AT&T shared data plans launch late August, start at $45 per smartphone

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  • Reply 41 of 164
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by swpalmer View Post


    As usual, a total rip-off.


     


    Why we don't have an uprising against these ridiculous "data plans" is beyond me.


     


    Guess what AT&T?  1GB of data on my iPad looks the same to your network as 1GB of data on my iPhone! 



     


    Which is precisely what a bundling plan like this addresses: you buy one bucket of data and subscribe any/all of your devices to that.


     


    Today your iPad costs either $15 for 250MB or $25 for 2GB of cellular data. Now you can subscribe it to your umbrella data plan for $10. Whether that's a better or worse deal depends on your own usage needs and number of devices.

  • Reply 42 of 164
    onhkaonhka Posts: 1,025member


    Lot of dumb assumptions here.


     


    Best check out AT&T's site, particularly the See FAQs about AT&T Mobile Share section.

  • Reply 43 of 164

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dmovieman View Post




    I was thinking that you get unlimited Talk and Text in addition to the data.  In your case I think it would be $160 for you to share unlimited Talk and Text and 6GB data.  Still, that would be $20 more than you are paying now, but presumably you would get more talking and texting.  If you are right, and it does not include the talk and text in the plan shared, then this is a total rip off.  The fact that you have to have the unlimited talk and text on at least one of the devices already makes it a poor deal unless you are already on an unlimited plan.  We would have to be crazy to think that AT&T will ever offer a good deal to its customers.





    Unless AT&T persists in charging separately for tethering. Then it's smartphone + laptop fees...

  • Reply 44 of 164
    applezillaapplezilla Posts: 941member


    Ahem....


     


    BOOOOOOOOO!


     


    Sticking with our 'unlimited' plans or jumping to Verizon.

  • Reply 44 of 164
    robin hoodrobin hood Posts: 513member


    Looks like a ripoff. I pay €5 ($6.12 at today's exchange rate) per month in Ireland for unlimited data on my iPhone. In fairness, I had to buy the iPhone unsubsidised.

  • Reply 46 of 164
    kendalskendals Posts: 4member


    Last month I switched my iPhone over to straight talk (www.straighttalksim.com) and I get unlimited talk/text & 2Gb of Data for $45.00 / month...no contract...no hidden fees, taxes, etc...works perfectly for me and uses the AT&T Towers!

  • Reply 47 of 164
    mac voyermac voyer Posts: 1,294member
    There is an aspect of this plan that is being missed. This is the carrier's way of forcing users to pay for text and voice on devices that have outgrown those services. iMessage for an iPhone household eliminates the need for text services. This is a huge revenue loss for carriers. Highly disruptive! I have personally used FaceTime over 3G. the voice quality was so good, it puts every cell call to shame. People do not want to pay for voice or texting, nor do they have to anymore. These plans are a way for the carriers to artificially prolong the life of a business model long overdue for the grave.
  • Reply 48 of 164

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by josephwinters View Post



    I have 5 lines. 4 smartphones, and 1 dumb phone.

    Knowing what I pay every month for all my phones and the separate data plans they currently have, none of these plans save me a dime. That's a damn shame AT&T. My average bill is $260 a month without taxes. And I'm curious what the cost is if you go over your data? :-/.

    I've been waiting for this... But not like this. There is essentially still a premium and split out costs for having data on your phones. Grr.


    On the shared plan you would pay the same $260($70 + 40 * 4 + $30) before taxes if you choose the 4gb data plan. I think I read somewhere that there is a $15/Gb charge for going over your data plan. The benefit on share is the unlimited talk and text.

  • Reply 49 of 164

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Bandman999 View Post


    This is like the water company charging you for the water, and also for each faucet that dispenses water.



    Not sure I agree.  I think the carriers realize that many people will merge their data plans.  So, to me, this is like neighbors sharing the same Water Plan but the water is going to different homes.

  • Reply 50 of 164
    tokoloshtokolosh Posts: 101member


    This mostly comes out sixes for me.


     


    Current


    2 iPhones, 550 shared minutes, unlimited texts on both, 2gb per phone for a total of about $128 a month (national corporate partner discount included, 20%ish)


     


    On the new plan


    2iPhones, Unlimited text and talk, tethering included, 4gb shared for about $150 a month - discount = $120ish plus taxes brings me to the $130ish range.


     


     


    With the addition of tethering I guess I could be coming out ahead. It is a feature I've wanted to add but didn't value it at the amount they would have charged. I'll probably make the move so long as they don't take away my discount.

  • Reply 51 of 164

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by iamBobWood View Post


    Any word on how much the overage is per GB?



    "additional data will be charged at a rate of $15 per GB"

  • Reply 52 of 164


    This is a little better (for many) than Verizon's new plans.


     


    I have 5 iPhones on my account. We share 700 minutes and unlimited messaging: (breakdown as shown on my bill)


    Primary: 700 Minutes ($60) + Family Messaging Unlimited ($30) + DataPro 3GB ($30) = $120


    Line 2: ($9.99 + $25 2GB) = $34.99


    Line 3: ($9.99 + $25 2GB) = $34.99


    Line 4: ($9.99 + $25 2GB) = $34.99


    Line 5: ($9.99 + $15 200MB) = $24.99


                                              $249.96


                                     + Taxes & Fees


                                              $278.70


     


    We could get by with 6GB of data shared. Data overages are charged at $15 per GB as stated on AT&T's website. 


