Apple to Cut iPhone 3GS Price to Free With Next Update?

The real cost of an iPhone is the data plan.

So why should I want a phone, that, while pretty, is also pretty much outdated?
 
An iPhone 3GS for FREE!!!! I'll take one!

Oh. I would be tied to a two year old contract with an already outdated phone?

No thanks.



One thing matters, and one thing only, the total cost during the contract period.

Either people are ignorant and can't understand that, or they aren't and are hoping for ignorant people to not understand.
 
Laugh all you want now. We will be the ones laughing as the new iPhone gets released in the US first, probably several months before your country. Or as EVERY device/service Apple makes get released in the US before it makes it to your country - if it ever even does.

Or you could not be all smug about it....

Also, I would buy one of these for my wife. She is still on a 3G and doesn't really mind it, but she is not eligible for an upgrade as I used her's when I lost my first iPhone 4. So if I could get a $349 or $399 no committment 3GS for her I would. The wireless syncing and OTA software updates are the features she really needs from iOS 5.

You are dead wrong, europe is light speed ahead od us. Don't hate em, we should rather force congress not to allow the AT&T / t-mobile merger. Otherwise 70% of cellphones in the US are stuck with At&t. More competition would allow us to buy an iPhone for 1 dollar too. It's that republican thinking that screws with our pockets.
 
lol america

i can already get the iPhone 4 for free with a 2 year contract


Yes, because your government masters have created laws that force the issue on the carriers there. Unfortunately for us Americans we have to pay more then we would other wise to subsidize you all. Ah yes, socialism at its finest....

The capable support the inept.
 
Yes, because your government masters have created laws that force the issue on the carriers there. Unfortunately for us Americans we have to pay more then we would other wise to subsidize you all. Ah yes, socialism at its finest....

The capable support the inept.

no its not. Europe started back in 1994 with small and cheaper cellphones and text (SMS) messages. We are unfortunately behind the eight ball. I am sure soon the carriers will drop prices if more competition arrives. I do hope T-Mobile get's the iphone 5. Because that $79 plan (unlimited) looks much better than the $120 from ATT. Remember a country like Germany has 5-6 carriers. We should have on the east coast 5-6 alone.
 
Yes, because your government masters have created laws that force the issue on the carriers there. Unfortunately for us Americans we have to pay more then we would other wise to subsidize you all. Ah yes, socialism at its finest....

The capable support the inept.

Yeah, go on blame it on Europe the fact that the leaders of your nation are a bunch of cheaters and liars.

Break up monopolies like Bell System (AT&T) only to have them reunite again to screw customers over. What a joke of a system.

So go on ignore your problems while you blame others. Doesn't solve anything but it's easier that way.

Oh and thanks for ruining the global economy with your toxic investments and subprime mortgages.
 
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Yes, because your government masters have created laws that force the issue on the carriers there. Unfortunately for us Americans we have to pay more then we would other wise to subsidize you all. Ah yes, socialism at its finest....

The capable support the inept.

Could you please explain how American wireless providers are subsidizing European wireless providers? AFAIK, the only Euro carrier with any presence in the US is T-Mobile which is about to be swallowed up by monopolistic ATT.

Europe was very fortunate in that they established GSM as a Euro wide standard. The US with its capitalistic blinders, allowed multiple standards to operate, therefore balkanizing the system so thoroughly that the providers spend enormous sums duplicating services which of course the US consumer has to pay for. Europe also encourages innovation by not locking phones to providers. 4G penetration is light years ahead in Europe and will be for a decade to come.

All American consumers are doing is fattening the pockets of ATT and Verizon.
 
I would, if it were cheap enough. And since my budget is different than yours, what is cheap for me may not be cheap for you.

Also, if there's a way to upgrade the security features of the OS, then along with the cheap price, I don't mind having something a few generations old.


Really? Is anyone going to get a phone that is soon to be 3 generations old?

My 3GS is getting tired and i'm sure iOS 5 isn't going to help. I can't wait to palm it off on the sister-in-law.
 
