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AT&T ponies up $60 unlimited GoPhone plan
It may not be the cheapest unlimited around -- Boost, Cricket, and MetroPCS have all gone lower -- but AT&T figures that it can throw its network and brand recognition around as bargaining chips to get customers to pay $60 a month for pay-as-you-go unlimited voice and messaging through the company's GoPhone prepaid brand. The zinger here is that the plan also includes texting to Canada, Mexico, and 100 other countries, so it's actually a pretty good deal if you've got a lot of buddies chilling in Calgary or Cancun. It'll be available starting October 12, but there's nothing stopping you from lining up now outside your AT&T store -- just be prepared for some odd stares. [Via Phone Scoop]
AT&T's new 'Viva Mexico' plan serves up bucket of minutes
If you find yourself frequently dialing Guadalajara, Chihuahua, or La Paz, you might take a gander at a newly-introduced calling plan from AT&T that's offering a package of features custom-tailored to the needs of the carrier's largest long-distance destination. The so-called "Viva Mexico" plan bundles 1,000 anytime minutes for use in the US and Mexico, a total annihilation of international long-distance charges, and the ability to benefit from rollover on the Mexico-friendly minutes. This all only applies to voice -- messaging and data are still on the hook for international fees -- but if voice is your thing, it's might be worth the $54.99 AT&T is commanding for individual plans (or $84.99 for two lines on a family plan). [Via Phone Scoop]
Rogers allows iPhone tethering in Canada for no extra charge until 2010
While US iPhone users are stuck waiting for AT&T to get their act together, Rogers in Canada has stunned iPhone users by not actively trying to screw users right out of the gate as they did when announcing the data plan pricing for the iPhone last year. After a high-profile backlash, Rogers was forced to offer more reasonable data plans for iPhones, and it appears they've learned their lesson this time. As we all know by now, tethering is built in to the iPhone 3.0 firmware, and as long as you are on a data plan that gives you at least 1 GB of throughput per month, you can use iPhone tethering for no additional charge in Canada until at least the end of 2009. It's unclear what will happen next year, and it seems that Rogers isn't sure yet either. But rather than simply not allow it while they figure it out (as AT&T is doing), they chose to allow it. My guess is the execs at Rogers are doing a few things here: Looking to increase goodwill after the disastrous data plan fiasco last year Wanting to watch usage patterns to see just how popular tethering turns out to be, to help them determine price points Using the drug dealer method of marketing -- get people hooked, then jack up the price Of course, this is assuming they will revert to their evil ways; it would be nice to think that Rogers has actually turned over a new leaf and wants to provide reasonable service for a reasonable price. My guess is that most users of tethering are like me in that they want to have access to it for emergencies, but don't actually need it on a day-to-day basis. In that regard, allowing tethering as part of the not-inexpensive <1 GB data plans that Rogers provides makes reasonable sense. So, does anyone think Rogers will continue to do what makes reasonable sense next year when it comes to tethering, or will the lure of a few extra dollars be too much for them to resist?
