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iPhone Early Cancellation Fee $175
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Most of your comparisons don't make sense. The closest would be the record companies, but even that is off base. This would be akin to Apple making an iPod and then wanting a cut of every song you buy. Or perhaps BMG making an mp3 player and then wanting a cut of every song sold. Apple is making the hardware and wants a cut of the usage income. Just like what they get when people use the iTS. Only difference here is that with the iPod people can buy CDs and rip them, while you have to use ATT's plans to use the phone and can't go elsewhere.
My mobile phone I bought while I was in Japan was so totally locked by the carrier Vodafone JP, and without a SIM card I can't even use Camera & Bluetooth functionality , which is completely unrelated to the phone stuff. It was ridiculous, but it so happens in Japan.
I don't know how it will turn out for the iPhone in the US.
I don't know how it will turn out for the iPhone in the US.
I would not be surprised if there will be some sort of hardware or software that will prevent the use of any of the iPhone functionality until activation is completed.
Just imagine powering the phone up and seeing a screen stating "This phone is not currently activated. Please connect through iTunes...blah blah"
With all of the advertising dollars that AT&T has poured into this, I doubt that they would allow any iPhone to go unactivated. And since Apple is supposedly getting a cut of the monthly fees, I don't think Apple would want them to be used without activation.
Hickman
Just imagine powering the phone up and seeing a screen stating "This phone is not currently activated. Please connect through iTunes...blah blah"
With all of the advertising dollars that AT&T has poured into this, I doubt that they would allow any iPhone to go unactivated. And since Apple is supposedly getting a cut of the monthly fees, I don't think Apple would want them to be used without activation.
Hickman
what i still don't understand about GSM
my daughter's friend bought a phone on eBay and used it with Cingular service here in the U.S. They just got back from a trip to France & UK and her Cingular phone worked in both places (albeit at 99 cents/min).
What does this mean about whether or not Cingular svc can work overseas? (she THINKS the phone she bought on eBay came from Italy...but it worked in the U.S., too).
Can someone explain the principles? Does it have to do with the "modes"?
my daughter's friend bought a phone on eBay and used it with Cingular service here in the U.S. They just got back from a trip to France & UK and her Cingular phone worked in both places (albeit at 99 cents/min).
What does this mean about whether or not Cingular svc can work overseas? (she THINKS the phone she bought on eBay came from Italy...but it worked in the U.S., too).
Can someone explain the principles? Does it have to do with the "modes"?
I know this is a DISCUSSION forum, but there are SO MANY questions being asked that people simply cannot solidly answer. No one here knows how it will sell, activate, or work, because no information has been released.
Patience. What-if-ing is fun, but be careful making purchase decisions based on comment speculation.
So then if you find you're not liking the iphone, be sure to make that decision when they are all sold out next month so you can sell yours for $800+ on ebay and cover any cancellation costs.
I'm not worried about ebayers (at least at AT&T stores) simply because if you cancel in the first 30 days of the contract you have to return the equipment in like-new condition (or they'll charge you even more). So you cant go and signup, cancel and sell it on ebay for the price + ETF + fees + profit. And in 30 days hopefully supply will be adequate.
There are two different concepts in discussing using the phone globally. The first is the preferred method - you go somewhere, you buy a SIM card and you pay local rates. This is how overseas users would use their phones, and how ATT/Cingular customers would prefer to operate. The second method is what you describe - ATT/Cinglar has a "World Service" or some such thing where you use your ATT account and essentially roam while overseas. ATT just has contracts with one or a few providers in each country whereby the two companies essentiall split the fees to ensure global service. Because most phones will operate on both US and non-US bands, your daughter could use her phone.
Also her phone may have come from Italy, but because it is a tri or quad band phone, it works both here and overseas. The Italian had an unlocked phone and took out his SIM card, sent it to her, she put in her SIM card and it works. With the iPhone, it will be locked, so this won't be possible. It is also the reason for which, if you choose to travel with the iPhone, you will have to utilize the second method mentioned above and not the first. You pay more, but it saves you a little bit of "hassle." It may or may not be worth it depending on how much you use your phone. Looking back, I would have preferred to do that on my last trip to India. Getting a SIM card almost as bad as applying for a visa, and I ended up not using it very much (didn't help that my carrier put me on a regional plan instead of national)...
perhaps there was a missunderstading...
I was saying those things are greedy, not saying they are the same. Did you get in now?
OTOH, Apple's cut of the monthly fee would be justified if somehow they are involved in the operation and support of the hardware and the services provided, such visual mail, on an ongoing basis.
I was saying those things are greedy, not saying they are the same. Did you get in now?
OTOH, Apple's cut of the monthly fee would be justified if somehow they are involved in the operation and support of the hardware and the services provided, such visual mail, on an ongoing basis.
BenRoethig said:
No.
Wait and see. Apple will not be getting into the customer service game for AT&T, a la Radio Shack with Sprint.
They're going to sell iPhone and nothing more, and have built a self-activation and self-service process via iTunes, and will refer customers directly to AT&T for any AT&T related issues.
(Also, you mangled the quoting above. That was originally posted by me, not slackpacker.)
