rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
to BiggA
Re: EhA smartphone without a data plan is plenty useful. Millions of people who work in dense urban areas and use public transportation are probably never without WiFi. It's been a while since I've been to San Francisco (~2005) but even back then there was a free wireless network available. Instead of paying the hotel's ridiculous data fees I just used my laptop next to the window. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-6 6:09 pm
That's connectivity here and there, not persistent connectivity like a smartphone is designed to work with. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
An iPod is the same thing without the phone and millions of folks love them despite having only WiFi connectivity. Next? |
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SimbaSevenI Void Warranties join:2003-03-24 Billings, MT ·StarLink
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said by rradina:An iPod is the same thing without the phone and millions of folks love them despite having only WiFi connectivity. Same with the Samsung Galaxy Player's. It's a Samsung Galaxy without the CDMA/GSM module, antennas, or SIM card readers. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
to rradina
Then get one of those if you don't want to pay for a data plan. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
But some folks might want voice everywhere, but not data. So they have to buy a feature phone, get voice everywhere and then carry an iPod for everything else they want in their pocket? Is this your position? |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-8 12:16 pm
Correct. Really, everyone should have a smartphone though. They are so essential these days. And what makes them useful is their persistent data connection. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO
1 recommendation |
We'll just have to disagree. A persistent data connection makes them more useful but to say they are useless without one doesn't make sense to me. Further, to have a carrier require a data plan based on the phone is an indication that more competition or regulation is needed.
Can you imagine cable companies forcing folks to subscribe to an HD package because they own an HD-capable TV? |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-8 10:55 pm
They do require you to get an HD package in order to get an HD box. It's a terrible idea to let people have smartphones with PPU data, and then they come in crying when they have a ridiculous phone bill. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
Requiring an HD package to get an HD box means you want HD channels.
PPU: That's still forcing a data plan on smart phone users. The issue is smart phone owners should be able to have a voice-only plan. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-9 9:52 pm
No they shouldn't. That's a support nightmare, and there's no reason to do that in the first place. The point of the smartphone is persistant data. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
We just disagree and if the carriers continue with the same approach, they might be faced with regulation.
It isn't a support nightmare unless the carriers do something boneheaded like allow data transfer without a data plan and thus the thousand dollar surprise bill at the end of the month. If that's what they do then they have created their own support nightmare. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT ·Frontier FiberOp.. Asus RT-AC68
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BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-10 9:16 pm
AT&T's system blocks MMS when you block data, because they use the same APN. Also, why would they spend money to support something that decreases revenue by a tiny amount in order to support a minuscule but vocal minority? It makes no sense, and the whiners just need to shut up and get with the program. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
No data plan, no MMS. No extra cost. A paying customer is a good thing and if they don't want data but they are willing to pay a bit more for a voice plan with no data (but obviously less than voice + data or why bother), that's money in the bank. Why wouldn't a carrier want a profitable, paying customer? |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-11 6:51 pm
OTOH, they probably are able to push more people up to the $20 data plan than they lose, so they end up making more money, the people have a better user experience, everyone wins. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
Perhaps but lots of folks are defecting to MVNOs. Other than the horrid iPhone issues (having to use a T-Mobile SIM to setup the APN), it's the same network, just a lot cheaper. If the MVNO is still making money, wow, ATT is making a killing. Given all the snow... sing this to Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Regulation ringing, are you listening. More expensive plans, carriers are christening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight. Baby bells are being born again |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-12 6:05 pm
MVNOs have data service, so it wouldn't be getting around the requirement for a data plan. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
Yes but it's so cheap, who cares! I'm using Straight Talk on my iPhone for $42.50/month. I still have one iPhone on ATT with a grandfathered 4GB tethering plan but when I had both together, it cost $158/month with a 25% corporate discount! To think I paid that for over four years! The remaining iPhone may be moving soon as long my ST experience continues to be uneventful (other than the crappy swap-SIM method to setup the APN). That was total bullshit -- more of ATTs consumer friendly services. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-13 4:30 pm
It's good for a single user who wants to keep their phone for a long time. Otherwise, contract plans are often cheaper and you get refreshed every 2 years. |
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SimbaSevenI Void Warranties join:2003-03-24 Billings, MT ·StarLink
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said by BiggA:Otherwise, contract plans are often cheaper and you get refreshed every 2 years. Um.. Ya, right. |
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rradina join:2000-08-08 Chesterfield, MO |
to BiggA
You mean at least two users. Both my iPhones on ST would be $85/month. About half what I was paying before. Granted, no tethering, no visual voice mail but that's the trade off. With the savings I can get a hotspot with a separate contract if I want and still save money.
And if my phone gets too old, I can always do another subsidy contract to refresh my phone. For me, my iPhone 4 is good and should be for at least a couple more years. No need to pay ATT those two years since the rate doesn't go down when I finish my contract. That's where the problem is. If my rate dropped when the contract ended, I'd stay. But it doesn't. ATT didn't give me any incentive to stay -- especially when ST uses the same damn network. |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT |
to SimbaSeven
If you have four lines, and refresh them all every 2 years, contract is legitimately a lot cheaper than ST. For a single user, ST is a lot cheaper, although the true price when you factor in the hardware is around $67/mo. |
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SimbaSevenI Void Warranties join:2003-03-24 Billings, MT |
..except I can use my existing hardware.. so you can subtract the hardware cost.
..and 4 lines? I was paying VZ $150/mo for 2 lines. No thanks. |
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