Sometimes I think that AT&T is purposefully trying to disappoint all of their subscribers and send us running into Verizon’s welcoming arms. Like that person you used to date that didn’t have the heart to break up with you, so they just treated you really badly until you finally broke up with them. You know the one. And today’s data plan announcements only confirm my suspicions.

Up until now iPhone and iPad 3G users have basked in the warm glow of unlimited data, meaning endless hours of Pandora radio,  Netflix movies, stalking that Ex’s Facebook page (c’mon, you know the one). But it’s all coming to an end. Pretty soon, we’ll be sounding just like our grandparents anytime we take them to Starbucks, “$4.00 for a cup of coffee! In my day we paid 10 cents for a coffee!”. Only we’ll be saying “Remember when we used to have unlimited internet. Those were the days.”

So here’s what you need to know:

New plans: The new plans apply to both the iPad and the iPhone and you will have two options. A $15 a month plan that includes 200MB of data usage each month or a $25 plan that includes 2GB a month. Tethering is now available for the iPhone with an additional $20 a month charge on top of your monthly data charge.

iPad Users: It’s not too late. If you sign up for the existing unlimited plan on your iPads before June 7th and then you do not change your plan and allow it to keep automatically renewing than you will continue to have an unlimited plan. So, if you held out the extra month and paid the additional cost for a 3G iPad specifically because of the unlimited plan (like me) than get on it and stay on it because after June 7th it is no more. Does it feel like a bit of a bait and switch? Yeah? That’s because it is. One of the really exciting things about the iPad 3G was the flexibility of the plans. You could come and go from no data plan, to 250MB to unlimited as needed. And now just two months after the iPad’s debut that flexibility has been taken away. If you want the iPad’s unlimited plan, speak now or forever hold your peace.

iPhone users: If you are already an AT&T user (iPhone or otherwise) you will still be on the unlimited plan for $30 a month (phew!) and you can get a new phone and extend your contract with AT&T and stay on the unlimited plan. But you will not be able to add tethering to your iPhone. Users coming over to AT&T after June 7th will be coming onto the new plans.

Posted by: pybadyfyto at 02:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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