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AT&T to subsidize cost of new iphone

I hope Apple is remembering that they use a touch screen keyboard, making the screen smaller might make it harder to type. Also, if the screen is going to be smaller does this mean anything for developers? Or does the only thing that matters is the UI/OS.
 
lawrencewinkler said:
Another key statement made in this report is that the rebated iPhone would be locked to AT&T, with the implication that the new iPhone may otherwise be more open to other carriers.

Maybe the exclusivity of AT&T and Apple contract is not so exclusive, or more limited.

Still, I have my doubts.
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Maybe the Carrier Lock part of the contract was only the first year of the 5 year agreement. So unlocked phones will still only be sold in apple and at&t stores.
iTunes will only let you create new contract with at&t.
Still giving at&t good access to new customers
 
Sweetfeld28 said:
...I hope that Apple doesn't do this, it would just make the 'internet experience' on the iPhone just that much worse than it already is.
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I'm curious, why do you think the internet experience on iPhone is bad? Or are you just saying that it would make it worse?
 
Dorfdad said:
Wait so those of us with current Iphone's and 2 year forced contracts do we get the $199.99 deal for the new phones?!

If not Im going to be highly pissed.
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Move to Venezuela, I hear they have lots of handouts. That wasn't a two year forced contract, you walked into the store and bought the product and the contract willingly, and paid a lot for it too. Stop whining.
 
gkarris said:
More than likely....

You can probably sell your old iPhone for about $200, and use that money to get a subsidized 3G model - you just have to be willing to take your current contract out another 2 years. :D
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I have about 5 people who have offered to buy my iPhone for $200 when the new one comes out. Isn't this what everyone is doing when they move from the old to the new one?
 
Soooo fake. Look at this guy's record. He hasn't had a single prediction come true! Basically this is his "wish list". He hopes Apple will see this and will be like "Good idea, let's do it". which WON'T happen. And then he included that 9.2mm thing, to try and lend the rumor credence, because something like that makes sense. What a shady guy.
 
I think if true its to try and get the unlockers to stay with att. To get the phone you would have to sign the contract, if you unlock the phone for a different service (if you can) you would have to pay the cancellation fee. That fee could stop some of the unlockers keeping you as a att customer
 
This seems to good to be true. I've been itching to get an iphone. This will make it hard not to get one this year.
 
Small White Car said:
Do you think the free phones you can get from phone companies are actually free?
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People seem to think they are "free" and that's all the phone companies care. What the customers don't realise is that the that long contract they signed is actually a loan. Burried in the price of air time is a loan. why else is there a cancelation charge?

It's just like those "free" minutes. Yes they are free only because you paid your monthly bill. Stop paying thebill and see how many free minutes you get.

Those cell phone marking people earn every penny they make. They're great. They have people thinking "I just got a free phone and it only cost me $4800 for a two year contract."
 
I have a hard time believing this for no other reason than there seem to be a lot of people willing to buy the 3G iPhone at the current (expected) pricing, myself being one of them.

I'll gladly pay $500 for a 3G iphone and so will many others, so why would they want to give me and others a free $200 when they don't need to? Wait 6-12 months and get all the first wavers who don't need the $200 to sign and offer it then.

Obviously I hope it doesn't happen this way (I love $200 as much as the next guy), but good business practice would say that the subsidy will wait until they need to do it.
 
if this "rumor" of true then wouldnt the ability to cancel the account then re instate it work? With all major phone companies you have a 30 day period where you can re instate your cell phone agreement. So if I canceled it the day I purchased the phone then hugged it put with AT&T saying hey yea I used you but I'll call u tomorrow. That would work. But the only flaw I see with this rumor is the fact that when the iPhone came out, people went ape ****. You walked into a AT&T / apple store said um yea iPhone pleased and walked out wouldnt correlate with this rumor. Because it would take alot of time to see who's a current AT&T person and who's not. Because when I bought my iPhone the computers nearly crashed due to the amount of iPhones purchases. Let alone with a 16 gig 3g 200 iphone.

Just my .02 cents baby cakes
 
All these same questions arose when the first iPhone came out. ATT gives you the full benefits of the offer for a new or extended 2 year contract with them. They make money on the service more than the sale.

I also hope the rumors being divergent indicates a two product strategy. At minimum I wish the premium product has a double battery option.

While the battery dongles are fully practical, they add 2 layers of packaging on the battery, two layers of packaging on the dongle, and wreck the overall look and feel.

Doubling the INTERNAL battery would make the device a wee bit thicker, but if you are not a petite human, the size might be more of a feature than a bug.

Rocketman
 
I think...

At&T will be giving the rebate or discount on the 1st gen iphones. reminds me of when they were selling refurbs for $250, those must have gone immediately, if they give that deal, they will get so many switchers. even if it is not the 2nd gen,
 
derekpcollins said:
I just did the exact same thing a few weeks ago! Could you get the discount by signing a new 2-year contract?
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I'm guessing that you'll get the subsidy on the same terms for any phone--you have to have gone some period (1 year now?) since your last discounted phone and you have to re-up for two years.
 
Soto said:
iPhone nano
EDGE only
2.8in screen (but same resolution as 3.5 in screen)
Smaller and 2.5 mm thinner
8 GB $199
16 GB $299

iPhone
3G + GPS
Two cameras (for video iChat)
Same size (or slightly thicker)
Same screen size (possibly OLED)
8 GB $399
16 GB $499

Prices with 2-year AT&T contract (available unlocked at higher price in other countries?)
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Could be, considering the conflicting rumors.
 
veeco3110 said:
if this "rumor" of true then wouldnt the ability to cancel the account then re instate it work? With all major phone companies you have a 30 day period where you can re instate your cell phone agreement. So if I canceled it the day I purchased the phone then hugged it put with AT&T saying hey yea I used you but I'll call u tomorrow. That would work.
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I'm not sure I understand your language, which seems sort of like English, but the usual deal with AT&T is that if you cancel the contract and don't return the phone, you get charged the subsidy back, so you'd end up with a full price iPhone.
 
Hmm might be an issue where once the new 3G is launched its not exclusive to AT&T. They might have only signed a contract for the existing iPhones and not newer models.

Possible the new ones will be open to more carrier and more users??
 
StuPidQPid said:
Actually I just checked and the Broadcom 3G chip (likely to be in the iPhone) incorporates a multiband transceiver - at least according to Arstechnica.
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The latest and most likely speculation is that the new iPhone will use the Infineon S-GOLD3 chip, not the Broadcom.

As for subsidies, it was Apple that forbid them in the first place. One of the many reasons Verizon (and others) said no. Can't see why they'd change that, though it'd be nice.
 
kdarling said:
The latest and most likely speculation is that the new iPhone will use the Infineon S-GOLD3 chip, not the Broadcom.

As for subsidies, it was Apple that forbid them in the first place. One of the many reasons Verizon (and others) said no. Can't see why they'd change that, though it'd be nice.
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Doesn't seem to have stopped several European carriers.
 
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