Cheapest iPhone Plans????

[d96j97]

I would LOVE to have an iPhone, but have heard the monthly fee on them is horrible. I currently use a tracfone and pay for all my minutes. I really don't text very much....just my boys occasionally. It works out great for me and I only pay the $100 per year and it's a done deal. I know an iPhone would be much more expensive....but how much more? Any advice???

 

[auralia]

i don't have one but have looked into it... without discounts and before taxes/fees your looking at 70$ a month base.. you have to do at least 400 anytime minutes a month at 40$ and you have to do the unlimited data plan at 30$ per month because ATnT says so (there are ways around this buying an unlocked phone and using another carrier, but it can get coplicated). so 70$ minimum figure at least 10$ in fees/taxes and probably more like 15$ and your looking at close to 90$ a month base price... lots of companys get ATT discounts... like the military gets 15% so things like that can help bring the price down but still close to 1200$ a year is very hard to justify....

 

[HLAuburn]

I just upgraded to an iPhone and it added $30 to my bill. That is for the data plan that allows you to access the internet and all the apps etc. Other than that, my bill stayed the same...550 minutes for about $50 and 200 texts for $5. I'm sure you can get fewer minutes on individual plans.


I also bought the least expensive version of the iPhone plus it was a :refurbished", so it was only $49. It's amazing what all it does, and I think its well worth the extra $30 a month!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I was looking at the ATT site, trying to figure it all out. If my dh and I both had an iphone, would we both need our own plans? It looked like we would each need to add it up separately....and would each be charged the $30 internet fee. That right there would add at least $60 to our monthly bill (over what we have now with T Mobile). I'm having a hard time justifying that, as much as I really want an iphone! I'm also so nervous about switching carriers and spending so much on an iphone, and then not getting good cell service.

Decisions, decisions. I would love to ask for $ towards one for Christmas, but have to figure out all of the details first Our contract with T Mobile is up in March, so this is a good time to think about the decision to switch. I love my itouch...but I hear the iphone is even better. Oh no...then I'd have two kids fighting over who gets my itouch

 

[actionvaughn]

If you're looking for a cheap phone plan, the iPhone is definitely not the best choice at all. I have the almost the most basic plan possible and I pay $102 a month, which I'm sure will come as a shock after paying less than that for a year's worth of service. It's one line, 450 anytime/5000 night and weekend, the data plan and unlimited text for $20 so I supposed if you want texts, you can get away with an $80ish bill at the very least.

Mickey, there's an iPhone family plan, so you can always look into that.

Anyway, with all that said I wouldn't give it up for anything. There are so many plans out there that are way cheaper, but I love my iPhone way too much to do something silly like.. save money for the sake of not being able to check my mail while listening to music anytime, anywhere.

 

[jenedpey]

Iphone data plan is per iphone, so if your husband and you both have an iphone, both will requre the $30 dollar each per month iphone data plan, plus texting (package or pay per text) plus minutes. We looked into getting iphones but decided to go with an android phone from sprint. They have some advantages (family data plan, replaceable battery, removable memory) and some disadvantages (fewer applications). Keep in mind, upfront cost is the cheap part of signing a 2 year contract. Every $10 per month adds up to $240 dollars per 2 year contract.

 

[darrengs]

I was looking at the ATT site, trying to figure it all out. If my dh and I both had an iphone, would we both need our own plans? It looked like we would each need to add it up separately....and would each be charged the $30 internet fee. That right there would add at least $60 to our monthly bill (over what we have now with T Mobile). I'm having a hard time justifying that, as much as I really want an iphone! I'm also so nervous about switching carriers and spending so much on an iphone, and then not getting good cell service.

Decisions, decisions. I would love to ask for $ towards one for Christmas, but have to figure out all of the details first Our contract with T Mobile is up in March, so this is a good time to think about the decision to switch. I love my itouch...but I hear the iphone is even better. Oh no...then I'd have two kids fighting over who gets my itouch

A family plan of 2 iPhones 550 anytime minutes data and 200 text messages each is $129.99 before taxes & fees. Plus the cost of the 2 iPhones.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

I'd love an iphone and all the coolness of the apps available esp the new Dis one. However given that I don't "need" to be wired 24 7. I just can't justify the cost. I'm not the OP but I have wondered about the overall costs of getting one and this thread reaffirmed why I don't get one.

 

[dvcgirl]

The plans are expensive. We have two phones, second phone on the "family plan". 2,100 minutes, unlimited data and text and with taxes with pay $215 a month. The primary doubles as my business phone so I get a decent write-off....still, it's pricey.

 

[KristinU]

I'm with you - OP. A couple of colleagues have iPhones, and man oh man, are they cool. But I just can't justify it. I'm also a pay-as-you-go no-contract kind of girl, so the thought of being locked into an expensive contract for two years makes me shudder. I currently use Virginmobile and have the Kyocera XTC (hardware was about $100). I have 1000 texts per month (never use near that, but that's the lowest "pack") plus 20 MB of data per month (again, never use near that) - for $20 a month. Then I just pay .10 a minute for calls. I average maybe $23 a month.

