Let’s say you have no idea which AT&T plan you’ll need come Friday when you pick up your iP3G. For most of us it’s a no-brainer, but a lot of folks are pretty clueless and I’m sure you know a few of them, so feel free to pass this along. Billshrink, which has been profiled over on TechCrunch just released a page specifically built to help you decide which rate plan best suits your needs. It won’t clear up all the iPhone pricing itself since that seems to be an issue for many, but it does calculate how much you’ll be saving or losing when you do make the switch. It also shows how many bars you’ll be getting from AT&T based on your zip code. I’m a bit skeptical on this feature here in NYC, but we’ll give it a test on Friday.
Simply input your current monthly bill, minutes you currently use, number of lines, the number of text messages you log and data usage along with your zip code and Billshrink does all the math for you. There’s an option to import your actual bill that should garner the best results. It’s a relatively easy process and eliminates the number crunching you’ll have to endure yourself which is nice. I currently spend roughly $80/month with T-Mobile for my BlackBerry Curve with unlimited everything and by switching I’d be paying $156 extra per year. An extra $13/month. Psshh. That’s a drop in the bucket. A few caveats apply, though. I lose my unlimited nights and weekends and get 5,000 instead, but I rarely come close to going over. And there are roll over minutes with AT&T. Everyone’s situation is obviously different and this is not meant to reflect the price of the iPhone, so let’s not get into that spat again. It’s not too shabby, actually.