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Carrier ATT grandfathered plan ending [Merged]
- Thread starter Nhwhazup
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I have the "AT&T Unlimited Tablet" on a 2022 IPP. The plan has 22G of priority data but is unlimited. The plan is $20 a month plus taxes (~$25). This is the only line I have with AT&T.
AT&T has acted unwisely here.
For many, many years I have had the minimum cost data plan for my iPad, since the first iPad was sold. Every iPad I have purchased came with cellular hardware and an AT&T connection. This is well over a decade of continuous use. Most of my networking is by WiFi at home, but for those occasions when I would go out to a restaurant or be in my car traveling, I just wanted the security of knowing I could always get connection to the Internet.
My iPhone cell phone plan was also with AT&T, with a very very old grandfathered plan, from back in the day when the data was unlimited. I kept the plan for that reason, and for the reason that there was just too much going on in my life to worry about a cell phone, when there were more urgent things to worry about.
But like many of you, I recently received from AT&T that same mailing that said that my "AT&T DataConnect Pass plan" was being cancelled as of March 14, 2023.
"Lord, what fools these mortals be." (A Midsummer's Night Dream)
Because I had to, I woke up from my slumber and realized I needed to not only provide data for my iPads, but also review my ancient iPhone plan. I was paying about $100 a month, for a plan which gave just basic calling, not even including any text messaging. Every time someone sent me a text message, and every time I replied, it cost me $1.00, plus taxes and fees. Just a few texts was all it would take to make my monthly bill $90 to $100. And it's gotten increasingly hard to live without text messages. In addition, I've been paying $19.99 a month for my minimum data plan for the iPad, for a total of about $120 a month, for a pretty bad plan.
So finally I got moving and researched the plans available. One of the first places I found that helped was this very thread here. That's why I'm posting this, my first message ever on MacRumors, in gratitude for the help you have all provided.
The other really helpful source was this YouTube video, called "Verizon vs. AT&T vs. T-Mobile Unlimited Plan Comparison! (EARLY 2023)".
It turns out that since I am over 55, the T-Mobile Magenta and Magenta MAX plans are even better than described in that video, as T-Mobile has a $20 discount per month for people who are 55 or over.
In addition, many of these plans, if you are adding a new line, will allow you to purchase a new iPhone with a significant discount, and even take your old one as a trade-in.
So this last weekend I went into a T-Mobile store near my home with my iPhone 11 Pro Max, and began a Magenta MAX 55+ plan at $70 a month. I am buying an iPhone 14 Pro Max, with a $1000 discount, and I am trading in my iPhone 11 Pro Max for another $230 or so in credits. If I want to choose AutoPay, then I can reduce the $70 monthly charge to only $65. That is basically the normal price for an entry-level plan with just a few minimal features.
But the Magenta MAX 55+ plan has all taxes and fees included, unlimited 5G and 4G LTE premium data with NO throttling, a mobile hotspot that I can use to provide 40GB high-speed data to my iPads, unlimited talk, and unlimited texts (that means no stupid $1 fee for each text!). And for no particular reason, T-Mobile also throws in Apple TV+, Netflix Basic, and 1 year of Paramount+. One thing that is important to me is that this plan provides video streaming up to 4K UHD quality. Also, when I travel to Europe, there's up to 5GB of high-speed data, and when I call Europe, instead of $200 for about 30 minutes of calling (which I have suffered in the past), it's only about $8, at $0.25 per minute.
I am a very happy man. Why didn't I do this sooner, why didn't I check things out? Because I was busy, and I was, metaphorically speaking, asleep.
AT&T has lost all my business, which was getting them about $120 a month with very little actual usage on my part. AT&T should have let sleeping dogs lie.
Or as the knight says in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
"He chose poorly."
Soli Gloria Deo. (To God Alone be the Glory.)
For many, many years I have had the minimum cost data plan for my iPad, since the first iPad was sold. Every iPad I have purchased came with cellular hardware and an AT&T connection. This is well over a decade of continuous use. Most of my networking is by WiFi at home, but for those occasions when I would go out to a restaurant or be in my car traveling, I just wanted the security of knowing I could always get connection to the Internet.
My iPhone cell phone plan was also with AT&T, with a very very old grandfathered plan, from back in the day when the data was unlimited. I kept the plan for that reason, and for the reason that there was just too much going on in my life to worry about a cell phone, when there were more urgent things to worry about.
But like many of you, I recently received from AT&T that same mailing that said that my "AT&T DataConnect Pass plan" was being cancelled as of March 14, 2023.
