iPhone 3GS Launch Day Details and AT&T Pricing

[73CortinaV8]

I just went through the ordering process and the "estimated taxes" for the $299 phone are $66.41

That is over 20% !!


Is there an extra federal sales tax on cellphones?

WTF!

 

[e.m.]

I've owned BOTH the first gen iPhone (day one adapter) and the 3G iPhone (again, day one adapter), never have I been late on a payment, and I have an upgrade available in December 2009.

So I can safely say that option 3 is bogus information.

I've also owned both generations of the iPhone (both purchased about a month after launch), and I'm not eligible until Jan 2010.

 

[Kwill]

Why is he tilting his head so much?

Obviously to fit in the video frame. 😉

 

[dlcrow]

- if you owned a 3G and are upgrading to a 3Gs you will qualify 18 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of January 2010 dates)

I got my 3G iPhone in July, but did not get a discount since I was not upgrade eligible at the time, so I paid the full price. I understand that I agreed to a two-year contract, but shouldn't I be upgrade eligible sooner than 18 months from last July since I didn't get a discount at that time?

 

[ghostface147]

I got the iPhone 3g on launch day (even was interviewed for the local Houston news, woot!) and am eligible on the same day, one year later. While intially peeved about the higher cost due to upgrade ineligibility, I feel that the new phone isn't enough for me to toss the 3g. I never use voice command (don't miss what you don't know), don't need a compass, and when I had my phone jailbroken (since restored to defaults), I never used cycorder. However I do need to replace my phone's back cover since it is heavily damaged from a fall on concrete. The back cover has seperated from the chrome bezel. It should be fun to replace.......😱

 

[kugino]

I got my 3G iPhone in July, but did not get a discount since I was not upgrade eligible at the time. I understand that I agreed to a two-year contract, but shouldn't I be upgrade eligible sooner than 18 months?

but you signed a contract for two years...if they wanted to be even more draconian about it, you wouldn't be eligible until two years.

 

[Impatient]

Every single site I go to has current iPhone customers complaining about the upgrade pricing! You guys are amazing. You signed a 2 yr contract. This isn't a new thing with cell phones, you sign a 2 yr and get the phone cheaper and are expected to stay in that 2 yr contract to allow for the company to make back what it discounted the phone for you. Just because you own an iPhone doesn't mean you are exempt!

I bought a macbook pro a year ago and a few months later Apple released the unibody Macbooks....did I call up Apple and demand a discounted price because they came out with a new model??

I leased a car in 2008 for 3 yrs...guess what? The same company had the audacity to make some changes in the 2009 model!! Did I call up the company and demand to get out of my lease and get a discount on the 2009 so I can replace my old and outdated 2008??

Stop complaining. Deal with your contract. Owning an iPhone does not entitle you to special treatment no one else gets.

 

[klittle32]

Best Buy?

Anyone know if we will be able to purchase at Best Buy on launch day? I'd like to buy from them b/c I am a rewards zone member.

 

[rmb7984]

After a brief chat with AT&T, it seems as though they're doing the following:

- if you owned a 1st Gen and are upgrading to a 3Gs you qualify immediately
- if you owned a 3G and are upgrading to a 3Gs you will qualify 18 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of January 2010 dates)
- if you owned a 1st Gen AND a 3G, you will qualify 12 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of July ~13 dates)

This is very poorly communicated but looks to be the situation, which is a tiny bit better than I thought it was last night as they're not totally hosing their most loyal customers.

Can anyone else confirm?

a

This fits with my experience. I owned the original, and upgraded to the 3G on August 3. My upgrade date to the 3Gs is August 5. I was wondering why my upgrade date was only a year following my 3G purchase and many others were 18 months.

And by the way, I don't feel hosed at all. My previous experience with cell phone carriers is that they offer you NO discount and NO subsidy toward a new phone until you are no longer under contract. I agree that this sucks and I wish the system worked differently, but this is not the case. Quite frankly, I think ATT is within their rights to not offer an early upgrade at all (not that apple would allow this). I actually feel well supported that ATT would offer me a full subsidy price for a brand new phone only a year into my contract. Just my two cents.

