you stand in line all day just to have it ruined by a matter of $30… that’s just plain sad :(

Cali,

the IPhone family plan with 29.99 for the second line, that includes unlimited data is $20.00 for the unlimited data and the standard 9.99 for the second line. The $80 for the initial line is the $60 standard cost, plus the $20 for the unlimited data. So this isn’t anything that shouldn’t have been spelled out. I hope you decide to keep at least one of your iPhones… This is how all of their family plans are… I’ll just be adding the $20 for unlimited data to my plan…

That third page you list does mention $109.99 for two phones on the family plan in the small print. But it’s odd that the graph lists the price for one phone only when you can’t have a family plan without two! The AT&T website explicitly lists the price for two phones correctly in their graph. I guess they’ve had more experience with people and their understanding of calling plans and have learned to list the total cost upfront.

Johnathan: That’s not just $30 - it’s $30 a month for two years more!

Still, I really assumed with the cost of data plans as high as they are today that $110 was going to be the price of an unlimited data plan on just one phone! That price on two is a bargain I think!

Over and over, the Apple Web site said ALL plans INCLUDE unlimited data. That clearly isn’t the case. They shouldn’t have said that over and over and over again unless they meant it. I feel deceived.

Cali,

I honestly can’t understand why you had this little rant. This really has nothing to do with the unlimited data, and everything to do with adding iPhones to a family plan. Ever family plan I have ever looked at has the base price for the included minutes and features, and a price for each phone added to the plan.

So in your case, the base price is $80, and $29.99 for each additional iPhone you add to the plan. Did you honestly think that you could add 1 or more iPhones to the family plan and have no additional monthly cost?

Considering most other plans are $10-$20 a month to add the phone and at least $20 or more per month for unlimited data (which you are going to be able to take much more advantage of that on an iPhone) $29.99 is at least on par, if not a pretty good deal.

Must have been a long day. I think you may see things a little differently after you have slept on it.

Good luck either way.

Cali:

James is spot on. The $109.99 fee is in the fine print on the family plan. I agree that it isn’t a good deal, but it was clear to me.

All plans do include unlimited data — they just don’t include unlimited lines. I can see where you might have assumed the cost of a family plan included at least two lines, but I don’t think the details are hidden or hard to find. Everywhere I see pricing for family plans the specifics are right there too.

Basically, you have a choice of having 2 individual plans with 450 minutes each for $120/month or 1 family plan with 700 shared minutes for $110.

If someone was considering 3 phones, the choice would be between 3 individual plans with 450 minutes each (1,350 total minutes) for $180/month or 1400 shared minutes for $160.

So the family plan can make sense economically, but it depends on the specific situation. It can be especially advantageous if one of the people in the family users far fewer anytime minutes than the other(s).

Words have meaning and the Apple Web site says over and over again that ALL plans INCLUDE unlimited data. The family plan does not include unlimited data. You have to pay extra for it, therefor it is misleading. I don’t even want unlimited data. I want NO data. I just want to use WiFi.

This is not about what a company wants to offer. It’s about what a consumer expects to receive. The offer sucks.

Very nice music montage there Cali. Best iPhone coverage I have seen so far. Really allowed me to feel the experience.

I do not have a clue weather you are right or wrong about the plan thing, but companies always tend to screw people like this. So I wonder why you are so surprised.

Regardless…. can you REALLY return that cute and cuddly iPhone to the store??? I sincerely doubt it!

@Hani, I’m worried about my ability to return it too. I want to be an iPhone owner with all my heart. It’s a realy cool piece of kit, but I feel used and abused by the deal they’re offering. It’s not consumer friendly in any way.

