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

One thing to consider...

Not intended to be flame bait but if you compare the Touch with something more closely resembling its features that is also *not* a phone you can then see if the price is right.

I currently use a Palm TX and am looking forward to replacing it eventually with a Touch.

The Touch and the TX are virtually identical devices: same screen size, similar processors (iPT: 620Mhz ARM, TX: 312 MHz ARM), both play music and videos, both have Wi-Fi, both do PIM stuff.

Nod to the TX: SD slot to make up for 100MB available built-in memory (but 4GB max), can connect a keyboard to it, thousands of 3rd party apps.

Nod to the iPod Touch: 8GB built-in memory, way-cooler.

Both are currently $299.

Then, compare it to HP's iPAQ for $399 (similar features and capabilities).

Seems like the Touch is priced about right... and a bargain compared to the iPAQ.
 
aaple said:
It's a good thing that practically speaking, this decision was made easy for me. As a student, I'll be able to get a 32GB iPod Touch for $200 (since my PC laptop and mp3 player are 4 years old and in need of replacement anyways). Then, I'll stick with Verizon, get a $100 phone with a $50/month contract that gives me unlimited SMS.

Sure beats $299 for a 16GB iPhone with a 2 year contract. :D

Without the promo, I'd wait for the seemingly certain Touch price drop and get that. The $75 minimum monthly service plan for the iPhone is too much for my law school budget to handle.
Click to expand...

To me it does not. I need internet everywhere. I dont want to carry 2 devices with me as well.
 
PMB said:
apple makes $10 a month on iphones, they make $0 on ipod touches. that is why it wont change

I may sell my ipod touch and get an iphone though.
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Neither You or I have any idea how much apple makes on each phone or touch! There's no law that says they need to make the same on a touch as a phone - and if anything - the price that the market will bear helps set the supply and demand.

Since Apple WANTS a much higher share of the phone market, it figures the market is only willing to pay so much and they need to price it accordlingly. That starts to make the Touch a bad deal. If Apple doesn't care if Touch sales drop off, they'll keep the prices the same. Otherwise, they'll drop those prices as well.
 
There needs to be a serious price drop on the iPod Touch. The 32 GB model is still 499???!! It seems to me that we are paying the same if not MORE than an iPhone and we don't even get the phone. It's basically a stripped down iPhone for the same amount of money!

Am I missing something here, what gives?

Ya the student discount is awesome, but I have to buy a new computer to get it? To rich for my blood : )
 
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.
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Thats not a crappy comparison at all.

Even out here in the desert of California, WiFi is everywhere. So data on a cellphone isn't a necessity. Plus you can usually get "mobile web" for $5 a month that doesn't have data costs it just eats your airtime. More often than not you can have your email sent directly to your phone if you have gmail and the cost of checking it is however much airtime you use to check it. Generally 1 minute to open it all and 1 minute to send a reply.

Anyway, on top of that, I think I've personally used the data on my 4GB iPhone (not on WiFi) maybe a full 4 times in the year almost I've had it.

I'd personally rather go with something like MetroPCS. Unlimited calling, voicemail, texting, and all of that for around $45 a month. Beats the $75 or so the iPhone will be after taxes and on the lowest 400/5000 minute plan.

Unless you're a very heavy talker (I hate using the phone), prepaid is a better deal too. Go for something like Virgin Mobile that gives you 1,000 minutes for $50. Buy that and get a $20 card every time you're required and you're basically set. For $5 a month you get 200 outgoing SMS, MMS, and emails.

With the cheapest plan and taxes and all of that, the 8GB iPhone is going to cost you over $2,000.

A little bit of common sense with a prepaid phone and an iPod touch will cost you less than 1/3 of that over the same period of time.
 
CaptainCaveMann said:
There needs to be a serious price drop on the iPod Touch. The 32 GB model is still 499???!! It seems to me that we are paying the same if not MORE than an iPhone and we don't even get the phone. It's basically a stripped down iPhone for the same amount of money!

Am I missing something here, what gives?

Ya the student discount is awesome, but I have to buy a new computer to get it? To rich for my blood : )
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're missing the fact that the cheapest plan for the iPhone will run around $75 a month after taxes and fees. Thats a cool $1,800 over two years.

People will say "but you're already paying for a cellphone!"

Well, yeah. But most other plans for normal cellphones only run around what? $40 a month?

Theres always prepaid too. Like I said in my previous post. Get a 1,000 minute card for $50 and then buy what you need as time goes on. An 8GB iPod touch, a cheap prepaid phone, a $5 or $10 a month txt/mms/email plan and buying what you need to talk will cost you about 1/3 or less of what an iPhone will cost you over that same time period.
 
mosx said:
Yeah, you're missing the fact that the cheapest plan for the iPhone will run around $75 a month after taxes and fees. Thats a cool $1,800 over two years.

People will say "but you're already paying for a cellphone!"

Well, yeah. But most other plans for normal cellphones only run around what? $40 a month?

