Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) is examined cell phone plan costs by operating system. iPhone owners pay the highest for an average monthly data bill for all smartphones. Android user paid slightly less and BlackBerry owners paid the most varied prices across payment benchmarks. [more]
In general, North American pay the second highest rate for data at $22 per GB after South American who pay $23 per GB according to Quantum-Web.
Nearly 59% of iPhone users surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2012 paid more than $100 per month on their wireless plan. 10% of iPhone owner paid $200 or more while only 6% paid $50 or less. When WiMo News researched the need for a cheaper smartphone like the Nexus 4 or unlocked iPhone, Straight Talk sells the cheapest plan which over a period of two years winds up being less expensive than the major carriers with a $45 a month then paying off the iPhone 5 at $25 a month with Walmart credit card for a cost of $70 per month.
Android users had a lower percentage of big spenders. 7% of Android users pad more than $200 a month, 53% paid more than $100 a month and 12% paid less than $50 a month. These figures could show how companies like Cricket, MetroPCS, Straight Talk, Boost Mobile managed to garner Android smartphone users.
The most thrifty average monthly carrier bill is for basic phones owners at 12% with bills under $25, 1% of Android owners with bills under $25 and 10% of BlackBerry owners with bills under $25. 20% of BlackBerry owners paid between 25 and $50 a month. 30% of BlackBerry owners paid between $51 and $100 a month. BlackBerry owners matched iPhone owners with 10% paying over $200 a month. BlackBerry owners show the biggest variety of costs.
Windows phone owners are also more on the thrifty side 44% paid between $51 and $100 a month with a 56% paying between $1001 and $200 a month.
CIRP co-founder Michael Levin believes that the reason for the high data core costs is not the data usage habits but the cost from the carriers, most iPhone owners are paying for more expensive postpaid plans. cents
Carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless have to pay for the full price of the iPhone, and the monthly data plans pay for the subsidies the carriers pay. A customer may pay only $199 up month but is in fact paying for the smartphone for the two-year plan.
iPhone owners are also the most loyal 88% of iPhone activations were previous iPhone users. 64% of Android users, previously owned an Android device.