Cali,

That stinks… I submitted your story to digg.

http://digg.com/apple/CALI_LEWIS_of_GEEKBRIEF_TV_might_return_IPhones/blog

While we all agree other services have made us well aware that additional lines to a family plan cost extra as they always do the marketing of this industry standard of a “Family Plan” This situation was not handled in a consumer friendly way. They have listed the 29.99 price in hiding as additional data plans when what they mean is for each additional line or phone which is confusing when comparing it to their other statements about unlimited data on family plans. They never just say, as many other phone companies do “for each additional line” while this is not a problem for everybody looking to get an iPhone I believe their naming is a key issue in making this problem. When I hear data plan I think accessories not mandatory and since Data plan is mandatory for using this phone as they have decided, it shouldn’t have been listed like it is a traditional option for cellular plans. When I buy a smart phone a data plan is not required, but since most don’t have a excellent web browser and wifi I would most likely save the cost of the lacking data plan cause I wouldn’t use enough to support the cost and just use the wifi when I am near a hotspot. They don’t give me that option so the phone looks even less appealing when you force me to buy something the hardware does not need to function as a phone with proper wifi capabilities. I know all this locking in is an AT&T business model since they wouldn’t make as much money off of me if I was given the option to turn off their data plan.

I really don’t understand where you see that Apple/AT&T says you need to pay extra for unlimited data.

The price of the family plans include x amount of minutes and unlimited data. The only extra cost is for each phone line you want to add, which is clearly listed as $30 each.

Do you expect to sign up for a family plan and have 2, 5, or 10 phones sharing it without paying for extra for each line? I’ve never heard of any family plan with a fixed price and unlimited lines.

I agree it was a tad misleading but i wouldn’t say the offer itself sucks!

I’m paying $40 right now to AT&T and all i get is 450 day minutes/5000 night minutes. No data plan, and no texting. That iPhone family plan breaks down to just $55 per phone - with unlimited data and 200 text messages! Sounds like a bargain to me.

And c’mon, let’s be serious here! The cheapest individual iPhone plan is 450 day minutes for $60. Could you really expect them to have a two phone plan with almost twice the minutes, twice the data, and twice the text messaging for only $20 more? If it seems to good to be true… yada yada yada.

Bottom line is that it wasn’t spelled out correctly. And wireless companies are notorious for hiding the true cost. I am with Cali on this one.

I’ve been watching the Brief since #81 and have never felt a need to post. I do how ever have to sound off here. I waited all day to see your final update. I anticipated it with bated breath. I HAD to see your experience with the iPhone purchase and box opening. I knew if there was one source I could count on for a “shiny happy” glimpse into something I’ve been looking forward to for months, it was here, from you. What I got was a rant that I don’t think is warranted. So okay, the pricing wasn’t clear. Okay so Apple and AT&T have some explaining to do and some updates to web sites, etc, etc. You, of all people, understand how important the iPhone is to Apple. Surely you don’t think that Steve is going to allow something like a misunderstanding or bad wording in their plans to screw this up do you? Do you?

I’m totally cool with you expressing concern and dismay at the pricing plans. Couldn’t you have at least started with the good stuff and saved that rant for later? Another podcast even? iPhone Day Two….let us be happy and enjoy the moment then lets work out the details and fine print.

The real deal for me is that with iPhone specs, not everyone needs a data plan. I’m rarely in a place where I don’t have WiFi.

They’re wanting to force me to take the data plan to have an iPhone. That just isn’t reasonable.

I would use the data plan rarely, if at all. I can’t see paying extra for it when I can get broadband via WiFi.

To say I should accept their terms is disrespectful of technological ideals. Business should reflect what technology can produce–not the other way around.

The offer sucks becuase there isn’t an option to opt out of the data plan.

iPhone isn’t consumer first technology. More decisions they made benefit AT&T and Apple than iPhone users. That needs to change.

As many others have said… I think this rant is unfounded. It says pretty clearly in the footnote on the Family Plan pricing on Apple’s site that, “Price reflects one line. A minimum of two lines are required. Additional iPhone lines are $29.99 each. Family plans for two iPhones start at $109.99.” It does NOT say that the additional $29.99 is for more data. It just says that’s what they’re charging for each additional iPhone line.

