AT&T iPhone Q&A for Employees

[MacRumors]

Engadget mobile posts an internal AT&T employee Q&A document on Apple's upcoming iPhone.

The document essentially rehashes known information but the highlights includes:

•*Availability June 2007
• 4GB $499, 8GB $599.
• Available in Cingular company-owned retail stores, direct mail, Apple stores, and Apple.com
• "No subsidies are being offered on the phone at this time"
• Access to Cingular's MyAccount via the device and the iTunes site.
• Rate plans will be detailed closer to launch

[atari1356]

Nothing new there, but good to know it's still on target for June.

[papaburgundy]

you can access itunes?

[shecky]

Originally Posted by papaburgundy

you can access itunes?

you administer and sync the iphone thru itunes the same way you administer and sync an ipod thru itunes.

[LillieDesigns]

I hate when I already know "breaking news."

[craigverse]

Access to the iTunes site? The iTunes site is the iTunes store. It's not as if you'd have access just to see what you can't buy... right?

Nevermind, I missread it. You can access your cingular bill info through iTunes running on your computer. That sounds like a good thing though. Yay.

[papaburgundy]

just misread it, thanks.

[mikeinternet]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

• Access to Cingular's MyAccount via the device and the iTunes site.

that doesn't mean you can pay your bill through itunes? does it?

[05elstonc]

Some people may disagree, but no subsides is fantastic news. I am sure cingular wanted to subsidize the hell out of the phone in order to push more units up front and therefore reduce the bargaining power of Apple on affordable and fair Voice and Data plans.Furthermore this is the real cost of the hardware + Apple's 20-30% margins. This is amazing! So much technology in $500 and $600 .5" package. Not $1k+ that many people originally thought. Now Apple can make price cuts whenever they want without consulting with Cingular. Now that Apple has put a stake in the ground about retail pricing they can demand that cingular make a fair and streamlined Voice+Data system.

Also being able to manage my cingular account through iTunes is great news, this means Apple will have an impact on the steps and we should see a MUCH improved system to sign up for service for a phone purchased in an Apple Store on through Apple.com.

[runplaysleeprun]

Ah, I made a post about this and was beaten by 2 minutes. bummer.

[PlaceofDis]

i guess its good to know that nothing's really changed so far.
and as we get closer to launch i'm guessing we'll be hearing more and more details from things like this. since they're going to need/want the employees up to speed on the device once its released.

[Sandfleaz]

No subsidies, thats good for Apple stockholders!

[05elstonc]

Originally Posted by Sandfleaz

No subsidies, thats good for Apple stockholders!

How so? Either the consumer pays the full price or AT&T pays full price. The only way would be if Apple gave cingular a discount for buying in bulk.

[bidwalj]

agree.....this is great news for people already on contract. wont have to deal with cingular to get this phone. also, it makes more sense for people signing up for new service to get a subsidized phone now and sell it to purchase the iphone. atleast that way you get some kind of price break.

Originally Posted by 05elstonc

Some people may disagree, but no subsides is fantastic news. I am sure cingular wanted to subsidize the hell out of the phone in order to push more units up front and therefore reduce the bargaining power of Apple on affordable and fair Voice and Data plans.Furthermore this is the real cost of the hardware + Apple's 20-30% margins. This is amazing! So much technology in $500 and $600 .5" package. Not $1k+ that many people originally thought. Now Apple can make price cuts whenever they want without consulting with Cingular. Now that Apple has put a stake in the ground about retail pricing they can demand that cingular make a fair and streamlined Voice+Data system.

Also being able to manage my cingular account through iTunes is great news, this means Apple will have an impact on the steps and we should see a MUCH improved system to sign up for service for a phone purchased in an Apple Store on through Apple.com.

[05elstonc]

Originally Posted by bidwalj

agree.....this is great news for people already on contract. wont have to deal with cingular to get this phone. also, it makes more sense for people signing up for new service to get a subsidized phone now and sell it to purchase the iphone. atleast that way you get some kind of price break.

Right! There has to be a benefit for consumers if they are required to sign a 2 year contract. Without a subsidy as bait cingular needs to give something. I am sure Steve is pushing as hard as he can, he has upheld his end of the bargain, an amazing phone, now cingular needs to pony up the goods.

[BlakTornado]

Still no news on when it will be released anywhere else in the world =\

[GanleyBurger]

www.IphoneRumors.com

[Cygnus311]

and everyone thought the PS3 was priced too high at these prices...

[Egomaniac]

Originally Posted by 05elstonc

How so? Either the consumer pays the full price or AT&T pays full price. The only way would be if Apple gave cingular a discount for buying in bulk.

