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Sprint promo gives your family 12GB of shared data for $90 per month
Sprint is still bending over backwards to get you to switch to its network, and this time it's hoping to bring your whole family on board. The carrier is running a Family Share Pack promotion until March 12th that gives you 12GB of shared data for $90 per month (with waived line access fees) through the end of March 2016 -- a hefty bargain versus the 10GB T-Mobile is offering in its $100 deal. Sprint will also buy out your existing contract, albeit through gift cards, if you switch from another provider. This isn't the biggest deal given that your bill will get much bigger once the promo is over and those access fees kick in. All the same, it could be worth the effort if you were already bent on dropping your existing carrier (particularly AT&T or Verizon, which charge $160 for 10GB) and live in a Sprint-friendly area.
Sprint and Verizon are doubling data on shared plans too
Not to be outdone by AT&T, Sprint and Verizon have now announced they are also going to double the data for users on shared mobile plans, at no extra cost. What's more, both carriers are bringing the promotion to family and business customers alike, making the news all the better. With Sprint, for example, you can get 120GB maximum for $225 per month on a family plan, while business accounts will receive up to 200GB for $330 -- on the former, there's also the $130 option, which lets you share 60GB between lines. Similarly, Verizon is set to double the data amount on its 20GB, 30GB, 40GB and 50GB More Everything plans; the 12GB and 16GB are making the jump as well, but only to 15GB and 30GB, respectively. Verizon's promo is kicking off tomorrow, with Sprint following suit the day after. But be sure to act fast, since the networks will only be offering this through the end of October.
Sprint family promo lets you share at least 20GB of data for $100 per month
T-Mobile has lately enticed families by giving them a big, 10GB bucket of mobile data at a relatively low $100 rate, but Sprint isn't about to take this competition laying down. Big Yellow has just unveiled a Family Share Pack promotion that lets you split a minimum of 20GB of data (and unlimited voice/text) for a relatively modest $100 per month, plus $15 per line. You're almost certainly getting more than that, too. Sprint throws in another 2GB for every line, so a family of four will have 28GB to play with. If you max out the plan with 10 people, that's a pretty hefty 40GB. You won't get the carrier's signature unlimited data, but this may eliminate worries that Snapchat-happy kids will chew up all your bandwidth.
Verizon adds 250MB Share Everything plan for the extra-thrifty
Verizon's Share Everything plans may be convenient for multi-phone households, but they're not cheap -- even the 500MB tier can be pricey for those who don't need much data. To that end, the carrier is introducing a $20, 250MB shared data plan on January 21st. The new offering shaves about $20 off the base rate, and lets a single smartphone owner pay as little as $60 per month for full service; a customer with a basic phone pays $50 per month. With that said, the plan isn't exactly the bargain of the century. AT&T offers a slightly better 300MB for the same money, and 250MB is likely to run out quickly if there's at least one smartphone in the mix. It may be worth investigating what Sprint and T-Mobile have to offer if you want more data without paying a lot more for the privilege.
AT&T's lower off-contract pricing and revamped Mobile Share plans launch next week
Whether or not you buy into T-Mobile CEO John Legere's UnCarrier strategy, we can't dispute the fact that it's at least making waves in the US wireless industry. Some of the network's biggest competitors are responding with new strategies of their own, and AT&T is one of them. Starting next Sunday, the GSM giant will make a few noticeable tweaks to its Mobile Share and Next plans. What's on the menu for December 8th? Quite a bit, so let's break it down. Under the current plans, your per-smartphone cost goes down as your data plan goes up; for instance, you pay $50 per smartphone on the 300MB plan, but only $30 if you're on any plan that's 10GB or higher. And as it stands right now, you still pay that same amount after your contract expires. With the new changes, you can tack smartphones onto your plan at a flat rate of $40 a pop, but you get a $15 discount on each one if you aren't in a contract. (AT&T informed us that as soon as your commitment expires, the rate is automatically taken off, so you don't need to call in to make the adjustment.) Basic phones are lower too, seeing a drop from $30 per handset to $20. Along with this change, the base cost for each data tier has moved as well; we'll add a table after the break to show what's different. The higher tiers get a significant drop to make up for the additional per-device charge, so keep that in mind if you have a lot of smartphones on your plan. On the other hand, the lower tiers become more advantageous when you add more lines. There's also a new 8GB plan that fits right in between the 6GB and 10GB options.
