Well, if your situations were EXACTLY the same and have different eligibility dates then it's At&T. But I doubt you'll be able to get an answer from them unless you have the "other person with exact situation" talking to them at the same time and give them the Ok to pull up both accounts to determine why there is a difference. I would LOVE to hear their explanation.
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Contract and Subsidy Issues for iPhone Users Looking to Upgrade to iPhone 3G S
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Well, if your situations were EXACTLY the same and have different eligibility dates then it's At&T. But I doubt you'll be able to get an answer from them unless you have the "other person with exact situation" talking to them at the same time and give them the Ok to pull up both accounts to determine why there is a difference. I would LOVE to hear their explanation.
Nice use of sarcasm caps by the way. Yes, beat those people asking for clarification mercilessly. How dare they seek information.
Sorry if someone has already mentioned this, but...
I bought my 3G about a week after launch and started a new, single line contract with the 450 minute plan and unlimited texts. Apple currently says my price for the 32GB 3G S is $699.99. I called ATT by calling 611 and they informed that this information is wrong, and since I purchased my phone about a year ago I am eligible for "mid cycle" upgrade pricing, bringing the the cost of the 32GB 3G S to $499.99. She got off the line twice to confirm this with her superior. She gave me her name and urged me to call 611 on the morning I go to get the new phone if I have any problems.
I bought my 3G about a week after launch and started a new, single line contract with the 450 minute plan and unlimited texts. Apple currently says my price for the 32GB 3G S is $699.99. I called ATT by calling 611 and they informed that this information is wrong, and since I purchased my phone about a year ago I am eligible for "mid cycle" upgrade pricing, bringing the the cost of the 32GB 3G S to $499.99. She got off the line twice to confirm this with her superior. She gave me her name and urged me to call 611 on the morning I go to get the new phone if I have any problems.
And what post-paid phone isn't advertised like this? Take a look at all the fliers in your Sunday paper. Pick one from a store that sells cell phones. Almost every phone advertised is a "contract" price. Then go to Amazon.com and try to buy a phone at their "low" price. You'll end up having to get a contract or renew an existing one. That is how the cell phone industry works. Apple is not reinventing the wheel here.
I totally agree with you. Apple should not advertise their phones as being $199/$299, because that is not the true cost and not the price that everyone, including loyal iPhone owners, can buy it at.
I wonder if it was Apple or AT&T that took the initiative to revert back to the industry standard of subsidy-upfront, recoup-later model with the launch of 3G?
The problem here is that the alloted time ranges from 12 to 20 months. Currently no model fits. Owned a first and second gen iPhone? Nope, we have people like that all over the range. Price of the line over $100? Nope, those people are again all over the eligibility range.
So far no link or explanation or transcript of a conversation with an AT&T rep has matched what is happening.
I dont know. I currently have a 3 ( I have to update my sig) but I dont know if its worth the upgrade. I may just keep it for another year until apple releases it next year.
If so, just a note. Using caps online generally implies a change in tone (usually interpreted as screaming). So you might want to not accentuate words like that if you don't want to be interpreted as being combative.
While I understand that a contract is a contract, and for those who simply bought their first iphone 3g last year, they really don't have a leg to stand on. However, those of us who bought the original iphone at the UNsubsidized price still had to sign a stupid contract. So, AT&T got to change the rules. THIS is what's BS about the telcos. They are the ones that made the iphone different. As far as I know, correct me, but was there any other phone on the market that you had to pay FULL price and still sign the contract. I'm upset because I have put in my proper time and AT&T got away with it because I had no other choice if I wanted the iphone. I have put two years in for only one subsidized phone. Now I'm being punished because they won't look at their BS rules from way back when. Yes I'm whining and for once, in this situation, I think it's deserved. I don't want something for nothing, I want fair practices from these blood sucking companies and stop changing rules whenever they freakin feel like it.
O2 appear to have screwed up my account, they never applied a new 18 month contract when I upgraded to my (subsidised) 3G so at present it looks like I'll be eligible for a subsidised upgrade to 3GS in 4 months time.
Can't see me doing it though, nothing on the 3GS I'm desperate for. Will probably try for a discounted talk plan instead, or move to another network. Then wait for the next iPhone to be released.
