AT&T iPhone 3G Pricing Details:

[Sweetbike40]

i dont understand why everyone is all freaking out over the rate differences between this and the previous iPhone. looking at ATT normal, non-iPhone rate plans, this new iPhone rate plan falls exactly over what you would pay for a Palm or a Blackberry, G3 or not. same goes for the 200 text messages. the first iPhone had data service based off ATT media packages which was cheaper than the PDA packages. now we are based on the PDA packages. this is completely acceptable. why should iPhone users get to pay less per month than other cell phones from ATT?

I totally agree with this. I was upset day one without a clue of the current rates for 3G phones. The iPhone plan is the same as any other. The only difference i see so far is that apparently you don't have the option to cancel the data plan at any time.

 

[Donz0r]

20¢ is twenty cents
0.20¢ is one twentieth of a cent
$20 is twenty dollars
$0.20 is one twentieth of a dollar

20¢ is twenty cents
0.20¢ is one fifthof a cent
$20 is twenty dollars
$0.20 is one fifthof a dollar

 

[abijnk]

do you have to activate an old iphone in store? what if i just lie and tell them i just got a hold of an old iphone and pay for the iphone data plan for 2 weeks. will i be able to get the 3g for 199?

You activate the old iPhones in iTunes, you just need to get a sim from AT&T.

I activated an iPhone on my account a week or so ago and am upgrade eligible. However, I started my current AT&T contract with an iPhone to begin with, so maybe that's why it worked for me...

 

[macduke]

Yay, so we have...

$299 - 16gb iPhone 3g
$69 x 24 - 450 + 5000nw monthly plan
$5 x 24 - 200 texts
$10 x 24 - taxes
$18 - activation fee
+ $99 x 2 - mobileMe
----------------------------
$2531 cost of ownership over 2 years for myself

Holy crap, I had no idea it was that much. I really didn't. This makes me the saddest boy in all the land. Although this is just an increase of $576. Throw another hundred bucks or so per year at the app store and holy crap thats a lot of money.

 

[Donz0r]

Blackberry has true push email...to date the iphone does not...I know it will, but nothing yet.

What about other smartphones/PDA's?
the plans are the same for any smartphone on ATT,
The plans are 10 more for any smartphone on verizon..

 

[mjerald]

That's what everyone here is complaining about. Read some of the posts.

Read them all, Thanks !!! It still doesn't say anywhere that you have to get a new family plan from your existing plan.
I've only seen where AT&T reps have said that, but how about you read back to page one and see updated info.

ALL Existing customers will be charged a $18 upgrade fee.

*Source*

Update 11:15A.M. from Corporate Representative:

If your a existing customer with a existing plan you will either replace or add on a iphone data plan for $30/month. However you will be required to have a CURRENT AT&T plan to be eligible for the $30/data add on rate.
__________________

 

[brewno]

Damn, why can't Canada have these prices?

 

[wildcardd]

Damn, why can't Canada have these prices?

LOL...See guys, it could be worse... we could live in Canada

 

[drchipinski]

What about other smartphones/PDA's?
the plans are the same for any smartphone on ATT,
The plans are 10 more for any smartphone on verizon..

I am pretty sure BlackBerry's data is different than their standard Data.

I am not going to have a p*ssing contest over who is better, VZW is by far the better in my area hands down.

I would have loved to upgrade to 3G, not for that much.

 

[PMB]

i hope that non subsidized iphone can be pay as you go....

 

[Jshwon]

Checked my upgrade eligibility and it said "This line is eligible for reduced equipment pricing when you sign up for a new 2-year service agreement.".

Does this mean I qualify for 199/299 pricing?

 

[diamond.g]

You people who think these prices are reasonable have been brainwashed by the carriers. $30 a month to be able to surf the web and send emails on a phone??? Might be worth it if I could hook it to my laptop- oh wait ATT won't let me.

But the most ridiculous thing is the text messaging. $5 - 30 to send crappy little text messages?! You are already paying for UNLIMITED data- this should be included. Yes, texts should be free. At the very least have free texting between AT&T customers.

First off, SMS isn't data. SMS is actually apart of the control band, which is technically voice. MMS on the other hand is voice and data as it sends you a SMS to let you know you have data that needs to be downloaded.
Second, you can tether, just not with the iPhone (as of right now blame Apple) you just can't let AT&T catch you.

do you have to activate an old iphone in store? what if i just lie and tell them i just got a hold of an old iphone and pay for the iphone data plan for 2 weeks. will i be able to get the 3g for 199?

You will have to activate it at home. I think doing this after July 11 will not allow you to upgrade to a 3G iPhone for the reduced price. You would have to pay the 399/499 price.

 

[drb6]

I lost the post...about the guy from the Northeast with AT&T, but yeah I used to live in New england and all I heard was how bad the AT&T service was with the main complaint being droppage of calls. But I'm down in new york now and their service is quite good, actually better than Tmobile which is quite good up around boston.

