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Read the Fine Print!

That article is full of nonsense....

"3) Double Billing. You and the Caller Both Get Charged for the Same Call."

No kidding that how "cell phones" have functioned for years.
 
kvanwagoner said:
That article is full of nonsense....

"3) Double Billing. You and the Caller Both Get Charged for the Same Call."

No kidding that how "cell phones" have functioned for years.
Click to expand...

Unless you live in Europe or have free incomming (ie Nextel).
 
kvanwagoner said:
Granted, but the author makes it seem as if that is the norm everywhere.
Click to expand...

True, I also wonder if the Author is even from America. I noted complaining about slow internet speeds(somewhat true), and using old technology(not really true).
 
kvanwagoner said:
That article is full of nonsense....

"3) Double Billing. You and the Caller Both Get Charged for the Same Call."

No kidding that how "cell phones" have functioned for years.
Click to expand...

Not in the UK and Channel Islands since the late 80's !!

Also rounding up to the minute is insane, seems like the US mobile operators really need to pull there finger out and stop ripping people off !!
 
15) Wi-Fi Service is Limited - "To ensure that the Wi-Fi Service is not being used fraudulently, AT&T limits your usage of the Wi-Fi Service to 150 uses per month" ...Does that mean that if you lose signal a few times during one session, or you are traveling and go between ‘hot spots’ you can rack up lots of ‘uses’?

I probably exceeded this mythical wi-fi limit within 72 hours of my activation.
 
do the Yanks pay to receive calls? that sucks!

My teleco pay me to receive calls. $0.05 per minute, but it adds up quickly. Last month i got $10 credit :D
 
Scarlet Fever said:
do the Yanks pay to receive calls? that sucks!

My teleco pay me to receive calls. $0.05 per minute, but it adds up quickly. Last month i got $10 credit :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, for some reason the American Telco have yet to transition to free incoming. If you haggle with Sprint you can get it sometimes, it isn't something they advertise though. From my understanding the first imcoming minute used to be free, but that stopped. Is everyone's elses Telco's "heavily" regulated by their government?
 
150 wifi uses per month - there is no way that is true, AT&T should not even care since it is 'off' their network, right?
 
mullman said:
150 wifi uses per month - there is no way that is true, AT&T should not even care since it is 'off' their network, right?
Click to expand...

I think it may be for AT&T WiFi, not our own. I remember a few people saying we had free AT&T hotspot access.
 
Hang on, you have to pay for incoming calls in the US??? Im glad im in the UK!
Also, its unlikely technologically that that WiFi limit is true, as WiFi is independent from the network.
 
Even point 1 on that article is plain wrong. You can do everything legitimately on an AT&T pay as you go plan, thus no contract.

Half the "points" are utter bollocks.
 
PowerFullMac said:
Hang on, you have to pay for incoming calls in the US??? Im glad im in the UK!
Click to expand...

But, on the flip side, in many countries you don't have unlimited local calling (you buy a package of minutes) for your landline. Additionally, you pay a greater tariff to call the cell from the landline. Here, I don't know of any local telco that doesn't provide unlimited local and landlines can call other landlines or cells without any difference in "cost". Essentially, the cost of the call is passed to the landline elsewhere, while here the cell absorbs it.

As for calling from a different network - I suppose that each network wants to make something off of you...
 
PowerFullMac said:
Hang on, you have to pay for incoming calls in the US??? Im glad im in the UK!
Also, its unlikely technologically that that WiFi limit is true, as WiFi is independent from the network.
Click to expand...

Yes, as in those incoming calls siphon from our pool of minutes (assuming it is during the weekday and not a person on the same network).
 
PowerFullMac said:
Hang on, you have to pay for incoming calls in the US??? Im glad im in the UK!
Also, its unlikely technologically that that WiFi limit is true, as WiFi is independent from the network.
Click to expand...

This is not necessarily a bad thing. As I understand it, incoming calls using minutes of your plan is one of the reasons tele-marketers have been reluctant to start soliciting via your cell phones. Because there is a monetary value on the minutes the tele-marketers could be risking a lawsuit for costing people on calls that were not desired.
 
diamond.g said:
I think it may be for AT&T WiFi, not our own. I remember a few people saying we had free AT&T hotspot access.
Click to expand...

If you read ALL of the fine print, and the author of that article clearly did not... or he's just trying to gain attention by cleverly omitting certain facts...

The 150 usages refer specifically to AT&T's own Wi-Fi service... not third-party Wi-Fi.
 
It sounds like you specifically have to subscribe to an AT&T DataConnect service. Has anyone truely verified that the iPhone gets free access to the AT&T Wi-Fi?

It is kinda moot for me anyway. The only one listed on my island is at a car rental 10 miles away. Edge would be faster.
 
I love how the author claimed that the US is a joke in terms of cellular data. Has he looked at data prices in canada, or in most countries in Europe?

Then he compares broadband speeds from the US to other countries. What in G-d's name does that have to do with the iPhone?
 
kvanwagoner said:
That article is full of nonsense....

"3) Double Billing. You and the Caller Both Get Charged for the Same Call."

No kidding that how "cell phones" have functioned for years.
Click to expand...

That was my favorite too. :D

After reading that I figured that the rest of the article will have little to no impact on me, it seemed like a bunch of swill to me.
 
2) Expensive: Requires $2,280, Over $1,730 in Wireless Costs.

I'm not sure I get that one. I was paying cingular around $90-120$ for my Treo, basic $39.99 w/ rollover + internet service for around $40 plus text messaging for $19.99.

My current plan with Iphone I am paying the $39.99 plus $20 and then $10 text messaging. By my calculations I should be saving a lot? Am I missing something?
 
abbypanda said:
2) Expensive: Requires $2,280, Over $1,730 in Wireless Costs.

I'm not sure I get that one. I was paying cingular around $90-120$ for my Treo, basic $39.99 w/ rollover + internet service for around $40 plus text messaging for $19.99.

My current plan with Iphone I am paying the $39.99 plus $20 and then $10 text messaging. By my calculations I should be saving a lot? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Yea I never understood that argument. How is it any different than someone using a voice plan with data on a Treo or Blackberry or any other PDA device? Usually people pay MORE than what a typical iPhone user would pay since common business users tend to have the more expensive plans. I guess this is higher though than your typical home user but its still a weak reason to pick at.

Also the wireless costs are off in that article. I'd only be paying $1440 in service costs but thats what I would have paid contract or no as I still have to pay SOMEONE to get my cell phone service.
 
PowerFullMac said:
Hang on, you have to pay for incoming calls in the US??? Im glad im in the UK!
Click to expand...
Yes, but how much does it cost someone from a landline to call your mobile? Or someone from abroad to call your mobile?

In the USA mobile phones have local numbers, so there is no extra charge for people calling you on top of regular long distance charges.

Means my Mum can call me from the UK on my mobile without paying through the nose.
 
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