Mobility Leaks: AT&T’s new Mobile Share pricing
Today we tackle carrier pricing! Here’s the source of our cursing: Engadget:AT&T’s lower off-contract pricing & revamped Mobile Share plans launch next week
Jim S: Well I knew the Next double dipping would be outed eventually. But I am even more confused than I was before. Looks like they raised their prices and will now give you a discount if you pay for your phone outright. So virtually no change.
Currently my single line is currently $85, pre tax (40 voice/30 data (unlimited) / 15 text (grandfathered). With the new plan, what would I pay off contract? I know the text plan would go up to $20. And the unlimited grandfathered plan is out the door, so I would have to opt for 2GB to be safe. But they lose me between the voice and data charges. Is the $25 across the board for the voice part (must be as the price is fixed regardless of data chunk). Hell, I might have to pay more with this discounted plan. Sneaky bastards.
Check that. Text is only $10 today (for 1000 messages). So $80 pre tax.
Murani: That unlimited data comes in handy when you find yourself needing to use your phone as a hotspot.
Herg: So what is the catch
Jim S: But I used 545MB last month, which is very average for me (almost never over 600MB). Only been on one plane, or have even traveled more than 100 miles from home in the past three years. Aside from occasional shopping trips or dinner out, most of my time is spent on WiFi, at home, work or a friends house. So 2GB would handle pretty much any situation.
For $5 I wouldn’t give up unlimited. But for $15 I might have to think about it. $180/year for the new phone fund.
Just trying to match T-Mobile and Sprint. And realizing that the Next plan was double dipping (who knows, they might have even seen some litigation on that). But I think they raised pricing $5. That, plus me having to get a modern Text plan, might only save me $5/off contract. So not a big deal.
A Go plan would still be cheaper. But I do like dealing with reps face to face, so the discounting has to be at least $10/$15 a month. My contract is up April 2013. We will see then.
Murani: Yeah I used to have the 2GB plan and routinely only ever used about 1 GB. Now i have a 10 GB plan which bumped up the mobile share plan to $120. I’m thinking hard about getting a Go plan and saving $50-$60 a month.
As you said the monthly savings would go towards my tech toy fund.
Herg: I understand the carrier needs to make money but stop charging us more than needed.
Boost, virgin mobile, T-Mobile, sprint all have 30 dollar unlimited talk and text plans so why not Verizon and at&t
CA: I absolutely need my unlimited plan. I use about 10gb on average because I watch tons of YouTube videos at 720p.
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I couldn’t understand the pricing the CSRs were offering me. I tried 2 representatives, moving up one level in rank.
It works out to be cheaper, for me, to keep 4 individual data plans at $30 each. 1 is Unlimited, the other 3 are 2G each. I think I save $40 from the first “share” plan they offered at 300MB(?) each, for data!
And then, if I use the “Next” program, today to buy an LG G2 for my kid, it would cost $440( $22 for 20 months, advertised, not including fees. CSR said $24+ a month) If we wait till March, it will cost $36 for the Upgrade, and the phone will probably be free or a nominal cost. Don’t care about being able to upgrade early, with 5 lines, there is a good rotation going.
I just went and double checked, those are 3, 3G data plans for $30 each.
I wouldn’t save money till I had 6 data lines. And then I would have 1.8G Data allowance(?) vs. 15G and 1 unlimited plan. Using my poor math skills and best guess.