Carrier AT&T to launch prepaid Aio Wireless nationwide ($40, $55, $70 a month, LTE included)

[617aircav]

This is pretty tempting. First, anybody buying iPhones should realize the caveat with the $40 plan: IT'S NOT FOR SMARTPHONES. I thought I'd shout that since it seems pretty important in a group of iPhone owners.

Well, myself, I switched to Verizon because AT&T's signal strength sucked around here. Once I got about five miles from home it wasn't so bad, but I live in a bad pocket. But when I look at my ZIP code on the coverage, it's solid yellow, meaning LTE. The iPhone 4 obviously wasn't LTE or even AT&T's fake 4G, so maybe the coverage is better. My parents have iPhone 5's, so I think I'll get them to come over soon and let me check that out.

The main difference in these versus contract plans is obviously the lack of a contract and lack of a phone subsidy. So looking at the iPhone 5 comparision, it's $199 if you get a contract with AT&T and $649 if you go through Aio. So that means over two years, you have to save $18.75 per month to break even. Aio Smart is $55 per month for 2GB of LTE data. I don't know my Verizon "pre-tax" rate, but I end up paying $81 or $82 per month for 2GB of data, 450 minutes and 250 texts. So it sounds like that's break even after two years, which also means I can keep my phone longer and save tons of money.

If anybody's still reading, here are some questions:
1) Does this include a mobile hotspot feature for free? I can't find that info on the Aio website.
2) Anybody know how much extra the taxes and fees are per month?
3) Is Verizon going to launch something similar? I heard a few months ago Verizon was going to do that in August, and August is kind of about over.

1) yes depending on your phone. I have hotspot using my HTC one.

2) not extra taxes or fees.

3) until Verizon announces we won't know.

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I just read the same thing about the hotspot. Bummer. But the all fees included thing is huge. I guess I'll have to make my choice on whether the 5S has a model that will work on both Verizon and AT&T networks. I could switch to Aio and then jump to Verizon if its plans are worth it.

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Also as I mentioned the Aio $40 plan is NOT for smartphones. Moot for most of us, but important if anyone lets parents or aunts and uncles know. I'm on Verizon 3G, so those caps might as well be a 250 mph speed limit on the highway.

I signed up with the HTC one on the $40 plan for 3 months. I just upgraded to the $55 plan yesterday and it warned me that I could not go back to my previous plan as it was promotional.

 

[itouchaddicted]

I wish I actually knew how much I use. I go back and look at my PDF bills and it says I used "1" gigabyte. Call detail is on there, but that's all the info about how much data I used.

I could probably force myself to get by on 250MB, but I just hate the thought of being all "I want to download this album!" nowhere near WiFi and blowing my whole data allowance. Plus with iTunes Radio, I might start using more.

Remember that $40 plan does have unlimited everything, meaning there is unlimited data. 250 mb is high speed 4G data, after you have used that limit, you get throttled to 3G which is still good. So its a win win situation!!

 

[Michael CM1]

Remember that $40 plan does have unlimited everything, meaning there is unlimited data. 250 mb is high speed 4G data, after you have used that limit, you get throttled to 3G which is still good. So its a win win situation!!

How fast do you get after throttling? I'm on Verizon 3G, which maybe I've seen top out at 2 Mbps. I mean maybe. So if you use up your 250MB and then get throttled down to 1 Mbps, that would kinda be just like what I'm using now except NOT $82 A MONTH! In other words, awesome.

 

[2298754]

How fast do you get after throttling? I'm on Verizon 3G, which maybe I've seen top out at 2 Mbps. I mean maybe. So if you use up your 250MB and then get throttled down to 1 Mbps, that would kinda be just like what I'm using now except NOT $82 A MONTH! In other words, awesome.

I think its 250 kbps, so 0.25 mbps. Basically what Sprint users get everyday.

 

[Michael CM1]

I think its 250 kbps, so 0.25 mbps. Basically what Sprint users get everyday.

Or as the holdouts still using dial-up at home call it, OH MY LORD MY NEW PHONE IS SO FAST!

I might try the $40 plan if I decide Aio is the way to go. I can always jump up to $55, but at least with the $40 I'm saving tons of money by buying the phone at full price. I just hope my parents' LTE iPhones get a better signal than I did two years ago and that Target has unlocked phones within a week or two so I can get 10 percent off instead of just 5 percent.

Thanks for all the info, peeps.

 

[Satnam1989]

I don't see the hype of the $55 plan vs AT&T GoPhone $60 Plan (Purchase from Callingmart.com w/ their monthly 10% off coupon for $54) - Am I missing something?

AT&T GoPhone offers all that PLUS:
Unlimited International Texting + FULL SPEED 4G + LTE DATA

What you don't get is the crippled EDGE speeds after you run out of your monthly Allowance on AT&T GoPhone.

I think most users fall in the <2GB of Data usage per month bucket so its great.

