[rkudeshi]

Wow, these are super-expensive. $40/month per additional phone? If anything, that would make me LESS likely to want to add extra lines to our account.

Also, why is there a monthly charge for data-only devices? Doesn't make any sense to me when you also have to pay for a shared pool of data.

All the prepaid carriers that are now supporting iPhones seem like a much better deal. I think one had unlimited data + unlimited text + 300 minutes for $35/month. Another had the same but 500 minutes for $50/month.

My family has been on AT&T for over a decade but if their pricing for shared data is anywhere comparable, I can seriously see moving all of our lines to prepaid carriers.

Edit: Also, I'm sure they've run the numbers and there's a reason they're charging for tablets and laptops, but I have to think there's a big opportunity missed there. I have no reason to buy a 3G-enabled iPad or laptop right now, since I'd have to pay a monthly toll for the privilege. But if they had made it free to add laptops/tablets to your plan, I almost certainly would buy, for example, a 3G iPad. And then, I'm sure, my data usage would increase enough to merit jumping to a higher pricing tier. (Probably even jump multiple tiers if my family also buys 3G-enabled devices.)

[wmf]

It's like the tethering charge. You pay for data and then you pay again to access the data you pay for. Because they can.

[rkudeshi]

Which did make sense when data plans were still unlimited. Of course that stopped when they moved to metered data and now shared data.

[sneak]

...because Apple helps them hide the "Personal Hotspot" preference option via a carrier settings file.

Blame Apple for caving.

[wmf]

Tethering charges apply to all phones, not just the iPhone.

[sneak]

Carrier-bundled crapware applies to all phones too... except iPhone.

[bgertonson]

It would be $40 to add a phone now ($10 for the line, and $30 for base data plan), but you'd get 2GB of data with that $40. So realistically it is more like $50 to add another smart phone under the Share Everything plans. But if you have to bump up your minutes when you add the line, then it's probably $50 in all to add the smart phone on the current plans. There is also the possibility of more cost with a texting plan under the current plans as well. So $40 is in line with what it costs now I think. It's just distributed differently.