AT&T is now requiring customers that purchase what the carrier considers Quick Messaging devices attach a messaging plan on top of data access for device purchase.
The requirement was previously limited to purchases with a mail-in rebate in order to receive the deepest discount possible on a messaging device.
The following devices now fall under the new requirement:
Pantech Reveal, Pantech Impact, Motorola Karma, Samsung Flight, Samsung Impression, Samsung Magnet, Samsung Solstice, Samsung Mythic, Samsung Propel, LG Xenon, LG Neon, and the LG Vu.
The minumum messaging plan allowed to fulfill the new requirement is the $5/month 200 message add-on bundled with the $15/month unlimited data add on for the data requirement, totaling the $20/month minimum.
The following messaging plans are compatible with the new requirement:
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Messaging Unlimited
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Messaging Unlimited for Families
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Messaging and Data Unlimited
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Data Unlimited & Navigator
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International Long Distance Text Messaging Plan & Data Unlimited
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Messaging 1500 & International Long Distance Text Messaging Plan
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Messaging 1500 & Data Unlimited
Customers that signed up with the above devices that signed up before the requirement went into effect are not affected, although customers wishing to upgrade to the above devices will then be subject to the new requirement.
Some one will be mad. But, what is the point of a messaging phone if one doesn’t message?
Yeah you probably want a messagign plan if you own a messaging device. But if times get hard and you need to cut back, or if your kid gets in trouble and you want to get rid of his text messaging as punishment, then you should be able to do that.
What is a messaging phone? Is it just texting or does it include pictures? Isn’t almost every phone messaging capable?
I think a messaging phone has a keyboard. Pretty much every phone is capable of messaging, but some phones are made specifically for it. For example, some AT&T messaging phones are:
Samsumg Magnet, Pantech Impact, Samsung Propel, Pantech Reveal, Moptorola Karma, Samsung Flight, and the Samsung Impression.
They are all dumbphones that have qwerty keyboards.
Some messaging phones are free and that is all the customer wants is a free phone. Of course the sales rep is going to push whatever makes them the most money.
As a long time employee in phone industry let me make something clear. I want you to get a phone you want. A phone you will be excited about and brag about. No one wants that thing being returned!!! That is point one.
Point two… those sales reps get paid based on the features and accessories. Not the phone. Some phones offer more features and better accessories.
AT&T is faced with a tough voice market. $69 unlimited voice plans are cutting into their profit margins. By making data features mandatory on as many phones and devices as possible, AT&T can recover some of those cuts in profit margin.
This is not about making sure texting customers have a great experience, this is about nullifying free text messaging services like textPlus.