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AT&T launching voicemail-to-text service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 3:04PM

This coming Sunday marks a straight-up bonanza of new services and tweaks from AT&T -- and while it may not combat a heavily-armed invasion of sentient handsets running Android, it's a nice little win nonetheless. Here's what we've got on tap:

Voicemail to Text: This is a variation on a theme that has launched countless times both on other carriers and in the aftermarket, but AT&T's version is explicitly stated "not to be a replacement for a transcription service" because each message is limited to 60 seconds. Users have the option of routing messages to SMS, email, or both for a charge of $9.99 a month. Unfortunately, moving from basic voicemail to this new service will cause all existing messages to be lost, so be careful when adding this one to your plan.
AT&T Nation with Canada: It's exactly what it sounds like -- AT&T Nation plans with a little extra Great White North thrown in for good measure. No long distance charges on calls to Canada, 1,000 night and weekend minutes that work in both countries plus full rollover and anytime minute compatibility; A-List and early nights / weekends can be added as well.
New Mobile TV channels, coverage, and pricing: Three new channels will be added into the MediaFLO-based Mobile TV mix, though AT&T's being coy about what they are; all we know so far is that there's a comedy station, a "national broadcaster," and a kids' channel. Three new markets are launching between now and December 11, and seven more have launched since September 25. The biggest news here, though, might be that service is dropping from $15 to $9.99 a month, while Mobile TV plus unlimited data goes from $30 down to $24.99. It's still pricey, but it's an improvement.

So, who's signing up for tiny teevee now that it's just a little bit cheaper?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Gallery: AT&T launching voicemail transcription service, new Mobile TV stations, Canada plans next week

T-Mobile officially unveils $99 Even More, $79 Even More Plus plans and equipment installment option

by Ross Miller posted Oct 25th 2009 @ 11:14AM

Right on schedule with the whispers, T-Mobile lifted the veil off of its new price plan tier structure, Even More and Even More Plus, and from the looks of it all those leaks were pretty much spot-on. The traditional Even More plan is a two-year commitment and discounted phone, with unlimited individual prices starting at $59 per month and going up to $99 if you want unlimited messaging and text, too. Even More Plus scrapes the device discount but offers unlimited individual prices at $49 for voice / $79 for everything. It looks like the only major differentiator is the subsidized handset, but here's where the numbers don't add up: even with the steep $350 discount on myTouch 3G, factoring in that $20 premium would pay for the phone during the 18th month, leaving six months and $120 of extra payments left that have no obvious justification to us. Additionally the FlexPay / equipment installment plan is now available, letting you break up the cost of your phone into interest-free monthly bills. It seems Even More's subsidized phones are offered over four installments (e.g. $37 per month for the $150 MyTouch 3G) while Even More Plus' is two installments (e.g. $25 per month for the same device at the $500 full price). Our initial takeaway from the price tiers is that T-Mobile is doing what it can to drive its consumers away from the traditional and over to the non-traditional (for US, at least) Even More Plus plan, but hey, we're not gonna argue over a beneficial contract-free plan, even if monthly phone payments keep us paying the company for at least 20 months. So T-Mo, any other Project Dark surprises in the cards? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

T-Mobile's Project Dark: $99.99 unlimited on Even More, $79.99 on Even More Plus?

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 21st 2009 @ 1:57PM

The details of T-Mobile's mysterious Project Dark definitely seem to be congealing around retooled handset billing and a set of new plans, and it looks like TmoNews might have the first word here on the all-important subject of plan pricing. Even More Plus, which would be contract-free and offer new handset FlexPay over four installments, is apparently tracking for a $79.99 all-you-can-eat package, $69.99 with 1,000 voice minutes, or $49.99 with unlimited voice and no data. Even More meanwhile, which basically amounts to new contract plan branding with traditional hardware subsidies, will come in at $99.99 for unlimited everything (mirroring Sprint's pricing) or $59.99 for unlimited voice alone. It seems strange that the contract pricing is higher than the prepaid, especially since Even More Plus apparently won't offer any hardware subsidies whatsoever, but we're sure we're going to find out how this all shakes out soon enough. Follow the break for another shot of the pricing grids.

Continue reading T-Mobile's Project Dark: $99.99 unlimited on Even More, $79.99 on Even More Plus?

T-Mobile retools offerings, adds new family plan and more unlimited M2M

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 15th 2009 @ 1:01PM

T-Mobile's always been known for aggressively pricing its plans against the other nationals, and that trend continues today with the introduction of a new $89.99 myFaves family plan with 1800 minutes, the addition of 500 anytime minutes to its $99.99 and $129.99 family plans, a $10 reduction in price on a couple other plans, and -- perhaps the most relevant new feature for many customers -- unlimited mobile-to-mobile on every individual plan $49.99 and up. Not a huge change, granted, but it's pretty rare to get something for nothing, so we're going to take what we're being offered and keep our mouths shut.

