I read somewhere that it has to do with the amount your monthly bill is. If it is over $100 a month you only have to wait 12 months to upgrade, under $100, you have to wait 18 months. That way ATT can recoup their money on the phone back quicker.
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Contract and Subsidy Issues for iPhone Users Looking to Upgrade to iPhone 3G S
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I read somewhere that it has to do with the amount your monthly bill is. If it is over $100 a month you only have to wait 12 months to upgrade, under $100, you have to wait 18 months. That way ATT can recoup their money on the phone back quicker.
People just want something for nothing.
I think the NO SUBSIDY works well and clean. No grey areas at all. Got $$, have a new phone.
I'm confused as well. Where is this sense of entitlement coming from for those that agreed to a 2 year contract when they purchased their iPhone 3G? If you can't afford to pay the early upgrade price or you aren't eligble yet then do the right thing... save your $ to upgrade, sell your 3G, or adhere to the terms of your contract that YOU signed up for and wait it out. AT&T isn't screwing anyone over on this issue. If you can't read and/or understand a contract maybe you should spend some time using your iPhone 3G and educating yourself a bit further. Apple and AT&T are in the business of making money... not making sure you have the latest and greatest at their expense.
People should be upset over AT&Ts inability to deliver MMS and tethering support not the upgrade pricing.
Don't worry, be happy. Don't be happy, worry.
Is it possible to get a front page article on how great the iPhone 3GS is and that the monthly plan is reasonable? The front page posts on how AT&T is "sticking it to the man" and that Apple's "upgrades to the phone are weak" are ok, but they are getting tiresome. Look at it this way, putting both feel-good and phone-rage articles will get double the views.
Trust me, I'm a consultant.
Is it possible to get a front page article on how great the iPhone 3GS is and that the monthly plan is reasonable? The front page posts on how AT&T is "sticking it to the man" and that Apple's "upgrades to the phone are weak" are ok, but they are getting tiresome. Look at it this way, putting both feel-good and phone-rage articles will get double the views.
Trust me, I'm a consultant.
But the analyst seem to be focused on the Iphone. its all in perception.
Again I don't think att will do anything. And I wouldn't expect them too.
It could be good PR for Apple to offer a merchandise certificate (like last time) and maybe for us developers extend the developer contracts a few months so we don't have to take so many hits at once. Can't see were they would lose money either way.
Someone mentioned getting ATT to offer a 1 year contract , that sounds feasible except either the price of the phone or the monthly fee would have to be more. so whats the savings.
As I mentioned earler , pick a strategy and go with it.
With a family plan you should have one upgrade eligible phone each year, except I wonder if ATT would be willing to swap phone numbers. that could be a family issue.
Unfortunately for you they are right. (By the way the dates you quote were '08 not '07). You bought your original iPhone and upgraded to the 3G a year ago, thus renewing your 2 year contract. The fact that you bought another phone with your own cash doesn't affect anything. Your original iPhone 3G contract still has a year to go, and that same stolen phone was subsidised. Yes, you bought an unsubsidised full-price phone in addition but that doesn't mean you bought out AT&T of the stolen one. AT&T had to buy 2 iPhone 3gs from Apple at full price and one of them to you was subsidised.
It's unfortunate that your phone got stolen but the fact you buy another one at full price (which anyone could do if they so wished) dosnt mean you're entitled to a free upgrade mid-contract.
As 2G iPhone users, my wife and I just pre-ordered 2 new iPhone 3GS's at the low, low price (awesome!). To your post, between iPhone 3.0 new features and 3GS new gadgets, what do you think they can really add in a year that's revolutionary enough besides performance enhancements and new form factor? I think were pretty much there, no? Perhaps Smell Control© so your buddies can surprise you with you some unexpected odor?
Well, to those who think they are owed a full subsidy, you're being a bit silly. You know better.
Now, for one 3G owner to be told they can have a full subsidy at 12 months, while other are being told they must wait until 18 months is simply stupid unless they want to disclose the conditions. If it's about monthly bill amount, tell us that.
Yup, I got told the same thing in an O2 store a few months back. The sales guy was desperate to sell an iPhone to me. I'd already decided to wait for the new model to come out before getting one.
I'm still considering getting the 3Gs but I'm not at all amused at the extra tariff O2 want to charge for tethering (something I do use on my current phone) for a phone that is meant to come with an unlimited data plan as standard. When is data seen on a phone screen different to data seen on a computer screen? Shouldn't the same fair use policy apply whether the phone is connected to a computer or not? Utterly stupid.
Get a one-year contract if you can
Boy, am I pleased that here in France I signed up for just a one-year contract. I paid about 8 dollars more a month but I just didn't want to be stuck to one company for two years. My original reason was that I wanted to be free to join another telephone provider after a year as I suspected that in France, having a monopoly for iPhones wouldn't dig with the authorities. Sure enough, over here, we now have three companies to choose from so in July I can either continue with my present operator, Orange (the ex-monopoly holder) or SFR or Bouygues. I am reasonably sure that all three will be offering me the best price for the iPhone 3G S. I am firm believer that healthy competition is best for the consumer whatever the business model, and what is best for the consumer is, I think, ultimately best for all of us. Ironic of course, that iPhone competition seems to be greater in France than both the UK and the US. For once, we seem to be doing things right!