US Cellular officially jumps on the shared data bandwagon
Everyone else is doing it, so why can't US Cellular. The smaller carrier is getting into the shared data plan field with a bevy of options for both consumers and small businesses. As we've previously heard, customers can connect up to 10 devices to the same pool of data, with plans starting at $40 a month for 300MB, going all the way up to $560 a month for 75GB. Businesses get a slightly different deal, with up to 25 devices being able to share up to 100GB for $750 a month. All plans include unlimited voice, messaging and include tethering. Of course, there's also a per device charge, with smartphones costing $40 per month, basic phones running $30, hotspots $20 and tablets $10. There are also plans specifically for tablets and hotspots that start at $10 for 1GB of data. There's a few more details after the break, but you can also head straight to US Celluar's site to purchase one of the new plans for yourself.
AT&T to streamline traditional voice plans in favor of Mobile Share on October 25th
AT&T is planning to axe its traditional monthly calling and data plans for new customers -- both individual and family -- in favor of the network's latest shared data options, Engadget has learned after receiving an anonymous tip and reaching out to AT&T. It appears that this move is in response to the overwhelming success of AT&T's Mobile Share since its original debut. Existing customers who have been enjoying the older offerings won't see any change to their plan, and will even still have the option to upgrade phones, activate lines and adjust their plans accordingly without being forced onto the shared data plans (for instance, you'd be able to move from one traditional family plan to another). We've also confirmed that the individual $40 plan that comes with 450 minutes, which doesn't require texting or data, will still be available to new customers who only need an absolute basic plan. We had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before AT&T followed Verizon's move (Big Red killed off its traditional plans right when its new shared data plans launched), since the two carriers have put most of their focus on shared data plans in the past year or so. AT&T tells us that more details will be on the way in the near future, so we'll update our post at that time. Update: AT&T has now made the news official on its consumer blog. The simplification will take place on October 25th. We've added the text from the blog post below the break, if you want to check out more details. [Thanks, Anonymous]
US Cellular's shared data plans: here are the pricing details
It'll probably come as no shock to those who've been keeping even a loose eye on trends in the carrier space, but US Cellular is about to usher in its own take on shared data. Family plans have quickly become the norm, with data taking precedence over text and voice, and USCC's take on things looks awfully familiar. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to find any real pricing differences here than what you'll find over on Verizon Wireless. For a point-by-point breakdown, head on past the break. %Gallery-195927%
Verizon Wireless lowers the bar with 500MB Share Everything plan
Ah, the wonderful world of wireless carriers. You can almost guarantee that if one makes a move, the others will soon follow. We're still hoping that AT&T and Verizon will succumb to peer pressure and resume offering unlimited data plans, but until that day comes, you can look forward to lots of fine tuning of their tiered share plans. The latest move comes from Verizon, which has introduced its lowest cost offering yet: a 500MB shared plan that runs $40 per month. This rings in at $10 less than its 1GB shared data plan, but when combined with a single smartphone, you're looking at paying $80 per month for unlimited talk, text and 500MB of data that's subject to overage fees. Compare this to AT&T, which just announced a 300MB share plan that costs $70 once bundled with a smartphone. Either way, this presents a cheaper option for some, but it won't be fun keeping such a close eye on the meager data allotment. Update: This article previously drew a comparison that was based on the price of a feature phone at Verizon, which costs $30 per month. We've updated the article to reflect Verizon's $40 monthly charge for smartphones.
Perspectives on the raid lockout system
Even with a week that was jammed to the rafters with non-WoW issues for me to deal with, I paid attention to the news, and one of the biggest stories was the news that Korean realms are going to split the 10 and 25 man raid lockouts in patch 5.1. Now, I have opinions about this, because despite my notorious preference for 25 over 10 man raiding, I'm not completely behind this change. I was surprised to realize this, actually, but reading the announcement got me thinking. First off, I don't like the idea of giving 25 man raids better loot and uncoupling the lockouts. I think that goes too far in terms of setting 25 man raids on a pedestal. Believe it or not, what I personally want is a system where if you prefer 10 man raids, you can do them, and if you prefer 25 man raids, you can do them. It may not be possible for both raid sizes to be equally viable, but making it so you can run 10's and 25's on separate lockouts and then putting the better loot in 25's just cements 10's as the also-run raid size. Now, if you put better loot in 25's but keep the lockouts shared between them, the relative ease of organizing 10's and running them would balance that out to some extent, but I actually prefer the idea of separating the lockouts but not giving 25's better loot.
