Apple iPhone MMS Coming In July, Tethering $55

By on Jun 17, 2009 at 5:27 pm

iPhone Tethering with AT&TEXCLUSIVE: A source with AT&T informed Appmodo today that MMS for the iPhone will be coming mid July, not “the end of the summer” as previously reported. The highly anticipated tethering option will also be delivered towards the end of July with pricing around $55 per month, not $70 as suspected across the net.

**UPDATE: June 19: Reports across the web are misinterpreting the original pricing for tethering. The data plan with tethering would be around $55 per month, NOT $70. Thanks.

**UPDATE: July 9: Apple iPhone MMS Delayed, Coming Sept, Tethering $55 Extra

Sit tight iPhone fans!

Please post your comments, tips, and your own reviews below in the comments area!

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Filed: Hardware • iPhone • News • Updates • Utilities
  • http://blog.stillen.com Josh

    w00t! Very exciting.. Thanks for the scoop!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/dukenetworks chris

    That's an awesome scoop… an Appmodo exclusive, too. Nice job rattling cages at AT&T, Jason! I'm stoked for MMS, but tethering is one thing I won't probably ever be paying for.

  • Yi-Chao Huang
  • JBOMB

    $55 a month for tethering?? Are you F'ING KIDDING ME?? Does apple want us to just jailbreak these things and do it for free??

  • BDobes

    How can they add only $10 to the PDA and Blackberry plans for tethering and then try to add $55 to the iPhone plan? That's ridiculous! Or am I misunderstanding? Is it $30 for data plus $55 for tethering, or $55 total for iPhone data with tethering? The PDA and Blackbery plans with tethering are $60 for 5GB.

  • http://gtcaz.com Geoff

    Is that $55 on top of the iPhone data plan, or is this a $55 iPhone plan with tethering?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/themediaguy themediaguy

      At this time it is expected to be charged on top of the current data plans as "unlimited data" is really capped at a certain amount of GB bandwidth. Keep checking back for an update on this.

  • lookmark

    *Surely* that's $55 including the data plan ($40 + $15 for tethering). Which is a bit pricey but not crazy.

  • http://www.mixotic.com Aaron Smith

    i'm a current t-mo customer using an unlocked 2G iphone. I was ready to switch to AT&T for the 3GS, but I am having serious second thoughts. in fact, based on this pricing info, i can pretty much guarantee i'll never switch. It's simply insane. why would i pay that kind of money to AT&T for the shitty service they offer, when I can get a nationwide data plan from Verizon for the same amount without the limits or shitty service? In fact, I could just get a Verizon mobile high-speed data plan and share my internet connection from the computer to the phone (or any other wifi capable device for that matter), instead of the other way around. It's like AT&T is doing everything they can to screw over iPhone customers, virtually guaranteeing they all leave as soon as the device is available on any other service. Either that, or they already know they're losing exclusivity and are just going to squeeze the customers for everything they're worth.

  • davesmall

    I really do want tethering. I want it so bad that I'm willing to pay exactly zero dollars and zero cents for it. That's because AT&T is already charging a princely sum for data access via the iPhone. Tethering uses the same connection. It's a connection I'm already paying for. To tack on another charge would be double dipping. That's completely ridiculous. I've enjoyed having laptop tethering on the iPhone from the start. I was one of the lucky few who downloaded NetShare from the App Store during it's brief availability. It works fine but is hard to configure. The new approach that's built into 3.0 software is very easy to configure and works great. Tethering is not something you'd want to use every day. It's valuable to have for emergencies as when your regular internet service provider goes down for a few hours. It's nice if you're at a hotel that has a $15 dollar per day Internet Connection Charge and you need to be online for half an hour. It's great if you're at an airport with 30 minutes till boarding and don't want to pay the $10 fee to use the airport WiFi. You already own an iPhone that has 3G access and it can handle many of your needs. Tethering is a really great thing to have but not something you will need very often or would want to pay extra for. Tethered 3G laptop access seems like jogging in ankle deep mud as compared to WiFi access. It's fast enough to make it usable but it is slow enough that you wouldn't want to use it all the time. If AT&T attempts to tack on an extra charge for tethering they're gonna get a mega blast from me. We're already paying a princely amount for data access through our iPhone.

