautioned me that anything could change between now and the 11th, but his best current info was that we'd still get limited texting in the most basic plan.
I'm hoping that I've gotten all worked up about nothing here, and that we're just dealing with inaccurate reporting and not all of the true details of the real plans that will be offered.
I'm such an infrequent texter that I'd probably be better off paying per message than buying any texting plan, but it just galls me that what texting I have now would be taken away. I won't even normally be in an area with 3G coverage, so taking away my texting on top of charging $10 more every month is even more insulting.
What's the per-message charge without a plan? $0.05? $0.10? $0.25?
$.20 per sms. I personally only text 3-4 times a week if that. Therefore paying the $5 a month for 200 would be a waste of money. Not that I'm getting an iPhone, I wish. Our company just got our department Motorola Q9c and while most of the interface is obscene, the new WinMo 6.1 home screen is OK.
Unlike most of your political commentary, I can agree with what you said about the iPhone here.
We're like a microcosm of the United States here. We're rip each other to shreds until there is an external threat. Then look out!
I was ready to shell out the extra $10/month on top of what I'm already paying for my current iPhone. I don't even remember what's allowing for texting on my current iPhone plan -- something like 200 messages/month, I think, but way more than I typically use.
I'm such an infrequent texter that I'd probably be better off paying per message than buying any texting plan, but it just galls me that what texting I have now would be taken away. I won't even normally be in an area with 3G coverage, so taking away my texting on top of charging $10 more every month is even more insulting.
What's the per-message charge without a plan? $0.05? $0.10? $0.25?
I believe it's 20 cents. I, too was ready and willing to pony up the extra $10 for the plan. But then I realized it wasn't $10 from what I have now, it was $20. I'll go from a post-tax bill of about $65, to a post tax bill of about $85.
Can you say T-Mobile? A little competition might help keep a lid on these plan costs.
Apple needs to find a way to get out of this contract with AT&T so we can get some competition happening for iPhone data plans.
I'm holding onto my Edge iPhone for dear life.
Apple needs to find a way to get out of this contract with AT&T so we can get some competition happening for iPhone data plans.
I'd even settle for some cheaper limited data options.
Texting is already becoming obsolete. Smart phones like the iphone that can surf the web can use IM services like Yahoo for FREE. Why pay 10 cents per text anymore? Gimme a friggin break. :-)
Well there are some of us who would still need to communicate to the non-Smart phone carrying populace.
Well there are some of us who would still need to communicate to the non-Smart phone carrying populace.
Exactly. Some of us interact with people other than this guy:
AT&T doesn't operate in a price vacuum. The cost of texting is rising on every major carrier.
It's very hard to look at this thread now that that picture is posted here, but I'll attempt to ignore it...
At any rate... the "cost of texting is rising"? Really now? The cost of sending minuscule packets of less than a 1/4 of a kilobyte is putting a big strain on the mobile service providers, huh? From whence does this news come?
It's very hard to look at this thread now that that picture is posted here, but I'll attempt to ignore it...
At any rate... the "cost of texting is rising"? Really now? The cost of sending minuscule packets of less than a 1/4 of a kilobyte is putting a big strain on the mobile service providers, huh? From whence does this news come?
I think he's trying to say that texting costs more to the end user. That's dubious at best.
I think he's trying to say that texting costs more to the end user. That's dubious at best.
Its really amazing what a vacuum posters here live in.
1) Cost of texting is unrelated to the iPhone. Its a property of the cell service and is basically the same for all phones.
2) Customers have told the providers, by their actions, that SMS is more valuable than the previous prices. This was clearly shown in the article below which also shows that the texting prices are independent of the iPhone. If it weren't subscribers would have started switching when re-upping their contract rather than pay the increases (when they were originally different between providers)
SMS rate hikes
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! My eyes!!!! My eyes!!!!!!!
Oh shit!!! I made it show up again!!!! My soul!!!! Is withering!!!!!!!!!
EDIT: I had to remove the image tags from the quote. Lest we all die.
Its really amazing what a vacuum posters here live in.
1) Cost of texting is unrelated to the iPhone. Its a property of the cell service and is basically the same for all phones.
2) Customers have told the providers, by their actions, that SMS is more valuable than the previous prices. This was clearly shown in the article below which also shows that the texting prices are independent of the iPhone. If it weren't subscribers would have started switching when re-upping their contract rather than pay the increases (when they were originally different between providers)
SMS rate hikes
Thanks, genius. That doesn't change bundled pricing. I pay about $60 ($58 with tax this month) for this from VZW:
Unlimited IN txt msgs
500 out of network messages
450 minutes
Unlimited IN network calling
Unlimited nights/weekends
The AT&T plan includes unlimited data. Fine. But I also have to spend another $5 for 200 text messages total. That brings my post tax total to $85.00 a month, or $27 more a month. Oh, and if I want similar text capabilities? It jumps to $100 a month, or $42 more a month.
Man, that 3G network better be awesome for that price.
Thanks, genius. That doesn't change bundled pricing. I pay about $60 ($58 with tax this month) for this from VZW:
Yes genius, comparing an old plan under old pricing to a new plan under new pricing is brilliant.
Too bad that a new PDA/Smartphone plan from Verizon costs $79.99 for:
450 Anytime minutes
Data Access for Email
Unlimited In Calling
Unlimited Night and Weekend Minutes
...
and hey look. No included texting.
The first bundled package is $99.99 for unlimited texting and 450 mins.
Oh hey...it seems that the iPhone 3G plans will give you 450 mins, Visual VoiceMail (you only get "basic voicemail" under the Verizon plan...upgrade to premium is extra), Rollover minutes (which we actually have sometimes so it's nice), 5000 night and weekend minutes + unlimited texting for....drumroll please:
$89.99.
The AT&T plan includes unlimited data. Fine.
It is fine. And worth the $30 to upgrade from my existing family plan which is less (and different) than the current AT&T family plans.
But I also have to spend another $5 for 200 text messages total. That brings my post tax total to $85.00 a month, or $27 more a month. Oh, and if I want similar text capabilities? It jumps to $100 a month, or $42 more a month.
Man, that 3G network better be awesome for that price.
You're the type that FSJ would ban from iPhone ownership.