Same thing happened to me. Even online it had me listed as primary. When I called to ask who was primary they had my wife's phone number not mine. Even though the entire family plan is in my name. They picked her number as primary and there is no way to retro actively change this.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 3GS Launch Day Details and AT&T Pricing
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Same thing happened to me. Even online it had me listed as primary. When I called to ask who was primary they had my wife's phone number not mine. Even though the entire family plan is in my name. They picked her number as primary and there is no way to retro actively change this.
It's not correct.
I bought the original iPhone about a week after release, a 3G on launch day, and I'm not eligible until next March. I've had ATT/Cingular for about 10 years.
Imwoblin,
You have my story. I too have been with AT&T Wireless since 1997. I bought gen 1 on launch day and 3g on launch weekend, and I am being told March 2010.
I called AT&T to find out, and I was told 18 month wait, but told them that March is 20 months after purchase. I was then told that 18 months was in error, that it is 20 months.
If I have to wait until March, I will wait for the iPhone 3G-SD (Super Duper iPhone). WWDC is only 364 days away. So Apple and AT&T will have lost a sale. I will be out of contract, and available to go elsewhere.
So to sum up: been with AT&T for 12 years, purchased both iphones opening weekends, gladly sign a new 2-year contract, but now being forced to wait for a new iPhone until a few months before my contract is up. If I have to wait 8 months for an upgrade, I will wait the additional few months so that I can be free of AT&T.
You buy a car with a 5 year note, and after 2 years you want to get a new car.
Ya think you don't have to pay on the first car anymore? BD
question about switching carriers
If I preorder the iphone now and put in my information from my existing carrier (verizon) is it going to cancel my verizon service right away and leave me phone-less until next friday? or does the switch over not happen until I receive the phone and activate it over itunes?
If I preorder the iphone now and put in my information from my existing carrier (verizon) is it going to cancel my verizon service right away and leave me phone-less until next friday? or does the switch over not happen until I receive the phone and activate it over itunes?
Wow!
$83 per month for a cell phone! yes I love the iPhone and I agree that is probably one of the worlds greatest little inventions to ever come along but there will never be one in my hand at $83 per month.Where do you people get the money to pay these companies almost $100 per month for a gadget? I have worked hard all my life day in and day out but just cant find the justification or the disposable income to throw this kind of money at a cell phone.
Enjoy
I am in the same boat, bought the 3g on launch day. I am available for an upgrade in December. I am simply selling my phone so provide myself with my own subsidy. The 3g is worth at least 200 dollars, which gives you the same price 399-200=199. I don't know why people are freaking out about the lack of the ability to upgrade. Its a subsidized phone, and that the deal when you want a new phone before your contract is up.
same here... and i asked last night.... and no... it' ALL ABOUT CALIFORNIA!
i'm really ticked about it!
This isn't the difference between "MSRP" and a sale price or anything else of the sort.
Apple is selling the phone at full price. ATT is volunteering to pay 2/3 of it for you (in return for a contract), but they're leaving you to pay the full sales tax bill.
I'm not a tax lawyer, so this part is conjecture--but I suspect this only applies in California because Apple is a CA company. *IF* it really does only apply in CA.
Well I hate to defend AT&T, but you paid full price for the 1st generation iphone thus you did not have to pay anything else for the 3G at the subsidized price. You have a 24 month contract that you signed. You now want the new phone without paying for it. So why are you mad at AT&T?
I can echo this as well. I've had both phones on release date and am not eligible until March 2010. If I can't upgrade within the first month for $299, I won't do it. Without that price, it just isn't upgrade-worthy for me. We all know there will be a 4G next year - and if you wait until December/March/whatever, there definitely won't be a discounted price when it comes out.
And please, spare me the lectures on "you signed a contract, etc etc." I'm just stating my experience.
For those that really want the phone: the same questions arose last year with the 3G. Give ATT a week to get their stuff together...I think some things will be ironed out closer to time. ATT never has their stuff together right after the announcements.
Of course, wether they ever have their stuff together in general is a good question too..
Is there a thread anywhere that have people actually talking about the new iPhone and its new features instead of complaining about the price?
I don't have a land line/long distance. If you remove some of the old time expenses from your monthly bills you can easily make up the difference.Wow!
Where do you people get the money to pay these companies almost $100 per month for a gadget? I have worked hard all my life day in and day out but just cant find the justification or the disposable income to throw this kind of money at a cell phone.
Enjoy
Current user upgrade FAIL!
I have been an AT&T customer since they were Cellular One in the Boston Area (then they went to Cingular and now AT&T).
I waited out my entire existing 2 year contract until November of 2008 so I could get my iPhone 3G 16GB...
