Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple to Allow iPhone Subsidies?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I know of a few people who did this; they just bought a cheap AT&T phone without a SIM card and stuck their own SIM card in it. They'll use that until they get the new iPhone.
I don't see how this helps Apple or ATT unless the new IPhone will come in an unlocked variety . .otherwise why offer and rebate or subsidy? If you want a legit IPhone and it is locked, you have to go to ATT anyway at whatever the price is. . .AND sign a two year contract. Why give a subsidy for something you have no choice about?
I could see this scenario:
Option 1 - pay full price at apple (say $499) for an unlocked IPhone
Option 2 - pay full price at apple or att for an unlocked IPhone and get a $200 rebate if you activate (and lock) it to ATT for two year
What am I missing here re the subsidy?
I could see this scenario:
Option 1 - pay full price at apple (say $499) for an unlocked IPhone
Option 2 - pay full price at apple or att for an unlocked IPhone and get a $200 rebate if you activate (and lock) it to ATT for two year
What am I missing here re the subsidy?
OK, so I buy someone a iPhone as a gift... I have to pay a full $400 and then they get $200 back after they activate it???
i still think its gonna be like that
the more expensive plan u describe to the less expensive will be the iPhone itself. That's how all the phones with contract are being sold in germany. Like i got my old Nokia N80 for 99 $ and a 20 $ plan but if i would have taken a 50 $ plan the phone itself would have been 1 $
anyone who bought the current iphone is still eligible to receive any subsidy! this is because you didn't get a subsidy on your last phone so that subsidy is still available on your account! go to your wireless.att.com page and hit the check for upgrade button and you'll see that you can get the upgrade at the subsidized price, you'll just have to renew your contract
At least you guys don't have to deal with 3 year contracts and limited data plans that still cost an arm & a leg.
Waait. I'm kinda confused. When I read the article it said "carriers". Does this mean the iPhone will be on multiple carriers(in the US) or it meant the current carriers around the world? Because I'm also confused if the current iPhone has to stay with AT&T or if all the iPhones in the next four years have to stay with AT&T?
Hurray!
If the new iPhone is indeed unlocked as sold by Apple for $400 or even $500, its a bargain rather than paying more with AT&T (Deathstar company).
Right now I have 2 - 16GB iPhones with T-Mobile and my bill is less than $81/month including taxes. I get faster Edge data rates at 120 KB/s, 1000 minutes anytime, and weekends + evenings free.
If the new iPhone is indeed unlocked as sold by Apple for $400 or even $500, its a bargain rather than paying more with AT&T (Deathstar company).
Right now I have 2 - 16GB iPhones with T-Mobile and my bill is less than $81/month including taxes. I get faster Edge data rates at 120 KB/s, 1000 minutes anytime, and weekends + evenings free.
Well lets be realistic though. $200 store credit would be about 3 or 4 months of free service. Which is still a good deal. If you don't want it that way then just get it at the AT&T store.
Which news site?
PAYG would be well good. Means I dont have to find one unlocked. Plus it would be safer too
I thought an iPhone would make a great Father's Day gift, but if the subsidy with a contract is $200, that's only $8.33 / month over a 24-month period. Meanwhile, both of my parents are on a really old (think BellSouth Mobility) plan that provides somewhere between 50 and 100 minutes a month (and they tend to use maybe only five to twenty minutes of them) for only $20 / month. Spending an extra $40 / month over a 24-month period would result in almost $1,000 (probably over that with taxes) in extra plan charges for one phone. Wow, what a deal. 