Verizon CFO buries his head in the sand, claims unlimited data is 'going by the wayside'
"La la la la. I can't hear you." Verizon's CFO, Fran Shammo, might've just as well made those comments with his hands firmly cupped over his ears, as the firm's chief number cruncher told attendees at today's Goldman Sachs investor conference, "Unlimited is just a word, it doesn't really mean anything." While Sprint and T-Mobile would certainly take issue with that statement, Shammo then dug the hole deeper by saying, "That whole unlimited thing, I think, is going by the wayside." These comments were made in the context of Shammo playing up the carrier's shared data plans, wherein he explained his belief that consumers "think they consume a lot more data than they really do." Shammo also revealed that Verizon has converted more subscribers and devices over to the new scheme than it'd initially anticipated. Naturally, change within any industry takes time, but now that Sprint is in a position to offer unlimited data at a meaningful speed and T-Mobile has climbed aboard the bandwagon, Verizon may have to change its tune if a significant number of consumers decide that unlimited isn't dead after all. You can view the entire transcript at the source link below, but consider this: would you take unlimited plans into consideration when shopping between carriers, or is Mr. Shammo right that consumers really don't use that much data? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.
Verizon Wireless confirms FaceTime over cellular on all data plans
If you'll recall, AT&T was quick to inform users after WWDC that it would not be supporting FaceTime over Cellular on all of its data plans (you'll need a Mobile Share plan for it to work) when it launches as part of iOS6 on the 19th. Now Verizon has responded, confirming in its iPhone 5 press release that the feature is welcome on any data plan allowance. Of course, your usual data restrictions will still apply so we wouldn't leave those 720p backside illuminated cameras streaming for too long. If you're the type to set your watch by iPhone launches, the press release also mentions Friday at 3AM ET is the time when they'll be available for preorder on the website, check the rest of the details after the break.
Verizon's 'secret menu' Share Everything plans offer 20GB for $150 (update)
Like Starbucks' Short Latté, Fatburger's Hypocrite and Wendy's Meat Cube, Verizon is offering its own not-so-secret menu on its Share Everything data plans. Big V's Brenda Raney told Computerworld that there are five more tiers beyond the 10GB top-limit shown on the company's website -- that are only available if you ask on the phone or in stores. The options run from 12GB for $110 all the way to 20GB for $150, but only as long as you've agreed the limit in advance of blowing all that data. If not, then you'll be spending another $150 in penalty charges for your overage. There's no official word if you need to offer a secret password or handshake, but we'd do it anyway -- if only to feel a bit like James Bond. Update: Verizon's confirmed the pricing tiers and let us know that you can now grab the bigger data plans without ever having to wink at a sales rep. Simply add a handset to your cart and push through to "Plans" on Big V's website and you can scroll to the right to access the 12GB - 20GB offerings.
Do shared iPhone data plans help consumers?
With AT&T announcing its shared data plan, it joins Verizon with a new model aiming to get consumers to pay for a shared bucket of data, voice and texting among multiple devices on a family account. The companies argue that it will save money in the long run, and for some, it just might. But should you and your account sharers leap on the shared-data plan? If you've been holding onto a grandfathered unlimited-data plan and holding off on a mobile hotspot option, maybe it's time to give shared data a look. There's a number of use-case scenarios among TUAW staff. Some of us, such as Kelly Hodgkins, have already made the leap despite the change hitting her family in the wallet. Others are at the point where it could go one way or another. Here's now it breaks down for each of us. Megan Lavey-Heaton When my husband Mike (better known to the TUAW talkcast/TV crowd as LinuxScouser) moved to the U.S. in November, we made the leap to Verizon so he could get his dream phone, a Galaxy Nexus. I upgraded to the iPhone 4S at that time. Our current plan is the low-tier family plan with 700 shared voice minutes for $50. Each of us pay $10 for 1,000 text messages, $9.99 for line access and $30 for data plans. I currently have 2 GB of data, but thanks to a special that Verizon was running at the time, Mike has 4 GB for the price of 2 GB. We both use less than 1 GB a month, though I have used more of my allotment when traveling. On the shared data plans, I ran it through with Mike and I sharing a combined 4 GB per month. 2 GB was too little, but we agreed 6 GB was too much. Here's how it turned out. Note, this is before taxes and any incidental fees, which vary by location and usage: Pros: We would gain mobile tethering, which neither of us have right now. This means Mike and I could use our data allotment to tether our Wi-Fi-only tablets. We wouldn't have to worry about texting limits. Cons: We'd be losing 2 GB of data per month, but we weren't using it anyhow. Current plan (Verizon): $149.98 Verizon shared-data plan: $150 AT&T shared-data plan: $150 Verdict: We'd only spend two more cents a month by switching to the shared-data plan. Shared data plans would cost exactly the same whether it's AT&T or Verizon. We most likely will be moving to the shared-data plan, not so much for the savings but to take advantage of the potential of using the phones as a mobile hotspot. Kelly Hodgkins My husband and I were on a Family Share plan with Verizon Wireless. We had the base plan that offered 700 minutes and unlimited texting for $80. Our primary line had a basic phone without data. We had two additional smartphones which cost us an extra $80 a month ($40 for each smart