Really? Is anyone going to get a phone that is soon to be 3 generations old?

My 3GS is getting tired and i'm sure iOS 5 isn't going to help. I can't wait to palm it off on the sister-in-law.

I work with a fellow who has a 3GS and has iOS 5 installed on it. The result? It's faster and he now has more free space available on the phone. :)
 
Yeah, go on blame it on Europe the fact that the leaders of your nation are a bunch of cheaters and liars.

Break up monopolies like Bell System (AT&T) only to have them reunite again to screw customers over. What a joke of a system.

So go on ignore your problems while you blame others. Doesn't solve anything but it's easier that way.

Oh and thanks for ruining the global economy with your toxic investments and subprime mortgages.

Yeah, European union... nobody got screwed in THAT deal now did they? :D
 
Right, enough of the US vs European "we invented what" arguments ...

Or us Scots will take back the TV, the telephone, and Penicillin. :rolleyes:
 
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Not sure about Australia, but its my understanding large parts of your country are very sparsely populated. Are these areas covered by cell towers?

99% of the population is covered by the Telstra Next G Network (UMTS 850) . That is 2.1 Million Square kilometers. This Network also supports speeds up to 42 Mbits per second in capital cities and speeds up to 8 Mbits per second in other areas. And Lte is starting to be turned on.

I love how there is heaps more 3G coverage than 2G(96% Population)

The nearest competitor in coverage is optus with it's dual band 900 / 2100 MHz UMTS network which covers 97.3 % of the population with 750,000km2 of land coverage.

And the crapiest company vodaphone only has 94% population coverage with their crappy 3G network
 
I think this will be a great move. The iPhone 3GS is just as fast as the 4, and i think it will last just as long. But it feels inferior: worse materials, worse display, no FaceTime, worse camera, etc. But you can still enjoy a zippy system, iCloud, iMessage, and the awesome Apple app base. I think it will be well placed at half the price of the iPhone 5 unlocked... 599€ vs 299€ feels right. You could get a Galaxy S for that much, but the average customer will still get the 3GS over the Android.
 
http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-benefits-from-the-eurozone-2011-4

Germany has profited immensely with Europe and the Euro, for a variety of reasons including those in that article, plus other things like easy access to cheap labor. Their banks would also stand to be the biggest losers if any any country in the Eurozone would default, that's why they are joining the bailout.

That article is about the most funny thing i read all week, thanks for that.

The main difference between Germany and the larger portion oif the european union is that it's export focus is not within the union but with asia and this trend is increasing. (rise in exports/imports from 09 to 10 within union 10,94%/10,25%, Asia 36,35%/31,95%, Rest of the world 17,69%/12,83%)

Adding to this that the average cost per hour of labor is the second highest in the union (35,60 €, Union Average 28,90 € and Greece only 13,80€) but the cost of production has only rise by 7% (lowest in union, average 20% !!!) you get the picture that they have done everything to get more competitive.

Now the real problem is that those nations that are not as competitive always had the chance to just drop the value of thheir own currecy to be more competitive on the global market. The euro has taken away this option and the other countrys have to compete on even terms with germany.

To quote french Christine Lagarde:
„Clearly Germany has done an awfully good job in the last 10 years or so, improving competitiveness, putting very high pressure on its labour costs. When you look at unit labour costs to Germany, they have done a tremendous job in that respect. I‘m not sure it is sustainable model for the long term and for the whole of the group.
Clearly we need better convergence.“ (Interview in Financial Times 14.03.2010)

To sum this up let's quote Futurama:
Hermes: We can't compete with Mom! Her company is big and evil! Ours is small and neutral!
That Guy: Switzerland is small and neutral! We're more like Germany, ambitious and misunderstood!
Amy: Look, everyone wants to be like Germany, but do we really have the pure strength of will?

Data Source (in german) http://www.bonner-unternehmertage.de/downloads/3-29-116/8%20Aktuelles%20zur%20Finanz-%20und%20Wirtschaftslage.pdf
 
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