After downloading Opera Mini, I'm happy with the internet access I can get. I really was mostly after weather access for when we're camping, but of course the other stuff like Facebook and checking in on the DIS is fun too. Oh, and I also linked up my Yahoo e-mail account so that is mobile now. So other than the really cool-ness factor and the nifty apps to play with, it really does all that I need at a fraction of the cost.

All of that said, I understand that sometime in 2010 AT&T won't be the only player in town for the iPhone...anyone know about that? If the contract price were to come down because of competition, I would very, very seriously consider it.

 

[WDWHo]

The iphones are our familys biggest splurge. We currently have three and our bill is nutso. About $275 a month! We do however have unlimited texting on them. Its alot but we cut back on other things. My DD15 got hers for (or will get it soon) for hannukah and we bought the phone but she is paying for the month charge with her babysitting money. She wants it that bad!

 

[Dani C]

I know an iPhone would be much more expensive....but how much more? Any advice???

My daughter's plan (which has unlimited texting, 450 anytime minutes and 5,000 night and weekend minutes per month) for her new iPhone is approximately $102/month after taxes are applied. This doesn't include the $35 initial activation fee or the cost of the phone $200. Note: This has a two year contract and the phone is under warranty for a year (does not apply if it is dropped however).

 

[rsschneck]

I have the original iPhone. Yes, I paid $600 for the phone and within a few weeks the price dropped to $199. The iPhone is nice but I wish it was like the 3G version which is way faster but the monthly out of pocket is more so I have decided the original is fine.

My monthly bill is $64 and some change (this includes taxes). I get 450 anytime minutes, 5000 nights and weekends, roll over minutes, 200 text messages and the internet.

I went from verizon at $35 per month to At & t for $64 per month. I wish the iPhone was with verizon because their coverage areas are way better. I get dropped calls all the time with At & t.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

My DH and I each have iPhone 3GS and our bill runs about $120 per month before texts but including student discount and taxes. Our prior bill on TMo was $100 with one data plan on a Palm. Adding a second data plan to TMo would have been at least $20. We find rollover minutes from ATT works great for our calling style. We find with such fast Internet connection , we use it all the time. - Suzanne

 

[jordansmomma]

Getting an iPhone is not cheap.
We have 3 phones, 2 are iPhones.
our bill is around $250 a month. It use to be much more until I put the
parental controls on DS phone.
2x$30 for the data plan
unlimited texting for 3 phones and we always end up with roll over minutes.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I have an iPhone and my bill runs around $65 - $70 a month. This is mainly because I get a corporate discount on my phone. It is pricey but very much worth it to me. Because I have it, I don't have to buy a separate GPS unit, a Kindle or a Sirius radio.

 

[Jeanne B]

I went from verizon at $35 per month to At & t for $64 per month. I wish the iPhone was with verizon because their coverage areas are way better. I get dropped calls all the time with At & t.

This is why I have no desire to go to AT&T, I read about people who have the iphone and like it yet they get dropped calls on a regular basis, what good is a phone if you can't rely on it?

I've been with VZW for about 2 years now, just upgraded to the HTC Imagio which is their latest windows mobile smartphone and I love it, I'll take it any day over the iphone (my DD has the touch so I'm familiar with the layout of the iphone). No, I can't access itunes directly from my phone but I downloaded my entire itunes library onto it, it's a global phone, same screen size as the iphone, I can create and edit word and excel documents, my personal and company email syncs flawlessly, my facebook friends are linked to my contact list, shortcut key to Facebook and Youtube along with the rest of my apps (like the iphone), the current weather with 5 day forecast in the Touch Flo 3D is pretty neat looking compared to the iphone and works better, and although VZW marketplace doesn't have nearly as many apps as apple more and more are getting added all the time and I think with the high demand for apps these days the list will continue to grow (and the new disney app that's on the horizon for VZW is a real plus)...I could go on, oh yes, and the battery is easily replaceable!! Yes, it's a business phone, but it's also very much an entertainment phone.

So I guess I don't understand the continued hype over the iphone, when it first came out I could (I was pretty excited about it myself) but the competition is starting to come out with some phones that are almost equal to if not better than the iphone. If you're in an area where there is great AT&T service and you don't travel much than the iphone is a great choice but it seems like a lot of people are switching to AT&T strictly for the iphone and there are existing customers staying with AT&T for the iphone in spite of the poor coverage.

 

[d96j97]

I am the OP and the responses have put a final decision on what to ask for this Christmas....NOT an iPhone (sadly) . I would never get to go back to Disney if we were to pay that much per month. I absolutely LOVE the iPhone, but it would just "kill" me to pay that monthly bill. I guess I'll be a tracfone gal a while longer. Thanks for all the replies!!!

 

[Toots]

Op - that's the problem with Tracfone. Once you have it, it's hard to change plans. My 16 ds sure would like a fancier phone for texting, but nothing seems to match the $12.00/per month we average for his service.

 

[Rlbren]

We have 4 iphones w/ unlimited text..family plan 550 mins...and currently have 1400 rollover minutes. We pay $230. My dh gets a 15% discount through his employer....my dh and 2 children have 8 gigs and I have the 16 gig gs. We our phones and use them for everything. We choose not have any television service..internet is our entertainment. Our children are 16 and 20. I did battle with the iphone decision from the time they were introduced and finally took the plunge only a few months ago.