Well, well -- what have we here? It looks as if
AT&T is fixing to rebundle its wireless plans starting on July 25th, obviously with intent to push those
newly created data packs onto folks who may otherwise be inclined to pass right over. Furthermore, these new plans encourage users to select unlimited messaging, which -- as everyone and their third cousin knows -- is highway robbery. But then again, it's not like you're about to kick your
texting habit, so you might as well pony up. So far as we can tell, the actual value propositions aren't changing (for example, a single user Nation Plan with 450 minutes, unlimited messaging and a 2GB Data Pro plan will cost you $84.99 either way), but it's clear that AT&T's aiming to narrow its offerings. The only real question revolves around the packages that include "pay-per-use" messaging -- will the carrier let users add smaller messaging plans, or just force us all to go unlimited or PPU? The 25th is right around the corner, so we ought to know for certain soon enough.
Update: We've scooped the family plans as well. We've also confirmed that nothing at all should be changing (you can still add select messaging plans to PPU options) in terms of pricing -- it's mostly just reshuffling the furniture, if you know what we mean.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
posted July 23rd 2010 5:38PM
Sprint FTW
@webosandroid
AT&T had an amazing quarter... making tons of money... and they are still pulling this crap.
Is Sprint still losing money? If so, they can't keep their amazing plans forever.
@webosandroid Everyday i see these at&t plans and charges i love sprint a little more.
hey at&t its 2010 text and pic messages dont cost u that much.. STOP trying to gouge your customers.
@webosandroid As much as I hate to say this, AT&T has closed the gap between their price plans and Sprint's down to $15 bucks. At that point it's pretty much a preference of networks, especially with the $10 4G surcharge Sprint currently has for the EVO and any future 4G phone.
With that said, I'd still pick Sprint over AT&T.
@Booksmart Devil Not really closed the GAP when Sprint has nights and weekend starting at 7pm and data is capped at 5gigs not 2gigs. And the free GPS across most phones beats at&t and dont forget SprinTV.
@neeko18
Actually there us no cap at all on any of the everything data sprint plans.
@Booksmart Devil
You are mistaken. For 81 on ATT you only get 450 mins. For 69 on sprint you get 450 landing minutes and unlimited calling to any mobile phone in America.
@Booksmart Devil yea that $15 price difference costs you $180 a year. Also the $10 on sprint gives you truly unlimited data. not like ATT's
@Booksmart Devil Not even close. You still get unlimited mobile calls with sprint, nights begin at 7pm, sprint tv, navigation, once a year upgrades.
@webosandroid I Think AT&T lost its mind thinking this was a deal lmao
@neeko18
True, SMS/MMS cost way to much. At least on iPhone you can text for free using the Textfree app(Which is great and I recommend to anyone looking for a cheap way to text). I don't know about Android, but I cant see why it wouldn't have a similarly awesome app. I still haven't found an MMS app.
Smartphones FTW!!! Finally enabling the user to stick it to the carrier! (Free tethering, texting and what not).
@DefPoet
Another thing to note is that it's easy to get a Everything Plus Referral Plan which brings the price down to $59.99 and gives you an extra 50 land line minutes. Add the $10 4G feed and you have near unlimited everything for $69.99 plus tax.
Did you guys completely miss the iPhone 4 brochures that have been set up this way for almost 2 months. Nothing at all has changed on the plans, the smaller messaging plans still exist, and this picture doesn't show the non smartphone packages. Common sense people... everyone's all over the ATT is f'in me over bandwagon.
@Booksmart Devil The AT&T plan isn't even close to Sprint. 450 minutes to whom? Other AT&T customers, that's who. Sprint's 450 is to landlines; everything else is unlimited to ANY cell company in the US.
2gb of data? That's two movies.
@vailmcc
AT&T's 450 plan is to any phone (landline or cellular) plus it has rollover minutes that add up when you don't use that many minutes plus the unlimited anytime minutes to AT&T customers plus nights and weekends. I currently have over 2200 rollover minutes just sitting there.
Sprint's plan is still a better deal, but you have to get the facts right. I still like the $15 data plan because I mostly use Wi-Fi anyway. I wish I could turn off the data plan altogether and just pay when I use it.
@Booksmart Devil Ok, let's try again.
At one point (namely, around the time the Palm Pre launched) I was considering the Pre and the iPhone 3GS. After I sat down and looked at the numbers, I would have spent $600 more yearly by going to AT&T. That $600 in savings was the tipping point, which kept me on Sprint's network.