I don’t know if you feel mislead because of the pricing structure for non-iPhone plans vs. the iPhone plan, but I feel like Apple and AT&T did a great job of detailing plans and the fine print (without burying it) ahead of time so that we all knew what we were getting into before we sat in line.

So you’re complaining about having to pay for data on a second phone? Wi-Fi is not everywhere, and Apple wants the phone to work everywhere. The Iphone is proprietary and locked down just like every other Apple product. You drank the Kool Aid before, why not now?

Dunno, I went into the pricing quest planning to get a family plan.

Twas pretty clear to me that the extra $29.95 gets tacked on to the $80 base.

Maybe I am used to shifty pricing from Cell Phone companies?

To add to my comment above, hopefully this rant is just because you are stressed out after waiting in line all day. After a good nights rest you will be able to see things more clearly.

I will puit in my two cents. I just replaced my treo 680 with my iPhone and the data plan for that was $40 per mo and it was the pokey edge data. The iphone is $20 cheaper and it has wifi. Regardless my treo had to have the plan to work. I don’t think they are being shifty its the way it works for the iPhone and when you start using it you find its worth the money I think. For example I am posting on this with my iPhone, something I would ever so on my treo. Sorry yours didn’t work out.

Cali, sorry you got confused on the family plan stuff. But i mean, I thought it kinda figured that family plans cost more. Did you not think it was going to? You talked so much and through so many numbers out in the video you sounded like you were just really tired and rambling. Could you…i dont know…explain it any more? and i think you should keep at least one. I mean why do you really need two anyway? and cant you just not do a family plan??

Surely you don’t think that Steve is going to allow something like a misunderstanding or bad wording in their plans to screw this up do you? Do you?

The curtain had been drawn back. Steve Jobs is not Jesus. He’s a pretty ruthless businessman who knows the value of showmanship and presentation. And that most of his followers will overpay for the perceived status of his products. What he doesn’t know is there is a tipping point and eventually most consumers will reach it.

I found it unfortunate that Apple chose Cingular. AT&T was an outstanding company, renaming Cingular does not make it AT&T, and Cingular’s practices have been pretty sleazy. When they bought AT&T and promised to take take of AT&T’s customers, they immediately tried to get AT&T customers to pay an activation fee to keep their existing phone service. It took legal action to make them stop, not business sense. No reason to think they won’t try to burn you now that they have a monopoly on iPhone. It’s a shame, think of how good the service could be if all the carriers had to compete for the iPhone business.

Ha, I knew the iPhone wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It seems that visual appeal is really all there is to it.

Wow, given that insight, I’m 100% behind you. That does sound like clear intentional misdirection.

Apple should be glad this information isn’t being found out by someone who is itchy to sue.

I’m also eagerly awaiting the Apple Store employees’ reactions to someone returning 2 iPhones!

“Blashphemy!” they’ll shout! I can’t wait.

Ironically if you go to AT&T website here and check the plans available - the family plan illustrates the fees with 2 iPhones.

Have enjoyed watching your postings throughout the day from Australia. I think you’re totally entitled to share your opinions and feelings about products on GeekBrief…indeed that’s why I watch it! Thank you for all the effort you guys went to in sharing your iPhone experience today - I hope you work out some way of reconciling the pricing plan so that it works for your situation. Keep up the great job!! (No pun intended)

Ok, I had to go look for myself. Found the rate plan page at Rate Plans. Like others here, I see no indication that the $29.99 is for data, but that it’s for additional lines. However, the presentation of the pricing certainly is your standard corporate double-talk and misdirection. What is the point of saying a Family Plan starts at $80 when you need a minimum of two lines and that costs $109.99? It’s like saying the base price of a new car is $15,000 but that doesn’t include wheels! The cell carriers do it because they can get away with it. I guess we’d like Apple to be ‘better than that’, but this is the AT&T part of the bargain after all.
Sleep well, Cali. I hope you feel better in the morning. And if you return the phones, all well and good. Nobody here has a right to tell you what your monthly phone budget should be :)

Good find Phil. Makes you wonder who decided to make the version on Apple’s site the way it is! Of course, the site might get updated, but the price won’t be changing.

