[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Apple and AT&T Drop Revenue Sharing, Boost Data Plan Costs here

[Maarek]

In Europe and Asia, you buy an unlocked phone and the carriers compete for your service. So the prices of plans and data plans are cheaper than in the States. South Korea probably has a free data service, since they've been upgrading their communication systems for the past couple of years.

[Joesuer9600]

"However, if AT&T is subsidizing a slice of the iPhone's cost, and people continue to unlock the iPhone to use on other providers, then AT&T will essentially be kissing their subsidies goodbye."
No, this is incorrect. To purchase the phone for $199, you have to sign a contract with your carrier. If you break out of the carriers contract you have to pay an early termination fee, which most likely will be the difference of the subsidy. I'm sorry to say, AT&T is not as stupid as you are implying.

[TROCKS]

This article is a filled with bass-ackwards economics. First of all, for the iPhone there is no difference between an 'Unlimited Data Plan' and a 'Business-User Data Plan'. The data plan for the 3G iPhone will be $30/month. Which if you compare it to any other data plan on any other phone at AT&T is $15/month less. The original drop on the data plan for the iPhone was because the phone was so expensive. Anyone that looks at this compared to the cost of the original phone is being an idiot, this is about comparing costs to any other phone that is offered on the market... and with a reduced cost data plan and a phone priced between $200-300... this will now be the best value on the market. Please stop writing articles that don't look at the economical facts as they apply to this offering... not one from a year ago.

[percyhanna]

$30 per month is a normal data plan rate, so what is there to complain about? If they were to charge more for an iPhone 3G data plan than a non-iPhone 3G data plan then there might be some argument there.

[Jjohn]

I think you where the only one surprised by this news. The cost has gone from below average to average, the previous price being a reflection of the lesser network performance.

[artfreek101]

What about the fact that the data plan is $10 more expensive? Is that because of the costs of running the 3G network, covering their subsidies loses or the fact that the extra $240 for those two years just so happens to make up for the difference in price of the original iPhone?

[TROCKS]

See, it's all about how you look at the situation. The situation isn't that it's $10 more expensive, it's that it is now $15 less expensive than the other data plans. That's a fact. Buy a Blackberry or Blackjack for AT&T and get a data plan... it will cost you $45/month. I know, I use to have both of them. Then the iPhone came out for $600, but with a $20/month data plan. The phone was expensive, but I saved $25/month on my data plan. The problem is you're not comparing the 3G iPhone to the orignial Edge iPhone because that doesn't exist anymore... you have to compare it to a Blackberry or a Blackjack... or Palm. Any of those will cost you $45/month for a data plan, yet the 3G iPhone data plan is $30/month. Why is that people are focused on the $10 increase from a plan that no longer exists, and not that it's $15/month cheaper than any other comparable phone? It's not that hard... when you look at buying one... you need to compare it against other phones, not the original iPhone.

[onespot01]

Um...Did you read the article linked from AT&T? I saw that you posted it, but maybe it was too much effort to read AND quote it.
"Unlimited iPhone 3G data plans for consumers will be available for $30 a month, in addition to voice plans starting at $39.99 a month."
Kinda looks like $30 a month to me...weird.

[ruby22]

The biggest dupe of all is this:

the phone is ONLY $199 for those folks who are currently AT&T customers AND ready for an upgrade!

Our dear friends at Apple didn't reveal that finer print of information until TUESDAY - to the Apple stores, or AT&T.

I called on wednesday to see what would happen to my plan and just inquire about plans if i got the phone, i was told

only then that the price is really $399/$499 if you aren't ready for an upgrade. The customer service rep at AT&T

told me i was, we documented it, so i went to wait online Friday morning. Waited 4 HOURS! got in the store,

finally it was my turn, and when we went to register the transaction with AT&T it came up that I am NOT eligible for

upgrade - another hour later on the phone with the host of this amazing product, i left the store empty handed.

They said the person i spoke to the day before wasn't in fact, customer service, but in the Collections department

and didn't have all the information, gave me false information. Even though it's all documented (and it was recorded),

they did not honor what they said, and claimed that i'll be ready for my upgrade in October.

AT&T has the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE, and Apple has the best. How did these 2 partner up??

I've filed a complaint with AT&T and we'll see if i even get a response.

Isn't the whole price difference thing false advertising? All we've been seeing is "$199", with no asterik, no

fine print saying "ask your rep about it"... c'mon Apple, that's not fair.

i'm pissed.