The question is "What is the total price of phone + 2 years of service?". Historically, the phones have been dirt cheap (sold at a loss), with the hardware loss recovered via locking people into astronomically high rate plans. Because every carrier is using that strategy, and consumers are usually incapable of thinking more than a month ahead, they don't realize the extent to which they are being raped. For instance Cingular's current unlimited data plan is something like $60 / month, on top of the already-expensive voice service. When I found that out, I started second-guessing the idea of getting an iPhone.

But from this email, it sounds like Cingular may be introducing new plans specifically for the iPhone. This can only be a good thing -- it sounds like you might pay more up-front for the iPhone, but get cheaper service plans. In the long run, this could potentially yield a much cheaper phone than the competition.

I for one am completely willing to fork over $600 for a phone, if the monthly charges are lower. I'm tired of the current "free phone, but $120 / month for the service you need!" crap. This is especially true of Cingular's data service, which is abolutely ridiculous -- I used to have unlimited data access for $20 / month, so Cingular's prices are astronomical. And, of course, it wouldn't make sense to have an iPhone and not get data service... here's hoping they do something more sensible with the price.

[05elstonc]

Originally Posted by Egomaniac

But from this email, it sounds like Cingular may be introducing new plans specifically for the iPhone. This can only be a good thing -- it sounds like you might pay more up-front for the iPhone, but get cheaper service plans.

I for one am completely willing to fork over $600 for a phone, if the monthly charges are lower. I'm tired of the current "free phone, but $120 / month for the service you need!" crap. This is especially true of Cingular's data service, which is abolutely ridiculous -- I used to have unlimited data access for $20 / month, so Cingular's prices are astronomical. And, of course, it wouldn't make sense to have an iPhone and not get data service... here's hoping they do something more sensible with the price.

I agree completely, that is news indicates that Cingular is reconsidering its data and voice plans and may be willing to be the low cost leader in the industry in order to drive consumers to Cingular for good. $20 for unlimited Data seems like a great place to start.

[twoodcc]

Originally Posted by atari1356

Nothing new there, but good to know it's still on target for June.

i agree. hopefully more info will be available closer to launch

[richard4339]

The data plans are horrific on any carrier... Verizon wants more per month for data than I pay for 3 lines of service! And Cingular is more expensive than Verizon.

My contract with Verizon is up in June, and I was seriously considering an iPhone... its still the same up-front cost as the Treo 700 would be for me (which I was leaning towards before the iPhone) with a new contract. The thing is, I don't know if I want to deal with Cingular...

[05elstonc]

They just announced a new NYC store that will be in the Meat Packing District. WOW 3 apple stores in NYC is pretty amazing.

[Darkroom]

• Access to Cingular's MyAccount via the device and the iTunes site.

i wasn't aware that you could access the iTunes website with the iPhone... that's pretty groovalicious...

[jblodgett]

Originally Posted by Egomaniac

The question is "What is the total price of phone + 2 years of service?". Historically, the phones have been dirt cheap (sold at a loss), with the hardware loss recovered via locking people into astronomically high rate plans. Because every carrier is using that strategy, and consumers are usually incapable of thinking more than a month ahead, they don't realize the extent to which they are being raped. For instance Cingular's current unlimited data plan is something like $60 / month, on top of the already-expensive voice service. When I found that out, I started second-guessing the idea of getting an iPhone.

But from this email, it sounds like Cingular may be introducing new plans specifically for the iPhone. This can only be a good thing -- it sounds like you might pay more up-front for the iPhone, but get cheaper service plans. In the long run, this could potentially yield a much cheaper phone than the competition.

I for one am completely willing to fork over $600 for a phone, if the monthly charges are lower. I'm tired of the current "free phone, but $120 / month for the service you need!" crap. This is especially true of Cingular's data service, which is abolutely ridiculous -- I used to have unlimited data access for $20 / month, so Cingular's prices are astronomical. And, of course, it wouldn't make sense to have an iPhone and not get data service... here's hoping they do something more sensible with the price.

A year ago, when I bought my cingular 8125, the phone itself was $299 -- and by buying it at the same time I signed up for a 2-year plan, I got a $50 rebate. By also agreeing to sign up for the cingular data plan at $39.99 a month- I got another $50 rebate.

Are you interpreting this to mean that any joe blow can log into the Apple store and buy an iPhone? i.e. -- even as a current cingular customer with over a year left on my plan- I could buy an iPhone and switch to it as my main cell?

I am not sure I have seen anyone confirm that - and I don't quite interpret this information that way. I suspect a person who buys the iPhone will still have to buy a 2-year plan from Cingular.