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Tiered Data Plans Coming To the iPhone?
jfruhlinger writes "For years analysts have been insisting that Apple must introduce a cheaper iPhone, and soon. So, when Business Week heard that cheaper plans were coming, it reported the news in a positively giddy tone. But, I'm convinced that this is an under-the-radar move to shift to tiered data plans. Everyone who loves their all-you-can-eat iPhone data: enjoy it while it lasts."
Crap. It's just simple economics: if you want to lower the monthly charge for a phone on contract, you up the charges for calls and data. In the UK, if you want an iPhone on contract, you're looking at 30UKP a month plus the subsidised cost of the handset: this is a not-inconsiderable monthly charge. They'd sell to a whole additional demographic if they could push it out at 15UKP a month with a nearly-all-you-can-eat plan, with costs for going over your allowance - hell, I'd probably buy it myself - my 600 minutes and 600 texts a month gets barely touched, although I use the data a lot.
It would also give O2 a way of offloading all the surplus 3G iPhones cheap in advance of the latest model getting announced in June...
Everyone who loves their all-you-can-eat iPhone data: enjoy it while it lasts."
In New Zealand on our iPhone plans,
All only available on a 24 month contract. My heart bleeds you for America.
In observing iPhone users of my acquaintance, and in my vicinity, I've gotten the impression that one of the things that separates it from the touch, in their perception and use, is the "always connected" aspect of it. The being able to use the internet and internet related applications more or less without thinking about it, unlike the touch, where you have to be near a friendly AP.
Given that, I'd be very curious to see how it would fare under a limited data plan. Having to think about the data you are using really crimps the casual and spontaneous nature of the use(just as, when I was on dialup, "being online" was a separate state from "being on the computer" even though the dial-in process only took a couple of minutes, tops. Once I got broadband, even crap DSL, the two became more or less synonymous). If there is a large population that just wants an iPhone for music and/or status, then this should be well recieved. It should also be popular, assuming the price is low enough, with anybody who currently has a touch and a carrier throwaway handset and wants to consolidate.
Outside of those populations, though, an iPhone on a limited data plan seems rather unattractive. Strictly as a phone, the iPhone is merely OK, and pretty damn expensive for what you get. The charm is in what it can do with a data connection. Having to look over your shoulder at your usage all the time would seem to render that less attractive.
I'm grandfathered into an unlimited 3G Data & SMS plan for $20/month. Now they have a tendency to call me and leave voicemails when I use too much data (telling me that I must "upgrade" to a different plan). But I just never call them back and don't run into an issue.
...I use my wife's iPhone to scrape ice off the windshield.
It felt good to get that off my chest.
Beyond this I do not see tiers. Most cell companies do not seem to be moving in this direction.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
What I would like to see is rollover data. Right now I'm paying $30/mo for an "Unlimited" data plan (which is really just 5GB/mo). My average cellular data usage is around 60-70MB/mo. 95% of my time is spent in places that have wifi coverage. If they would offer a 100MB plan for $10/mo with rollover data I'd be on it in a heartbeat.
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
As long as they make this plan change after your initial term is up, it isn't a bait and switch - no one is forced to provide the same service indefinitely, especially when the original contract has expired.
"For years analysts have been insisting that Apple must introduce a cheaper iPhone, and soon.
i'm not going to read this story based upon the above quote. the iphone has been out for almost 2 years. you don't get to use the phrase "for years" when talking about something that technically isn't 2 years old. this is an attempt to make this story a bigger deal than what it really is.
The iPhone 'product' is a hardware device, produced by Apple. You purchase it outright for cash in a one-time transaction.
Internet access (unlimited or otherwise), as well as 'the ability to receive (or make) calls' are services provided by a telecom company, which you pay an ongoing monthly fee for.
For the most part, when you buy the hardware device you are also forced to subscribe to the service from (a particular) telecom company.
You sound like you are 'all for' forced bundling of the two, as opposed to free market competition. Good luck with that. I'd prefer choose and purchase a device. and then (separately) choose and purchase service. Eg I consider a "device" product (which I might use with one or more of a variety of service products) as entirely and wholly seperate from a "service" product (which I might choose to use with one or more of a variety of device products)
Apparently the HTML-Entity works, I saw it in another thread: :)
& euro ; (withot the spaces) gives you: €.
Viola.
sig? Oh, that sig...
I never tracked it precisely, but after getting the calls I checked my usage and every time it was over 1GB for the month. I used to use the phone tethered to my laptop during my commute (90 minute each way). I no longer have such a long commute, so I don't use nearly as much data.
That only works if you assume that "logic", "fair use" and "common sense" are at play here. i.e. I paid for and own my cell phone so I can unlock it and do what I want with it right? (I'm in Canada, so actually I can, but not so much in the US, your mileage may vary by state)
Point being, if you pay for data, it shouldn't matter how that data is used, period. It shouldn't even matter on unlimited plans. Data is data. Everyone here on slashdot understands it, as do the providers, but why not gouge the consumer anyway, it's not like there's a regulatory body in charge of making sure the consumer is protected against this sort of thing... /sarcasm
--Not to be worried, Pitr fix.
Why do 3G data plans cost this much? Why are providers fighting to drop unlimited data plans whenever they've existed to go back to tiered models?
I was looking into purchasing a 3G data card to use as my primary Internet connection, since I primarily use a laptop anyway and frequently am traveling or otherwise on the road.
Verizon: $59.99/mo for 5GB (or $199.99/mo for 10GB, which is only available by request and not advertised.)
AT&T: $59.99/mo for 5GB
Sprint: $59.99/mo for 5GB
T-Mobile: Had trouble finding specifics for a standalone card, gave up looking.
So, there you have it: all the major carriers offering this service, offer the exact same product at the exact same price. (The product being wireless 3G data access, anyone who wants to mention the modulation differences is being pedantic.) Price-fixing and collusion, anyone? Sprint used to offer an actually-unlimited data plan, but as far as I know, that ended quickly and their pricing fell right in line with that of their "competitors." It would actually be cheaper for me to purchase multiple 5GB accounts than to just use a single device the entire time.
Why is it like this? Surely, the cellular networks aren't so much lower capacity than regular networks are. It's not like everyone would suddenly ditch their cable/DSL/fiber service and switch to 3G anyway: most people don't need or even want that. I'd be willing to pay about $100/month for true-unlimited 3G service, but I just can't find anyone willing to sell it to me.
I think the FTC and FCC should open some investigations on this subject. Especially with these companies spending billions to "upgrade their infrastructure" in a way that, apparently, provides consumers with fewer choices and more restrictions.
AT&T phones use SIM cards. You can pop your card into an unlocked phone that you buy somewhere other than an AT&T store with no problem - no new activation required. (I'm actually using an HP iPAQ 614c, which isn't even sold in the US.) You only need to cave and sign the new contract if you want them to subsidize your phone.
Hey, does anybody besides me realize that a cell phone company who charged on a "point" system would probably have customers flocking to them?
You buy a given amount of points per month. A text message costs the minimum 1 point. 3 points/minute for calls on prime time, 1 point/minute nights and weekends. 2 points/mb data prime time, 1 point/mb data nights/weekends. Buy your points and spend them as you like to meet your own needs. It could be a great deal on both sides.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."