New $25/monthly GoPhone Starting 09/18/11??? :0) [ Edited ]

[RicoLX]

Did anyone read about a GoPhone plan for $25/month starting Sep 18? Looks like ATT's got some neat stuff rolling down the pike!  I might justhave to drop my lines and cut my bills back to THIS deal!

You GO Mama Bell!

 "girl! I wasnt sick, i was poisoned, and the man who did it

is sitting in this room!!!"

[OnlytheShadowKn…]

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RicoLX wrote:

Did anyone read about a GoPhone plan for $25/month starting Sep 18? Looks like ATT's got some neat stuff rolling down the pike!  I might justhave to drop my lines and cut my bills back to THIS deal!

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The new $25-month plan compared to the existing 10cent-minute plan with the $20 unlimited messaging feature package in two parts:

1. $5:: up to 250 calls at 2cents-minute (max 250 minutes) instead of up to 50 calls at 10cents-minute
2. $20-month:: unlimited messaging feature plan

At first glance, yes, the new plan will appear great for those that buy 10cent-minute plans with unlimited messaging.  And those folks will be happy campers.  Lots of smileys!

But unlimited messaging can be obtained on a data plan (over WiFi or cellular data) using Google Voice.  At no per-messaging costs.  And because messaging uses insignificant data, it is a blip on your data plan.

The new reality is that messaging is a cash cow to all carriers, as it uses little cellular bandwidth, and there is no excuse for charges of 20cent-message send/receive anymore.  Google Voice has set the new messaging tone.  And AT&T is just reacting to that new reality, in my opinion.

Just get a Google Voice number, or port your number to Google Voice ($20 one-time charge), and you get messaging free from per-message charges, send and/or receive.

I am sure others will add to this.

[RicoLX]

OTSN: love the screen name by the way! I totally agree. Messaging in itself is way inflated. And when Google and others make it available for practically nothing, the carriers should begin to react.. Or that facet will fade (unless they force it as package bundles and stick a price on it that we cant exclude ).

Breaking down the charges like that seem to be back at square 1. I guess renaming or shuffling the same service around in a bowl makes it "fresh" at least to new customers who may not know otherwise.

[OnlytheShadowKn…]

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RicoLX wrote:
OTSN: love the screen name by the way! I totally agree. Messaging in itself is way inflated. And when Google and others make it available for practically nothing, the carriers should begin to react.. Or that facet will fade (unless they force it as package bundles and stick a price on it that we cant exclude ).

Breaking down the charges like that seem to be back at square 1. I guess renaming or shuffling the same service around in a bowl makes it "fresh" at least to new customers who may not know otherwise.

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Thank you, RicoLX.  I selected that name because, really, "Only the Shadow Knows" prepaid.  There are a lot of gotchas.

I agree with you:  messaging is a cash cow, and an insult to our wallet.  On every carrier, not just AT&T.

And, if folks do not know better, they will think that the new $25 plan is a God send.  If I would not know about Google Voice, I would be all smileys as well (although in reality I am not a heavy text messaging user at all).  I use Google Voice for many reasons -- free texting is just there.

As an aside, in the Good Old USA we are charged to send and receive texts, not just when sending, like is common practice on many other countries.  So, we are penalized by SPAM, and international texters, even those that are unaware of this from across the pond.  Then you are clobbered by international fees on top of the messaging charge.  Without means to deny such traffic at the SMS Service Center, before charges are accrued, which is a topic of its own.

With Google Voice that "ain;'t happening"!  But you do need a data plan, with a WiFi-enabled phone, although not strictly required, it is highly recommended.

[RicoLX]

OTSK (i used n instead of k...i cant spell)... Each of your points are true. I was hit with international messaging and email fees a few times when I was using an email app on a windows phone.

The app would ping its home server in another country and charge me for their doing so. Add that to my costly unlimited messaging package and the Google way is very very appealing.

[DomC]

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OnlytheShadowKnows wrote:

The new reality is that messaging is a cash cow to all carriers, as it uses little cellular bandwidth, and there is no excuse for charges of 20cent-message send/receive anymore.  

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A bit off topic, but I don't understand the outrageous texting fees at this point other than an outright money grab. It sort of reminds me in a way of the music industry with digital. They hung on to an old pardigm until it was too late. AT&T et al could still make money at a much lower rate and not lose texting business to Google Voice and the other options out there.

It will be interesting to see what iMessage does to the texting biz when iOS5 is released. Granted it will just be for iOS users, but that's still a hunk of business and to be sure someone will come up with a hack for it to work with other carriers.

[RicoLX]

And with a good number of customers who have "messaging" devices and a lot does tons of texting would look at the ios release in conjunction with Google and probably realize the savings they could take advantage of. Cellular made a "big biz" out of simple texting.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

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RicoLX wrote:

Did anyone read about a GoPhone plan for $25/month starting Sep 18? Looks like ATT's got some neat stuff rolling down the pike!  I might justhave to drop my lines and cut my bills back to THIS deal!

You GO Mama Bell!

 "girl! I wasnt sick, i was poisoned, and the man who did it

is sitting in this room!!!"

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Awesome! Thanks for posting this, Rico! Kudos!

I currently use the $0.10 a minute Simple Plan with unlimited messaging for $19.99 every month and I love it. It only costs me $25 a month, total. If I have an outstanding balance left over, I only need $15 for the next months' refill, considering I would already have sufficient funds in my account.

Although, with this new plan arriving very soon, there are a few questions that come to mind. I may just create my own thread if they do not get answered here, but I'll ask anyway, just to be sure. I think I have a pretty well general understanding of what the plan is and how it works, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Question #1: Since this would be considered a new plan, would I have to switch to it manually? For example, I would no longer have my existing $0.10 Simple Plan, but instead, I would have the $25 250 minutes plan? I think that's how it would all play out.

