Should I give up my unlimited data cell phone plan?

[#2ontheway]

I need to change my AT&T cell phone plan because I'm exceeding my talk minutes. One option is to switch to a plan with more talk minutes and 16gb of data. My current plan has unlimited data. AT&T no longer offers an unlimited data plan. Apparently I did not even use half of 1gb data in the past six months (per their rep). The rep says it's "almost impossible" to go over and if I did, it's $15 per 1gb of overage.

Will I regret giving up unlimited data? This is just for my iPhone. I don't have an ipad but even if I did, I can't see a scenario where I'd use my AT&T data (I'd use our wireless, right?). I'm a bit of a rookie here so appreciate the advice.

[acmom]

I have no idea about the numbers of data usage, but I have had AT&T reps tell me several times not to give up my unlimited data plan bc I would never be able to get it back. But if your history of use has you nowhere close to the 16gb you would get and you need more talk minutes, then it seems to make sense for you. Are there no other options of adding more talk minutes without changing the data? We have made several changes to ours (adding hotspot ability for DH, adding unlimited texts, etc.) without effecting my unlimited data.

[kdeunc]

I have no idea about the numbers of data usage, but I have had AT&T reps tell me several times not to give up my unlimited data plan bc I would never be able to get it back. But if your history of use has you nowhere close to the 16gb you would get and you need more talk minutes, then it seems to make sense for you. Are there no other options of adding more talk minutes without changing the data? We have made several changes to ours (adding hotspot ability for DH, adding unlimited texts, etc.) without effecting my unlimited data.

:yeahthat: This is why we are still with AT&T instead of switching providers. We have changed plan details as well without impacting our unlimited data.

[wendibird22]

You can view your usage on ATTs website to gauge for yourself what your actual monthly data usage is.

DH and I are with ATT and each have 2GB data and neither of us even gets close to using it all. We are on wifi at home and at work and 3G everywhere else. We don't stream music, movies, tv on our phones which is what uses up the most data. If you just surf and email then you should be fine with 16GB. I've attended 2 5 day conferences this year where I was on 3G constantly since the convention areas didn't have open wifi. Even in those 2 months the most I used was 280 MB for the month and that was with being on BBB, email, FB, etc all day long. DH hasn't gone over 70 MB in the past 6 months and he's on 3G at work because he can't access work wifi via his personal phone.

[#2ontheway]

I do have the option of just increasing my minutes for an additional $20/month. Seems like a lot, though, if in effect it just means I'm paying to keep this unlimited data plan. We too have been told (by AT&T reps) to hold on to it, but OTOH it looks like I'm hardly touching it.

[khm]

When you need to upgrade your phone, will you be buying a (pricey) unsubsidized phone to keep the plan? They'll not let you upgrade with a subsidized phone and keep that plan, is my understanding.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/21/technology/iphone-5-unlimited-data/index.html

If you are going to eventually lose something you don't really "use up" anyway, I'd just bite the bullet now. They are really, really wanting to do away with those plans and it isn't something you even benefit from, so why fight it?

I think a lot of the reps may use the "but you have unlimited" thing as a way to keep you at AT&T vs. going with another carrier (who doesn't even have unlimited), not really as a way to keep unlimited as they know you aren't using it!

[larig]

When you need to upgrade your phone, will you be buying a (pricey) unsubsidized phone to keep the plan? They'll not let you upgrade with a subsidized phone and keep that plan, is my understanding.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/21/technology/iphone-5-unlimited-data/index.html
!

That is Verizon. DH and I are still legacy unlimited. I read that they throttle lte phones at 5 gig. And throttle non lte at 3gigs.

[citymama]

I'm holding tight to my unlimited data plan - unfortunately that binds me to ATT, but I love the plan!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Doesn't Sprint still have an unlimited data plan?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't give it up. More and more apps and such are going to hog more and more data, I think.

[TwinFoxes]

I wouldn't give it up. The few times I've used a lot of data was when I was desperate...like during our two day power Outtage last summer. No electricity = no wifi = lots of data usage. Also, when we are on road trips, no wifi in the car.

I'm with AT&T too, I have no plans to give it up! (AT&T users get the plan and subsidized phones, it's no more expensive for us than anyone else).

[khm]

That is Verizon. DH and I are still legacy unlimited. I read that they throttle lte phones at 5 gig. And throttle non lte at 3gigs.

Ah, yeah, I see the unsub phones are still available with AT&T, I was thinking of Verizon I guess. Sorry, ignore me!

But, the article does say that AT&T
Those customers clinging to unlimited data plans may not have to monitor their gigabytes, but they also won't get everything the iPhone has to offer. The new iOS 6 operating system that comes with the iPhone 5 offers Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) FaceTime video chat service over the cellular network for the first time, but AT&T has restricted that feature. It's only available to the company's Mobile Share customers.

