Filed under: Retail, Apple, iPhone
AT&T and Apple announce service plans, iTunes activation for iPhone
- $59.99 for 450 minutes
- $79.99 for 900 minutes
- $99.99 for 1,350 minutes
Speaking of activation, the second press release should offer some relief to those worried about being able to unbox their own iPhone or waiting for every phone to get activated in the store. Apple and AT&T have announced that iPhones users will be able to "activate their new iPhones using Apple's popular iTunes(R) software running on a PC or Mac in the comfort and privacy of their own home or office." iTunes will guide users through choosing a service plan, authorizing their credit and activating the iPhone, after which they will of course be able to manage the synching process of all their bookmarks, contacts and iTunes media.
Considering unlimited data is included, these plans sound like pretty good deals. Top it all off with lines that should move pretty quickly in and out of Apple and AT&T stores, and we all might just make it through this weekend yet.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Fred said 8:57AM on 6-26-2007
SOLD! I love you Steve Jobs.
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Billy K said 8:59AM on 6-26-2007
Holy crap - that's a good deal! I can't believe it!
I use about 20 minutes a month. It's the unlimited data I needed most. Apple delivers!
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Jersey said 9:03AM on 6-26-2007
They came through on this one. I was expecting, and justifying to the gf, $80 a month for 450 minutes and data. She'll be so pleased, I bet this gets me some action ...
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codeman38 said 9:03AM on 6-26-2007
That's not terrible, but I'd *really* be sold if there were a plan with ~100 minutes for $39.99. Some people just don't talk on the phone that much!
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Adam Jackson said 9:06AM on 6-26-2007
I'm so excited about this announcement!
I just hope that I can increase that to unlimited SMS.
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Ross said 9:08AM on 6-26-2007
Yeah, but so this means that you'll be able to walk away with an iPhone and no plan. I so hope that there's a SIM card slot...
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one1step1 said 5:08PM on 6-26-2007
Now I can justify two of them... $120 a month is much cheaper than the $200 I was contemplating.
Now I wonder how they will handle the people with bad credit that get home and can't activate their iPhone. That's an interesting scenario.
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Rob said 9:15AM on 6-26-2007
Anyone know if you are able to transfer over your existing phone number? Or will it be compulsory to take on a new number?
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Eli Hodapp said 9:12AM on 6-26-2007
Anyone else notice this in the video- http://i.a-13.net/80gb_iPhone.png ?
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Mitesh Gowani said 9:15AM on 6-26-2007
I was definitely going to get an iPhone but this one just put the icing on the slightly sweet and sour cake. My current plan is only the 450 minutes without any messages and data and I was going to upgrade to 200 with unlimited data which is exactly what they've offered in a bundle with visual voicemail included.
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Josh H. said 9:17AM on 6-26-2007
wait so that 60 bucks for 450 minutes comes with unlimited data and 200 text messages with visual voicemail all for only 60 bucks?
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Alex Hillman said 9:19AM on 6-26-2007
does that mean that phones will be the same price with or without activation?
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Stephen said 9:21AM on 6-26-2007
Unlimited texts are an extra $20 a month
You can bring your old number - it's all part of the iTunes activation process
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Kender said 9:19AM on 6-26-2007
This is indeed awesome. I will save about $40 a month.
Adam Jackson - Unlimited SMS adds $20 a month according to the video. +1000 SMS is $10 more a month.
Rob - yes. The activation video shows how you transfer a number - iTunes takes care of it all!
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Dave Chartier said 9:20AM on 6-26-2007
#11: Yep.
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Benjo said 9:21AM on 6-26-2007
Did anybody notice on the activation video demo- at the end when the iPhone was done syncing- the bar at the bottom of itunes showed 80 GBs of storage instead of 8? Check it out.
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Eric B. said 9:23AM on 6-26-2007
its not bad, but I was hoping it would be better. I pay 59.99 on T-mobile for my BlackBerry Pearl, and I get 1000 mins, unlimited data, unlimited email, unlimited text. so I wish ATT wouldnt be so expensive with their minutes! I really hope t-mobile will get the iphone eventually. I really like their rate plans!!
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Alex Crouzen said 9:23AM on 6-26-2007
This all sounds better and better. Now just the announcement which European carrier they're going with and I'll be extatic :)
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Donald MacKenzie said 9:24AM on 6-26-2007
Just off the phone with AT&T customer service. As an existing AT&T customer, I'll be able to add the iPhone to my account without adding a new line. I'll just start a new 2-year contract from the date of activation. The rep said that you can also keep you existing phone number if you have an AT&T account, and that activating the account through iTunes "is really simple."
The thought that AT&T would force me into adding a new line as a "new activation" and the possibility of a super-high data plan price were my hurdles to hopping on the iPhone train. I hope Apple and AT&T have the server farms ready for the Friday night onslaught!
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Jason Costomiris said 12:28PM on 6-26-2007
What a snoozer.
So, these are just the standard voice plans duct-taped to the Media Max 200 bundle with Visual VM thrown in. So that was the big secret? Holy waste of time.
Think I'm kidding? 450 min = $39.99/mo, 900 = $59.99, 1350 = $79.99. Those plans are all unlimited M2M, offer rollover, etc. The Media Max 200 plan is $19.99/mo, and gives you unlimited data plus 200 messages (IM, MMS, SMS, email via SMS gw - not what the mail client uses, i.e. data), though in the case of the iPhone, the MMS is sort of a moot point.
Visual VM? So, what, you get to read a menu on the phone's screen of who left you a message and listen to them in whatever order you feel like? Is that supposed to be some sort of ground-breaking tech?
I love the notion of the iPhone. I really do. What would it take for me to buy one?
1. Replaceable battery - though there is that rumor floating around about the battery now being swappable.
2. Better camera - 2MP fixed-focus? Make it at least 3MP with auto-focus, like the Nokia N73 I'm carrying now and we'll talk.
3. 3G - HSDPA is a must for me. 850/1900 Mhz please. But while they're in there, might as well do 850/1900/2100.
4. A real SDK, not this "web 2.0 ajax" buzzword compliant, reality distortion field induced nonsense. There are ways to secure applications to prevent nasty things from happening -- Symbian's doing it. Have a look at the security model in S60 v3 and above, for instance.
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