If you're with AT&T and are due for an upgrade or plan to activate to a Smartphone, You may want to know that beginning September 6, AT&T has may the decision to make some changes regarding its smartphone division. AT&T will now begin to force you to get a data plan with each smartphone. If you are purchasing an unlocked phone, then these changes do not affect you.
And AT&T has said they want customers to get a predicable bill every month and that's why the policy is going into force. Below is an internal AT&T email talking about the change:
Beginning September 6, 2009, customers who activate or upgrade to a Smartphone will need to sign up for an appropriate data plan. Existing Smartphone customers active prior to September 6, 2009 will be grandfathered and exempt from the new policy.
Why we are making this change?
We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their Smartphones. A predictable bill is a key factor in customer satisfaction, so effective September 6, 2009 Smartphone customers will need to subscribe to a data plan, as the vast majority of customers already do. Data plans let customers fully utilize their device, without the worry of bill shock.
How we will ensure an extraordinary customer experience?
The sales representative is the customer’s expert resource in helping select the right device for their needs. When a customer does not want a data plan, we will position other devices in our industry leading portfolio for the customer to choose from, as many devices do not require a data plan.
Action Required:
Sales Managers will review the Know the Facts, Job Aid, and FAQs (found under Related Links) with their sales teams and ensure all sales representatives fully understand the new policy and how to position the Smartphone data requirement to customers. A Sales Coaching Session will be available on September 5, 2009 (document to be distributed in advance).
It makes sense why they would do this. I think a smart phone without the data plan is not a smart idea. Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A400 Safari/528.16
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What's even funnier is when Iphone users call in saying they don't want the data service..Reason being because "it wasn't on their contract"..however it was in the T&C they accepted
If you're with AT&T and are due for an upgrade or plan to activate to a Smartphone, You may want to know that beginning September 6, AT&T has may the decision to make some changes regarding its smartphone division. AT&T will now begin to force you to get a data plan with each smartphone. If you are purchasing an unlocked phone, then these changes do not affect you.
And AT&T has said they want customers to get a predicable bill every month and that's why the policy is going into force. Below is an internal AT&T email talking about the change:
Beginning September 6, 2009, customers who activate or upgrade to a Smartphone will need to sign up for an appropriate data plan. Existing Smartphone customers active prior to September 6, 2009 will be grandfathered and exempt from the new policy.
Why we are making this change?
We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their Smartphones. A predictable bill is a key factor in customer satisfaction, so effective September 6, 2009 Smartphone customers will need to subscribe to a data plan, as the vast majority of customers already do. Data plans let customers fully utilize their device, without the worry of bill shock.
How we will ensure an extraordinary customer experience?
The sales representative is the customer’s expert resource in helping select the right device for their needs. When a customer does not want a data plan, we will position other devices in our industry leading portfolio for the customer to choose from, as many devices do not require a data plan.
Action Required:
Sales Managers will review the Know the Facts, Job Aid, and FAQs (found under Related Links) with their sales teams and ensure all sales representatives fully understand the new policy and how to position the Smartphone data requirement to customers. A Sales Coaching Session will be available on September 5, 2009 (document to be distributed in advance).
AT&T Smartphone Data Plans Become Mandatory on September 6 - Specs, reviews and prices.
This has been a Verizon Wireless requirement for at least three years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobmills
thats a lie!
No it isn't. Actually, it's been effect longer than the date noted. I know for a fact that iPhone purchases have had this as a requirement. I tried to configure a Samsung Jack and had the requirement back in June and again in July to do a comparison with configuring a Blackberry. Had to add data to get to checkout.
Didn't purchase because I couldn't get a discount due to length of contract. Suffice it to say, it turns out for the best. I'll be switching to Sprint as it's gives more for less and the international phones are not locked, so I can use a pre-paid sim when I travel. Verizon was a consideration but the sims are locked and I don't want to pay the rates that Verizon will charge.
Last edited by nicknrm; 09-07-2009 at 06:26 PM..
Reason: fixed quote issue
I had to do a bit of digging to actually find your post...I'll go through and try and fix the quote for you.
Anyway, this has NOT been a requirement for three years...nor even close. Verizon Wireless, like most carriers, have always required it to go with the Blackberrys. If you chose a PDA that wasn't a blackberry, this went into effect for all new PDA devices sometime in November of 2008.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nebuchadnezzar
This has been a Verizon Wireless requirement for at least three years.
.
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Hmm...I wonder who warned Cell Phone Forums of this policy over 6-7 months ago?...hmm...nicknrm maybe? No one believed me.
Like I said before and will say now, this will become an industry standard.
The only benefit of having AT&T and a smartphone is that you can get an unlocked one...where as Verizon, that's not possible.
Verizon Wireless made this change for the same reason as AT&T...so customers receive a predictable bill.
No, a predictable bill is a side-effect of it. The point is to make money by requiring data plans. If you want to get unlimited data, you have to pay for it. If you want a smartphone/pda, you must have a data plan (even if you only wanted it for it's other features).
Actually, it isn't a truly predictable bill as this would presuppose having an unlimited talk plan as well. If you go over, then the bill is NO LONGER the same every month.
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Yes, money does have SOME to do with it...but ultimately does have to do with reducing call volumes to customer service.
Also, if you don't want to use data on your phone...you SHOULD NOT HAVE A DATA INTENSIVE DEVICE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nebuchadnezzar
No, a predictable bill is a side-effect of it. The point is to make money by requiring data plans. If you want to get unlimited data, you have to pay for it. If you want a smartphone/pda, you must have a data plan (even if you only wanted it for it's other features).
