iPhone Data Plans “$34.95 and up” says AT&T Rep


new-att-logo.jpgUPDATE: There is a rumor that the AT&T special rate “iPlan” information has been leaked. Click Here for more.

I just got off the phone with an AT&T rep confirming information about the launch next week. He explained a few things to me about AT&T’s data/smart phone plans that I didn’t know, and also stated that he expects the plans to be their standard data plans starting at $34.95 and climbing all the way up to $99.99 a month.

AT&T offers what they call a “smart phone plan” for internet useage…but it doesn’t actually work with most of what we would consider “smart phones”. For example, you can’t use it with a Palm Treo or a Blackjack. The “smart phone” plan is $19.95 a month, and only works with phones that have limited access to the Internet. PDA-like phones have to go the Data Plan route.

The Data Plans include:

PDA Personal 20 Mb for $34.95 a month

Personal Max w/ 1500 Messages for $44.95 a month

PDA Personal Max with 1500 Messages w/UNLIMITED M2M Messaging for $49.95 a month

Data Connect (Unlimited) for $79.95 a month

Data Connect (Unlimited) w/ Wi-Fi for $99.95 a month

You can read about the Date Plans on AT&Ts official site.

Now AT&T Reps have already gone on the record as saying the plans for the iPhone will be “nothing exotic”, so I think the dreams of heavily discounted data plans for iPhone customers are just that…dreams.

Regardless of how well the device works, or how revolutionary it may or may not be (and I tend to fall on the “may” side of that argument), the rates that AT&T charge, and whether or not the phone will have Wi-Fi access without a data plan are two factors that are going to make or break this phone.

From everything we’ve seen of the iPhone so far, the device looks like a home run, but AT&T’s role in this, cost wise, has yet to really be revealed. If the information I got today is correct, and these standard rates are going to apply…do you still want an iPhone?

If the Wi-Fi is inactive without an AT&T Data plan (which has been rumored, but not confirmed) do you still want an iPhone?


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

25 Comments

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  1. Are all of those plans in addition to what I’m paying now? Because that’s a heck of a lot to add to a plan that’s already VERY expensive.

    And while I wouldn’t say that it’s a complete deal-breaker to have WiFi disabled without paying, it definitely takes away a LOT of the coolness of the iPhone. I plan to use it on my home WiFI primarily…so why should I have to pay AT&T to NOT use their service?

  2. I’d still want it…

    But I cant imagine spending $600 on a phone only to have to pay $100+ per month to get full use of it.

  3. I already have WiFi and I won’t pay AT&T to use it with an iPhone. That’s a total deal breaker.

  4. Yea, seriously. I shouldn’t have to pay $100 bucks a month just to use the built-in wifi feature. What a ripoff! If you don’t have wifi then so many of the iPhone’s features are taken out of the picture and isn’t worth the $500-600 price tag.

  5. I think the $99 w/wifi gives you access to those ATT hotspots. I can’t imagine they charge you for something that is free!

    Also, the 5 choices, and complexity of plan choices is an anathema to Apple. I’m guessing there are two plans.

  6. I am a bit concern that still with less than a week away from the launch of the iphone, we do not have any idea about what price per month users will have to pay for its use. On the one hand I cannot seriously believe that after what i have seen so far and all the innovations this gadget has, apple is going to be so dumb about letting AT e T screw us users and ruin it all by making it prohibitely expensive to use; but on the other why are they being so mysterious about it? If I have to pay an arm and a leg for the use, I will abstain and not give in, which will be a shame because this iphone looks like a home run to me.

  7. Rumor are also that there will be a special iPhone plan. $100/month for DATA would be ridiculous. Especially since voice would be in ADDITION to data.

    IF this were true, wouldn’t that make the iPhone cost more than a Mac Pro? (iPhone (8GB or what’s the point of it’s video abilities): $600+tx, Voice (Average guess for national plan $35*24 months):$840, Data ($100/month to get full use of iPhone*24 months): $2400; TOTAL: $3840) There is no way they’re going to sell millions with those kind of numbers.

    There has to be a special iPhone plan with a reasonable rate or the iPhone would be DOA.

  8. If this is the case I will be spending my nickels elsewhere! We should not have to pay twice for wifi. If these plans are correct what is the point of having an iPhone? If I have to pay extra for wifi I won;t be getting an iPhone.

    ML

  9. Stop posting this as if it were real news. This is totally unconfirmed! They already said that they’d announce the official rates before the 29th. Is there a reason why you’re generating more confusion? Oh, right, page hits…

  10. The mystery is on purpose.

    If you knew well 6 months ago that the phone would cost you $100 a month, you would have said “Forget it, I’m not buying one when it comes out.” And that would have been the end of the road for you.

    You wouldn’t have spent the past few months following the blogs, day-by-day. And spent countless hours reading through the rumor mills, dying day by day with anticipation. How many people are holding on to their old crappy phones in anticipation of upgrading to the iPhone? If I knew that the iPhone was going to cost me a $100 a month, I would have bought a cheapie phone 6 months agao and said forget it to the iPhone.

