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Why are "ALL" iPhone users eligible to upgrade? Is that wrong?
- Thread starter TimothyB
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It makes perfect sense the first iphone was unsubsidized.
That means that it shouldn't effect your upgrade eligibility for any phone.
At&t didnt loose money on the phone when they sold it to you. As opposed to them now covering some of the cost of the phone.
That means that it shouldn't effect your upgrade eligibility for any phone.
At&t didnt loose money on the phone when they sold it to you. As opposed to them now covering some of the cost of the phone.
I'm done with this, but to clarify. You say it shouldn't effect upgrade eligibility. So by that, if someone still had 16 months left, then afterwards they still had 16 months to go. In this case, ATT seems to ignore that specifically for upgrading to another iPhone. They cover the cost of that new iPhone and I guess just take a hit and lose money on the subsidized phone that use had from before any iPhone.
i can't believe how bothered the OP seems to be over this.
I guess I'm a little nuts over this. I seem a little crazy, but I find it a good thing that I'm responding to nearly every post. I find it worse on forums where someone asks for help and 4 pages later they never responded.
Well, I don't think you are nuts. It would be one thing if nobody was given exceptions, but since anybody using an iPhone right now is, but others aren't, then you do have some room for concern here.
No. I this is the way it worked:
You could have bought a subsidized phone (if you were eligible) BEFORE you bought the iPhone. Then you could have bought the iPhone, signed a new two-year contract, and your upgrade eligibility was based on THAT NEW CONTRACT -- set to zero. So -- a very few people that were able to find an iPhone in May, could have first gotten a Blackberry (subsidized). then an iPhone (full price), and because they're on the iPhone plan now, they're eligible again. Those people are "luckier" than you (and me).
MANY people did not get a subsidized phone when they could have (for example, the switchers to AT&T who bought on launch day, who didn't first get a subsidized phone), and they STILL had to sign a two-year contract, and their eligibility date was STILL started from zero as of that date. So they WOULD HAVE had to wait another six months before being eligible, despite having paid full price. Now THOSE people, a full year later, have been made "eligible." Those people are "unluckier" than you (except they've had an iPhone for a year).
MANY people fall somewhere in between.
So -- some people may get a subsidized phone a bit more often than you, and some people less often than you. Like others said, life isn't "fair."
NO ONE could get a subsidized phone, then be eligible for another one in a month just because of buying an iPhone. You're right, that would be ridiculous.
Your worries that you won't be able to get a 3G iPhone for ANY price I'm sure won't come true. Look at the threads on MacRumors from 11 months ago. Some people thought that even at $599, only eligible customers would be able to buy. They were wrong. Just wait and see, and don't worry about people who actually got a good break from AT&T! It's not usual, be happy for them!
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grego33
Guest
i can't believe how bothered the OP seems to be over this.
I'm guessing the reason you can't believe it is that you're not in his shoes.
Let's keep in mind that hindsight is 20/20. Some of us are sitting here with current AT&T contracts and have seemingly had the rules changed on us. Most of the "so what?" posts I see in forums discounting the complaints of existing non-iPhone customers are existing iPhone users and can look forward to trouble-free upgrades at posted pricing on 7/11. But for those of us who have existing contracts for whatever reason and were waiting for the 3G to be released, it seems a little unfair.
I've been a BellSouth Mobility DCS -> Cingular -> AT&T customer for 10 years now. Had to replace my Moto v550 last summer as the Moto wouldn't hold signal and was unusable. At the time I told the rep I was holding out for a while on the iPhone and was flat told that going into a new contract wouldn't affect my eligibility to upgrade to an iPhone. The point here is not even AT&T reps could have forecasted that the rules would change.
So to all you "so whatter's" out there: Stop a second and imagine if they weren't honoring existing iPhone customer upgrades ... technically you are under contract, regardless of how much you plunked down for the device. You'd be staring down the barrel of an extra $175 like the rest of us. And no, there's no $5 less / month unless your contract began on or after May 25, 2008. So on 7/11 the cheapest ETF anyone's going to pay is $165.
So I'll sit and wait for the official pricing to be announced. Maybe they'll meet us in the middle with a 10-day lifting of the upgrade rules or something. Who knows.
Certainly none of us.
The current deal AT&T has with Apple requires them to share iPhone 1.0 monthly revenue. AT&T wants all these customers to upgrade to a new 3G contract so that they can stop paying Apple for the whole 2 years. That's why current iPhone customers are automagically "upgrade eligible" to a 3G.
Other phones don't get the deal because AT&T doesn't get to stop paying someone. So they charge those people an ETF at minimum.
Other phones don't get the deal because AT&T doesn't get to stop paying someone. So they charge those people an ETF at minimum.
this iphone is being treated like every other At&t phone. As opposed to it being a special case like with the first one. I am not saying that you shouldnt be able to buy and unsubsidized 3g iphone.
The way they are going about this does make sense.
I am also not saying if I were in your shoes I wouldnt try to get around it to.
Why dont you just borrow a friends iphone and reactivate it with your sim.
The way they are going about this does make sense.
I am also not saying if I were in your shoes I wouldnt try to get around it to.
Why dont you just borrow a friends iphone and reactivate it with your sim.
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grego33
Guest
Do we *really* know this scheme will work? I don't think we'll find out until 7/11. Certainly AT&T can tell if you actually purchased the phone vs. just activated it or if the phone has been activated under different accounts. If it does work though, any of you thinking of selling on eBay might think again: this means your iPhone 2G could be reactivated for potentially each new iPhone release, saving you up to $175 a pop. Rent it out to others. $50 a pop for their ETF avoidance needs. Could make some $$$. Assuming the rules stay the same of course ... but there we go assuming again
Personally I'm willing to pay the ETF because just as I expected to be able to upgrade early, I expected to pay an unsubsidized price. So by my logic at least, it's a wash.
