iPhone 3G Hands On, Notes, and Questions

[GregorBehr]

TAP and Family Plan

Anyone have the two together from AT&T for your iPhone?
I really don't want to go through the trouble of separating out my phone plans, but I saw that they finally extended TAP to the iPhone.

I'm sure AT&T will raise the price of it on the 3G, but if the don't... ROCK ON!
It would be cheaper for me in the long run.

 

[GregorBehr]

it would be really nice if at&t would get their act together and produce some serious details:
-the text message situation
-the activation situation
also since the iPhone is now being treated like everything else in being subsidized, do you have to be eligible for an upgrade in order to get the discounted price or if you extend your contract 2 years then you're good to go? the anticipation is being worsened by at&t dragging their feet...

At least for the contract, it would appear that they just reset your contract to another 2 years, not tact on two more years. So if you have 1 year remaining, its back to two years, not 3 years.

 

[compuguy1088]

At a trip to the Apple store in NYC today I found out some sad info:

When you get your new 3G iPhone, you have to take it in. They are going to LOCK your iPhone and it will not work as an iPod or WiFi device. This seemed so incredibly stupid that I asked twice.

STUPID JERKS

Wait...are you saying? What do you have to take in? Your 1st generation iPhone?

 

[GregorBehr]

Wait...are you saying? What do you have to take in? Your 1st generation iPhone?

Bet they meant, you have to take the 3G to an AT&T store for activation.
Though the Apple store were supposed to be able to do that.

Now if they meant take in your old iPhone, that doesn't sound right, as you paid full price for that sucker. You own, it, not AT&T with their subsidization.

 

[markcc]

earlier in thread, yes

Wait...are you saying? What do you have to take in? Your 1st generation iPhone?

earlier in thread, yes, according to the guy in the NYC Apple Store

 

[Type121]

Now if they meant take in your old iPhone, that doesn't sound right, as you paid full price for that sucker. You own, it, not AT&T with their subsidization.

+1

 

[FlexPen76]

OK, i've read through this thread and have to give it from the UK view here. It may well be different in the US when its launched, but here's (what appears to be the deal) this side of the pond.

In the UK there is no mention of returning the handset at time of purchase. In fact the UK O2 site mentions you can pass your old phone onto a friend -- http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/existingiphonecustomers -- look under "don't need two iphones".

And for info, markcc - when you jailbreak the device it activates for you, jailbreaks it and as an option allows an unlock. Simple as. If you're worried about AT&T sending some "lock" signal to the handset take the sim out before you do the activate / jailbreak / unlock. There are countless tutorials on the web that show you how, and if you have access to a Mac the standard is basically one click apps like ipwnage.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

Wait...are you saying? What do you have to take in? Your 1st generation iPhone?

Don't listen to markcc (no one else does), he has been making things up for the last several days. My guess is he is Steve Balmar. Anyway, if you already have an iPhone and upgrade to the 3G, you still keep your original iPhone and you can use it's wifi functionality, just not the voice or edge data services (unless you get a separate plan & SIM for it, or if someone else does if you want to sell yor phone or give it away).

 

[HD303]

Apparently Wall Street is not happy with the new iPhone. The stock is down almost 10 points in the past few days.

 

[danny_w]

Apparently Wall Street is not happy with the new iPhone. The stock is down almost 10 points in the past few days.

Make that -20 points in the last 3 days.

 

[chicagdan]

Make that -20 points in the last 3 days.

It's called buy the rumor sell the news ... happens to every company. Good buying opportunity.

 

[elistan]

Man...its funny to see how off topic we can get.

Okay, so I have a question. Is it a fact that we will have to activate in store, or is it just speculation. Everyone here appears we will have to, and even the yahoo article about the new Iphone says you will. I am confused! To make it more confusing, I stopped by the AT&T store today and spoke to an employee there. She said (informed or not, I don't know) that you will not have to activate in store. She seemed pretty sure or she is a really good liar. So what do you think?

The official memo from AT&T says that activation in-store is mandatory. Period. The credibility of some part-time store employee pales compared to the official corporate memo to store managers, you know?

Here's the full memo:
http://gizmodo.com/5014909/att-memo-to-retail-managers-shows-iphone-3g-policy

 

[emir]

Yes the stocks are going down and wallstreet is unhappy but Steve Jobs said in his interview;

- Investers should trust us, they should think we knw something. The iPhone 3G will make both customers and the investers happy.

