3G iPhone launch

[jamesbond007]

My feelings about the iPhone, in large, coincide with those of this guy.

 

[uli2000]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
It's such a gimmick as well. They advertise $199 price, but that's only for NEW subscribers to AT&T. You can't be a current customer and just want to have the phone. Oh no, you pay $399 for the cheapest one. That's a ridiculous thing to do for your customers AT&T. The price point and hype machine of the ad campaign is all just a come on add to get people to sign up for service at $100+ a month for 2 years. They really don't care if you already have service, they got you and you're stuck.


That is unless you qualify for an "upgrade". Who tells me I don't qualify? I have money just like anyone else...well screw them Apple won't get my money nor will AT&T once my contract is up.

That really sucks for 1st gen iphone users. You had to buy the phone at full price, so there was no subsity on the phone. You should be elegible for a upgrade. Heck, just hold on untill iphone pt 3 fixes all the stuff that still seems to be wrong with iphone 2 (a2dp, mms, decent gps).

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: uli2000

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
It's such a gimmick as well. They advertise $199 price, but that's only for NEW subscribers to AT&T. You can't be a current customer and just want to have the phone. Oh no, you pay $399 for the cheapest one. That's a ridiculous thing to do for your customers AT&T. The price point and hype machine of the ad campaign is all just a come on add to get people to sign up for service at $100+ a month for 2 years. They really don't care if you already have service, they got you and you're stuck.


That is unless you qualify for an "upgrade". Who tells me I don't qualify? I have money just like anyone else...well screw them Apple won't get my money nor will AT&T once my contract is up.

That really sucks for 1st gen iphone users. You had to buy the phone at full price, so there was no subsity on the phone. You should be elegible for a upgrade. Heck, just hold on untill iphone pt 3 fixes all the stuff that still seems to be wrong with iphone 2 (a2dp, mms, decent gps).

Well, the way it works is basically that if you are under contract you can't get the discounted price on the iPhone. If you qualify for an "exceptional upgrade" where you sign a continuation of 2 years on your current contract and get a discount on a new phone, you cannot apply this to the iphone at all.

Basically AT&T is giving $200 to apple for each phone sold with a new service agreement. It's a scheme to get people to come from other carriers and get an iPhone cheap and get service from AT&T. AT&T is going to milk those people for $100+/month for 24 months. At least $2400 to AT&T's pocket minus the $200 they pay to apple on each one. That's how an apple employee explained it to me. The phone costs $399 for the 8gig version, but because AT&T is subsidizing it and fronting the $200 to apple, you really only pay $199 if you wanna go with AT&T.

This is why I'm waiting for the new Blackberry that runs on 3G. I'd rather have a QWERTY KB anyway instead of the touchscreen. Plus, Blackberry phones have always counted in all of the upgrade programs, AT&T and Apple just think the iPhone is more exclusive than it ought to be.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

Originally posted by: uli2000

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
It's such a gimmick as well. They advertise $199 price, but that's only for NEW subscribers to AT&T. You can't be a current customer and just want to have the phone. Oh no, you pay $399 for the cheapest one. That's a ridiculous thing to do for your customers AT&T. The price point and hype machine of the ad campaign is all just a come on add to get people to sign up for service at $100+ a month for 2 years. They really don't care if you already have service, they got you and you're stuck.


That is unless you qualify for an "upgrade". Who tells me I don't qualify? I have money just like anyone else...well screw them Apple won't get my money nor will AT&T once my contract is up.

That really sucks for 1st gen iphone users. You had to buy the phone at full price, so there was no subsity on the phone. You should be elegible for a upgrade. Heck, just hold on untill iphone pt 3 fixes all the stuff that still seems to be wrong with iphone 2 (a2dp, mms, decent gps).

If you purchased the original 1G iPhone (or heck, if you activated a 1G iPhone prior to July 11) you were eligible for the $199/$299 pricing.

If you are an AT&T subscriber and already got your discounted phone (free razr or $99 centro or whatever) you can purchase the iPhone for $399/$499 if you aren't up for your new ever 2. Eventually AT&T/Apple will sell the iPhone no commitment (though still locked) for $599/$699.