AT&T’s iPhone service plan reveals hidden fees
By Jonathan Schlaffer
We all know that the iPhone isn’t cheap being $499 for the 4GB model and $599 for the 8GB model. There are some other fees to consider that are revealed in AT&T’s “iPhone terms of service.” This is all likely hidden in the “fine print” somewhere. AT&T isn’t doing anyone any favors with this phone, not that any wireless company would do a customer a favor but AT&T takes getting the last penny out of you to the next level.
As reported by Networks.com the iPhone has some rather expensive hidden fees associated with it. Besides the initial cost of the phone, it will require $2,280 per year with over $1,700 of that being wireless costs.
With some wireless companies, it’s free to call someone on the same network, even others offer free calling to a limited number of people regardless of what network they are on. AT&T does neither with the iPhone plans. Both you and the caller get billed for the call but this is becoming an industry standard.
Network use is rounded up to the nearest kilobyte or the nearest minute, again, that?s pretty much standard. You will also be billed for network overhead, network errors and incomplete calls.
There are also regulatory fees, a $175 early termination fee (a termination fee is standard for all carriers), extra fees for international messaging and calls, 40 to 69 cent surcharge for roaming off AT&T’s network per minute and you will get charged for unsolicited messages.
WiFi is limited to 150 uses per month, even on your own personal WiFi network? To me this makes no sense at all.
The iPhone has been deployed for use on an old, outdated, slow and worst of all, closed network. Such are the sacrifices required for owning the coolest phone on the block.
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July 11th, 2007
Are You Freaking Kidding Me? This is the WORST, most ignorant article I’ve ever read. Get your facts straight before you blabbering on and on about total crap. AT&T iPhone plans are the Exact Same Plans as normal AT&T plans. This means you DO have Free AT&T Mobile to Mobile minutes. an Unlimited Data access package is required with the iPhone, so there cannot be any Network Usage rounding for Kilobytes, because it doesn’t matter. 150 Wi-Fi uses per month is also COMPLETE GARBAGE. Wi-Fi usage is unlimited, and is not monitored nor controlled by AT&T. You should seriously be fired from ever posting on this blog again.
July 12th, 2007
The unlimited data access isn’t so unlimited, or did you bother to read the linked article, I suggest you take another look even if you did.
Among other things the fineprint reads “the service is not intended to provide a full time connection” so if AT&T doesn’t like what you’re doing on the network they can block you or limit your access.
150 uses of WiFi most likely refers to the use of AT&T hotspots but not your own personal connection. And they can to monitor it, if it’s on THEIR network, THEY CAN MONITOR IT.
It’s all in the linked article.
August 8th, 2007
Ryan K.. The Iphone plan is in fact more expensive there other plans :). Ryan your a complete idiot for even repsonding to this article. Does it take that much time to waste your breathe when it does not even matter. The person who wrote this blog is somewhat correct about somethings but it all depends on what area you are using your cingular/at&t phone. AT&T IS THE WORST CELL PHONE PROVIDER IN THE WORLD AND THEY WILL AND ARE GOING TO SUFFER FOR THERE ETHICS AND MORAL STANDARDS AS A COMPANY JUST WATCH AND SEE :). This just fact! I have lawsuit Im filing with them at this moment and AT&T is fully aware they are LOSING CUSTOMERS FASTER THAN THEY CAN REGAIN THEM SO DONT THINK FOR ONE MINUTE AT&T IS SITTING ONTOP OF SOME THRONE CAUSE IF ANYTHING THEY ARE ACTING LIKE THEY ARE THE BIG DOG BUT INTERNALLY THEY ARE WORRIED AND ARE SUFFERING HUGE LOSSES AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TRUST ME. Verizon, TMOBILE, Alltel, and accouple of others are going to stomp the hell out of AT&T and Im going sit back and watch it and love everyone dang moment of it!
April 1st, 2008
I’ve streamed over 3 gigs of audio to my iphone this month over the edge network uninterrupted - enough said.
January 16th, 2009
um no. it doens’t cost thousands of dollars each year.
instead of saying random crap that isn’t true, why dont you ask someone who has one. i.e. me!
yes, it is more expensive. but it’s more like $400 to $500 a year.
not to mention that the price of iPhones is WAYYYYY down.
ya’ll are dumb to believe this crap.
and wifi is unlimited!! dumb!!!
because ATT cant control and limit the given rights and terms of service provided by Apple!!!
why dont you all try to get your facts straight.
good try idiots.
March 13th, 2009
cingular/at&t just sighned there company off ripping off all there costumers. im also going to enjoy watching there downfall.
May 7th, 2009
To “you are all stupid”:
Check the dates of the submissions and then tell us who’s the idiot.