He also said;

-We've made the investers happy enough in the last decade.

So there are 2 possibilities. Steve doesn't care about investers, or we will get screwed by the operator fees.

 

[chicagdan]

The official memo from AT&T says that activation in-store is mandatory. Period. The credibility of some part-time store employee pales compared to the official corporate memo to store managers, you know?

Here's the full memo:
http://gizmodo.com/5014909/att-memo-to-retail-managers-shows-iphone-3g-policy

Oh, it's that definitive, is it? Then explain this passage of the memo, which seem to indicate that in-store activation MAY NOT happen in Apple Stores:

The current iTunes activation process will no longer be required for iPhone 3Gs, however a short tether process to unbrick the 3G device will be performed in all AT&T stores (tether cords will be provided). Apple stores will also perform this tether process, however in the event that a customer's device is not tethered in the Apple store, their device will be inoperable until they get home and tether through iTunes.

If the tethering and activation is required in both stores, why the backup plan?

If I had to guess what's happening here, I think Apple tentatively agreed to go along with the AT&T tethering plan, but reserved the right to stop if it slowed down sales substantially. But again, just a guess, which is a reasonable thing to do since we DO NOT HAVE DEFINITIVE WORD on any of this.

 

[elistan]

Oh, it's that definitive, is it? Then explain this passage of the memo, which seem to indicate that in-store activation MAY NOT happen in Apple Stores:



If the tethering and activation is required in both stores, why the backup plan?

If I had to guess what's happening here, I think Apple tentatively agreed to go along with the AT&T tethering plan, but reserved the right to stop if it slowed down sales substantially. But again, just a guess, which is a reasonable thing to do since we DO NOT HAVE DEFINITIVE WORD on any of this.

I suspect that AT&T isn't too concerned about activating the actual phone - they just care about getting their contract. Which is required. I should have been more specific in my original explanation, sorry. There are two aspects to getting a new iPhone. First, getting service from AT&T. Second, activating the iPhone itself. With the first-gen iPhone, both activities happened over iTunes. Now however, due to the subsidies you are not allowed to leave the store (either Apple or AT&T) without first signing up for a 2yr contract for the new plan. But the actual activation of the phone need not happen right away.

No matter how much it slows down the purchase process, I suspect you'll be totally unable to purchase a 3G iPhone without signing up for service as part of the process.

 

[chicagdan]

I suspect that AT&T isn't too concerned about activating the actual phone - they just care about getting their contract. Which is required. I should have been more specific in my original explanation, sorry. There are two aspects to getting a new iPhone. First, getting service from AT&T. Second, activating the iPhone itself. With the first-gen iPhone, both activities happened over iTunes. Now however, due to the subsidies you are not allowed to leave the store (either Apple or AT&T) without first signing up for a 2yr contract for the new plan. But the actual activation of the phone need not happen right away.

No matter how much it slows down the purchase process, I suspect you'll be totally unable to purchase a 3G iPhone without signing up for service as part of the process.

That is correct -- you said activation in your original e-mail, but that's still a bit hazy. No question customers must accept the two year contract no matter where they buy, it's spelled out in the memo:

Customers must accept AT&T and Apple Ts & Cs, sign a 2-year agreement, and select the data plan for the iPhone 3G before leaving the store.

Maybe Apple Stores will then give customers a choice whether to then leave the store to activate online later or finish the job.

 

[iStefmac]

The official memo from AT&T says that activation in-store is mandatory. Period. The credibility of some part-time store employee pales compared to the official corporate memo to store managers, you know?

Here's the full memo:
http://gizmodo.com/5014909/att-memo-to-retail-managers-shows-iphone-3g-policy

IN case you cannot read, that is GIZMODO

NOT AT&T.

Odd how those details cannot be found ANYWHERE else, including all of the news pages on AT&T's own website.

 

[iStefmac]

I suspect that AT&T isn't too concerned about activating the actual phone - they just care about getting their contract. Which is required. I should have been more specific in my original explanation, sorry. There are two aspects to getting a new iPhone. First, getting service from AT&T. Second, activating the iPhone itself. With the first-gen iPhone, both activities happened over iTunes. Now however, due to the subsidies you are not allowed to leave the store (either Apple or AT&T) without first signing up for a 2yr contract for the new plan. But the actual activation of the phone need not happen right away.

