att prepaid wireless: 2013

LTE Smartphone Gets AT&T’s Prepaid GoPhone Service

Dallas – AT&T switched gears and will begin offering an LTE-equipped smartphone for use with its GoPhone repaid plans.
The announcement follows last month’s decision to allow people to add GoPhone service to an existing LTE phone or to an LTE phone that they buy at full price from AT&T.
Only 4G HSPA+21 service was available previously with GoPhone service. Only HSPA+21 is available with AT&T’s prepaid Aio Wireless brand, launched in May as a subsidiary. Aio service is available exclusively through Aio Wireless-branded stores operated by third parties and at Aio’s web site in a handful of markets to date.

The first LTE-equipped GoPhone is the Samsung Galaxy Express, available June 21 for $249 online, AT&T company-owned retail stores, and other GoPhone retailers.
The phone can be activated with one of the GoPhone prepaid plans for smartphones, including a $60/month plan with 2GB of data, unlimited nationwide calling, and unlimited messaging. Additional data is available for $10 per 1 GB. A $40/month plans allows for 200MB of data, 500 minutes of nationwide calling, and unlimited messaging. Additional data is available for $5 per 100MB. And a $25/month offers 250 minutes of nationwide calling, unlimited messaging, and an optional data package of 50MB for $5 a month. GoPhone smartphone users can also choose a $50 unlimited talk and text plan with Wi-Fi data only.

The Galaxy Express features Android Jelly Bean OS, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 5-megapixel rear facing camera with 720p 30 fps video recording, 1.3-megapixel front facing camera with VGA 15 fps video capture, 1GB RAM, 8GB embedded storage, and 32GB MicroSD card slot. It also features S Beam, which combines NFC with Wi-Fi Direct to enable sharing of large files such as videos with other S Beam-capable devices.
AT&T GoPhone plans are also available for quick messaging and basic phones with several plans. One $35/month plan offers 500 minutes of nationwide calling, unlimited data and unlimited messaging.

AT&T ditches prepaid GoPhone data options, will launch new plans soon

AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) is limiting the data options on its cheaper prepaid GoPhone plans. However, the carrier said it will launch new GoPhone plans in the next few weeks, according to a CNET report. AT&T did not provide prices for the new plans, saying only that there would be a "variety of plans."
Currently, AT&T's $65 prepaid GoPhone plan comes with unlimited voice, texting and 1 GB of data, and is available for smartphones. The carrier's $50 plan includes unlimited voice, texting and data, but is only available on feature phones. AT&T's $25 monthly plan comes with 250 voice minutes and unlimited texting. As add-ons, AT&T charges $25 for 1 GB, $15 for 200 MB and $5 for 50 MB.
Under the new changes, the $25 plan will only be able to access the $5/50 MB data add-on, and the $50 plan will not be able to access any of the add-ons. The $65 plan will remain unchanged.

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Sign up for our FREE newsletter for more news like this sent to your inbox! "We're making some changes to our AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans to simplify our offers and better align with what customers are choosing and telling us they want," the company said in a statement to CNET. "We've begun letting customers know about the changes in advance, and we'll have more information on new, additional plan options soon."
The changes come shortly after AT&T added HSPA+ and LTE data support to GoPhone customers who use devices capable of accessing those networks. Presumably, that will lead to speedier data service, and more data consumption, which is why AT&T may be gravitating toward the data-heavy $65 plan option.
Separately, AT&T last month launched its new "Aio Wireless" prepaid brand, which runs on the company's HSPA+ network. The Aio brand also supports a wider range of devices than AT&T's GoPhone option, including the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Lumia 620 for $179.99, Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 5 for $649.99, the Samsung Galaxy Express for $249.99, the Samsung Galaxy Amp for $99.99 and the ZTE Prelude for $49.99. Aio also offers a handful of feature phones.
Other carriers continue to be aggressive in the prepaid market. Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ recently increased the amount of data available to prepaid customers on its 3G network in a bid to drive prepaid 3G data sales. On its existing $60 per month prepaid plan, which includes unlimited calling and texting, Verizon increased the data allotment from 500 MB to 2 GB. On its $70 plan, Verizon raised its data allotment to 4 GB per month, up from 2 GB previously.
Further, T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) is working to promote its new "uncarrier" service that includes unlimited voice and texting and 2.5 GB of high-speed data for $60 per month. Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) continues to support a range of prepaid plans through its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile brands, and Sprint just announced that Boost will launch the Samsung Galaxy S III, which can run on Sprint's LTE network, for $399.99 without a contract.
The carriers are clearly seeing the need to play more toward data-focused consumers in the prepaid market. Nearly one-third of U.S smartphone sales in the first quarter were on prepaid carriers, the highest on record, according to a report from the NPD Group. According to NPD, prepaid smartphone unit sales doubled year-over-year in the first quarter, representing 32 percent of total smartphone sales, which is an 11 point increase year-over-year and a 10 point increase from the record-high share of 22 percent reached in the fourth quarter of 2012.

AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans set to change on June 20

AT&T recently announced some changes for GoPhone users and it looks like some additional changes will be coming later in the month. The previous change added support for HSPA+ and LTE network connectivity (provided the user has a compatible handset) and this latest will be switching up the available plans. AT&T has yet to reveal all the specifics, however they have said the GoPhone plans will be changing on June 20th.