    Our new proposed bill will look like:


    6GB $90


    5 @ $35 = $175


                    $265


     


    OR


     


    10GB $120


    5 @ $30 = $150


                    $270


     


    So, we'd gain unlimited voice and tethering for $15 - $20 more total (plus taxes & fees). We really don't need it, but I'm sure a few of us would benefit from it. 


     


    OR


     


    We go with Straight Talk:


    4 @ $45 for unlimited talk, text & web (capped around 2GB each) = $180


    1 @ $30 (1000 minutes & texts and 30MB data) = $30


                                                                           $210


     


    Granted, we'll have to pay full-price for unlocked iPhones if we want them @ $650 + tax each, but we could sell our old iPhones in good condition for nearly half that price, making our upgrade charge around $300 +/- each. Roughly only $100 more than the subsidized price from AT&T, and NO CONTRACT.


     


    Since Straight Talk uses AT&T's network (all 4 carriers, actually, depending on the phone you use), no jailbreaking/unlocking required to get them working. We just have to buy the SIM cards for $15 each, and change a few settings via the iPhone Config. Utility. Officially unlocked iPhones should be even easier to setup. 

  • Reply 53 of 164


    Hmmm...I might be better off.   I have 4 iPhones and 4 iPads.  If I get the 10GB plan, total cost is $280.....which is what I am paying for now but with limited voice minutes and much smaller data plans that I can't share between devices.

  • Reply 54 of 164
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    iambobwood wrote: »
    "additional data will be charged at a rate of $15 per GB"

    But typically you can call the carrier during that billing cycle to get the plan adjusted thus removing egregious overage costs.

    Personally, I think it would go a long way to give customers peace of mind and to increase overall usage by auto-adjusting plans for customers that do go over their plan limits so they are charged something "fair" on each bill cycle. Even if the increased plan was automatic but going to a decreased plan required a user to request it at least they'd know they'd never be charged, at most and only if they used it, more than the Unlimited/Unlimited/Unlimited plan in a month instead of thousands of dollars.
  • Reply 55 of 164
    Well, these new plans will save me some significant money - about $40/month. I currently have 2 iPhones on the $80/month 1400 minute family share plan ($90 total because you pay $10 for the second line access) plus $30/month for umilimited text and any mobile to any mobile plus $25/month for data on one iPhone and $45/month on the other iPhone. That's a total monthly cost of $190 before taxes and fees. We need the minutes because my wife works from home and comes close to using all 1400 minutes every month and I need the $45/month data plan to tether my wifi only iPad. The 6gb of data is way more than we need - have never gone above 2gb combined in a single month.

    On the new plans, I would go with the 4gb plan. That's $70 plus $40 for each iPhone for a total of $150. Plus, now we would get unlimited minutes and my wife would be able to use her iPhone for tethering. Sign me up. I only wish the plans were available sooner.

    Plus, I will be much more likely to buy my next iPad with wireless access. One of the reasons I didn't in the first place is because I didn't want to pay an extra $30/month for data. It was cheaper to go with the $45/month tethering plan. I would gladly pay an extra $10/month to have the convenience of not always having to tether my iPad to my iPhone when I don't have wifi access.
  • Reply 56 of 164
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member


    I currently have two iPhones and a dumb phone on my plan. We have FamilyTalk Nation 700 + unlimited text + unlimited data on my iPhone and 200MB on my wife's iPhone = $154.98 (right off my bill) before taxes.


     


    With a new plan, I would get the 4GB data plan ($70) + 2 iPhones ($40/ea. x 2 = $80) + 1 dumb phone ($30) = $180 before taxes.


     


    So what do I get for the extra $25 that the shared data plan would cost me? I get unlimited voice, unlimited text (which I already had), more data for my wife but less for me and tethering. Question is, do I need unlimited voice and tethering?

     

  • Reply 57 of 164
    dsr1122dsr1122 Posts: 6member


    Given how much confusion there is around pricing and features of both these plans and Verizon's, I think both carriers need to offer an "Understand our service" web page (or online video or something), so consumers can really see what they are getting and how much it actually costs.  From skimming this thread, and others when VZW changed their plans, it's clear that consumers have very little understanding about what they will pay in the future on plans like this.  Not to mention these "simple" plans make it hard to compare to regional carriers who are often less expensive.


     


    For what it's worth, I'm a VZW subscriber and have zero interest in moving to any shared plan because it would cost me more $$$ (my wife and I each have an iPhone 4S with 2 GB data, which is plenty for our needs).

  • Reply 58 of 164


    At least AT&T is offering this plan as an option.....existing data plans remain.


     


    Verizon is forcing users to their new shared data plans.

  • Reply 59 of 164

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


     


    I think you're putting the BS hat on the wrong head. Your son has never heard of WiFi? Carriers are throttling precisely because people like that are sucking up limited cellular capacity.


     


    I'd make you a bet that if he paid his own cellular data bill he'd be using a whole bunch less.



     


     


    Data Hogs ruin it for the rest of us.  They slow down the network and use more than their fair share.

  • Reply 60 of 164


    The key thing for people to do is just compare what you currently pay and would pay under the new plan. If you are comfortable with your current plan and it is cheaper than the new shared plan, keep the old plan. If you feel you don't have enough


    data on your old plan or are going over every month, you should seriously consider the new plan that you can afford. Unlike Verizon that makes you take the shared plan when you go to a new device, here you can keep your old as long


    as you want. There is a lot of flexabilty here.

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