Great day for the Evo 4G and Sprint

[dan330]

currently unlimited plan was $30....

then they give you these 2 options.....maybe save clients, but in end they will cost clients more. Smoke and mirrors tricks in marketing....



My prediction ...
before they release the next iphone (after iphone 4G);
They will release an unlimited data plan.. for $50-75/month.
Then cleints will feel they got a deal!!!

 

[evotitans]

It's ludicrous that you have to pay $20 to tether for the 2GB data plan.... but you don't get any more data. If you're tethering everyday, it's pretty much a given you'll go over 2 GB. One of the dumbest things I've ever seen.

And thats where you get hit...hook line and sinker. Sure, there might be someway to tether on a jailbroken iPhone....but Im pretty sure AT&T is going to notice who is having constant overusage, even if you are on the old plan.

 

[nycbhh]

Sure, there might be someway to tether on a jailbroken iPhone....but Im pretty sure AT&T is going to notice who is having constant overusage, even if you are on the old plan.

They haven't noticed so far (or at least they haven't done anything about it) and there have been plenty of people tethering to iPhones with MiWi and other apps for a while now.

 

[Rigmaster]

ATT's plans basically asking people to use smartphones like feature phones.

This strategy will not work. Even if the claim is to save people money, look how much people lose for $5. You pretty much get to go from 5GB to 200MB - that's ridiculous.

 

[MarqBland]

WOW! AT&T has gone off the deep end! I was thinking about the iPad customers who bought the iPad 3G. Being that there is no contract, what if you go over that 2GB? I mean because for EVERY iPad 3G customer, their plan is going to change because they aren't locked into a contract saying they will have unlimited data for however much it was. So every person who had the unlimited plan will go to a 2GB plan, correct? I'd be PISSED if I bought an iPad then have that kind of change. I mean think about the iPad itself...it's a data driven device. It entices you to download apps and watch videos and all that...if you're not on wifi, you can eat up that 2GB incredibly quickly. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I'm glad I'm a Sprint customer who will be getting the Evo on Friday and thought that the iPad was the most useless gadget of this year!

 

[nycbhh]

ATT's plans basically asking people to use smartphones like feature phones.

This strategy will not work. Even if the claim is to save people money, look how much people lose for $5. You pretty much get to go from 5GB to 200MB - that's ridiculous.

I

 

[woofermazing]

They haven't noticed so far (or at least they haven't done anything about it) and there have been plenty of people tethering to iPhones with MiWi and other apps for a while now.

Yea, but once you get your new iPhone they will get you. I don't care what AT&T says right now, there is NO way they will let people upgrade phones without the new plan. Very few people are going to think saving 5 bucks is worth losing unlimited broadband. You will have video calls sucking up data and now probably Google Voice released on the app store. That's a boatload of cash to be made, and anyone that gets to keep the unlimited plan costs them money.

 

[TheBarron]

I'm no fan of AT&T, but this is a price break for most of their customers.

Yep.. until they get their new iPhones and start using the video chatting and/or tethering. Clearly no accident that AT&T is doing this before anyone can get a new iPhone.

 

[TheBarron]

Funny that you say this. I also just recently bought a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. If you would have told me 2 years ago that I'd be driving a Hyundai, I would have laughed at you. It's a GREAT car, and for a great deal though.

Get back to us on that here in 2 or 3 years.

 

[Rigmaster]

I

 

[MrPassion]

This seems a lot like what the banks do with overdraft charges. Most people don't do it but they make it very easy and it is a very high profit item for the banks. A lot of people will think they can control their usage of bandwidth but will get burned a couple times a year. They won't be allowed to return to their unlimited plans.

 

[woofermazing]

I can't wait till someone ask me..."Dude, can I tether to your EVO? Don't want to go over on my plan."

 

[MrPassion]

Seems to me the headline on this story should be: "AT&T admits inadequate Network, will screw their customers instead of investing in infrastructure"

Just got a call from BB for a 6AM appointment Friday to be the first with a Evo 4g at that store.

 

[nycbhh]

Yea, but once you get your new iPhone they will get you.

How? I doubt they

 

[cmanbrazil]

Wow what a great thread. Everyone has such well thought out views.

I like the comment about socializing customers to pay per gig, so that it will be normal in the future. It made sense at first, but the more I think about it, the more it seems illogical. Prices in this country go down, not up. The best chance to socialize people into additional costs, is when something is at its beginning, like rolling out 4g. This is a big problem on the net, where people are unwilling to pay for newspapers, etc. If anybody could win that battle it would be apple, because they are the most successful at it with their apps and itunes, but even they will consistently lower their charges as android gets better.

I do think at&t may want to chase away its heavy users, so that its network will work better for the average users. This way they will lose little revenue from the heavy users, and the network will get better without having to invest anything.

 

[rushmore]

VZW will announce something similar in the future. I think they're going to let ATT take some hits first, probably at least through mid-summer.

Sprint and TMo will benefit a lot as long as they stay in their positions as value providers.

The expectation that ATT and VZW are going to have to live up to is 100% reliability and true high-speed network capabilities and phones to match these pricing premiums. I just don't see that happening.

If Sprint can capitalize and exceed expectations in reliability and introduction of Wimax markets, they'll also ensure themselves at THE 4G carrier at least until 2012.

