iPhone users can now drop data plan, save $20 per month
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 16th 2007 1:11PM
posted Nov 16th 2007 1:11PM
[Via TUAW]
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too little to late. thanks t-mobile for the sim card contract free monthly rate plans.
I rather drop the phone plan, but not EDGE.
they have something like that already: the iPod touch
If you went data only, you'd be looking at $40-50 per month as is (look over AT&T's data only plans if you wonder about it). AT&T loves to charge more for data-only plans, since they don't get as much revenue from data as they do for voice.
If you'd wanted to do data only, you'd be better off unlocking the phone and going elsewhere.
I need edge while out and about, I surf the web and use maps occasionally.
@Tom: There's no edge on ipod touch, only wifi.
Agreed. I love the iPhone for everything except the phone. I would love all of it's functionality in a device that I am not forced to carry around all the time because it is my phone.
However, even tho AT&T does have data only plans, they don't have one for the iPhone- they make you sigh for a voice plan.
I would run out and buy an iPhone tonight if I could get a $30/month data only plan...
Still doesn't beat tmobile-web for $6 per month (or $72 per year, if you prefer that perspective) in my unlocked cingular 3125 (aka HTC startrek)
Which is what I use in my unlocked iPhone. I see no reason to own an iPhone on AT&T, 6 bucks a month data plan and cheaper rates on all the same GSM coverage makes T-mobile a clear winner here. Heck, if I was T-mo, I'd offer free iPhone unlocks in store!
It's nice of them to offer the customer more choices, but if you don't have EDGE (the ability to utilize Safari on the go) and visual voicemail (another huge selling point of the product), why even have an iPhone at all?
I agree, and it's about time. I'd rather hang around a WiFi spot for data services, and I wouldn't care all that much about visual voicemail.
You drop the plan, not the service. I had no data plan on my last phone and paid $.01/KB as a result. If I were to do that with my iPhone I would owe almost $3,000. I've used almost 300MB of data over EDGE even though I use wifi all the time.
Visual voicemail sure is expensive.
EDGE is so slow, it's hardly worth having. Browsing the net over it is painful. Try loading up the Engadget homepage for example. Urgh.
I do that quite frequently. While it is slower than a wifi connection, it isn't so slow that I don't want to use it. Edge isn't as bad as everyone complains that it is. I'd like 3g as well, but edge is good enough if you're not an impatient 10 year old.
I load it up while on the can. annoying, but i have time.
EDGE is slow and not good to watch YouTube Videos, But i never had a problem getting my Emails or Visual Voicemails with it so ill keep it, and when the 3G model comes out ill just swap my sim to the 3G unit and also in some areas its work pretty fast too for some reason
Do you even have an iPhone? Yes, EDGE isnt perfect obviously, but it does run Youtube enough for on-the-go use. I mean seriously, how much better do you want it? It may be a touch blurry, but youtube isnt exactly the best quality to start with. And maybe it will pause halfway through for a few seconds. But for me, it doesnt even happen that much.
Dude I do have an iPhone, you tube works great on Wifi but not on EDGE, now if you do have one you will agree you tube on EDGE looks blurry as he'll, but since I always use wifi for youtube am not worry about it
Are there different speeds for EDGE in different places or something? Mine is pretty much useless. Takes a minute plus to do a google search, about a minute to complete the 'checking for email' process. Youtube doesn't work at all for me on EDGE.
I live in FL, and the Edge speeds are pretty spiffy hear. Just recently, its even gotten a bit faster (starting to get close to 200k very often now). No, its not Wifi, but the pages load faster than my first gen DSL.
I think it's cool. The iPhone is a nice web devise and it's an iPod (but not as good as a Classic IMO). When the apps really pick up it will be a great tool to get things done. The lack of visual voicemail and $400 price still isn't enough to make me switch, but it's getting closer.
I actually wish that this plan was available for all of AT&T's phones, and not just the iPhone. If I could pay $20 per month for unlimited data on a treo or the Tilt, that would be great, instead of $40 like now
The $20 plan is available to all NON-smartphones on att's network, you are required to pay more for smartphone service.
I dropped my ATT $45 data plan and sold my smartphone because that's just too much to pay when companies like Sprint serve up fast data on their smartphones for $15.
I actually kept the Blackjack I had before my iPhone. I actually use it to tether, but if you swap the sims out, you still get unlimited data, and over 3g if you have a phone that will do it. I called ATT to make sure that they won't charge me extra for this, and they said that they won't. So now I keep my old phone in my laptop bag and use it as a 3g highspeed modem on the go. I just have to remember to keep the paperclip in there to get my sim out of my iPhone.
I opted out from the data plan, but my voice mail service is not working
does this mean you cannot EDGE or that they will charge when you do?
I'm fairly certain the rollback is the same as with text messages, where you pay 1c/kb (I think, not an AT&T customer but have been looking into it.)
Without any prejudice I would say iphone owners are the most screwed up mobile phone owners... they are paying too much for a cheap device
I think maybe you need to look up the word prejudice
let me tell you this I paid $600 for the iPhone, an I don't own mac or iPod but if had to I would not think twice on buying it again, people always talk about things iphone don't have and others do, but they never talk about the nice thing it has and other don't have, like for example multi touch,visual voicemail, and alot of other things, sure you could setup any smart phone to handle visual voicemail and google maps and you tube, but they won't work as flawlesly and easy as they do on a iPhone,
He's kinda right though. There were phones more capable than the iphone out years earlier. iphone just had superior marketing. The only things iphone has that other phones don't is the touch screen, visual voicemail, and a lot of graphic movement to make people go "ooooooh, ahhhhhhh". Take into account that it lacks basic browser plugins and capabilities that are on other phones, video recording, swappable memory, and has a rediculous price (though it's getting better) There are many phones on the market that you've never heard of that have full browsers, apps, video, etc for half the price. A lot of apple stuff is that way, marketing says that the apple is better because it's better at something that it's actually worse at. Don't say I'm hating on the macs either, I'm on a mac right now.
