AT&T offers $100 credit towards Nexus 7, but it’s not worth it
Normally I’m all about saving money, which is why my curiosity was piqued when I heard that AT&T is giving a $100 credit to anyone who buys an ASUS Nexus 7 and signs up for service with the carrier. Unfortunately, this is one of those deals that’s just not really worth your time.
First of all, the Nexus 7 is half a year old – in other words, in tech time, it’s about to sprout some grey hairs. That’s not to say it still isn’t a great tablet (and my favorite at this particular price point and screen size), but rumor has it Google will announce a new Nexus tablet at Google I/O, a mere four months away.
Second, you have to sign up for a two-year contract with AT&T. Don’t get me wrong – AT&T’s HSPA+ coverage is decent, and speeds are great. But with a tablet as awesome as the Nexus 7, you’ll want at least 3GB/month of data, and that will cost you $30/month. So, you’ll still end up paying $300 for the 3G version of the tablet, you’ll get just over 3 months of free service from AT&T, and then you’ll be stuck paying $30/month for 21 more months – a grand total of $920, plus taxes and fees. If you choose to get a measly 250MB/month instead, you’ll still end up spending $560 total, plus you’ll always be hesitant to use 3G data due to the ever-present constant risk of inadvertent overages.
Honestly, you’re better off buying a WiFi version of the tablet, and taking advantage of free WiFi hotspots where ever you go. You could also tether the Nexus 7 to your phone, if you really need data away from home. Nice try, AT&T, but we know better.
[Google Play via Android Community]
I am not a heavy data user. I probably use 1.75G per month. I do not stream music or video OTA.
Sometimes I am a heavy user, streaming approximately 20 min of video a day, and I still come in under 3G on my unlimited data plan.
I may have used more when I was traveling using Google maps for navigation.
My wife has a new 3G data plan, and has not gone over yet.
Your experience may vary. Use your OTA Data wisely, watch your usage stats and you may be surprised at how little you use. I know I was.
Peace
There is no cost savings in buying a device off contract, paying full price.
You still have to pay for service unless it is a WiFi only device.
Why not let the carrier subsidize the cost, and give you a rebate?
Just sayin’
Because you are locked into a two year contract, which can cost quite a bit over time. Instead, you could buy the $299 HSPA+ Nexus 7, use a T-Mobile no contract data plan, pay for only what you need, and come out ahead. The only reason the subsidy would make sense is if you are going to pay for the same contract plan anyways. And even then, the freedom to stop paying before two years is up might be worth the extra $100.
I have a 4 line family plan.
I kind of feel bad for for those with a single line.
It would cost almost 2X as much to have 4 single lines with the same features I have.
I priced a T-Mobile plan for myself to get a device ATT didn’t offer. I did not go for it. I also don’t want to lose my grandfathered unlimited data plan. I have been an ATT customer for aprox 15 years.
I am 30 months on my current device. I “fulfilled MY contract” AUG 2012, but the cost of my plan doesn’t change.
Again, your experience my vary.
Peace
@JRD – I would hardly say streaming 20 minutes in a day makes you a ‘heavy user.’ My wife and I only use our data at work and on the road, and we use well over 6 GB a month for what we would consider moderate use. Mind that we are still on Wi-Fi anytime we’re at home.
It’s all relative, but in no way is 250MB enough unless you’re a cave troll who never leaves home or live in a city where free Wi-Fi is everywhere. (Note that we have Wi-Fi at work as well, but we prefer not having our data watched over by our employers)
I don’t have WiFi access at work which is where I use most of my data, at break. WiFi at home.
I usually just surf news and tech sites.
20 min of video a day extra is heavier than normal for me.
Anything less than a 3G plan is got to be useless.
I know I am not a “heavy user”, but I am compared to anybody I know.
Thanks for the feedback.
Peace
While I understand where you’re coming from, the deal may not be as bad as you describe for some people. First off, the Nexus 7 “Mobile” is not 6 months old. Its only been available since Nov. Granted, the Nexus 7 itself is about a half year old, but for the sake of being correct, the Nexus 7 with mobile data is only 2-3 months old. Second, some of us are AT&T users with shared data plans. For us, we can get the $100 discount and only pay an extra $10 a month to add it to our existing shared data plan. In my particular case, I was planning to get a tablet with mobile data and add it to my plan for $10 a month regardless. The fact that AT&T wants to let me do that AND give me a $100 discount is that much better. Thus far I’ve been torn between an iPad mini and a Nexus 7. If I look at the lowest price options it *was* $299 or $459, but that’s for a 32Gb Nexus vs a 16Gb Mini. If I want to compare only 32Gb models than it *was* $299 or $559. But with $100 off (and AT&T is offering it on all tablets not just the Nexus 7) its now $200 versus $459. Am I really willing to pay an extra $260 for a Mini? That’s a tough one. I currently have only Apple devices but I loathe the idea of A) giving my kid a $450+ device to drop and B) one that has my work email, personal data, etc and doesn’t support separate profiles. But now for $200 I can get the Nexus, use multiple profiles to secure our data, and only feel like I lost $200 if my kid drops it… and all with a $10/month data plan i was already going to pay for before AT$T offered me $100 off. Its all in perspective.
One other thought… by your reasoning about waiting for 4 month for Google I/O you’re also saying that someone should not have a tablet at all for 4 months all ’cause a new one is expected. If we’re going to wait a few months, we may as well wait for a revised iPad Mini with a better display (which is about the only thing the Nexus has on the Mini other than price). Or… we could buy a Nexus now for $200 (though it has a market value of $300 so its actually an investment) and get the joy of using it instead of having nothing for 4 months. A few months later if there’s a new Nexus or a new Mini you can always sell the 7 (its unlocked after all) and buy a new Nexus or Mini and just move your SIM over… and for someone like me with an AT&T account my 2 year contract on the Nexus is actually tied to the SIM not the device so I live out the contract with the other new device. In the meantime I’ve sold my *old* Nexus 7 that I’ve enjoyed for 4 months while you had nothing cause your cheap and offset my new Nexus or Mini by anywhere from $100-$250.