Was AT&T’s recent decision to drop its unlimited data plan for iPhone customers a signal the carrier prefers RIM’s BlackBerry over Apple’s handset? The move could turn the tide against the iPhone and in favor of BlackBerry customers comfortable with operating using fewer network resources, one analyst said Wednesday.
“In Canada and Europe, price-sensitive smartphone customers already do more on BlackBerry under data caps,” RBC Capital Markets’ Mike Abramsky told investors. At just 50MB per month, BlackBerry users require one-tenth of the resources of iPhone owners, who can consume between 250-500 MB per month, Abramsky said.
AT&T recently announced it would charge $25 per month for 2GB of data per month after the carrier had offered unlimited data for $30 per month. Verizon could follow AT&T’s lead.
“Now, as RIM is poised to inveil BlackBerry 6 on new smartphones with improved browsing and UI, BlackBerry users may realize they can ‘do more’ under caps vs. iPhone (e.g. 3x browsing) — while some iPhone/Adroid users may suffer from ‘bill shock’ if they breach caps unintentionally (particular business users, who tend to use more data.) Abramsky wrote.
The data cap would also benefit AT&T, which has been criticized for network glitches. The cap could also reduce network congestion by iPhone owners.
[via AppleInsider]
