Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Yeah $200 is ridiculous for a phone that costs roughly $600 to manufacture. They're making like -$400 on that deal, WHAT A RIPOFF.

I hope you get scammed. If you can't actually afford an iPhone with AT&T you're probably just some poor wannabe living beyond his means anyway. ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS?


$200 is subsidized. Eventually the user will pay for the total cost of the phone in some way (marked up voice/data plan is what some carriers do).

BTW the iPhone 3GS costs $178.96 to manufacture according to iSuppli. Far from the $600 number you came up with (what, you actually think Apple isn't making a profit on every device?)
 
$200 is subsidized. Eventually the user will pay for the total cost of the phone in some way (marked up voice/data plan is what some carriers do).

BTW the iPhone 3GS costs $178.96 to manufacture according to iSuppli. Far from the $600 number you came up with (what, you actually think Apple isn't making a profit on every device?)

+ marketing, +R&D, +packaging, + transportation...
 
Yeah $200 is ridiculous for a phone that costs roughly $600 to manufacture. They're making like -$400 on that deal, WHAT A RIPOFF.

I hope you get scammed. If you can't actually afford an iPhone with AT&T you're probably just some poor wannabe living beyond his means anyway.

Let that guy's personal expenditure not come into this context. It's OK if he wants an iPhone, but forces himself to pay for it. That only improves Apple sales, so we should be happy.
 
If you have an iPhone from AT&T, you are required to have a data plan. It's in the contract. Read it. If you don't like it or agree with it, don't enter into the contract.

I am not bashing you or the OP at all. I'm simply pointing out things you don't like.

I'm right. And I love it.

yes but if the aunt was to give/sell the iPhone (what the OP is suggesting) and longer uses the device, she is not obligated to the data plan

Thank you good sir.

yes she is still obligated to her contract, but his is only for voice service, not features(data/text/etc). Nowhere does it say if a device is no longer used, you still have to pay for those features
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp

And thank you. Glad to know I'm not the only one who's figured this one out.
 
...still comes nowhere near equaling $600. It's called profit. Apple is really good at it.

It's not supposed to equate $600, they have to make a profit. But it's nowhere near $400 profit like some people assume. Marketing is expensive and R&D is ridiculously expensive.
 
yes she is still obligated to her contract, but his is only for voice service, not features(data/text/etc). Nowhere does it say if a device is no longer used, you still have to pay for those features
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp

His aunt would still have to pay for monthly fee of whatever she signed for even she doesn't use it. If you point is correct then people could just sign the contract and use voice service/SMS and NOT use any data and they would just have to pay for the voice service/SMS fees,which is not true.

Yeah $200 is ridiculous for a phone that costs roughly $600 to manufacture. They're making like -$400 on that deal, WHAT A RIPOFF.

I hope you get scammed. If you can't actually afford an iPhone with AT&T you're probably just some poor wannabe living beyond his means anyway.

Making $400 for each phone? Yeah, if that's how you do business. There are Research and development cost, transportation cost, marketing and advertising cost, etc. Moreover, if Apple is indeed making $400 for each iphone, so what? It's business. If you don't like it or can't afford it then don't buy it.
 
Your cost to get an iphone from AT&T would be $500 to not be married for 2 years.

Skip the aunt

Go to AT&T store, buy the phone, wait 30 days, cancel the contract.

200(+ tax), 175 cancellation fee, 80$ first month service, 35 activation.

Proceed to unlock and use on Tmobile at Edge speed, or no data plan and save some $. My wife and I both have a plan with a local GSM carrier for 50$ for 2 lines. I dont have use for data on the road.
 
+ marketing, +R&D, +packaging, + transportation...

The person I was replying to said "that costs roughly $600 to manufacture". I was simply telling him that the phone does not cost $600 to make. Obviously there would be other costs but at the end the total would still be far from $600. Maybe $300 or 400 at most.
 
I think a good rule of thumb is - if the price is too good to be true, then you should think again.

I've been burnt now twice on eBay by sellers that are simply trying to take your money. I really wish eBay would crack down on these sellers.

The best is the China knockoff iPhone - what a joke! :rolleyes:
 
You can easily take off the data plan! EASY! I've done it numerous times!
I also pay $30 for unlimited data and messages on AT&T using an iPhone 3GS
 
His aunt would still have to pay for monthly fee of whatever she signed for even she doesn't use it. If you point is correct then people could just sign the contract and use voice service/SMS and NOT use any data and they would just have to pay for the voice service/SMS fees,which is not true.

I think the point you are missing is that his aunt (or anyone else) would not be using the iPhone on AT&T's network. She would still use her current phone on AT&T's network under the OP's scheme. Under that scenario she would not have to keep the data plan. It is true that she would have to have the data plan if she is using an iPhone on AT&T's network but that is not the scenario that the OP has laid out.

The part of the contract she would be honoring would be the commitment to remain with AT&T for another 2 years. You do not commit to use the iPhone for 2 years. She also wouldn't be eligible for a discount on a new phone for those two years.
 
iphone unlock scams

It seems wierd to me that in all these forums where these iphone 3.1.3 unlock scams are discussed that if you scroll to the end you find an advert for a scammer supplied by a google ad.

Maybe the best way to stop the scammers who are making money from what is freely available ( which happens a lot on ebay for any sort of info that people want now and not when they have researched for a while) is to get google to stop their adverts appearing all over the place.

Mind you I am not sure if there is such a place as Google Customer Service?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.