How does the iPhone stack up in total cost?
It's no secret or surprise that Apple pushed AT&T into whipping up some new plans for the iPhone -- specialness aside, one look at AT&T and users can get lost in its myriad plans, 44 in all (including prepaid, data, etc.). Not exactly the streamlined customer Apple experience cherishes, so the iPhone just comes with just a few service options (and not a lot to configure) -- but is there really the "Apple premium" associated with buying an iPhone and using the iPhone plan with AT&T? Only one way to find out: let's look at the numbers.A note on AT&T data plans
We know AT&T has a lot of data plans to choose from, and your average AT&T CSR would have told us that to match the iPhone's service features your average smartphone user would need to buy the PDA Personal plan (for $30 a month) with a $5 200 SMS add-on. (According to Apple, iPhone users can sign up for this, or any other data plan they choose.)
The reality is a lot of in-store reps will just give smartphone users the MEdia Max 200 bundle, which their non-smartphone unlimited data + 200 SMS plan -- but costs $15 less per month (at $20) and is a lot closer to what you'd be paying for the iPhone. We know this isn't the "official" way of comparing AT&T's listed prices, but it's certainly the most fair real world scenario. Ready to dig into the numbers that dig into your wallet?
All prices listed include current rebates and promos (where available), valid as of June 26th.
| | iPhone 4GB | iPhone 8GB | 3125 | BB Curve | BB Pearl | Treo 750 | BlackJack | 8525 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base price |
$500 | $600 | $350 | $450 | $400 | $550 | $325 | $600 |
| Price (2 yr) | $500 | $600 | $100 | $200 | $150 | $200 | $75 | $300 |
| Speed | EDGE | EDGE | EDGE | EDGE | EDGE | 3G | 3G | 3G |
| Data plan | iPhone plan | iPhone plan | MM200 | BB Internet | BB Internet | MM200 | MM200 | MM200 |
| Data cost | Included | Included | $19.99 | $34.99 | $34.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 |
| Base / month | $79.99 | $79.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 |
| Cost / month | $79.99 | $79.99 | $79.98 | $94.98 | $94.98 | $79.98 | $79.98 | $79.98 |
| Cost / year | $959 | $959 | $959 | $1,139 | $1,139 | $959 | $959 | $959 |
| Cost / 2 years | $1,919 | $1,919 | $1,919 | $2,279 | $2,279 | $1,919 | $1,919 | $1,919 |
| Total cost | $2,419 | $2,519 | $2,019 | $2,479 | $2,429 | $2,119 | $1,994 | $2,219 |
Plan cost comparison done with base iPhone plan contrasted with closest available AT&T minute plan and MEdia Max 200 bundle. Cost does not include activation fees.
| Individual plan |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 450 | Nation 450 | iPhone 900 | Nation 900 | iPhone 1350 | Nation 1350 | |||
| Minutes | 450 | 450 | 900 | 900 | 1350 | 1350 | ||
| Unlimited data | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | ||
| (Visual) voicemail | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| SMS | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | ||
| Nights + weekends | 5000 | 5000 | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Rollover | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Unlimited M2M | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Activation fee | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | ||
| Monthly service | $59.99 | $39.99 | $79.99 | $59.99 | $99.99 | $79.99 | ||
| Total cost per month | $59.99 | $59.98 | $79.99 | $79.98 | $99.99 | $99.98 | ||
| Cost for 1 year | $719.88 | $719.76 | $959.88 | $959.76 | $1,199.88 | $1,199.76 | ||
| Cost for 2 years | $1,439.76 | $1,439.52 | $1,919.76 | $1,919.52 | $2,399.76 | $2,399.52 | ||
| Individual plan (with extended minutes) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 2000 | Unity 2000 | iPhone 4000 | Unity 4000 | iPhone 6000 | Unity 6000 | |||
| Minutes | 2000 | 2000 | 4000 | 4000 | 6000 | 6000 | ||
| Unlimited data | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | ||
| (Visual) voicemail | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| SMS | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | ||
| Nights + weekends | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Rollover | x | not inc | x | not inc | x | not inc | ||
| AT&T unity minutes | not inc | x | not inc | x | not inc | x | ||
