Are smartphone bills just something we have to get used to?

[Dave Gray]

I've mentioned this before, but I'm not really comfortable with the monthly fees associated with technology.  I don't mind paying for "new" technology, but once those things become standard and it feels like its no longer an option, I feel like I'm getting ripped off.

Smart-phones are a good example.  We pay out the nose for data plans.  And while I suppose that you could choose not to have them, within people my age and in my field, they are basically a necessity.  Am I stuck paying $30/month for "data" forever?  Surely, the cost of getting me that data will decrease...will I see that savings?  Or, like cable TV, is it something I better just get used to paying for?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Either get use to it or get rid of it.

[Dave Gray]

I think I could probably do without "data", but I still like my phone to have the things it does.  I like to have games and apps on it and stuff, but I have no need to access the web to play them.  In short, I could live on just Wi-Fi, without issue.

With an iPhone, can I elect to not renew my data subscription, but maintain call capability and Wi-Fi only?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I dunno. 

My phone can make and receive calls.  I can also receive txt messages.  I assume I could send a text message if I wanted to, but have never tried.  It also can be used as a calculator (done that twice) and an alarm clock (about 6 times)

[Brian Fein]

No, you can't.  Most carriers "force" you into a data plan with any smartphone.  In fact, if you were to sign up with AT&T, let's say, with a "feature phone" (i.e. a phone with no "smart" functions), and then swap your SIM card into an iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry, they would add the data plan to your account involuntarily and charge you for it.  This has happened to me.

The only option is to move to a prepaid phone plan, where you buy bulk minutes in advance and pay for phone and texting and use the wi-fi for data.  They can't force you into anything that way because you don't have a running monthly service agreement.  Its pay-as-you-go.

I think you just have to get use to it and hope that the carriers get into a price war.  As it stands its a cash cow for them.  In fact its recently gotten worse where data plans once were "unlimited" and now most carriers have tiered plans where they charge you overages if you exceed a certain bandwidth per month.  So many people are willing to pay the $30 a month to have the interwebs in their pocket at all times, and that's not going to change.  Until people, on a large scale, are sick of paying for cellular data, the prices are never going to decrease.

[Buddhagirl]

Get over it or get rid of it. I think cable is a huge waste of money. Because of that I have NEVER paid for cable.

I love my smartphone and don't mind paying for the data plan. The thing I hate paying for each month is health insurance.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

No, you can't.  Most carriers "force" you into a data plan with any smartphone.  In fact, if you were to sign up with AT&T, let's say, with a "feature phone" (i.e. a phone with no "smart" functions), and then swap your SIM card into an iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry, they would add the data plan to your account involuntarily and charge you for it.  This has happened to me.

The only option is to move to a prepaid phone plan, where you buy bulk minutes in advance and pay for phone and texting and use the wi-fi for data.  They can't force you into anything that way because you don't have a running monthly service agreement.  Its pay-as-you-go.

I think you just have to get use to it and hope that the carriers get into a price war.  As it stands its a cash cow for them.  In fact its recently gotten worse where data plans once were "unlimited" and now most carriers have tiered plans where they charge you overages if you exceed a certain bandwidth per month.  So many people are willing to pay the $30 a month to have the interwebs in their pocket at all times, and that's not going to change.  Until people, on a large scale, are sick of paying for cellular data, the prices are never going to decrease.

You could go with two devices.  A phone that is just a phone and a ipod. 

[Brian Fein]

I love my smartphone and don't mind paying for the data plan. The thing I hate paying for each month is health insurance.

For me its insurance in general.  You pay hundreds and thousands of dollars each year to some company, because you need them to back you when stuff goes wrong.  And then when they need to shell out money they give you a hassle and a hard time and raise your rates or drop your coverage.  Its such a joke, a ripoff, and a scam.  But its required, because if you don't have it, it causes more problems.

[Buddhagirl]

For me its insurance in general.  You pay hundreds and thousands of dollars each year to some company, because you need them to back you when stuff goes wrong.  And then when they need to shell out money they give you a hassle and a hard time and raise your rates or drop your coverage.  Its such a joke, a ripoff, and a scam.  But its required, because if you don't have it, it causes more problems.

I agree. When I truly needed my health insurance the assholes kicked me out of the hospital. Such bullshit.

[Landshark]

Talk about really bad customer service.  I'm on the old Verizon plan with unlimited data.  From here on out, I must pay full price for my devices.  If I upgrade my device at the promo price, I lose my unlimited data.

[Thundergod]

I heart MetroPCS

[Brian Fein]

Talk about really bad customer service.  I'm on the old Verizon plan with unlimited data.  From here on out, I must pay full price for my devices.  If I upgrade my device at the promo price, I lose my unlimited data.

This is any cellular carrier.  You must re-sign a contract to get the promo price and they don't offer your plan anymore.  What's more valuable to you?  Has nothing to do with customer service.  They're not going to give you a phone at a loss and let you take it to some other carrier.  You realize they pay WAY more than the "promo" price for those phones, right?

[pondwater]

Talk about really bad customer service.  I'm on the old Verizon plan with unlimited data.  From here on out, I must pay full price for my devices.  If I upgrade my device at the promo price, I lose my unlimited data.

I always pay upfront for my phones to keep my plan. The plan I have isn't offered anymore. I get unlimited calls and texts with 5GB of data for $59. The funny part about it is that I don't get signal where I live and all calls, texts, and data go through wifi. I never even hit 1GB, much less 5GB. Every time I think of changing my plan, I see that they are charging $40-50 for just unlimited calls and texts. Then I figure that I'm getting 5GB for $10-20, so I just say screw it and keep it.

[Spider-Dan]

This is any cellular carrier.  You must re-sign a contract to get the promo price and they don't offer your plan anymore.  What's more valuable to you?  Has nothing to do with customer service.  They're not going to give you a phone at a loss and let you take it to some other carrier.

That's some pretty twisted logic.  If they "don't offer his plan anymore" then how is he still paying for it each month?

They obviously do continue to offer his plan, or else he would have been kicked off of it.  Good customer service would entail letting him simply sign a contract for his already existing plan, but they want to coerce him to voluntarily leave it.

[Pappy13]

I've mentioned this before, but I'm not really comfortable with the monthly fees associated with technology.  I don't mind paying for "new" technology, but once those things become standard and it feels like its no longer an option, I feel like I'm getting ripped off.

Smart-phones are a good example.  We pay out the nose for data plans.  And while I suppose that you could choose not to have them, within people my age and in my field, they are basically a necessity.  Am I stuck paying $30/month for "data" forever?  Surely, the cost of getting me that data will decrease...will I see that savings?  Or, like cable TV, is it something I better just get used to paying for?

I would imagine that the data plan you pay $30 for now blows away the data plan that you paid $30 ten years ago. It probably would have cost you hundreds 10 years ago to get the data plan you can today if you could even get it.

So to answer your question, no you won't be paying $30 for the same data plan forever. You'll be paying $30 forever, but the data plans will just keep getting better and better because you'll need it to keep up with the ever increasing rate of data consumption.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.