AT&T iPhone 3G Pricing Details:

[abijnk]

so even if i get an old iphone for free i still have to terminate my contract and pay the ETF to get a contract for the old one? that doesnt make sense.

I might have missed something here, but if you are an existing AT&T customer and you get an "old" iPhone for free from a friend or whatever, then all you have to do is slap a valid AT&T sim into it, and activate it in iTunes. You don't have to cancel anything...

 

[gkarris]

What? Those prices are for *NEW* customers. If you're an existing customer your voice plan isn't going to change 1 lick - I believe arn addressed that somewhere in this insanely long thread. They are just going to up your data fee and your text messaging fee (depending on what you've got right now).

Hmm, I think the video I watched over at AT&T said that existing customers have to pick an iPhone 3G plan...

Have to watch it again....

 

[/dev/toaster]

Its funny ... when the prices for the original iPhone was announced people cried that they would rather have the initial price lower and "pay for it over time".

Now that they are doing this, people are crying. 3G costs more due to increased bandwidth usage, its simple.

 

[lokiju]

If it's just two people in the family plan it seems like it's cheaper to just get individual plans instead...

 

[ec51]

Wrong. New iPhones require a new plan, new two-year contract, at new plan rates.

Again, where does it say this?

Not that it means much, but I just spoke to THREE different At&t reps, including a manager and they said adding the new iPhone to family plan on the 2nd like will NOT effect my existing rate plan. This is how every other upgrade is done with At&t and it seems they are making the iPhone more and more like every other phone (i.e., data plans are the same as BB's now).

 

[jamesarm97]

I don't really mind the $10 dataplan increase, but the $15 for 1500 messages (no sms included) sucks. I am already paying for the 1500 messages for $10 and will see that $5 increase plus the $10 for the dataplan.

 

[VDA]

Immediate Software Update Required

So let me get this perfectly clear, ONCE AGAIN: UNLESS YOU SIGN UP FOR A MESSAGING PLAN AT&T IS CHARGING YOU FOR TEXT MESSAGES ON A DEVICE THAT IS UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF AND HAS NO OPTION WHATSOEVER OF BLOCKING UNWANTED CALLS/TEXTS OR RESTRICTING CALLS/TEXTS????

How many freakin' obvious basic fundamental features that are available on every other phone on planet earth and in the known universe does the almighty iPhone STILL not offer -- oh let me count the freakin' ways!!!!!!!!

 

[GoldenGod]

Whose Exchange server are you using?

MS charges our company extra per seat per month for Exchange Mobile, hence we go with Blackberry Enterprise instead (less per seat per month).

There is a license fee as well on the server side in addition to added fee from AT&T for using data to access your company's internet.

We are a small company, about 200 people. Having to pay more for a feature that I had on 3 previous smartphones is absurd. I don't have a licensing problem, all I would need to do is dl the certificate and start synching my outlook.

 

[gkarris]

We are a small company, about 200 people. Having to pay more for a feature that I had on 3 previous smartphones is absurd. I don't have a licensing problem, all I would need to do is dl the certificate and start synching my outlook.

Oh, if you are syncing with your company's Outlook, then, that's the Corporate Data Plan, $45/month....

Enjoy...

 

[dmelgar]

Awful announce. Clarifies nothing, confuses everything

I could not have written a worse announce if I tried.

This announcement does nothing to clarify pricing and confuses everything.

I am not a current AT&T customer, but from what I've seen so far, they have an amazing ability to screw things up.

They could have explained it simply as they had in the original email to the stores. That email implied that the iPhone acts just like any other PDA as far as plans and pricing. The ONLY difference with the iPhone is that you are REQUIRED to get a data plan.

Why couldn't they just say that? Instead they come up with a few oddball plans meant apparently to scare the heck out of everyone with absurdly high prices.

It immediately leads to innumerable questions about every other permutation of plans and phones that they didnt cover. They didn't even state what happens if you try to add an iPhone to an existing account. They certainly didn't explain what happens if you try to get new family plan with an iPhone and some other phone.

