You mean, in terms of no MMS (but paying for it) and no video streaming over 3G? I guess this makes us special.
Seems like I like your financial situation.
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If most of us are on 2 year contracts how can we get a new iPhone ?
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You mean, in terms of no MMS (but paying for it) and no video streaming over 3G? I guess this makes us special.
Seems like I like your financial situation.
It's a phone. You buy it on a subsidised contract. You buy it when you please, there is no hurting early adopters.
Look around you at how every other phone is sold, that is more than likely exactly how the iPhone is an will be, and rightly so.
I don't understand what you or anyone else is expecting to happen here?
You picked a phone, you signed a contract attached to that phone. That's the end of it until your contract is up, or you want to pay through the nose for a new one - at which point they will ask you to assume the position, bent over, and lubed up.
Totally get this, but at the same time I truly wonder how Apple is going to increase their sales numbers for 2009 in the U.S. In any case, there are many phones (namely the Sidekick) where carriers have offered some sort of upgrade path despite the fact the phone was subsidized. I truly hope this is the case with the iPhone.
Additionally, yes... you're correct on "paying through the nose," but even if they don't offer an "upgrade path," at least offer the new phone to early adopters. As i recall when the iPhone 3G first came out, it was impossible to purchase the phone full-price until at least 3 or 4 months later. So, if AT&T and Apple aren't offering an upgrade path, at least offer the new iPhone at full price the same time when it goes on sale.
w00master
You're quite right to think that
Apparently, if you listen to a lot of people on here, it is their right to demand a new phone from a telephone company instead of sticking to their signed agreement/contract.
EXACTLY if people are unable to upgrade at a discounted price then apples iphone sales for the new iphone will not take off simply because most people who would have bought an iphone at discounted price wont now
Let's deal with facts shall we? I just logged into my ATT account (I suggest you all do the same) and I called ATT. My wife has the original iphone, her account is ready for an upgrade NOW. Here is what it says online regarding her account:
"This line is eligible for equipment discount pricing when you sign up for a 2-year service agreement. You can take advantage of our no-commitment pricing option, with the exception of iPhone which requires a 2-year commitment."
I had the OG iphone and I got the 3G the day it was released, July 11, 2008. My account will be eligible for an upgrade (same as my wife's) on July 12, 2009 exactly ONE YEAR after the 3G upgrade. Here is what ATT says about my account:
"As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 07/12/2009"
The part in RED does not mean maybe or maybe not, I verified this with ATT it should read 'You will' as opposed to 'You may'.
Now please, let's stop the BS speculation now
"This line is eligible for equipment discount pricing when you sign up for a 2-year service agreement. You can take advantage of our no-commitment pricing option, with the exception of iPhone which requires a 2-year commitment."
I had the OG iphone and I got the 3G the day it was released, July 11, 2008. My account will be eligible for an upgrade (same as my wife's) on July 12, 2009 exactly ONE YEAR after the 3G upgrade. Here is what ATT says about my account:
"As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 07/12/2009"
The part in RED does not mean maybe or maybe not, I verified this with ATT it should read 'You will' as opposed to 'You may'.
Now please, let's stop the BS speculation now
I could see Apple and AT&T doing the upgrade plan, but I doubt it will be for the same $199 and $299 price points (if they stay at the same price). I would think you could upgrade early and maybe pay $299 and $399.
im just going to go in there with the worst case scenario in my head.
i just got a new iphone contract and iphone about a month ago...paid 299 for the phone with a 2 year contract.
I am sure that I will not be eligible for any kind of upgrade price for the new iphone..
im pretty much expecting to drop near $700 that day
i just got a new iphone contract and iphone about a month ago...paid 299 for the phone with a 2 year contract.
I am sure that I will not be eligible for any kind of upgrade price for the new iphone..
im pretty much expecting to drop near $700 that day
You're quite right to think that
Apparently, if you listen to a lot of people on here, it is their right to demand a new phone from a telephone company instead of sticking to their signed agreement/contract.
