My phone and contract with AT&T are way old. So old, I don’t even have to think about whether I can get a really, cheap phone with a new plan. I was all jacked up to buy an iPhone 3GS in the next couple of months. What with AT&T, Apple, and AT&T + Apple, recently stumbling hard though, I’m losing my enthusiasm.
A combination of an iPod Touch and a Verizon MiFi might be the ticket. See I really care much more about wireless data than voice. The downers of my scheme? A comparable data plan is $40 more than your data increment for the iPhone. Plus the Touch winds up being more expensive since it’s not subsidized. Not to mention it’s not really a phone, so I still have to do something about that.
On the up side, “tethering” (USB or WiFi) for my laptop is included, something I can’t even buy from AT&T today and which they’re hinting at will cost extra if they get around to it. I also wouldn’t be on AT&T’s network. I don’t know if usage in DC compares to SF and NYC, but given that this is prime Verizon country, I’m guessing they have better performance.
I hadn’t realized that 1) the MiFi was so small, and that 2) you could just power it up and leave it in a pocket or backpack unattached to another device. Depending on local signal quality, this could be just as effective at data as the iPhone.
MiFi photo cribbed from the Gizmodo MiFi Review