"Lord, what fools these mortals be." (A Midsummer's Night Dream)
Because I had to, I woke up from my slumber and realized I needed to not only provide data for my iPads, but also review my ancient iPhone plan. I was paying about $100 a month, for a plan which gave just basic calling, not even including any text messaging. Every time someone sent me a text message, and every time I replied, it cost me $1.00, plus taxes and fees. Just a few texts was all it would take to make my monthly bill $90 to $100. And it's gotten increasingly hard to live without text messages. In addition, I've been paying $19.99 a month for my minimum data plan for the iPad, for a total of about $120 a month, for a pretty bad plan.
So finally I got moving and researched the plans available. One of the first places I found that helped was this very thread here. That's why I'm posting this, my first message ever on MacRumors, in gratitude for the help you have all provided.
The other really helpful source was this YouTube video, called "Verizon vs. AT&T vs. T-Mobile Unlimited Plan Comparison! (EARLY 2023)".
It turns out that since I am over 55, the T-Mobile Magenta and Magenta MAX plans are even better than described in that video, as T-Mobile has a $20 discount per month for people who are 55 or over.
In addition, many of these plans, if you are adding a new line, will allow you to purchase a new iPhone with a significant discount, and even take your old one as a trade-in.
So this last weekend I went into a T-Mobile store near my home with my iPhone 11 Pro Max, and began a Magenta MAX 55+ plan at $70 a month. I am buying an iPhone 14 Pro Max, with a $1000 discount, and I am trading in my iPhone 11 Pro Max for another $230 or so in credits. If I want to choose AutoPay, then I can reduce the $70 monthly charge to only $65. That is basically the normal price for an entry-level plan with just a few minimal features.
But the Magenta MAX 55+ plan has all taxes and fees included, unlimited 5G and 4G LTE premium data with NO throttling, a mobile hotspot that I can use to provide 40GB high-speed data to my iPads, unlimited talk, and unlimited texts (that means no stupid $1 fee for each text!). And for no particular reason, T-Mobile also throws in Apple TV+, Netflix Basic, and 1 year of Paramount+. One thing that is important to me is that this plan provides video streaming up to 4K UHD quality. Also, when I travel to Europe, there's up to 5GB of high-speed data, and when I call Europe, instead of $200 for about 30 minutes of calling (which I have suffered in the past), it's only about $8, at $0.25 per minute.
I am a very happy man. Why didn't I do this sooner, why didn't I check things out? Because I was busy, and I was, metaphorically speaking, asleep.
AT&T has lost all my business, which was getting them about $120 a month with very little actual usage on my part. AT&T should have let sleeping dogs lie.
Or as the knight says in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
"He chose poorly."
Soli Gloria Deo. (To God Alone be the Glory.)
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I stayed with ATT and went from a $75 monthly plan to a prepaid $25 a month plan 16GB for my phone and from the original iPad plan at $34.99 a month to $20 a month unlimited but only first 22GB at high speed. Big savings for me. I was told that the prepaid plan would have a lower tiered service than a prepaid plan. I’ve had my prepaid plan since last July and see zero difference in service. My husband has a separate post paid plan and for months I would match both phones up when on the road and speed test - no difference.
AFAIK TMO has a 'Essentials' senior unlimited talk+text+data for $27.50 (if you ask for a single line).
The first 50gb data is at high speed
Great if you get TMO where you go. Only downside is that the plan's personal hotspot use is at 3g speed (three).
We have three iPhones: Verizon, AT&T & TMO
TMO has had service in areas where AT&T has not and vice versa but in general best signal strength is the same as I listed the carriers.
Getting back to STAND ALONE data only plans, I can find none better (although I wish I could) than what AT&T is offering us grandfathers: $35/mo for 50gb data
The first 50gb data is at high speed
Great if you get TMO where you go. Only downside is that the plan's personal hotspot use is at 3g speed (three).
We have three iPhones: Verizon, AT&T & TMO
TMO has had service in areas where AT&T has not and vice versa but in general best signal strength is the same as I listed the carriers.
Getting back to STAND ALONE data only plans, I can find none better (although I wish I could) than what AT&T is offering us grandfathers: $35/mo for 50gb data
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In Sept 2021, I did the exact same thing as you with a Verizon plan, didn’t look back. I was able to squeeze by on 8GB, but now that we get 16GB, never as issue. I pay once a year, $330 with tax, no need to worry about a monthly bill.
I don‘t think I’ve ever been de-prioritized vs. the post-paid over achievers. Would be nice if AT&T Pre-Paid supported wearables (Apple Watch). I’m not sure why more people don’t move to this plan.