Anyway, the point being. It completely depends where you are. AT&T prices are usually comparable to Verizon's with the former being more expensive a lot of the times...with these prices I think AT&T is on par now, but Verizon does have better coverage and service etc but have butt ugly phones and a terribly disconcerting corporate morale. But I think we're expecting too much, so when Steve Jobs says no one would have to pay more than the 199/299, it may have been too much to expect that it was a straightforward statement. But its a little overdramatic to cry foul and call him a fraud and a liar.

We live in a country where prominent public figures, presidential nominees say one thing one day and completely reject it the next while watching a video of themselves saying the former thing.

 

[germ war]

I love my iPhone. It does a lot of things better than my Blackberry did, but not everything.

One thing that was better about my Blackberry? My plan with T-Mobile.

I paid $60/mo. for unlimited data and unlimited text messaging, with 1000 anytime minutes a month. That was pretty much the sweet spot for me. I don't talk on the phone much, and I text and use data a lot.

I knew $60/mo. for the original iPhone, with only 200 text messages, was going to cost me more in the long run - and it has. I've since upgraded to the unlimited text messaging plan, and am now paying around $85/mo. for my cell phone service (versus $65 or so previously).

This is the most I will pay. I will not be upgrading. And I will be hoping for a time when Apple will have its phone available on other carriers for more reasonable rates so that I will have the opportunity to enjoy their updated phones in the future. Now, however, I will remain satisfied with my purchase from a year ago.

 

[mac.life]

Can't Buy iPhones fro Family Plan Unless ALL standing in Line!

Again, Just got off the line with AT&T....

READ the "iReady" PDF from AT&T...

It's right there and the AT&T rep on the phone confirmed:
You may purchase 1 iPhone per person in line."

SO, You Cannot buy your "Family Plan" iPhones until you can ALL go in TOGETHER!

I guess I'll be checking with the Apple store to see if I can buy my 2 iphones for the Family Plan there.

The AT&T Rep did say I could buy '1 iphone at each store' (whether multiple AT&T or Apple stores and then 'easily' combine the two into a family plan without any penalties. (but lots of hassle!)

-----------
Late breaking additional News (I was actually on hold waiting more answers):

Someone Earlier in This Thread said "There's an unpublished m2m $5 / month text plan you just have to call and ask for."
WAS TRUE, NO LONGER TRUE.

She said that was available in 2007 (no longer), but that if you had it, you were allowed to keep it (that's why some still have it). Not available and not for the iPhone 3G

 

[HLdan]

I have a hard time believing that demand is that high.

After hundreds of posts so far on this subject of people asking pricing questions (most of which are asking about buying the new iPhone) I can't see why you don't see the high demand?

 

[Donz0r]

I am pretty sure BlackBerry's data is different than their standard Data.

I am not going to have a p*ssing contest over who is better, VZW is by far the better in my area hands down.

I would have loved to upgrade to 3G, not for that much.

You're Pretty sure? Why don't you go to the ATT and Verizon sites, and take 2 minutes to check this before posting?
They are the same, blackberry and smartphone/pda have the same pricing, and now the iPhone does too. They're not all grouped together (there's different webpages detailing the prices for the different devices), but the prices are the same.

 

[nemaslov]

Yay, so we have...

$299 - 16gb iPhone 3g
$69 x 24 - 450 + 5000nw monthly plan
$5 x 24 - 200 texts
$10 x 24 - taxes
$18 - activation fee
+ $99 x 2 - mobileMe
----------------------------

$2531 cost of ownership over 2 years for myself

Holy crap, I had no idea it was that much. I really didn't. This makes me the saddest boy in all the land. Although this is just an increase of $576. Throw another hundred bucks or so per year at the app store and holy crap thats a lot of money.

My first new car was a Ford Pinto It cost me $2600. Brand New!!!

 

[_Refurbished_]

The TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP cost more.

The PHONE does not. Price of the phone only was cut in half.

Get it through your friggin' head already.

The phone costs more, whether you pay now...or pay later....it's still more expensive than a 1st Gen iPhone. That's the only thing we need to get in our heads.

Jobs specifically stated that he wanted to make the iPhone more affordable. He did not. He lied. Great business move Jobsy, but a little sleazy for me. Had he not spat on stage for 5 minutes about how cheap the new iPhone was going to be, I wouldn't be so annoyed.

Jobs is going to fool all the sheeple into thinking they can now afford an iPhone. In the long run, they get f'ed over due to higher monthly charges. They are, however, paying for a better (3G / GPS) service. I gotta handle it to Apple.

Personally, I don't think ATT's iPhone's plan is that outrageous compared to other plans (Blackberry). I do wish they had included SOME texts though. Even 100 would have been nice. Including nothing, after giving away 200 the first time around, is a tad f'ed up.