| Unlimited M2M | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Activation fee | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | ||
| Monthly service | $119.99 | $99.99 | $169.99 | $149.99 | $219.99 | $199.99 | ||
| Total cost per month | $119.99 | $119.98 | $169.99 | $169.98 | $219.99 | $219.98 | ||
| Cost for 1 year | $1,439.88 | $1,439.76 | $2,039.88 | $2,039.76 | $2,639.88 | $2,639.76 | ||
| Cost for 2 years | $2,879.76 | $2,879.52 | $4,079.76 | $4,079.52 | $5,279.76 | $5,279.52 | ||
| Family plan |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 700 | Nation 700 | iPhone 1400 | Nation 1400 | iPhone 2100 | Nation 2100 | |||
| Minutes | 700 | 700 | 1400 | 1400 | 2100 | 2100 | ||
| Unlimited data | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | ||
| (Visual) voicemail | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| SMS | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | ||
| Nights + weekends | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Rollover | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Unlimited M2M | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Additional lines | $29.99 | $9.99 | $29.99 | $9.99 | $29.99 | $9.99 | ||
| Activation fee | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | ||
| Monthly service | $80.00 | $69.99 | $100.00 | $89.99 | $120.00 | $109.99 | ||
| 1 line per month | $80.00 | $89.98 | $100.00 | $109.98 | $120.00 | $129.98 | ||
| 2 lines | $109.99 | $119.96 | $129.99 | $139.96 | $149.99 | $159.96 | ||
| 3 lines | $139.98 | $149.94 | $159.98 | $169.94 | $179.98 | $189.94 | ||
| Cost for 3 lines, 1 year | $1,679.76 | $1,799.28 | $1,919.76 | $2,039.28 | $2,159.76 | $2,279.28 | ||
| Cost for 3 lines, 2 years | $3,359.52 | $3,598.56 | $3,839.52 | $4,078.56 | $4,319.52 | $4,558.56 | ||
| Family plan (with extended minutes) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 3000 | Nation 3000 | iPhone 4000 | Nation 4000 | iPhone 6000 | Nation 6000 | |||
| Minutes | 3000 | 3000 | 4000 | 4000 | 6000 | 6000 | ||
| Unlimited data | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | x | $19.99 | ||
| (Visual) voicemail | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| SMS | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | 200 inc | ||
| Nights + weekends | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Rollover | x | not inc | x | not inc | x | not inc | ||
| Unlimited M2M | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Additional lines | $29.99 | $9.99 | $29.99 | $9.99 | $29.99 | $9.99 | ||
| Activation fee | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | ||
| Monthly service | $160.00 | $149.99 | $210.00 | $199.99 | $310.00 | $299.99 | ||
| 1 line per month | $160.00 | $169.98 | $210.00 | $219.98 | $310.00 | $319.98 | ||
| 2 lines | $189.99 | $199.96 | $239.99 | $249.96 | $339.99 | $349.96 | ||
| 3 lines | $219.98 | $229.94 | $269.98 | $279.94 | $369.98 | $379.94 | ||
| Cost for 3 lines, 1 year | $2,639.76 | $2,759.28 | $3,239.76 | $3,359.28 | $4,439.76 | $4,559.28 | ||
| Cost for 3 lines, 2 years | $5,279.52 | $5,518.56 | $6,479.52 | $6,718.56 | $8,879.52 | $9,118.56 | ||
The bottom line
Shockingly enough, iPhone users actually stand to save a decent chunk of change if they're on family plans -- but for the most part the significantly higher cost of the device will offset that savings there as well as in comparable individual plans. It's just really hard to argue with a $75 BlackJack, you know?
But to put this another way: those worried that your iPhone will cost you a lot more in service fees than you'd pay otherwise, worry not. You're (obviously) going to pay more for the device itself, but the iPhone plans are totally fair, based on AT&T's current pricing scheme.
P.S. -We're sincerely hoping we didn't fudge any of those numbers, but please let us know if they don't quite add up!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Square @ Jun 26th 2007 4:19PM
My Bad. I do see Pearl listed for 150$.
Steve Moseley @ Jun 26th 2007 4:24PM
Square, start by looking at the total on the first chart and subtract "Cost /2yr" from "Cost Total." This value is the same as "Price /2yt" (which should be 2 yr). This is the price for a 2 year activation which includes the discounts. For BB pearl .....$2429 - $2279 = $150.
