I have had an iPhone since it was first released. I have been very happy with the service and as a result also become very loyal to AT&T, which was the only carrier at the time. When the iPad was released I purchased one and due to my loyalty to AT&T, I used them for my data plan. I have a separate plan for both of these devices and each of them is unlimited. Many people have been jealous of the unlimited plan on my iPad because they only offered if for two weeks when the iPad was first released. However, I recently learned that my unlimited plan is not actually unlimited. I am only allowed 3GB of 4G data after which it switches to 3G automatically and I cannot do anything about it. Fortunate for me I do not often use any of this 4g data. That being said I am upset that this is even possible for AT&T to do. I will not be changing service providers as it is difficult and expensive because I would also have to purchase new devices. So as a result I am just a little less loyal to AT&T.
http://lifehacker.com/5917843/the-death-of-unlimited-data-what-it-means-and-how-you-can-keep-your-unlimited-data-plan
I am also an iphone & ipad user tied to AT&T and feel the same way upset how AT&T does what it wants with its plans and follows a very strict business model in their data/minute options.
Prior to the iphone 5, I also had “unlimited data” on the 3G network, which didn’t mean much since my usage stayed around the 1GB/mo mark. When I upgraded to iphone5, I had the choice to keep unlimited data while sacrificing the “wireless hotspot”, or choose from the data levels offered and use “wireless hotspot”. The current 4gLTE network definitely allows you to breeze through more data due to increased speed. I had to throw away my “unlimited” for the usefulness of hotspot function. I am currently on a 10GB/mo plan shared by 4 phones, but my share is 3-4GB (if needed) and I still do not reach those limits. Having the Hotspot function allowed me to save money by buying an ipad mini (without LTE capability) which when connected to hotspot gives you the same functions as an LTE ipad. Also there is no additional “ipad monthly data charge”($10 a month i believe), since only the phone is directly to the network. Hotspot also allows me to use my Macbook on the go.
AT&T does try to charge money for every little thing, but they run their business the way they want. Maybe now that Tmobile has the iphone, more people will flock there, hopefully forcing ATT to reduce rates and increase limits.
P.S. You can save 18% on your ATT bill by being a CUNY student and holding the billing responsibility of the account.
I used to be very loyal to t-mobile, for about 5 years straight me and my family thought it was very convenient for us to use that plan. Until their free unlimited texting and internet usage became not very “unlimited”. We would get bill after bill of our over usage and pay extra money, not to mention that their service wasn’t great at all. We switched to at&t, and that was a horrible mess all together, due to the fact that our family sharing plan wasn’t that sharing. So now we are using Sprint, because of their kindness to let us reuse the minutes and data into the next month. I think every company lies to get customers and to brand themselves as something “new”. But at the end of the day, if we do not have to worry about our “unlimited” service, why do I always have the paranoia to double check my minutes and data use.
I was a loyal Verizon Customer for many years, unlimited Data when they had it and everything, needless to say I am now a Tmobile customer because they screwed me. I use about 12 GB of data a month so true unlimited is a bit of a necessity. After 7 years of Verizon they pushed me out really quick when I said I cannot pay 95$ extra a month for Data, so yeah I get your issues with not keeping loyalty anymore