Analyst’s Speculation: AT&T Will Decrease iPhone Monthly Plan

[thetoothfairy]

After reading this.... I think Att could lower the monthly plan more.... or give free unlimited text messages! LOL But if they do this something is better than nothing....

AT&T might reduce the iPhone’s entry-level monthly plan by $10 when the next-gen iPhone presumably launches in June, an analyst predicts.

That would drop the cheapest iPhone monthly plan from $69 to $59, saving customers $240 over the handset’s two-year contract, Michael Cote, a Cote Collaborative analyst, told TheStreet. He speculates the price drop will be announced June 8 during Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Why the price cut? To boost iPhone sales, Cote explains, by attracting consumers who find the iPhone too expensive.

We think that’s a pretty weak argument. First, that’s a very small price cut, and after factoring in taxes and miscellaneous charges, consumers will still be paying at least $70 a month to use the original iPhone. (The iPhone 3G’s monthly plan costs $10 more than the original iPhone’s because of the 3G network, so the only handset that would be affected, if Cote is correct, is the original iPhone.)

Second, the core strategy for Apple to sell more iPhones would be to launch a third-generation iPhone — which everybody is betting Apple will be doing. A small reduction of the original iPhone’s price plan would bear insignificant results in comparison to sales of a third-generation handset.

Third, are Apple and AT&T really worrying about the iPhone’s performance? We doubt it. In the first quarter of 2009, the BlackBerry Curve beat the iPhone as the most popular smartphone. But keep in mind that Apple sold over 10 million iPhones in 2008. And in the fourth quarter of 2008, Apple outsold Research in Motion; the iPhone catapulted Apple into becoming the third largest mobile phone supplier in the world, according to Steve Jobs. And it’s fairly obvious why fewer iPhones were sold in the first quarter of 2009: Many are waiting for the third-generation iPhone to launch this summer.

Analyst’s Speculation: AT&T Will Decrease iPhone Monthly Plan | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

[boxxa]

Hopefully they will let us original 3G owners to move to a cheaper plan.

[Imahottguy]

I wouldn't mind seeing my plan become $10 cheaper. So lets see, it would go from ~ $170 to $160... Yes...

[LastSonOfKrypton]

$10/month saving would be nice. What I really want it the 3g I'm paying for

[24trepid]

$10/month saving would be nice. What I really want it the 3g I'm paying for

Same here, paying for 3G, and it's not in my area.
Just stupid, if you ask me .....

[thetoothfairy]

$10/month saving would be nice. What I really want it the 3g I'm paying for

I live in Michigan and Florida... and this year when I came down I tried it and I could not get it.... then I tried it again at a later time (setting the settings on the phone for it) and to my surprise I get 3G in my area in Florida now... I thought it was so cool that I can get it but it really uses the battery....... ( Thought I would let you know....

[LastSonOfKrypton]

I live in Michigan and Florida... and this year when I came down I tried it and I could not get it.... then I tried it again at a later time (setting the settings on the phone for it) and to my surprise I get 3G in my area in Florida now... I thought it was so cool that I can get it but it really uses the battery....... ( Thought I would let you know....

Yeah I know it's a battery killer. I wouldn't keep it on all the time. Just when I'm on breaks at work and I like to check RSS feeds. If there's a news story I'm interested in and I have to go to a website that's when Edge really kills me.

I bought AdBlock which helps. The other weekend at the mall I was surfing with AdBlock & 3g and it was pretty damn good

[StealthBravo]

Would love to save the $10 a month. But don't think it will be enough to prevent people from unlocking to other carriers

[djdraco]

I'd love it if they'd lower my plan. My wife and I are both 3g, that's $200 a month for the both of ours now.
I think the reason blackberry sold more than apple in that quarter is because those were already blackberry owners who were unhappy with the one they already had. All these people bought iPhones in 08 and are still satisfied, why would they want to go out and buy another. No need. It's just certain people thinking the blacberry is only gonna get better. They should just buy apple and save more money in the long run.

[GenesisDH]

I think the reason blackberry sold more than apple in that quarter is because those were already blackberry owners who were unhappy with the one they already had.

OT, but:
You also have to take in the fact that RIM supplies Blackberries for every major US provider, along with various regional providers. That said, even with the numerous carriers BB are supplied to vs. iPhone's sole carrier, the iPhone just barely lost to RIM's Blackberry platform in Q1-2009... that says something good w.r.t. Apple's popularity. Apple has done a good job so far in sales, and I bet will continue to if a new model surfaces at WWDC.

That said, back on topic: unless Apple's planning to sell a lesser-capable 'iPhone-lite' (which would get the $20 data pricing) alongside an upgraded [current] 3G model (which keeps the $30 data pricing), or Apple & AT&T went back to a revenue sharing agreement, I don't see a reason for AT&T to consider lowering the data plan price for the 3G. They're selling a good number of iPhones with the $30 plan, and making such a pricing change would cause backlashes from current iPhone 3G, Blackberry, and PDA owners who are paying the current $30/month pricing...

[swaneon]

i dont think they will introduce a lower data plan---if they do it will probably have SEVERE caps--then what is the difference between the phone and the touch?

[CaptainChaos]

The price will be lowered when AT$T has lost their grip on the phone and it becomes available through other carriers Tmobile Tmobile Tmobile.