Also the prices are for AT&T comparison. Not T-mobile
js @ Jun 26th 2007 3:46PM
blackjack + 3G, ftw.
screw EDGE and iPhone.
CharlieX @ Jun 26th 2007 3:54PM
Love my Blackjack.... but windows mobile is a real POS. EDGE isn't that bad for mobile optimized sites - even google maps works pretty quickly. The only time I need 3G is for tethering or slingboxing.
arthur barnhouse @ Jun 26th 2007 4:15PM
What I prefer FTW!
What other people prefer sucks.
Brad @ Jun 26th 2007 5:39PM
They made a mistake. For 3G phones you usually have to get the $40 data package. The MediaMax package is only for 2G phones IIRC. I know because I got my mother a Treo 680, which is a 2G phone. The Cingular store guy said that for smartphones they usually require the $40 plan, but since the 680 is only 2G they would simply put her on the MM200 plan.
This may be one of the reasons why the iPhone only has an EDGE connection. It allows AT&T to justify the $20 data plan. For all who dont know, EDGE can actually get up over 200KB/sec in some cases. My phone is only limited by the speed of the phone, not the speed to the edge connection. I know this because my mothers Treo can browse significantly faster than my D807.
Homer J @ Jun 26th 2007 6:55PM
Who is this phone targeting? Most young upwardly mobiles have BB's from their companies...and consequently look for the absolute smallest personal phone they can find. Most kids / colleges students can't afford this. Companies are not going to give this to workers (think...business PC dont even come with mine sweeper) unless Apple can come with some fancy way to integrate it into the corporate culture. Also the reviews on the keyboard are not glowing. As a runner, I would not give up my nano for this phone. As a Verizon customer I would not switch to AT&T (and don't get me wrong, there is no love for Verizon on my part - they just work well.
I am sure this product will somehow work, but with a two year contract, the iPhone is no longer just an impulse item. It requires some fiscal-digestion, contracts to expire at the right time, and a desire to purchase. I will be really curious to see what happens over the next month or so...
redjen @ Jun 27th 2007 12:43AM
@Brad: you are incorrect. The $40 PDA plan is for phones with a QWERTY keyboard. The $25 Smartphone plan is for Windows Mobile 5 devices without a QWERTY keyboard. The MediaNet plans are for phones that do not fall into the above categories (except for the Blackberries, which have their own plans). Network speed has nothing to do with it.
Any of these phones can work on any of these plans. The difference is that the MEdiaNet plans use AT&T's web proxy and the others do not. Reps are not supposed to put PDA phones on the cheaper plans, but sometimes they don't care and/or don't check to see what phone you have.
Alba Meira @ Jun 27th 2007 9:37AM
LoL ... arthur barnhouse's comment is damn near t-shirt worthy.
And true. Because I have based this upon opinion. ;]
Todd @ Jun 26th 2007 3:49PM
Not listed above ( WTF? ), you upgrade your pre-pay "Pick-Your-Plan" for the cost of the phone, plus 20 bucks a month for unlimited data and two $100 pre-pay calling cards - for a grand total of $1420 over two years.
Ryan Block @ Jun 26th 2007 3:50PM
Sorry, not doing pre-paid plans here! This is an apples to apples comparison (no pun intended), wherever possible, and the iPhone isn't pre-paid.
Todd @ Jun 26th 2007 4:10PM
"...I just got off the phone with Mark Siegel of AT&T. Siegel states that all existing iPhone customers must upgrade to a new two year contract. According to Siegel, the clock starts over regardless of whether the customer is a GoPhone customer, on an existing family plan, or so forth. What remains unclear to me is if you can buy the GoPhone and agree to the 2 year commitment for the data only."
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/26/the-small-print-stinks-no-ipod-features-without-service-plan/
porkchameleon @ Jun 26th 2007 3:53PM
Who cares about EDGE and 3G as it going to be Wi-Fi all over the place?
