While I noted the price reduction Apple has put in place for the new 3G iPhone 2.0, I forgot to mention one important item. The data plan with AT&T is now $10 higher per month; the unlimited rate increased from $20 to $30 for consumers and it's $45 for business users. Doesn't sound like much, but over a two-year contract, it makes the iPhone 2.0 more expensive than the earlier models. And that doesn't include th While I noted the price reduction Apple has put in place for the new 3G iPhone 2.0, I forgot to mention one important item. The data plan with AT&T is now $10 higher per month; the unlimited rate increased from $20 to $30 for consumers and it’s $45 for business users. Doesn’t sound like much, but over a two-year contract, it makes the iPhone 2.0 more expensive than the earlier models. And that doesn’t include the unlimited voice plan (hey it’s a phone!) which is $40 per month. [ Get the full scoop on the new iPhone 3G and the new 2.0 software in our deep dive report. ]So I don’t know whether to applaud Apple for its clever marketing or bitch about AT&T’s data pricing. Given that I currently pay $30 per month for unlimited data on my Centro, maybe it’s not a big deal. But for some users the iPhone 2.0 could be less of a bargain than meets the eye. With AT&T subsidizing the reduced price iPhone, they are going to lock-in consumers for two years. BTW, for those who want to see an abbreviated version of Steve Jobs’ keynote, Mahalo has condensed it down to 60 seconds. Open Source