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AT&T to Quietly Offer Refurbished iPhone 3GS Models to GoPhone Customers

arkmannj

arkmannj

macrumors 68000
Oct 1, 2003
1,728
513
UT
So,
My soon to be wife has her contract (with another carrier) coming up this month. and we were thinking of moving her to my plan (with ATT) but with the iPhone 5s/5c/6 so close to being released (at least in theory) we didn't want to get her a new phone on contract yet. Would it be worth it to pull out my old iPhone 3Gs and attach a GoPhone plan to it until the new phones are released?

thoughts?

Also, the prices of the GoPhone plans seem almost as good if not better than my 2 year contract rates am I missing something?
 
Westside guy

Westside guy

macrumors 603
Oct 15, 2003
6,339
4,156
The soggy side of the Pacific NW
The 3GS is a good little phone - I was using one until recently (it replaced a lower-end Android phone). Really the only drawback was that the camera wasn't great... but it was at least adequate, and was still better than my Android phone's camera.
 
jmh600cbr

jmh600cbr

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2012
1,031
2,496
I'd be surprised if Apple accepts this in a US market. I say this because they are clearly moving towards a unified lightning cable. It unlikely they want to continue distributing 16 pin cables.
 
TheRainKing

TheRainKing

macrumors 6502a
Jun 11, 2012
999
535
shiseiryu1 said:
I hate to say it but the 3GS was one of the most comfortable phones to hold in your hand. The new iPhones are too angular and smooth. They fit awkward in my hand and slip out easily (when not in a case). Kinda miss the 3GS form factor and actually think the cheap iPhone5C will be better to hold than the fancy coming Gold iPhone.
Click to expand...

This.

3G and 3GS felt great to hold.

They need to explore curved designs again.
 
AppleMark

AppleMark

macrumors 6502a
Jun 17, 2009
852
200
The CCTV Capital of the World
Really?

Selling on a 'refurb' phone that is not really supported by Apple or dev's? Who would want that, surely customers in that budget would be better looking at a reasonable android alternative?

I still have my 3GS and it is an ok back-up phone and is a part time TomTom sat nav. Not good for much else if you want the latest features all current phones support.
 
K

Karma*Police

macrumors 68030
Jul 15, 2012
2,514
2,850
newdeal said:
there are way better android phones for way cheaper. Can't see any reason to buy this at this point when you could get a dual core android phone for under $200 brand new
Click to expand...

The problem is, it's still Android. Specs aren't everything. I have a quad core HTC that feels less responsive than the 3GS for some things and there is a steeper learning curve.
 
Plutonius

Plutonius

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2003
9,032
8,404
New Hampshire, USA
Mad Mac Maniac said:
Hmmm.... well if AT&T is aware of the iPhone 5C price point, I think this indicates the 5C will be more like $400+ rather than more like $300.

It doesn't really make sense to have a 4 year old iphone selling for... say $279 while having a brand new iPhone with signifcantly improved specs for like $300-$350. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

You are making the assumption that it will be sold in the US. It may be but the the reason Apple is making the 5C is for emerging markets.
 
Jessica Lares

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,056
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
jmh600cbr said:
I'd be surprised if Apple accepts this in a US market. I say this because they are clearly moving towards a unified lightning cable. It unlikely they want to continue distributing 16 pin cables.
Click to expand...

Apple will sell 16 pin cables for another 10 years. There's millions of them still in use with iPods and older iPhones and iPads.

AppleMark said:
Really?

Selling on a 'refurb' phone that is not really supported by Apple or dev's? Who would want that, surely customers in that budget would be better looking at a reasonable android alternative?

I still have my 3GS and it is an ok back-up phone and is a part time TomTom sat nav. Not good for much else if you want the latest features all current phones support.
Click to expand...

AT&T is not trying to get you a good deal. They're just trying to get smartphones into the hands of people who aren't willing to sign contracts, but might in the future. Yes, it's not the most current phone, but it fits in line with the rest of their other current GoPhone budget offerings.
 
