Verizon & Apple iPhone RETAIL price difference confirmed.

[whiteyanderson]

Whether you are upgrade eligible or not. Or if you simply want to purchase without extending your contract, it's been sort of a source of some debates. I decided to contact Verizon myself and see if it was more than rumor and see if they would bend and give a $50 credit. They would not. This is in regards to the FULL RETAIL PRICE, not the upgrade eligible price, which is the same at both Apple and Verizon.

To Verizon's credit, over the course of about a week, emailing back and forth, the guy did go out of his way to find out the information. Here is what he had to say:

Dear XXXX XXXX,

This is XXXX again, and I am following up as promised after finding more details regarding the price difference you have mentioned.

I found that both Apple and Verizon Headquarters made a business decision to sell the iPhone 4 at different prices for full retail purchases. This information is currently being worked on to be loaded in the Q&A portion of our www.verizonwireless.com/iphone website. Based on this information, you will need to purchase the iPhone 4 at full retail cost through Apple in order to receive the difference in cost at this time. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

XXXX, I am glad to be able to provide an answer to your price difference question and inform you both companies made a business decision to offer the iPhone 4 at different prices. We understand you have a choice when it comes to wireless service and appreciate your loyalty to Verizon Wireless since 2001!

Sincerely,

XXXX

Now the fact remains that for $53 more, one can simply order the 32GB version from Apple over the 16GB from Verizon. From the info I got today from 4 different Apple employees (including one Apple store online supervisor), Apple will indeed have Feb 3rd Pre-orders. Which, for what it is worth, Verizon flatly denies.

 

[Zepaw]

Perhaps it is cover for their outlets. Verizon Brick and Mortar stores typically sell their subsidized smartphones for $50-70 dollars more than what I could get just by going to Verizonwireless.com

I find it funny if it is meant to raise more money because the $50 will be negated by all the people who realize it is cheaper to order from Apple.

 

[whiteyanderson]

Perhaps it is cover for their outlets. Verizon Brick and Mortar stores typically sell their subsidized smartphones for $50-70 dollars more than what I could get just by going to Verizonwireless.com

I find it funny if it is meant to raise more money because the $50 will be negated by all the people who realize it is cheaper to order from Apple.

I've noticed that too. Since the higher price is for VZW online, I wonder what the chances are that the iPhone will cost even MORE at the retail stores? Can you imagine? Probably not but, the Verizon online FAQ is very "intentionally" vague. So much so that there is a huge uproar on the VZW forums with claims that only upgrade eligible customers can pre-order on the 3rd. In other words a couple of Verizon Reps have posted that if you are an existing customer willing to pay full retail, you cannot do so until the 10th. Again, this goes against everything both Verizon and Apple reps have told me personally.

IMHO of course it is to milk customers out of another $50 and take advantage. Oh well, some will say it's a "Great business plan". Regardless, I hope everyone has the sense to buy straight from Apple and deny Verizon the extra $50.