AT&T Mobility outlines iPhone pricing

[Blue4Life]

AT&T Mobility outlines iPhone pricing

By Allie Winter
Story posted: July 1, 2008 - 12:57 pm EDT -- Story modified: July 1, 2008 - 12:59 pm EDT

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AT&T Mobility offered the stipulations you’d expect in detailing the pricing and conditions for the forthcoming Apple Inc. 3G iPhone.

The $199 and $299 price tags (8 GB and 16 GB, respectively) for the new handsets are only available to current iPhone owners and new customers. The prices, accompanied by a two-year contract, apply to the following individuals:

--Current iPhone owners who purchased the original version before July 11.

--Customers activating a new line with AT&T Mobility or current AT&T Mobility customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount. New customers will pay a $36 activation fee while existing customers only pay $18.

AT&T Mobility subscribers smack in the middle of an existing contract will be stuck with old iPhone prices, paying $399 for the 8GB model and $499 for the 16GB model. Eligibility for the new pricing rests in contract time remaining and payment history.

Interestingly, the carrier also plans to offer a non-contract option price at $599 for the 8GB and $699 for the 16GB.

Plan pricing, with unlimited data, use is as follows:

--Unlimited anytime minutes for $129.99 per month;

--1350 anytime minutes and unlimited nights and weekend for $109.99 per month;

--900 anytime minutes with unlimited nights and weekends for $89.99 per month;

--and 450 minutes with 5,000 nights and weekend minutes for $69.99 per month.

Messaging can be added to any plan for $20 (unlimited messaging), $15 (1,500 messages) or $5 (200 messages).

AT&T Mobility will also feature family plans for iPhone clans starting at $129.99 per month for two 3G iPhone lines sharing 700 anytime minutes. Additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each.

Business iPhone users must use the Enterprise Data Plan, currently for $45 per month, and it can be bundled with a voice plan.

The iPhone is set to launch in the United States on July 11, and Apple is planning to launch its toy in 22 different countries simultaneously.

[bobolito]

I fixed the pricing in that article. One of the prices was wrong.

For a user like me, the new iPhone will cost $15 more per month than what I pay now. Data is $10 more, and no messaging is included.... so I would have to add the $5 messaging plan on top of the $30 for data.....RIPOFF!

[Eric47]

i dont know about rip off, your getting data speeds that are, on an average, 7-8x faster with peaks 10-15x faster. i recently found myself in a 3G area and i gotta tell you, once you have it, you will see the value, espically on a data-intesive device such as this new device.

[budney]

Originally Posted by Eric47

i dont know about rip off, your getting data speeds that are, on an average, 7-8x faster with peaks 10-15x faster. i recently found myself in a 3G area and i gotta tell you, once you have it, you will see the value, espically on a data-intesive device such as this new device.

You will get those speeds with any 3G device regardless of what data plan you have, so it's a bit of a rip. Not to mention AT&T has a long way to go fully deploying 3G.

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by budney

You will get those speeds with any 3G device regardless of what data plan you have, so it's a bit of a rip. Not to mention AT&T has a long way to go fully deploying 3G.

Prices have stayed the same for voice, individual or family plans; Prices are the same for SMS, $5 for 200 messages, $15 for 1500 SMS per individual, $20 unlimited for individual and $30 unlimited SMS for a family plan, shared by all users.; Prices for unlimited Edge or 3G data are the same as currently for a Blackberry or any PDA with ATT...$30 a month.

Where is the complaint? Nothing changed really. Only for a non blackberry or non PDA data plan user that was $15.

[bobolito]

Let me show you what has changed here: The iPhone 2G was considered as a regular phone regarding data and messaging. Now it is considered as a Smartphone/PDA. Why did they switch? Not only are they keeping 100% of the revenue stream (since they no longer share that with Apple) but also they are getting a larger amount of revenue!

