T-Mobile and Walmart are bragging about new unlimited phone plans--that aren't really unlimited

T-Mobile and Walmart are touting a new unlimited talk, text, and data plan for cheap--as long as you accept a loose definition of "unlimited."

The Family Mobile Plan starts at $45 per month, plus $35 for each additional line. While voice minutes and text messages are truly unlimited, families will be throttled to sub-3G speeds after they use 250MB of data in one month.

As a promo, T-Mobile and Walmart are offereing 5GB of uncapped data to families that sign up before March 17--however, this promo rate only lasts through the end of March. After that, everyone gets knocked down to the 250MB soft limit.

At least the plan isn't tied to an annual contract. Users can bring their own handsets, or buy a new one at full price from Walmart. The small selection includes a basic flip phone, two feature phones, and LG's Optimus One Android smartphone.

For users who consume more data, and not as many voice minutes, T-Mobile and Walmart offer a $30 per month cellular plan with 100 minutes of talk time, unlimited text messages and 5 GB of 4G HSPA+ data. As with the Family Mobile Plan, users get throttled back to 2G speeds after hitting the limit.

T-Mobile isn't the only wireless carrier that's been stretching the definition of "unlimited" data. AT&T and Verizon both reduce speeds for users who consume the most data, although Verizon only does so when its network is congested. And T-Mobile has called its tiered data plans "unlimited" since last April.

Although wireless carriers argue that a plan with throttling is still "unlimited" because users can continue to access the Internet, speed restrictions are still a type of limit placed on the user. T-Mobile is doing a good thing by offering an affordable family plan with unlimited talk and text. Why muddy it with dishonest advertising

T-Mobile to trade Nokia Lumia 710 for $49.99

T-Mobile USA and Nokia said today they would be selling the Lumia 710, marking Nokia's push to re-enter the U.S. market in a real way.
With the Lumia 710, priced at $49.99 and available on January 11, Nokia and T-Mobile are going after consumers who own a basic cell phone, but have been hesitant to upgrade to a more complicated smartphone. The companies believe the low price of the handset, lower-priced data, and easier-to-use Windows Phone operating system will help people ease their way into a more sophisticated mobile device.
t will mark the first Nokia Windows Phone to hit U.S. shores. For T-Mobile, the more affordable device should help it sway smartphone newbies and more budget-conscious subscribers at a time when its highest-tier customers leave for carriers offering a better selection of phones.
"This is the right product to go after the 150 million feature phone users in the country," said Chris Weber, head of Nokia's North America business, adding that figure is twice the size of the current smartphone base.
T-Mobile considers the Lumia 710 a hero phone--industry jargon for its flagship device--for the post-holiday period starting in January. Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of handset marketing for T-Mobile, said the Lumia 710 would be prominently displayed in its stores, and that Windows Phone smartphones would become a larger share of the carrier's overall portfolio. He said the phone would be ideal for consumers who are watching their wallets a bit more closely after the holidays.
Nokia plans on a significant marketing campaign for both the Nokia brand and the Lumia 710, Weber said. While he didn't disclose specifically how much Nokia would spend, he said it would be "in the neighborhood of what it takes to be successful," and added it would pour money into marketing, sales incentives, and better presence in retail outlets.
The other vendors haven't done a good job of communicating the benefits of Windows Phone, something Nokia hopes to fix by highlighting some of the specific advantages and uses of the Lumia 710, Weber said.
Still, the launch represents a bit of a lackluster start for Nokia's big U.S. reboot. The Lumia 710 isn't Nokia's high-end device; rather it's the mass-market phone that doesn't stand out for its design or specs. Its launch partner, T-Mobile, is the fourth-largest national carrier in the U.S., and has seen its momentum slip over the past year, partly due to the distraction of trying to save a takeover by AT&T. At $49.99, the phone may be a good deal, but could also get lost in the shuffle amid post-holiday discounts of other higher-profile devices.

AT&T may have to settle for weaker T-Mobile tie-up

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - If AT&T Inc fails to convince U.S. regulators that its proposed purchase of Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA should go ahead, the pair may end up having to settle for a lesser relationship.