AppleInsider › Forums › Mobile › iPhone › 3G iPhone to be in-store activated; free upgrade for recent buyers
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

3G iPhone to be in-store activated; free upgrade for recent buyers - Page 3

post #81 of 125
6/10/08 at 3:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ouragan View Post

Tied sales are illegal. It is illegal to tie the sale of a product with a service so that, if you want to buy and own the product, you must subscribe to the service.

This is the difference between the phone you buy and own versus a rented phone service.

Sorry, Apple, but manic Steve MUST OBEY ANTITRUST laws.

They have managed to do this in other European countries (UK, Germany) right from the start, and over here in Europe, there are much strong anti trust laws than in the US.

It cracks me up all you Americans whinging that you can't take it for $199 and not have a contract. You people need to get real. $199 without a contract is never going to happen, the hardware is worth far more than that. Everyone else in the world has had to sign the contract when they bought the phone right from the start. This is just the way it is when you get subsidised hardware!
Reply
Reply
post #82 of 125
6/10/08 at 3:11am
Hey, you gys seen the UK deal? Pretty cool:



And it will be on Pay/Go too, the details of which are forthcoming. Awesome news, I'm defintiely buying me a 16GB White one on Pay/Go.

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply
post #83 of 125
6/10/08 at 4:23am
White is definitely a good choice.

That said, I'd probably even get a white iPhone at those prices (if there were no black ones left). That is by far a better deal than what they are getting in the US.
Reply
Reply
post #84 of 125
6/10/08 at 4:37am
That said, I'd probably even get a white iPhone at those prices (if there were no black ones left). That is by far a better deal than what they are getting in the US.[/QUOTE]
What are the US deals like? This UK deal is sweet! so much better than before.
Reply
Reply
post #85 of 125
6/10/08 at 4:53am
The way I understood it, it was a minimum of $30 for the unlimited data, then you have to add a voice package to that, which start at $40. So that makes it around 35 pounds, but you have to pay for incoming calls in the US too, unlike in the UK (and basically the rest of the world).
Reply
Reply
post #86 of 125
6/10/08 at 5:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutcho View Post

The way I understood it, it was a minimum of $30 for the unlimited data, then you have to add a voice package to that, which start at $40. So that makes it around 35 pounds, but you have to pay for incoming calls in the US too, unlike in the UK (and basically the rest of the world).

you pay for incoming calls?!?!
Trying hard to think of a new signature...
Reply
Trying hard to think of a new signature...
Reply
post #87 of 125
6/10/08 at 5:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jensonb View Post

Hey, you gys seen the UK deal? Pretty cool:



And it will be on Pay/Go too, the details of which are forthcoming. Awesome news, I'm defintiely buying me a 16GB White one on Pay/Go.

I lives in the UK, and for £30 you are only getting 75 minutes and 125 txts... that isnt all that good. Plus, I try the option of Pay As You Go on O2's site, they want me to register, with my name, address and phone number, I mean, WTF do they want my address when I just want to register an interest on the PAYG model? I also would very much like a PAYG iphone, but it doesnt look all that good when they dont even tell you what it requires. (some form of not-jailbreaking agreement/ £600 unlocked 16gb iphone?)
Reply
Reply
post #88 of 125
6/10/08 at 5:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by othello View Post

you pay for incoming calls?!?!

It makes up part of your minutes allowance, so basically you do pay for it. You sound surprised but you shoudln't be. It goes along with other crazy things like using 110v, and an outdated measurement system that is far more complex than it needs to be.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zeasar View Post

I lives in the UK, and for £30 you are only getting 75 minutes and 125 txts... that isnt all that good.

AND unlimited data and use of thousands of wifi spots across the country. If that it's a good deal, well, you're getting seriously spoilt in the UK. In Germany we pay almost 40 pounds for 100 minutes and 40 texts!
Reply
Reply
post #89 of 125
6/10/08 at 5:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stukdog View Post

I don't mind the contract or the carrier...I just like the convenience of doing it at home.

Bummer.

Right on! I'm with you.

Because these fuckers have to unlock their phones, my Apple experience turned into the DMV. Erg.
-Dan
---------
"Don't just do something. Stand there"
Reply
-Dan
---------
"Don't just do something. Stand there"
Reply
post #90 of 125
6/10/08 at 6:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutcho View Post

White is definitely a good choice if you're a girl, or if you're gay, or if you want to confuse people and make them think that you are gay.

Wow. So I assume you never bought an iPod before they offered colours or black? Grow up.

The fact is, the white looks good and will show the smudge marks less. There's nothing"gay" or "feminine" about the colour white. Let's try to be mature here.