I don’t know. The family ones do include unlimited data…just for one phone. I thought the “small print” was pretty easy to see that it was an extra 29.99. I don’t know about where you are from if prices are better but unlimited data on two phones for 109.99 is a pretty good deal, I think. — you should see if anyone has a better price.

I don’t know about US law (I just know that it is Common Law while Brazilian Law is Roman Law), but here in Brazil, if a company advertises something it is obliged to fulfill what is advertised! Here it would be a simple case of opening a complaint in the Consumer Special Court and pay exactly what they advertised… Isn’t there something you can do based on your legal system? I can imagine how frustrated and deceived you might be feeling :-|

@ Wesley Hetrick, LOL…Apple served us Kook Aid when were were in line and we laughed about drinking the Apple Kool Aid (it was actually pink lemon aid, but the joke still applied).

The reason I consider the $29.99 to be for data is because of the copy on the iTunes activation page. It says, “Select the number of minutes that will be shared between all iPhones on your FamilyTalk plan. Each new iPhone you add to this plan will also include Unlimited Data, Visual Voicemail, and SMS Text Messages for just $29.99 per iPhone, per month.”

The shared minutes are $80. The Unlimited Data, Visual Voicemail, and SMS Text Messages are an additional $29.99 per iPhone. It doesn’t say it’s for the additional line, but even if it did, it wouldn’t change my point.

It’s really about how we personally use our phones. I don’t use data on my phone. I have mobile broadband for that. We use fewer than 500 minutes on our shared family plan and we pay about $70 per month. We wouldn’t use iPhones any different than we use our current phones. That extra $40 a month would just be a premium for using an iPhone and we wouldn’t be getting an extra $40 worth of value in services. The premium has already been paid in the purchase of the phone.

EDIT: Please see my Update in the Shownotes.

I’m guessing that the reason that Apple’s page is listing the Family Plan for just 1 iPhone is that it is possible to add a non-iPhone as your 2nd line. I believe a guy behind me in line yesterday did that for $10/mo for a cheapy basic phone.

wow, this sucks.

And when looking at what you have to pay I feel a bit guilty for finding 25 € too expensive for a UMTS flatrate. Add 15 € and phone calls are unlimited as well… (ok, up to 25 € depending on what networks you want to call to).

Cali,

Are we really suprised that Apple or AT&T would try to confuse folks with their plan info? Apple knows full well that their target audience (and the individuals Apple has always catered to) have a fairly high income. So an extra $30 a month for eternity wouldn’t matter to that person. I mean, they are willing to pay $500 for a phone! Or as you and others did, more than a GRAND for a pair…of course the Apple employees were cheering you all on! Good luck with all this.

One of the screens you haven’t seen is when you plug your iPhone into iTunes and begin to go through the registration process and activation. On this page displayed in a chart similar to the one found on the apple site but has some key differences. Language that states that all plans have unlimited data plans and for 29.99 you get unlimited data. while that is shortened version the wording does not mention adding another line as the Apple web page has stated in small text below. At no point does it mention adding a line for 29.99 except on that page on the Apple site so many are referring to so the language is quite confusing when its different on every page. And yes the phone is locked down with the fact you are required to buy data even if you will not use it and the phone does not need it to for the wifi to work, or the phone part. The rates may seem cheap to you all for what it is, but my family plan has three people and one data plan and is much cheaper than the iPhone plans. I do not know what Cali’s current phone bill is but I imagine its not 120 dollars a month after all the taxes. I also have AT&T and have upgraded at every ownership change. When you know you won’t use the data plan the cost seems wasteful wouldn’t you want to save since you just bought a iPhone. If I don’t need data don’t give me data so I will look forward to a Nokia I have been eyeing thats cheaper and does a lot more of what I want from a phone except the touch feature of course and a lack of the Apple blessing.

