With a number of retailers and carriers beginning to drop prices on the iPhone as the introduction of Apple's next-generation hardware approaches, Apple has officially continued to maintain standard on-contract pricing of $199/$299/$399 for the iPhone 4S, $99 for the iPhone 4, and free for the iPhone 3GS. But a source has now revealed to MacRumors that Apple's retail stores have been given authorization to match these discounted prices from approved major retailers and carriers. In all cases, Apple will discount iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 models by $49.01 upon request to bring pricing down to $349.99/$249.99/$149.99 for the iPhone 4S and $49.99 for the iPhone 4. As with most price matching offers, consumers will likely need to cite the source offering the lower pricing in order for Apple to honor the price match. Notably, the price matching policy applies only to Apple's retail stores and is not available for orders through the online store. Article Link: Apple Retail Stores Begin Price Matching iPhone Discounts from Carriers and Major Retailers
Apple has been price matching for awhile. But only brick and mortar offers on exactly the same specs and time period in the same area. So I can't bring an offer from Sprint that is only good in Chicago to an Los Angeles store to get $50 off a Verizon store. And you either have to bring in dated proof or they will have to verify the offer from the source
Send a letter to Al Franken. He seems hip to cell carrier games. I'd start with the EFF reductions and how we don't get a discount after we finish our 24 months.Then hit text message plans and work down the list
My guess is that they want to keep this as restricted as possible. Part of Apple's success to date is that they haven't gotten caught in the race to the bottom on pricing. They haven't matched Best Buy's relatively small discounts on Macs, for instance, and they aren't likely to do so. With the iPhone, everyone paying attention knows a new one is coming out next month, and those who are really interested even have a pretty good idea of what it is going to look like. I can see Apple bending on this one. Some people just plain need a phone and can't wait the month or two until the new one becomes readily available. But they know the new one is coming and want that reflected in the price.
So you would like $480-720 discount on your cellular bills over the course of 2 years, but You still want an iPhone that has been subsidized by $450... Carriers aren't angels... but really... they need to make SOME money off of you.
except for the data, it's been the same for over a decade and the carriers have added more/unlimited minutes, texting, etc
well .....good thing i bought my iphone 64gb 4s outright at 799.00? LOL though im enjoying my 23 dollar monthly bill
Wouldn't they be advertising these prices if they really cared? They are price-matching, not lowering the price. You have to ask for the lower price and cite a competitor that has it. When I see Apple doing an advertised discount then I will know that they are trying to compete on price. Honestly, I think discounting the iPhone in an advertised "back-to-school" promotion would be brilliant timing if they keep to the September launch schedule annually.
Hah! Sure. It must be all of the Windows phone competition! Huge sales figures. Plus 3.2% market share and Devs leaving the market So Somehow I don't think Apple is worried.