iphone4s
With the introduction of new iPhone data plans from AT&T, here's a look at the data plans from the three providers that natively sell the iPhone in the United States.

AT&T:

- $20/month for 300MB data with a $20 charge for each additional 300MB
- $30/month for 3GB data with a $10 charge for each additional 1GB
- $50/month for 5GB data with mobile hotspot/tethering and a $10 charge for each additional 1GB

Verizon:

- $30/month for 2GB data
- $50/month for 5GB data
- $50/month for 4GB data with mobile hotspot/tethering
- $70/month for 7GB data with mobile hotspot/tethering
- $80/month for 10GB data
- $100/month for 12GB data with mobile hotspot/tethering

Overages on all Verizon plans are $10/GB

Sprint:

- $30/month for unlimited data

Sprint offers the best deal on data, though users of the Sprint version of the iPhone 4S have reported slower data speeds than the other networks.

Between AT&T and Verizon, AT&T's $30 plan offers 50% more data than Verizon, and also offers a $20 option for light-data users.

At the $50 price point, AT&T offers 5GB of data plus tethering, whereas Verizon charges $10 more for the same package.

Top Rated Comments

wordoflife Avatar
174 months ago
Carriers should be working for their customers.
1GB = $20 would be acceptable.

In all seriousness though, this is just getting more and more expensive. This is ridiculous.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
definitive Avatar
174 months ago
Carriers should be working for their customers.
1GB = $20 would be acceptable.

In all seriousness though, this is just getting more and more expensive. This is ridiculous.

How is anything besides unlimited acceptable? This is 2012, not 1995 where Dial-Up used to cost ~$5/hour. Even regular broadband internet doesn't cost this much. If the cellular carriers weren't so greedy, they'd charge unlimited fees per speed, not amount of usage.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maattp Avatar
174 months ago


Glad I was able to lock-in unlimited data with Sprint. The speeds could be a little better but I can't complain when I only pay $90 a month with taxes for my iPhone.

I'm sure Sprint won't offer unlimited data forever so people should get it before its to late.

ONLY $90 a month? That's a complete rip off, I thought Canada was bad.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
booksacool1 Avatar
174 months ago
In Australia you can get 1GB for ~$10.
We have much lower population density than the USA and any of the that data that comes from overseas travels in long undersea cables. So the cost of providing Data here could well be double the cost in USA.

I'm surprised you be happy to double what we pay.

edit: oh just to rub it in Tethering is included in most of our data plans.

Indeed I'm thinking the same thing. The other strange thing I notice is the long contract requirements.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattInOz Avatar
174 months ago
Carriers should be working for their customers.
1GB = $20 would be acceptable.

In all seriousness though, this is just getting more and more expensive. This is ridiculous.
In Australia you can get 1GB for ~$10.
We have much lower population density than the USA and any of the that data that comes from overseas travels in long undersea cables. So the cost of providing Data here could well be double the cost in USA.

I'm surprised you be happy to double what we pay.

edit: oh just to rub it in Tethering is included in most of our data plans.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rcappo Avatar
174 months ago
I could have summed it up as:
Sucks
Sucks
Sucks


People should be given phone numbers for life at birth like Social Security numbers. Then it wouldn't matter if you wanted to switch carriers, go a few months without service, get a prepaid sim card with minutes that don't expire, and there would be a few great tethering apps.

Wouldn't capitalism be great if it worked the way it was supposed to?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google made waves yesterday by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
maxresdefault

OpenAI Buys Jony Ive's AI Startup to 'Completely Reimagine What It Means to Use a Computer'

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices. In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...