As AT&T reportedly dabbles with the idea of dropping the price of the Apple iPhone service plan $10 per month, there are also several other possibilities consumers can look forward to this summer.
In addition to lowering the cost of service $10, AT&T may drop the $199 price tag of the lowend iPhone down to $99, some analysts speculate. Furthermore, it's possible Apple and AT&T may even release a prepaid iPhone that will open up the phone for casual consumers.
Since its release a couple of years ago, subscribers continue to criticize AT&T for the cost of its iPhone plans, so these moves are designed to keep subscribers with AT&T -- and to raise even more interest for the iPhone.
.jpg)
AT&T, which boasts the largest amount of smartphone subscribers, is aiming to gain even more marketshare from Verizon Wireless and other companies aiming to move subscribers towards data plans.
"They are going to give AT&T the bulk of smartphone users [in the country]," Envisioneering Group director Richard Doherty recently said in an interview with BusinessWeek. "That would definitely push the pricing on high-end smartphones down."
I pay $30 for unlimited data and $10 for 500 text messages per month with Verizon Wireless, and have been thinking about making a jump to AT&T for some time now. AT&T's service in my area is much better, and I've had an easier time dealing with AT&T customer support in the past.
If AT&T does have so much in the works right now, I hope to see Verizon and other companies respond by also lowering prices.
