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Why pay for a data plan for the iPad AND the iPhone
- Thread starter SoCalRich
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Considering that a myfi device charges $60/mo, the current payment plan isn't out of line.
Also, don't underestimate the benefit of the $15/mo limited ipad plan. This is the plan that I have and it is plenty. Most of the time I'm using the ipad, I'm near a wifi connection.
Also, don't underestimate the benefit of the $15/mo limited ipad plan. This is the plan that I have and it is plenty. Most of the time I'm using the ipad, I'm near a wifi connection.
It's simple, I only possess an iphone, therefore I only use iphone service. Now I buy a 3g ipad, I use both devices, maybe not concurrently, but I am doing more, not the same.
By that simple fact why should I pay the same as someone using two devices if I only own the one?
Trying to be devil's advocate here
More? Maybe. But not twice as much, which is what the iPad data pricing charges you for. As another poster said, we don't pay more for home Internet service because we have 8 computers instead of 1.
The cell phone companies already let you add a line to an account for as little as $5 and use the same number of minutes. If AT&T wanted to ensure I was using the "same" amount of data, then maybe the iPad wouldn't have needed some cryptic new SIM slot. Instead, you can pop out your iPhone SIM and use it in the iPad. But no, can't miss an opportunity to make more money (see text messages, 20 cents per).
Maaz said:
And crappy battery life on the iPhone... No thanks.
Jailbreaking ISNT the answer to a greedy AT&T.
Maaz said:
Still not an answer. Enough people have reported reception problems with the $80 mophie attached, not all of us wish to double the thickness of our phones, and not to mention, how about those of us who don't want to jailbreak? Let's not even talk about what AT&T might charge you if they find out you're tethering (and I'll assume that someone who goes to the trouble of jailbreaking and tethering isn't doing so for a measly 1gb of bandwidth per month...LOL)
What I want is AT&T to treat their existing expensive data plan customers as valuable ones, by offering the OPTION of multiple device discounts in exchange for contracts. I would like them to treat us like cable companies do (no additional charge for additional devices), but recognize that is unlikely... But discounts for multiple devices is completely reasonable. No amount of jailbreaking will make me change my mind on that.
Be a rebel and tether. But remember that you won't be able to use voice communications over the phone when doing so.
Tethering is the obvious solution. In my car I have the iphone powered up so I have 3G with no worries. WHen I have lunch at a place with no 3G, no problem. I throw the phone back on my charger in my office.
I have numerous battery packs for the iphone which work wonderfully when I need more juice. In fact tethering has added tremendous vaue to these already owned packs.
Just added a 3G ipad to my wifi ipad. Both will function tethered.
I have numerous battery packs for the iphone which work wonderfully when I need more juice. In fact tethering has added tremendous vaue to these already owned packs.
Just added a 3G ipad to my wifi ipad. Both will function tethered.
Battery packs, doubled thickness of iPhone, data limits, TOS violations, jailbreaking - ok, yes, you can do all that.
Or you can pay a dollar a day and do zero of it and everything will work fine. To each his own, but this conversation reminds me of somebody installing linux and using a 15-step process to set up their music library on it, instead of using iTunes on a Mac or PC, because they're mad at iTunes. Life's too short.
Of course, it's different if AT&T doesn't work well where you live. It works great where I live and most places I visit.
Or you can pay a dollar a day and do zero of it and everything will work fine. To each his own, but this conversation reminds me of somebody installing linux and using a 15-step process to set up their music library on it, instead of using iTunes on a Mac or PC, because they're mad at iTunes. Life's too short.
Of course, it's different if AT&T doesn't work well where you live. It works great where I live and most places I visit.
Just wanted to mention another option that I know has been mentioned on this forum before (it's how I learned about it). If you have no AT&T service where you live, like me, and you don't already have a data plan or smartphone, consider the Palm Pre Plus (or Palm Pixi, I guess) from Verizon. It offers a free mobile hotspot feature that I believe would cost an extra $40 a month, were you to buy another smartphone, but don't quote me on that. I played with the Palm Pre Plus in the Verizon store, turned on the hotspot, pulled out my iPad and it picked up the wifi connection within seconds. Purchasing the phone at that time cost $49.99 with a two year contract, and the data plan added on to our existing family plan was $30. True, the mobile hotspot feature is not unlimited (5GB) but I don't think that will ever be a problem for me as I use my iPad at home mostly.
The moral of the story is, I am paying $30 a month for a great new smartphone AND the mobile hotspot feature, when I had neither before. Getting the 3G iPad was not an option because of no AT&T service where I live - not to mention that wouldn't have given me a smartphone with a data plan too. To be fair, the hotspot feature does drain the Palm battery quickly, and the hotspot sometimes just doesn't work, for no reason I can tell. But it recently was the only way I was able to get through 3 days of no DSL at home in a household of four computers, all using the Palm's hotspot.
If Verizon can afford to offer this feature, maybe it will be only a matter of time before it becomes something consumers expect from every smartphone/cell phone company. I know that in my case, I was not considering a smartphone at all until I heard of this feature. Now Verizon is getting $30 more a month from me than they were before - and they never would have (nor would any other cell phone company) had this feature not been offered.
The moral of the story is, I am paying $30 a month for a great new smartphone AND the mobile hotspot feature, when I had neither before. Getting the 3G iPad was not an option because of no AT&T service where I live - not to mention that wouldn't have given me a smartphone with a data plan too. To be fair, the hotspot feature does drain the Palm battery quickly, and the hotspot sometimes just doesn't work, for no reason I can tell. But it recently was the only way I was able to get through 3 days of no DSL at home in a household of four computers, all using the Palm's hotspot.
