In war, there are no winners—unless the war in question happens to be a price war, and the combatants happen to be Verizon and AT&T. In that case, customers tend to make out quite nicely.
Verizon Wireless on Friday cut the prices of its unlimited talk and text plans, so arch-rival AT&T immediately followed suit. And that benefits iPhone customers, who can now opt for an unlimited voice and data plan that costs $30 less per month.
Previously, iPhone users paid $100 per month for unlimited voice plan plus another $30 for unlimited data. Starting Monday, however, AT&T is charging $100 a month for unlimited voice and data. Family Talk plans feature unlimited voice and data for $180 (assuming two iPhones). Texting prices remain unchanged, at $20 for unlimited plans and $30 for Family Talk Plans.
An AT&T spokesman told me Friday afternoon that the pricing changes only affect unlimited voice and data plans. If I understand him correctly, that makes the Nation 1350 with Rollover Minutes especially unattractive come Monday. That plan costs $80 a month, plus the $30 data plan—in other words, $10 more than what iPhone users will be paying for unlimited voice and data starting next week. (You can read the full details of AT&T’s new prices, including pricing for feature phones and quick message devices, at the wireless provider’s Website.)
Want to switch over to the new unlimited voice and data plan? You can make the move on Monday without penalty or contract extension using AT&T’s online account management tool.
Update, January 18: AT&T solved the dilemma of the Nation 1350 plan being priced more than the revamped unlimited voice and data plan by eliminating it altogether. As of Monday morning, iPhone users can choose between three plans: the $100-a-month unlimited voice and data plan, the $90-a-month Nation 900 plan (900 minutes with rollover minutes, plus unlimited data), and the $70-a-month Nation 450 plan (450 minutes with rollover minutes, plus unlimited data).