The carrier has said they will be dropping some of the lower priced plans and that in the end, there will be a “variety of plans” available for users to choose from. In a statement provided to CNET, AT&T has said they are doing this to simplify the options and also to eliminate some of the lesser used options.

“We’re making some changes to our AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans to simplify our offers and better align with what customers are choosing and telling us they want,”

At present the AT&T GoPhone options include a $25 per month plan along with a $50 and $65 per month plan. The bottom-tier plan includes 250 minutes for calling and unlimited messaging. Users then have the option to add data for an additional cost. The $50 plan includes unlimited talk along with the unlimited messaging. This plan also requires the data to be added on at an additional cost. The one plan that does include data is the top-tier which has 1GB of data along with unlimited talk and messaging.
We still need the official word from AT&T, however it seems reasonable the carrier may be shifting these plans to have more a focus on data. Or at the very least, to include data with all plans across the board. Of course, June 20th will bring the answer though. In the meantime, AT&T also rolled-out Aio Wireless, which is another prepaid service.
The Aio Wireless service has several plans and several smartphones and tablets available, however at the moment it is only available in a limited few markets. At present Aio Wireless is available for those in Houston, Orlando and Tampa. The Aio Wireless plans range in price from as low as $35 per month and as high as $70 per month.

This AT&T Announcement Should Attract iPhone Prepaid Customers in Droves

Must be nice having people fight over you. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) is used to that, though, but another battle is about to get underway and this time it’s in the prepaid phone market.

With the price of contract plans feeling a lot like the typical cable bill, consumers continue to look for options that are cheaper, a la carte, and don’t lock them into a contract. (You know, the same thing consumers demand from their cable provider but don't get.)
Prepaid phones are the carriers’ answer to that demand but up until recently, they’ve been a little archaic. 10 cents for each text message?
On Thursday, MacRumors reported that AT&T’s (NYSE: T) GoPhone prepaid wireless plan will expand. First, it will include support for AT&T’s LTE and HSPA+ networks. This upgrade allows for the second big piece of news: full support for the iPhone. AT&T is expected to announce the expanded service on Friday.
AT&T has always supported the iPhone as part of its GoPhone plan but since the service didn’t provide for any data service, the iPhone was nothing more than a really expensive cell phone that was overqualified for the job.
On June 21, pre-existing iPhone customers will receive data support or they can manually upgrade before that time.
Why would AT&T want to expand the use of the iPhone on its GoPhone network? Presumably, because the iPhone is making giant inroads into the prepaid market. Cricket paved the way a year ago and now, Sprint’s (NYSE: S) Virgin Mobile brand and other AT&T prepaid brands already carry it. Sprint’s prepaid brand, Boost Mobile is also rumored to be launching it in the near future. As an increasing amount of iPhones are retired for newer models, the market for used phones at a fraction of the price of new models is increasing.
AT&T has underperformed the market in the last six months. The stock is up about 7 percent since late November although it’s a favorite of value investors who enjoy the 4.8 percent dividend yield. Technically, the stock is showing bearish flags. It’s well under its 50 day moving average, sell volume is significantly higher than buy volume, and RSI is around 42.
The stock is off of its April highs of about $39 and still has a lot of downside before it reaches strong support around $35.75.

AT&T GoPhone To Update Pre-Paid Service With 4G LTE, HSPA+ Tomorrow

According to MacRumors, AT&T is expected to improve its GoPhone prepaid wireless brand tomorrow, rolling out LTE and HSPA+ data network access and official support for the iPhone. GoPhone customers who have been using the service with an iPhone or compatible 4G device will now be able access data service on their devices. GoPhone will reportedly be offering three different service plans for the iPhone and other 4G capable devices, starting with a plan that includes unlimited texts and calls and 1 GB of data for $65 a month. Also available will be plans starting at $25 and $50, with data packages being available for an additional charge. GoPhone is allowing customers with off-contract iPhones and 4G smartphones to join the pre-paid service, or purchase an iPhone in AT&T retail stores at for the full non-commitment price. Existing smartphone users with GoPhone service will automatically receive cellular data support on June 21st.

AT&T launches Aio Wireless, a new prepaid brand

AT&T is launching a new brand, Aio (pronounced “A-O”) Wireless, a data-centric prepaid wireless service that AT&T says will provide "a first-class wireless experience at a value price, without an annual contract." Aio will run on AT&T's network but will not have access to its highest-speed LTE network, meaning that while customers may be getting unlimited data, they may have to be a little patient when downloading large files. Network speed isn't as much of a factor in text and voice communications.

So is Aio a response to T-Mobile's recent removal of long-term contracts from some of its service brands? AT&T says it's not. “We talked with no-annual-contract customers and created our service around what they want. They want simple, easy plan choices with unlimited offers; first-class service at affordable prices; great devices; nationwide voice and data coverage; and no annual contracts. Today’s wireless customers don't want to compromise,” said Jennifer Van Buskirk, president of Aio Wireless. “We are set up to win over value-conscious customers who are increasingly moving towards smartphones and mobile broadband.”