Now, the difference (as R2D2 The droid pointed out) is $180. You can sell people on a $600 difference yearly. $180 is a lot easier for people not to mind. The new data cap that AT&T has in place seems harsh, until you look at your bills and notice that you don't regularly cross over 2GB in data usage a month. Tethering, while nice, isn't something the average (read: persons who don't frequent tech blogs) care too much about. It's a nice luxury to them. I can count on one hand how many times I've used SprinTv in the last year, and that was all during World Cup play.
What I'm trying to say is, we who frequent tech blogs, who analyze these things for fun, who live and breathe these things are in the minority. To the average person who wants an iPhone (or whatever else AT&T is offering up) these are attractive plans. Once again, I'm pro-Sprint, but I can admit when another carrier pulls just enough of a wollen hat over the public's eyes so that they don't go looking for better alternatives.
And yes, AT&T still charges too damn much for texting.
@Meekermoloko
No, stupid, jesus man.
On sprint, you get unlimited on calls to any mobile phone, the only time it matters is when you call land lines, and with texting and all that crap nowadays, and with tons of people having cell phones, how often do you really ever call a land line? AT&T, let's see, only to at&t unlimited, but minutes used to both wireless and land lines, i'm sorry but that is a much worse deal, especially considering you get unlimited data(there is no 5GB cap, and if there is an unofficial one, they REALLY don't enforce it), unlimited sms/mms, while AT&T has a VERY low cap on their plans now, and charge you out the ass for sms/mms...really...Sprint wins by a mile even with the extra 10 dollar charge for 4G phones...
@webosandroid
For real Sprint FTW!
ATT the 450 is how much? GOd damn THATS A LOT OF MONEY!!
@DefPoet
Is it free calling to any mobile? I thought it was like AT&T, which is free calling to anyone with the same carrier.
Still, for me, AT&T is EXACTLY the same price, just with fewer benefits. I got 200 text messages ($5), 2GB data ($25), and 900 minutes ($60, incl rollover). Altogether it's $90 before taxes and minus discounts. The equivalent Sprint plan, according to their site is Everything Data for $90. Sure data and messages are unlimited, nights are earlier, and mobile to mobile includes every mobile, but I'm still paying the same price every month (+ $10 for 4G), unless the mobile to mobile works out so that I can get the 450 minute plan.
@neeko18
Hey bud, that extra $10 entitles TRUE unlimited 3G & 4G data, don't forget that lil tidbit :) // SPRINT FTW!
OH YEAAAAA..... You don't really need the unlimited minutes plan, just 450 because of FREE mobile to any mobile... ONLY part for landlines. Broken completely down, Sprints plans are way, way more valuable than the competition.
@zangetsu2
Also, I recognize that Sprint is better, I'm just pointing out that it wouldn't save me much money, if any.
@neeko18
TUCK AFEE & FEE. I dropped them like a hot potato and went to Virgin Mobile. Guess what? I got UNLIMITED DATA, UNLIMITED WEB, UNLIMITED EMAIL, UNLIMITED IM, UNLIMITED SMS, UNLIMITED SOCIAL NETWORKING, 300 TALK MINUTES, and all for a grand total sum of $25 a month after tax.
Again, I say TUCK AFEE & FEE.
@TickLe MY eLMo
Read my post again ...
You're welcome.
@zangetsu2
You are riding the big baloney pony and taking it hard. That is why I walked away from AFEE & FEE.
@webosandroid sprint is becoming less and less of a good deal.
i have never gotten close to using 2 gb a month and i never actually call people so rollover minutes would be maxed out i'm sure. so the difference between getting an epic 4g and a captivate is now a whole $5 per month... wow great savings =\
@TickLe MY eLMo
Oh, and a lot of businesses still use landlines believe it or not.
If I use 300 minutes one month to call landlines and 900 minutes the next month, I'm covered using rollover on AT&T.
If I called 300 minutes on landlines using Sprint on their 450 plan, then call 900 minutes the next ... I'd get charge overage fees on Sprint's plan.
I'm not saying AT&T is the best ever. Far from it ... but some people use their phones differently than you do.
@Meekermoloko Unfortunately, you are incorrect. According to AT&T's website, you get unlimited calling to other AT&T mobile to mobile customers. If you were to call someone on another network, or a landline, before evening hours, it goes against your 450 minutes.