Actually, it isn't a truly predictable bill as this would presuppose having an unlimited talk plan as well. If you go over, then the bill is NO LONGER the same every month.
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This has been a Verizon Wireless requirement for at least three years.
No it isn't. Actually, it's been effect longer than the date noted. I know for a fact that iPhone purchases have had this as a requirement. I tried to configure a Samsung Jack and had the requirement back in June and again in July to do a comparison with configuring a Blackberry. Had to add data to get to checkout.
Didn't purchase because I couldn't get a discount due to length of contract. Suffice it to say, it turns out for the best. I'll be switching to Sprint as it's gives more for less and the international phones are not locked, so I can use a pre-paid sim when I travel. Verizon was a consideration but the sims are locked and I don't want to pay the rates that Verizon will charge.
If you are at least 6 months into your current contract, you can get an early upgrade for $75. Your total would be similiar to this.
2yr discounted pricing of phone + $75 early upgrade fee + $18 standard upgrade fee.
The early upgrade fee can be waived based on the scenario.
You can request the unlock code for AT&T. Just don't say you are getting it for international traveling purposes, otherwise you will be told to get the AT&T World Connect feature.
I currently have voice and unlimited texting. I was looking at one of the smartphones with wifi. The only reason was to be able to check email when I have a wifi connection. You can do this on the new i Touch. If I purchase a smartphone other than AT&T, insert my SIM card and call and have AT&T block data, will I be able to connect to my home internet via wifi?
Jf you have the carrier block data access, you will not be able to send and receive multimedia messages. The carrier has no control over Wi-Fi use. You cannot send and receive multimedia mesaages via Wi-Fi. You will have to use email to send attachment over a Wi-Fi connection. Unfortunately you can no longer get a data block or pay per use with an AT&T-branded PDA or BlackBerry.
Anyone have comments on the fact that ATT is claiming that they are the "last company to require data plans on smart phones" ?
Also I have to admit that even though I consider myself above average in cell experience the whole data requirements are very confusing. With unlimited data plans available from $10 (with a discount request from the normal $15) to $30 (more difficult to get discounted) and the higher cost plan being required of anything considered a smart phone (now seriously who wants to own a "stupid phone" lol), and now a new unspecified phone group requiring a $20 data plan.
I am thinking the plan or idea from the company is a combination of what was posted earlier, but I am totally leaning towards the one where ATT (and the others as well) wants to increase income.
Reason I think that way is because these data plans are not dependent on speed, amount of data used, or anything I can find that is truly data related, but seems more inline with the usability and value of the phone in question.
An example is how non blackberry Iphone phones are now subject to being smart phones and forced to the $30 data plan (eg. E71x, Surge, HTC2 etc), others that are marketed and used more as multimedia phones than smart phones forced into a $20 data plan (Impression, zenon, or pretty much anything touch or qwerty etc), and anything without an acceptable way to enter text (std key pad style) and can not offer any kind of enjoyable multimedia experience are allowed either not to have a data plan, or can opt for a $10 plan.
After an extensive multiple call in discussion with ATT (including CSR's supervisor, a mgr) I have found that just like when texting became popular they are finding their way through this with data as well. Being such I am expecting that just like txt they have found a very profitable way to increase gross billings, and things will change over time as they find what works, what doesn't and what they need to do to keep customers while increasing profits.
As far as grandfathering goes I offer a word of caution as this will only last so long, and if it will be like it was for those of us who had free texting for years due to either special agreements or the very fact that our plans or contracts pre dated the technology and therefore was not billable under the agreement it will only be a matter of time until you are offered a big credit to accept that your grandfathered contract/plan is now eliminated, and you can pick a new plan.
I actually sent back a smarter phone recently (within the remorse period) due to their inability to do anything about the $30 data plan. Since the way I use the phone does not see any real benefit from live or pushed email, and the phone itself was not particularly a great multimedia experience it just was not worth the additional costs, and back it went.
Good thing I have other phones I can use, but these are basic phones (currently using a razr wow) and though it works great as a phone it can not cover the other non data sensitive or actions I need (cal, org, MMS, vid, sd card, and others) and am now shopping for a replacement that will fill my needs without emptying my pockets, and am not finding much.
I am expecting to be calling ATT again to discuss this soon, and will post up their comments etc, but does anyone here know their official stand on which of the three data plans they will allow on an unlocked smart phone (e63, e71, E72 are some choices now) that you already have and they did not subsidize the cost of?
If I can keep the $10 plan I have now on the Razr for one of the phones listed (or another similar one) it would seem like a fair arrangement, but if they are looking for the higher amounts it may be time to check out T-Mobile in more detail.
Thanks!!
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$30 seems reasonable, considering the amount of data that a single iPhone can push through, given games, video, and all of the other things that are data-intensive. If you want a rediculously complicated bills, then that's what you'd certainly get with an a-la-carte data plan and a smart-phone. Ineveitably, you'll use the data network and be billed for each kilobyte.
$30 seems reasonable, considering the amount of data that a single iPhone can push through, given games, video, and all of the other things that are data-intensive. If you want a rediculously complicated bills, then that's what you'd certainly get with an a-la-carte data plan and a smart-phone. Ineveitably, you'll use the data network and be billed for each kilobyte.
I am pretty sure the $10 I am paying now is much more reasonable than that $30 hit every month.
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Mandatory Data Plans on AT&T smartphones 
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