AT&T Is Clearly Trying To Get Rid of iPhone/iPad Customers: "Unlimited" Plans Now 2GB

[ViRGE]

New plans for new customers, starting June 7th:

$15: 200MB, $15 per additional 200MB
$25: 2GB, $10 per additional 1GB

Tethering is available for the $25, at $20/month. The $30 Unlimited (really: 5GB) plan is no longer available for new customers, but existing contracts are grandfathered in and may keep it.

These plans apply to both the iPhone and the iPad.

TUAW's graphic

So for a savings of $5 a month (17&#37, you give up 60% of your transfer limits. Try surfing the web on the iPad on 2GB/month, it should be hilarious.

AT&T is clearly trying to drive away iPhone and iPad customers, there's no other rational explanation.

 

[chin311]

hmmm this isn't good news for all, wish they still had unlimited as well as offering smaller plans for people who don't consume as much.

how much data is included in the 20$ plan then? I use more then 200mb but def not 2gb.

 

[ViRGE]

There are only 2 plans: 200MB for $15, and 2GB for $25.

 

[dmw16]

I really don't see what AT&T is thinking here.

 

[SandEagle]

fvck. why did i get a stupid ipad then?

 

[AnyMal]

I've been monitoring my data usage for few months and don't see how this would be a bad thing. I use web/email extensively and stream music every day, yet hardly ever go over 1 GB of data per month. Five bucks in savings? Yes, please!

 

[DnetMHZ]

I've been monitoring my data usage for few months and don't see how this would be a bad thing. I use web/email extensively and stream music every day, yet hardly ever go over 1 GB of data per month. Five bucks in savings? Yes, please!

I'm in the same boat. I'd still like to have an unlimited plan so I don't have to think about it but I will probably be fine.

In all honesty, the 2 places I use my phone about 90% of the time are at home and at my office. I have wifi in both these places but still use 3G most of the time just because I can. (The "I paid for it, I'm gonna use it mentality") I could easily turn on wifi and cut my 3G usage way down.

 

[sourceninja]

So wait, if you pay the extra 20 a month for tethering your still limited to 2gigs total?

 

[SandEagle]

I've been monitoring my data usage for few months and don't see how this would be a bad thing. I use web/email extensively and stream music every day, yet hardly ever go over 1 GB of data per month. Five bucks in savings? Yes, please!

not a bad thing for you, but what about users that stream videos? youtube, netflix, etc. i guess i can sign up today and get grandfathered in. five extra bucks for unlimited? Yes, please!

 

[ViRGE]

So wait, if you pay the extra 20 a month for tethering your still limited to 2gigs total?

Yes.

 

[sourceninja]

Yes.

Why even bother offering it then? Makes more sense NOT to use iphone tethering and to use their normal 3g USB offering (or to just not use ATT).

This just solidifies what I already know. My next phone will not be an iphone and my next provider will not be ATT.

 

[mugs]

I really don't see what AT&T is thinking here.

They were probably thinking that a small percentage of users account for a huge majority of their data usage; they don't want any more of those users and don't care if they renew their contracts.

I just checked my data usage, I'm just under 2 GB for the last 18 months. Streaming media is probably the only thing that'll push you over 2 GB in a month. Apparently AT&T doesn't want you to use your phone for streaming media.

 

[sourceninja]

I'm ok with 2 gig limit for my phone. But I want to tether to my ipad/notebook. That I am sure will use more than 2 gig. Say like if I'm on the road and need a few hundred meg of files for a client. It would be nice to not need to hunt down a free wireless hotspot.

2 gig for tethering is simply worthless.

 

[DnetMHZ]

They were probably thinking that a small percentage of users account for a huge majority of their data usage; they don't want any more of those users and don't care if they renew their contracts.

I just checked my data usage, I'm just under 2 GB for the last 18 months. Streaming media is probably the only thing that'll push you over 2 GB in a month. Apparently AT&T doesn't want you to use your phone for streaming media.

I just did a quick spreadsheet for the last 9 months for the wife and I, looks like we will be just fine.

............... Me (KB) Wife (KB)
05/2010... 722,374... 452,959
04/2010... 706,698... 353,020
03/2010... 853,271... 352,057
02/2010... 428,537... 304,080
01/2010... 156,773... 188,584
12/2009... 304,187... 453,341
11_2009... 188,416... 253,593
10_2009... 249,084... 376,216
09_2009... 596,715... 216,470

 

[ViRGE]

They were probably thinking that a small percentage of users account for a huge majority of their data usage; they don't want any more of those users and don't care if they renew their contracts.

