Who you callin’ a data pig?

June 3, 2010 in Hardware, Rants, Technology

AT&T has decided to punish data pigs and change its monthly plan for smartphone users.

So far, smartphone users have enjoyed the fruits of the iPhone and Blackberry. Yes, we have been giving Apple a hard time recently, but their toys are just too addictive. Now, AT&T will charge new customers based on their data consumption. This change won’t affect current smartphones users, but for those who are planning on purchasing the new iPhone OS 4.0 then you better listen up. AT&T will start charging new customers $15 a month for 200 megabytes or $25 for 2 gigabytes.

While this plan will work great for my mother, who had no idea that you could check your email on an iPhone until four months after she received it, new smartphone users will not receive the same luxury as current AT&T members. Fortunately, AT&T stated that it will allow customers to track their data usage  through their website and phone applications, but hopefully, they will set up this system before the next iPhone comes out so we can all determine our level of usage.

The ‘bright side’ for current iPhone users is that you can keep your current unlimited plan just as long as you keep the same plan when you renew your contract. BUT if you change your plan or buy the new iPad after June 7, then you’ll be in the same boat as the new customers.

We all knew this was coming. The day where we could not longer get our ‘free lunches’ and now will have to pay by the byte. While AT&T is lucky that the iPhone is so dominant in the market, they shouldn’t be so satisfied with their new plans; it has been rumored that they will not be the sole carrier for long. If that’s the case, AT&T could be saying good-bye to many of its customers and picking up their competitors’ service. Based on my phone service with AT&T, they should be worried (ie dropped calls, can’t send texts). Sorry Luke Wilson, I have AT&T because of the iPhone, not the other way around.