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply
post #91 of 125
6/10/08 at 7:34am
I don't know a single person who thinks like that, but whatever.

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply
post #92 of 125
6/10/08 at 7:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hutcho View Post

I don't know why you have to be so offensive about it..

I'm probably going to regret getting in the middle of this, but Hutcho, I believe the word you are looking for is "defensive" not "offensive". Or you could say "offended". So sentence should read "I don't know why you have to be so defensive/offended about(by) it"...anyway, carry on with the mudslinging.
Reply
Reply
post #93 of 125
6/10/08 at 7:53am
lol. you mean "offended" you are being "offensive" and he is "offended"

think you got your grammar confused because you are so tough, and not a pretty boy.
Reply
Reply
post #94 of 125
6/10/08 at 8:02am
Let's not forget why they're doing this. At $199, Apple is clearly receiving a rather large subsidy from AT&T to bring the phone down to this price. That means Apple gets paid probably $200 every time they sell or, more likely, activate an iPhone. If Apple lets unactivated phones out of the store that later get unlocked, Apple loses money.

Contrast this state of affairs with the original iPhone where, if the phone was unlocked Apple lost out only on the revenue sharing but still profited off the sale of the device. Since this subsidy arrangement is the simplest way to lower the price of the iPhone, Apple and AT&T have a far greater motivation for preventing unlocking than before.
Reply
Reply
post #95 of 125
6/10/08 at 8:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aduzik View Post

Let's not forget why they're doing this. At $199, Apple is clearly receiving a rather large subsidy from AT&T to bring the phone down to this price. That means Apple gets paid probably $200 every time they sell or, more likely, activate an iPhone. If Apple lets unactivated phones out of the store that later get unlocked, Apple loses money.

It's actually the customer who is receiving the subsidy, not Apple, although the net effect is about the same. Up until yesterday, the customer paid $399 for an iPhone, of which Apple received $399. Today, the customer pays $199, AT&T pays $200; Apple still receives $399.
Reply
Reply
post #96 of 125
6/10/08 at 8:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by polvadis View Post

I just really want Verizon to stop making its users buy their "iPhone killers" and start simply supporting the iPhone. I really don't like AT&T's service and it doesn't get any reception in my apartment while my Verizon phone gets full bars.

I know that Verizon is on a different network so it's not that easy to get iPhone to play nice with it, but can anyone imagine the millions of $$$ it would pay off if Verizon would get the iPhone already? I know it would have my $199...


I would switch back to Verizon in an instant if they supported the iPhone. I can't stand AT&T because their service and network truly suck ass.

I'm not going to upgrade to iPhone 3g because it is a waste of time. 3g is NOT hat big of a deal because it will still be slower than WiFi. So when you are not on WiFi, you will still not be happy. GPS is ok, but I already have a map on my iPhone and I can already locate myself on the map.

Plus, the new iphone is thicker and has a cheap plastic back. The only good thing about the 3g iPhone is the flush headphone jack and better life.

The flush headphone jack should have been there from the beginning. I'm not sure which Apple Genius decided not to make it flush in the first place, they should be fired.
Reply
Reply
post #97 of 125
6/10/08 at 8:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by enzomedici View Post

I would switch back to Verizon in an instant if they supported the iPhone. I can't stand AT&T because their service and network truly suck ass.

I'm not going to upgrade to iPhone 3g because it is a waste of time. 3g is NOT hat big of a deal because it will still be slower than WiFi. So when you are not on WiFi, you will still not be happy. GPS is ok, but I already have a map on my iPhone and I can already locate myself on the map.

Plus, the new iphone is thicker and has a cheap plastic back. The only good thing about the 3g iPhone is the flush headphone jack and better life.

The flush headphone jack should have been there from the beginning. I'm not sure which Apple Genius decided not to make it flush in the first place, they should be fired.

Steve will fire himself tomorrow. He thanks you for the thought .
Reply
Reply
post #98 of 125
6/10/08 at 8:59am
If you can't work out why any of that's offensive, fine. I'm not going to bother explaining it though because if you were going to understand you'd already know.

Moving on, I sure hope O2 aren't going to launch Pay/Go iPhones after July 11. That would suck royally.

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply

MacBook Pro 15" | Intel Core2 Duo 2.66GHz | 320GB HDD | OS X v10.8
White iPad (3G) with Wi-Fi | 16GB | Engraved | Blue Polyurethane Smart Cover
White iPhone 5 | 64GB | On 3UK

Reply
post #99 of 125
6/10/08 at 9:30am
Question:

Why can't apple continue to allow you to order online and make it so that it is required at the time of purchase that you also virtually (gawd I hate to use that word that way) sign a contract online? That way you can still have their activation at time of purchase rule?