[Via TmoNews]

T-Mobile likely to skip HSPA+, head straight to LTE

by Darren Murph posted Nov 8th 2008 @ 8:13PM

When you know what's just around the bend, biting on the best the world has now is that much more difficult. Just ask T-Mobile International, who told Unstrung at the World Telecoms Conference in London that it would probably bypass the whole HSPA+ thing and look straight to LTE. More specifically, CTO Joachim Horn noted that "if I need to invest into more hardware, I think it's better to start early [with LTE]. LTE is a more future-oriented technology." He did admit that T-Mobile would "deploy HSPA as long as there is no hardware replacement necessary," but that means the current 3G network would only ever hit 14.4Mbit/sec (at most). Interestingly enough, Horn also showed interest in TD-LTE, which China Mobile is currently backing as a migration path from TD-SCDMA. At any rate, T-Mob users should probably hope LTE gets here in a hurry, particularly now that you know what you're waiting for.

[Via Electronista]

Verizon, AT&T retool international data plans, still heart-stoppingly expensive

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 4th 2008 @ 3:43PM

Seems like every time we're out of the States, we find ourselves fighting an overwhelming urge to whip out our phones every five to ten minutes, restore our cleverly disabled data APNs, and submit to the kind of punishment that only international data roaming can deliver. Giving into those kinds of urges can quickly lead to bills in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, thanks to data roaming packages that have historically been very weak and involve some insanely meager monthly allowance followed by a per-kilobyte fee high enough to make even the hardened business traveler beg for mercy. Seems AT&T and Verizon are both finally realizing that faster data speeds and more capable phones mean that users want at least a few fleeting moments with those services while abroad, though, introducing a series of new packages that should make roaming just marginally more palatable. For its part, AT&T's new offerings include a $60 add-on smartphone plan for 50MB in 67 countries around the globe -- up from 41 previously -- and another that bundles 5GB of domestic laptop data plus 200MB internationally for a sobering $230. On the Verizon side, the big news is a $130 laptop plan that gives users 5GB in the US and Canada, plus 100MB in Mexico and a handful of other countries for $20 per megabyte. In other words, you still need this service to justify the cost, but at least it won't put you as deeply into the poor house as it did last month. No YouTubing from China, y'hear?

T-Mobile offers "Family Allowances," wallets celebrate the end of overages?

by Sean Cooper posted Aug 1st 2008 @ 4:52PM

T-Mobile is likely to bring a smile to the faces -- and bruised wallets-- of many parents when its Family Allowances feature launches sometime in August. For just $2 a month, it'll add complete control over junior's -- and juniorette's -- mobile spending, with a website that'll allow metering of minutes, downloads, call times, and messaging. All of the allotments will, of course, come out of your family plan, numbers can be excluded from the allowance with the Always Allowed feature, and unlimited calling features are preserved across the account. Once the time's up, that's the end of that service until the next billing cycle starts or a parental unit is convinced to restock your account. All in all, if $2 can save somebody potentially hundreds in overages, we're thinking this may be money very well spent.

Michael Dell hints at smartphone plans in recent interview

by Darren Murph posted Jul 28th 2008 @ 2:08PM

Rumors of Dell playing a role in the smartphone industry have been around for what seems like ages, but each time the fire dies down, another can of lighter fluid emerges to get us all wondering again. In a recent interview with Om Malik, the bigwig had more than a few interesting things to say on the computing industry as a whole. Still, what intrigued us wasn't the talk about being a founder or changing up Dell's game in order to rebound -- no, it was Michael's remarks on the handset sector. When asked if there was a "desire" on its part to work with Android or Symbian, Mr. Dell stated that the company "is kind of working on that," although it wasn't ready to "publicly disclose" plans. Granted, he also asked us "not to expect anything anytime soon" when referring to a phone, but would you really expect any CEO with a trick up his / her sleeve to say anything different?

Sprint retools plan pricing structure, aims to keep things simple

by Darren Murph posted Jun 20th 2008 @ 4:42AM

There's just nothing worse than trying to piece together a calling plan -- particularly for families -- and being overwhelmed by nickle 'n dime type add-ons along the way. Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration, but Sprint's hoping to key in on folks who don't disagree with a new "simplified" pricing structure that does away with free incoming calls. Put simply, individuals and families alike can simply pick the amount of minutes they need and whether they want unlimited messaging or unlimited messaging and data. That's it. The prices actually aren't half bad for those ready and willing to put "unlimited" to the test, so hit up the read link to see if any are a fit for you.

[Via GottaBeMobile]

Virgin Mobile retools prepaid and monthly plans, still no contracts

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 24th 2008 @ 7:17PM

MVNO Virgin Mobile is taking a rather unusual approach to advertising its new plan features and pricing structures unveiled today, pointing out that they provide "smarter choices in a tough economy." For monthly plans, those "smarter choices" include unlimited nights and weekends starting at 7pm (well, we suppose weekends start at 12am, but you get what we mean) and unlimited messaging for a reasonable $10 monthly. Prepaid plans, meanwhile, are now offering the capability to "roll forward" up to 5,000 unused minutes when the account is re-upped within 30 days. Minute packs are now available in $20, $30, and $50 increments equaling 200, 400, and 1,000 minutes, respectively, knocking the per-minute price down to 5 cents at the highest level. The new goodies are all available immediately.