C

cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,413
711
With Apple telling developers to make their apps iOS 7 compatible and with the iPhone 3GS not receiving iOS 7 this is a major issue. Apple needs to do something about this.
 
R

RedCroissant

Suspended
Aug 13, 2011
2,268
96
Why NOT the 3GS?

I can't believe that people here seem to think that simply because hardware and software are no longer supported and updatable that a device is therefore almost useless. If that were the case then many android phones are useless from the moment they are purchased.

The 3GS has a few advantages that still make owning one a good idea.

1. The iOS environment is still there and there are tons of apps that still run on the 3GS since it can support iOS 6(not fully, but enough).

2. If you're a price-conscious person that can do just fine with older hardware(like PPC Macs which I own) then the iPhone 3GS is the last iPhone that the platform can sync with.

3. The fact that it will be offered as a go-phone makes it even better for people that rely on WiFi primarily and use apps like Viber to connect with people. I was able to talk with my wife in Germany without incurring extra fees.

4. They still work wonderfully well.

5. The glass is much easier to replace on the 3GS than the iPhone 4+ because a cracked screen on a 4S would require a device replacement as opposed to simply getting a new screen(that took less than 30 minutes at an Apple store).

6. It's compatible with almost all the docks out there now(including the universal dock).

7. Can be used as an iPod and still used as an airplay device with an Apple TV.

If I could afford one now, I would buy one.
 
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
4,336
1,933
Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
MacRumors said:


The iPhone 3GS was originally released in 2009 and, notably, will not run the new iOS 7 when it's released this fall. For comparison, AT&T sells the refurbished iPhone 4 for $325, so the 3GS would presumably be offered for well under $300.

Apple discontinued the iPhone 3GS in September of last year when the iPhone 5 was introduced. The lack of support for Apple's latest iOS operating system is a concern, but the extremely price-conscious customers that would consider the 3GS could overlook that issue.

Article Link: AT&T to Quietly Offer Refurbished iPhone 3GS Models to GoPhone Customers​
Click to expand...


How many of these trade-ins do they still have floating around? It was a great phone, in it's time, but it's over four years old. Unless refurbished means a new shell, plus a new battery and warranty, and goes for $300 max, there's no point in getting one, unless you were indeed "extremely price-conscious".

For presumably an extra $100, or $150 tops, you might be able to get a spiffy, brand-spankin' new 5C soon.​
 
R

RedCroissant

Suspended
Aug 13, 2011
2,268
96
Diode said:
Price conscious and financial well being are not the same. For instance I could easily afford a BMW but choose to drive a Hyundai that's long been paid off.
Click to expand...

I think what people are also not thinking about is not only those that are being "price-conscious" but the fact that many people are being value-conscious as well. The 3GS is a great value as a go phone and even as a primary phone(which is how my wife is using her 3GS that was originally mine).
 
D

donnaw

macrumors 65816
Apr 19, 2011
1,134
6
Austin TX
macs4nw said:
How many of these trade-ins do they still have floating around? It was a great phone, in it's time, but it's over four years old. Unless refurbished means a new shell, plus a new battery and warranty, and goes for $300 max, there's no point in getting one, unless you were indeed "extremely price-conscious".

For presumably an extra $100, or $150 tops, you might be able to get a spiffy, brand-spankin' new 5C soon.
Click to expand...

There are other considerations. For instance, my husband works overseas. He is on a 10-3 rotation ( i.e., he works 10 weeks and then comes home for 3 weeks). We recently took him off our family plan. Why would I pay for a new contract and phone when he won't use it for most of the year. So I put him on a Go-Phone account. He actually uses an 8-year old Motorola flip phone and I add $25/30 days when he comes home.

The point being there is no contract. Even with minimal data (250mb) it's only $35/month. The term 'price consious' doesn't mean one can't afford it, just that they choose not to. There are actually a lot of folks who don't use much data and just want a nice phone but need a smart phone for the calendar, etc.

Do the math over a two year period.
 
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