Forcing Apple to make people go to a store to activate brings the iPhone down to the level of all the rest of those primitive cell phone devices. It is definately a step backwards.

I don't like this agreement apple made with at&t at all!
Reply
Reply
post #100 of 125
6/10/08 at 9:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post

Why can't apple continue to allow you to order online and make it so that it is required at the time of purchase that you also virtually (gawd I hate to use that word that way) sign a contract online? That way you can still have their activation at time of purchase rule?

I'd be really surprised if you couldn't order online. The phone would simply arrived activated. Requiring people to go to an Apple or AT&T store would rule out a large segment of the population who live near neither.
Reply
Reply
post #101 of 125
6/10/08 at 10:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmgceo View Post

If it has to be activated in the store then how do you buy a 3G iPhone from the apple ONLINE store ????

no apple on line sales.
Reply
Reply
post #102 of 125
6/10/08 at 10:39am
There's NO way under the sun that APPLE won't be selling 3G iphones ONLINE - its just not apparent how they plan on selling the iPhone and signing/activating a new contract with a (new or old) phone number. We're all missing information on how they intend to do this. Remember there are disabled people who can't get or go out to do this buy/activation process. LOTS of speculation here but again the ONLINE apples store is not going to advertise iPhones & not sell them!
Reply
Reply
post #103 of 125
6/10/08 at 11:19am
Maybe AT&T allows Apple to quit the exclusivity earlier if they sell the iphone for a few months with these conditions (and high margins for AT&T) ... I'm just guessing, no facts!
Reply
Reply
post #104 of 125
6/10/08 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aplnub View Post

I would think at the very least Apple will stay tied to AT&T for a minimum of 12 months. After 12 months rolls by, I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon got friendly with Apple. 24 months after the release of the 3G iPhone would seem more practical for a cut in one carrier only practice.

Didn't all the other carries say no only because of revenue sharing? Now that that has 'gone away' why bother staying with ATT at all?
Reply
Reply
post #105 of 125
6/10/08 at 12:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by othello View Post

you pay for incoming calls?!?!

Yes, Americans pay for incoming calls.

AT&T's iphone plan --- includes unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes, and 5000 nights/weekends minutes and rollover of your daytime minutes (if you don't use them up this month).

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/ba...al-options.jsp

The US plan is still better.
Reply
Reply
post #106 of 125
6/10/08 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post

Didn't all the other carries say no only because of revenue sharing? Now that that has 'gone away' why bother staying with ATT at all?

I've read several articles this morning that suggest the deal with at&t might be coming to a close! Just rumors, of course, but the end of revenue sharing is highly suspicious.

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply

Proud AAPL stock owner.

 

GOA

Reply
post #107 of 125
6/10/08 at 6:17pm
So what happens if you want to buy one as a gift for someone? Drag them into the store on their birthday?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post

Question:

Why can't apple continue to allow you to order online and make it so that it is required at the time of purchase that you also virtually (gawd I hate to use that word that way) sign a contract online? That way you can still have their activation at time of purchase rule?

Forcing Apple to make people go to a store to activate brings the iPhone down to the level of all the rest of those primitive cell phone devices. It is definately a step backwards.

I don't like this agreement apple made with at&t at all!
The grass is always greener above the septic tank
Reply
The grass is always greener above the septic tank
Reply
post #108 of 125
6/10/08 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hjordis71 View Post

So what happens if you want to buy one as a gift for someone? Drag them into the store on their birthday?

Or if you're going to be out of town on July 11
Reply
Reply
post #109 of 125
6/10/08 at 9:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TBell View Post

Don't buy that for a minute. Apple always intended to go with AT&T. It just wanted the most favorable terms it could get. How do you do that? By playing each competing company off one another. Apple never really intended to going with Sprint or Verizon.

Apple never even talked to ATT. Apple first went to Verizon and they turned it down. Apple next went to Cingular and they accepted, ATT bought out Cingular some time afterwards. That's how ATT ended up with the iPhone contract.
Reply
Reply
post #110 of 125
6/10/08 at 10:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmgceo View Post

There's NO way under the sun that APPLE won't be selling 3G iphones ONLINE - its just not apparent how they plan on selling the iPhone and signing/activating a new contract with a (new or old) phone number. We're all missing information on how they intend to do this. Remember there are disabled people who can't get or go out to do this buy/activation process. LOTS of speculation here but again the ONLINE apples store is not going to advertise iPhones & not sell them!