phone). The fourth and final line was a MiFi device which was costing us $35 for 3 GB of data. All told our monthly bill was around $200 each month with taxes. When we switched to the Shared Data plan, we dropped the MiFi completely now that mobile hotspot is included in the new plan. We chose the 6 GB data bucket for $80 each month, which is more than enough based on our previous usage. We average about 3-4 GB per month with the two smartphones and MiFi. We added two smartphones for $40 each and one basic phone for $30. We now pay just under $200 a month for the plan. Switching to Shared data didn't save us any money, but the flexibility of being able to use mobile hotspot when we are out is worth the switch. The MiFi was a great device, but we only had the one device and I never seemed to have it when I needed it. Now, I have a mobile hotspot and can use it with my MacBook Pro whenever I want. One other bonus is the ability to add a tablet for $10 a month. I just sold my 64 GB iPad 3 and swapped it for a 32 GB LTE version. I can easily add the iPad inexpensively and use it without worrying about the mobile hotpsot draining my iPhone's battery. In the end, we are paying a few dollars more and get mobile hotspot and a 4G tablet on our line. Yes, we lost unlimited data, but we weren't taking advantage of it anyway. For the record, I didn't even look at AT&T as the carrier does not offer service where I live. Steve Sande Bionic Barb (TUAW TV Live viewers will recognize the name) and I have an iPhone 4S, an iPhone 4, and two 3rd-generation iPads between us. My lovely spouse is on a grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan on the iPad, although she never uses more than 2 GB of data a month. All of the devices except my iPad are on AT&T; that iPad is on Verizon because they actually have a 4G LTE network in place in Denver. One good thing about that Verizon plan is that it also includes "free" mobile hotspot service as well. Me: iPhone AT&T --> Nationwide 450 with Rollover, DataPro 4GB $85 per month iPad Verizon -- $30 per month Barb: iPhone AT&T --> Nationwide 450 with Rollover, Unlimited Messaging, DataPro 2GB $85 per month iPad AT&T -- $30 per month TOTAL: $225 per month before taxes With shared data plans Verizon $80 for 6 GB data plan $80 for two iPhones $20 for two iPads ====== $180 per month (before taxes) AT&T $90 for 6 GB data plan $70 for two iPhones $20 for two iPads ====== $180 per month (before taxes) The winner for us would be to go with all Verizon services since most of our usage is in Denver and they are the only carrier at present with a true 4G LTE network in town, but there's one very big fly in the ointment with that -- we'd need to get two new iPhones and one new iPad. Chances are pretty good that we'd also get nailed with early termination fees for the iPhones, so this one's out of the question, at least for a while. If we go with the AT&T shared plan we'd save about $45 per month or $540 a year. That's excellent and the only thing I'd have to do is sell the Verizon iPad and get an AT&T model. Even if we went with the 10 GB shared data bucket we'd still save $25 per month ($300 per year). The winner in our case is AT&T, but only because we're tied to them for the iPhone service. Kelly Guimont Kelly G. reports that she and her husband have two AT&T phones with the grandfathered unlimited data plan and 700 minutes of shared talk time, which costs them $160. Data usage for them tops off around 4 GB. Her husband wants 6 GB under a shared data plan, just in case the ability to tether causes them to use more data. With Verizon and AT&T both, it would be the same $160 they're paying now to move to a shared data plan with 6 GB of data. They would also gain unlimited minutes and tethering. "If I were to give up unlimited data on AT&T I would definitely be getting a new iPhone," Kelly said. "I'm not under contract now so the 'switching' cost to Verizon would be the same two iPhones that would get upgraded on AT&T." Outside the U.S. Our overseas team members tossed in their phone plans to illustrate just how different the pricing structures are. Chris Rawson lives in New Zealand. His iPhone 4S and iPad are on Telecom NZ. He pays NZ$60 per month for 60 minutes of talk time, 1 GB data and around 200 texts. He pays an additional $25 for 500 MB data for his iPad. His wife, on Vodafone, pays $40 a month for 60 minutes of talk time and 250 MB of data. They pay $125 a month in New Zealand dollars for everything, which is around $100 in U.S. dollars. Michael Grothaus and Richard Gaywood are in the UK and are subscribers on Three with non-subsidized iPhones. The plan each of them has includes 2,000 minutes that can be used for any network and 5,000 minutes for calls among Three subscribers. The plan also includes 5,000 texts and unlimited data for £25, which is around $39. The plans cost about £5-10 more under contract, depending on if you have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. Rich adds, "The subsidized plans have a minimum term of two years, while the unsubsidized one can be cancelled at any time. Although Three is probably the best value of all the UK operators, the others all offer fairly similar deals. Oh, and that 'unlimited' data? It's genuinely, totally unlimited." #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
AT&T and Verizon shared data plans compared
With the introduction of AT&T's Mobile Share this morning, the two largest mobile operators in the US (the other one, of course, being Verizon) have officially embraced the idea of pooled data plans. The concept is simple: bundle talk, text and data together in the same family plan, instead of forcing each individual member to pay a separate fee if they want internet access. With the announcement of these plans, we were instantly curious to find out if these new options will save customers money on a monthly basis -- and which company offers the best value. Determined to get some answers, we've broken down AT&T and Verizon's plans and will highlight the pros and cons for you after the break.
