Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T this morning announced that its unlimited data plan is being discontinued for new subscribers. (Can’t say we didn’t warn you.) Some people are outraged about the new caps. But we’re betting most people won’t care.

First, the basics: The new un-unlimited data plans offers options of 200 MB for $15 a month and 2 GB for $25 a month. If 2 GB ain’t enough, you can tack an extra $10 to your bill for every extra gig.

Keep in mind that if you’re already a current AT&T smartphone user (that includes whiny iPhone customers), your unlimited data plan is still available. These changes only directly apply to brand new AT&T smartphone users, who no longer get the option of unlimited data. Current AT&T customers can opt for the cheaper limited plans as well, but be careful: Once you switch, you can’t go back to the unlimited plan.

Here’s why we think this isn’t a big deal. Even the biggest nerds we know barely ever surpass 300 megabytes a month. So 2GB is probably more than you’ll ever need — and it costs less than the current $30 unlimited data plan. We’ve criticized AT&T on a number of occasions in the past, but we think these new options are beneficial for the vast majority of wireless customers.

Don’t believe us? Check out your data usage for the past six months, like so:
1.) Visit wireless.att.com and log in to your account;
2.) Under the “My Current Usage” screen, click “View Past Data Usage”
3.) In the “Report” field select “Data Usage Trend” and check out that snazzy bar graph.

After you do that, average your results for the past six months and vote in our poll. Just how much data do you use? My monthly average for the past half year is 267 MB, meaning I’m most likely going to be switching to the $25 a month plan and saving some bucks.

UPDATE: If you use more than 4 GB per month, let us know in the comments how you do it. Because, frankly, we’re not believing the early returns, which show more than 20 percent of respondents fall in this category.