AT&T introduces new Mobile Share Value plans with 'no contract' option, promised savings

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

AT&T has announced new Mobile Share Value plans, beginning December 8. The big news is that you can not only share data between devices, but that you'll have a 'no contract' option that can save you $15 a month. Here are the bullet points from AT&T (opens in new tab):

  • It’s never been more affordable to get on the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network. For only $45 a month, smartphone customers can now get unlimited talk and text plus 300MB of data.3 Qualifying smartphones can be added to any Mobile Share Value plan for $25 more a month per phone; tablets can be added for $10 more per device.
  • Customers with basic and messaging phones can enjoy a low monthly rate of $40 for unlimited talk, text and 300MB of data.3 For $20 more a month per phone, additional basic and messaging lines can be added to any Mobile Share Value plan.
  • In addition to the 300MB option, AT&T Mobile Share Value plans offer data options ranging from 1GB up to 50 GB, all with unlimited talk and text.

There's also a new Next plan with an 18-month upgrade option for people with up to 4 smartphones or small businesses with up to 6 company-owned devices.

If you're wondering whether or not there's LTE in your area, here's the AT&T coverage map (opens in new tab). Full details are available in the press release below. Let me know - anyone going to check out these new plans?

Source: AT&T (opens in new tab)

AT&T Introduces New Mobile Share Value Plans With More Savings and "No Annual Contract" Options

Plans Set New Standard in Freedom, Choice and Affordability for Wireless Customers Dallas, Texas, December 05, 2013

AT&T’s* new Mobile Share Value® plans will make it even easier for customers to share data and save money while enjoying the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network.1 Beginning Dec. 8, new and existing wireless consumer and business customers will have the option to choose from new Mobile Share Value plans. The new plans offer customers more savings and provide ‘No Annual Service Contract’ options.

With the ‘No Annual Service Contract’ options, smartphone customers can save $15 a month on Mobile Share Value plans.2 Customers can receive these monthly savings when they: Get a new smartphone for no down payment with AT&T Next; bring their own smartphone; purchase a smartphone at full retail price; or when their smartphone is no longer under contract and they switch to the new plans. All Mobile Share Value plan customers will benefit from shared data plus unlimited talk and text on their phones. Consumers will have the ability to connect up to 10 devices, including tablets and other wireless devices, while business customers will be able to connect up to 10, 15, 20 or 25 devices, depending on the plan.

It’s never been more affordable to get on the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network. For only $45 a month, smartphone customers can now get unlimited talk and text plus 300MB of data.3 Qualifying smartphones can be added to any Mobile Share Value plan for $25 more a month per phone; tablets can be added for $10 more per device.

Customers with basic and messaging phones can enjoy a low monthly rate of $40 for unlimited talk, text and 300MB of data.3 For $20 more a month per phone, additional basic and messaging lines can be added to any Mobile Share Value plan. In addition to the 300MB option, AT&T Mobile Share Value plans offer data options ranging from 1GB up to 50 GB, all with unlimited talk and text.

AT&T is also adding a new AT&T Nextsm plan with an 18 month upgrade option on Dec. 8. It will be available to consumers for up to four smartphones, and to select small business customers, who may provide employees with up to six company-owned devices.3 The new plan will make monthly smartphone payments even lower than the existing AT&T Next option, by spreading payments over 26 months and giving eligible customers a way to get a new smartphone after 18 monthly payments for no down payment, no upgrade fee, no activation fee and no financing fee.

“With our new Mobile Share Value Plans, customers don’t have to compromise,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility. “Our new no contract option lets customers add a smartphone to the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network at a lower monthly cost. Customers want great value and a premium network - and now they can save more and get unlimited talk, text and data to share.”

The new Mobile Share Value plans make it easy for customers to manage their data without needing to keep track of multiple plans. Consumers, Individual Responsibility Users (IRUs), and Corporate Responsibility Users (CRUs) have different options to stay informed about their data usage and can check it anytime online through the my AT&T mobile app, or by dialing *DATA# from their mobile phone. AT&T also sends courtesy alerts to customers nearing their data allowance for the month.

All plans include access to AT&T’s nationwide Wi-Fi network at no additional charge. Customers can learn more about the new plans and determine which plan is best for them at www.att.com/mobilesharevalue.