And I'm not singling you out arainert - hope you don't think so. I'm just a bit frustrated with the negative sentiment surrounding the upgrade issue.

 

[akadmon]

After a brief chat with AT&T, it seems as though they're doing the following:


- if you owned a 3G and are upgrading to a 3Gs you will qualify 18 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of January 2010 dates)

a

Great. I bought my iP 3G in November, so come next year's WWDC I will be eligible to purchase the new iP 6G XXS at a subsidized price immedietely! 😀

 

[Civic Minded]

I've owned BOTH the first gen iPhone (day one adapter) and the 3G iPhone (again, day one adapter), never have I been late on a payment, and I have an upgrade available in December 2009.

So I can safely say that option 3 is bogus information.

Not exactly bogus... I just think there's a lot of unwritten variables to what's going on.

I got a first gen phone on an AT&T refurb sale in late May 2008, then turned around and got the new 3G on it's launch day. My upgrade is available to me on July 12, 2009.

I passed the 2G phone down to my wife the day I got my 3G, and her line is ready to be upgraded immediately. 199/299 for the 3GS.

Now I've been paying upwards of 150 a month for the last year with the two phones, which may be playing into all this. I even called AT&T to confirm the info, and they told me that it was all correct. One line is ready now, the other will be ready in July.

 

[Deniolan]

I'm thinking this isn't correct...

- if you owned a 1st Gen and are upgrading to a 3Gs you qualify immediately
- if you owned a 3G and are upgrading to a 3Gs you will qualify 18 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of January 2010 dates)
- if you owned a 1st Gen AND a 3G, you will qualify 12 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of July ~13 dates)

I don't think this is correct - here is my breakdown:

• Purchased the original iPhone about a month after launch.
• Purchased a White 16GB iPhone for the subsidized price on 7/27/07
• White phone was stolen (OUCH), purchased a black 16GB for FULL price on 8/7/07

When I go to apple's page, the only prices I am quoted are $599 for the 16GB or $699 for the 32GB, and it says I am not eligible until 1/18/2010.

DUB TEEE EFF!!!! $700 for the new phone, really, apple? It seems as though even though I paid full price for the second 3G, they renewed the contract - maybe that's thrown a wrench in the upgrade process.

Deniolan.

 

[JustinP81]

This fits with my experience. I owned the original, and upgraded to the 3G on August 3. My upgrade date to the 3Gs is August 5. I was wondering why my upgrade date was only a year following my 3G purchase and many others were 18 months.

See, why is that? Why do you get to upgrade a year from your 3G, but I have to wait until 18 months since my 3G?

I just don't understand. It must be the "pay over 100 dollars a month" thing.

 

[clarksonknight]

Looks like the attwireless site for preorders is clueless as well. I'm trying to add a line to my account from the att website, and when I get to the part where I log in, the iPhone 3GS option disappears and I'm stuck with choices from all the "current" phones. It could have something with having a FAN, because as soon as I log in from the "add a line" link by the 3GS ad, it directs me to the Premier Acct. Doubt this will be overcome by going to the att store by the sounds of it, either.

 

[rmb7984]

Every single site I go to has current iPhone customers complaining about the upgrade pricing! You guys are amazing. You signed a 2 yr contract. This isn't a new thing with cell phones, you sign a 2 yr and get the phone cheaper and are expected to stay in that 2 yr contract to allow for the company to make back what it discounted the phone for you. Just because you own an iPhone doesn't mean you are exempt!

I bought a macbook pro a year ago and a few months later Apple released the unibody Macbooks....did I call up Apple and demand a discounted price because they came out with a new model??

I leased a car in 2008 for 3 yrs...guess what? The same company had the audacity to make some changes in the 2009 model!! Did I call up the company and demand to get out of my lease and get a discount on the 2009 so I can replace my old and outdated 2008??

Stop complaining. Deal with your contract. Owning an iPhone does not entitle you to special treatment no one else gets.

