AT&T Customers Who Want FaceTime Over Cellular Data Will Have To Change Their Plans (Official)

Posted August 17, 2012 at 4:44 pm by Charlie Pryor in The Web

Months ago when iOS 6 was announced by Apple, it was discovered that FaceTime over cellular data was an added perk of the next edition of Apple’s mobile operating system. This news made a lot of people happy, because it meant that they would finally get to roam free (without a jailbreak) and video chat with their friends in the most seamlessly integrated and reliable way of any existing platform to date.

Then, last month, word came out that AT&T devices running iOS 6 beta were receiving notifications about wireless data and using FaceTime over it. It was assumed then that AT&T would likely charge for the service, creating an uproar within me, and millions of others (it was speculation at the time).

Today, we’re now learning it’s a bit different. Instead of charging, thankfully, AT&T is merely going to make the feature possible only for those with their new Mobile Data Share plans, which they announced earlier in the summer. If you are on unlimited data still, you will not be able to use it. This is also true for those who are not on a share-plan at all. In fact, if you pay for mobile data, and you don’t have people to share it with, you’re still out of luck. What?

AT&T will offer FaceTime over Cellular as an added benefit of our new Mobile Share data plans, which were created to meet customers’ growing data needs at a great value. With Mobile Share, the more data you use, the more you save. FaceTime will continue to be available over Wi-Fi for all our customers.

While I fully understand why those who are still taking advantage of being grandfathered into unlimited data do not have this available to them, the thought of why regular tiered subscribers aren’t being included is beyond me. I almost feel as though this response isn’t the complete response, and that they simply failed to mention it. I really hope that’s the case. There’s just no reason why those on a tiered plan, by themselves, can’t have this feature.

Just as an added tidbit of information, Sprint has expressed that there will continue to be no limitations placed on the iPhone, and that it won’t matter who you are, or how much you pay; you’ll still get all the features, including FaceTime over cellular.

We’ll keep you updated here with anything that changes as time goes on.

(via 9to5Mac)

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at&t, iOS, iPhone

About the Author

Charlie Pryor

Charlie is a technology nut, and an admirer of quality innovation and design. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Film and Video Production from Grand Valley State University, and is a media consultant and filmmaker. He founded HotTips! back in January 2010, and believes in openness and acceptance in consumer tech.