These events are awesome.

These changes impacts new customers, not current ones (so no reason to "jump ship" due to this).

All of the carriers will head this way. Sprint's first salvo is the $10 charge. The investment to infrastucture is expensive, so it is a fine balance between making customers and shareholders happy

BTW, the more "value" position a company has, the less margin and less money to invest in their tower and data system infrastucture Can not have it both ways. Else, why the $10 charge from Sprint? They are putting initial cost feelers out to condition there customer base's expectation on price. Also to pay for the data speed increases

The only way anyone sustains price and infrastructure in this industry (long term) will be to merge and combine resources. Either that, or one of the bottom main players may go away in the next three-ish years.

 

[Rigmaster]

I can't wait till someone ask me..."Dude, can I tether to your EVO? Don't want to go over on my plan."

When that happens, I'm going to tell them sure, but I have to charge you by the MB but I'll at least give you a discount of 20-75% depending on my arbitrary mood for the day

Even better - what happens when you ask one of them to let you tether while you stream large files and media. That'll be priceless The range of emotions taking place at that moment.

 

[Chief7]

65% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Where did you get your statistic? I've heard that 37.6% of all statistics are pure smoke. [I've always wanted to use that one!]

 

[MisterEd]

It wouldn't shock me if the new iPhone is treated differently. Kind of like the EVO and SERO. You cannot use an EVO on the SERO plan, you have to get an EVO specific plan. Perhaps AT&T will let people renew their contract once with the iPhone, but when the next iPhone comes around, they'll get them. And like I said, I wouldn't be shocked if every phone BUT the iPhone will be allowed to have a contract renewal.

OK, I've said it 6 times already. This is a FACT. It's in writing. It's policy. If you want to second guess what AT&T actually stated then so be it. They didn't say "iPhone excepted." Believe, think, guess or assume or be shocked about whatever you want. They are not going to change the plans for EXISTING IPHONE CUSTOMERS or ANY current smartphone data subscribers if that CURRENT EXISTING CUSTOMER adds, changes, upgrades, renews, swaps, replaces, hides, seeks, swims, runs, jumps, skips or plays with any other phone with an EXISTING UNLIMITED DATA PLAN. If it makes you feel better thinking they might, could, possibly, maybe, will, should or are going to charge those people the new data rates then by all means make yourself happy and believe it.

 

[AndroidRobot]

I honestly don't see anybody jumping ship since people can keep the original 30 dollar unlimited data plan now...

Oh well, can't wait to get my EVO

 

[mobilemaniac]

Data is being consumed more by users

Voice is no longer profitable, data will be the new profit center for carriers..

The networks are being bogged down with all the new data rich phones like the EVO and The new IPhone..

They will consume lots more data in comparison to the phones of the past. Allowing tethering will make it even worse and the carriers want to profit off of this..

By changing the pricing structure now, ATT will be able to capitalize on the new wave of data users that will start to take over.

2gb is childs play for heavy users.. I consume 2 gb this morning sending out emails..

They are basically getting ready for the future that all carriers know is coming.. Video stream, video chatting,hulu, netflix, skype, online games, tethering, GPS and all the other features that will be added that consume lots of data..

2 GB for email!? Are you a spammer? An average email (without large attachments) is in the tens of kilobytes range. So if your emails are 50KB (fairly large) you could send ~40,000 emails before hitting 2GB. Did you send 40,000 emails this morning?

 

[Rigmaster]

I honestly don't see anybody jumping ship since people can keep the original 30 dollar unlimited data plan now...

Oh well, can't wait to get my EVO

What about if you want to get the new iPhone? If it's handled like the Evo, you can't just keep your plan. Undoubtedly with capabilities like vid-chat, data use will go up. Can't see how they would have left that loophole open because it wouldn't address network congestion issues.

 

[MrPassion]

Wow what a great thread. Everyone has such well thought out views.

I like the comment about socializing customers to pay per gig, so that it will be normal in the future. It made sense at first, but the more I think about it, the more it seems illogical. Prices in this country go down, not up. The best chance to socialize people into additional costs, is when something is at its beginning, like rolling out 4g. This is a big problem on the net, where people are unwilling to pay for newspapers, etc. If anybody could win that battle it would be apple, because they are the most successful at it with their apps and itunes, but even they will consistently lower their charges as android gets better.

I do think at&t may want to chase away its heavy users, so that its network will work better for the average users. This way they will lose little revenue from the heavy users, and the network will get better without having to invest anything.

The history of data and the internet has always been that of companies trying to charge those that use more data more. It has never worked. These plans always go away. It has been like this from the time of 300baud modems.

 

[MisterEd]

Was I not clear? If you bought an iphone before June, your ETF is not increased. If you buy a new iphone now, your ETF is higher.

You were, but since this thread was about new data plans that's where my mind was going. I saw ETF but "read" it as DATA. That's called a "senior moment."

 

[companyman]

What about if you want to get the new iPhone? If it's handled like the Evo, you can't just keep your plan. Undoubtedly with capabilities like vid-chat, data use will go up. Can't see how they would have left that loophole open because it wouldn't address network congestion issues.

Exactly right. They aren't going to let existing users stay on the unlimited data plans forever. They will get them to move over to the new data plans eventually.