I would like to take a chance though to thank everybody for coming here to comment. We all are entitled to our opinions and we all realized before hand that the iPhone was not perfect and is not going to work for everyone so thank you for feeling passionate enough to participate in the discussion! Its good to talk it out! :)

As noted above, the 10 is for the voice side and 20 for the data side. This would be essentially the same if you want to Sprint or others and had two BB, Palm, etc phones on a family plan. Familiy plan is no great deal anymore, except you can pool your minutes, but not your data or text message allocations.

With respect to waiting on line, it may have been a big deal at the Apple store at Northpark and looking down on the ATT store seemed dumb as I would rather not wait at all.

I got the the ATT store in Addison at 6:10 PM and had a phone an hour later. I could have gotten back in line for another. By then only three people were left in line. Seemingly an underwhelming reponse to me. I’m wondering if they have any left this AM and with ATT stores in towns like Sherman TX, I wouldn’t be surprised if they still have thier full allocations from yesterday.

Cali

I think based on what I read in the week leading up to the release, it was clear that activating an iPhone required a voice & data plan even if you never wanted to use it - you couldn’t even just use it as an ipod.

I think that’s why people are interpreting your point to being the semantics between adding an iPhone to a family plan being a charge which indcludes data, or just representing an iPhone.

I don’t think it could have been interpreted that a loophole to get around the data plan requirement was to use a family plan and cripple one phone in that plan to not use data. The requirement of an iPhone to work is voice+data - it’s then matter of how much that should be per extra phone - for an iPhone it is $30 - for another phone its $10 - you could argue that the difference is unreasonable, and probably down to being the data plan.

So the question remains what is the right & wrong here? It may be that the activation page itself should be clearer, but the apple plan page and the at&t plan page do illustrate how much family plan with 2 iPhones are.

Anyway, hope you find peace with this eventually.

Thanks for your coverage and your past briefs - keep up the great work!

Cali by Apple saying all the plans included unlimited data they meant you couldn’t buy the plans without buying the data plan. Like most people have said you buy the initial plan for the one iphone then you pay 10 bucks for the phone line and 20 for the data plan.

If iPhone fails it is going to be due to poor service plans from AT&T and poor coverage. This is typical of the hidden fees and costs associated with dealing with ANY mobile carrier. I would like to have seen Apple rise above those behaviors. Too bad.

After skimming through the comments I found it interesting that no one pointed out that even the regular plans are actually no bargain. You’re not saving any money with the Apple plans. They’re just trying to make things more straightforward. The only extra feature you get is visual voicemail. Right now, I can take my Sony Ericsson phone and its $39.99 (same minutes and other basic features), turn on a data plan for $20 (that includes unlimited data and 200 SMS, etc.) and be at the same place as an iPhone user. It’s just not mandatory. I then could add another person to a hypothetical family share plan for $10 or $30 if I got the same data plan again.

While I agree that the fine print crap and the two companies displaying slightly different information is misleading and a pain I chalk it up to cellular companies being jerks in general. With all their hidden fees and stuff, this is par for the course. I saw a lot of people comparing their plans from other companies leading up to yesterday and it’s pretty sad how much all these companies charge for basic services.

Cell companies drive me nuts. I was always wary. I got pushed over the edge when I bought an unlocked phone and realized how much the manufacturers love putting in cool features and how much the carriers quickly strip those features out. E.g. Did anyone hear about the Verizon rep who bragged they were releasing a new Chocolate phone that included the ability to copy songs from your computer? How much you wanna bet they’re just updating the firmware? I’ve pretty much decided to never buy a subsidized phone ever again.

Whew, as you can tell I rant about this stuff all the time. ;)

I’m sorry but how is it confusing or misleading again? I understood for the past week since the plans were announced that it would be $29 per additional iPhone to get more than one. I’ve got an AT&T family plan and would love to add my wife’s BlackJack for only $29 for unlimited data and 200 sms.

So 59USD for a single subscription…
or 109USD for two subscriptions with 700 shared minutes and unlimited Nights and Weekends.

Doesn´t seem terrible to me. It´s not a great package but nothing to rant about.

