AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers • Hacker News Board

Re: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

#51

Post by dsr_ » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 6:05 PM UTC

cooperadymas wrote: post #39

bokonist wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$120 a month??? I pay $25 a month from Virgin Mobile for unlimited text, unlimited data, and 300 minutes of call time, with a pretty good android smartphone. (It would be $32 a month if you amortize the price of the smart phone, which I had to buy up front). I use easytether to hook up my laptop, no problem.

I look at it a different way. I'm saving $35 per month over Sprint with my Virgin Mobile plan. The phone cost me about $140, so I essentially pay it off in 4 months savings on this plan. I could upgrade my phone every 4-6 months if I wanted to, at no extra cost from where I was with Sprint. Compare that to the 1-2 year upgrade cycle on a contract, assuming you're able to get a free phone with the contract renewal. If…

The VM compatible Motorola Triumph is a pretty nice Android phone, too. Noticeably quicker than my original Droid.

Re: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

#52

Post by erikcw » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 6:12 PM UTC

smackfu wrote: post #42

How much are messages when you don't have a plan? How many do you get for the $20 the unlimited plan would cost you?

$0.20 per SMS with my ATT/iPhone contract.

Re: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

#53

Post by runjake » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 10:44 PM UTC

runjake wrote: post #30

pacemkr wrote: post #24

The ridiculous state of wireless data (tethering, sms) has finally driven me to get rid of my smartphone. Well done AT&T/Verizon. I am: * Porting my number to Google Voice. * Getting a voip "landline." * Getting a new number with the cheapest possible wireless plan + dumbphone. Sprint still not evil? * Routing my calls using Google Voice to the landline/dumbphone, depending on where I am. Frankly, I'm sick of paying…

I don't have any recommendations for you, but here's my plan of action. I have been monitoring my usage for the past year. I have an iPhone. I've slowly been weaning myself from my emotional attachment to it. Much exposure to WP7 and decent Android phones has helped tremendously. I use an average of 150 voice minutes a month, 20 texts, and ~170mb of data (although most of it is me diddling around, checking Google Rea…

To update my comment:

1.) You can port a number into a T-Mobile To Go prepaid account. However, if you go to a brick and mortar store, they'll likely tell you that it's not possible. I've had two stores tell me this. I called the T-Mobile toll-free number and requested a port to T-Mo2Go and it was not a problem in the least.

2.) You can utilize the Wi-fi Calling feature on supported BB and Android phones (any current phone). It will use your minutes. It's now automatic, if you connect to wi-fi. You can shut this off. It's much more robust on Android than it was a year ago.

Re: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

#54

Post by duggi » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 10:59 PM UTC

pacemkr wrote: post #24

The ridiculous state of wireless data (tethering, sms) has finally driven me to get rid of my smartphone. Well done AT&T/Verizon. I am: * Porting my number to Google Voice. * Getting a voip "landline." * Getting a new number with the cheapest possible wireless plan + dumbphone. Sprint still not evil? * Routing my calls using Google Voice to the landline/dumbphone, depending on where I am. Frankly, I'm sick of paying…

you could rock the $25/month pay as you go virgin mobile plan

decent android phone, all you can eat data, 300 min talk. unbeatable

Re: AT&T Eliminating $10 Text Messaging Plan for New Customers

#55

Post by runjake » Thu, Aug 18, 2011, 11:37 PM UTC

jonknee wrote: post #38

runjake wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps promoting unlimited SMS can mitigate the move to iMessage and equivalents? iMessage still uses SMS whenever you send a message to somebody with a non-iOS 5 device. I don't know about you, but I communicate with tons of people who don't have iPhones or even data plans. This move is ridiculous gouging whatever way you look at it.

If Google and Apple weren't in a cold war perhaps they could work together and make an interoperable standard. Get RIM in on the mix and you have the big three bypassing SMS.

They could call it "XMPP"!