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AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

mashable.com

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Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#61

Post by anamax »

stanleydrew wrote: post #38
buster wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bet Steve would want to for a long time. But it's an exclusive deal, so AT&T has the upper hand here, i think. If the rumours are true, AT&T has a 5-year-exclusive contract with Apple. That's still a lot time left. Ironically, this exclusiveness is some sort of lock in (from at&t's side) and here it's widely considered harmful :) Meanwhile androids infiltrate all other major networks..

If things get bad enough, can't Apple buy out the rest of the contract ahead of time?

> If things get bad enough, can't Apple buy out the rest of the contract ahead of time?

The cost of doing that depends on the contract.

How much do you think that Apple should pay to do this? How much do you think that they're willing to pay? (My guess is that Apple isn't willing to pay more than they'd make by doing so.)

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#62

Post by josefresco »

tjmaxal wrote: post #41

I hate to say this because it just makes me angry but it's all our fault. If we didn't buy so many ipads with practically criminal TOSes then we wouldn't be stuck with a device that is tied to one of the worst cell phone providers in the world. If more people demanded open network selection, and refused to buy an ipad until it was available on any network then we would have the features we want.

Ah the free market at it's best. Allowing consumers to unwittingly screw themselves over and over. Steve Jobs approved.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#64

Post by pyre »

stanleydrew wrote: post #46
bshep wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure, but carrier lock means that you cannot use a SIM that is not from the carrier that it is locked to ( like the iPhone ). Carrier unlocked does not mean that it will work well with other US carriers, just that i can work with any SIM. Point is you can take it anywhere in the world there is 3G coverage (at the right frequencies) stick a SIM in it and it will work. Not so with the iPhone (unless you bought an u…

Yes, I'm not suggesting that the iPad isn't an unlocked device. Just pointing out that there is "effective" lock-in in terms of high speed data service.

T-Mobile and AT&T 3G services require different antennae (and possibly chips). You can use the same device to access their GSM networks and get onto Edge, but when it comes to 3G a device either supports one or the other. To my knowledge there are no phones (or devices) on the market that support both AT&T and T-Mobile in the same device.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#65

Post by pyre »

jonhohle wrote: post #44
ben1040 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big deal is the CEO of Apple stood on a stage and talked about the crazy new price structure they negotiated with ATT. Sign up whenever you wanted, cancel whenever you wanted. Because of the way it was announced, a lot of people bought the 3G model just as a hedge that when they might need data they were covered. For example when on vacation they could switch on the $30 unlimited data plan just for the duration o…

I just bought an iPad 3G last night for my in-laws for this exact purpose. They frequently spend time in their cabin which does not have an active internet connection. $15->$30 for the occasion when they needed the internet seemed like a fantastic solution for them. I never imagined the pricing would change so drastically merely a month after the iPad 3G began shipping. At least in the US, you can't even order the 3G…

> If nothing else this seems like a huge breach of trust between Apple and their customers, even if it is AT&T's fault.

Exactly. Apple should have had some sort of contract with AT&T to maintain their pricing for at least a reasonable period of time (e.g. 1yr) rather than changing the pricing structure immediately after launch.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#67

Post by fuzzythinker »

ajg1977 wrote: post #35
yanowitz wrote: post #16

I'd love to be a fly on the wall for the screaming matches between AT&T and Apple. This must be a prelude to AT&T losing exclusivity on the iPhone and punishing Apple for it. With all the data intensive iPad apps (e.g., Netflix) and the video conferencing coming in the next OS, this is a brutal move by AT&T. Factor in the dynamics of Android competition and we are in for some interesting telco moves in the coming mon…

If this is a prelude to AT&T losing their exclusivity then it's an odd move - the standard "unlimited data" cap on Verizon is 5GB. I'm not sure why AT&T would charge more for less compared to a competitor who was about to offer an alternative for their customers. I wonder when we'll see the famed Jobs reality distortion field try and sell us on 2GB being enough data for anyone. This also exposes the ridiculousness of…

My feeling is ATT plans to offer ~5GB at ~$35 later. They probably don't want to announce it now since it will immediately be visible that they are charging more for less data. I foresee a rush of ipad 3G purchases from now to June7.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#68

Post by stanleydrew »

pyre wrote: post #64
stanleydrew wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I'm not suggesting that the iPad isn't an unlocked device. Just pointing out that there is "effective" lock-in in terms of high speed data service.

T-Mobile and AT&T 3G services require different antennae (and possibly chips). You can use the same device to access their GSM networks and get onto Edge, but when it comes to 3G a device either supports one or the other. To my knowledge there are no phones (or devices) on the market that support both AT&T and T-Mobile in the same device.

Correct. That's why it's "effective" lock-in. I can't see any technical reason not to support all 3G frequencies, but until these kinds of devices do we'll have this effective lock-in problem.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#69

Post by ben1040 »

josefresco wrote: post #60
furtivefelon wrote: post #13

Well apple website still advertises unlimited plan: http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/

So if I bought an iPad a few days ago am I grandfathered? Or does it need to be delivered and activated before I'm a 'customer'? I feel like I was bamboozled. I bought something for a certain price, and by the time it arrives the terms have changed and suddenly I'm getting a lot less data for slightly less money.

>Or does it need to be delivered and activated before I'm a 'customer'?

This: you'd need to have the iPad in hand and activated with AT&T, and should you ever cancel it there's no going back.

Re: AT&T Gives Up on the iPad 3G Unlimited Data Plan

#70

Post by FluidDjango »

gte910h wrote: post #55
stanleydrew wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If things get bad enough, can't Apple buy out the rest of the contract ahead of time?

They can ignore it and pay damages if there is no cancellation clause. It is highly unlikely a court would enjoin them from doing some as pro consumer as opening their platform to another US provider.

You have a lot of faith in the pro-consumer stance of courts.
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