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

25 Comments
  • Very interesting. I wonder how much the price goes up for smart phones and 1GB of data.
  • Hopefully Verizon follows suit. Getting charged for subsidy when you bring your own device or pay full retail made no sense. Sent from the iMore App
  • For once, AT&T announces something that actual gets my attention. I will certainly be getting more information about this... Saving money & "No Annual Contract"... Yes! Sent from the iMore App
  • Sounds good so far, I've been holding out on the data share plan because it's more expensive then my current plan, was considering moving to tmobile but if the price equals out to not much more for att, I will stick with the better service.
  • The no contract option sounds nice, but you're still getting screwed. Let's say your base bill on contract is $80 (doesn't matter what we set this at). 1. No contract ($15 discount on bill): $65x24 months + iphone 5c unlocked ($550) = $2110 2. Contract: $80x24 months + iphone 5c subsidized ($100) = $2020 *The no contract option pays an extra $110 over two years for the privilege of using your own iphone 5c. Now the savings add up if you don't get a new phone every two years, or buy a cheaper phone like a nexus 5 to begin with, but that's the only way to save any real money.
  • Will AT&T let you move to an un-subsidized rate after two years? What if I take a subsidized iphone but am happy with it for longer than 2 years?
  • If your contract term is over you can do anything you want with your plan.
  • Actually, it is $90, not $110 ($2110 - $2020 = $90). Also, it makes sense that the unsubsidized phone plane is going to cost a little bit more because you are also getting the benefit of no-contract! You can stop anytime you like, you can leave AT&T. That is the additional benefit you are paying for. So it makes sense that the plan that does not guarantee you as an AT&T customer for two years ends up costing you a little more. It's the price of freedom.
  • Why would you go with AT&T if you're paying for your phone outright? Even with the discount, you can still get much better deals and end up with a smaller bill elsewhere.
  • AT&T has vastly greater coverage than the cheaper carriers. Tmobile still falls back to EDGE service outside of cities in most areas.
  • But there are plenty of MVNOs that run on AT&T's network.
  • I like AT&T. I have had TMobile in the past and it is unacceptable to me where I live. I am sure it's fine for other people.
  • T-Mobile is awful where I live. It's a pretty big city (around 150,000 people) and they barely have 3G coverage. Most places are still stuck on EDGE.
  • What carriers do you suggest that run on AT&T's network that are much cheaper?
  • StraightTalk has AT&T LTE SIM cards and they're plan is $45 for unlimited talk and text, plus 2.5 GB of data. AT&T's plan is for only 300 MB of data. H20 also has a $60 unlimited plan, but I'm not sure if that's still available. I'm not sure if that $45 AT&T sharing plan includes the first phone or if you also have to pay $25 for the first phone. In that case, the plan would cost $70. Wikipedia has a good list of all the MVNOs out there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_networ...
  • Yeah. I can't see why you would stick with ATT if Straighttalk gives you a better deal on unsubsidized phones. Sent from the iMore App
  • I wonder if these new plans will include the Personal Hotspot feature. I currently pay WAY TOO MUCH for the option to tether my wifi iPad, because Personal Hotspot is only available with the 5 GB Data Pro plan. I'd be happy with a 1 or 2 GB plan. Sent from the iMore App
  • If you signed up for the mobile share plan you'd likely get tethering then. It's included in all of the mobile share plans regardless of tier. Sent from the iMore App
  • Yes, but unfortunately the shared plans only start to be a better deal when you have more than one device linked to it. When I went in to the AT&T store for my upgrade to a 5S, the salesman suggested I switch to a shared plan to lower my bill. Then he did the math, and found that I would pay only slightly less, but have a significantly lower data cap...so not really worth switching. Sent from the iMore App
  • Looks like T-Mobile's plan might be starting to work. Unfortunately for them though, this gives customers much less incentive to jump ship to TM.
  • AT&T is awful. My wife and I are unfortunately stuck in contracts with them. Can't wait until it's over. Sent from the iMore App
  • This is great deal for those people with their own device. Would be great if the offer a deal to those who have stayed on contract with the company. Sent from the iMore App
  • i have 5 iPhones on my mobile share 10GB plan, and a 20% FAN discount. Switching to the comparable "value" plan would cost me $34 more per month UNLESS I have at least three out of contract phones. So it all depends on how often I will upgrade - if at least three of the lines plan to upgrade each time they have the opportunity, it will be cheaper to stay on my current plan. If at least three of the lines plan to upgrade very sporadically, it may be cheaper for me to switch. Even without the FAN discount, the new plan would still cost me $30 more per month without having any out of contract phone, so I would need to have 2 out of contract phones to have the same cost, three to save money. In short, if you have a lot of people sharing your lines, this new plan probably doesn't benefit you.
  • You are correct. I have 3 iphones on my plan. With the new plan, I would be paying $39 more each month. ATT is smart, they dont want people having more than 2 phones on a share plan. I think they are trying to crack down on friends sharing plans. But it is hurting families that share plans
  • I had at&t. I got service everywhere but was paying waaayy too much for the service. $150 a month for a blackberry? No thank you. Needless to say I left. At&t has way to many hidden charges. For example at&t sent me a bill with extra charges on it from texting 2 prior to receiving the bill. Too many gimmicks.