As to Apple’s and AT&T’s rate announcements, they all seemed clear to me and I’m surprised that Cali thought she could get 2 iPhone lines for 80USD with unlimited data.

Stick to your guns, Cali. I know you feel like you have to have an iPhone for reviewing purposes (like every other tech podcaster), but gadgets come and go. When the iPhone is no longer the hot gadget, you’ll regret being stuck with a $100+ monthly cell phone bill.

“If you live like no one else now, later you can live like no one else.”

Wow! Apple charging premium prices for their products. Must be the first time this has ever happened. /sarcasm

I agree it says it is included, but it never says “included for free”

I have great respect for you. Many of us are interested in how the phone performs!!!

Clarity in wording can be addressed on Monday when the powers that be are in their office.

(Great updates during the day by the way. keep up the wonderful work)

Cali, all of Cinglar/AT&T’s family plans are this way and have been for a long time. A family plan is a voice plan with an extra line… for voice. Data, texting and extras cost more per line. Technically your family plan is two plans, not one. It’s been this way with our family plan for years.

It would be simply stupid to return your iPhones for such reasoning. Not to mention that you would be denying your audience coverage.

I’m not trying to be rude, Cali, and I love your show, but I felt I should put my two cents in to this ongoing argument.

If you return the iPhones, don’t return them because of the service plan. Return them because they are very expensive for something that has absolutely no advantage over a laptop besides size. That’s all you’re paying (a lot) for: size. Period. In every other respect, a laptop is a much better choice.

Hey Cali - First time on your site; just had to after your great coverage of the in-store experience.

I think you’ve got Apple (or maybe AT&T) on too high a pedestal… You know unlimited data is like the all-you-can-drink glasses of soda (or water) at just about any restaurant. It’s unlimited for you, not for your plan. So adding a person (or a phone in this case) means adding another fee. All the family plans I’ve ever seen are like this, and I wouldn’t expect Apple and AT&T to be any different.

I’m sorry you feel deceived, and I know the feeling, but I don’t think this one is out of the ordinary.

Love the show!

Thanks!! I thought the coverage was exceptional and clearly the best I could find anywhere!

But, I don’t understand your rant at the end of the day, and I’m going to chalk it up to fatigue. As someone who has three data plans (broadband card, my wife’s blackberry, and my treo, no iphone) I am quite happy with the iPhone data plan. It is a SAVINGS of 30 dollars over my data plan with the treo.

Hopefully sleep and a good breakfast will handle your data plan angst!

Thanks again.

I’m from Canada (I don’t have an option to buy one, yet!). I have been keeping up with all the excitement about the iPhone, what it can do and the plans avaible. It clearly says an extra $30 bucks. But to make you feel beter, think about how much we Canadians are going to have to pay. $599 US $700 to $750 CAN.

As for cell phone plans, I think they are all a ripoff’s, and I was really hoping that Apple would reinvent the phone plans not just the phone.

Good luck

Insanely good marketing.

Every week we see this type of pricing scenario played out, usually at the local grocery where the cheap product label is placed under the expensive product and then some poor soul is fighting at the till. And who loses? Every time it’s us that comes off looking bad.
I would say go for it. It will make it easier for iPhone reporting in the future. Write it off as a business expense.

Cali is activating the phones now. The iPhone, to us seems like a series of compromises. Apple had to compromise with Cingular to be able to re-invent how a cell phone works. We have to compromise with AT&T in order to enjoy the insanely beautiful iPhone. Compromise rarely feels as good as idealism.

I too think that you guys are overeacting a bit much. I hope you keep one phone and post some happy shiny videos of its functionality.

I don’t know Cali, $30 for an extra phone doesn’t seem that bad to me. Verizon charges you $10 for the extra phone and that doesn’t include unlimited data. I am not even sure they would discount the unlimited data for the second line like AT&T does.

OK, I agree with Wayne, Mac Sims, Greg, and everyone else who said the plans make sense and are consistent with the plans of other AT&T plans and even other carriers. I also agree with James that the price isn’t all that bad a deal, all things considered.