It's really simple. You buy an iPhone online and Apple gives you a confirmation number. you take the confirmation number online to ATT. You buy a plan (or renew an existing one) from ATT and they in turn give you another confirmation number. Plus they inform Apple that you signed up for a qualifying plan. Apple then ship you the iPhone. You get the iPhone, plug it into iTunes and enter your ATT confirnation number to activate. If you don't activate the iPhone, ATT will bill you for early cancellation and Apple will bill you for what ATT would have paid them for your subsidized iPhone. This makes it very expensive, but not impossible, to get a plan free iPhone to unlock.
Reply
Reply
post #111 of 125
6/10/08 at 10:55pm
AT&T is retarded. I am in disbelief that Apple took a step backwards and that people will have to deal with the shiteous telecom industry in the US for at least another two years. Verizon equally sucks and I don't really know what to do now.
Reply
Reply
post #112 of 125
6/10/08 at 11:42pm
iPhone summery of the last 11 months:

"$599 is too much for a phone!!"
"I paid $599, Apple cheated me by lowering the price of the iPhone to $399"
"The $100 store credit is not enough"
"The iPhone still expensive at $399"
"We want 3G... Edge sucks"
"We want 3rd party applications"
"We want GPS"
"We want flushed headphone jack"

Now,

"I want to activate my $199 iPhone at home, in-store activation sucks"
"3G and GPS not that big of a deal"
"We want second camera for video chat"


I guess some people need to learn to accept life as it is and stop whining about every single thing. Apple did almost everything you guys asked for.



Quote:
Originally Posted by hjordis71
So what happens if you want to buy one as a gift for someone? Drag them into the store on their birthday?

Well, you do the same thing as if you want to buy any other phone. There is also another invention called gift cards.
Reply
Reply
post #113 of 125
6/10/08 at 11:46pm
I wonder how they are going to make this in-store activation thing working here in Belgium.
Tied sales are illegal over here. I can see them getting around this some way, but in-store activation? Not going to happen.
On the other hand, steve said "a maximum of 199 all around the world". Yay!
I finally see the point of prohibiting tied sales.

x
zaqarov
Reply
Reply
post #114 of 125
6/11/08 at 12:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zaqarov View Post

I wonder how they are going to make this in-store activation thing working here in Belgium.
Tied sales are illegal over here. I can see them getting around this some way, but in-store activation? Not going to happen.
On the other hand, steve said "a maximum of 199 all around the world". Yay!
I finally see the point of prohibiting tied sales.

x
zaqarov

The law is under appeal at the European Court of Justice and the Belgium government is undergoing steps into repeal the law in Belgium.
Reply
Reply
post #115 of 125
6/11/08 at 12:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zaqarov View Post

On the other hand, steve said "a maximum of 199 all around the world". Yay!

Actually, many transscripts got this wrong. He said "a maximum of $199 in ALMOST all locations around the world".
Reply
Reply
post #116 of 125
6/11/08 at 12:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidW View Post

Apple never even talked to ATT. Apple first went to Verizon and they turned it down. Apple next went to Cingular and they accepted, ATT bought out Cingular some time afterwards. That's how ATT ended up with the iPhone contract.

That's utter bollocks. They were never gonna make a CDMA phone, they went to Cingular first and only.
Reply
Reply
post #117 of 125
6/11/08 at 12:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merdhead View Post

That's utter bollocks. They were never gonna make a CDMA phone, they went to Cingular first and only.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/29/v...e-iphone-deal/

or just Google "Verizon turned down iPhone".
Reply
Reply
post #118 of 125
6/11/08 at 5:17am
So this basically means for you guys that you cant just buy the phone and then get it unlocked right?

Apparantly they couldnt enforce this rule in Europe as its in breach of some EU law.
Reply
Reply
post #119 of 125
6/11/08 at 6:35am
As much as people like to bundle Europe into one basket, the fact is that there are still many countries within Europe with their own laws. In this case, it really depends on the country as to whether they are allowed to bundle contracts with a phone. For example, this most definitely IS allowed in Germany, and there ain't no $199 contract buyout deal either here. Further to that, like most contracts in Germany, if you don't cancel your contract within 3 months of the end of the contract, then you get stuck with another year automatically!

It's the bane of my existance over here, you forget to cancel a magazine subscription and you suddenly get a bill for the next year, which you cannot get out of!
Reply
Reply
post #120 of 125
6/11/08 at 6:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bavlondon2 View Post

So this basically means for you guys that you cant just buy the phone and then get it unlocked right?

Apparantly they couldnt enforce this rule in Europe as its in breach of some EU law.

OK, have you been in a coma for the last 6 months?

Look at the launch of the iphone in UK, France and Germany --- that's more than half Europe's population.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: iPhone
AppleInsider › Forums › Mobile › iPhone › 3G iPhone to be in-store activated; free upgrade for recent buyers