I moved my discontinued 2 AT&T iPad plans to T-Mo, bought three at $10/mo (including tax). Still have 2 old AT&T Car Connect Mobley data plans ($20 ea/mo), hopefully AT&T won’t discontinue those too.
I could never find this plan online, always went to $55 (50GB) plan with $20 Auto Pay discount. Others have been able to add $20 Tablet Plan with a post-paid account.. Unfortunately they cannot beat my $25/mo Pre-Paid deal.
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I didn’t even get the advance notice and learned of this with the email my IPad plan had been straight cancelled. I just switched everything over to T-Mobile including my original grandfathered iPhone plan as well, which had become increasingly unwieldy with no 5G, no tethering, difficult to use overseas with no changes online, etc. Appreciated the tips above.
Thanks, ATT.
Thanks, ATT.
How much are your T-Mo Tablet plans? Unfortunately T-Mo won‘t work for our cell phone needs. Coverage is crappy out in the sticks, sticking to $300/yr AT&T Pre Paid.. But so far the T-Mo Tablet plans have been acceptable for me, especially at $10/tablet/mo.
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I agree. I have the prepaid $300 ATT annual plan for my phone - 16 GB per month with rollover. Then I put my iPad on my husband’s post paid plan for $20/month for unlimited data (first 22GB in a month high speed and then throttled after that). I’ll never get to the throttled threshold. So win-win for me. Saved a lot of money and my service is no different.
I know a lot of people switched but I decided just to stay. It’s the same cost ($35/mo) for 50GB of data. I never surpassed 25GB in a month on the unlimited plan. I looked at T Mo and the same amount of data would have costed more. I wanted a different provider than Verizon which I already have on my phone, just in case one has low signal the other might be better. It’s been working fine.
I ended my grandfathered AT&T plan last summer, when I realized that AT&T's Unlimited Starter was cheaper for me - and it included unlimited text messages and 3GB hotspot (both extra cost in the grandfathered plan).
No way Jose would I ever touch T-Mobile, due to their frequent data breaches that exposed the personal information (including Social Security #s) of their customers. T-Mobile has a lot of work to do, in that department.
No way Jose would I ever touch T-Mobile, due to their frequent data breaches that exposed the personal information (including Social Security #s) of their customers. T-Mobile has a lot of work to do, in that department.
Certainly have been issues with T-Mobile. But who are you going to go with, Verizon?
Data breach exposed millions of Verizon customers' account info
Verizon has yet to respond to a data breach
AT&T?
AT&T alerts 9 million customers of data breach after vendor hack
AT&T is notifying roughly 9 million customers that some of their information has been exposed after one of its marketing vendors was hacked in January.
and we're only 3 months into 2023.
T-Mobile Gets Hacked Again: Is the Un-Carrier Un-Safe?
While both Verizon and AT&T have had to deal with data compromises in recent years, they've been minimal compared with the problems T-Mobile has faced.
The nation's second-largest wireless carrier disclosed in a regulatory filing late Thursday that data from 37 million of its customers was stolen in a breach. Security experts say that while the data wasn't extremely sensitive, its compromise could put those people at high risk of being scammed or otherwise targeted by cybercriminals.
Sound familiar? That's because T-Mobile was already dealing with the fallout from a 2021 data breach that compromised the personal information of nearly 77 million people. T-Mobile agreed to a $500 million settlement in that case in July.
This marks just the latest in a string of incidents going back to 2018, a massive stain on a company that once championed the "Un-carrier" movement of sticking up for consumers screwed by the wireless company. The sheer volume of incidents has experts questioning whether staying with the carrier puts you at risk.
@HDFan
While both Verizon and AT&T have had to deal with data compromises in recent years, they've been minimal compared with the problems T-Mobile has faced.
The nation's second-largest wireless carrier disclosed in a regulatory filing late Thursday that data from 37 million of its customers was stolen in a breach. Security experts say that while the data wasn't extremely sensitive, its compromise could put those people at high risk of being scammed or otherwise targeted by cybercriminals.
Sound familiar? That's because T-Mobile was already dealing with the fallout from a 2021 data breach that compromised the personal information of nearly 77 million people. T-Mobile agreed to a $500 million settlement in that case in July.
This marks just the latest in a string of incidents going back to 2018, a massive stain on a company that once championed the "Un-carrier" movement of sticking up for consumers screwed by the wireless company. The sheer volume of incidents has experts questioning whether staying with the carrier puts you at risk.
@HDFan