Are iPhone's still hard to get?

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Who the hell would pay $399 (or $550+ on eBay for that matter) for a phone with no: MMS, video, 3G, GPS, open operating system, and software that is constantly updated to lock you out? Stupid people, that's who. Put down the Steve Jobs Kool-Aid, the iPhone is an overpriced iPOS. I could have bought one, but I paid $150 for a REAL Smartphone, bought a BlackJack II, and saved the other $250.

Wow - thats a real 'dick' response. I usually enjoy your posts, but your off base here.

Having used a quite a few smartphones (Nokia E61, Blackberry 6-series, Treo 700p, Cingular 2125, played with a friends Blackjack), i MUCH prefer the iPhone.

Your paying for an EXCELLENT interface, one that is user intuitive and extremely easy to use. Obviously its not meant for hardcore business users (they don't even sell it to people on business plans). All the windows mobile phones I had crashed frequently, were slow to use, and just a plain PITA compared to the iPhone.

Not everyone uses video, MMS (in my 10 years of using cellphones i've never once even used this). 3g isn't available everywhere (not where I live, non-issue).

The only thing I would like to see is GPS, but its a first gen (even the blackjack didn't have GPS in the first gen model). Apple has stated the next gen will be 3g, and with the SDK coming out in feb, your open OS is a non-issue.

As i stated earlier, for those who only need what the iPhone does - It is SUPERB.

EDIT: I would also like to add that I replaced my 8gb Nano with my iPhone - which i sold for $225, so $399 - $225, the iPhone actually cost (in my situation) $175 which was significantly cheaper than the Nokia E61 it replaced.

Sorry for sounding a little "dick", I probably could have gone without the "stupid people" comment. My main gripe with the thing is the lack of features that up until now, were considered basic. The Samsung SYNC, before they replaced it, was going for $25; it includes MMS, video, 3G, and one more thing I forgot couldn't be done easily on the iPhone, the ability to use your own ringtones.

I don't see the disparity in interfaces to consider the one on the iPhone "EXCELLENT." I like buttons, kthx? I like having a full QWERTY keyboard that actually gives me tactile feedback when using it. My BlackJack only ever froze on me when I had screwed around with it enough to ruin it; messing with the registry, hacking PocketPC programs to run w/o a touchscreen; times where I'd expect the thing to freeze. As for the BlackJack II, I'm in love with WinMo6, hasn't frozen on me yet and the menus are even faster than on the BJI/WinMo5.

The Treo 700p (and ALL Treos in general), Blackberry 6-series, and Cingular 2125, hell even the first BlackJack, which I still own, are all so much older than the iPhone it isn't even close to a fair comparison.
But even with an older phone (my BlackJack) it is super easy to point out that the iPhone is more of a shower than a performer. Eating with friends, we need the phone number of a nearby business. iPhone vs. BlackJack; BlackJack finds search results in Google Maps and Windows Live Search before the iPhone can even return results in Google Maps. But at least you can drag the map around with your fingertips using the iPhone...

3G isn't useless, and it isn't a non-issue, I don't buy into paying $399 for a premium device that lacks a radio that's been available since 2004. If I had $400 to spend on a cell phone I'd get a Nokia N-series device without thinking twice about it. I also don't buy that it [3G] uses too much battery life; my BlackJack used to go for 3 days without a charge with the standard battery, even more with the extended. I do, however, buy, that 3G could have easily been worked into the iPhone, but then nobody would have a reason to buy an iPhone 2 now, would they? I was a huge iPod fanboy, it's extremely easy to see how Apple's business model is oriented. Sell them old features A+B now in Product 1G and make them pay more for mainstream feature C, that could have been easily put in Product 1G, and buy a Product 2G in a year.

Look at the HTC Tilt/AT&T 8925, BlackJack II, Motorola Q9h, etc. They all offer so much more for less than half the price. You might not want to admit it, but a large chunk of the cost of the iPhone goes toward being exclusive ("look at me I have an iPhone!" not pointing fingers, but everyone I know PERSONALLY that has one has that kind of personality) and the fact that it's a fashion statement. And while the BJ2 sure as hell isn't as much of a looker as the iPhone, IMO, it's still good looking for a smartphone.

As i stated earlier, for those who only need what the iPhone does - It is SUPERB.

What exactly does it do? I can see the media player advantage; it has 8 GB of memory. I personally have no use for that, I still carry a 30 GB iPod Video and still wish it had more space.

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: sniperruff

Originally posted by: akshatp
We have gone way off the original topic.

My original question was Why are they selling for so much on eBay when they are readily available at retail outlets for way less?

because activating the iphone requires a contract activation/extension, unless you unlock it illegally?

Once again, it does not

If you know every about the fucking phone then don't ask a question on here dammit! :|

 

[loup garou]

International users, it's cheaper to buy from US.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The camera sucks on it. Pictures we took came out like

http://a382.ac-images.myspacec...c509dcd219c9d09c0d.jpg

http://a639.ac-images.myspacec...5c860a7fa61a6c6bc6.jpg

http://a774.ac-images.myspacec...2097f90ed895ee46cd.jpg

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: AznAnarchy99
The camera sucks on it. Pictures we took came out like

http://a382.ac-images.myspacec...c509dcd219c9d09c0d.jpg

http://a639.ac-images.myspacec...5c860a7fa61a6c6bc6.jpg

http://a774.ac-images.myspacec...2097f90ed895ee46cd.jpg

Heh, those pictures look like some sort of dream sequence in a cheesy soap opera.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Here's my opinion on why they are so expensive on ebay.

