Consumer Confidential: Higher phone fees, Kindle at Target, scary handbags

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Here’s your won’t-you-be-mine Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- AT&T is doing away with its all-you-can-eat wireless data plans. Instead, the telecom heavyweight will roll out metered pricing that will require the heaviest mobile-service users to pay more heavily. AT&T, the exclusive U.S. service provider for the iPhone, says the switch will result in lower monthly prices for most customers, perhaps cutting as much as half off current $30 fees. But heavy users -- those who just can’t let go of their smart phones -- will likely pay more. Something tells me AT&T ran the numbers and decided that people will use their smart phone more and more, and decided to get ahead of the curve, profit-wise.

-- Speaking of wireless devices, the e-reader war is about to get a little more interesting. Target says it will start selling Amazon.com’s Kindle this Sunday, marking the first brick-and-mortar retailer to offer the popular gadget. The moves comes as Apple’s iPad gathers momentum as the e-reader of choice for many people. The Kindle will sell at Target for $259 -- still a little pricey for my tastes. At that range, I want a good deal more functionality. But that’s me.

-- Apparently it’s not just kids’ toys that we have to worry about. More than 40 major retailers say they’ll work harder to limit use of lead in handbags and other grown-up accessories. The commitment comes as part of a $1.7-million settlement of a lawsuit alleging that lead levels in handbags and other goods posed a threat to users. Retailers saying they’ll participate in the settlement include Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Guess, Sears, Kmart, Saks and Victoria’s Secret.

-- David Lazarus