AT&T trying to force iPhones out of prepaid plans
There have been various ways of getting iPhones onto AT&T's prepaid GoPhone plans pretty much since the beginning, but for some inexplicable reason (hint: contracts are lucrative), the carrier is closing the door on prepaid in concert with the release of OS 3.0 this week. To be clear, we have absolutely no idea how AT&T would reliably detect whether you're running 3.0 on your iPhone -- unless Apple were to report it to AT&T using data culled from iTunes, and we somehow doubt it's happening that way -- so in all likelihood, they're just assuming most folks will move to 3.0 within the next few weeks and are using the release as a convenient line in the sand. New iPhone 3G and 3G S owners will have a hard time signing up for GoPhone altogether, and legacy customers are being told that the upgrade "may impact the data service" unless they move to postpaid. Actually, it's even more stratified than that: only original iPhones are being allowed to stay on Pick Your Plan with the unlimited data add-on, while 3Gs have to move. To be fair, this has been the policy all along -- 2G on Pick Your Plan, 3G not eligible -- and it seems they're just now deciding to lay down the law and bring everyone into compliance, but that doesn't mean we have to like it.[Thanks, Kris]
Verizon's Nationwide Plus Mexico plan lets you call south on the cheap
If you're making a lot of calls to Mexico, you may have glanced at MetroPCS' dirt-cheap $3 add-on package -- but the problem there is that you're only getting unlimited calling to landlines. If your contacts down south are tied to their mobiles (aren't we all?), you might be better off checking out Verizon's new Nationwide Plus Mexico plan, which nixes long distance charges to landlines and mobiles in Mexico alike. Individual plans start at $54.99 and family plans at $84.99, including 1,000 night and weekend minutes; unlimited mobile-to-mobile only applies in the US, but it still seems like a reasonable deal if you're a heavy dialer.[Via Phone Scoop]
T-Mobile UK rolling out annual data plan for BlackBerry
We can think of a wide variety of BlackBerrys we'd rather have, but let's take a good, hard look at what T-Mobile UK is proposing here: basically, it wants you to shell out £179.99 (about $265), and in exchange, you get the venerable BlackBerry Pearl 8110 plus a full year of unlimited email and web access. That works out to something like $22 a month for unlimited on-device data -- and on top of that, you'll be paying as you go for voice minutes, texts, and MMS messages. Not a terrible deal by any stretch, but we'd characterize this one less as blowout pricing and more as creative deal packaging. Oh, and we'll take a Curve 8900 with that, T-Mobile, thankyouverymuch.
T-Mobile retools offerings, adds new family plan and more unlimited M2M
T-Mobile's always been known for aggressively pricing its plans against the other nationals, and that trend continues today with the introduction of a new $89.99 myFaves family plan with 1800 minutes, the addition of 500 anytime minutes to its $99.99 and $129.99 family plans, a $10 reduction in price on a couple other plans, and -- perhaps the most relevant new feature for many customers -- unlimited mobile-to-mobile on every individual plan $49.99 and up. Not a huge change, granted, but it's pretty rare to get something for nothing, so we're going to take what we're being offered and keep our mouths shut.[Via TmoNews]
Bell adds 1GB smartphone plan with tethering for actually reasonable price
Canadian carriers are known for a lot of things; reasonable data pricing, traditionally, is not one of them. As smartphones get more data-intensive by leaps and bounds and wider market segments realize they need laptop cards, these guys appear to be learning -- slowly -- and we're liking what we're seeing with Bell's new $45 CAD ($37) package... sort of. You get 1GB of data for your BlackBerry or WinMo device, $6 per MB for roaming in the US (the same as on Bell's cheaper plans), and extra megabytes run you 3 cents apiece -- and it seems you can tether at no additional charge. For comparison, the $40 CAD plan -- just $5 cheaper -- steps down dramatically to just 8MB of data, so this is what we'd call a "best value" of sorts, if you can really call 1GB for $45 a "best value." [Via MobileSyrup]
Virgin Mobile offers up $50 unlimited voice plan
Hey Boost Mobile -- Where U At? Just kidding, we know where you are, but you should probably be aware that Virgin Mobile USA is encroaching all up in your territory. In a move that was undoubtedly made to rival Boost's $50 per month unlimited plan, Virgin Mobile has announced a $49.99 Unlimited Plan with zero roaming charges. Said plan will be available for talkative individuals starting on April 15th, though you should know that unlimited texting will run you an additional $10 per month -- something that Boost includes at no additional charge. Unique to VM's option, however, is the automaker-like "Pink Slip Protection," which offers to pay mobile bills for up to three months if you lose your job (and meet lots of requirements, of course). In related news, the operator is also introducing a new suite of "Texter's Delight" plans, obviously aimed at consumers who don't even understand that they can "speak" into their phone and "hear" other voices from the top.