Boy, am I pleased that here in France I signed up for just a one-year contract. I paid about 8 dollars more a month but I just didn't want to be stuck to one company for two years. My original reason was that I wanted to be free to join another telephone provider after a year as I suspected that in France, having a monopoly for iPhones wouldn't dig with the authorities. Sure enough, over here, we now have three companies to choose from so in July I can either continue with my present operator, Orange (the ex-monopoly holder) or SFR or Bouygues. I am reasonably sure that all three will be offering me the best price for the iPhone 3G S. I am firm believer that healthy competition is best for the consumer whatever the business model, and what is best for the consumer is, I think, ultimately best for all of us. Ironic of course, that iPhone competition seems to be greater in France than both the UK and the US. For once, we seem to be doing things right!
I had been treated by ATT just like that 4 months ago when I tried to upgrade my 2G to 3G, so based on my experience dealing with ATT, I am not surprised at all. Please noted I paid in full price for my 16Gb iphone 2G I bought in Feb 2008, yet I could not get the full subsidized price for iphone 3G.
You can check out your ATT account for eligibility of upgrade with full subsidized pricing. my one was 7/8/2009 which is not far from now, fingers crossed, but I am still skeptic about ATT which could change that date at their will (it has been changing several times)
You can check out your ATT account for eligibility of upgrade with full subsidized pricing. my one was 7/8/2009 which is not far from now, fingers crossed, but I am still skeptic about ATT which could change that date at their will (it has been changing several times)
This is true. I spoke with an ATT rep at a local store. He told me I would be eligible to upgrade my iphone 3g on July 12th because my monthly bill exceeds $100/month.
People you can get the new iPhone 3GS before your contract ends, at&t is just not going pay for the portion it costs in subsidy. You pay some, they pay the rest to Apple to get you in at $299 etc.... You have to pay the full cost and then get your new phone.
Seems very fair to me since you didn't pay $600 to start with. at&t loaned you the difference for two years.
I do see the point of those that couldn't buy in at full price to start with though....
Seems very fair to me since you didn't pay $600 to start with. at&t loaned you the difference for two years.
I do see the point of those that couldn't buy in at full price to start with though....
I honestly think it has to do with the day you got your iPhone 3G and if you had an original iPhone or not. The people with original iPhones all have the upgrade eligibility one year directly after the 3G contract signing.
I remember reading that an AT&T rep told someone this as well.
I remember reading that an AT&T rep told someone this as well.
Agreed.
I guess the confusing thing is why wouldn't ATT want to extend the contracts of the 3G users another 2 years?
Isn't a contract really about getting more $ out of the person to recoup the subsidized phone?
Once the person is eligible for upgrade they still have to do another two year contract.
So in a way, them making you wait to get it for cheaper is actually extending your time with them, because you would either get a new two year contract now, or pay for the next 5 or whatever months on your existing contract and do another two year contract after that instead. So its not accurate to say they dont want to extend the contracts, if you know what I mean.
Isn't the real issue here the fact that Apple, stupidly I think, decided to highly publicize the price of their device, obscuring the fact that these are in fact subsidized prices? Then, when the subsidy goes away, everyone looks at the carrier as the profiteering bad guy. Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to defend mobile carriers in any way, their business models are borderline criminal in many instances. But, does anyone wonder now why Nokia, or Motorola, or whoever, don't loudly advertise prices alongside their device launches, instead leaving it to the carriers to deliver that message? Maybe (hopefully) a lesson learned for Apple, who are still very green when it comes to this particular industry. I suppose we could take the alternate view that Apple is trying to bring change to these practices, which I'd support, but we can't expect AT&T or O2 or whomever to just eat it, right?
BUT, they are gambling that no one else will have the iphone when your contract comes up...odds have been pretty good the past couple years for them, but I would bet Apple is getting sick of the added bad press/baggage that comes with ATT...
I pay full on time every time. I do not abuse bandwidth (no jailbreak tethering or excessive web use).
Additionally, there are people who pay over $100 a month yet they're in December or March while other people with the same bill are in July of this year.
There are obvious and unexplained variations in the upgrade eligibility. Yet we are getting people in here calling everyone whiners or cry babies. Yes, how dare we ask for explanation for the seemingly random eligibility. Lets just keep beating that strawman.
Dude you are so right!! This is exactly what is wrong with all of this. Apple comes out and states the iphone is only $199 but really it is $599 without being subsidized.
This may be the only reasonable post here. ATT did pay upfront for part of your phone (fronted you the funds) so you have no right whatsoever to want them to do it again unless you paid them back for your current one by being a subscriber for the promised alloted time.
But then you'd be pissed again in a year or so when the next newest device comes out and you have to pay full tilt boogie price.