High price for PAYG (ouch)

[sassenach74]

Just found an article on Gizmodo (uK) regarding the PAYG price for the 3G iPhone in Italy:


The option of a pay-as-you-go iPhone 3G is an attractive alternative to long 18-month contracts but we all knew it was going to hurt our pockets. But boy, is it going to hurt, or what?

Vodafone Italia has just announced that to get the iPhone 3G without a contract will cost €499 for the 8GB and €569 for the 16GB models. That's approximately £395 and £450 in pounds, shillings and pence. OK, it's still cheaper than getting an 8GB model free with an 18-month £45 contract with O2 (£810) but it's still very steep - especially since you'll still have to sign up for some form of voice/data contract with another network.


Link: http://uk.gizmodo.com/2008/06/12/ouch_payasyougo_iphone_3g_stin.html

P.S For the $'s equivalent, just double the figures in £'s

(Already submitted to Arn)

 

[Van Wildonher]

I've already seen the pay as you go Italian price. I guess this isn't any new news. It seems like it's the same price as the old iPhone? So IF Apple allows buying the phone like before us American's can expect $399/499? Hope so.

 

[sassenach74]

I've already seen the pay as you go Italian price. I guess this isn't any new news. It seems like it's the same price as the old iPhone? So IF Apple allows buying the phone like before us American's can expect $399/499? Hope so.

How have you already seen the price? It might not be news to you but it might be to others......

Edit: OK I've just found the thread regarding this, it's burried about 150 threads back , still I'm sure there is no problem with opening it up for debate as some people may have missed it, I know I did, and I look here 5 times a day atleast

 

[feelthefire]

I've already seen the pay as you go Italian price. I guess this isn't any new news. It seems like it's the same price as the old iPhone? So IF Apple allows buying the phone like before us American's can expect $399/499? Hope so.

Umm...if you convert those figures in pounds to USD, you get $800 and $900 respectively.

 

[sassenach74]

Umm...if you convert those figures in pounds to USD, you get $800 and $900 respectively.

I know I quoted that to get to $'s from £'s you would double the figure, but I don't think it entirely works that way, taxes and other things have to be factored in, but I'm no expert at that stuff

 

[Van Wildonher]

Umm...if you convert those figures in pounds to USD, you get $800 and $900 respectively.

The reason I asked was because I think they were around the same price in the UK before? So maybe they will be the same price as before in the US. (if they let you buy them like before)

 

[Petoz]

It is very expensive. But it seems like it has to be. If it was any lower, why would anyone buy the iPod Touch? It needs to stay high to differentiate, and not eat out of the sales of their iPods. If the phone was only a little bit more, why would anyone buy the iPod touch? I know I wouldn't. I'm just glad I can pay for the contract, because I am more than happy with £99

 

[tcmacintosh]

is the pay as you go iphone in italy unlocked?

 

[Petoz]

is the pay as you go iphone in italy unlocked?

I am not 100% sure, but I very much doubt it. It will be locked to the distributing network (I think it is Telefonica in Italy), and work with their Pay & Go sim cards. So they will still receive the topup revenues. I imagine they have the exclusive rights to the iPhone in Italy, so selling it unlocked would not fulfil this commitment from Apple to them. It will be like normal Pay & Go phones. They are still locked to the network you buy them on. Sim free phones come unlocked. Not Pay & Go.

 

[sassenach74]

Wirelessly posted (PPC; 240x320; HTC_TyTN/1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.7))

is the pay as you go iphone in italy unlocked?

Although I don't know for fact, but most, if not all, PAYG phones are still locked to the carrier that you bought the phone from, can't really see the iPhone being an exception (but good chance it will be unlockable via ziphone etc)

 

[pik.]

do not know yet...

maybe is operator locked maybe not...that is a point I ll check out as soon as it arrives....