Even with my EVO's $10 upcharge, Sprints plan is far more inclusive and less expensive, by far.
Actually, very few of us uses much in the way of data. I'm glad I'm on Sprint mostly because I never have to worry about my data charges when downloading a movie or streaming a TV show, or music.
@b3nj4m1n just to add to this: epic 4g = $80/month
vibrant = $80/month
captivate = $85/month
fascinate = $90/month
@vailmcc
I KNOW !!! I SAID THAT! I'm on AT&T ... I think I know what my plan is.
My point was that AT&T rollover is better for calling landlines if you use your phone to call businesses that use landlines and want to stick with a 450 plan because you can get more than 450 with rollover. With Sprint ... you're stuck with 450 landline. If you call mostly cell phones, then Sprint is better.
I'm sorry you didn't understand me. Whatever. Phone companies are sports teams ... no sense rooting for one over the other.
@Meekermoloko
aaaah edit .... "aren't like sports teams...."
I need an aspirin and a beer.
@Firewave For free texting, I use textplus, it's unlimited, and completely free, and has good features, and is on android, it gives you an actual number (60611 and a few more digits) and it's better than textfree, I use textplus on my iPod touch
@zangetsu2
yes it is free calling to any cell phone in the USA
and unless you spend more than 450 minutes calling landlines between the hours of 7am to 7pm than the 69$ plan can not be beat anywhere
Free roaming on verizon where sprint does not have coverage, basically unlimited talk, fully unlimited data and text, free gps, yearly upgrades, a discount for everything just blow away every other company plan
@Booksmart Devil Yea right! I have a Samsung Moment and I pay 59.99 for a plan comparable to AT&T's highest.. Your average Evo customer is paying 79.99 bucks for 450 landline mins, nights at 7 and unl. cellphone mins... Thats way more talk time then 900 much closer to the 114.99 unl and you still get Sprint tv, Spint Nav, 4G, video conferencing over the cell network and yearly upgrades.. There is NO comparison.. I'd be pissed if I was on AT&T right now..
@Meekermoloko
Considering the fact that a lot of businesses give their employees iphones/such like phones and cover a large portion of the bill, that argument goes right now the window.
@Michael Scrip Sprint is losing money hand over fist. in 2009 they lost more money than they are worth. I don't know how they are still in business.
@zangetsu2 Yes, Sprints is unlimited minutes to ANY wireless carrier. For $80 bucks, (69.99 +10 premium data) you get unlimited text and true unlimited data as well as Sprints Navigation and TV
@webosandroid yup, yup.
@Booksmart Devil You lost me at the 4G remark. AT&T has how much 4G and can't even manage their 3G network correctly? Thought so.
@Slappy Wag You named something a data covers 4 times your post should say. Unlimited data,unlimited text,300 anytime mins no night and weekend mins for $25. If sprints not in the area I'm f'ed. There's a reason why a carrier is more expensive fees to other network providers so you can roam and not worry about not having service most of the time.
@webosandroid With AT&T and now soon Verizon getting rid of unlimited data plans I think I'm going to be forced to get Metro Piece of Shit
Utter Bullshit
@Gayguywhohappenstolikegadgets
No it's not....damn you people are cheap
@ashleythehottiest
So, because people are trying to save some money they're cheap? I bet you're one of those people up to their eyeballs in debt.
@ashleythedumbest
There u fixed your name
@DefStupid
Fixed yours too!!
@PBB Actually no I'm not thank you very much. The only type of debt I have is college loans that I'm paying off every month. I'm not the one complaining on here about paying $90 dollars a month because I can pay for it unlike you Mr.Cheapo
@PBB Actually no I'm not thank you very much. The only type of debt I have is college loans that I'm paying off every month. I'm not the one complaining on here about paying $90 dollars a month because I can pay for it unlike you Mr.Cheapo
@ashleythehottiest
You are an ignorant moron, you do realize that there are masses of people who don't make that much money right? It's called saving money in areas you don't need to spend the extra in so you aren't starving because you can't afford much food, or freezing because you can't pay the gas bill. Get your head out of your ass and realize people aren't being cheap, they are just not looking to waste the precious money they earn.
Aka being cheap
@TickLe MY eLMo IF they cannot afford a $90 phone plan, they should not be buying a smart phone. Someone struggling to get food in their mouth should NOT be on smartphones, sorry.
be kinder to the other posters. No one called you names.