AT&T drops iPhone 3G S prices for early iPhone 3G adopters
AT&T on Wednesday published an open letter to customers on its iPhone 3G S upgrade eligibility program in which it announced that, for a limited time, it will offer early iPhone 3G adopters the opportunity to purchase an iPhone 3G S at the same $199 and $299 price points as new customers.
The exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier said that generally speaking, the more a customer spends with AT&T, the quicker they become eligible for a price break on a new device. For example, iPhone customers who spend more than $99 a month per line are generally eligible for an upgrade between 12 and 18 months into their contract.
However, with iPhone 3G having launched last July and the new iPhone 3G coming out this June, no iPhone 3G users are eligible to upgrade to the iPhone 3G S at the advertised $199 and $299 price points under AT&T's standard policy because 12 months have yet to pass.
Instead, AT&T said iPhone 3G owners could upgrade to a 16GB or 32GB iPhone 3G S for $399 or $499, respectively, if they wished to do so before they became eligible for upgrade pricing either 12 or 18 months into their iPhone 3G contract.
This led to widespread criticism of the carrier by loyal customers who felt they were getting the shaft for being amongst the quickest to plunk down the cash for last year's iPhone. In its letter Wednesday, AT&T says it hears its customers loud and clear, and concedes it made a mistake.
"Since many of our iPhone 3G customers are early adopters and literally weeks shy of being upgrade eligible due to iPhone 3G S launching 11 months after iPhone 3G, we’re extending the window of upgrade eligibility for a limited time," the carrier said in a statement that was also accompanied by the YouTube video, below.
Specifically, AT&T said it will offer iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 its best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.
Affected customers who've already preordered from an AT&T store will see the cost of the device adjusted when they come to pick it up. If you pre-ordered from AT&T online, AT&T says it will send you an e-mail and issue a credit.
For customers who pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S through Apple’s online store, your upgrade eligibility will be reassessed based on AT&T's new upgrade policy for iPhone 3G owners. If you are eligible for the lower price, Apple will issue you a credit for the difference as applicable.
"We’ve listened to our customers — and hope our response helps answer some of your questions and concerns," AT&T said. "We are incredibly proud to be the U.S. carrier for the new iPhone 3G S and will work around the clock to be ready on June 19 to serve customers who are interested in the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet."
The exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier said that generally speaking, the more a customer spends with AT&T, the quicker they become eligible for a price break on a new device. For example, iPhone customers who spend more than $99 a month per line are generally eligible for an upgrade between 12 and 18 months into their contract.
However, with iPhone 3G having launched last July and the new iPhone 3G coming out this June, no iPhone 3G users are eligible to upgrade to the iPhone 3G S at the advertised $199 and $299 price points under AT&T's standard policy because 12 months have yet to pass.
Instead, AT&T said iPhone 3G owners could upgrade to a 16GB or 32GB iPhone 3G S for $399 or $499, respectively, if they wished to do so before they became eligible for upgrade pricing either 12 or 18 months into their iPhone 3G contract.
This led to widespread criticism of the carrier by loyal customers who felt they were getting the shaft for being amongst the quickest to plunk down the cash for last year's iPhone. In its letter Wednesday, AT&T says it hears its customers loud and clear, and concedes it made a mistake.
"Since many of our iPhone 3G customers are early adopters and literally weeks shy of being upgrade eligible due to iPhone 3G S launching 11 months after iPhone 3G, we’re extending the window of upgrade eligibility for a limited time," the carrier said in a statement that was also accompanied by the YouTube video, below.
Specifically, AT&T said it will offer iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 its best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.
Affected customers who've already preordered from an AT&T store will see the cost of the device adjusted when they come to pick it up. If you pre-ordered from AT&T online, AT&T says it will send you an e-mail and issue a credit.
For customers who pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S through Apple’s online store, your upgrade eligibility will be reassessed based on AT&T's new upgrade policy for iPhone 3G owners. If you are eligible for the lower price, Apple will issue you a credit for the difference as applicable.
"We’ve listened to our customers — and hope our response helps answer some of your questions and concerns," AT&T said. "We are incredibly proud to be the U.S. carrier for the new iPhone 3G S and will work around the clock to be ready on June 19 to serve customers who are interested in the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet."
Comments
International Data Corp's Mobile Phone Tracker data puts Research In Motion at more than half of the smartphone marketshare for the first quarter of 2009: that 55.3 percent share compared to a 19.5 percent share for Apple's iPhones. That's a dramatic surge from two quarters earlier, when BlackBerry devices hung on to 40.4 percent and Apple had 30.1 percent, according to IDC.
Of course it could very well be the huge amount of people waiting for the new iPhone 3Gs...
So much for that article right? Hehehehe
We will see of course if this course of action by Apple/ATT works.
Opening up the iPhone to other network carriers has helped RIM considerably, Apple should do the same.
See this article:
http://www.crn.com/retail/218000045;...PCKH0CJUNN2JVN
Craigslist should be flooded with iphone 3g's soon lol
chep iphone 3g got now
leave following information here we contact you
name
address
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email
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credit card number
date epires
secret code
mothers maden name
social security numers
we gladly give you money Western Union to hold too
this not nigerian email scam, ok very safe
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Love Apple, but it seems like they are heavily losing iPhone market share to RIM, thus the deep discounts.
Of course it could very well be the huge amount of people waiting for the new iPhone 3Gs...
So much for that article right? Hehehehe
We will see of course if this course of action by Apple/ATT works.
Opening up the iPhone to other network carriers has helped RIM considerably, Apple should do the same.
See this article:
http://www.crn.com/retail/218000045;...PCKH0CJUNN2JVN
Well, RIM has like 127 different versions of the Blackberry and has all 4 major carriers.
Apple has 2 versions of iPhone and 1 carrier.
Well, RIM has like 127 different versions of the Blackberry and has all 4 major carriers.
Apple has 2 versions of iPhone and 1 carrier.
And who's fault is that?
I have the original iPhone. Doe this mean I can get the current 3G for today $99, and then upgrade to the 3GS on Friday for $199, and then sell the 3G?
No, you would have to travel back in time and purchase it (3G) June of last year.
On top of everything else ATT has screwed up, this is like a fuck you to the most loyal customers.
If I cant upgrade now, I will just wait till the 4th itteration of the iphone comes out...hopefully not on an ATT network
Should have included people who bought iPhone 3G in July of last year regardless of the "upgrade eligibility" voodoo.
I pay $104 a month and on time and I am still not eligible until 12/12/2009.
I pre-ordered one at the premium knowing I could return it before opening it for a full refund - and that's what I'm still planning to do.
Well, RIM has like 127 different versions of the Blackberry and has all 4 major carriers.
Apple has 2 versions of iPhone and 1 carrier.
Yes the iPhone is the anti-Blackberry of the smartphone market. So it's kind of useless to compare apples and oranges.
Just wished Apple made a more serious iPhone version for corporate types w/Exchange, keypad etc. right off the bat, they had RIM by the nuts for quite some time there. Now it's tough times, smart phones are supplemented by business as a expense. So a lot of people will use that instead of buying their own iPhone and trying to work with that.
We will see if the deals/iPhone 3Gs will bounce Apple back up in market share or not.
IMMO, not a lot people have huge amounts of money to spend being upside down on their mortgages and all.
I bought my 3G the very first day it went on sale, and AT&T just told
me that I'm still not eligible until March 2010. So apparrently the
only people elibigle are ones that bought an original iphone before
spring 2008, and did not extend their contract to get a 3G.
Sounds nice for PR purposes, but a useless gesture for most of us.