Sprint rumored to retain unlimited data plans after iPhone 5 arrives

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Differentiating itself from capped competitors Verizon and AT&T, Sprint is said to be planning to retain its unlimited data plans after it gets Apple's fifth-generation iPhone in the coming weeks.



Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg reported on Friday that the third-largest carrier in the U.S. will begin selling Apple's so-called "iPhone 5" in October, and will offer its customers unlimited data plans. New customers to AT&T and Verizon can only choose from tiered, capped data plans.



Sprint would be the only operator in America to offer the iPhone with unlimited data for a flat fee, if the rumor proves true. Sprint's unlimited voice and data plan is $99.99 per month, while AT&T offers 2 gigabytes of data for $25 a month, and Verizon offers 2 gigabytes for $30, all the way up to 10 gigabytes for $80.



The report revealed that the iPhone launch has apparently been used as a "retention tool" with Sprint executives, as the addition of Apple's hot-selling handset is expected to boost Sprint's stock price. The carrier is also said to have postponed the launch of a rival smartphone in September that would have accessed its high-speed 4G data network.



Last month, The Wall Street Journal first reported that Sprint would offer Apple's next iPhone at launch, alongside AT&T and Verizon. That would place Apple's smartphone on three of the largest four wireless carriers in the U.S.







The addition of Sprint is expected to add the sale of six million iPhones to Apple's bottom line in 2012. Verizon, which has offered the iPhone since February and is the largest carrier in the U.S., sold about 4.6 million iPhone 4 units in the first half of 2011.



When the iPhone first launched on Verizon, the carrier offered unlimited data plans, but those are no longer offered as of July 7. AT&T began capping data plans for new customers at a maximum of 2GB in June of 2010.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Differentiating itself from capped competitors Verizon and AT&T, Sprint is said to be planning to retain its unlimited data plans after it gets Apple's fifth-generation iPhone in the coming weeks.



    Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg reported on Friday that the third-largest carruer in the U.S. will begin selling Apple's so-called "iPhone 5" in October, and will offer its customers unlimited data plans. New customers to AT&T and Verizon can only choose from tiered, capped data plans.



    Sprint would be the only operator in America to offer the iPhone with unlimited data for a flat fee, if the rumor proves true. Sprint's unlimited voice and data plan is $99.99 per month, while AT&T offers 2 gigabytes of data for $25 a month, and Verizon offers 2 gigabytes for $30, all the way up to 10 gigabytes for $80.



    The report revealed that the iPhone launch has apparently been used as a "retention tool" with Sprint executives, as the addition of Apple's hot-selling handset is expected to boost Sprint's stock price. The carrier is also said to have postponed the launch of a rival smartphone in September that would have accessed its high-speed 4G data network.



    Last month, The Wall Street Journal first reported that Sprint would offer Apple's next iPhone at launch, alongside AT&T and Verizon. That would place Apple's smartphone on three of the largest four wireless carriers in the U.S.







    The addition of Sprint is expected to add the sale of six million iPhones to Apple's bottom line in 2012. Verizon, which has offered the iPhone since February and is the largest carrier in the U.S., sold about 4.6 million iPhone 4 units in the first half of 2011.



    When the iPhone first launched on Verizon, the carrier offered unlimited data plans, but those are no longer offered as of July 7. AT&T began capping data plans for new customers at a maximum of 2GB in June of 2010.





    I would like Sprint to keep the unlimited data plan and put the screws to Verizon and AT&T (especially AT&T). But they most likely will just drop the unlimited in year
  • Reply 2 of 44
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    what's the point of unlimited data if you don't have any coverage?
  • Reply 3 of 44
    We'll see how long that lasts...
  • Reply 4 of 44
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    We have heard this story before. Like Android fanboys, they just don't get it. iPhone users actually use their phones for stuff.
  • Reply 5 of 44
    It's like a restaurant offering all-you-can-eat, except that you are not allowed to eat everything.
  • Reply 6 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wovel View Post


    We have heard this story before. Like Android fanboys, they just don't get it. iPhone users actually use their phones for stuff.



    What are you talking about? The most recent Nielsen study shows Android users use more data than iPhone users, and the activities the phones were used for were pretty comparable.



    http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=27793
  • Reply 7 of 44
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Freshmaker View Post


    What are you talking about? The most recent Nielsen study shows Android users use more data than iPhone users, and the activities the phones were used for were pretty comparable.



    http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=27793



    1) This study ignores the iOS platform and only focuses on the iPhone.



    2) This study appears to be an aggregate of all Android devices (which are almost entirely smartphones) v. all iPhones so Android would be higher because there are so many more units units activated.
  • Reply 8 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yodie View Post


    We'll see how long that lasts...



    Exactly. Verizon said the same thing.



    None of them has a clue as to what iPhone/iPad users consume by way of data. It doesn't hit them until they actually start to see it happening on their networks.
  • Reply 9 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by al_bundy View Post


    what's the point of unlimited data if you don't have any coverage?



    Because most Americans live in urbanized areas.



    Also, many Americans spend most of their time in a compact geographical area. If you're not a long-haul truck driver, your daily commute is probably 10 minutes and you're spending most of your time at home and work (or school).



    Thus, if you already have good Sprint network coverage where you live, then the Sprint iPhone would be a fine handset to consider.



    Users of other cellular networks will have to do their research in terms of local (insert mobile operator name here) network coverage if they want to switch, but that's the same sort of due diligence that they would have to do, regardless of the handset.
  • Reply 10 of 44
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Seeing as how AT&T finally put the kibosh on my contract-breaking tethering and now charge me an extra $20/month for a total of 4GB I will consider a jump to Sprint if they have unlimited.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    It's like a restaurant offering all-you-can-eat, except that you are not allowed to eat everything.



