In October, AT&T announced that they would start throttling data usage amongst mobile Unlimited Data Plan users. While AT&T no longer offers an Unlimited Data plan to new customers, many of the original iPhone purchasers are still grandfathered into that plan. Those iPhone users have been able to retain these Unlimited plans, even though AT&T has since moved to a tiered data plan structure.
When AT&T announced their plan to start throttling users, the company said that they would only be throttling the top 5% of users. Early reports of affected users had pointed to 10GB-12GB per month users as the initially affected.
It seems that ceiling has decreased significantly over the past few months, at least for some regions. John Cozen reports that he received his top 5% data usage warning after reaching only 2.1GB of data for January.
I received a message during my last billing cycle, warning I was in the top 5% of my region and would experience reduced data speeds next time I reach that level of data use. I immediately checked my data usage on the AT&T iOS app.
2.1 GB. Less than I expected considering AT&T offers a 3GB plan for $30 a month. The same amount I’ve paid for the unlimited data plan since signing up with them many years ago. AT&T no longer offers an unlimited data plan, anyone still on it has been grandfathered in.
Cozen contacted AT&T to make sure it wasn't a mistake, and after several back and forth exchanges, it seems clear that it wasn't a mistake. The AT&T representatives seemed to confirm that 2.1GB did fall in the 5% range and the only option to avoid throttling was to move to a tiered plan.
Cozen was understandably upset since AT&T even offers an unthrottled 3GB plan for the same price he is paying at $30 month.
AT&T's top 5% measurement seems to be region-specific, as some users are continuing to see higher than 2GB usage without throttling.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
I also was throttled after 2 GB. It has been VERY frustrating to deal with because the throttling is INCREDIBLY slow. I am on the unlimited data plan. If my data is slow because of natural congestion then no one is limiting it, thus it is unlimited, and slow. However, if AT&T is limiting my data speed, then it is NOT unlimited.
Moreover, their contract (AT&T) says that they have the right to throttle if you are abusing the network by doing things they do not permit (they have a list of things) and/or if you are compromising the integrity of the network.
I know from first hand experience (they throttled me last month) that they are being malicious and attempting to force people out of their unlimited data plans (or they miscalculated and are making reasonable users [like me] very upset):
a) The speed you are throttled to is too slow to load webpages and other simple internet content. Often you have to reload. AT&T's full speed on an iPhone 4S in Sacramento is 3.5 Mbps. They have throttled me down to about 0.10 Mbps, about 2-3% of the normal speed.
b) I do not abuse the network. I watch half an hour of video during my lunch break at work. That adds up to about 4 GB a month.
c) I was throttled after using 2GB of data in 15 days. This is not compromising their network because they offer a 5GB plan.
d) The point in which you are throttled is a floating, regional rule. If few people in your region do more than check their email, or if they are always in Wi-Fi, you are suddenly an "abusive" user. There will always be a top 5%.
e) It does nothing for other users. I have streamed like this during lunch for a long time. It has always been fast. When testing the speed on friends' phones, they reach the speeds I have always gotten, even though a full 5% of AT&T's "data hogs" have been throttled down.
f) Finally, network congestion doesn't happen by the GB. It happens during congested TIMES. A more sensible policy would be to limit users data who access it at highly congested times. The logical error there is: this already happens, that's what network congestion is, many people get on at the same time, and the network slows down. Think of rush-hour traffic. Just because 1 car drove across the country doesn't mean that they are the cause for slow traffic speeds at 6pm.
Enough said. I'm pretty sure there is a class action lawsuit sitting on the table here...
In October, AT&T announced that they would start throttling data usage amongst mobile Unlimited Data Plan users. While AT&T no longer offers an Unlimited Data plan to new customers, many of the original iPhone purchasers are still grandfathered into that plan. Those iPhone users have been able to retain these Unlimited plans, even though AT&T has since moved to a tiered data plan structure. 
