iPhone 3G Launch Day, Meetups and Activation

[VDA]

first things first

You silly wabbits! Use your heads, people!!

The absolute FIRST order of business is to visit the Apple store on July 10 and buy a case!!!

Ah how quickly we have forgotten that this fragile, $199 mass-produced, assembly line-super friendly version has a (sigh) plastic back -- one drop and it's over!!

Besides, on that fateful day all you wanna do is get in (the store) and out as quickly as possible and not jostle for position as hundreds of other people search -- or worse, wait in a separate line -- for a case.

Or, if you're the obscessive compulsive anal type such as myself and with this thing being offered at such a ridiculously low price, just buy a new one each time you get a scratch or ding on it!!

 

[chrysrobyn]

My wife was going to be in line on release day to pick one of the new ones up. As time goes on, we're realizing how much more expensive this gear is going to be. Just to add GPS and 3G, we can't swing the additional recurring cost. We're heavy text message users, so the cost is clearly more than the $10/month more than the data plan (that doesn't include any SMS messages) costs.

http://consumerist.com/tag/iphone/?...xpensive-than-the-399-iphone-it-replaced-what

We're going to see if we can pick up a first generation phone and a first generation AT&T contract to go with it. If not, we'll have to wait for the costs to actually come down instead of this shell game.

 

[maestrokev]

Who wants to sign a 3yr contract?

The Rogers store near me has already stated it will open at Midnight July 10 for sales. They have also stated the price will be $199 and $299 CND plus the data packages rumored to be $45 per month.

Looking at Rogers website it looks like the pricing on the 8 and 16GB model will be the same in Canada as US. Rogers wants a 3yr contract, is that the same with AT&T?

 

[anewman143]

3G iPhone upgrade option??

Is there an option out there for existing iPhone users to upgrade to 3G? Other than the more-than-obvious just buy one at $199 I mean...

Thanks...

 

[alphaod]

sad.. if only Singapore was part of the July11th activation..

If only China was ever going to get the iPhone.

 

[DN7335]

FWIW, I don't believe the demand for iPhone 3G initially will be as high as the original iPhone. I had an original iPhone since day 1 and I'm not getting a iPhone 3G anytime soon. My thoughts why:

- Most Apple fans bought the original iPhone when it came out. Only the hardcore folks will spend $200 after a year for a new one which basically adds only 3G and GPS - surprisingly not important for average user.

- Those who never had an iPhone, there are now many competitors on the market (albeit not coming too close yet) that didn't exist last year so that will reduce the amount of people who want it. Sprint Instinct, Verizon Voyager, etc.

- People are still feeling burned by the price drop of last year and a few iPhone owners I've spoken to have vowed never to buy an Apple product in the first 6 months...either because of an impending price drop or refresh (more memory, etc.)

- People who bought the original iPhone on Day 1 realized there was plenty of stock available throughout he weekend and for several days so it was pointless to line up.

- Increased pricing of the AT&T contract makes it difficult for more people to jump on. The difference is about $15 per month on data/SMS.


So in the end, if I was getting an iPhone 3G I'd roll in over the weekend or whenever I felt like it and pick one up. I think lining up is not justified unless you have nothing better to do...in which case, enjoy.

Ha you're just trying to keep me from being in line in front of you!

I don't have an iPhone but I will be there in line on July 11, sure hoping they don't make us wait until 6pm here in the US, seems very stupid. Why waste the entire day and bunch everyone up in the evening?

 

[SirOmega]

Oooh, an Express line for existing iPhone owners. That plus the rumor that they aren't doing the 6pm thing will be nice. I could actually not spend all day waiting in line! A big plus.

 

[A Pittarelli]

hopefully any new store carrying the new iphones will at least be sufficiently stocked, people in the new countries gettings them could be horribly dissapointed

 

[deannnnn]

Would Apple really release the new iPhone overseas before it is released here??
I mean, I don't have a problem with it or anything, it just surprises me.

 

[phactorx]

does this mean pre paid accounts too?

if that were the case I could at least buy it heh

 

[revs]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

for those on the UK that are unsure about porting your number from another carrier of works as follows:

you can request PAC code at any time (however if you are still in contract you need to pay remaining months)

Once requested they must the PAC code within 2 working days (as per OFCOM regulation).

The PAC code is valid for 30 days.

If not used then contract continues as normal.

Once used it takes a week for number to transfer.

Once transferd the old contract is automatically terminated.

Hope this clears it up for everyone!

 

[mobilehavoc]

Ha you're just trying to keep me from being in line in front of you!

I don't have an iPhone but I will be there in line on July 11, sure hoping they don't make us wait until 6pm here in the US, seems very stupid. Why waste the entire day and bunch everyone up in the evening?