No matter how much it slows down the purchase process, I suspect you'll be totally unable to purchase a 3G iPhone without signing up for service as part of the process.

What part of CONTRACT IS NOT REQUIRED do you not understand?

Are you aware that to use an iPhone on AT&T, a contract is not and has not ever been required?

Ever. Since DAY 1. Despite the 2 year contract footnote that accompanied every ad and webpage leading up to release, it has never been actually required.

 

[JGowan]

Markcc is a troll

I appreciate you comments, but the Apple store sales guy specifically said that AT&T was deactivating the phone. I used the word BRICK with him and he agreed that I would have absolutely no functionality after the upgrade.

Folks DO NOT LISTEN to this guy... he has only participated in two threads,... one post about Apple shooting a 3G commercial in NYC and about 7 or 8 on this very thread, all of which he's giving out bogus information...

https://forums.macrumors.com/search/?searchid=10996418

ENGADGET.com has a lot of answers to all the 3G questions people are asking... head over there about this stuff... but most importantly, if you upgrade to Apple's new 3G, your old phone WILL NOT BE BRICKED!!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/12/iphone-3g-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-but-were-afraid-t/

 

[KaiMac]

Make that -20 points in the last 3 days.

Its because its and ATT stock now. Steve got owned, owned!

 

[markcc]

JGOWAN, calling me a troll should disqualify you from this community

JGOWAN, if you don't believe info coming from Apple itself, then you have some real problems. Everything I posted came from Apple itself, period. Like I said in some of the postings, Apple may just be trying to put out a trial balloon, and it might not come out this way, but if it does, your iPhone will be a brick when you go to get your new phone. I feel that it is important for people to know that and the press to pick it up now, before we all get screwed.

Trying to relate some posting I made because I know people here in NYC involved in Apple advertising on another posting is just plain stupid on your part.

Dont you think that some people may know things that you dont?

Why do you feel the need to attack good information?

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

Its because its and ATT stock now. Steve got owned, owned!

So let's see, Warren Buffet, Jr....the S&P 500 is down -10% over the past year and Apple is up +50%. Over the last 5 years, S&P 500 is up +35% and Apple is up !,700%. And Apple got owned...not just once, but twice..."owned, owned". I think you got "owned, owned" when you paid money for that do it at home investment class. I think 99.999% of investors would like to get owned the way Apple investors have.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

JGOWAN, if you don't believe info coming from Apple itself, then you have some real problems. Everything I posted came from Apple itself, period. Like I said in some of the postings, Apple may just be trying to put out a trial balloon, and it might not come out this way, but if it does, your iPhone will be a brick when you go to get your new phone. I feel that it is important for people to know that and the press to pick it up now, before we all get screwed.

Trying to relate some posting I made because I know people here in NYC involved in Apple advertising on another posting is just plain stupid on your part.

Dont you think that some people may know things that you dont?

Why do you feel the need to attack good information?

This guy is a laugh a minute!

 

[DN7335]

The official memo from AT&T says that activation in-store is mandatory. Period. The credibility of some part-time store employee pales compared to the official corporate memo to store managers, you know?

Here's the full memo:
http://gizmodo.com/5014909/att-memo-to-retail-managers-shows-iphone-3g-policy

I have no doubt that if you buy in an AT&T store, they make you activate immediately. However, the question was about buying in the Apple store which the AT&T memo would have no relevance to. Its been reported elsewhere that at the Apple store you will be required to sign the AT&T contract, but not necessarily activate the phone in store. Since you will be under contract, if you don't activate within 30 days they will have the ability to come after you.

 

[Type121]

JGOWAN, if you don't believe info coming from Apple itself, then you have some real problems. Everything I posted came from Apple itself, period.

Your information didn't come from Apple, it came from some drone working at an Apple Store. And it's not true. If you can't distinguish between reliable information released by Apple or AT&T through proper channels and strange rumors from floor staff, then maybe you have a problem.

Here is a relevant quote from CNET:

"If you decide to pass it on to someone else, they will be able to activate the phone through iTunes but only by activating a new account. If you (or anyone else) does not open a new account, the old iPhone will be unusable as a phone, even if you insert another AT&T SIM card. In that case, you can use the handset only as a media player and a Wi-Fi device."