1. some might come unlocked. For some people paying the extra $$$ is worth not having to unlock it yourself.

2. Anyone from anywhere in the world can buy stuff off ebay as long as the seller will ship it. Therefore someone from say Australia can go on ebay and buy an iPhone since the US Apple store wont sell them one and there is no where locally to buy them.

So I basically think the price hike is for international buyers. Anyone in America can go to the Apple store buy an iPhone, unlock it then turn around resell it for almost twice the price they paid. Simple way to make money.

 

[pm]

The main reason they are so expensive on Ebay is that nearly of all of themselling for a lot on there are either unlocked or pre-1.1.2 firmware release. All of the new iPhones in stores and at Apple.com are not currently able to be activated, jailbroken (3rd party apps), or unlocked. So, there's a premium being paid for older-firmware iPhones that can be unlocked, or ones that are already unlocked. In addition, none of the overseas iPhones (for example O2 in the UK) are unlockable either. So there's demand for something that is in fairly short supply - unlockable iPhones. Prices are also helped by the weakness in the US dollar - the iPhone in the US in current exchange rate prices is actually a bit of a deal over comparable overseas locked phones. The German unlocked 8GB iPhone is selling for 999 euros ($1400).

Unlocking cell phones for personal use is not illegal. http://www.copyright.gov/1201/ look at exemption #5 in the list.

iPhones do not require a contract when purchased - so you can walk into a store and walk out with one without signing up for a contract. You sign up for the contract when you connect it to a computer before trying to use it. http://www.apple.com/iphone/ge...tarted/activation.html

As far as whether the iPhone is a better phone than some other phone, it's all a matter of preference. For me, the selling point of the iPhone is the screen, and it's ability to surf the web with WiFi and the fact that hackers unlocked it, and that I managed to get a discount on mine ($254 for 4GB - friend works for Apple). It is not my ideal cell phone - there's a lot of things about it that I don't like - but I love Google Maps (particularly with Navizon GPS, a 3rd party iPhone app), I love being able to read the real NY Times web page, and I like watching movies on it. Beyond that... it's actually not that great of a cell phone. The voice quality on it is middling, the reception is worse than my old Nokia, it's Bluetooth support is lacking, etc. But as a portable media and web surfing device that can act as a cell phone, it's pretty good. Even it's not someone's personal choice, then I think objectively anyone can look at one and say that's it's pretty neat for what it is. Business travellers are likely far better off with a Blackberry or Treo, but if you are watching a movie - for example on a train into work - are bored waiting in a doctors office or something, then that big screen is pretty nice.

 

[akshatp]

Thanks for all the replies... I guess now I kind of understand.. Looks like int'l buyers and the 1.1.1 firmware phones driving up the price.

 

[intogamer]

They are hard to get some-what. You are required to pay by debit/credit card and your name is kept on records.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Who the hell would pay $399 (or $550+ on eBay for that matter) for a phone with no: MMS, video, 3G, GPS, open operating system, and software that is constantly updated to lock you out? Stupid people, that's who. Put down the Steve Jobs Kool-Aid, the iPhone is an overpriced iPOS. I could have bought one, but I paid $150 for a REAL Smartphone, bought a BlackJack II, and saved the other $250.

not sure what you mean about "constantly updated" the phone has had 2 updates since it came out. I don't believe it was released to "lock you out" if that was the reason we'd see a pointless firmware update everytime a hacker releases a new Jailbreak, 1.1.2 was Jailbroke 2 days after the update.

You said a WM device is a REAL Smartphone haha get real, I have a Q which is basically the same as ever WM device. Boring ass device, sure it has 3g but the web browser on it sucks so bad it's not even funny. What's the point of internet if it sucks? Besides e-mail of course, but you can do e-mail on EDGE or some other slow non 3g network. I am not a fan of iPhones but I like them better then my WM5 device, I don't even watch to touch the new WM6, Microsoft has a lot of work to do to make it a "smart" OS. I had to install 4 applications right off the bat to make my "smart" phone have basic features almost every non smart phone I've owned had. Such as multiple/configurable alarms. What? WM's default is ONE alarm? no weekday only settings? No mp3 for alarm setting? I can only set time? lovely. Just one of the many un smart features of my so called smart phone *rolls eyes*

I like speed, but I would take a full blown web browser over speed ANY DAY. And I doubt WM will ever have that, well maybe version 10 but by then Apple will have an iPhone with 3g that will totally slaughter anything Microsoft can come up with.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: intogamer
They are hard to get some-what. You are required to pay by debit/credit card and your name is kept on records.

get a debit gift card, no name on file I'm sure it will work. And people who are paranoid that Apple or AT&T is gonna try and track you problem solved.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. iPhones are still $399 from Apple and are always in stock
2. Buying an iPhone does not require activation or signing a contract
3. Unlocking it is technically not illegal since all cell phones are required to be unlockable

Which is why I asked the question in the first place

:laugh:

 

[goog40]

I'm also seeing a lot of auctions for the brand new 1.1.2 firmware phones, which can't be unlocked right now, ending for ridiculous prices. Those auctions, I don't understand.