  • jj22

    Too F'n much. I won't buy it. Keep on jailbreakin…

  • dave

    Don't start throwing things, this is a serious question. What is the big deal about tethering? I make my living on computers, with database customers all over the US, and I support them remotely, usually with LogMeIn. I'm really happy now to have the LogMeIn application for my iPhone for use in a real pinch (I made a minor fix in a New Jersey client from a parking lot near Lake Placid last week). But most of the time, there is free wireless access somewhere that I can actually sit down and work on my laptop if I need to. Every Interstate highway rest stop has wireless now, and there's Starbucks and Paneras all over the place. Where are you going to be (other than extremely occasionally) that you're going to be plugging a laptop into your iPhone and doing something that the iPhone can't do in the first place? A few years ago, none of this was possible and business got done… it just seems like such a nonissue, at least from my point of view. I'd love to hear a few stories that clarify the fuss, maybe I'm just missing it.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/dukenetworks chris

    I'd also like to add that when Verizon first offered its unlimited data plan yearrrrs ago it was like $90 or more per month. Now it's what, $35 or $40? Probably the same thing with AT&T. I have a feeling that the more people that use it, the lower the price will get for tethering as well.

  • http://www.jeffhalmos.com JHalmos

    Rogers, here in Toronto is free for tethering, at least until December 31, 09. That Rogers is first for anything is a crazy. That it's free, is miraculous. I can see why it might cost for AT&T, since they offer unlimited data. In Toronto, the first adopters get 6 gigs max. For Rogers I guess, it's six and one half dozen of the other. For AT&T, they're covering for the maniacs. But $55? Has to wrong.

  • freediverx

    OK if it's only an extra $15/month it's totally worth it. A single day pass at a wifi hotspot can cost that much. But if it's an extra $30 or – $55??? – they know where they can stick it…

  • CQ45

    AT&T disgusts me more and more. I can't wait to switch. Even if I have to sell my iphone and get a pre to do it. Service sucks, and it's way more expensive than any other phone company I've ever been with. Ugh!!

  • LALEIHI@

    I don't get why people make such a big deal about tethering. You have an iphone, its basically a computer on the go. That's how I see it. Just use your phone. save 55 dollars or how ever much it will costtt but i can't wait for MMS in mid july!

  • Chelsea

    Will mms be free? It should come with texting plan right?

  • http://www.20gigwierless.com ken

    what I'm tired of doing is having to pay for, Internet to my desktop, secured wi-fi connections then you go to the office to pay for another Internet connection, annual Internet on your cell phone you pay another fee, I've been looking for A convergence technology and have found one fee no taxes no contracts that's the way true 100% IP technology is supposed to work. companies are ripping off consumers by metering their technology one spoonful that time

  • mrmikey05

    Hey guy, you should read it again or go to http://facebook.com/ATT. AT&T said that the $55 additional charge are just false. There will be no charge at all. And the guy that ask if mms is free, yes it is. I forgot where I got the source from but yes it’s free. No reason they should charge for these, as we are already paying a high amount of money for the iPhone plan. Can’t wait for this mid-July. Mms is on it’s way. So is tethering shortly after mms arrive! Great work AT&T.

  • Chris

    @Chelsea it should be included with the unlimited text plan

  • Marci Powell

    I hope the tethering is $55 with the $30 data plan already in place too! Total $55. My hubby pays $60 for a device blue tooth quick silver at ATT for his laptop..and another fee for his cell phone, When will Live TV be on the iphone?

  • Rob

    You guys are reading this wrong. I talked with a friend that works for AT&T today and they are charging $15 to tether. So if you add the $30 data plan + the $15 to tether it comes out to $55

    • Bob

      @Rob "So if you add the $30 data plan + the $15 to tether it comes out to $55" You might want to check that math, buddy. $30 + $15 = $45. (Not $55.) At least it did when I went to elementary school.

  • Blake

    Umm I think it's an extra 55 $ for the tethering. That's what I read on other sites.

  • Blake

    Umm I think it’s an extra 55 $ for the tethering. That’s what I read on other sites.

  • Moose

    30+15= 45

  • Danny

    alright here we are in august and well i dont have my MMS on my iphone…wtf over

  • iphone..

    is now augest and still no mms…..failure?

  • Paul

    So much for the "scoop" (fail).

  • guest

    30+15=45 + 20(unlimited SMS & MMS) = $65 just for data… + $40 for 450 minutes! Ouch but I LOVE MY IPHONE 3GS!!!!!

  • Connor

    i know wtf is up with apple. im not fcking paying 55 bucks a month to tether. ive jailbroken all of my iphones on the 1.0 and 2.0 and tethered with those so why would i pay to tether now??????? i WAS going to not jailbreak my phone this time because the app store has gotten to be so good. but not any more. ill start stealing from the appstore again. thanks apple for convincing me to jailbreak my phone again.

  • Ben

    I lol'd at math.