I'm going to get a 3G iPhone, but I'm disappointed how Apple handled the iPhone this year. I expect this stuff from ATT, but I don't like how Apple is trying going along with shady business tactics and trying to fool new customers into thinking the iPhone is cheaper to obtain and operate.

 

[TMacken]

Are the current iPhone owners, that are getting the ineligible to upgrade message, people that purchased a phone to sell, right before they bought their iPhone? I considered that, to cut down on my cost, but decided not to deal with the hassle. Glad I did, because the website says I'm elligible.

 

[kvasir]

Read them all, Thanks !!! It still doesn't say anywhere that you have to get a new family plan from your existing plan.
I've only seen where AT&T reps have said that, but how about you read back to page one and see updated info.

ALL Existing customers will be charged a $18 upgrade fee.

*Source*

Update 11:15A.M. from Corporate Representative:

If your a existing customer with a existing plan you will either replace or add on a iphone data plan for $30/month. However you will be required to have a CURRENT AT&T plan to be eligible for the $30/data add on rate.
__________________

You're barking up the wrong tree here bud, I totally agree with you.

Read posts 237, 356, 399. Perhaps I'm daft, but I think they're saying that you'll have to upgrade to a new plan.

Again, I don't disagree with you at all, I just wondered why people thought you had to upgrade your plan instead of tacking on the $30 data plan.

 

[Enuratique]

regarding unsubsidized prices

I know they said the info is coming soon, but I wonder what kind of strings are attached to the unsubsidized price.

I fully intend on getting the 3G iPhone. I have planned on getting once since v1. My biggest hang up with the subsidized pricing plan is the requirement to get the unlimited data plan for smartphones. For starters, I don't live in an area with 3G coverage. Secondly, I don't see myself in too many situations where I don't have access to wifi and I still need to look something up. So to spend $30 a month for a resource I would rarely use just doesn't make financial sense. Fortunately my frugality can beat my technolust into submission.

I would like to think "no-commitment" would extend into plan additions. For me, the ideal situation would be to use the iPhone under normal use cases, paying for data a la carte (ouch, they really nickel and dime you to death) to see what my average data usage is per month and evaluate whether their MEdia Net Unlimited for $15 would be more beneficial to me. My gut tells me that since the iPhone is classified as a PDA, I won't be able to attach the MEdia Net Ulimited plan to it, but instead must use their MEdia Max Unlimited plan for $35 (unlimited data + text) which defeats the purpose entirely.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? My gut tells me that on average, I won't use $30 worth of data per month, so I would be best off just paying a la carte until that monthly average exceeds $30.

 

[Teh Don Ditty]

The phone costs more, whether you pay now...or pay later....it's still more expensive than a 1st Gen Iphone. That's the only thing I need we need to get in our heads.

Jobs specifically stated that he wanted to make the iPhone more affordable. He did not. He lied. Great business move Jobsy, but a little sleazy for me.

Jobs is going to fool all the sheeple into thinking they can now afford an iPhone. In the long run, they get f'ed over due to higher monthly charges. They are, however, paying for a better (3G / GPS) service.

Personally, I don't think ATT's iPhone's plan is that outrageous compared to other plans (Blackberry). I do wish they had included SOME texts though. Even 100 would have been nice. Including nothing, after giving away 200 the first time around, is f'ed up.

I'm going to get a 3G iPhone, but I'm disappointed how Apple handled the iPhone this year. I expect this stuff from ATT, but I don't like how Apple is trying going along with shady business tactics and trying to fool new customers into thinking the iPhone is cheaper to obtain and operate.

He made the phone more affordable. Anything after that it's all AT&T. Apple doesn't get any money from the monthly plans anymore.

Stop blaming Jobs and Apple for the higher cost of the phone over the long haul.

Another thing (not directed at you), what is with people bitching about ZOMG111jasflkas the iPhone is gonna cost me X amount of dollars over the life of the contract? Honestly, like you didn't know that's how much you're paying out to AT&T?

 

[Mousse]

Studies have shown clearly that once you reach a level of income that allows you to be healthy and comfortable, any more money beyond that doesn't make you any happier. Studies have also shown that beyond the necessities like food and proper shelter, purchasing any items beyond that lead to no appreciable increase in overall happiness.

Spoken like an economist or an economics major. I question the marginal overall increase in happiness derived from surplus. Owning luxury items like DSLR and a lot of "L" lenses increased my overall happiness considerably. Photography is only a hobby (an expensive hobby), but I derive a great deal of pleasure from it. So would a hobby be considered a necessity according to that study?

Owning an iPhone wouldn't increase my overall happiness though. I hate phones. The only reason I have a cell phone is so my wife can keep tabs on me.

 

[Sweetbike40]

What is a FAN discount?

If you truly LOVE and SUPPORT AT&T.