Skip to Content

iPhone 101: Eight 3G iPhone Plan Pricing Details You Need to Know

Thinking about signing up for iPhone 3G service? Here are some pricing details you'll want to know about.

1. You have to pay $18 or $36. A one time $36 activation fee still applies to 3G plans, the way it did for the first generation iPhone. If you're a current AT&T subscriber, this fee is only $18.

2. Data costs more. On the original iPhone plans, unlimited data cost $20/month. The new iPhone 3G plans cost $30/month.

3. Exchange costs $15/month more beyond that. The normal 3G iPhone data plan costs $30/month. Enterprise data costs $45/month. This buys you access to all the standard Exchange features. If you need to get Exchange mail, or access data inside your firewall, you're an enterprise user. AT&T isn't saying they'll disable ActiveSync and Exchange on normal iPhone plans for non-corporate users so we're unsure how they'll police this policy. Our Christina speculates that the enterprise plan sets up the server to accept exchange support; you could do IMAP from your exchange account but if you want non-MobileMe push, you gotta be on the enterprise tier plan.

Follow the jumps for more plan pricing details.

4. SMS isn't included. 200 Text Messages a month start at $5 and go up to $15 for 1500 and $20 for unlimited SMS messages.

5. You can buy SMS a la cart. SMS messages cost $0.20 each if you aren't on one of the monthly plans. This is a bit pricey. Late last year, I was still paying $0.05 for AT&T SMS a la carte. Then they jumped to $0.15, and now $0.20.

6. Voice minutes still start at $40/month. There are no prepaid contract free Pay as You Go plans available for the 3G iPhone. $40/month buys you 450 minutes. Price plans go up from there to $200/month for 6000 minutes.

7. International plans are available. You must activate International Roaming before leaving the US and set up a plan. Call 866-331-0500 to find out more about international roaming and long distance. Keep in mind this consideration is true of nearly all smartphones from AT&T and not just the iPhone.

8. There are no 3G-less discounts. If you live in an area that doesn't have 3G service, you're still going to pay at least $30/month for data. AT&T no longer offers the original $20/month data plan. Many people consider the $20/month plan an incredible bargain.



Categories

iPhone 101

Thinking about signing up for iPhone 3G service? Here are some pricing details you'll want to know about. 1. You have to pay $18 or $36. A...
 

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

127 Comments

Filter by:
jsindal

I got an iPhone back in April, and they never told me about the $36 activation fee when I purchase the phone and plan. I called a few days after getting my first bill and told them I'd been a Sprint subscriber for the last five years, was out of contract and decided to make the switch to AT&T, etc...and they waived the $36 fee for me. Just throwing that out there...

July 16 2008 at 5:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fockin\'kidding!

I agree the iPhone is a phat piece of gear but is it REALLY worth all this? ATT gouge away!

July 15 2008 at 12:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
johnny0

From Macintouch:

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/specials/en/iReady_checklist.pdf

Seems to imply if you have a corporate plan, you get to pay $45.

But remember most corporate plans come with a discount, 10-20% depending on how big your company is. So say I have the $99 unlimited voice + $45 business data -- with a 10% corp discount, that's $14.50 off, or about the same at the end of the day. I think this is more cost recovery than anything else.

July 09 2008 at 3:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
That70sGAdawg

Makes for a hard decision with the higher data rates and crippled GPS (no turn by turn directions).

July 08 2008 at 3:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lucas

Is Erica going to try out the 3G only pseudo-plan?

I sure hope so

July 08 2008 at 11:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ballonknot

Anyone know if it's going to possible to drop the data plan with the 3G iPhone as it was with the original?

I also live in an area where WiFi is everywhere, and would really prefer the money for the data plan in my pocket, not AT&T's.

July 02 2008 at 10:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Greg

Hey are there any developer/product management folk out there who would be willing to talk to me?

July 02 2008 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Leroy

wow, you guys are getting ripped off bigtime over there in the US ; /, contracts are cheaper here, iphones are cheaper here, sms are standard.. dang

July 02 2008 at 1:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chuck

Well if AT&T is actually considering only allowing corporate users to use Exchange they will have to enabled it within the next week. I currently have the 2.0 software (and have since the beginning) and I've been using exchange on a person account the whole time with no issues. So it's highly unlikley that's what they meant.

July 02 2008 at 9:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Chuck's comment
mike

Chuck, what exactly do you mean when you say you've been using the 2.0 software since the beginning? I've heard of people getting an advanced release but just in the past week or so.

July 08 2008 at 9:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Daniel

This makes me hate AT&T more! Unfortunately if I want an iPhone, it seems like I have not choice. Switch from Verizon where I'm paying $45 + taxes and fees to AT&T for $70+$5(SMS) + taxes and fees and activation fee. What other cell phone company charges an activation fee? Does AT&T currently charge an activation fee, or are they trying to rip-off all the consumers who wants an the new iPhone 3G, just because they can? This angers me to see that they're unbundling SMS, adding $10/month for data and adding a activation fee.

July 02 2008 at 3:21 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Hot Apps on TUAW

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.