Question #2: Are the 250 minutes already included with the plan when I sign up, I assume? Also, if I do not use them, do they roll over?

I'd like to know my options to determine whether I should switch to this new plan or not. It definitely seems like a great value to me. AT&T has been good to me as a prepaid customer for these 21 months, offering newer plans that can help save me money from my old plan, including this new plan addition.

[RicoLX]

Hey WB! Thats a great analysis of current vs new packages. I sure wouldnt have known the side by side comparison of services without your post. New packages seem to be deals until you think about extras like rollover minutes , dollar balances, etc.

Looks like youve got a good deal already but would be interesting to see what this new package will be when its initially rolled out.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I agree! I'm anxious and I'll be keeping track of the time ticking away to the point where I can check out this new blessing.

[RicoLX]

Me too buddy! It would be cool of you do get more service for less bucks ! Hopefully this is one of several new and better deals to come.

[ilikewireless ACE - Czar]

RicoLX, thank you for the good news!

[Razr8]

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Wild Banchi wrote:

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RicoLX wrote:

Did anyone read about a GoPhone plan for $25/month starting Sep 18? Looks like ATT's got some neat stuff rolling down the pike!  I might justhave to drop my lines and cut my bills back to THIS deal!

You GO Mama Bell!

 "girl! I wasnt sick, i was poisoned, and the man who did it

is sitting in this room!!!"

---

Awesome! Thanks for posting this, Rico! Kudos!

I currently use the $0.10 a minute Simple Plan with unlimited messaging for $19.99 every month and I love it. It only costs me $25 a month, total. If I have an outstanding balance left over, I only need $15 for the next months' refill, considering I would already have sufficient funds in my account.

Although, with this new plan arriving very soon, there are a few questions that come to mind. I may just create my own thread if they do not get answered here, but I'll ask anyway, just to be sure. I think I have a pretty well general understanding of what the plan is and how it works, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Question #1: Since this would be considered a new plan, would I have to switch to it manually? For example, I would no longer have my existing $0.10 Simple Plan, but instead, I would have the $25 250 minutes plan? I think that's how it would all play out.

Question #2: Are the 250 minutes already included with the plan when I sign up, I assume? Also, if I do not use them, do they roll over?

I'd like to know my options to determine whether I should switch to this new plan or not. It definitely seems like a great value to me. AT&T has been good to me as a prepaid customer for these 21 months, offering newer plans that can help save me money from my old plan, including this new plan addition.

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Wild Banchi, the plan is already available with some answers to your question by dialing 611.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

Is it? I will call 611 if I have time tonight or sometimes tomorrow. I'll see what the plan prompt/description says if there indeed is one.

I'll need to make an important decision - keep my existing one or upgrade to the new one that I think would be an overall better value...

[RicoLX]

Wb how long have you had your current plan? Is ut the same since youve first became an att customer?

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I switched to the modified version of the Simple Rate plan in early October of last year. So I've had my existing rate plan for almost a whole entire year, now. Before the $0.10 rate, I was paying a much more expensive rate of $0.25 a minute, which was the only pay-by-the-minute plan at that time (12/25/09).

Prepaid works very well for my cellular needs. And with a phone I enjoy, it can't be beat.

[RicoLX]

Cool, WB! and in addition to wifi, really cant beat such a neat plan. Might be a hard decision to switch from your current plan.

[ilikewireless ACE - Czar]

Prepaid works well for me too. The 500mb data plan comes in handy for when I'm not near WiFi, like using Google Navigation costing only 5 cents for 15 minutes driving. Cool.

[hnzw_rui]

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OnlytheShadowKnows wrote:

The new $25-month plan compared to the existing 10cent-minute plan with the $20 unlimited messaging feature package in two parts:

1. $5:: up to 250 calls at 2cents-minute (max 250 minutes) instead of up to 50 calls at 10cents-minute
2. $20-month:: unlimited messaging feature plan

At first glance, yes, the new plan will appear great for those that buy 10cent-minute plans with unlimited messaging.  And those folks will be happy campers.  Lots of smileys!

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Actually, the way I see it, you get 250 mins for the same 10 cents/min and just get the unlimited messaging as extra. If I weren't a big data user, I'd seriously consider switching the family plan to prepaid. As it is, plan is still cheaper for me than prepaid.

[Nihilistic1]

But ,then you would have to have 3G turned on all the time in order to receive texts via Google Voice. And you'd have to make sure no other apps are nibbling away at your data balance that you're unaware of. Or switch to wifi when it's available. But, both 3G and wifi drain your battery quicker than being in cell standby only.

[RicoLX]

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Nihilistic1 wrote:

But ,then you would have to have 3G turned on all the time in order to receive texts via Google Voice. And you'd have to make sure no other apps are nibbling away at your data balance that you're unaware of. Or switch to wifi when it's available. But, both 3G and wifi drain your battery quicker than being in cell standby only.

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Yep, wi-fi seems to be the savior for most if not all plans (including the grandfathered unlimited now that they admit to throttling).  Gotta watch out for those data-nibbling apps for sure!  My phone stays plugged in most of the time at home, driving and at work so battery drainage i guess i could put up with to use wi-fi for saving 'att-driven-data-usage'

[ilikewireless ACE - Czar]

"But, both 3G and wifi drain your battery quicker than being in cell standby only."

I agree with you on the cell standy only consuming very little power. I want to add:

Wifi has a short range of a few hundred feet. 3G data transmission range is a few miles. That being said, Wifi does not use that much power compared to 3G data networking.

For example, the ratio of the wifi distance to 3G distance is 300ft/10000ft that comes to 0.03 for wifi. In real life, it's even lower than 0.03 because power loss is at least quadrupled for every doubling of distance.