Why is data plan required?

The phone uses A LOT of data. If you don't need to use the web, check mail, use most of the apps, then you don't need an iPhone.

Plan is required else just about every feature of the phone will cost you as it uses data. $30/month is quite low for "unlimited". It is quite a bargin.

The data plan is also required because they are selling you the phone at a loss, the cell plan plus data plan makes it so they eventually make profit off you (at first they won't). You must have the plan for the life of the contract.

Because that is the business model that AT&T has chosen.

They sell you an iphone at a loss, in exchange for a long term agreement to pay for their services.

Why would you not want to use all of the features of the iphone?

Visual Voicemail requires a cellular data connection.

The unlimited data plan is required as long as you remain an AT&T subscriber with the iPhone.

With the iPhone's visual voicemail feature, all visual voicemail messages are downloaded to the iPhone via AT&T's data network only. If you don't have a data plan, you would pay extra for the data download for each voicemail and if you request that data access be completely disabled for your line/number, you wouldn't have access to visual voicemail, which is one of the best features with the phone IMO.

But you can't get rid of the data plan with the iPhone 3G especially when AT&T is subsidizing or discounting the full retail cost.

The iPhone is designed to always have an internet connection as long as you have a wi-fi network that you have access to, or cellular reception. A number of people say they don't need the data plan, but you don't have wi-fi access when driving in car or unless you are stationary in a location where there is a wi-fi network available that you have access to. And you will use it more often than you realize. Right now you have to wait until you are connected to a wi-fi network that you have access to for internet access with your Touch. With the iPhone, you don't need to wait - you always have internet access as long as you have cellular reception.

The unlimited data plan cost for the iPhone 3G is AT&T's standard unlimited data plan rate for all phones in the smart phone or PDA category, regardless if such a phone is a 3G phone.

If you don't need or want the unlimited data plan, you should consider upgrading to another phone that isn't in the smart phone or PDA category or which does not require a data plan.

Message was edited by: Allan Sampson