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iPod touch Iphone $299 for 16 gig, Ipod touch still $399?

I've been patiently waiting for some type of upgrade and/or price drop before snagging an iPod Touch, and I was surely hoping for some news yesterday.

The iPhone subsidies mean that the Touch price is not necessarily invalidated by the iPhone 3G price, but it looks bad, and could discourage Touch purchases (of course they're probably moving lots of them as part of the back-to-school promo, but that's not making them $$$).

The much bigger problem is that the Touch hasn't been upgraded or price dropped since its introduction 9 months ago (I don't count the 32 GB model as an upgrade, only a line extension).

A reasonable move right now would be the standard "hold price points, upgrade memory" maneuver. In this case, that would mean 16 GB Touch for $299, and 32 GB for $399, and ditch the 8 GB. I believe that would coexist reasonably with the iPhone and other iPods, and also maintain Apple's margins (guessing here, but seems logical.)

In September, though, anything is possible. They could expand the Touch line (Touch Nano?), up the memory, lower the price, who knows. I think it's pretty certain that after the September update, they'll have 16 GB for at most $299, and probably with some bonus features (built-in speaker, please...) It's sad to have to wait a full year for an update, but that's standard Apple MO: at any given time, there are always one or more product lines that are hideously overdue for an update.

So I will keep my money in my pocket for now.
 
oliverlubin said:
...with the current educational promition it seems that Apple is making it very easy to snag a Touch for free. Clearing out inventory perhaps?
Click to expand...

Precisely... there's two reasons why.

1) Apple needs to clear inventory quickly of the iPod Touch. Just like the last iPod refresh, Apple offered the school promotion to help clear inventory. Apple already cleared inventory with the iPhone and now its time to do so for the touch... namely because....

2) Apple wants the iPhone to have its honeymoon season with clients. No need to introduce two similiar products at once. If you look at the summer promotion window (ending in mid-Sept i believe), the iPod touch refresh is most likely to happen a few weeks after that point, just in time for Christmas.

Just a thought. :rolleyes:
 
IMO, the Touch (at current prices)has become an even more attractive option than the Iphone. Before the 3G, you had the choice of buying the Iphone for $100 more than the Touch, not activating the contract, and just using it as a Touch, but with a camera, bluetooth and volume control for the additional $100 (was worth it for some people). That option is now gone since you basically 'have' to commit to the 2 year contract when you buy it. Also, with AT&T charging an additional $10/month for 3G, the $200 Iphone price drop is just an illusion. It now costs $40 more overall. People need to stop thinking in terms of what the initial cost of the Iphone is, but what the overall price now is. They could have given it away for 'free' but charged an extra $20/month. Would that have been a better deal than the current $199 plus an additional $10/month?
 
I think that the iPhone and the iPod touch should share the same prices.

8GB iPhone = 8GB iPod Touch
16GB iPhone = 16 GB iPod touch

So.... if you don't want/can't afford the phone service, you can just get a touch minus the phone.

But, right now, the prices are what they are, and everyone is just going to have to live with them.

Besides, what's going on with the iPHone should be kept separate from what's going on with the iPod.
 
I would never sell my touch for a new iphone...in germany the price difference is really huge. right now it is 199 for the 8gig version + (49*24) = 1375€!!!!!!

And if there will be a new touch soon...what else is there to add? more battery-life maybe but that is all i can think of at the moment!
All I need will be added via the new update in july :D

Is it true that Iphone and Iphone 3g are using the same screen?
 
Trillium said:
iPhone 16gig = $2,220 (real cost w/minimum AT&T talk+data plan)

iPod touch 16gig = $399


pretty big difference.
Click to expand...

No, stupid comparison. People with a Touch probably also have a cell phone plan. You're assuming they don't by comparing these like this.
 
aaple said:
No, stupid comparison. People with a Touch probably also have a cell phone plan. You're assuming they don't by comparing these like this.
Click to expand...
Well, before my company started providing cell phones and service to us, I certainly wasn't paying anywhere close to $75 (many pay even more) each month... It's a valid argument.
 
Trillium said:
iPhone 16gig = $2,220 (real cost w/minimum AT&T talk+data plan)

iPod touch 16gig = $399


pretty big difference.
Click to expand...

That's a crappy comparison. Unless you have a $9.99 cheapo plan, then chances are you are already paying that (granted you have unlimited data) for your current cell phone.
 
tsice19 said:
That's a crappy comparison. Unless you have a $9.99 cheapo plan, then chances are you are already paying that (granted you have unlimited data) for your current cell phone.
Click to expand...

aaple said:
No, stupid comparison. People with a Touch probably also have a cell phone plan. You're assuming they don't by comparing these like this.
Click to expand...

lol wtf?

...and there are people out there who own an ipod touch that don't bother with a cell at all. what does that have to do with anything? those are the prices you'll have to pay to own either an iphone or a touch, period. whether or not you have some other cell phone plan doesn't affect the price you're going to pay for it.

durr
 
only said:
lol wtf?

...and there are people out there who own an ipod touch that don't bother with a cell at all. what does that have to do with anything? those are the prices you'll have to pay to own either an iphone or a touch, period. whether or not you have some other cell phone plan doesn't affect the price you're going to pay for it.

durr
Click to expand...

The only way your comparison makes sense is for people that don't have or want a cell phone (getting the Touch is a no brainer) or have a cell phone and won't replace their cell service with the iPhone but will just add another service plan (Touch is also a no brainer).

