We live in the electronics age, and there is no need to debate it. When I started using computers, we thought in terms of Kilobytes. KBs changed to MBs, then to GBs, now to Terabytes. And they cost. How do you put a price on connectivity? You and I don't, we are paying whatever the companies that service our needs decide. And it seems like they change their minds. A lot.
My foray into the world of mobil data started with a need to use my iPad at work. My original iPad was the WiFi version, and my room is in my place too far from the WiFi source to be able to take advantage of it. The computer in my room was not on the router either. I heard about MiFi - a personal WiFi device - that could get me connected. I was thrilled. We went to get the device, and when trying to choose a plan, they showed me a chart of potential use scenarios and the cost of the GBs. Anticipating using it a lot, and based on their chart, I got the 5 GB for $50/mo. plan. I got the 2 year contract, and went on my merry way. The device worked well, speed was good. I was happy.
Fast forward to the launch of iPad2, with 3G built in. The original iPad was great, and iPad2 was an excellent upgrade. The plus side was that if you didn't sign on to 3G during a monthly billing cycle, you didn't get charged. I fell for that line...hook, line and sinker. Seriously, who is NOT going to sign on if they are capable? The price of the 3 GB level was $30/mo. when I started my data plan. The MiFi sat and collected dust now. But I still have a contract, so I am still paying. My husband has iPad1, but he has no reason to use the MiFi because he is not that connected, aside from his computer. My husband has never texted. Yes, I heard your audible gasp. He can build super computers from scratch, but cannot send a text. He says it is all motivation. But I digress.
Do people actually monitor their GB usage? I know I didn't. As long as I didn't go over, and didn't see an over-use charge on the bill, I really didn't pay attention. [I did catch that the carrier charged me for texts that someone sent the MiFi, and I made them give me my money back and block texts to it. Just because it has a number, they can charge a text fee? You CANNOT text from a MiFi, nor read a text. Don't charge me! I wonder how much they make on that little scam a month!] Then I started on my quest to get the bills cut down, so I looked at the GB use on both devices. MiMi sat home collecting dust, and really only came out a couple times for work, and was used during hurricane Irene in August, 2011, because the cable went out and the home WiFi was down for 2 days. Other than that, I was donating $50.00/mo to the carrier. The iPad2, despite what I thought was heavy use for work, and some home use if I forgot to change the setting to WiFi, still never hit the 3 GB limit. I was wasting money on GB every month.
I called the cellphone carrier, who was also the MiFi carrier, and cut the plan down to their lowest plan: 250 MB for $30/mo. Yup! You read it right, it is not a typo. MB, not GB. I vented to the poor woman who was assisting me that it was a ridiculous amount of money for 250 MB. She said it was because 3G is not so popular anymore, and the plans are geared to 4G. I think that is company line for: Why don't you upgrade and buy the NEW device? It would have cost me $250 to cancel the contract early, so I had no choice. I just wanted to get to the end of the contract in October, 2012, and be done with MiFi.
Bottom line on MiFi: $20/mo. saving for 6 months left on the contract = $120.00 saved this year.
Back to the iPad2 plan.
I was getting 3 GB for $30/mo. The lowest plan is now 1 GB for $20. Again, the numbers are at the whim of the carrier. However, I have surprisingly NOT gone over the 1 GB, and am now saving $10/mo.
Bottom line on iPad2: $100 savings for the year, March - December, 2012.
Total data savings for 2012: $220.00.
Personally, I am not a big texter, and because I have the iPad, I never got a fancy phone. In fact, my husband and I both have our LG VX8300 phones since January of 2007. They work great, although in the past year I have had a couple kids ask me, "What is that?" The old flip phone is in perfect condition as we both use cases. It is not texting friendly by any stretch of the imagination, and now work wants to text me. The most frugal solution was to get Text Free, now known as Pinger (http://www.pinger.com) on my iPad. FREE texting, and FREE phone calls APP to APP. I can talk to a friend in Greece who has the APP on her iPad, too, for free! How great is that? Texting is so easy on the iPad with the big keyboard. Pinger also allows you to buy phone minutes (you can have free texting on your iPhone, and buy 1000 minutes for $19.00). I would get an iPhone if I knew I could purchase a minimal data plan, and use Pinger exclusively. We share a 700 minute/mo. plan now with a major carrier, and have never gone over the limit.
So check your GB usage and downgrade if you can. The same would go for your calling plan. Our savings is $220.00 for a partial year. Next year will be even more. And check out Pinger, or any of the other services of that nature, and see if they are right for you. If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments and I will get back to you. And if you know if an iPhone can be bought with only a data plan, I would love to know that too.
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