Yes, you can. As long as you are in range of a wifi network, you can surf and talk simultaneously.
this news broke the chain...
this week had been one of good iPhone news every other day: Monday - better battery performance and glass screen
, Wednesday - YouTube , Friday - Cancellation fee , well, that was expected, it is just that there were no more good news.
this week had been one of good iPhone news every other day: Monday - better battery performance and glass screen
, Wednesday - YouTube , Friday - Cancellation fee , well, that was expected, it is just that there were no more good news.
I know Verizon charges thi s much. It use to be tiered. The longer time you had left the more you paid in cancellation fees.
this week had been one of good iPhone news every other day: Monday - better battery performance and glass screen
Don't worry... they had to dump this bad news, let it simmer over the weekend, and vanish. Then, they can get everyone excited again early next week when they announce the iPhone plans without people grumbling about the cancellation fee. It will be old news at that point.
(speculating they will announce the plans early next week)
A contract IS a contract. You commit to paying for two whole years, so of course there's a cancellation fee if they lose that future income. My DSL is only a ONE year commitment, less valuable than a two-year, yet the cancellation fee is quite large if I were to bail out. I could avoid the contract and cancellation risk, but I'd pay more monthly (not necessarily an option offered with the iPhone).
What remains to be seen, though, is what benefit the contract brings to US, if it's not subsidizing the phone.
Normally what a non-phone contract (like ISP service) earns you is lower monthly rates. That would be my best guess here, and I'll gladly sign for two years and pay full price for the phone if it saves me money every month.
Now, if the contract benefits AT&T (or Apple--except that's a subsidy in essence) while bringing the consumer NOTHING, no subsidy and no reduced monthly rate, THAT would be worth a negative vote!
What remains to be seen, though, is what benefit the contract brings to US, if it's not subsidizing the phone.
Normally what a non-phone contract (like ISP service) earns you is lower monthly rates. That would be my best guess here, and I'll gladly sign for two years and pay full price for the phone if it saves me money every month.
Now, if the contract benefits AT&T (or Apple--except that's a subsidy in essence) while bringing the consumer NOTHING, no subsidy and no reduced monthly rate, THAT would be worth a negative vote!
If there's not in-store activation, it will go like this:
1) Buy iPhone
2) Go home
3) Plug into computer
4) iTunes launches
5) iTunes asks you to create Apple ID and enter credit card info if you haven't already
6) iTunes asks you to choose a service plan
7) iTunes tells you your AT&T charges will automatically be charged to your credit card every month
7) iTunes asks you to read lots of legal mumbo-jumbo, confirm
8) THEN iTunes unlocks the features of the iPhone
1) Buy iPhone
2) Go home
3) Plug into computer
4) iTunes launches
5) iTunes asks you to create Apple ID and enter credit card info if you haven't already
6) iTunes asks you to choose a service plan
7) iTunes tells you your AT&T charges will automatically be charged to your credit card every month
7) iTunes asks you to read lots of legal mumbo-jumbo, confirm
8) THEN iTunes unlocks the features of the iPhone
Big deal...
Of course there is going to be a cancellation fee...its not like AT&T is thinking "zomg every person that signs a contract for an iPhone is going to break that contract." It is just there to prevent other mobile phone companies from persuading AT&T customers to leave as easily
I think the cancellation fee on my 39.99/mo contract is around $200, so WHY are there so many negatives on this? It is a perfectly normal fee to apply, and until details about plans and things are known, no one can say "well the iPhone isn't subsidized blah blah"
Of course there is going to be a cancellation fee...its not like AT&T is thinking "zomg every person that signs a contract for an iPhone is going to break that contract." It is just there to prevent other mobile phone companies from persuading AT&T customers to leave as easily
I think the cancellation fee on my 39.99/mo contract is around $200, so WHY are there so many negatives on this? It is a perfectly normal fee to apply, and until details about plans and things are known, no one can say "well the iPhone isn't subsidized blah blah"
I've been tasked with getting one for work..(work being a UK mobile operator)
Anyone know if someone in the UK can get a US contract without being a resident there etc?
Cost isn't an issue so I sense a busy time figuring out how to get one, ugh
Anyone know if someone in the UK can get a US contract without being a resident there etc?
Cost isn't an issue so I sense a busy time figuring out how to get one, ugh
I desperately want an iPhone and I'm willing to pay $500 for it. I might even pay the £400 it'll no doubt cost here in Rip-off Britain. But I absolutely will not sign a 2 year mobile phone contract. No way. I was willing to agree to yearly contracts in exchange for a shiny new phone (my V3 was free with a 1 year contract the month of it's first release). But pay full price for a phone AND sign up to a contract twice the length of a typical phone contract here? No way. No way in hell. If the phone was ENTIRELY subsidised I'd consider a 2 year contract, but there's NOTHING here in Britain that I know of that demands a 2 year contract. Some of the Cable and Sky contracts are hitting 18 months, and if you get your phone from a reseller they sometimes insist on 18 months, but I've yet to encounter a 2 year contract. I'll not be signing any, that's for sure.
Sick of iPhone
I really, really, want to get back to Mac's. I think the iPhone has distracted Steve and crew from their core business.
I really, really, want to get back to Mac's. I think the iPhone has distracted Steve and crew from their core business.