Since ATT killed cheap pay as you go data, how can I do pay as you go iPhone now?

[GWestphal]

I just tried to refill my pay as you go data only to find they had changed there policies and the .10/min plan is no longer eligible for data. Well, I guess I had a good run of 9 months and only spending $200 for an iPhone.

The question now is, can I get a similar plan somewhere else now? I suppose Tmobile and boost are the only other GSM carriers I know of, but I didn't see pay as you go mobile on either?

 

[Tyranicus]

You can get a SIM from Straight Talk. Unlimited data, talk, and text for $45/month.

 

[bearxor]

Probably what I would do.

 

[Toasthead]

data NOT unlimited on ST. more like 1-2 GB

 

[GWestphal]

Ah man, that's over double what I was paying per month before! No providers have monthly data that you can buy with a pay by the minute plan?

Supposedly ATT sent a text about the policy change, but I never received anything. I'm very disgruntled.

 

[TheStu]

Ah man, that's over double what I was paying per month before! No providers have monthly data that you can buy with a pay by the minute plan?

Supposedly ATT sent a text about the policy change, but I never received anything. I'm very disgruntled.

The whole thing is $45/mo. You were paying less than half of that before?

 

[GWestphal]

Since I still have $26 in my account, I spent $174 for cell service over the course of 9 full months (9/1/2011- Present), with voice (0.10/min), unlimited texts (google voice), and pay as you go bandwidth as needed ($25 for 500 MB which would typically last me 2-3 months, $5 for 10 MB too keep the data rolling over). So, $174/9 = $19.33 on average, but as long as I had bandwidth it was closer to $5-10/month (basically just data rollover cost plus a few minutes of calls).

 

[rsutoratosu]

yeah, in the same boat.. i end up changing to the 25/month plan and getting the 1gb for 25, basically 50 a month..

I figure the 25/month voice isn't bad, almost a dollar a day. I get quite a few calls, so 25/month isn't bad, im heavy on the data side, the 500mb last about 20 days, so having 1gb for 25 isn't bad, i usually would buy 2 - 500mb packs a month

 

[sportage]

Yeah they are ripping us off, all of them, big time for data. We know that. So do they.
I still have the unlimited plan but constantly get warning texts that they will reduce "speed" if data goes beyond 3gb, even though I do have unlimited. Even though my unlimited was grandfathered in, I expect unlimited even for grandfathered customers to end soon. You know it's coming...

 

[pcslookout]

Yeah they are ripping us off, all of them, big time for data. We know that. So do they.
I still have the unlimited plan but constantly get warning texts that they will reduce "speed" if data goes beyond 3gb, even though I do have unlimited. Even though my unlimited was grandfathered in, I expect unlimited even for grandfathered customers to end soon. You know it's coming...

Yep 🙁

 

[vailr]

Might look into PagePlus.com, which is a Verizon access reseller.
They're CDMA only, so you'd need to acquire a compatible CDMA IPhone.
Their "voice only" plans can be very economical, but not sure how well their voice + data plan would compete with a regular Verizon account.

 

[nitrous9200]

data NOT unlimited on ST. more like 1-2 GB

Good enough at that price.

Might look into PagePlus.com, which is a Verizon access reseller.
They're CDMA only, so you'd need to acquire a compatible CDMA IPhone.
Their "voice only" plans can be very economical, but not sure how well their voice + data plan would compete with a regular Verizon account.

I've heard that iPhones aren't supported on Page Plus, as in they're not allowed to be activated (but sometimes you can get lucky, slip through the cracks and get one activated).
I've been running the TnT 1200 plan for a year now, which is $30/month for 1200 minutes, 3000 texts and 100MB of data. There's also a $55 plan with "unlimited" minutes and texting and 1GB of data.

 

[jalaram]

Although it's not 3g and you'll have to unlock your phone, there's a $30/mo T-Mo plan with 100min and unl. data/text.

Before anyone picks a nit, data is capped at 5gb for 3g which is moot on a iPhone.

 

[GWestphal]

So we T-Mobile, you only get edge speed, right? Better than nothing I suppose. Do you just need to get a SIM and then pop it in and connect to itunes to unlock or is there some shenanigans I need to do to unlock it. IIRC they were unlocking out of contract phones...

 

[Tyranicus]

So we T-Mobile, you only get edge speed, right? Better than nothing I suppose. Do you just need to get a SIM and then pop it in and connect to itunes to unlock or is there some shenanigans I need to do to unlock it. IIRC they were unlocking out of contract phones...

If the phone is out of contract, you can call AT&T to unlock it.

 

[GWestphal]

I ended my formal iphone service with ATT last August and started using the pay as you go service. I called about the unlock, but they said my phone doesn't have an unlock code because I don't have current service. It's a 3GS with 5.16.05 baseband, so am I just SOL here? Time to get a new phone?

 

[Ns1]

So we T-Mobile, you only get edge speed, right? Better than nothing I suppose. Do you just need to get a SIM and then pop it in and connect to itunes to unlock or is there some shenanigans I need to do to unlock it. IIRC they were unlocking out of contract phones...

E on an iPhone IS nothing. My parents have iPhones on TMO and srsly, why bother? Can't even look at their mobile security camera software cuz the network is too damn slow.

 

[alent1234]

t-mo is deploying hspa+ on 1900MHz bands. i think phoenix is already up and running. other markets by the end of the year

 

[GWestphal]

Yeah, I was wanting to run the phone I Tmobile because of that announcement, and the $30 unlimited data plan. But looks like my 3GS has basically become and iTouch now since ATT won't unlock it. F*ck ATT.