If you needed additional 1GB, can get the $70 AT&T GoPhone Plan for $63 (Current 10% off coupon = LD1310) which gives you:

- Unlimited Talk + Text (Incl. International) + MMS
- 3GB Data Full 4G + LTE
- VVM and all the basics

 

[itouchaddicted]

I don't see the hype of the $55 plan vs AT&T GoPhone $60 Plan (Purchase from Callingmart.com w/ their monthly 10% off coupon for $54) - Am I missing something?

AT&T GoPhone offers all that PLUS:
Unlimited International Texting + FULL SPEED 4G + LTE DATA

What you don't get is the crippled EDGE speeds after you run out of your monthly Allowance on AT&T GoPhone.

I think most users fall in the <2GB of Data usage per month bucket so its great.

If you needed additional 1GB, can get the $70 AT&T GoPhone Plan for $63 (Current 10% off coupon = LD1310) which gives you:

- Unlimited Talk + Text (Incl. International) + MMS
- 3GB Data Full 4G + LTE
- VVM and all the basics

I am not hyped about $55 plan. I am hyped about $40 plan(that is on AT&T towers).

 

[vikingjunior]

I don't see the hype of the $55 plan vs AT&T GoPhone $60 Plan (Purchase from Callingmart.com w/ their monthly 10% off coupon for $54) - Am I missing something?

AT&T GoPhone offers all that PLUS:
Unlimited International Texting + FULL SPEED 4G + LTE DATA

What you don't get is the crippled EDGE speeds after you run out of your monthly Allowance on AT&T GoPhone.

I think most users fall in the <2GB of Data usage per month bucket so its great.

If you needed additional 1GB, can get the $70 AT&T GoPhone Plan for $63 (Current 10% off coupon = LD1310) which gives you:

- Unlimited Talk + Text (Incl. International) + MMS
- 3GB Data Full 4G + LTE
- VVM and all the basics

What about hotspot?

 

[Satnam1989]

I am not hyped about $55 plan. I am hyped about $40 plan(that is on AT&T towers).

AIO and AT&T GOPhone are both on AT&T Towers

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What about hotspot?

Not available on both

 

[617aircav]

What about hotspot?

Hotspots is available on aio wireless depending on your phone. I use it on aio. On att with the same phone I could not enable it.

 

[itouchaddicted]

AIO and AT&T GOPhone are both on AT&T Towers

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Not available on both

Ummm $40 and $60, get it? or am I missing something!! Point is that $60 AT&T prepaid is not something to be hyped about whereas flat $40 AIO (unlimited everything, 250mb 4G LTE and then throttled to 3G speeds) is when both use AT&T towers

 

[617aircav]

Ummm $40 and $60, get it? or am I missing something!! Point is that $60 AT&T prepaid is not something to be hyped about whereas flat $40 AIO (unlimited everything, 250mb 4G LTE and then throttled to 3G speeds) is when both use AT&T towers

I had the $40 plan for 3 months. Slow but good enough for email, social media and audio streaming, navigation etc. Would not rely on it for video. All in all a good deal.

 

[qtrim]

Remember that $40 plan does have unlimited everything, meaning there is unlimited data. 250 mb is high speed 4G data, after you have used that limit, you get throttled to 3G which is still good. So its a win win situation!!

If I'm using a iPhone 4, 3G the best I would ever get. IS the slowed down speed really 3G?

 

[ajt1995]

If I'm using a iPhone 4, 3G the best I would ever get. IS the slowed down speed really 3G?

It's .25 Mb/s which, I'm told, can still stream pandora and the like.

I'm probably moving to aio, cause on AT&T I've used 600 MB in 2 days with just iTunes Radio...

 

[RotaryP7]

Actually does Aio Wireless let you use hotspot on the iPhone or is it blocked? The $55/month plan could compete with TMO if it has hotspot included IMO. The $60 on TMO includes 2.5GB of high speed 4G/LTE w/ hotspot. The $70 unlimited does not include hotspot though.

 

[Col Ronson]

AIO throttles LTE speed to 8 Mbps i believe. Might as well stick with GoPhone or straighttalk.

 

[germinator]

Pathetic

AT&T LTE speed is amazing: 30 Mbit/s at my location.

Do you realize that it takes only ONE MINUTE to reach the 250 MB cap for the $40 plan??? How ridiculous is that?

T-Mobile $30/month unlimited data plan sounds much better.

 

[Col Ronson]

AT&T LTE speed is amazing: 30 Mbit/s at my location.

Do you realize that it takes only ONE MINUTE to reach the 250 MB cap for the $40 plan??? How ridiculous is that?

T-Mobile $30/month unlimited data plan sounds much better.

meh thats only 5GB. A week of LTE video streaming will eat that up.

Also with Aio, theres no mobile hotspot either. Like others have stated, go with the GoPhone. At least those LTE speeds aren't throttled and you'll get VVM.