Verizon's Share Everything data plans go live June 28th, let you add family (or a tablet) for a little extra
Verizon has been promising shared data plans for awhile, so it's with some relief (and trepidation) we can say they're here. Share Everything, as it's called, starts off with the assumption you'll want unlimited voice and messages and then bolts on shared data along with a maximum of 10 individual devices: a core plan starts at $50 per month for 1GB of data and requires that you tack on $40 a month for every smartphone, $30 for basic phones, $20 for hotspots and $10 for tablets. Of course, Verizon will gladly let you pay for more data if your family loves to stream Netflix on 4G all day, up to $100 for a common pool of 10GB. A stiff price, but it also includes tethering or hotspot creation support on any device in the mix. The new plans will be ready to tempt you away from your unlimited data on June 28th.
Verizon shared data plans are due in mid-summer, target users with multiple devices
On a call discussing Verizon's Q1 earnings report, CFO Francis Shammo has once again touched on the company's promised shared data plans, targeting their launch in mid-summer. He also noted that he expected this to drive growth in the wireless business, because the plan is apparently designed to allow customers to easily add "other devices" to it. You can do your best to tease more meaning out of his statement from the full transcript at Seeking Alpha, we'll be carefully considering how many data hogs are allowed at our share house for the summer.
AT&T prepares internal systems for shared data, launch date still TBD
We've known AT&T's had shared data plans in the works for a healthy amount of time, as the GSM carrier let the cat out of the bag many seasons ago. And while Ralph de la Vega hasn't hid his company's aspirations from view, the network hasn't exactly been forthcoming about when the party is going to get started. If the above and below screenshots are any indication, however, AT&T has already added support for group data into Telegence, the internal system employees use to manage customer accounts. According to the memo seen above, Telegence has been tweaked to include a new group-level data feature node "in preparation for the launch of Shared Data." This verbiage seems to suggest the new plans are coming in the very near future, but the communication is quick to point out that the launch date has yet to be determined. Unfortunately, since the new adjustments aren't functional just yet, it could simply mean the company's beginning the first wave of crucial internal testing. Regardless, its presence in AT&T's systems is a great step forward, and a welcome one that's been a long time coming. The question is, will the new plans arrive before Verizon can push its version out to the masses? [Thanks, anonymous]
Verizon shared data plans show up in employee training materials, still on track?
Verizon said it was working on a shared data solution for 2012, and according to an anonymous tipster, the new packages could be rolling out soon. We've been told that training material for an update to the outfit's internal account management application includes screenshots (one of which you can see above) that show a new section labeled "account level data plans." The new section apparently shows an account level charge for data allowance and a 9.99 charge per line. There's no word on exactly when these backend tweaks might translate into a new family data plan, but if it pans out the way we hope, AT&T's Ralph de la Vega may have to reconsider his oath of silence on Ma Bell's own data sharing plans.[Thanks, Anon]
AT&T Mobility's Ralph de la Vega: shared data still in the pipeline
Back at the D9 conference last summer, Ralph de la Vega announced AT&T's intentions to bring shared data plans to subscribers. At the time, the AT&T Mobility CEO was coy about a specific launch window for the service, saying only that users could expect the feature sometime soon. We're already well into the new year now and it appears de la Vega still hasn't changed his timing tune. In a post-keynote interview, he revealed the carrier's continued commitment to providing the feature, while also acknowledging the inherent difficulties in bringing it to market. When it does eventually go live, subs can look forward to spreading those MBs across devices (phone and tablets, anyone?), as well as fisticuffing with data-hoggy family members.