AT&T has finally rolled out free WiFi for iPhone users at its WiFi Hotspots

Hotspots at airports, hotels, universities, convention centers, sports centers, Starbucks locations, restaurants, bookstores, and supermarkets are all now available for any iPhone & AT&T customer.   Here are the steps to get online:

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select “attwifi” from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap ‘continue’
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

The full details are available at http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/internet/wifi.jsp.

New customers and those eligible for an upgrade will be able to purchase the phone for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB), while “early upgraders” will have to shell out $399 or $499, all with a two year contract and $18 upgrade fee. They also mention a “no commitment” deal later on in the year of $599 and $699 respectively.

iPhone 3G, Exclusively from AT&T and Apple – | Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular

AT&T today confirmed that the iPhone 3G will go on sale at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11th. AT&T has also outlined pricing and upgrade eligibility.

iPhone 3G will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:

• iPhone customers who purchased before July 11
• Customers activating a new line with AT&T
• Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

Existing AT&T customers who are not currently eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. In the future, AT&T will offer a no-contract-required option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).

Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount. Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history.

Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans

AT&T brings iPhone 3G customers the best coverage on the globe and the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community with unlimited calling to AT&T’s 71.4 million wireless customers. iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing).

• AT&T NationSM Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk® plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover®, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID.

AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each.

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

iPhone for Business

Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry’s only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

iPhone 2.0 Software

All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, which offers a wide-range of applications — from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking. For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews.

Rogers finally released their data pricing plans for then iPhone.

The pricing starts from 60$ a month, and goes up to $115 a month. The cheapest plan offers 150 free minutes, unlimited weekends and evenings, 75 SMS, 400mb of Data usage, while most expensive plan has 800 free minutes, 300 SMS, and 2GB of data.

You can see all plans in the following picture:

Interestingly you will have a free access to Rogers and Fido Wi-Fi hotspots. as well as an identical plan from Fido.

“As the wireless provider voted number one in wireless satisfaction(x), Fido is thrilled to offer a variety of well-priced voice and data plans making iPhone 3G accessible to as many of our customers as possible,” said Sylvain Roy, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Fido. “These pricing plans will allow our urban customer base easy enjoyment of all that iPhone 3G has to offer.”

Orange will be launching the new 3G iPhone on 17 July 2008

• The 3G iPhone offers even faster internet access plus new features such as GPS and email via Microsoft Exchange
• Orange will be selling the 3G iPhone from €149, as exclusive operator
• Orange plan subscribers upgrading from the previous iPhone will be able to get the 3G version at a preferential rate

  

You can download full version of press release in PDF format here

Back when the iPhone first launched in the UK, many users were disappointed by the comparatively high price Apple and carrier O2 were charging.  One of the key messages from the iPhone 3G announcement, then, was the confirmation that the same $199 (or equivalent) entry point would be matched in all markets.  O2 have just unveiled their monthly contract details, including confirmation that the carrier will be subsidising the 8GB iPhone 3G to free on certain contracts, as well as revealed that for the first time the handset will be available on pay-&-go prepay.

O2 are yet to release details of pay-&-go iPhones, but we do know the pricing for the contract version.  A new £30 plan has been introduced, which means there are now four contract choices (£30, £35, £45, £75); on the two cheaper plans the iPhone 3G will cost £99, whereas on the two higher-priced plans it will be free.  That assumes a new eighteen month contract.

All tariffs include unlimited browsing, unlimited Wi-Fi access, visual voicemail and reduced roaming rates with O2’s International Traveller Service.  Existing iPhone owners will be able to upgrade to the new 3G model without penalty, as long as they sign up to a new 18-month contract; they’ll pay the normal price for whatever tariff they choose.

Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from Macworld UK.

Germany’s T-Mobile generated a wave of media attention with its decision to subsidize the purchase price of the iPhone in a new €99 (US$155) deal, announced last week, but Apple’s U.K. partner, O2, has no immediate plan to emulate the discount.

T-Mobile’s plan has been seen as predicated by one of two reasons: to stimulate flagging sales of the device in Germany, or to clear stock from the network’s channel, pending the coming release of a 3G-supporting model of the device.

Apple’s German iPhone network partner has been selling the 8GB model of iPhone for €399, but reduced the cost of that model to €99 late last week.

O2 has not chosen to emulate T-Mobile’s move, at least, not yet. An O2 spokesperson told Macworld UK:

“We regularly examine all of our offerings to ensure they remain competitive and meet customer demands. We currently have no updates regarding iPhone pricing.”

While this response leaves the door open to future price cuts on the part of Apple’s UK network partner, it does mean there’s no immediate price discount plan to be announced.