Replacing its $20 add-on iPhone EDGE network data plan, AT&T today announced that 3G data plans for the iPhone 3G will cost $30 per month for consumers and $45 for business users, in addition to the separate cost of any voice plan. The new pricing raises the minimum two-year cost of an AT&T data service contract from $480 to $720, with the business user plan costing $1,080 over two years, offsetting the apparent price drop of iPhone hardware from $399 to $199. AT&T’s new data service will enable U.S.-based iPhone users to achieve transfer speeds of roughly 2.8 times current EDGE speeds, slower than the faster 3G data speeds offered by other telecom companies; however, the plans will offer “unlimited” 3G data service use. AT&T will remain the exclusive service provider for iPhone hardware in the United States, initially offering its 3G services in 280 major U.S. markets, with a planned increase to 350 by year’s end. Full details are found in an AT&T iPhone 3G press release.
AT&T confirms $30, $45 data plans for iPhone 3G
Jeremy Horwitz
Jeremy Horwitz was the Editor-in-Chief at iLounge. He has written over 5,000 articles and reviews for the website and is one of the most respected members of the Apple media. Horwitz has been following Apple since the release of the original iPod in 2001. He was one of the first reviewers to receive a pre-release unit of the device, and his review helped put iLounge on the map as a go-to source for Apple news.