I have said before that Data is the new Gold for networks, minutes and texts are going to be less of a burden in cost terms to the networks and more of a giveaway as time goes by.

But data is where the real costs and opportunities currently lie for mobile operators.

With the above in mind AT&T has released revised plans for data charges to its customers, but in it they are hoping to provide a little more room to manoeuvre and give more choice for heavy users.

The new plans will come into effect on Sunday and is on the back of AT&T stating that they have had to totally rethink their data policies and pricing due to heavy demand which is only increasing month on month.

Users can move to the new plan if they are on existing contract or they can stay put if it would suit them better to do this based on the information given below.

I think this is pretty fair and one o2 could have offered in the UK when they forced their unlimited data subscribers onto a capped data plan with force, even though people had signed up to a full unlimited data deal.

The deals:

[arrowlist]

• $20 a month you can buy 300MB of data
• Data Pro package 3GB costs $30
• Data Pro 5GB $50 GB this includes the mobile hot spot capabilities and tethering

[/arrowlist]

This compares to previous options of:

[arrowlist]

• 200MB for $15
• 2GB for $25
• 4GB for $45

[/arrowlist]

The company is seen to be encouraging users to use data proved by their own Wi-Fi hot spots at over 29,000 locations across the US, so all in all it seems like an expected move, and one that you will just have to swallow I am afraid, unlimited was never really unlimited anyway!

AT&T also make use of alerts to keep their customers in check if they are close to going over their data allowance, as we all know this can be costly!

So as you can see it is going to be more costly in general but if you are a power user you get a little more for your money than you did before, so it is a little bit like the low end users subsiding the larger consumers of data on the go, but they get a touch more thrown in also….good deal or a deal breaker?

Apple may decide to reintroduce the ageing iPad 2 as a reduced $299 offering after the rumoured iPad 3 launch later this month.

With Apple looking to offer two or more iPad models, the release of the iPad 3 is expected to be in the next few weeks at the iWorld expo on January the 26th-28th, we hear that this new model may mean that the current iPad 2 will come in at a lower price as a result, and that the iPad 3 may come in two variations also.

The new iPad 3 is rumored to be coming with a 9.7 inch QXGA screen and a display resolution of some 2048 x 1536 with an A6 SoC.

But there is talk that this new iPad may have a slightly weaker cousin with a less able camera and poorer quality screen, with subtle differences such as the lower priced model having only a 5 MP camera, and using a 1024 x 768 resolution while the more expensive iPad will have an 8MP offering, exactly what else will be added to the new model remains to be seen.

Apple supply chains confirm that the current iPad 2 will probably be slashed in price:

With the talk of a reduced price iPad, this should allow Apple to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, which it is thought ate into around 2 million lost iPad sales over the festive period. Yes Apple are scared of the e-commerce monster, and so they should be.

There is also a rumour emerging that they may bring in another cut price version of the iPad 3 or iPad 2 with only 8GB of memory to really compete on price with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble Nook and expected Google Tablet.

iPad 3 to be $100 cheaper iPad 4 to arrive with killer applications later:

It is also thought that the new iPad 3 could be due a price reduction form the flagship high process that their current models command, and there is also an even more juicy rumour that an iPad 4 could be due for release at the end of the year with a serious upgrade to the operating system and “killer” applications.

Are you looking forward to the new iPad 3, or more interested in the serious upgrade that the iPad 4 may prove to be later on in the year?