For people that would be switching services or renewing a contract they already have, you can't count the iPhone's entire monthly service contract because they would be paying for some sort of cell phone service whether or not they got the iPhone. The only part of the monthly service contract you can tack on to the "price" you give for the iPhone is that which the customer would not have paid had he not gotten the iPhone and stuck with some other plan and the Touch instead.

Maybe you're assuming that most people are in the first boat, but as far as I know, people with enough money to be in the market for iPods and iPhones have cell phone plans...
 
Welcome to the world of cell phones...they're free to cheap, but come with those pesky multiyear contract commitments. Why do you think so many phones are "free"? Recurring revenue is where it's at. Same reason HP sells a printer that costs them $300 to make for $170.
 
illian said:
I would never sell my touch for a new iphone...in germany the price difference is really huge. right now it is 199 for the 8gig version + (49*24) = 1375€!!!!!!

And if there will be a new touch soon...what else is there to add? more battery-life maybe but that is all i can think of at the moment!
All I need will be added via the new update in july :D

Is it true that Iphone and Iphone 3g are using the same screen?
Click to expand...

Camera w/ flash please!! :D That would make it perfect....for me anyway.

I like the idea of an all-in-one gadget but, when it comes to cell phones i'm a bit of a purist. I have a hard enough time keeping a damn charge on a phone just using text and voice. I can make some educated guesses on what using the thing to browse the net, play games, use apps, etc. would do.

So keep my phone a phone, and turn my ipod touch into everything else (music player, camera, internet, etc.). At least when my ipod goes dead I can still communicate with the world and function as a relatively normal human being.

I'm expecting a price drop, although not major, this sept and hopefully some capacity upgrades. You know.....same old Apple
 
I put up my 8gig touch with extras for sale on craigslist, asking price- 240. this moron kept on emailing me about how you can get the same capacity iPhone brand new for $200, and that my price made no sense. the touch is not the iPhone, I told him. these are 2 different products. I told him compare the touch to the touch which cost about $327 with tax.
 
eplchamps0304 said:
I put up my 8gig touch with extras for sale on craigslist, asking price- 240. this moron kept on emailing me about how you can get the same capacity iPhone brand new for $200, and that my price made no sense. the touch is not the iPhone, I told him. these are 2 different products. I told him compare the touch to the touch which cost about $327 with tax.
Click to expand...

I think I'm starting to understand this sort of thinking.

Why buy a Touch for $299, and have that and a cell phone, when you can get the iPhone for $199, and use it as both?

Well, that's sort of what I did - instead of a PDA, iPod, and cell phone, I have an iPhone.

In that case - go and get the iPhone instead of a Touch, it is cheaper.
 
gkarris said:
I think I'm starting to understand this sort of thinking.

Why buy a Touch for $299, and have that and a cell phone, when you can get the iPhone for $199, and use it as both?

Well, that's sort of what I did - instead of a PDA, iPod, and cell phone, I have an iPhone.

In that case - go and get the iPhone instead of a Touch, it is cheaper.
Click to expand...

Yep, but this is only possible if you are willing to be an at&t customer which a lot of dont or cant. Thats why I bought my touch in the first place.
 
1776 said:
Welcome to the world of cell phones...they're free to cheap, but come with those pesky multiyear contract commitments. Why do you think so many phones are "free"? Recurring revenue is where it's at. Same reason HP sells a printer that costs them $300 to make for $170.
Click to expand...

Not really. You forgot about pre-paid (I don't know about the USA, but most of the people I know here in Belgium use pre-paid). You pay full price for the phone but after that you only pay for your actual calls... That's why I won't be buying an iPhone if it comes out here contract-only like in the US. I don't want to be tied to one network for 2 years and to be paying monthly fees even when I don't call/SMS at all.

But then, Belgian law forbids selling phones only tied to a contract, so they might just bring out an unlocked version here :)
 
Beric said:
Can you buy an iPhone without the contract (and not use the phone part)? I just wanted a Touch, but the iPhone is cheaper and also has a camera and GPS. Is there anyway to buy just the iPhone as a unit, and no contract?
Click to expand...

You will be able to in the UK according to this

O2 says it will also offer the new iPhones on a pay-as-you-go basis for the first time, but has yet to announce pricing for this model.

It will be interesting to see how the price compares with the iTouch.
 
Stephenbw said:
You will be able to in the UK according to this

O2 says it will also offer the new iPhones on a pay-as-you-go basis for the first time, but has yet to announce pricing for this model.

It will be interesting to see how the price compares with the iTouch.
Click to expand...

That will be interesting to see. I'm guessing it will be considerably more than the touch, given that the phone company won't be paying Apple the difference ($200 here).
 
migulic said:
Not really. You forgot about pre-paid (I don't know about the USA, but most of the people I know here in Belgium use pre-paid). You pay full price for the phone but after that you only pay for your actual calls... That's why I won't be buying an iPhone if it comes out here contract-only like in the US. I don't want to be tied to one network for 2 years and to be paying monthly fees even when I don't call/SMS at all.

But then, Belgian law forbids selling phones only tied to a contract, so they might just bring out an unlocked version here :)
Click to expand...

With a contract you dont pay full price. In the US most phones are on contract.
 
Im mainly getting the touch because I like my cell and didn't want to switch over to AT&T for the iphone and the touch is cheaper then the Iphone. Are you guys even adding in the money you'll be paying over the 2yr contracts?:rolleyes:
 
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