However, I also have to agree with Cali’s assertion. She’s deciding whether to spend that kind of money. It’s a decision we all make. She’s not saying it’s an outrageous price. She’s just debating whether or not it’s worth it for her. Her big point of contention, and I think what has her so worked up isn’t about the price. It’s about the fact that the public was led to believe that the data was included. Sure, the fine print is there, and if you take the time to find it, it’s not all that ambiguous. But Apple has said from the beginning that DATA IS INCLUDED.

So, if we’re going to be critical of Cali, we need to be careful of the point she’s trying to make, and not just our interpretation of it.

BTW, I went into an AT&T store later last night and the employees there were not very knowledgeable about the device or the plans. They told me that data was additional regardless what plan I chose, Family or individual. And they couldn’t answer many very basic questions, like whether third party headsets were available, or if there was a car charger available.

Love the show, Cali. Look forward to future discussions.

Cali, I know you expected it to be included, but telecoms and especially cell phone telecoms try and screw you at every turn. This is just another example. 30 bucks for another iPhone to the plan isn’t that bad compared to what us Canadians have to pay. I agree Data should be optional.

Please play with the iPhones and tell us what you think so we can get back to shiny happy tech news! I don’t want the one positive tech journalist becoming Dvorak on me!

I’d just like to add… Who says Neal needs an iPhone too? Couldn’t Cali use one and Neal could get some clunker for the $10 more a month? ;)

Sorry Neal, couldn’t help myself. :)

Cali, I really think you’re looking at it from the completely wrong perspective. All iPhones DO come with unl. data and visual voice mail. The fact is, a low end family plan is 80 per month plus 30 for each phone, starting with the second. Simple. You appear to have saw the $80 and thought that’s all you pay for two lines, when the text below says an add’l $29.99 is added for the second phone, and AT&T’s web page instead just says $109.99 for two phones and $29.99 for each add’l.

As for saying that the family plan normally charges $10 for each add’l line, well—we’re talking about iPhone with unlimited data. We’re not talking about everyotherPhone that isn’t so dependent on data.

And it’s just silly to want no data plan with the iPhone. Apple’s not going to ship a product with key features that hinge on having data access, only to sell a plan without data access that causes the owner to find an access point to use those key phone features.

Prostr8: I think you definitely hit it on! I think it is important to remember that investing in something expensive like an iphone isn’t just about the cost of the phone, but the cost of the plan as well. So even though people want a review from her, this isn’t just a one time payment, and it’s about what is going to be beneficial to Cali. (I do want to know what you think of the gadget yourself if can though!)

I don’t think it’s reasonable to spend an extra $30 a month on something I don’t plan to use! If I had an extra $30 a month to throw around I would spend it on fun stuff that I plan to make use of. I think that if you keep the phones Cali, at least you have something new to play with- for at least 2 years, and if you don’t, well you will have that $30 a month to do something useful with.

Yep, I agree with Lee. This phone is far too dependent on data for Apple to allow users to buy one without data. It would just do too much damage to the user experience because half of the features would be crippled without it.

Sure, some locations have Wi-Fi everywhere, and maybe you can get away with not having the data plan. However, there are too many places where Wifi just isn’t readily available. I live in Dayton Ohio and I can say if I’m not sitting in a Starbucks ($10/day) or Caribou Coffee, I’m pretty much stuck sitting at home if I want Wifi access.

Cali,

I now I am chiming in late on this one, but I agree with you completely. It would not matter to me if it was only $1.00 more. It’s just not wat we were lead to belive. The bigger the company (Apple, At&t) the more I expect. If it weren’t for me, (The Consumer) they would not be so big. I think that with all your coverage of the iphone and getting the word out. They should give you free ipones and free service for life!

[...] folks are having difficulty activating their iPhones, issues with the AT&T services offered or having more complex problems, resulting in the new moniker [...]

