With the iPhone coming to Virgin Mobile USA $30/mo plan, are you going to switch?

[andyx3x]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard about it.

The main drawback to me is the $650 price for the 4S. I don't think the phone will sell that well at that price. I expect the price to drop sometime in the first six months, maybe to $500 with a monthly rate increase to $45 or so.

If this happens, it might be a definite go.

 

[BiggAW]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard about it.

The main drawback to me is the $650 price for the 4S. I don't think the phone will sell that well at that price. I expect the price to drop sometime in the first six months, maybe to $500 with a monthly rate increase to $45 or so.

If this happens, it might be a definite go.

They can't sell them at a loss. It's not part of their business model. The iPhone really just isn't compatible with that business model. It works OK for the right type of person with a $150 Android phone that's decent but not great, but it's just not going to work at the higher pricing.

 

[NewAnger]

I don't plan on switching. I have a 4S on Sprint that I started a contract on in January and a 3GS that is now contract free on AT&T. I'll use the upgrade on the 3GS to buy the new iPhone. I can't afford to pay the price that Virgin Mobile wants.

 

[unlimitedx]

The upfront cost is high, but that is no drawback when you consider how much the plan saves over 2 years vs the competitors.

 

[BiggAW]

I don't plan on switching. I have a 4S on Sprint that I started a contract on in January and a 3GS that is now contract free on AT&T. I'll use the upgrade on the 3GS to buy the new iPhone. I can't afford to pay the price that Virgin Mobile wants.

If you can't afford that price, you can't afford to have a contract or an iPhone much less two cell phone plans at all...

 

[mrbrown]

If you can't afford that price, you can't afford to have a contract or an iPhone much less two cell phone plans at all...

I think he was referring to the unsubsidized phone cost...

 

[NewAnger]

If you can't afford that price, you can't afford to have a contract or an iPhone much less two cell phone plans at all...

If you read the thread, I, along with many others were saying that we can't afford the non-subsidized price. I've always been able to pay for a $399 iPhone and the monthly bill that goes with it.

 

[BiggAW]

If you read the thread, I, along with many others were saying that we can't afford the non-subsidized price. I've always been able to pay for a $399 iPhone and the monthly bill that goes with it.

This is part of what's wrong with America. If you can't afford to buy the iPhone unsubsidized, out of pocket, you certainly can't afford to have a contract.

 

[NewAnger]

This is part of what's wrong with America. If you can't afford to buy the iPhone unsubsidized, out of pocket, you certainly can't afford to have a contract.

I have an iPhone since the original which was unsubsidized. In fact, at one time when the 16GB original iPhone came out, I owned three.

Please explain to me in your weird minds words how I can't afford a contract?

I've been able to afford two iPhone contracts, one on AT&T and one on Verizon for the past two years. I can't afford it? Really?

I also can't afford a car payment for a BMW or a Corvette so I have a car payment on a Honda. Am I not able to afford the payment on the Honda because I can't afford the vette payment?

 

[BiggAW]

I have an iPhone since the original which was unsubsidized. In fact, at one time when the 16GB original iPhone came out, I owned three.

Please explain to me in your weird minds words how I can't afford a contract?

I've been able to afford two iPhone contracts, one on AT&T and one on Verizon for the past two years. I can't afford it? Really?

I also can't afford a car payment for a BMW or a Corvette so I have a car payment on a Honda. Am I not able to afford the payment on the Honda because I can't afford the vette payment?

Because clearly if you're that strapped for money that you can't afford an $850 phone, you shouldn't be in a two-year contract for cell phone service.

 

[pyro008]

I'm definitely going to think long and hard about it.

The main drawback to me is the $650 price for the 4S. I don't think the phone will sell that well at that price. I expect the price to drop sometime in the first six months, maybe to $500 with a monthly rate increase to $45 or so.

If this happens, it might be a definite go.

Won't happen. A $10 rise in monthly rates after a $10 increase a year ago would decimate their business.

Besides, its not even that much if you use rational logic instead of "OH NO BIG NUMBERS" logic.

$650 for a 4S. This would cost $200 on a contract with a major carrier. 650-200=450. Contract smartphone plans with major carriers are generally ~$80. T-mobile and Sprint are a bit cheaper at $60 last time I checked, so we can use $70 as an average. Virgin Mobile's service is $30 with auto pay, so $70-30 is $40. 450/40 = 11.25 months. You recoup the cost of the phone in monthly savings in under 1 year and have absolutely no contract.

I'm on Virgin Mobile right now and am considering getting the iPhone (I got the triumph when it came out and its been nothing but awful). The service isn't perfect, and there are certainly reasons not to want to switch to it, but the cost is certainly NOT one of them.