Theres always prepaid too. Like I said in my previous post. Get a 1,000 minute card for $50 and then buy what you need as time goes on. An 8GB iPod touch, a cheap prepaid phone, a $5 or $10 a month txt/mms/email plan and buying what you need to talk will cost you about 1/3 or less of what an iPhone will cost you over that same time period.
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If you have a Blackberry Curve or a Palm Treo or a Samsung Blackjack, chances are good you are going to be paying about the same on a monthly basis as you are if you have an iPhone.

Making a comparison between a regular phone plan and an unlimited data plan doesn't work.
 
Given that this thread is 5 pages and I have only read the first 2 posts, I am sure that the following has already been established, but I'll say it anyway: Over the course of 2 years, that $300 dollar iPhone costs well over a thousand dollars, and that might be even close to two. The iPod touch, on the other hand, only costs that original 400$ after those two years (and the subsequent years after) it still costs the same. Unless you buy those damn Apple updates (I haven't)
 
IgnatiusTheKing said:
If you have a Blackberry Curve or a Palm Treo or a Samsung Blackjack, chances are good you are going to be paying about the same on a monthly basis as you are if you have an iPhone.

Making a comparison between a regular phone plan and an unlimited data plan doesn't work.
Click to expand...

I think the poster is saying that if you use the iPhone just as a phone - which right with the 3G now you can't (you have to get a dataplan), a cheap phone and an iPod Touch would be cheaper.

It all boils down to - do you want to carry 2 devices, or one? Do you want AT&T (locked, or T-Mobile hacked)? Do you want Internet everywhere? Do you want to get your hands on an old iPhone instead to save some monthly costs?
 
gkarris said:
I think he means the T-Mobile Web plan for $5/month, which I never got to work. I think T-Mobile in Chicago (at least) turned that feature off for iPhone users in order for us to go to T-Mobile Total Internet ($20/month including hotspots).
Click to expand...
I wasn't sure what he meant. It's been years since I've heard of a national carrier allowing you to use your voice minutes for PDA data.
 
Everybody who is complaining, you do realize that the actual price of the iPhone is much more than $200-300. When you buy a 3g iPhone, AT&T is paying some of the cost for you as long as you sign up for a contract. The actual retail price of the iPhone without AT&T subsidizing it is much higher than what you are actually paying. The reason that the touch is so much more expensive is because you are paying this full retail price without the subsidy.

Everybody who is suggesting that the iTouch should be priced below $200 is crazy.
 
PMB said:
apple makes $10 a month on iphones, they make $0 on ipod touches. that is why it wont change

I may sell my ipod touch and get an iphone though.
Click to expand...


Yes, I agree. Canadian prices are 369 for 16gb Itouch but 299 for a July 11 16 gb Iphone.

would it be advisable to buy an Iphone and just don't use the phone. I use a cheap pay as you go phone (10 per month).
 
gkarris said:
I think he means the T-Mobile Web plan for $5/month, which I never got to work. I think T-Mobile in Chicago (at least) turned that feature off for iPhone users in order for us to go to T-Mobile Total Internet ($20/month including hotspots).
Click to expand...

Yeah. T-Mobile and Verizon both offer a "mobile web" that doesn't have data charges but it uses your airtime instead. If you spend 5 minutes browsing the web then you use 5 minutes of airtime. I had it when I had Verizon Wireless before switching to AT&T for the original iPhone.

However, if you have a "Smart Phone" then you need an actual data plan.
 
gkarris said:
I think the poster is saying that if you use the iPhone just as a phone - which right with the 3G now you can't (you have to get a dataplan), a cheap phone and an iPod Touch would be cheaper.

It all boils down to - do you want to carry 2 devices, or one? Do you want AT&T (locked, or T-Mobile hacked)? Do you want Internet everywhere? Do you want to get your hands on an old iPhone instead to save some monthly costs?
Click to expand...

Basically.

I have a lifetime use of ~350MB of received data on EDGE on my iPhone. Yet I use it for data all of the time. I'm almost always around WiFi.

For most people, an iPod touch + regular mobile phone with a cheaper plan will make more sense. Realistically, how many times in a day do you use internet on a mobile device that isn't around a WiFi connection?

Many cellphones offer "GPS" too. With Verizon (don't know about AT&T) and others offering the navigation features for a few dollars per month + airtime. It basically uses a minute of airtime every few minutes to find your position and keep tracking up to date.

Basically, a regular mobile phone + iPod touch will still be cheaper than the iPhone with data plan.

Most people would be perfectly fine with a prepaid service and an iPhone.

After I made this post I did the math. So far I've spent nearly $1,000 on the iPhone in the almost year I've had it. The same period with a prepaid phone, same use (minus data but with text and emailing) I would have spent $300. Add on a $300 iPod touch plus another year of use and it will still be under $1,000 for two years compared to $2,000 for the 3G iPhone.
 
Doesnt everyone already know that the iphone is subsidized just like other cell phones are by the carrier. That explains the iphones cheaper price. If you cant understand that then you are not very bright. Just go to any carrier website and see how all the phones are cheaper when you sign a contract.
Would you like them to offer an Itunes contract for the ipod touch, that would make you sign up for 2 years and force you to spend a minimum of $30 a month on music and then sell you the 8gb touch for $100. would you like that.
 
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