We are not asking to not include the data as standard just give us the option to turn it off and they have. I will seriously look again now that we could possibly turn the data off. Most consumers will not turn it off. The device could work just fine without the Data plans for some people and to close your mind by thinking no one could use it without the data plan is closed minded. I am sure the phone is majorly useful without the data plan but we will see if Cali does choose to cancel the data and try’s it without for a awhile. She will report on her experience without the data plan and thats better information than just another review of coverflow!

“The device could work just fine without the Data plans for some people and to close your mind by thinking no one could use it without the data plan is closed minded.”

William,

This is a discussion, why the need to start calling people close minded because they have an opinion.

I was enjoying this until you threw that in the mix

All I can say is that I think the iPhone is the very best phone available for what my needs are and I am more impressed and satisfied than anything… I don’t even notice a very small thing or two that somehow might have been better. I was already an AT&T customer and don’t text message much, so for only $20 per month I’ve got a kick ass phone with access to google maps, my email, stocks, weather, YouTube and many other cool things available anywhere via their internet access (again for only $20 more, woo-hoo!)… and the wifi built in is a bonus on top of all the other things I can do with my music, photos, etc… simply the best consumer electronic device I’ve ever bought!

@William: I’ll speak for myself about what I’ll do and what I’ll review.

I don’t think it’s close minded for someone to think that his use of iPhone would depend on a data plan. Everyone’s situation is different. I’m a hermit, and on the rare occasion that I leave the house, I take mobile broadband, which blows EDGE out of the water. So I would always make the choice to connect my iPhone to my personal mobile HotSpot. Not everybody has that choice. I do, and I want AT&T to let me take advantage of it.

they’re clapping because they’re getting a free one…

I didn’t mean to call some one close minded I realize after re-reading the comment again I made that mistake. For that I am sorry and I hope those who were offend by my comments can forgive me. I only meant to ask others to look at the possibility of a iPhone without a Data plan never meaning to call names in the process.

Again I am sorry

@Jacob Harvey, I just thought I’d be jealous, and as it turns out, I was right. The iPhone is too amazing. We’re blown away.

Maybe I’m just confused, but I don’t understand why you’d buy an iPhone for a second line you’re only going to use for voice.

Also - the material on the Apple site is not presented as clearly as it could be, but it’s not hard to understand. I think you didn’t read it carefully.

[...] Why I will, probably, never buy a iPhone, despite it’s ridiculous price.Watch this GeekBrief episode [...]

@John

I don’t think Cali is trying to get an iPhone just for voice. Her contention has been that she seldom goes anywhere that doesn’t have a wifi hotspot and so she can always use wifi and will seldom if ever have a need to dip into Edge. This is why she doesn’t want to pay for Edge.

At least that’s what I think she’s been saying. :)

You’re right, Prostr8. :)

@JD: I did go ahead and delete your post. I’m know Geoff is glad there’s interest in the song, and I wasn’t aware it wasn’t up on the site. He’s in the process of getting the song, Hello, Hello up on the Podsafe Music Network.

http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?pageNum_MusicList=0&totalRows_MusicList=24&BandHash=91f6bc9ba66421768cc215f33ad693b7

OK, I see now - the wifi use issue does make sense. That said I’m not terribly surprised that AT&T isn’t offering that option.

But I just don’t see this as misrepresentation. If anything, “every plan comes with data” should make it clear that you can’t get a plan without data.

I have to say I agree with John about the “every plan comes with data” point. Also, and I don’t believe anyone has mentioned this yet, one issue I can think of with not having data is the visual voicemail. Since you are not calling in to get your voicemail, I am assuming that the audio files are being transfered to your phone over the data network. So unless you also expect to trek to a hotspot every time you want to check your messages, I think the data component of the plans are kinda required.

[...] a recent GeekBrief TV show Cali Lewis films her purchase of two iPhones. To see the staff in her store line up and applaud [...]

Cali did you ever call the Sheriffs and complain that Burger King in Laguna Niguel would not make you a bacon cheeseburger?