    Or for as long as you want or share it with others yet they don't have you sign a huge license to eat at the buffet, yet somehow people just know the implied regulations.
  • Reply 11 of 44
    Remember that Sprint charges an additional $10/line fee for smartphones as a way to help make sure they can retain unlimited data plans. Add an extra $10 on top of every calling iPhone sold and they should rake it in. I don't think unlimited data is in danger w/Sprint.



    As to the no coverage, where are you going in the US that you don't have coverage on Sprint? I travel around rural KY and Ohio and generally have signal. Free roaming for calls certainly helps. Data roaming will still ding ya, but I don't need to do that very often.
  • Reply 12 of 44
    s4mb4s4mb4 Posts: 267member
    Sprint does not offer "Unlimited" for tethering plans.....
  • Reply 13 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Seeing as how AT&T finally put the kibosh on my contract-breaking tethering and now charge me an extra $20/month for a total of 4GB I will consider a jump to Sprint if they have unlimited.



    Did you actually get an email from ATT, as mentioned before, or did you decide to drop your mywi tethering with jailbreaking? I have miwi, but only use it occasionally, and very little data at that (for my ipad2 when flying my plane), so I've never received any email from ATT - just assumed they were looking for heavy downloading to harrass with the email. Did you fall into that group, or did you just use your mywi for occasional tethering?



    I'll have to give up my mywi for the iphone5, until they figure out how to jailbreak it, so will be without tethering for awhile (no big deal, since I tend to use my ipad2 on wifi about 99% of the time anyhow).
  • Reply 14 of 44
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    i've read that AT&T monitors their gateways for traffic that shouldn't be there. if a gateway is supposed to be used for smartphone internet traffic or youtube then it shouldn't have any MS Windows network chatter on it like port 445 traffic. people who tether out of their contract are easy to catch if they use a laptop. using an ipad is harder because it's essentially an iphone
  • Reply 15 of 44
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    Because most Americans live in urbanized areas.



    Also, many Americans spend most of their time in a compact geographical area. If you're not a long-haul truck driver, your daily commute is probably 10 minutes and you're spending most of your time at home and work (or school).



    Thus, if you already have good Sprint network coverage where you live, then the Sprint iPhone would be a fine handset to consider.



    Users of other cellular networks will have to do their research in terms of local (insert mobile operator name here) network coverage if they want to switch, but that's the same sort of due diligence that they would have to do, regardless of the handset.



    i live in NYC and sprint is crap. i've walked through midtown manhattan and had service cut out on me. don't even try to use it in queens or brooklyn





    verizon is the best mostly because they own the best frequencies. AT&T is a very close second only because their indoor penetration isn't as good as VZW. Sprint and T-Mo are crap. the other day a friend with T-Mo was over my place. his mytouch 4g said edge. my verizon phone was on 3g and my at&t phone was on hspa+.
  • Reply 16 of 44
    After the first million users sign up and begin to download video 24 hours a day, Sprint will think twice. No network is able to handle unlimited traffic by a majority of their users.
  • Reply 17 of 44
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bagman View Post


    Did you actually get an email from ATT, as mentioned before, or did you decide to drop your mywi tethering with jailbreaking? I have miwi, but only use it occasionally, and very little data at that (for my ipad2 when flying my plane), so I've never received any email from ATT - just assumed they were looking for heavy downloading to harrass with the email. Did you fall into that group, or did you just use your mywi for occasional tethering?



    I'll have to give up my mywi for the iphone5, until they figure out how to jailbreak it, so will be without tethering for awhile (no big deal, since I tend to use my ipad2 on wifi about 99% of the time anyhow).



    I had been using MyWi for about 1.5 years. First I received an email which required me to contact AT&T within a specific time frame or I'd lose my Unlimited plan. I called, they explained the situation? I played dumb.



    I then switched to the much cheaper TetherMe app with apparently keeps AT&T from knowing the data is being tethered and uses the Personal Hotspot settings within iOS, which I liked. That worked for about 6 months then this past month my bill was charged an addition $15 +tax and had been moved to the 4GB+tethering plan.



    I tried to keep my tethering down to a minimum in these last 6 months from 50-100GB to 2-4GB but that apparently wasn't good enough.



    No worries. I took a risk against the contract I signed and got away with it since 2007-ish.
  • Reply 18 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I then switched to the much cheaper TetherMe app with apparently keeps AT&T from knowing the data is being tethered



    Does TetherMe still (inaccurately) advertise that they can keep ATT from knowing your data usage? So much for that plan. I use so very little, that I hope they don't notice, and, like you, if they do, I will just give it up, since I can get by without tethering, and hope I can keep my unlimited plan. I doubt they will continue to allow this, especially when they get "true" 4G - that is when they will be salivating at the extra data charges they will inflict on EVERYONE. I can hear the howls already, which will be like the early days of voice roaming, when you could hear loud cursing at the outrageous charges. Data will be very lucrative for the telcos once 4G comes along. I will be happy to stay with 3G as long as they will let me. I'm more concerned with my wifi at home becoming a data limiting, money making proposition for Comcast and the other dumb pipes, and hope that Congress will step in before they start collecting the big bucks. After all, we GAVE the rights to lay the cables, etc, so I am all for keeping them from doing away with unlimited data over their dumb pipes into our homes, which smacks of class warfare against those who will not be able to afford limited data over their information devices. I think either Congress will step in at that time, or another technology (wireless/satellite, etc) will keep competitive pressure on the purveyors of dumb pipes. (we can always hope).
  • Reply 19 of 44
    All of these stories of evading charges from the carriers and we still wonder why base rates are so high.
  • Reply 20 of 44
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    Will AT&T be able to detect that you are tethering an iPad to your iPhone using MyWi?
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