AT&T to Offer Data-Capped $20 iPhone Plan? $99 iPhones? Pre-Paid iPhones?
AT&T Mouth of Sauron Speaks!
Business Week is warming up the rumor we heard ten days ago about AT&T considering reducing the iPhone data plan from $30 to $20. This time, however, instead of just a price drop, it's suggested there could be the introduction of a new, limited data option.
So, high end users could get "unlimited" data for $30, and lower end users could get a capped plan for $20.
Business Week's sources also suggest that a lower price or price tier is part of the ongoing negotiations between Apple and AT&T regarding the extension of AT&T's US iPhone exclusivity.
Of course, $99 and pre-paid iPhones are also tossed in for good measure. Apple has stated in the past that they wouldn't leave an umbrella for the competition, so lower-cost -- up-front up on plan -- iPhones are seen as putting pressure on RIM's BlackBerry and Palm's upcoming Pre, and shoring up Apple and AT&T's market share.
If you don't use a lot of data, would a tiered option (already available on many international carriers) appeal to you? Would a lower end or pre-paid iPhone?
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler. Follow him on Twitter @reneritchie
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That would be great too bad i use data all the time, or i could be saving a nice 10 bucks.
Would it include ROLLOVER DATA? Ha! good thinking?
I am still curious in what the data size is that would make up the "cap"
Will at&t really have UNLIMITED data? Will they allow Skype and Slingplayer to run on 3G?
They can't continune to call it an UNLIMITED plan if it isn't.
If the capped plan had a reasonable allocation this might be a great plan for the vast majority of users who do not stream gigabytes of stuff to the phone.
Without any idea of where the cap level may kick in, and the cost for minor over-runs its hard to make any rational judgement at this time.
This brings to mind prior reports http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/09/att-iphone-inte/ that data usage had not grown as fast as ATT had anticipated. Perhaps ATT will set a high cap, in light of excess capacity, but still protect them selves from the bandwidth hogs.
Personally I'd rather have Tethering included in the 30 dollar unlimited plan.
If the cap was 750MB or more I'd be all on that! I would not be interested, however in a less-capable version of iPhone. Please keep the iPhone full-featured, that's why it is so popular!!!
Apple is mass testing push I just received an email about it here is just part of it:
As a developer actively working with iPhone OS 3.0 beta, we would like your help in testing the Apple Push Notification service. We have selected a pre-release version of the Associated Press app for iPhone OS 3.0 to create a high-volume test environment for our servers.
As other have said it really comes down to the cap level. Most people don't really sit on youtube all day and email doesn't really use that much data so this could work out for quite a lot of people.
Should have done that a while a go. Now I can get unlimited text plus capped data for 35$.
yepyep
This would be great for me considering I'm on wifi most of the time. I'm sure the same applies to many iphoners.
AT&T's Unlimited plan is already capped at 5GB.
the plan I have on Rogers is the same price and it's 6GB..
And to those of you saying how you use data all the time and it wouldn't be sufficient... I don't think you check your monthly data usage. It's a LOT less than you'd think more often than not.
I use data constantly every day, I don't even use WiFi when it's available because my router at home is slow and gives terrible reception. My monthly usage is around 700mb.
If their capped plan is 1GB it'd be worth saving $10 because honestly I challenge you to use more than 1GB of data without tethering (which is not allowed on AT&T)..
@Mike:
They CAN continue to call it "Unlimited" because YOU CAN use as much data as you want. Whatever amount of data you would use with Skype or Slingplayer, you can currently use right now without those apps.
That's why they call it Unlimited Data, not Unlimited Selection of Apps.
@Blake 2:
Very true. That applies to me as well.
whats the point of having an iPhone without UNLIMITED DATA? Nobody actually calls people on these things!
@Drake:
Read Adam, above. Then read your phone bill from ATT/Rogers and report back the number of months you got anywhere near 5Gig.
That's the point. Why pay for unlimited if you never use anywhere near a single gig?
@icebike
You pay unlimited money even though you don't use much so AT&T can RAPE your ass.
Every company does this. You think my dad watches 500 channels on Comcast digital TV? No, he probably only watches around 15 channels or so. But does he have to pay a ridiculous amount to see the channels he does want to see? Yes.
These companies aren't in business to make you feel good. They are in it to rape you.
Damn this place has become nothing but a rumor mill.
@Adam:
Where is this specified?
I personally hope the iPhone family is NOT broken into two different groups. Of course Apple wants to make money. But I also believe that Apple's success, thus far, is they have not sold out just to make an easy buck by catering to the masses. They strive to put out quality products that just work. That costs more money. Those not willing to pay for more usually get what they pay for.
As for the cap. If it is over a gig I am in. I rarely make it to 700mb. I have always had a good experience with AT&T. I am,again, willing to pay a little extra for quality. And at&t has not failed to deliver as far as I'm concerned.
Cheaper data plan with reasonable cap at ~1GB, yes.
Low end iPhone, no way.
What's a "low end" iPhone though? No GPS? Only 8gb? Maybe even no wifi? Wouldn't be a major concern for a large chunk of the potential market!
i would certainly drop to the capped $20 data however... i would stay atthe $30 "unlimited" data is they threw in unlimited SMS.
Capped or Pre-Paid are attractive to me. I use such devices sparingly and only came back to mobile phone on a Pre-Paid plan, which I use about $5-$10 per month. I'd only use something like an iPhone to connect to the internet in a pinch when I really need something, not to sit on a park bench all day watching YouTube.
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