Sadly, that's not the case - definitely not getting one. I've decided to wait for iPhone 3rd gen whenever that's coming out.

I heard most places are going to sell it when they open in the morning so you shouldn't have to wait all day, just all night before

 

[aforty]

So where are these meetup threads? I'll probably end up coming to the Soho store to get mine.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

Has anyone heard if the pricing that Steve Jobs quoted is going to be the same for iPhone owners who want to upgrade? Is AT&T going to require you to pay more since your contract isn't up?

 

[DN7335]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

Has anyone heard if the pricing that Steve Jobs quoted is going to be the same for iPhone owners who want to upgrade? Is AT&T going to require you to pay more since your contract isn't up?

Existing iPhone owners can pay the 199/299 price, you'll just get a new 2 year contract. What's still undetermined is for existing customers who don't have an iPhone and used their upgrade when the re-signed previously. We don't know what the price for an iPhone will be for those customers. Also, if you bought your 1st gen iPhone on or after May 27, you can actually trade it in for a new iPhone rather than having to buy it.

 

[Modano]

I heard most places are going to sell it when they open in the morning so you shouldn't have to wait all day, just all night before

I wonder what this means for the 24 hour store on 5th ave in NYC? I don't mind getting up super early, I just don't want to sleep on the sidewalk.

 

[mobilehavoc]

I wonder what this means for the 24 hour store on 5th ave in NYC? I don't mind getting up super early, I just don't want to sleep on the sidewalk.

My guess would be 12:01AM.

 

[saminsocks]

Currently AT&T lets you order phones online and the SIM card is activated when they send it to you. If that's all they're doing in-store for the new iPhone hopefully they'll allow for online orders from their website for people who don't live near an AT&T store or Apple store. It is weird for them to not sell the in Best Buy, though, especially now that many Best Buys are Apple resellers.

I hope they don't screw people over this time with the new phone. I'm a Mac person, but I rarely buy anything they put out immediately, since there's always some sort of upgrade down the road. But my current phone doesn't haev a display anymore, so I desperately need a new one and even waiting 4 weeks is going to be tough, unless I can find someone with an old AT&T phone to use in the meantime.

Also, unless they're doing it differently now, when I switched from Verizon to Cingular I had 30 days before I was billed. So I waited until I had my new phone to cancel my Verizon phone, and then I switched my number over. It's kind of a pain, having two phones with different numbers, but I just did call forwarding so people didn't have to remember the temporary number. Like soemone else said before, when I switched there was still a temporary time when I was had to receive incoming calls with one phone and outgoing with another, but I don't think that lasted very long.

 

[Daim]

awesome

the world -> 50% cheaper
germany -> 4-8% cheaper

 

[flipperanubi]

a

 

[sunfast]

Here's what happened to me when I switched from Voda to O2 when I got my 1G iPhone:

1) Gave Voda notice and ensured I got PAC code about 2 weeks into this notice period (to mitigate against any delays in O2, or me, getting the iPhone
2) Bought iPhone in store, went home, stuck PAC code into iTunes as part of the activation process. I got assigned a temporary mobile number.
3) I think it took about 2 weeks for my old Voda # to port to O2. It took about 8 hours for it to actually happen on the day they told me it would happen and a call to both Voda and O2. Things were a bit flaky for a bit with at one stage both phones having the same number and not being able to make/receive calls but it got sorted within a few hours.

Exactly what I needed to know. Thanks

 

[lamadude]

NOOOOOOOOO, **** IT!

Delayed in Belgium!? :'(

Yes... I'm affraid so, welcome to Belgium the land where technology stands still...
It's the first time ever that a phone will be sold exclusively for one provider... normally this is illegal, because it limits consumer choice... I don't know how they got around that, but the mobistar site clearly states "3g iphone, exclusively on mobistar" but no date yet.
The Belgian apple site even said 11th of July at first but this message has been removed again.

 

[robogobo]

Yup. I see this being AT&T's last big "screw you" to current iPhone users. Every original iPhone owner would have to swap their sim card to the new phone, leaving the original without a sim card. They would just love to stifle the secondary market for first gen iPhones. Without a sim card, the original iPhone will have no resale value whatsoever.

cool, I'll buy yours for a dollar.

 

[appleguy]

Would Apple really release the new iPhone overseas before it is released here??
I mean, I don't have a problem with it or anything, it just surprises me.

they arent.
its released at the same time.
it was the same for Leopard.

 

[dawnrazor]

I'm Getting mine first!!!!!

At last an advantage to living in NZ

That said we have no idea how much it will cost and what data plans you will have to sign up for and for how long. Thanks Vodafone, your great. I guess we'll be drip fed that bit of information a bit closer to the date.

Bring it on.