Can't see me doing it though, nothing on the 3GS I'm desperate for. Will probably try for a discounted talk plan instead, or move to another network. Then wait for the next iPhone to be released.
What everyone fails to ask is how much does the iphone cost Apple to produce and what is their margin of profit and how much does ATT make from a two-year contract. Before we argue over the prices of subsidized and unsubsidized phones. We know it costs apple $173.00 to make the iphone 3G. We should start from here. Could anyone do the numbers? Or is there a website that has more information about this?
Come on now. What do you think RIMM is doing or the Razor??? This is the North American model of subsidy. It's been on going for years. Nothing new.
Companies are competing for business and they come up with this subsidized phone to lock customers in 2 yr contract.
Seriously, are you ready to pay full price for ANY phone now?
Same people will be bitching charing full price and why can't phones be subsidized.
Simple supply and demand. Apple can charge WHATEVER they want. But YOU don't have to buy it.
If fewer people demand the product, it will be on SALE or discontinued.
Simple economics.
Actually, if you're still on a first gen iPhone they should give you the full subsidized price. I think that is the one piece of consistent information that we're actually getting.
I wish AT&T would just stop trying to make who can upgrade when into a black magic. They're purposefully making it hard to understand (I love the "you may be eligible to upgrade!" line where they force you to look up every phone on your plan to check if you "may be eligible" or not).
I don't think this is just confusion over what a subsidy is but it is a confusion over when exactly AT&T considers you're eligible to get a new one and why.
Just checked on AT&T's site...
And being a 3G owner since the day they came out, having been a first-gen iPhone owner since the day they came out prior to that, I can upgrade to the 16Gig for $399 or the 32Gig for $499 with a renewed 2-year contract. Says that further discounts may be available after 7/7/09, whatever that means.
My wife's phone, a first gen iPhone, can be upgraded for the advertised $199/$299.
As so many have said, it's pretty much expected when you have a phone under contract.
I am wondering what the 'extra' discount would be for mine as of 7/7/09. That seems to match no dates on my contract... guess I'll check back and see.
I already have someone who wants to buy my 3G, so again, as someone pointed out, my net cost could be attractive enough to pull the trigger. I sure want one of the new ones, that's for sure!
The only thing I'm peeved at AT&T about is them not allowing tethering! That'd rock!
And being a 3G owner since the day they came out, having been a first-gen iPhone owner since the day they came out prior to that, I can upgrade to the 16Gig for $399 or the 32Gig for $499 with a renewed 2-year contract. Says that further discounts may be available after 7/7/09, whatever that means.
My wife's phone, a first gen iPhone, can be upgraded for the advertised $199/$299.
As so many have said, it's pretty much expected when you have a phone under contract.
I am wondering what the 'extra' discount would be for mine as of 7/7/09. That seems to match no dates on my contract... guess I'll check back and see.
I already have someone who wants to buy my 3G, so again, as someone pointed out, my net cost could be attractive enough to pull the trigger. I sure want one of the new ones, that's for sure!
The only thing I'm peeved at AT&T about is them not allowing tethering! That'd rock!
Not going to read 17 pages of post so if it's already been mentioned then oops!
Just finished writing up a response post on my blog to this article and basically the answer "formula" for the upgrade date is based on how much you spend per month on your at&t bill. My bill is $110 and I can upgrade after only 12 months.
Just finished writing up a response post on my blog to this article and basically the answer "formula" for the upgrade date is based on how much you spend per month on your at&t bill. My bill is $110 and I can upgrade after only 12 months.
this is what happens when a computer company starts making phones!
Everyone is used to being able to walk into an Apple Store and buy the new ipod or new iMac whenever a new one comes out. Now that apple makes phones and talks them up like any of their other hardware they create this buzz that makes everyone want it. the only problem is that these phones are not sold through Apple they are sold through AT&T BUT they are mainly marekted by the computer company along with a price.