Tony @ Jun 26th 2007 4:06PM
all this talk of wifi all over the place.. I travel a lot and look for free wifi and its not easy. you have to sign up in hotels and coffee shops. only place i know for sure its free is home and work. and I am sure in all there commercials they are hooked up to a wifi and not edge
porkchameleon @ Jun 26th 2007 4:25PM
True that, I'd even say you'd want to go with something else than iPhone (what a blasphemy though :) IF you are a corporate type and travel a real lot, but I'm stuck in downtown Philly, which is turning into a hot-spot over the next year or so, so... but that's just me.
Still, there's a serious talk, that wi-fi will replace all other wireless networks in the long run. Sure enough that would happen around generation 2 or 3 of given device, but the fact that I had my previous cell for a little longer than 3 years, - I'm looking for something "smart" and with wi-fi as well. And not being all-business and all-corporate, iPhone falls under do-business-and-have-fun category gadget.
Perfect for me.
Comparisons are cool and make you think, but decisions are better be made on what you really need. And of course my opinion rules all yours :P
Kendall @ Jun 26th 2007 11:29PM
Tony - if you are mostly at work and home anyway, then what's wrong with just relying on WiFi in those places? That's where you'll be most often, and then you can either use pay WiFi if you really need speed, or just use the actual phone network in-between or while traveling. At least you almost always have some kind of data network at hand.
Square @ Jun 26th 2007 3:54PM
You conveniently forgot to add the rebate + discount you get with a 2 yr contract. I got my BB Pearl from t-mobile when it got released - paid 75$ for it after 2 yr contract. And I am paying 20$ for data extra on top of my family plan for BB Pearl.
Do your math.
Ryan Block @ Jun 26th 2007 4:00PM
Actually no, the 2 year plan is with current rebates and promos subtracted from cost.
Bart Lee @ Jun 26th 2007 4:26PM
Ryan Block FTW!
brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jun 26th 2007 6:18PM
17 year olds FTL!
Tom @ Jun 27th 2007 8:32AM
I like how they removed my comment from yesterday. I guess the author of the article can't handle it when shown that he is wrong. In this case he's not comparing the true cost of purchasing the phone due to the fact that he's only using 1 purchase point (AT&T online) which tends to be more expensive than other purchase points. Even more than an actual physical AT&T store. So, let's try it again, and we'll see if they remove it a second time. "You are correct. While the author did simply rip those prices from AT&T's website (including rebates), he conviently choose to ignore the REAL cost of those phone. Everyone with 1/2 a brain knows that different stores have different prices. Hell, an AT&T store has different prices than they do online. And those prices are different from buying from AT&T on the phone, and are different from upgrading your phone when you are a current AT&T customer. And then there are 3rd party stores which can have massively discounted 2yr contract plans. For example: The BB Pearl with 2yr AT&T contract is $0.01 through Amazon.com PLUS a $75 rebate. So final cost for a BB Pearl is -$74.99 with a 2yr AT&T contract through Amazon. Maybe these guys need to spend a little more time doing real research before they write another article."
Hagrin @ Jun 27th 2007 5:27PM
@Square -
You got shot down, but they are all incorrect. I have a BB Pearl through T-Mobil and AFTER tax pay 68 dollars/month with 1000 minutes and unlimited data. Take that into account and you're looking at subtracting almost 300 cost from the yearly. Not even close boys, do more research on the available plans. I'll even scan my bill and make it available if need be.
Chris @ Jun 26th 2007 3:55PM
you forgot to add in the cost of 4 or 8GB of flash for the smartphones.
porkchameleon @ Jun 26th 2007 3:58PM
This and wi-fi+multimedia capabilities, numbers are right, but when you think about what you get for your money - iPhone certainly more favorable.
Dan @ Jun 27th 2007 4:24AM
"This and wi-fi+multimedia capabilities"
They already mentioned the BlackJack.
Kamokazi @ Jun 29th 2007 11:57AM
Hmmm...okay...2GB MicroSD=$20...so add $40 and $80 respectively.
Then to be fair, we should add the cost of a 3G radio to the iPhone, right?
and @pork:
Superior multimedia capabilities? WM has several 3rd party players so you can play any format under the sun...DivX, OGG, Flac, whatever oddball format you prefer, and all the normal ones too (MP3, MPG, WMA, WMV). Not to mention these have different interfaces to suit your tastes. Now the iPhone gives you..AAC, MP3, and H.264. Oh, but it does have the cool album flippy thing. Totally worth the extra $300-$400.
