Apple and AT&T Announce iPhone Service Plans

daveschroeder writes "Apple and AT&T today announced service plans for iPhone, 4 days before its release in the US at 6pm local time on Friday, June 29. The plans are $59.99/mo for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes, and $99.99 for 1350 minutes, and all include unlimited data, 200 SMS messages, rollover minutes, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. Any other standard AT&T service plan may also be used. A two year service plan is required, with a $175 cancellation fee if terminated early. In addition, activations are done via iTunes, so only the hardware is purchased in the store. Interestingly, activation of a contract via iTunes is required to enable the iPod/syncing functionality of the phone as well. (It will remain to be seen whether there are workarounds for this for those who only want the iPod functionality of iPhone, and whether the iPhone is easily unlockable for those who wish to try it on alternate carriers, and so on.)"

Comments

Re:iPod functionality

[Goaway]

Bigger screen for video.

Ah ha!

[Valdrax]

If the phone calls will be running on voIP, which is *data*, then technically there should be no monthly limit on minutes. Who wants to be the first to try this out?

I think you may have just hit on the very reason why Apple isn't supporting 3rd party apps. I'll bet the deal with AT&T had some sort of language to prevent this very thing since many of the iPhone's coolest features require a lot of data access. Since non-unlimited data plans are nightmarishly expensive if you're a heavy web user (like I am), it seems almost a prerequisite that iPhone plans come with unlimited data.

Naturally, this opens up the very possibility you just mentioned, so both AT&T and Apple are probably very keen on making sure that it doesn't happen. Hence, no iPhone SDK for 3rd parties. All the bluster about controlling the experience is probably just that -- bluster meant to distract from the real issue.

Why else would Apple cripple a brand new platform that could fuel a rush of developers for them except to appease AT&T?

Re:Ah ha!

[Chuqmystr]

I think you may have just hit on the very reason why Apple isn't supporting 3rd party apps. I'll bet the deal with AT&T had some sort of language to prevent this very thing since many of the iPhone's coolest features require a lot of data access.

Indeed. Having worked in wireless myself, down in the customer support trenches, I can tell you that most carriers rue the dawn of Treo's and Win smartphones and such. If they could take it all back without blatantly appearing to be the complete and utter bastards what that they are then they certainly would faster than a 10khz tone drops an old fashion amps call.

Enter his Steveness wielding the iPhone. It does a few nifty tricks heretofore unseen from cellphones and oh, look, it's an iPod too. "Smartphone schmartphone" sez AT&T execs, "it's an iPhone and that's different. Make Mr. Jobs tweak the reality distortion field to our liking. He will acquiesce if he wants his precious to ever touch a network like ours, Muwahahaha!" Making a deal with a carrier is akin to making a deal with the dark one himself. I'd not be surprised if the iPhone has shed features along the way, features some of us have been bitching for. I've seen this first hand many times. Think Motorola and Verizon for example. Or Nokia and most any US carrier. And need I remind you how supposedly Jobs had approached VZW first who then sent him packing? It's my observation that most of us will never again see the day of newer "smart" phones getting to market 100% unmolested and in their original state as intended by the manufacturers.

Re:Who came up with these prices?

[CavemanKiwi]

Problem is you are using a check list style comparison. While sometimes these are useful let clearly indicate a case when they are not.

Bentley Vs My Car (VW Passat)

Both have 4 doors. Tie
Both Seat 5 People. Tie
Both drive on the same roads and get the passengers from A to B. Tie
Fuel Consumption. My car is better. Win my car
Price. My car is about 1/10th the price. Win my car
Speed, the Bentley is faster although given both a limited most of the time by the law and traffic conditions. Just win for the Bentley
Space. Win Bentley
Insurance cost. Win my car.

So is my car better then a Bentley. Nope although it is better value then a Bentley. It also doesn't go into all the little detail that make a Bentley better quality of finish etc. just like you fail to mention the experience of using the iPhone.

Re:Unlimited data, eh?

[dr.badass]

How hard is it to make a VOIP application that works in Safari?

Without Flash or Java? I'd say pretty damn hard.