If Verizon can afford to offer this feature, maybe it will be only a matter of time before it becomes something consumers expect from every smartphone/cell phone company. I know that in my case, I was not considering a smartphone at all until I heard of this feature. Now Verizon is getting $30 more a month from me than they were before - and they never would have (nor would any other cell phone company) had this feature not been offered.
And this proves my point
If any other cellphone provider can offer a $30, $40, $50 a month fee for one device with data that ALLOWS tethering, why can't multiple devices on family plans from AT&T receive a discount. It's essentially the SAME THING. Data coming in and going out through one account.
I have an iPhone... I pay $30 for unlimited data through my plan.
My daughter has an iPhone... I should get a discount and pay only $15 for unlimited data for a second device.
I now have an iPad... I should pay only $10 for unlimited data for a 3rd device. Any devices beyond that get charged $5-8 dollars.
That seems completely reasonable to me. While I think we should all get the option on family plans to pay, say, $45 for unlimited data for all devices, I realize AT&T just isn't going to do that... so the alternative is my suggestion above... prorated discounts based on the number of devices. In my case they'd STILL be getting $55 a month from me for data services (on top of phone services and unlimited texting services). VERY fair.
How do they benefit? Because I'd be then be locked into a contract for it all instead of this month-to-month BS. I've got no problem with them leaving the standalone pre-pay no-contract option for people who want it, but also, OFFER your loyal contracted cellphone customers a break!
I despise this analogy whenever it comes up, as it is utterly faulty. By your logic, you can just keep adding anything on to your monthly bills that are just "a dollar a day."
For the record, I agree that cell providers should rethink how they structure these deals, to account for the fact that if you're using one device, you're generally not using the other at the same time. I think a flat fee to add a device is appropriate; or alternately, a discount for bundling multiple devices.
One thing that may complicate this is that the iPad data service is contract-free, and the iPhone typically has a contract, so there may be some complexities in structuring the terms and legalities. Or else, contract-free iPad service may go away in this scenario.
What most of you are saying definitely makes sense, just doesn't seem worthy of a crusade to me in the meantime.
One thing that may complicate this is that the iPad data service is contract-free, and the iPhone typically has a contract, so there may be some complexities in structuring the terms and legalities. Or else, contract-free iPad service may go away in this scenario.
What most of you are saying definitely makes sense, just doesn't seem worthy of a crusade to me in the meantime.
Battlestar said:
Not sure what you're talking about but I tether my iPad using MyWi every day, initiating and receiving phone calls without a hitch. No way in hell would I pay ATT an additional $30/month for that privilege.
That's what you would think. But since they have virtually no competition in this space right now, they're not going to be eager to do absolutely anything about the situation.
RELAX everyone. Supply and demand is the core here. If Apple sells 1 million iPads and only 5% of them sign up for the data plan with AT&T, I guarantee you that Apple and AT&T will work together to lower the price, or give us a better deal for multiple devices. They are currently testing the waters to see how much people are willing to pay. I guarantee you in time the prices will change.
Until then, god bless MiWi on the iPhone JB. And I just keep my Mophie Juicepack in my bag as well as having a car charger in my car for the iPhone, so I'd say I'm in pretty good shape with battery life. I don't actually put the juicepack on my phone until I need it, cuz I hate having the bulk!
Until then, god bless MiWi on the iPhone JB.
And I just keep my Mophie Juicepack in my bag as well as having a car charger in my car for the iPhone, so I'd say I'm in pretty good shape with battery life. I don't actually put the juicepack on my phone until I need it, cuz I hate having the bulk!
Did you know that the Spirit jailbreak requires you to press exactly one button?
Two or three more taps and you have MyWi installed.
If you're hellbent on looking down on people who think differently from you, at least do a little research.
Why is everyone so surprised about the separate data plans? If you have more than one iPhone on your account, you have to have a separate data plan for both. If you could add the ipad data plan to your AT&T contract you'd lose the ability to turn it off and on easily, non AT&T customers would have to sign a contract, you'd be overpaying yearly because, let's face it, you're probably around free/home wifi more than you realize and not using the 3G (applies to some, not all of us), its already cheap enough so it wouldn't get cheaper and finally, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!?! $30 is $30 is $30 no matter how you pay it. ITS AUTOMATIC! Its not like you get a bill every month and have to send out a check. Apple and AT&T have made it drop dead simple to use the iPad on the go by being able to enter your credit card number and boom, you have 3G. I don't think Its very easy for AT&T to incorporate post paid and prepaid together systemwise. On every carrier, when you activate a USB 3G aircard, it's a contract and if you cancel it, you get slapped with an ETF. It's not enough that the data plan is half of what most carriers charge for a subsidized 3G netbook or USB aircard, nor is it enough to make the plan easy for everyone to sign up for. The easier it is, the more money they make because more people want the simplicity, not having to call up and give some idiotic customer service rep a long string of numbers, then wait around while the aircard activates, then set up your computer to use it properly. Even the iphone setup is more complicated (in comparison to the ipad activation). Everyone has options in this world: either shut up and pay the $30/ month the way THEY want you to do it, or don't buy an iPad. It really is that simple. DON't BUY THE PRODUCT AND THEN COMPLAIN! Thats why the economy is the way it is now; people want the product/house/car so bad that they don't care what they have to do to get it, then when s#!+ hits the fan, everyone blames someone else. Life is about choices people, buy or don't buy. Or the third option for some people, buy then complain about it even though you've given your $630 and $30/mo.