14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that AT&T does not intend to lower the data plan rates for the upcoming iPhone 3G S, although it seems that it wishes to extend the exclusive contract with Apple and dreams at the same sales levels. The reason for which the data plans will remain the same is simple. “We’ve been very happy with our pricing,” AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told Dow Jones, so there is no mystery here, especially since iPhone users are reported to have average monthly bills of $90-$100.
As many of you might already know, AT&T will start selling the iPhone 3G S as soon as next Friday, June 19. And while the new device comes with leveraged internal memory, compared to previous versions, the carrier has also dropped the price for the iPhone 3G, which now costs only half of what it used to, $99. At the same time, the new iPhone comes in two versions, 16GB and 32GB, featuring prices of $199 and $299, respectively.
The lower price tag for the older version seems to be the only compromise that AT&T does for iPhone enthusiasts, as there will be no tethering and no MMS capabilities at first. At the same time, existing AT&T customers who would like to upgrade to the new version of the handset will find that it will be rather costly to do so. According to the news on the Web, the price they would have to pay would range from $400 to as much as $700, depending on the model they chose.
Another reason for which AT&T would try to maintain the prices for the data plans at the same level would be the fact that iPhone users consume more data than other customers, and that the company needs to invest continuously on the development of its network, so as to be able to handle the traffic. At the same time, new users and existing ones that qualify for discounts will be able to get the new iPhone at much lower prices, at the carrier might try to balance this with the plan prices.
Even so, some voices over the Web suggest that AT&T might not keep the same prices to all users, but could lower them for those who consume less data. On the other hand, it might charge new services with additional fees, which might not sound too appealing to users. If things turn out this way, some of AT&T's customers might leave the company and move to more attractive offerings, such as the Palm Pre on Sprint, which would allow them to make important savings over the duration of the contract.