If you’re debating on which carrier to go with when you pre-order the iPhone 5 on Friday, then maybe this news will help you make a decision. Verizon has gone on the record to say that it won’t charge extra or have any specific requirements for using FaceTime over Cellular in iOS 6, while AT&T will.
Verizon will let you use FaceTime over Cellular on your current plan (including grandfathered unlimited data), but AT&T requires that you sign up for one of its new Mobile Share plans.
The flip-side is that customers who still have AT&T’s grandfathered unlimited data plan won’t have to give it up when upgrading to the iPhone 5. Verizon customers with unlimited data will have to buy the iPhone 5 at its hefty, unsubsidized cost to keep their coveted unlimited data privileges. So it’s a tradeoff, you get to keep your unlimited plan on AT&T but you can’t use FaceTime over Cellular without a Mobile Share plan. Verizon customers with grandfathered unlimited data will lose their beloved plans when they upgrade at a subsidized rate, but Verizon won’t be exercising tight control over features like FaceTime.
Sprint has also said that it will not charge extra or require customers to switch plans for FaceTime over Cellular.
We’ll have more on which iPhone 5 you should buy tomorrow.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