Totally worthless announcement. Maybe it will shorten the lines.

Now I am worried if the interpretation of the original email to the stores is correct or if AT&T is really trying to rake new customers over the coals.

 

[teh_pwnerer]

Its funny ... when the prices for the original iPhone was announced people cried that they would rather have the initial price lower and "pay for it over time".

Now that they are doing this, people are crying. 3G costs more due to increased bandwidth usage, its simple.

It's probably two different demographics complaining. There isn't one phone or one plan that fits for everyone so no matter what, some people will complain.

If you run a company that sells services and devices to the common consumer, expect a fair amount of bitching.

 

[Fuizer]

If it's just two people in the family plan it seems like it's cheaper to just get individual plans instead...

Not really at all...

To get 2 iPhones and be on separate plans that would cost you $140
rather than the $120 (550 minutes) or $130 (700 minutes), yes, less minutes, but who is talking 450 minutes a month by themselves.

 

[mjerald]

Wrong. New iPhones require a new plan, new two-year contract, at new plan rates.

And you got that from where ??

 

[gkarris]

Again, where does it say this?

Not that it means much, but I just spoke to THREE different At&t reps, including a manager and they said adding the new iPhone to family plan on the 2nd like will NOT effect my existing rate plan. This is how every other upgrade is done with At&t and it seems they are making the iPhone more and more like every other phone (i.e., data plans are the same as BB's now).

You are right.

Existing customers will be upcharged for the new data and text plans, though...

 

[swarmster]

Have you looked at what Sprint offers new SERO customers?

If you select a PDA phone, the only SERO plan option available is $99/month, which includes unlimited everything.

So be careful next time you upgrade your phone. If you have to resign a contract, I'm guessing you're going to have to kiss your $30/month plan bye-bye.

I recently upgraded to a Palm Centro - right after the "cheaper" iPhone announcement, as much as it pained me to do so - and I know others that have started new accounts within the last couple weeks, also with the Centro. No "PDA" plan required, despite Palm being very much a PDA vendor. I get unlimited EVDO (faster than 3G? I haven't looked at hard numbers in a while), and as ncbill mentioned earlier, can tether with the right software. Unlimited texts, 500 minutes, early nights and weekends, even crap like Sprint TV that I'll never use. $30. The only reason ATT is $90+ is to rip you off.

 

[teh_pwnerer]

I am not a current AT&T customer, but from what I've seen so far, they have an amazing ability to screw things up.

I've been an ATT customer for years. This is business as usual.

 

[dmelgar]

It says "Includes 2 lines" right there in the picture.

But it doesn't say 2 iPhones.

There is SOOOOO much missing from this announce. Does nothing but confuse.

 

[closenough]

Settle down there buddy.
They spent countless $$$ on upgrading several markets to 3G and want to recoup their investment.

At best this point is weak and really not factual.

How come Verizon can build the entire FIOS infrastructure and offer better, faster internet service than cable companies at a lower price point?

ATT gouges because they think they can. And they will continue to do so until Apple offers this through another carrier or the marketplace refuses to submit. Competition is good. iPhone+ATT=Monopoly.

I, for one, will sit in the sidelines continuing to salivate over the beautiful iphone until I can find service terms that are reasonable (that might be a while.)

 

[GoldenGod]

Oh, if you are syncing with your company's Outlook, then, that's the Corporate Data Plan, $45/month....

Enjoy...

So please explain the difference between push 500 messages a day from Yahoo and pushing them from my Exchange server. This is my personal phone; I don't get a discount for a corporate account or anything. I pay for UNLIMITED DATA and I should be able to synch whatever I choose. This is just a poor attempt to sell mobile.me accounts I bet.

 

[rlmccormick]

Not really at all...

To get 2 iPhones and be on separate plans that would cost you $140
rather than the $120 (550 minutes) or $130 (700 minutes), yes, less minutes, but who is talking 450 minutes a month by themselves.

My wife.

