AT&T to Require Smartphone Users to Have SP Data Plan

[Osiris]

AT&T to Require Smartphone Users to Have SP Data Plan

BGR got an internal email being circulated at AT&T that shows a change that will go into effect on Sept. 6. Smartphone users will be required to use a smartphone data plan after that date, though existing users will be grandfathered in using their current plan. Good ol' AT&T.

Note that if you currently use a feature phone with a data plan and you upgrade to a smartphone on or after September 6th, you will not be able to keep your current MediaNet plan. …Note that this only applies to smartphones purchased from AT&T or a dealer of course, so those of you who opt for unlocked handsets should be unaffected.
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[Poizen22]

my iphone is under fido who is owned by at&t alltho i have a 6gb data plan that i pay 30$ a month for which is a wicked deal. considerign the 500mb is 25$. i got it in a promotion fido was having to clear out old iphone stock.

 

[hikaricloud]

While I'm iffy on them forcing people to have data plans with PDAs, I personally thing you can't get the full use out of one without using the internet. A lot of the features of PDAs use data, so I really don't see the point of a PDA without data.

AT&T's reasoning behind this isn't that terrible (though I will admit it's mostly because they want to make more money); they are right in the fact that it will make the bill more predictable, since you won't be racking up usage charges for data use without a plan.

And for that 30 bucks, it's unlimited, so that's pretty nifty.

 

[carnageX]

VZW has had this for a while now. They require a $30 add-on to have a PDA/Smartphone, but it gives you unlimited data usage.

 

[hikaricloud]

Ah, I've been out of the loop for VZW lately.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

This pretty much guarantees I will never get a smartphone from AT&T. I have wifi access 99% of the time so I would be paying for an overpriced data plan that I would never use.

 

[hikaricloud]

It really isn't overpriced considering what you're getting if you use it. Not to mention not every single PDA has WiFi capabilities.

Though, if you have WiFi access so much, may as well get a netbook instead of a PDA anyway, since they can be around the same cost or cheaper depending on the phone, and you can do more with them. No real need for a PDA in that case scenario.

 

[Harper]

That B.S. Last year I had a HTC Touch and rarely ever used the Mobile Data. This year I have the iPhone 3Gs and again, I rarely have a need for the mobile data. About the only time that I activate the mobile data is when I now that I am going on holidays and I an dragging my laptop or netbook with me. And when that happens, I just call up my provider and tell them to bill me a for 1Gb worth of data.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

It really isn't overpriced considering what you're getting if you use it. Not to mention not every single PDA has WiFi capabilities.

Though, if you have WiFi access so much, may as well get a netbook instead of a PDA anyway, since they can be around the same cost or cheaper depending on the phone, and you can do more with them. No real need for a PDA in that case scenario.

I actually have a netbook already because of the reasons you mentioned as well as the fact that I dislike large laptops.

I still would have considered picking up a smartphone next time I upgraded phones since they have been getting cheaper and so I would be able to get online if I didn't have my laptop with me

 

[hikaricloud]

That B.S. Last year I had a HTC Touch and rarely ever used the Mobile Data. This year I have the iPhone 3Gs and again, I rarely have a need for the mobile data. About the only time that I activate the mobile data is when I now that I am going on holidays and I an dragging my laptop or netbook with me. And when that happens, I just call up my provider and tell them to bill me a for 1Gb worth of data.

Right, it's BS...

So you missed my point completely. Apparently because of how YOU use your phone, it's the same with everyone, right?

PDAs were originally thought up for business type people that were always on the go, hence the email and data features. Take your iPhone. Things you need internet access of some sort for: GPS, email, App Store, stocks, etc etc. If you have access to WiFi at your place of residence, super! But you wouldn't be using GPS at home, would you? And if you needed your email, you'd use a laptop or regular computer, since it's easier. But if you have a PDA for what it's actually meant for instead of just having one because it's cool and has nifty features, a data plan is pretty essential.

Basically, PDAs are pretty much worthless if you don't do much traveling, especially for work related things. So there's no real point to owning them in that case.