The iPhone 3G isn't as expensive as you think

Like many of you, I am salivating over the new iPhone 3G. I mean what isn't to like? It just costs $199 and comes with GPS navigation and numerous other new applications. 

So, I marked my calendar and prepared to buy a new iPhone on July 11 when Apple will begin selling it. I should at least consider the monthly cost of this puppy so I did some research and was initially set back. 

According to the AT&T release, the cheapest plan for the iPhone includes a $30 data plan (up from the original $20 plan for the first iPhone) which must be paired with a calling plan. Since the cheapest calling plan is $40, it seems the iPhone would cost me roughly $70 a month.

This isn't an outrageous price, but when I am currently paying less than $60 a month for two cell phones seemed a little steep. In order for me to keep two lines I would either have to have 2 separate  lines from 2 carriers, or buy two iPhones and purchase a family plan. 

The two separate lines wouldn't make much sense for me. I would have to pay the monthly $70 bill and my wife would have to pay about $40 for her phone. 

If we got the family plan, we would have to spend $400 on iPhones and then pay a monthly fee of at least $100.

Either option seemed too pricey for me. But I started to wonder, do I really need that $30 data package? I mean, I am almost always around a wireless internet connection. I have wireless available to me at work and at my house. Would the iPhone work without that data thing?

So, I called AT&T to ask. According to them, I do not need the data package and would not be required to buy one when I purchased the new phone. The data package is simply there so you can connect when you are not in a hot spot. 

That means I could simply buy a voice plan for the iPhone. Instead of paying $70 a month, I am looking at a fee of $40 a month which is much more acceptable.

I certainly hope the voice plan will drop in price, but for all the extras you get with this phone, I don't mind paying a little more. I don't want to double my cell phone bill as I thought I would have too, but I can handle paying a small amount more. 

I do hope that Apple and iPod make it well known that the phone will work with out the data package. But I doubt they will, considering all the money they can rake in from it.