Verizon lets businesses in on Friends & Family plans
You might think that in the process of adapting its recently-launched Friends & Family package to a business audience, Verizon would've changed the name to something more... you know, business-oriented, but nope -- Friends & Family for Business launches on March 15. On plans starting at $59.99 for a single line with 900 minutes, Big Red will be offering ten numbers employees call most -- which should significantly reduce the need for those minutes, we figure. Anything that eliminates a great excuse for calling the boss is a downgrade as far as we're concerned, but we're sure businesses on Verizon are going to be pretty stoked about this.[Via Phone Scoop]
Noblegarden may get delayed
Well that'll teach us to assume -- earlier this week when mentioning the upcoming Noblegarden holiday, we pointed out that considering it was being tested on the PTR right now, we'd likely see 3.1 hit the live realms by the time Easter came around in the real world. But Kisirani has appeared on the forums saying, "Not so fast." Blizzard has apparently gained the power to cancel Easter, because they say Noblegarden and 3.1 will start when it's ready, not because there are kids hunting for eggs on the White House lawn.So basically, if patch 3.1 isn't done by Easter, we won't see the holiday ingame until it is done. And while it'll be a little strange to be looking for eggs in May (if it comes to that), we have to agree that's the right decision: we all know what happens when Blizzard releases a patch that isn't fully tested.We can wait. Noblegarden might not match up with the real-life holiday this year (if the patch does come late -- Kisirani still says this is a plan, so maybe the patch will be done by April 12th), but hopefully when it does appear, it won't be broken.
T-Mobile brings $50 unlimited voice plan to rest of America
Well, that "trial" didn't last long at all, now did it? Just days after teeing up a $50 unlimited voice plan in the great city of San Francisco, T-Mobile USA has reportedly taken said plan nationwide. Users are already buzzing about the widespread availability, though it should be noted that the same "loyalty requirements" from the San Fran pilot are still in effect for the rest of the nation. In other words, you have to have been a T-Mob subscriber for at least 22 months and have been in good standing the whole time. Oh, and being cute probably helps.
T-Mobile rumored to be queuing up cheap unlimited voice plans
We'd ingest this one alongside a heavy dose of salt, but rumor has it that T-Mobile USA is getting ready to counter the economic crisis with some stellar deals. Reportedly, the carrier will introduce a number of low(er)-cost unlimited voice plans for those customers it deems "loyal," which will purportedly equate to having an account that's at least 22 months old and in good standing. Of course, anyone looking for data or SMS will probably not even bother giving the read link a look, but if all you do is yap, yap and yap, you might as well give it a peek. Remember, just keep your expectations low until further notice.[Via Boy Genius Report]
Continuity: Executive succession plans in history
We all know that Steve Jobs will eventually leave Apple, and Apple's executive team has a responsibility to draft a succession plan to help minimize the turmoil when that day comes. To figure out what Apple might do, we can look to the past for other examples. Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford. In 1918, at the age of 55, Henry handed the presidency of the company to his son Edsel. When Edsel died in 1943, Henry came back to Ford Motor Company ill, "mentally inconsistent, suspicious, and generally no longer fit" for the job. Most of the board didn't want him to be president. Even with no official title, he'd been in de facto control of the company since Edsel took over. Nevertheless, the board elected him (rather than cross him), and he served until the end of the second World War. Gravely ill, he turned control of the company over to his grandson, Henry Ford II, in 1945. Henry Ford died two years later. Steve Jobs has four children, the oldest of whom is Lisa Brennan-Jobs, a 30-year-old journalist. None have publicly expressed any desire to run Apple.