I know EXACTLY how they work. I just find this kind of attitude a little off putting. There have been MANY phones to offer upgrade paths for people still under subsidized contract (example: Sidekick). So, why can't there be one for the iPhone?
Also, I AM WILLING TO PAY FULL PRICE if there isn't a upgrade path. Just offer it to me, if you remember when the iPhone 3G FIRST came out, there wasn't ANY WAY to purchase the iPhone 3G at full price for at least 3 to 4 months LATER.
w00master
Again, in the UK. No option for early upgrade. O2 dont allow it, full stop. You can buy yourself out of your contract, but they will not then allow you to take a new phone on a subsidised package. You can only settle early to terminate your agreement.
So again, i don't see here how we could get round this. Which then leads to a whole host of other questions..... well again in the UK.
Are O2/Apple going to just aim the new phone at bringing new customers to the network and pick up some of the 2G customers who didnt upgrade? or are they going to allow some sort of early upgrade at a cost option?
Myself personally and having previously worked for O2 I can see that if O2 do hang on to the iPhone exclusively they will sit tight to start with and look at figures.......... then they may or may not look at how they get exsisting 3G customers to move to the new phone. Not likely to be free though tbh
So again, i don't see here how we could get round this. Which then leads to a whole host of other questions..... well again in the UK.
Are O2/Apple going to just aim the new phone at bringing new customers to the network and pick up some of the 2G customers who didnt upgrade? or are they going to allow some sort of early upgrade at a cost option?
Myself personally and having previously worked for O2 I can see that if O2 do hang on to the iPhone exclusively they will sit tight to start with and look at figures.......... then they may or may not look at how they get exsisting 3G customers to move to the new phone. Not likely to be free though tbh
Something to note. I went to my AT&T OLAM and looked at my upgrade options. I then clicked on 3G devices. It states that I am currently available for an early upgrade at a reduced discount. It also specifically states that I am eligible for an iPhone at a discount on 07/14/2009.
Exact wording from the site: "You are eligible for an early upgrade to an iPhone at a reduced discount. Our records indicate that you will be eligible for an upgrade to an iPhone at a discounted price on 07/14/2009"
I found this interesting because I had purchased both the original iPhone and the 3G on their respective release dates, both times agreeing to a two-year contract. Maybe this gives light to the fact that AT&T will allow existing iPhone users to upgrade to the new hardware prior to the completion of their current contract.
Exact wording from the site: "You are eligible for an early upgrade to an iPhone at a reduced discount. Our records indicate that you will be eligible for an upgrade to an iPhone at a discounted price on 07/14/2009"
I found this interesting because I had purchased both the original iPhone and the 3G on their respective release dates, both times agreeing to a two-year contract. Maybe this gives light to the fact that AT&T will allow existing iPhone users to upgrade to the new hardware prior to the completion of their current contract.
That'd be me then.
Bear in mind that other phones (Nokia, Samsung etc) are all offered subsidised as part of a contract, their overall sales increase by way of "new" customers and ones coming to the end of their contracts not by existing customers ditching their contracts mid-way.
This is not hard to find out. Go to the AT&T website and look at your online account. It will tell you to the day when you can update with a subsidized price. That date will not change after next tuesday.
A reduced discount price is not a full subsidized price.
Exactly. On my AT&T account, I'm eligible for an iPhone upgrade discount, but at a higher price than the full upgrade discount. I'm assuming that I'll have to pay $499 for the new iPhone if the fully subsidized price is $299.
they may go the old nextel route and tack on an additional 2 years. With my old nextel account i could buy a new phone whenever i wanted, however each time it was done an additional 2 years would be added on to the contract time. So if i were to have just purchased a phone in January and signed a new 2 year contract and then purchased another the following January, i would sign another 2 year contract, making the length 3 years
I understand that but I wonder why it states that I am eligible for an early upgrade now with a reduced discount, yet I can upgrade on 7/14 with a discount? What is the difference between an "early upgrade, reduced discount" and an "upgrade, discount"?
Being that I signed a two-year contract on July 11, 2008, the upgrade option on July 14, 2009 is coming out of nowhere, unless...
