Chris Ziegler for The Verge:
Just over a month after Verizon announced Share Everything, AT&T is getting into the burgeoning shared data game (as it’s been saying it would) with Mobile Share, a tiered set of plans that allow subscribers to split a single bucket of gigabytes across up to ten devices with unlimited messages and voice.
Good move on AT&T’s part. It may not make sense for heavy data users, but for families looking to stretch the budget, it could make a big difference.
I hope that it won’t be like Verizon’s, where each phone must have unlimited voice and SMS. For my wife and I, who are already on a family plan, it would mean an additional $30 per month for less data than we currently have.
At least AT&T isn’t forcing the plan on people like Verizon is doing.
A good move? They’re screwing you even worse. $150 for 4GB of data and service on 2 phones. They’ll “let” you use tethering, which is so generous that they allow you to use the data you pay for. Thanks AT&T, may I have another?
You want to get a deal, go with Straighttalk everything unlimited for $45 a month. Buy the sim card ($15) for your 4s or 4 and it doesn’t even have to be unlocked. It’s AT&T’s network without their bullsht. I’ve been on for a month and it’s been fantastic. Do this twice and pay $90 a month for unlimited data, much better than $150.
Now if you buy months in advance, you can save even more. Same network, same service, except the lack of visual voicemail. Not a $30 a month deal breaker for me.
When the 5 comes out, I will buy the unlocked phone direct from Apple, and cut my sim down to fit it. I’m done with these dumb pipe companies.
Yes, I don’t get this at all. Unless I am not understanding something, this sounds like a MORE expensive option.
I’m dreading this change. I have ZERO % belief that AT&T is trying to save me money. I suspect I will get unlimited voice out of the deal and we don’t currently go over our 700 minutes as a 5 person family plan.
Of course AT&T’s group plans will follow Verizon’s. They aren’t here to compete, they want the status quo. Their vision of the future is two giant telecoms with similar (overpriced) rate plans where they simply trade subscribers and keep an equilibrium. A good preview at what the mobile industry would look like with less competition.
MMS doesn’t work on an iPhone using Straight Talk, if I recall.
I don’t think I’ve ever sent or received an MMS in my life. 1000s upon 1000s of SMS, yes. But not a single MMS as far as I can recall. I think most people wouldn’t miss it all that much.
Less competition? Where is there currently any competition? Certainly not among AT&T and Verizon – their plans basically mirror one another. Sprint & T-Moble are hardly any different. None of them are going to war against the other.
If there were real competition then carriers would pay your early termination fee to switch, text messaging would be free on any plan (because it basically costs the carriers nothing), there’d never be a charge for data tethering (again costs the carriers nothing) and plans would be significantly cheeper than they are now – especially once you’ve finished paying off the subsidy for your device.
No, all four of the big carriers are perfectly happy maintaining the status quo and keeping rates high. None of them want to go to war.
I send and receive enough that I’d miss it.
Yup, it is. Switching to the shared data plan with the same 4 GB we currently have would cost us $30/mo. extra. I don’t need unlimited voice, and SMS can suck it.
I switched to Straight Talk recently as well and have no complaints.
Sorry, but this plan makes no sense for me. I don’t need or want unlimited voice and SMS, so this just adds unnecessary expense for me. Cheaper to keep my device data plans separate.
Yes by default it does not, but it’s very easy if you have a sim from a sprint device, tmobile device, or verizon ipad.
Scroll down to UPDATE, this is the method I used with 100% success. http://www.duglin.net/2012/05/how-to-use-your-iphone-with-straight.html
And just like that, yesterday I received my first ever (that I can recall) MMS. How ’bout that. [facepalm]