But I feel for those of us in the iPhone3G ineligibility limbo. Maybe we'll find out for sure soon.
Not sure how the activation works and consequences for that borrowed user's plan.
If I put my 3G sim card into that iPhone, connect it to iTunes, what will it bring up. Will it show a full 2 year voice plan, I choose that (assuming no need to pick data for now), it overwrites my current plan. Then when I give the phone back to the friend, will it just continue to work like before with their sim card back in it, none of their contacts, music, calendar stuff lost?
On the special case. The iPhone under it all is still exactly as it was as the first one. If I'm not eligible, I'd end up paying full price and going with the required 2 years, replacing my current contract, just like before. The whole thing is just real touchy after being mislead to expecting the new low price and plan rate changes.
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grego33
Guest
I'm not sure. I hadn't heard that, but it doesn't sound beyond the realm of possibility. Based on the existing rumors, my high-level plan of attack is either : 1) pay the ETF, as long as I can keep my number, or 2) add a line (as long as I can transfer my number to the iPhone). #2 is probably cheaper actually, $10/month * 14 = $140. But again, that's assuming existing rumors become facts.
Let's not forget that the $30 plan is not $10 more than the previous $20 because of 3G. It's simply because that's how much smartphone plans are. Buy any smartphone, you're going to pay $30/month for data. So it's not out of the realm of possibility either that new activations on old iPhones start incurring this $30 plan either I don't think.
Again, we can only speculate. Best just to decide what the new one is worth to you and then wait to see what AT&T is actually going to charge, including all the red tape. No sense getting worked up until they announce something. Until then though, all these rumor forums are pretty entertaining
Is the embedded aerial any better
I never had problems before I bought my iPhone in February and switched to AT&T. Now there are dead areas where I do not get service.
What about new phones - how do I upgrade? Do I have to pay full price for the new ones in July - do I trade in what I have - is it replaced for a nominal fee?
I never had problems before I bought my iPhone in February and switched to AT&T. Now there are dead areas where I do not get service.
What about new phones - how do I upgrade? Do I have to pay full price for the new ones in July - do I trade in what I have - is it replaced for a nominal fee?
Like you I have been with ATT since the late 90's, well before they were AT&T. I still don't expect a break when I have problem because I have been such a long time customer. I am just one out of millions, I am not going to make or break this company should I decide to go elsewhere.
I purchased a Blackberry Pearl for a subsidized price in April 2007. I then paid full price for my iPhone in February 2008. My eligibility status changed from 12/08/08 to now I am eligible.
Had it not changed, I would have paid full price for the phone like I did in February. I had already planned to pay full price. To find out it was subsidized was nice, but not going to draw the line whether I was going to buy the phone or not.
Life isn't fair, there have many times I felt I have been screwed while other seem to have received the deal of the century. I don't upset and waste so much energy over it. I know there will be times, like now, when I get a better deal than someone else. I can't expect it all the time.
Where is Rosa Parks when you need her?
But I agree..people who got a smartphone in say Jan 08 that cost $600 (but only paid say $100) and THEN bought an iPhone for $399 should NOT be eligible for a free upgrade until mid-09.
Of course those who never had a subsidized phone from at&t should be eligible.
I just wish I had bought those refurb iPhones from at&t for $249 a few months back. Oh well.
All I know is that if at&t/apple asks for anything over $200 extra on top of the 199/299 price, then apple's going to lose my business (and yes, apple DOES have a say in how much it's going to cost folks...don't fool yourself).
Then again, I could just go to an at&t store and say how much I hate my blackjack, and how i'm going to turn off my internet plan unless I get an iPhone. That might make me "upgrade eligible"
But I agree..people who got a smartphone in say Jan 08 that cost $600 (but only paid say $100) and THEN bought an iPhone for $399 should NOT be eligible for a free upgrade until mid-09.
Of course those who never had a subsidized phone from at&t should be eligible.
I just wish I had bought those refurb iPhones from at&t for $249 a few months back. Oh well.
All I know is that if at&t/apple asks for anything over $200 extra on top of the 199/299 price, then apple's going to lose my business (and yes, apple DOES have a say in how much it's going to cost folks...don't fool yourself).
Then again, I could just go to an at&t store and say how much I hate my blackjack, and how i'm going to turn off my internet plan unless I get an iPhone. That might make me "upgrade eligible"
So let me ask this. I am a first gen iphone owner so if I go out now and buy a subsidized non iPhone but keep the iPhone plan would I still be able to upgrade to the 3g.
I thought of the same thing, but I doubt it. I think from this point once you get a subsidized phone it will void you from getting the 3G. You may call an AT&T rep though and double check. =D
If we were able to do this, that would really piss the OP off.
I am one of those people who think that if someone was and is still under contract for a phone before they got their iPhone, they need to finish that out before they are eligible for an upgrade.
AT&T knows these people owe them money. The question is if they are going to hold them to their contracts or give them a free gift.
I would not be too bent about it either way. I just hope people who did this don't get too upset if/when AT&T says they are not eligible.
AT&T knows these people owe them money. The question is if they are going to hold them to their contracts or give them a free gift.
I would not be too bent about it either way. I just hope people who did this don't get too upset if/when AT&T says they are not eligible.