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Contract and Subsidy Issues for iPhone Users Looking to Upgrade to iPhone 3G S
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I am not sure how there can be any confusion on the pricing when you can go to either the Apple or AT&T site, choose either new or existing subscriber, if exisiting give some info and your current pricing pops up along with a future subsidy date. People signed a contract for 2 years, consider yourself lucky if you recieve any subsiby before the 2 year agreement you signed expires. Don't worry about what others are paying, look at YOUR price, if you think the phone is worth it, then buy it, if not, don't.
I, on the other hand still have my original iPhone and did not think the 3G was worth an upgrade a year ago, but now I get the new 3GS with 32GB for a cool $299. I will be styling come June 19th with the greatest phone in the galaxy, while many others, unfortunately, will be filled with unjustified anger. Oh well, better you than me.
I am not sure how there can be any confusion on the pricing when you can go to either the Apple or AT&T site, choose either new or existing subscriber, if exisiting give some info and your current pricing pops up along with a future subsidy date. People signed a contract for 2 years, consider yourself lucky if you recieve any subsiby before the 2 year agreement you signed expires. Don't worry about what others are paying, look at YOUR price, if you think the phone is worth it, then buy it, if not, don't.
I, on the other hand still have my original iPhone and did not think the 3G was worth an upgrade a year ago, but now I get the new 3GS with 32GB for a cool $299. I will be styling come June 19th with the greatest phone in the galaxy, while many others, unfortunately, will be filled with unjustified anger. Oh well, better you than me.
I am eligible for upgrade to 3GS once a year has passed since i got the 3G. I bought the OG iphone on launch day, but couldn't purchas the 3G until October '08. Per AT&T's website, I'm eligible for upgrade pricing this coming october, so for me, it'll be like upgrading after one whole year, just like the transition eligibility for 3G upgrade.
That part of the Keynote to me was Very Interesting! Notice that Phill did not say they sold 40 million iPhones over that period, "he did say they sold 40 million iPhones and iPod touches". That was done for a reason and that was to mask the real numbers for just the iPhone! Hence, the lopped both products into that count. Anyone else catch that?
Its probably made on the same assembly lines. No new factorys to build, no new employees to build it. maybe some training. So yea, it should be cheaper. But if If I have to bay $599 and not extend my contract, I will. But the way it seems people who bought the 3G unsubsidized are getting hosed as well.
I am not sure how there can be any confusion on the pricing when you can go to either the Apple or AT&T site, choose either new or existing subscriber, if exisiting give some info and your current pricing pops up along with a future subsidy date. People signed a contract for 2 years, consider yourself lucky if you recieve any subsiby before the 2 year agreement you signed expires. Don't worry about what others are paying, look at YOUR price, if you think the phone is worth it, then buy it, if not, don't.
I, on the other hand still have my original iPhone and did not think the 3G was worth an upgrade a year ago, but now I get the new 3GS with 32GB for a cool $299. I will be styling come June 19th with the greatest phone in the galaxy, while many others, unfortunately, will be filled with unjustified anger. Oh well, better you than me.
LOL
Just wait till next year when were video chatting in ichat and your stuck trying to find north with your nifty little compass.
it's called getting screwed
I will be styling come June 19th with the greatest phone in the galaxy, while many others, unfortunately, will be filled with unjustified anger. Oh well, better you than me.
god some of you people are ****ing insufferable
absolutely superb post, and spot on!
I see the point of they earlier post but it is wrong. Well written but wrong. Apple generates its revenue from hardware sales!!! I hate when people talk about itunes and the app store as huge revenue systems. They are there solely to sell hardware. The money they generate goes directly back into maintaining the system.
You bought a subsidized phone from AT&T or O2 that apple makes. You signed a contract with cell phone company to pay back what you owe them. There is nothing owed to you at all. You are the only one that owes something.