[Via Phone Scoop and MobileTechNews]

Verizon's unlimited plans get official, not as stellar as previously assumed

by Darren Murph posted Feb 19th 2008 @ 9:48AM

We had a sneaking suspicion that the lineup of unlimited plans we got wind of earlier this week was just a bit too good to be true, and sure enough, it was. Now that Verizon's Unlimited Plans have gone official right on cue, we're left with three general plans that can each have additional lines tacked on for more dough. The $99 / month Basic Plan seems to include limitless calling only (read: messaging of all types and data still cost extra), while the Select Plan ($119.99 per month) throws in messaging but still demands $1.99 per MB of data. The Premium Plan is the one that's really attractive, offering up unlimited everything (for all intents and purposes) for $139.99 per month or $269.99 for two lines. Needless to say, we're a bit let down, but you can hit up the read link for more details on what's offered.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

AT&T retooling data plans (hint: buh-bye, unlimited)

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 10th 2008 @ 5:22PM

The largest carrier in the US is poised to turn its entire data pricing and marketing strategy on its end according to a series of slides we've found entitled "Data & Messaging Plan Realignment - January 2008." First up, MEdia Net plans are being revised, and for the most part things seem to be getting a little cheaper. MEdia Max Unlimited, for example -- a plan that includes unlimited on-device data and messaging -- goes from $39.99 to an even $35. Next, tethering and data card plans are dropping the term "Unlimited" and imposing a "soft limit" of 5GB; users who consistently exceed that limit won't be charged overage but could be relieved of their plans if AT&T chooses to do so. As much as this sucks, it brings AT&T's official policy in line with the way the industry seems to be trending, as it proudly points out in the slides. Also notable is that slide 8 claims that the carrier will no longer be selling any "windows media devices" (we're pretty sure they meant Windows Mobile devices) without QWERTY keyboards. We're hoping that's not right since it arbitrarily locks AT&T out of picking up nifty WinMo kit like the Touch, but we wouldn't put it past 'em. This all goes down on the 20th, so keep your eyes peeled. Click below for the full slide deck.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Update: We've been told that AT&T's newfound ban on non-QWERTY WinMo devices only applies to Smartphones, not Professional handsets, so it seems the Touch is theoretically spared here. Not to say AT&T has any intention of offering it anyway, we're just sayin'.

Gallery: AT&T retooling data plans (hint: buh-bye, unlimited)

Verizon's BlackBerry Pearl gets new data plans, too

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 1st 2007 @ 3:15PM

They're still miles away from T-Mobile's ridiculously cheap $10 for unlimited BlackBerry email, but Verizon's trying to reach out to a more personal, consumer-based audience as it preps to launch its own Pearl with a new data pricing structure of its own. Unlimited web and email will run you $29.99 when purchased with a voice plan, $34.99 without, offering support for up to ten POP3 and IMAP accounts. Again, T-Mobile's got these cats beat hands-down if saving dinero is the priority -- but then again, Verizon takes the cake for total coverage area and, of course, 3G speed. Pick your poison.

Sprint offers up 'unlimited' wireless plan for Puerto Rico, USVI

by Darren Murph posted Aug 24th 2007 @ 10:23AM

Those camped out in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands (lucky...) now have yet another wireless plan option courtesy of Sprint, and although that "unlimited" keyword may look enticing, it's enclosed in quotes for a reason. The firm's newest unlimited calling plan was reportedly developed specifically for the Sprint Caribbean market and is available for new and existing customers. The $49.99-per-month plan "includes all local and long distance calls received or generated within the local Puerto Rico and USVI coverage area, as well as long-distance calls from [Sprint] mobile to mobile." Of course, one call to the US mainland, and you'll be hit with a $0.25-per-minute fee as well as an additional $0.69-per-minute if you're roaming, so we'd keep it local if we were you.

T-Mobile beefs up midrange plan offerings

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 11th 2007 @ 11:39AM

$40 seems to be the sweet spot for T-Mobile, seeing how the carrier just added a pair of plans to keep its 300 minute myFaves plan company at that all-important price point. First up is a 1,000 minute plan (obviously not featuring myFaves) that features unlimited nights and weekends but no mobile-to-mobile calling. If anytime minutes are priority numero uno, though, you can forego the unlimited nights and weekends in exchange for an additional 500 anytime, bringing the total to 1,500. Additionally, the carrier added another plan another $20 up the food chain: a 1,000 anytime minute plan with myFaves, offering no nights/weekends or mobile-to-mobile, for $60.