AT&T Launches Lower-Cost Mobile Share Value Plans for Families

This looks like an awesome plan, I may have my dad switch our current mobile share family plan switch to this. Love AT&T! Will never ever switch. Especially to tmobile and their db CEO and sore-loser marketing.

Yes, let's hate T-Mobile.

Because AT&T would have done this (lowering price, more attractive plans) anyway without T-Mobile putting pressure on them. Right?

Every customers should thank T-Mobile for making AT&T and Sprint compete.

Theory #1: AT&T is doing this out of the goodness of their heart for the customers.

Theory #2: Maverick T-Mobile is forcing AT&T (and Sprint) to response.

Take your pick.





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Now T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint have bring your own phone, finance your phone, or pay your phone in full.


As for the rate plan





AT&T

line 1 and line 2: $130
each additional line: + $15

Thank god the merger never went through. This is what competition spawns.

ATT and TMobile are the same network

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They share the same network.

That is not even close to true. They both use GSM, UMTS and LTE but they absolutely are not the same network.

I feel the need to post the "It's not complicated" kids ads in this thread. :cool:

$160 for 4 lines and 10GB shared data?

Wow. Is this too good to be true or what?

For $20 more than T-Mobile, I'm jumping on this deal ASAP since T-Mobile can't match the level of service here.

Is there a catch to this plan, because it sure does sound to good to be true. It doesn't sound like AT&T. :rolleyes:

Agreed. I worked for AT&T for 8.5 years (And don't miss it one bit). They are a completely reactionary company; they rarely lead. . . . Well, . . . I take that back. They lead when it comes to price increases.

Having said that, I went over the details myself. I was on a 6Gb 2 iPhone, 2 iPad plan for $180/month. Now, under this plan, it drops to $150/month for an increase to 10Gb of traffic.

While I couldn't find a catch, I am waiting for the shoe to drop.

I just spoke to AT&T and received the 1st comment from the rep that my plan would be $40 for each phone (I have 3 lines).

This is really confusing.

The best way to figure it out is if you go online and try the change yourself. That will show you the pricing.

According to the website at least, if you signed a 2-year agreement BEFORE Feb 2 (today), they will let you go to the cheaper option for $15/month. If you were using Next or something else already, the savings would be different.

Going forward, you would NOT have the option for two-year commitment pricing. You would need to either buy outright or use Next. So, they'll take the "loss" now on your contract to get you away from subsidies.

The other question is about keeping existing upgrades. If reps are saying you can keep the upgrade AND the $15/month pricing, that's crazy! Do it!

We had three iPhones (all 5s bought this past October), and we are now saving $50/month. Of course, as soon as it's time to upgrade, the prices are the same again when you factor in the price of Next. Really, AT&T is just taking a minor hit to get us all to Next. Deal!

AT&T has only sweetened deals with family plans over the years. They've never helped out the individual plan users. This alone is why I'm jumping ship for t-mobile or straight talk.

AT&T's play here seems to be to get people to pay for more data (10GB) than they would otherwise, and to further break the back of "unlimited" data plans and the subsidy model.

If there was any question of why mobile operators want to make your monthly bill all about data and kill "unlimited", this chart should clear that up:



Operators love having customers pay every month for capacity they don't use, and actively encourage the fear of throttling or draconian overage charges. In reality, most subscribers would be better paying for extra data only when they need it.

I don't follow. Under the subsidized plan one pays $235 for a new 16GB phone but in two years can sell that phone for at least that much meaning the cost of the phone is $0. Here one pays $162 + their old phone for a new phone every year vs $0 or even making a small "profit." (The math is similar for the higher storage models too).

So how is next better? It's smoke and mirrors. True, one doesn't get a new phone every year, but phones don't change that much year to year that it's a "must" upgrade situation.

Yeah if you don't get it waived, the upgrade fee is $35 + $200 for a phone for $235.
You use the phone for 2 years
After the 2 years your phone would be worth probably about $200 but it costs you $200 for your next phone w/ contract

Under the new plan, if my $162 / year difference is correct, of course it's not as cheap as the subsidized route.

But in my opinion the delta is not a lot, and given the option to upgrade every single year for $162 and never pay the upgrade fee, I just think that's cool.

When I purchased my current phone, it was just after AT&T announced the Next 18 plan, and I geeked out on the math a bit. While I only did individual and not Mobile Share plans, the fundamentals remain the same, so I'll post it here in case anyone cares to wade through it. One thing to note is that while there is no "activation" fee for the Next plans, you are responsible for any applicable sales tax on the full retail price of the device up front ($46.75 in my case). Also, they have a built-in buy back program at 12 or 18 months, and if you don't nail that window, you'll either be giving away your old device or paying a higher monthly bill than necessary. For instance, the Next 12 is hard to optimize unless you switch platforms or time your upgrades closer to mid release cycle.

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m = number of months on a given plan
b = number of days in the initial billing period
p = monthly cost of the plan
d = retail price of the device
s = subsidy amount

for smartphones, p starts at $60 ($40 plus data)
d = $649.99, $749.99, or $849.99 for current gen iPhone depending on NAND capacity
s = $450.00 for iPhones

Subsidy model:

Old
for m 0
Old BYOD model is less expensive than old subsidy model where s < 0
New BYOD model is less expensive than new subsidy model where s < 360

Next plan:

Old
for m 14/b: m*p + d

New
for m 14/b: m*(p-15) + d = m*p - 15m + d

New Next plan is less expensive than old Next plan where m > 0

Old Next plan is less expensive than old subsidy model where:
3/b < m = 24 and s < 36

New Next plan is less expensive than new subsidy model where:
m 0
3/b < m -2.4
14/b < m < 24 and 15m > s + 10*⎣m⎦ - 361 ⇒ s < 366
m >= 24 and s < 396

Next plans are less expensive than BYOD plans where 0 < 36

New Next plan is less expensive than old subsidy model where:
m >= 24 and 15m > s - 36 ⇒ s < 396
m > 27.6 and s !> 450

r = rebate credit issued for device

Next 12:
for m = 20: r = 0

0.40d >= r >= 0.05d

Next 18:
for m = 26: r = 0

0.3077d >= r >= 0.0385d

Next 12 offers higher rebate where m < 16
Next 18 offers same or higher rebate where m >= 16