Basically AT&T isn't valuing your business, they are treating you just as a new customer phone wise. If they let you, after two years of faithful service, get the new iPhone for $199/$299 and NO contract extension. That says they appreciate you. But no, you have to sign up for another 2 years. So what happens in 2010 when the new phone has dual cores and dual monitors and whatever the hell else. I'm sure you won't just be sitting back and saying meh.
As for me, I'll sell my 3G and get the 3GS at full wholesale, fortunatly i don't need 32gb, been fine with 8 for a while. So it'll be like i'm only paying $199, but no contract, just with no backup phone. But the warranty is nice. So in 2010 I wont have had an upgrade, be out of contract, and have another phone that is in high demand. Giving lots of options.
Umm... Faster phone, better performance, better camera, compass (I could care less though), and the most awesome thing, in my opinion, VOICE COMMANDS!!!
Because the unsubsidized first-gen iPhone was an aberration and should not be considered the standard operating procedure. When you got the new subsidized price on the 3G, you in effect extended your contract by 2 years. So, while you may have been an AT&T customer for 3 years, you still have some time left on your clock before being eligible for another subsidy. If anything you got screwed the first time around by paying full price and still being locked into a 2 year contract. When you got the 3G, it's not like the contract you signed took effect retroactively the day you signed the contract for the first-gen iPhone. AT&T tried to make this up to you by allowing you to "break contract" (I know it doesn't feel that way to you) without paying the early termination fee and re-sign up under a new contract to get the 3G at a subsidized price. Hope this makes some sense...
yes...the iphone costs only what the sum of the parts cost. There is no development costs...no advertising...no support...no R&D....just add up the flash, LCD, etc. prices and that's what Apple should charge. LOL
I'm convinced Apple just isn't going to be able to give the users the experience they'd like to until they own their own cellular network or partner with someone to do it. These clowns just keep throwing their anti-consumer wrenches into the machinery. Doesn't Apple have something like $30B sitting in the bank? How about putting some of that to use? What I'd like to see is someone buy or start up a cel network that simply rents bandwidth by the month and has no ties to any particular device or service.
Come on people be real! you cant buy a subsidized phone every six months at subsidized pricing.
Oh yeah. We'll we went out on a limb and signed a 2 year contract which means 2000 over the course of two years.
A business is a business and at the end of the day. YOU MAKE MORE MONEY BY ALLOWING CURRENT 3G CUSTOMERS TO UPGRADE AT $199!!!! And ******** if the iphone is $599. The original iphone used to be $599 but it was actually $399 which equals our mid contract subsidized price.
Most of you guys don't get it. It's a contract but it's always ATT / APPLE thats ripping us off. If you think ATT is being "nice" you got are naive as it gets. ATT has been doing this for all their phones because its more effective in the long run to keep in a contract.
It just means ATT won't have my business NEXT YEAR which measn they lose 1000 bucks and verizon or where ever iphone lands will get it. It's smart business to keep your customers happy. ALL OF THEM. That means I want my effin MMS!!!!!
I would love to see apple do this but way to costly. I have to add I am unsure what people are so upset about in all of these posts. I have posted many myself. The cost of the phone is ~$599-699 someone has to pay for it if they are using it. Why do people feel entitled to the new latest phone for no money. AT&T makes it possible to pay and upgrade for the phone. Instead of the cheap price that subsidized you get the real price.
the only reason people keep saying this is because they are the people getting the full subsidy. if they weren't getting the 199/299 they would be as angry as the 3g owners.
I'm not eligible for the subsidized price until December. At that point it's hardly worth buying the newer IPhone, only to be six months away (potentially) from yet the next generation phone. This was a big disapointment for me as I'll most likely just skip this generation of IPhone all together. Very bummed.
If anyone is wondering why the economy is in the crapper look no further than this post and many of the ones in this thread.
I want everything new even though I haven't paid for it.
Good luck with whatever company you choose. They will all do exactly what AT&T is doing.
when I checked the website (apple) they said i would get standard iphone upgrade after 7/12/09. Does that mean I can qualify for an upgraded for the 199/299 pricing?