It's a phone. You buy it on a subsidised contract. You buy it when you please, there is no hurting early adopters.
Look around you at how every other phone is sold, that is more than likely exactly how the iPhone is an will be, and rightly so.
I don't understand what you or anyone else is expecting to happen here?
You picked a phone, you signed a contract attached to that phone. That's the end of it until your contract is up, or you want to pay through the nose for a new one - at which point they will ask you to assume the position, bent over, and lubed up.
I have no idea why this is so hard for so many posters to understand.
In the UK, nearly every phone on the market is FREE on a contract. The iPhone was not. We paid a lot of money for it. The latest phones from Nokia, Palm, SE, are all free, and with this in mind there is 0% chance of getting an upgraded model within contract. The iPhone is clearly different.
Phones like the iPhone are free on contract?
Can you get a BlackBerry Storm for free and/or upgrade to a new model for free/cheap?
I'm honestly asking - I have no idea how your contracts work in the UK.
bought my 3G in early August last year and it says:
As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 12/27/2009
kinda weird how they put "discounted" and "higher price" in the same sentence... i guess it takes me 1 yr and 4 months before i can get the full discount.
As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 12/27/2009
kinda weird how they put "discounted" and "higher price" in the same sentence...
i guess it takes me 1 yr and 4 months before i can get the full discount.Yes. Just looked at Vodafone and the Blackberry storm is free on a £30/month 24 month contract or £35/month 18 month. (not sure if that includes data).
Android G1 free on £30/month for 18 months including data.
For that matter, iphone 3G is free on O2 now (since the start of May) for £35/month for 24 months, including data. I imagine that's just to clear stocks before the new one.
I had a vague feeling that most UK providers would let you upgrade the phone when there was still 6 months left on your contract. At a price, obviously and being locked in for another contract period. And the prices are never as good as a new subscriber would be offered.
Steve.
Ok. Let's say you got a free Storm on a 24 month contract. Then, 11 months later, a new Storm comes out - and you want it. Then what?
Tough! I guess you can either buy an unlocked one at full price or wait until your contract allows you to upgrade (like I said, that seems to be 6 months before your contract end with most of the providers). You may have to pay for the upgrade even after that point, or you may not.
I'm out of contract on my phone at the moment (and waiting to see how the new iPhone compares to the Android and HTC offerings) but still, the upgrade price I was offered on a phone was pretty extortionate despite paying £30 a month on my current contract. If I was using more than my contracted minutes/texts and therefore paying more I'd have got a better price but because I'm only using my allocation, they wanted £200 or so when the HTC Diamond came out (I'm currently with Vodafone and they don't offer the iPhone anyway).
Loyalty to a company is not rewarded. The sales people get no commission from that, only for new customers, therefore the best deals are only offered to people who are not current customers. Sometimes if you're lucky, you might be able to negotiate a better offer if you threaten to leave and request a transfer code to go through the hoops to port your number to a different provider. It's assumed that for most people the hassle of having to take out a new contract and change number puts them off and they'll just stick with their old phone, or renew the contract.
Steve.
i think the point that drpellypo was trying to make was that the storm etc are free with a contract but most of us who have iphones had to pay at least £99 for the handset with a similar contract. that was an example of a difference between the contract for a bold (free handset) and the contract for an iphone (expensive handset).
But that's not something unique to the iPhone. In most cases the cheap handsets are free on contract to new subscribers. The newer, expensive phones initially cost money on the cheap contracts but might still be free on £80/month contracts. The HTC Diamond cost £120 or so on a £35/month contract when it first came out but is free now on the same contract a year on. And the current iPhone is now free on O2.
It doesn't follow that just because you paid for it when it first came out entitles you to an upgrade unless you've hit the point in your contract that says you are. It just means you chose a better phone when it was brand new, and that you've paid for that privilege. The contract is still the same, whichever handset you got: what you pay each month, how many minutes/texts/data you get and what the terms are as far as ending the contract early or upgrading the phone.
Steve.