Previously you could get unlimited data and 200 messages for $20 on the iPhone, which seemed reasonable to me because that's what you pay with a MediaMax 200 plan. Now, in order to get exactly the same service on the iPhone 3G, it will cost you $35!. That's a $15 increase at the minimum to receive the same service. I know what you're going to say, "you're getting 3G speeds", but that's not an excuse because higher speeds does not equal higher prices in the wireless industry. Every time data speeds get upgraded prices have never gone up. When we went from GPRS to EDGE, data plans remained the same. For Smartphones and PDAs going from EDGE to 3G the data price plans have not changed, so why should they change for the iPhone? The iPhone 3G is not more of a Smartphone/PDA than its predecessor. It's the same device with GPS and 3G hardware and new software. So this is not about the 3G speed, because if that were the case, then AT&T would have to raise rates across the board for regular phones on MediaMax plans as well that are enjoying the same 3G speeds.

Wireless carriers are already filling their pockets for free with the hyper-lucrative messaging service. Unlimited Text messaging used to be $2.99/month in 1998, 10 years later it is $20.00! and I bet you it is now cheaper to transmit messages than it was back in 1998.

Customers can do next to nothing about this, but the FCC can, and I think they should step up and put an end to this abuse wireless carriers have on our wallets. Frankly, 20 cents for a single stream of 160 characters is beyond obscene.

If they were to charge $10 extra for the iPhone 3G and also included 200 messages as they had it before, maybe I would've said they're pushing it a bit already but I can take it. However, when they increase the price $10 and remove messaging so that you have to pay extra on top of the extra you're already paying, that goes beyond limits for me.

I realize smartphones/PDAs were already paying the same price for data and messaging, but I've always thought those prices were ridiculous, but I also thought maybe it was because smartphones/pdas were primarily for business users so they were charging premiums for that, but when that same pricing comes to a consumer device, they're pushing it beyond the edge.

[Eric47]

lets not forget your saving 200 on the phone upfront tho. so even over a year your only paying 40$ more over a 2 year period.

[viewfly]

Originally Posted by bobolito

Let me show you what has changed here: The iPhone 2G was considered as a regular phone regarding data and messaging. Now it is considered as a Smartphone/PDA. Why did they switch? Not only are they keeping 100% of the revenue stream (since they no longer share that with Apple) but also they are getting a larger amount of revenue!

Previously you could get unlimited data and 200 messages for $20 on the iPhone, which seemed reasonable to me because that's what you pay with a MediaMax 200 plan. Now, in order to get exactly the same service on the iPhone 3G, it will cost you $35!. That's a $15 increase at the minimum to receive the same service. I know what you're going to say, "you're getting 3G speeds", but that's not an excuse because higher speeds does not equal higher prices in the wireless industry. Every time data speeds get upgraded prices have never gone up. When we went from GPRS to EDGE, data plans remained the same. For Smartphones and PDAs going from EDGE to 3G the data price plans have not changed, so why should they change for the iPhone? The iPhone 3G is not more of a Smartphone/PDA than its predecessor. It's the same device with GPS and 3G hardware and new software. So this is not about the 3G speed, because if that were the case, then AT&T would have to raise rates across the board for regular phones on MediaMax plans as well that are enjoying the same 3G speeds.

Wireless carriers are already filling their pockets for free with the hyper-lucrative messaging service. Unlimited Text messaging used to be $2.99/month in 1998, 10 years later it is $20.00! and I bet you it is now cheaper to transmit messages than it was back in 1998.

Customers can do next to nothing about this, but the FCC can, and I think they should step up and put an end to this abuse wireless carriers have on our wallets. Frankly, 20 cents for a single stream of 160 characters is beyond obscene.

If they were to charge $10 extra for the iPhone 3G and also included 200 messages as they had it before, maybe I would've said they're pushing it a bit already but I can take it. However, when they increase the price $10 and remove messaging so that you have to pay extra on top of the extra you're already paying, that goes beyond limits for me.

I realize smartphones/PDAs were already paying the same price for data and messaging, but I've always thought those prices were ridiculous, but I also thought maybe it was because smartphones/pdas were primarily for business users so they were charging premiums for that, but when that same pricing comes to a consumer device, they're pushing it beyond the edge.

Yeah, I hear your argument. My meaning is that the previous iPhone data package was an anomaly from other smart phones pricing...and now they just brought it in line with that pricing.