So, I think they are all going to try their best to keep you from keeping the plan in the future. They'll keep chipping away at it. FWIW, I have Sprint and do appreciate being unlimited, even though I personally don't use that much (surfing just doesn't add up to much, I do do a LOT of that though!!). We have 5 people on a family plan that we use the heck out of. I do agree that your data usage will only increase in the future.

I am not sure what I'd do in the OP's position.

[kellij]

If you ever watch videos or shows, like on Netflix, you blow through it. We used that much data in a week.

[kbud]

Doesn't Sprint still have an unlimited data plan?

Yes, Sprint has unlimited data.

[citymama]

Ah, yeah, I see the unsub phones are still available with AT&T, I was thinking of Verizon I guess. Sorry, ignore me!

But, the article does say that AT&T
Those customers clinging to unlimited data plans may not have to monitor their gigabytes, but they also won't get everything the iPhone has to offer. The new iOS 6 operating system that comes with the iPhone 5 offers Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) FaceTime video chat service over the cellular network for the first time, but AT&T has restricted that feature. It's only available to the company's Mobile Share customers.

So, I think they are all going to try their best to keep you from keeping the plan in the future. They'll keep chipping away at it. FWIW, I have Sprint and do appreciate being unlimited, even though I personally don't use that much (surfing just doesn't add up to much, I do do a LOT of that though!!). We have 5 people on a family plan that we use the heck out of. I do agree that your data usage will only increase in the future.

I am not sure what I'd do in the OP's position.

Wait, so ATT iPhone 5 users can't do Facetime?

Who else has an unlimited data plan available to new customers? I might switch!

[kbud]

Wait, so ATT iPhone 5 users can't do Facetime?

Who else has an unlimited data plan available to new customers? I might switch!

Sprint does. I think they are the only ones.

[khm]

Wait, so ATT iPhone 5 users can't do Facetime?

Who else has an unlimited data plan available to new customers? I might switch!

What I understand is that you can still do it on wifi, same as now. But not on cellular service (new feature), at least according to that one article.

I have Sprint, I am happy with it. But, I wouldn't be surprised that they start limiting it too.

[buddyleebaby]

Dh has unlimited data, text, and calls for 45 dollars a month through straight talk. We're happy with it so far.

The downside is that since there are no contracts, they can (and I'm sure, will) raise their prices at any time.

[larig]

Ah, yeah, I see the unsub phones are still available with AT&T, I was thinking of Verizon I guess. Sorry, ignore me!

But, the article does say that AT&T
Those customers clinging to unlimited data plans may not have to monitor their gigabytes, but they also won't get everything the iPhone has to offer. The new iOS 6 operating system that comes with the iPhone 5 offers Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) FaceTime video chat service over the cellular network for the first time, but AT&T has restricted that feature. It's only available to the company's Mobile Share customers.

So, I think they are all going to try their best to keep you from keeping the plan in the future. They'll keep chipping away at it. FWIW, I have Sprint and do appreciate being unlimited, even though I personally don't use that much (surfing just doesn't add up to much, I do do a LOT of that though!!). We have 5 people on a family plan that we use the heck out of. I do agree that your data usage will only increase in the future.

I am not sure what I'd do in the OP's position.

Agreed, AT&T is certainly doing what they can to discourage us from keeping them. I mean the fact that they throttle us at 5 and 3 gigs makes the plans much less attractive. But when you look at the shared plans DH and I would pay the same amount ($170) that we pay now (but what we pay now includes taxes) to share only SIX gigs (but we'd get to add my ipad mini) and have unlimited calling. We don't use 8 gigs a month (DH is on a 4s, so gets throttled at 3 and I have the iphone 5, and would get throttled at 5 gigs), and haven't really come close to it (I've only used 9 gigs of downloading since Sept, and way less for uploads). We haven't missed the facetiming over data network. But do wish we could tether sometimes (which they also restrict for grandfathered plans). It's a tough decision, OP. But, you can do a google hangout over the data network--that's hardly fair, is it!?--but it's a way around the no facetime rule.

[larig]

Wait, so ATT iPhone 5 users can't do Facetime?

Who else has an unlimited data plan available to new customers? I might switch!

You can, just not on a data network. DH and I've never missed it. But I said in a PP, you can do a google hangout over data network, and it's pretty much the same thing.

BTW, sprint's network is much slower, from what I understand.

ETA: this is a pretty fair comparison http://ipod.about.com/od/beforeyoubuy/a/Verizon-Iphone-Versus-Atandt-Iphone.htm or this, I love imore (the source site) http://www.imore.com/att-vs-verizon-vs-sprint-which-iphone-5-should-you-get

[Mommy_Mea]

I have virgin mobile with unlimited data and text. $35 a month for 300 minutes or $45 for 1200. I switch it back and forth depending on my needs for the month. It uses the sprint network. They do throttle you after some level of data usage, but I think it is 2.56 GB, something I never even get close to.