    In the usual Apple style, this thing has been so hyped up, that even your Grandmother wants one. And regardless of price, I think there will be a few million people out there that will pay through the nose for one.

  11. Since unlocking a cell phone has been ruled as an allowed exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), I don’t see how AT&T will be able to prevent users from using the iPhone’s built in Wi-Fi connection. Any attempts they make to lock out users will be no more successful than the music or movie industries attempts to enforce Digital Restrictions Managment (DRM) on their users.

    Also, a recent post from a Cingular/AT&T employee at ‘The Consumerist’ stated that although AT

  12. No way in the world a data plan would be required for WIFI that is built into the phone, the use of which costs neither ATT nor Apple a penny. We are not dealing with Satan here.

  13. From a former LAPTOP CONNECT TECH REP>>>>

    People

    The Data Connect Plan is for LAPTOP CONNECT;
    TETHERING your 3G or EDGE device or using a PC or EXPRESS CARD.

    No REAL info on the iPhone Plans. Those will be totally separate.

    and

    Please remember….the CSRs know nothing. Ok hardly anything.

    If you want unlimited data with a treo or blackjack you would use the MEDIA MAX plan…$19.99

    The SMARTPHONE plan is for phones like the Star Trek phone and the Nokia N75.

    Say Thank You!!!!

  14. I totally agree with KenC.
    I think that if there were any type of special charge for wifi, it would be to use AT&T hotspots. and i think he’s dead on about the number of plans.

    Apple doesn’t want to confuse its customers. that is what the ipod is all about simplicity. so why would they let at&t f it all up?

    I think that another reason why it’s so hard for them to get a provider to work with them, like in Europe etc, is because most of the providers don’t want to bow to apple and how demanding it is. i am willing to bet that apple has at&t wrapped around it’s finger on this one. and it’s in at&t’s best interest considering the spike in customers and the massive amount of revenue they will get thanks to the iphone

    xsismx

  15. Apple is toast with these plans.

    If it costs $99 just to be able to get Wi-Fi (and this does not take in to account the additional minutes plan), the iPhone is dead.

    This is horible.

    And AT&T’s Edge network is just a half level above suckage as well.

    Sweet phone (even at the price), doomed by AT&T.

    I hope the above is wrong.

  16. I don’t think that the AT&T $99 plan that lists Wi-Fi necessarily means you have to have that for the Wi-Fi service of phones with those plans to be active.

    I think that plan includes some kind of AT&T Wi-Fi service.

  17. I can walk in with a device at a AT&T hotspot and use it even if the device doesn’t use AT&T service.

  18. “For example, you can’t use it with a Palm Treo or a Blackjack. The “smart phone” plan is $19.95 a month, and only works with phones that have limited access to the Internet. PDA-like phones have to go the Data Plan route.”

    This is WRONG. I use the 19.95 unlimited plan with my Treo – no problem…

    CVB

  19. @CVB

    I’m only going off what the Cingular/AT&T Store rep told me…and those were the exact phones that he said would not work with the $19.95 a month unlimited “Smartphone Plan”.

  20. Well, I obviously need to update my contract with AT&T. Good news is, I’ve had unlimited data for 4 years now and I only pay $40/month (and I’ve had Treo’s, blackberry’s, and a Nokia E62). They’re probably going to go even lower for the iPhone (it sounds like customers with a newer contract are already getting lower prices). There is no way they will make people pay $99/mo. for internet service. That’s just absurd. Nobody would buy it or the phone.

  21. The “wi-fi” referenced in the plans above is, as some comments have suggested, a fee for unlimited access to AT&T’s wi-fi hot spots, not for enabling wi-fi ability on mobile phones. See the following page on AT&T’s [url=https://wireless.att.com/businesscenter/solutions/wireless-laptop/wifi-service-plans.jsp;d]website[/url].

    From that page:

    “NOTE: Plans with unlimited Wi-Fi Service allow unlimited access to AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, subject to AT&T’s fraud prevention policy set forth in the AT&T Communication Manager Software and Wi-Fi Service User Agreement. Customers must pay applicable Wi-Fi access service fees directly to the Wi-Fi service provider for non-AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot usage.”

  22. I think it’s pretty well established from multiple sources there will be a new data plan specifically for the iPhone. Also, I’ve spoken with numerous reps and one this is for certain — they don’t know anything. At this point ANYTHING but the launch date is pure speculation. This launch is something the cell phone boys in the mall never saw before, so their speculation isn’t worth a whole lot. Wait until Friday before getting panties in a knot.

  23. Absolutely a deal breaker. I certainly will not pay $55 more a month to use the built in WiFi features. Thats hardware from Apple and Networks that arent AT&T’s. Where do they get the balls (if this is indeed true) to tell me that I cannot access the WiFi emitting from my own router, that I’ve already paid for 2 fold without paying THEM a monthly dividend as well?