Are AT&T's New Data Plans Ready For The New Apple iPhone?

The move away from unlimited wireless data plans, which AT&T revealed last week, has been viewed as both a blessing and a curse. In some instances, light wireless users could save money, while heavy users can get left holding the bag and paying more than they did before the change. The new plans give AT&T wireless data users on smartphones like the Apple iPhone, the Apple iPad and netbooks 200 MB per month for $15 and 2 GB per month for $25, plus $10 for each additional GB used.

AT&T's ditching of $30 per month unlimited wireless data plans also comes as all eyes are on Apple; Steve Jobs and Co. are preparing to unleash the latest version of the Apple iPhone, the iPhone 4G, on the masses today at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). A new iPhone is just one of many predictions for Apple at WWDC in San Francisco this week.

AT&T's timing is curious, as unlimited data plans go away the day a new iPhone is expected. The new iPhone has been widely rumored to include new video capabilities including a front-facing video camera and mobile video chat, capabilities that will consume massive amounts of wireless data on AT&T's networks.

While AT&T has said the new plans are designed to ultimately save the vast majority of consumers money – AT&T claims only about 2 percent of its wireless data users exceed 2 GB of data per month – a new iPhone and the new apps and tools associated with it could put a stick in AT&T's spokes.

One of the biggest successes of Apple and its now-iconic iPhone is the apps. Apple's iTunes-based App Store has created a feeding frenzy, with users downloading billions of mobile applications – as of January, more than 3 billion apps had been downloaded from Apple's App Store. A chief concern among AT&T wireless data users is how much app usage will eat into their wireless data allotment. Developers are experiencing a similar crunch, feeling like they're being forced to create apps that are less bandwidth-intensive as to still be bought and used by now data-conscious mobile users, effectively curbing innovation.

"What created this lively app world we are in was the iPhone on one hand, and unlimited data plans on the other," Noam Bardin, CEO of navigation app Waze, told The New York Times . "If people start thinking about how big a file is, or how fast an application is refreshing, that will be a huge inhibitor."

MLB.com chief executive Bob Bowman agreed. MLB.com offers streaming video of games to iPhones and iPads, which gobbles up bandwidth. "Forcing people to become clock-watchers has never worked in America," he told The Times.

And while existing users of AT&T's unlimited data plans have the opportunity to continue unfettered, AT&T is dangling a new carrot in hopes of luring new iPhone users over to the capped data plan dark side: tethering. Along with the new data plans, AT&T also announced that it will support tethering in the new iPhone OS 4. To take advantage of tethering, users have to pay for a $25 2 GB plan, plus an extra $20 per month to tether. Tethering requires users to let go of unlimited plans.