 

[radiogod69]

So I just got off the phone with an ATT rep and I told him I was planning on upgrade to a family talk plan with 3 lines. However he said my current line is not eligible. In order to get the $299 pricing for the 16gb version that I can just add a new line of service to my plan to have it activated with the iphone 3g, and to keep my current number by switching out the sim cards. For those that aren't eligible and want the iphone this is probably the best bet, as the rep told me the $399 $499 prices are what they were for 2g which doesn't make sense but thats what he said.

 

[Surely]

I have no use for GPS- I'm smart enough to read a map and figure out where I am and how to get where I want to go

Assuming you can commit to memory a map and the directions to a location you've never been to (so you don't become a menace to other drivers when you take your eyes off the road to consult a map and written directions), a GPS device would nonetheless make the task easier for you. Do you refuse to use a calculator because you can multiply large numbers yourself with a pencil and paper?

What are you talking about???? Maybe you should read my entire comment instead of just cherry-picking one sentence. Here it is for you:

I think I'll be sticking with my 1st generation 16GB iPhone. The new features on the new iPhone aren't enough for me to upgrade and to pay an extra $15 for practically the same service. I'm not too happy with the increased pricing, but that's what happens when they lower the initial price point of the phone and subsidize and spread the cost out over two years.

I have no use for GPS- I'm smart enough to read a map and figure out where I am and how to get where I want to go. The Google Maps App is pretty awesome as it is. I don't really have a need for 3G- 95% of the time I'm at home or at the office, and we have wifi. I haven't found the EDGE speeds to be too painfully slow- I can wait the extra 5-7 seconds that it takes for a page to load.

Now, if the iPhone 2.0 firmware and the App Store would have been unavailable to me as a 1st gen iPhone user, that would be a whole different story. For me, July 11th isn't iPhone Day, it's App Store Day!

I can wait until the 3rd gen iPhone comes out- that's when I'll upgrade. That one will probably be able to drive your car for you.....

If you read my whole comment, you would find that I already have an iPhone, and am not talking about a paper map. Where did you pull that assumption out of? Great analogy, by the way, with the calculator and the big numbers. That makes it all clear to me. How do I drive anywhere new without GPS?

P.S. The current Google Maps App does have a 'Directions' feature that provides turn-by-turn directions.

Why did you bother to cherry-pick that one sentence anyway? What are you trying to prove? I don't get it.

 

[hb777]

Getting a Little Pricey $$$

I told my wife I'd get her an iPhone 3G as a belated birthday present. Then I'd get one in the near future for mobile to mobile. Sad, but we'll both have two phones each - one paid by work and one for personal meaning I'll be paying $$ so we can try to separate home/work schedules and other family-related info.

Now just browsing the pricing for both individual and family plans I'm sweating the monthly charges. Now that everyone is clamoring for an iPhone, AT&T is offering less for more. Surprise! And, this doesn't include the usual misc. taxes and fees. I don't think I can afford this luxury anymore. It's just too expensive.

I'll buy her some jewelry. At least that's a one time expense.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Why did you bother to cherry-pick that one sentence anyway? What are you trying to prove? I don't get it.

After I picked myself up from the floor after I hit it laughing, I have to agree, that is the worst analogy I have ever read.

These forums have the worst analogies I have ever read but that one takes the cake.

I'll buy her some jewelry. At least that's a one time expense.

And it increases in value over time if it's good stuff.

 

[GenericUsername]

so even if i get an old iphone for free i still have to terminate my contract and pay the ETF to get a contract for the old one? that doesnt make sense.

I might have missed something here, but if you are an existing AT&T customer and you get an "old" iPhone for free from a friend or whatever, then all you have to do is slap a valid AT&T sim into it, and activate it in iTunes. You don't have to cancel anything...

What you missed is, he (apparently) has a contract with AT&T for a subsidized phone that's too new to qualify him for the maximum-subsidy price of an iPhone 3G and he would like to get (or pretend to have) a first-generation iPhone in order to take advantage of the subsidized pricing offer for users of the first-gen iPhone.