Filed under: WWDC, Apple, iPhone
AT&T talks iPhone 3G plans, apps
AT&T just posted a press release which answers a few questions about the new iPhone 3G. First off, AT&T remains the exclusive iPhone carrier in the US (though there will be plenty of other carriers in other countries). The iPhone 3G is subsidized, and the revenue sharing agreement between Apple and AT&T has ended (you might recall that Apple got a cut of monthly subscriber fees for the iPhone, though no longer).But what about the service plans? It looks like AT&T is getting rid of those easy to choose from iPhone plans, and letting people get whatever voice plan they want, with data plans sold separately. The data plans are as follows:
- Consumers will pay $30 a month for unlimited 3G data plus $39.99 a month (to start) for voice.
- Business users will need to pay $45 a month for unlimited data plus a voice plan.
AT&T also noted that they, themselves, are working on an iPhone app. Yellowpages.com mobile is an iPhone app that will let you search the Yellowpages on your phone. Not that exciting in and of itself, but using Core Location, Yellowpages.com Mobile will know where you are and search local listings based on your current position. Not too shabby. It will also have 'social networking' features allowing you to share reviews with your friends and plan events.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Rowdehaj said 6:07PM on 6-09-2008
My plan, unlimited 3G inclusive, is just under half that, and I have an LG KU990!
Apple had better not think it can get away with that kind of pricing in my country.
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CaliberStone said 6:15PM on 6-09-2008
Rowdehaj-
Apple has nothing to do with setting the price of the phone plans; that's up to the service provider/carrier (ie, AT&T, Vodafone, T-Mobile, etc.) in your area.
oddEvan said 6:08PM on 6-09-2008
i can has text messages? I don't like the silence coming from AT&T's end...
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Rick said 10:51PM on 6-09-2008
Yeah, the silence about the SMS is deafening. If they were going to throw in messaging with the data plan, it would have mentioned as a selling point. Soo, might as well tack on another $5 to that $30, which makes the overall plan $15/mo more expensive.
Sam said 6:15PM on 6-09-2008
Great, as soon as I was going to get an iPhone
Finally Affordable
but no, AT&T had to ruin it
Come on Apple, ditch AT&T already
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totoro said 6:15PM on 6-09-2008
Interesting-so the new phone is $199..but we are paying $240 more over the life of the contract for 3G. So really, the phone is $440...or $41 more than the previous one?
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Macroy said 7:32PM on 6-09-2008
If you're going to count the contract, shouldn't you add the contract price to the price of the older iPhone?
totoro said 8:12PM on 6-09-2008
I didn't add the contract price to the new iPhone. I added the additional $10/month only. Did you do the math? :p
Macroy said 8:26PM on 6-09-2008
Ah, just caught that now. Sorry about that, neighbor!
Darrell said 9:05PM on 6-09-2008
@Macroy
He did.
However, failed to mention that the AT&T plan now drops the 200 text messages, so to be truly the same plan, tack on ANOTHER $5 a month for 200 messages = $120 more over a 2-year contract.
totoro said 10:23PM on 6-09-2008
wait, thats without any SMS messages either? WTF?
AT&T must see the SDK writing on the wall, and IM must be coming big time, which will cut into their SMS revenue stream anyways. So they'll just soak the ones who still rely on it :p
LuminousNerd said 4:06AM on 6-10-2008
You forgot one issue though, they are allowing subsidizing...so it will be even cheaper than the $199 to start.
Still, this is B.S. this forces me to unlock, no way in hell that I can commit to $70 a month.
Al said 3:25PM on 6-10-2008
I think $199 is the subsidized price.
Aelver said 6:20PM on 6-09-2008
Anyone have at a guess whether unlocked versions will be available in countries that ban provider locks?
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Cycomachead said 6:32PM on 6-09-2008
Wouldn't they have to be? They'll most likely go for 2-3x the 199 price.
jpguy said 6:24PM on 6-09-2008
I just read elsewhere it's in-store activation only... Is it possible to de-activiate once you get home and cancel if you're a new customer, I think by law you get a few days to cancel... Then you could unlock/jailbreak away. Can anyone confirm?
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Brian said 7:17PM on 6-09-2008
The Apple Store will probably need to add some actual registers now, eh?
Doc said 6:29PM on 6-09-2008
Yo,
The keynote stream is up!
http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/0806wdt546x/event/index.html
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required said 6:31PM on 6-09-2008
If this was my only "network" bill then I'd be fine with it. The fact that they want that much money for iPhone network access is horrid. Now if the iPhone could act as an airport base station and deliver hdtv and...
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Tanner said 6:39PM on 6-09-2008
What's their policy though on existing iPhone users upgrading to the 3G? Do we have to change our plans and acquire the $10 a month 3G-surcharge?
And also, do we simply sign a new 2 year contract that eliminates the old one? How will that work?
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