With my Nokia 6131, I get unlimited data for $15 + $5 for 200 messages. Total $20. My college kid's BB ( and btw, A LOT of college kids have BB, not just business people these days), pays $30 for the BB data plan (but no SMS). She finding with many friends having BB, and with Push Mail and BB messaging, they don't use the 160charactor SMS as much as before. Since one can send/receive SMS via email, I think Apple and ATT see SMS going bye-bye. And maybe it should.

The 2G iphone has always, I think, been displayed as a smartphone on the aTT web page, yet the data plan was different from the others. True, we are not getting push email for that price, but we are getting a full rich browser experience, better than Opera on my 6131.

Plus, it seems, we are getting GPS service without paying an extra fee for it.

So I don't like paying $30 either (when I get my iphone...soon), but I don't see getting fanatical about the price since it is in line with what truly is a smartphone product.

The prices will come down. The BB rates have dropped alot from even just a year or two ago.

vf

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

i can deal with the iPhones data......i think that with all they give you and the network that they have to keep up.....i just pay it and dont complain......but boblito is right in saying that the FCC should step in

[bobolito]

What bothers me the most is not including messaging in these new packages. I realize they are just bringing them in line with the rest of the smartphones, but why didn't they do that last year with the first iPhone? Sounds like AT&T realized they were being too "generous" to us and decided to bait and switch.

But speaking of messaging in general, prices are beyond obscene. Just read the article I posted about that today. There needs to be some sort of regulation on such abusive pricing: http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/wi...f-texting.html (The Rising Cost of Texting)

[Mobile Mike]

I'm happy to stick with my original iPhone, unlocked and on T-Mobile. Yes, 3G would be nice, but I can live without it. Wi-Fi does nicely.

[bobolito]

Good for you!

But now that I think about it, since the iPhone can't do MMS, then why should I still pay $5/month for 200 messages if I can only use it for SMS? Don't you think this is another way AT&T is ripping us off? At most, it should be $1.99/month because customers shouldn't be paying for something they can't use. If they're going to charge Smartphone prices, then let's be fair!

[hf1khal]

The situation seems to be the same with what it used to be with BB. If you remember, BB did not do MMS too and less than 2 years ago the MMS started (at least on ATT (T Mobile was doing so already). But with the Iphone and since it has no vedio recording I don't see the need for MMS. I know with a BB I used to send and recieve photos via emails and still do till now. I am not very familiar with iPhones and not sre if it can send pics as an attachment via email.

Now for me I was realy thinking of getting the iphone and letting go of the BB but looking at what has been said so far, the iPhone has a bit to go before I even think about it. It still mising on some features and one that is important to me is the voice dialing. another is the still crippled BT functionality. Overall, the iphone prices now seem to be in line with others and the push to get people to buy it seems to have subsided and that it is time to start maing mony on it. Lets put it this way, they had to make it intersting to get people to buy and take teh plan now that those users ae hooked, they will most likely go for the extra cost.

[bobolito]

The iPhone can send and receive pictures via email. That's not a problem. However, if someone sends you an MMS via the 10-digit number alone, the iPhone won't receive it. The sender has to send the MMS to your email address instead so the iPhone can receive it. It seems that Apple took care of the many things that were hard to implement, and in the process they forgot to include the easy, most obvious features.

Crippled BT is another bummer too. But I only use BT for headsets, to tether a laptop, or to transfer files. But there are ways around those limitations. I read that some guys were working on a way to turn the iPhone into an access point since you can't tether so that laptops can use the iPhone WiFi signal to connect to the internet. Also instead of stereo BT, I rather use a cable. Sounds much better. And to transfer files, jailbreaking takes care of that, although you have to use a cable. I don't have a problem with that.

[hf1khal]

good to know, the only aricking points now are the hackers with a new jailbreak for 2.0 and the availability of a third party software to envoke voice dialing. I just can't beleive that Aple did not release vedio recording yet, they sure seem to be following RIMs misteps who is now enabling vedio recording on their camera devices with the 4.5 OS.