I just checked my data usage, I'm just under 2 GB for the last 18 months. Streaming media is probably the only thing that'll push you over 2 GB in a month. Apparently AT&T doesn't want you to use your phone for streaming media.

Things AT&T doesn't want you using your phone for:

• Streaming video
• Streaming audio
• Digital magazines (have you seen the size of the Wired mag/app?)
• Tethering
• Buying music online
• Video conferencing

Things AT&T does want you using your phone for:

• Calling people in the middle of the day. Bonus points if it's International
• Text messages. Bonus points if it's to a paid service such as KGB or American Idol

 

[Ns1]

isn't 2 gb like, 3 videos on the netflix app?

besides, with tethering unlimited data is a must.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I just looked at my iPhone data usage and I seem to hover at around 130 MB/month for as far back as I can see the information. I can certainly safely move to the $25 plan and would probably be comfortable with the $15 one. I don't have a 3G iPad so that's not a factor for me.

 

[Kmax82]

I just looked at my iPhone data usage and I seem to hover at around 130 MB/month for as far back as I can see the information. I can certainly safely move to the $25 plan and would probably be comfortable with the $15 one. I don't have a 3G iPad so that's not a factor for me.

I agree.. I don't mind the reduction on the phone side.. but tethering is worthless with a 2GB limit. I was contemplating switching back to ATT too, if the iPhone doesn't get released on Tmo/Verizon (which I'm very skeptical about).

 

[KeithP]

I don't understand why tethering would be extra if there are data caps. It seems to me tethering, and texting for that matter, should be free. They should just be taken out of your data limit. It seems ridiculous to have a capped data plan where you randomly take out services that use data and charge extra for them.

The timing wasn't an accident of course. With the new iPhone coming AT&T knows a lot of people will be upgrading. This is their way of doing everything they can to kill the unlimited plans as soon as possible.

Because I don't use a lot of data, this new scheme will save $5 per month. However, I may move to an Android phone on another carrier now. As a consumer, the only way to fight this kind of thing is to take your dollars elsewhere.

-KeithP

 

[TheStu]

Do we have any sources beyond TUAW to back this up?

 

[ViRGE]

Because I don't use a lot of data, this new scheme will save $5 per month. However, I may move to an Android phone on another carrier now. As a consumer, the only way to fight this kind of thing is to take your dollars elsewhere.

-KeithP

Given the "competitive" nature of the market, I'm going to be surprised if Verizon doesn't follow AT&T on this. Sprint and T-Mobile are the underdogs and may or may not follow at the moment.

 

[ViRGE]

Do we have any sources beyond TUAW to back this up?

AT&T Press Release: http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=30854

 

[Kmax82]

I don't understand why tethering would be extra if there are data caps. It seems to me tethering, and texting for that matter, should be free. They should just be taken out of your data limit. It seems ridiculous to have a capped data plan where you randomly take out services that use data and charge extra for them.

The timing wasn't an accident of course. With the new iPhone coming AT&T knows a lot of people will be upgrading. This is their way of doing everything they can to kill the unlimited plans as soon as possible.

Because I don't use a lot of data, this new scheme will save $5 per month. However, I may move to an Android phone on another carrier now. As a consumer, the only way to fight this kind of thing is to take your dollars elsewhere.

-KeithP

I completely agree. I love my iPhone, but I'm almost 80% over the edge on getting an Android phone.

 

[herkulease]

I completely agree. I love my iPhone, but I'm almost 80% over the edge on getting an Android phone.

but going android won't save you from this though. I'm sure verizon will do the same thing as AT&T soon.

verizon upped their ETF and ma bell just did the same.

I'm hoping what verizon plans to do, it gets leaked in advance so I can jump on their unlimited.

I've been sitting out wait to see what hte summer brings.

 

[TheStu]

Apparently if you go over the 2GB limit, it is $10/GB which isn't that bad really. I wonder if they are going to adjust their rules for people with discounts. I just put my first gen iphone onto AT&T on a monthly basis, and was told that my gov't employee discount only applies to data plans that cost $30 or more, and the original iPhone used a $20 plan.