Now I can not upgrade until 3/2010????
I understand the whole "2 year" contract subsidy but if you are going to release a new device every year, I should be able to upgrade every year to the new device without penalty, as long as I sign a new contact.
This is not a way to retain customers in a very bad economic recession IMHO.
In order for my to be able to upgrade to the latest hardware, I need to either wait almost a year, or dish out an additional $100 (on top of $299 I am ready to spend on top of the $299 I spent 7 months ago!!!).
If they are worried about me taking my 7 month old device and handing it off to someone else and getting the new one cheaply, lock the existing phone down so I can not reactivate it until my contract is up (so I cant give it to my brother to use).
Considering there is no real reason to upgrade (video, a compass and a slightly better battery life which I can care less about ) other than getting a 32GB size (my old iPod was 20GB of music, which forces me to remove a LOT of my library on my 16GB iPhone3G)... this will just make me wait until June 2010 until they release the next version.
I have been an AT&T customer since they were Cellular One in the Boston Area (then they went to Cingular and now AT&T).
I waited out my entire existing 2 year contract until November of 2008 so I could get my iPhone 3G 16GB...
Now I can not upgrade until 3/2010????
I understand the whole "2 year" contract subsidy but if you are going to release a new device every year, I should be able to upgrade every year to the new device without penalty, as long as I sign a new contact.
This is not a way to retain customers in a very bad economic recession IMHO.
In order for my to be able to upgrade to the latest hardware, I need to either wait almost a year, or dish out an additional $100 (on top of $299 I am ready to spend on top of the $299 I spent 7 months ago!!!).
If they are worried about me taking my 7 month old device and handing it off to someone else and getting the new one cheaply, lock the existing phone down so I can not reactivate it until my contract is up (so I cant give it to my brother to use).
Considering there is no real reason to upgrade (video, a compass and a slightly better battery life which I can care less about ) other than getting a 32GB size (my old iPod was 20GB of music, which forces me to remove a LOT of my library on my 16GB iPhone3G)... this will just make me wait until June 2010 until they release the next version.
On this point, I agree, mostly. There is a return on investment issue that is fair to point out. That said, the posts today show that AT&T has its own formula to determine when you have paid your dues to them. When some people are able to refresh in 12 months, some in 16 months and some in 17 or 18 months, it does seem somewhat arbitrary.
What I think the overall all problem is that Apple clearly has a 12 month refresh schedule. AT&T should either get in line with that (as to not piss off their customers) or they should offer one year contracts with a smaller subsidy. Many people bought the original iPhone without a subsidy. I would be willing to pay more and have a smaller subsidy in order to get a phone when I want it. Maybe others would not.
Wow!
Where do you people get the money to pay these companies almost $100 per month for a gadget? I have worked hard all my life day in and day out but just can’t find the justification or the disposable income to throw this kind of money at a cell phone.
Enjoy
To each their own. Everyone spends money on the things they consider valuable.
I pay approximately 4-5x more on my car each month than I do on my iPhone, once you consider car payment, gas, and insurance. Yet I use my iPhone MUCH MUCH MUCH more than I use my car on a daily basis.
So the return on investment for me, on the iPhone, is a good one. If your lifestyle/bank account suggests that it wouldn't be for you, don't buy one.
Actually its something ATT/Apple should offer. Trade-in your 3G for a 3GS. Its a win-win situation. ATT gets more subscribers by being able to offer more $99/$149 phones. Less phones end up in land fills. Apple can show how "green" they are.
I agree. I love the new phone and can't wait to use one. I'm eligible for the upgrade on July 28 and will definitely be getting the 32 GB.
I am personally only mad at AT&T because the upgrade timing is so completely variable. It ranges from launch to March. I'm on a single plan without text messaging but my family (yes my family bundles our phones together because it is cheaper) has 6 phones total with AT&T. So because my phone isn't in the family plan because it was easier to just stick me on an iPhone plan I don't get to upgrade until March (and I'm not upgrading that close to the next iPhone announcement which leaves me out of contract and able to switch carriers if the next iPhone is on another carrier for one reason or another...probably won't happen until at least 2011 though).
It is so depersonalized that it isn't really funny. I mean, I'm not surprised since this is the company that won't have MMS at launch because they have to manually unblock each iPhone account (not that I care for MMS).
I do not agree with the logic of the first post. They essentially want something for nothing. However, I believe that AT&T should offer a year plan for upgrade. The only problem is most people in this forum would go off the deep end when the price came out.
THE PHONE COSTS $699!!!!
Either pay it up front or it gets subsidized. Geez what is so hard about this.