It takes an awfully unintelligent person to chalk up the iPhone's success to advertising.
How do you explain those of us who have USED the devices that had "all the iPhone's features, years ago" but still decided the iPhone was the better product?
For that matter, why do Apple computers sell so well to technically minded folk?
The anti-Apple trolls will simply never get it, because they are able to convince themselevs of something that runs counter to all evidence.
I think you mean "without any intelligence..."
I find that remark very amusing because of your reverence to the "technically minded folk". Since I've published acclaimed articles on programming practice, and just checked back on this thread to take a break from developing a macintosh application.
On a mac, in case you didn't bother to fully read my post...
By the way, the technically minded folk your thinking of (me) prefer linux boxes, not mac, same unix background might be the confusing point to you... I know at least 50 programmers, me and one other do work on macs.
I think you are thinking of "artistic" not "technical". Mainly due to apples's wonderful ads about the superiority of mac multi-media abilities, hence my point, since a windows box (ugly as the OS is) outperforms apple multimedia development in speed, and number and reliability of programs (since there is far more programming experts in the world for windows, the windows side of the programs tend to be more stable). Yet macs are viewed in general opinion as better for graphics.
And I never said macs were bad, just not as good as claimed, it's a testament to the intelligense of the people at apple that they can take a machine with certain high and low point and still spin all the low point into looking like high points, it's genius.
No "technical folk" I know actually use Mac OS... dual boot linux/windows. If you're actually "technical" then you have no reason to want a pretty shell over your unix based OS, and having windows lets you run all the stuff (read: almost everything) that isn't available on linux. If you actually are very familiar with computers, operating systems tend to get in your way, and linux lets you get right in there.
I did this over the phone last week. It messed up my voicemail, so I had to call back to reset it. Yes, visual voicemail doesn't work, but it does still tell you when you have a voicemail. Totally worth dropping the $20.
Also, I disabled EDGE using the Services.app (installed from Installer.app). I don't think it could even connect to EDGE, but I wanted to make sure so I'm not charged.
They should allow an option for less data instead of no data. An iPhone without data is like an a car's tire with no air instead of just less air.
EPIC FAILURE or deadlock... one of them.
O HAI
Ya, this is old news, we discovered this a month or two ago
Does this mean you can add/drop the data part of the plan on a monthly basis? So, in theory, if you had a month or two when you know you'll need constant data/internet access, you could just pay the extra $20 for those months?
Or is it a permanent drop from the plan?
As a Canadian using an unlocked iPhone on the Rogers network, I would love to have the ability to check off Yes for 20$ unlimited data... otherwise I could pay $80/month for 500Mb or if they allow me, pay $65/month for the I Gb data (aircard plan... not intended for cellphone devices). So, unless I was constantly near wifi, I can certainly handle $240/year, but I don't think we will see that in Canada any time soon.
I have access to Wifi from my home as well as in my school. EDGE is redundant for me. I am happy that I Can save 20$ a month. And aslo the number of wifi hotsopts is increasing everywhere. Cheers iPhone user's you have a option now.
@Bryan,well said... you are an intelligent guy, you live in a real world.
by the way, the term "success" isn't to be used too readily for the iphone, considering it was doing so poorly that the price needed to be dropped prematurely and all early buyers were given apple credit as consolation...
again, I'm on a mac right now, developing a mac application, and I like my mac just as much as my PC, just pointing out some facts... don't think that you're above someone because you use a mac, they might actually know what they're talking about ; )
As the writer and discoverer of this, I knew these comments were coming.
I posted it mainly because I am a poor student (aren't all students poor) and was tired of wasting $20 on something I didn't use.
Yes, I no longer have access to Visual Voicemail. That was a small consequence of my decision. But, that decision puts $20/month in my pocket.
Yes, plus it's always fun seeing 'old news.' *rolls eyes*
Let's just hope that you used the Services.app like Matt or others mentioned, modded EDGE setitngs, or asked AT&T to disable EDGE on your line.
$20 in PayPerUse is like 2MBs, so the dropping of the unlimited data plan is only worth it if you have EDGE completely disabled on your phone.
Voice mail over ip? How useless is that... seriously. What happens if you to an area that has neither edge nor wifi?
Well, you can always press and hold '1' to call up your voice mailbox...
a choice would be to be able to change carriers, wright?
Apple keeps reducing the cost of ownership of the iPhone - perhaps sales are not that great! Not a big hit here in the UK - too expensive, too big and not enough high tech included.
I talked to an AT&T rep. at a store and called their 800 number. When I asked them if I can use just WIFI for a smartphone (Tilt), and not pay a data plan, they said I will get charged even if I use only WIFI. What will happen to the Iphone? And if anybody knows of a way to use the Tilt on WIFI and not pay data plan, will they give me a shout? That would be so helpful. I'm thinking about getting they Iphone. :D
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! I just called AT&T Iphone center 877-419-4500 and they indicated after speaking with a Supervisor, that Iphone still REQUIRES a data plan, and that if any have been removed online, or by telephone, that they will be detected and automatically put back on the data plan and charged accordingly. No iphone for me.
Ive had the iphone for 2 weeks now and have had mixed results with EDGE. Sometimes it works so fast it is almost like wifi, other times its painfully slow I give up.
I also tried calling AT&T and they said that the data plan is mandatory. Can anyone confirm if there is still an option to take off the data plan once we have the iphone?