Agreed

 

[afishertx]

After a brief chat with AT&T, it seems as though they're doing the following:

- if you owned a 1st Gen and are upgrading to a 3Gs you qualify immediately
- if you owned a 3G and are upgrading to a 3Gs you will qualify 18 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of January 2010 dates)
- if you owned a 1st Gen AND a 3G, you will qualify 12 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of July ~13 dates)

This is very poorly communicated but looks to be the situation, which is a tiny bit better than I thought it was last night as they're not totally hosing their most loyal customers.

Can anyone else confirm?

a

I had a 1st gen, got a 3g on day one, have a family plan w/ 4 iPhones ($400 / month) never been late, and I get March 2010???😕

 

[JustinP81]

See, why is that? Why do you get to upgrade a year from your 3G, but I have to wait until 18 months since my 3G?

I just don't understand. It must be the "pay over 100 dollars a month" thing.

I'm not worried though. I'm going to add a line, so I'll get the new 3GS, and pass the 3G down to my girlfriend, and then come this time next year, we'll be able to upgrade to the 4 gen iPhone with no problems.

 

[michelle21]

I'm not worried though. I'm going to add a line, so I'll get the new 3GS, and pass the 3G down to my girlfriend, and then come this time next year, we'll be able to upgrade to the 4 gen iPhone with no problems.

Someone said the difference in dates for elgibility july vs Dec. is if your monthly bill is over 100.00.

My monthly bill is 98.00, I feel cheated, 3 dollars make that difference.

Can someone from att comment on that.

0 late payments.

 

[imwoblin]

I had a 1st gen, got a 3g on day one, have a family plan w/ 4 iPhones ($400 / month) never been late, and I get March 2010???😕

This is the major complaint. ATT employees / defenders of the faith on this site notwithstanding, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the upgrade path dates for existing iPhone customers. It seems ATT must have used a Ouija board to determine upgrade dates.

 

[themacintoshman]

I got the iPhone 3g on launch day (even was interviewed for the local Houston news, woot!) and am eligible on the same day, one year later. While intially peeved about the higher cost due to upgrade ineligibility, I feel that the new phone isn't enough for me to toss the 3g. I never use voice command (don't miss what you don't know), don't need a compass, and when I had my phone jailbroken (since restored to defaults), I never used cycorder. However I do need to replace my phone's back cover since it is heavily damaged from a fall on concrete. The back cover has seperated from the chrome bezel. It should be fun to replace.......😱

Well you're pretty lucky, as me and other people from what I have heard have to wait until March 2010 to upgrade for $200. If we want the 3GS before then, we have to pay $500/$600.

 

[whynot83706]

- if you owned a 1st Gen AND a 3G, you will qualify 12 months after your 3G purchase (hence a lot of July ~13 dates)

This is very poorly communicated but looks to be the situation, which is a tiny bit better than I thought it was last night as they're not totally hosing their most loyal customers.

Can anyone else confirm?

a

Do you have more details on this one?

 

[jameskk]

Confessions of a fanboy

yawn!

Is it just me?

I mean, I am not sure I would buy the 3Gs even if it was at $199.

 

[JustinP81]

Someone said the difference in dates for elgibility july vs Dec. is if your monthly bill is over 100.00.

My monthly bill is 98.00, I feel cheated, 3 dollars make that difference.

Can someone from att comment on that.

0 late payments.

I agree. 3 dollars and we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's just a very random, and unclear, way of doing things.

YOU! DECEMBER!

YOU! JULY!

YOU! MARCH!

 

[ghostface147]

Anyone know if we will be able to purchase at Best Buy on launch day? I'd like to buy from them b/c I am a rewards zone member.

Yes you should be able to purchase the phone at any iPhone retail location, including Best Buy. I don't see anywhere that says that the preordering will go to that chain, for it only seems that ATT and Apple stores will be working with that aspect. I don't know if Best Buy will be honoring reward zone members with any perks that it offers. The best bet is to ask Best Buy.

 

[diabolic]

Then why do some people get eligibility in July, when they signed the very same two-year contract I did. This is the question no one seems to be able to answer.

If your monthly bill is more than $99, then you are eligible after only 12 months.