Waiting for a prepaid iPhone? Don't hold your breath

rumors about using the iPhone on prepaid, but there was nothing definitive. The device was never officially offered on prepaid, though many figured out workarounds. Rumors surfaced again this year that AT&T would offer an iPhone with prepaid plans. MacBlogz has some information about this, though it’s not looking particularly pretty.

When asking specifically about AT&T’s plans with targeting the prepaid iPhone market, we were assured that those interested in saving money should not turn to these plans. We specifically got excited about a cheap prepaid iPhone plan with a possibly less expensive tethering plan. Say, something that totaled around $70/month. However, the chances are that after activation fees and data usage, you’ll end up spending more money. Plus with the unsubsidized iPhone costing at least $599, this isn’t AT&T’s first choice for new customers. Those without the necessary credit to sign up for a contract with AT&T, will inevitably be forced into cell phone bills that are harder to manage.

That does sound expensive. MacBlogz then notes that AT&T would stick to their one cent per kilobyte access rate, which is insane for anyone doing a decent amount of browsing. And when you buy an iPhone, I would think you plan on browsing the Internet with it. One of the biggest drawbacks to a prepaid iPhone, as we’ve noted, is the lack of an unlimited prepaid data plan. It sounds like this will be a reality soon enough. Certainly not before year’s end, and probably not in January when retail sales typically slow. As prepaid grows, though, bigger carriers are going to take measures to capitalize. Offering the iPhone on prepaid is one of those measures.]]>