# Cheapest data plan for iPhone?



## HackNSlash

Hey all,

I've finally decided to get an iPhone, but man oh man do I hate those $70 3 year plans Rogers makes you sign. What's the cheapest data plan in Canada for 1 GB per month?

I'm thinking there's some clever thing I could do by buying the iPhone unlocked directly from Apple rather than a carrier, and then using some smaller carrier that has cheap data rates but doesn't normally sell iPhones or something...


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## Sherlock

I think it's possible to get the iphone to work with a 7-11 speakout sim and then you can get the $10/month unlimited data plan but that is just wap browsing, so it'll be slower and will have limited functionality.

Some more info: http://www.speakoutwireless.ca/speak/phone-features/iphone-4s/


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## Spudd

Do you really need data all the time, or would you just use it once in a while? If the latter, you can save money by getting a pay as you go plan instead of a monthly billing plan. This is only for you if you don't talk too much, and don't use too much data. I am in this camp, and I spend $10 a month on my iphone plan. I don't have data except when I pay $2 for a day pass. Most of my time is spent either at home or the office, both of which have wifi. So I don't need data very often. Oh, I'm with Rogers -- and I paid full price for my phone rather than getting locked into a monthly plan.


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## m3s

Spudd's plan is pretty cool. I don't see why most workplaces can't get a wifi plan

For me I needed the 3G data and I can do voice/text with just the data. It was a bit of a hassle to get them to set it up, but I had a 1GB Rogers data plan for $25+tax on an iPhone. I consider myself a heavy user and rarely go over 500mB because of all the free wifi. Technically, they have to offer data only plans but they will swear up and down they do not, and that you have to pay the $70/month. They can do the same as a rocket stick plan (data only), they just won't admit it or acknowledge this. Some people say it's for their deaf relative, I didn't go this far. Still, they do offer cheaper plans they just don't advertise them. It was the same with dry loop DSL back in the day

Once they agree to give you a data only plan, they will still ask you to sign a 3 year contract. Don't sign it. They will swear up and down that you must but you do not, unless they gave you a subsidized smartphone you don't have to sign a contract. Outside of Canada this is quite common, but in Canada seems everyone just bends over and does whatever Rogers says


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## KaeJS

Sherlock said:


> that is just wap browsing, so it'll be slower and will have limited functionality


WAP is a waste. Useless.

I have a 6GB Data Plan from rogers for $30/month. Not sure if they offer it anymore.


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## canadianbanks

I also have the 6GB/month plan for $30, but from Fido. I actually got my wife a new iPhone recently, and when I complained to Fido about the high monthly fees I'm paying, they switched both phones to better plans including a second 6GB plan for her phone. At the end both phones have more daytime minutes, earlier evenings, unlimited weekends, my wife has a 6GB data plan and I'm only paying $2 more than I was paying before .

I'm not sure if Fido offers the 6GB/$30 plan to new customers, but I think they still have the 500MB/$25 though.


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## HackNSlash

I saw the $25/500MB data plan from Fido, but that's listed as a "data add-on". Do you know if you can get it on its own? Or did you bundle it with a voice plan as well?


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## praire_guy

I pay 50 a month to telus and get 5 gig of data that I can tether my iPad to. 

Also included is unlimited local calling, unlimited texting, plus voicemail, call display, and call forward.


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## canadianbanks

HackNSlash said:


> I saw the $25/500MB data plan from Fido, but that's listed as a "data add-on". Do you know if you can get it on its own? Or did you bundle it with a voice plan as well?


I have voice plans for both phones and the 2 data plans are on top of that. I don't think you can get only data without a voice plan, however you can get a very cheap voice plan if you don't talk much.


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## m3s

canadianbanks said:


> I have voice plans for both phones and the 2 data plans are on top of that. I don't think you can get only data without a voice plan, however you can get a very cheap voice plan if you don't talk much.


I had data only plan in Canada, I explained it a bit above. In the old days Robbers and Bell swore up and down you needed a phone line to have internet. This is simply not true but if they told you that people believed it. Once cable internet came out they started to admit you don't need a phone line. I had data-only on my cell phone and use VoIP for voice and apps for text. Paying for voice mail and call display is ridiculous when you pay for data (it's all just data). Rogers will swear up and down this in impossible however they cannot force you to pay for voice if for example you are deaf, and there are also data only devices such as rocket sticks and iPads. In Europe data-only plans are €10/month and unlimited (slows down after 500mB, or you pay for a bigger plan. No $5/mB if you go over like in Canada)


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## Sherlock

mode3sour said:


> In Europe data-only plans are €10/month and unlimited (slows down after 500mB, or you pay for a bigger plan. No $5/mB if you go over like in Canada)


That's how Wind works, it's unlimited but it slows you down after a certain amount of monthly usage. I truly believe that the whole having to pay extra per mb if you go over a limit is not gonna last much longer, as Wind and Mobilicity and maybe others expand into more of Canada they will start taking business away from the big 3 who will have to revise their data plans to something more reasonable.


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## m3s

Yea I saw WIND stores in Sicily. They are bringing the Euro style telecom to GTA but the CRTC is doing all they can to protect the Canadian telcos. I would happily pay ~$50/month for a decent cell plan but you shouldn't have to pay for call display and voice mail etc that racks it up to $70+


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## el oro

If you can convince Koodo to give you a data only plan, their price is decent if you stay under 1Gb.

0-25Mb = $5
26-100Mb = $10
101-300Mb = $15
301-1000Mb = $20
1001-3000Mb = $30

They have competitive phone plans as well.


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## financialnoob

On Koodo, you could buy the phone outright. With the tab, it'd be $500.

But if you did, you could build your own plan, and there's a data add-on for 2 gigs for $25. You could even go wifi only if you wanted, no mandatory data plan for buying the phone, and do pay-as-you-go data.


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