Personally AT&T should forget the subsidy **** and simply allow the millions of iphone users to continue to upgrde as new models come out! instead of making me sign a new 2 year agreement, simply add another 2 years to the end date of my existing contract. A die-hard iPhone / Apple fan will stick with AT&T as long as new models keep coming out! Just as i will continue to buy new apple products as they come out. I;m not going to buy an iPod one year and then switch to a Sansa or something the next year. Its called Brand Loyalty and it needs to be taken into consideration in these situations because no other company can achieve what apple has achieved especially in a market to which they can still be considered a baby in. NO ONE waits and waits for the latest RAZR.... no one does for anything samsung makes, the only company close is RIM and look how long it took them to reach their current status. My contract is up in 2010... would i gladly extend it to 2012 if they let me buy the iphone at the subsidized price? HELL YEAH... that way i get what i want and AT&T gets from now till 2010 to cover my iphone 3g and from 2010 to 2012 to cover my iphone 3Gs. I've been with AT&T since they were att wireless and then became cingular and now at&T again... I'm not looking to go elsewhere... people who sit around and provider-hop are the reason things are like this! Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T ALL suck in some way or another but isnt that the case with any market?
Everyone is used to being able to walk into an Apple Store and buy the new ipod or new iMac whenever a new one comes out. Now that apple makes phones and talks them up like any of their other hardware they create this buzz that makes everyone want it. the only problem is that these phones are not sold through Apple they are sold through AT&T BUT they are mainly marekted by the computer company along with a price.
Personally AT&T should forget the subsidy **** and simply allow the millions of iphone users to continue to upgrde as new models come out! instead of making me sign a new 2 year agreement, simply add another 2 years to the end date of my existing contract. A die-hard iPhone / Apple fan will stick with AT&T as long as new models keep coming out! Just as i will continue to buy new apple products as they come out. I;m not going to buy an iPod one year and then switch to a Sansa or something the next year. Its called Brand Loyalty and it needs to be taken into consideration in these situations because no other company can achieve what apple has achieved especially in a market to which they can still be considered a baby in. NO ONE waits and waits for the latest RAZR.... no one does for anything samsung makes, the only company close is RIM and look how long it took them to reach their current status. My contract is up in 2010... would i gladly extend it to 2012 if they let me buy the iphone at the subsidized price? HELL YEAH... that way i get what i want and AT&T gets from now till 2010 to cover my iphone 3g and from 2010 to 2012 to cover my iphone 3Gs. I've been with AT&T since they were att wireless and then became cingular and now at&T again... I'm not looking to go elsewhere... people who sit around and provider-hop are the reason things are like this! Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T ALL suck in some way or another but isnt that the case with any market?
What it costs Apple to make is irrelevant. They base their pricing decisions based on the old school rules of supply and demand like everyone else. If enough people were willing to buy the thing for $2,000 and their bottom line looked better with fewer customers at a higher price point, that's their decision right? We have no right to any predetermined pricing based on production costs for a luxury item, nor should we expect such a right.
What we should expect, however, is a little bit of transparency from all involved regarding what the end consumer cost will actually be. That transparency is lacking here, and Apple takes an equal share of the blame for that, if not the lion's share of said responsibility in this particular case.
Come on now. What do you think RIMM is doing or the Razor??? This is the North American model of subsidy. It's been on going for years. Nothing new.
Companies are competing for business and they come up with this subsidized phone to lock customers in 2 yr contract.
Seriously, are you ready to pay full price for ANY phone now?
Same people will be bitching charing full price and why can't phones be subsidized.
If I would of known adding a few dollars to my contract (93.00 now) would of given me a 1 year upgrade option , I would of taken it. When I signed up for the contract no one mentioned that, and now only after someone pointed out where did I find the link on the att site. And its very easy to think the option doesn't apply to iphone because of the wording.
Doesn't matter I guess because I am getting the 199.00 price, kindof, by add ing a line to my existing account. I'm not stupid I know it costs more over the term but I do have a use for the second line, and I can at least "pretend" I am getting a good deal.
"loyal iPhone owners" vs., what, disloyal iPhone owners? ... you know the ones that carry their Blackberry and WinMo phones with them too. </sarc>
The iPhone is a phone, not your girlfriend. You don't get brownie points for holding your iPhone in public.
You can make this work. Just have someone you trust (family or friend with money) who would pay for their part of the bill join you in a family plan. Everyone SAVES!
Would be nice if they gave us the exact formula because so far that doesn't explain the whole thing. It only seems to be a tiny factor.