Verizon Wireless closes Alltel acquisition, lays out path forward
Welp, that's that. But not really, because acquiring a company as big as Alltel and shoving it into a company as gigantic as Verizon Wireless simply can't be easy. To that end, VZW has issued a release that details the steps forward now that the deal itself is closed. For starters, Alltel employees below executive level will continue in their present jobs as Verizon Wireless assesses staffing needs, and Verizon intends to re-brand Alltel operations in retained markets (read: the ones not divested by force) in phases, beginning in the second quarter and continuing through the third quarter of 2009." As for Alltel subscribers, they won't need to take any action at this time, with everything in their current plan -- My Circle included -- remaining the same throughout the transition period. If you're interested in the rest (we're looking at you, loyal Alltel user), hop on down to the read link.[Via phonescoop]
T-Mobile soft capping 3G data at 1GB per month
Caps are nothing new to the world's 3G networks, but T-Mobile's being particularly stingy with the bytes -- 1GB is all you get. Well, technically you can get more than that, but our friends in magenta are reserving the right to throttle you back to a stifling 50Kbps -- virtually useless by smartphone standards, and less than what even a good EDGE network is capable of providing. That's going to be sour news to heavy G1 users, especially as Android touts its stellar connectivity, world-class browser, and a full suite of data-gorging apps. For now, we're going to cut T-Mob some slack on this since the threat is purely theoretical, but if they start enforcing this little stipulation with a heavy hand, the G1 is going to have to stay in the pocket a little more than we'd like.[Thanks, Emmanuel C.]
Verizon comes through with month-to-month plans
As expected, Verizon has announced today that its customers (and would-be customers) are welcome to sign up for month-to-month plans with no contract -- and thus, no early-termination fee -- involved, mimicking a move by AT&T earlier in the year. Of course, anyone taking advantage of the new plans won't be able to get in on carrier subsidies, but the trade-off is that if you decide to bolt for greener pastures, you won't be slapped with one of those nasty prorated charges. Oh, and before you give customer service a ring, take note: you'll need to fulfill the terms of your existing contract before jumping, natch.
Ryzom devs describe plans, promise free play through October
Ryzom (or the game formerly known as The Saga of Ryzom), came back to life a little over a month ago. Rumors of its death had apparently been greatly exaggerated. Now the development team has published a document detailing its plans for the immediate future.The first item on the agenda is "to get profitable." Good plan! Money will surely be helpful. The second item: "To get all our new Developer Teams up to date with the Ryzom code," a task that is apparently quite difficult because there are millions of lines of code to get used to. Finally, the team is putting together a development schedule for adding new missions, content, and features to the game.Our first impressions of the re-launched game were positive. It's a bit laid-back compared to other titles. We're glad to see that some clear goals are being set for the game's future, but of course until the dev team manages "to get profitable," that future will remain uncertain. If you want to give it a try, though, the devs say it will remain free at least through the end of October.
Verizon to offer contract-free postpaid plans?
There's a rumor going around that Verizon is on the cusp of announcing that customers bringing their own equipment to the table (they are doing that whole open network thing, after all) or who are willing to pay full price for their goods up front will be able to go contract-free on postpaid accounts. There'll still be an activation fee and a credit check since we're still talking about a postpaid setup, but you'll have the freedom to walk away or upgrade hardware at any time your carefree heart desires without dealing with an ETF or a pesky contract extension. If this all goes down -- which it probably will, assuming Verizon's interested in keeping up with the industry trend here -- word is we can expect an announcement on the 21st of the month.
Rogers announcing new data plans, peace of mind in October
Now that Rogers' iPhone users have had a month to play and Rogers have had time to look at usage, it comes as no surprise some new data plans are in the works. First off, the good news is that the $30 6GB plan will be extended until the end of September from the end of August -- mind you, this is less generosity and more wanting to sign new BlackBerry Bold owners on to the plan. On October 1st Rogers -- and Fido -- will launch a new $15 2MB plan, $25 500MB plan, $30 1GB plan, $60 3GB plan, and an $80 8GB plan. These new plans will apply to smartphones, data cards, tethering, and of course BlackBerry devices. Most notable in the good news binge are a few "peace of mind" protection tools also being launched in October, including SMS data alerts, Freedom of Data, and a $100 data charge maximum. SMS data alerts will let subscribers know before, when, and after they've emptied the data bucket for the month. Freedom of Data will give 3 months of real unlimited usage just on the off chance you completely blow it out, the overages will be zeroed out and you can learn, adjust and move on. The $100 maximum idea means that no matter what data plan you're on, your monthly bill will never be higher than a hundred bucks as a combination of your fixed cost plus your overage. It seems this may spell the end of outrageous data bills in Canada, and we're thinking that deserves some applause.
