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Its cheaper to simply sign up and cancel than pay outright for 3g iphone?
- Thread starter aerospace
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As I see it, it's cheaper to get the subsidized iPhone, pay for the first month of service, and cancel after that month than to buy the unlocked iPhone anyway.
Not being tied to a contract is ipso facto pro tem an unlocked iPhone. It's an iPhone for people who don't want to worry about canceling a contract to get away from AT&T. The only reason you'd buy it is to unlock it.
Plus your first month of service... plus the activation fee if you're new... unless you don't care about your credit score.
I was going to post a thread about it but here's article about that, seems a good idea
if you don't mind the uncertain consequences.
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/01/doin-the-wacky-atandt-math2/
if you don't mind the uncertain consequences.http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/01/doin-the-wacky-atandt-math2/
If it's been a month, you can keep your 3G iPhone. I think that it's blasphemy that you don't get to keep the phone that you purchased with money before 30 days are up, but...
I was going to post a thread about it but here's article about that, seems a good idea
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/01/doin-the-wacky-atandt-math2/
My understanding is that no phone leaves the store not-activated. So you will be paying the $599, the activation fee, and 1st month's service...
The purchase price is amortized in the monthly contract so you have only "purchased" and small percentage of the iPhone when you buy at the subsidized price. I would also bet that you must return the iPhone or pay extra to keep it. AT&T isn't going to pay Apple for YOU to get an iPhone from them.
wow, you're cool you know a latin phrase
there is actually a very distinct difference between the 2, since you will still be locked to ATT until you unlock it with 3rd party software like the current iPhones. so when you call it an unlocked iPhone you are implying that second step doesn't have to be done which is a big difference. so the poor guy who is new to the whole process reads that and thinks he is buying something that is not locked to a carrier when he really isn't.
to show my point, 1st gen iPhones don't have contracts tied to them since you could buy and not sign up, would you call those unlocked iPhones? i don't thiink so. unlocked phones carry a premium on the market, i'd like to see you try to sell 1st iPhone that is locked to ATT and then use your logic to justify your for sale posting of the item as unlocked because it is not tied to a contract.
your argument is that those who buy unsusbidized must be unlocking, which isn't the case 100% of the time, what about the guy who wants 3G, can't get an upgrade, and doesn't want a contract, he will still be with ATT and will pay full price, and his phone is still locked till he unlocks it himself or pays someone to do it for him.
when you cancel though, can't ATT ask for the equipment to be returned within the first 30 days.
keep in mind the first bill will be prorated and in addition to the activation fee it will probably be around 150
How does that make sense?
AT&T pays Apple $425 for the iPhone and sells it to you for $199.
Why would they let you keep the phone within 30 days? (especially since if you cancel within 30 days, you don't pay ETF, therefore, they just lost more than $200)
One thing to note is that you will almost certainly be able to do this one time and one time only. So you may be able to buy a 3G, cancel, and sell it or use on T-Mobile, but this will prevent the mass exodus of phones to Russia and other places that occurred with the original iPhone.