And several of those other devices have wi-fi...so no, that's not something exclusive that makes the iPhone more valuable.
Matt @ Jun 26th 2007 3:59PM
I just can't understand why the iPhone uses EDGE. I'd buy one if my cheapo SYNC wouldn't out pace it while browsing engadget on the run.
Joe V @ Jun 26th 2007 4:00PM
Not quite right on the family plans.
The $29.99/month for each additional line assumes you're getting all iPhones -- i.e. with both voice and data service. You can still add a voice-only phone for $9.99/month.
Furthermore, if you wanted the same service with a non-iPhone phone, you'd have to pay both the $9.99/month voice AND the $19.99/month data.
So it's a wash.
Joe V @ Jun 26th 2007 4:04PM
My bad, I misread the chart. :)
Steve @ Jun 26th 2007 5:01PM
So if one user in a group has a iphone and the other one or two lines have regular phones then it's just $10 each for the other phones right?
After seeing the Google maps on this you know they are going to put GPS in on ver. 2. I'll jump ship then becuase then it will be a bargain at $600.
pkr @ Jun 26th 2007 5:16PM
Actually your right the family plans are miscalculated!!! Att has changed it! Its $69.99 for TWO lines and $9.99 for additional!!!
It used to be $59.99 for first line and $9.99 for second. (The plan I have now)
Brad @ Jun 27th 2007 9:55PM
@steve:
Nearly every phone with a data plan can run Google maps, or Windows Live. This is really nothing new. Yes, it has a mapping feature, but honestly REAL GPS SOFTWARE kicks the snot out of Google Maps. For one thing, the search functionality is next to useless. Try and search for someplace for pizza near your hotel in Chicago. What do you get? Nine random pizza places from across the city.
No, Google Maps (which you can get easily for any Java-enabled phone) is only okay.
Now iGuidance - that's a GPS app that you can actually use instead of an in-car GPS!
derF @ Jun 26th 2007 4:04PM
Where's the add-on cost for additional SMS?
stone @ Jun 26th 2007 4:10PM
You can do all the comparing with all of what has been provided but we all know that you can not have the "mm200" (media max 200) plan on the blackjack, treo 750 or even the 3125! C'mon engadget I know you are tying to compare the same amount of data and messages, but the fact of the matter is, the treo, and the Blackjack in any AT&T store are considered a PDA. Now the PDA unlimited cost $39.99 each month and comes with unlimited data/email and 1500 messages. (its the new plan that came out on 4/20/07) That is a lot more than the base iphone plan and the 3125 has to have unlimited smartphone connect that costs 19.99, but has mo sms/messages. to add messages you can add message starter for 4.99 and that would give you 200 messages or add unlimited smartphone connect1500 whch is 29.99 and gives you 1500 messages. now that sounds like to me that the Blackjack and the treo 750 would be more or just around the iphone. dosent it?!
stone @ Jun 26th 2007 4:13PM
Not mention that the 8525 is also a PDA
Silas Larsen @ Jun 26th 2007 5:31PM
Exactly! The media max is cheaper because it is not as usable on a regular cell phone. What does unlimited data mean on a barely usable phone.
iPhone WILL be cheaper!
pkr @ Jun 26th 2007 5:23PM
Technically you can't have the Mediamax with blackjack, but large numbers of blackjack users have managed to get their phones working with unlimited data with that plan. Start reading your smartphone forums. You have to find a good rep or know how to con a stupid one to set it up correctly.
sailom @ Jun 26th 2007 5:49PM
I agree. I have a blackjack and the pda plan. yes i am getting 1500 sms a month, but i hardly use 200 a month. i have 3g but surfing on that phone is crap. pure crap so i don't even do it. google maps on blackjack is also crap as it keeps on asking if i want to have data downloaded on the phone every 10 secs (a security feature). it doesn't work with itunes so i dont have music on it, so there goes that feature. I am a mac user and the blackjack does not sync data unless you have missing sync ($40 i think). Did i mention the battery life on the black jack SUCKS. It is so bad that they give you 2 batteries in hte box.
also I called at&t and they tell me I will save 20-30 dollars on the iphone plan vs teh pda plan. At that rate the phone will pay for itself in 2 years and I will actually use it and ALL its features.
Also about the GPS comment earlier. I think apple will come out with a dongle for that feature and not incorperate in the phone. it makes more sense i think. extra sales/revenue, better antennae reception. not every one wants that feature.
chadow @ Jun 26th 2007 7:48PM
I have a BlackJack and MM200 for 19.99. It works like a charm. I tether it and often get speeds of 1.5 MBps on my laptop (3G). Dont say you CANT have mm200 on BJ. Thats what they sold me for it and said it was BECAUSE its a smartphone....NOT a PDA.
Engadget forums. A great place for misinformation.
Scott @ Jun 26th 2007 4:10PM
You forgot the $100 mail-in rebate with the Curve. Plus there's something to be said for compatibility with business systems. For example, my firm (as I'm sure other firms do) pays for the data plan on my Curve because the firm supports BB push (and Good Msging push). So my monthly bill isn't $95 per month, it's more like $45. For me, it's Curve ftw.
(Yes, I'm looking into whether we support ActiveSync. But even if we do, I doubt our firm will support it because the powers that be require an itemized bill.)
decypher44 @ Jun 26th 2007 4:12PM
I'm still confused on one thing:
Can you message someone photos without going through email? I know this sounds dumb, but it's something I read.
And when can we finally change our passwords on this site??? =P
Jeff @ Jun 26th 2007 4:13PM
I like the tabular breakdown in this article... I should point out... that on verizon I have "unlimited data" (which really isn't unlimited) that DOES NOT INCLUDE any messaging... I pay 45$ for that, and that is the discounted price because I have a qualifying voice plan to go with it (39.99) whcih is 450 anytime minutes and free ngihts and weekends and free in network calling.....
After today's iplan announcements, I am expecting to see verizon compelled to responde because despite the lack of 3g networking I could switch to the iphone and save about 20$ a month.... thats 240$/year or 480$ over the course of 2 years... when you deduct that from the cost of the iphone itself, its not a bad deal at all.
My plan is to wait to see if verizon will respond to the new iplan pricing.... and also to see some initial reviews of the iphone from people not in bed with apple (this means you walt mosberg) :) as well as to see if there are any major software / activation glitches.
I also have some unanswered questions regarding syncing the iphone over bT or wifi as well as some idle curiousity as to what sustained data rates through the iphone are over EDGE and wifi.
shon Dempsey @ Jun 26th 2007 4:14PM
Nice graphs. Thanks guys!
Tom S @ Jun 26th 2007 4:15PM
Delay buying the iPhone, as cute as it appears! Cingular told me this morning you cannot keep your existing plan and add the Iphone and data -- contrary to many pricing articles this morning. Also, at this point, Cingular is explicitly uninterested in providing wireless cards for Mac laptops. Finally, if you like Firefox --- well, it is on its way off stage.....or is it? So let someon else buy the fishing tackle to land this baby ---- you still will have your phone and laptop and be a smirking happy camper while quickbuyers try to modulate their life and their phone bills......
Greg @ Jun 26th 2007 4:28PM
Tom -
Apple's website shows that you can keep your existing voice plan and add add the iPhone's data/SMS plan for $20 and up.
Matt @ Jun 26th 2007 4:15PM
Guess what everyone!
THESE ARE ALL AT&T PLANS/PRICES!!!
Everyone keeps comparing them to different providers.
Square @ Jun 26th 2007 4:16PM
My bad Ryan. I see you are just looking at the AT&T prices.
thispaceforsale @ Jun 26th 2007 4:19PM
wow, i didn't realize people were spending so much. I've been spending $400 (incl. taxes) total each year and thought that was more than I needed.
thegeek @ Jun 26th 2007 4:19PM
Actually, AT&T does not allow you to use the $19.99 "SmartPhone Connect" with the 8525. The 8525 is considered a PDA phone and not a smartphone. In order to get unlimited data to your 8525 you need to sign up for the $79.99 "Data Connect (Unlimited)" plan.
People have signed up for the cheaper plan only to have it switched on them when AT&T decides you're using too much internet. Some people have even been charged $0.015 per KB.
Yeah, you can get the $19.99 plan but it's like playing Russian Roulette with your phone bill.
stone @ Jun 26th 2007 6:21PM
yeah look like 3 post up and u can see this is what we are all talking about, engadget messed up this time