iPhone 3G users to pay $200 premium for early upgrade to iPhone 3G S - Page 5

Verizon surely has had V1 of a phone followed by a V2? RAZR, for instance? Care to check on what their policies were?

For me, It's 17 months. I bought the 3G on launch day, 7/12. Same day I started my line with AT&T.

But I get this:




I have never been late on a bill or anything. It's pretty lame to have to wait to upgrade, but mine seems to be longer than anyone else I've seen or know.

I'm not getting the 3GS, I'm going to ride the 3G out till next years model.

That seems to be the case for me too. I switched from Verizon to AT&T in August last year and now they say only in March 2010 I can upgrade it under the subsidized pricing. Not doing it, specially knowing few months later a new version might be in the works.
I want to do it in August when I complete one year anniversary.

Actually, (s)he makes more.

Annual US per capita income is about $46,000, so assuming 250 working days, it comes out to $184 per day. (Since that includes everyone, working adults make more, perhaps twice as much).

The $46,000 number includes every documented American (incl. children and retirees).

Yeah? I stand corrected - always nice since it means I was right from the beginning!

Interesting, I would have thought that to be the average household income.

Condescension is rude, even in a forum such as this. When someone doesn't understand something, what's most appreciated is simply an explanation, not an unprovoked attitude. But judging from several of your other posts, I gather it's just a part of your personality.


I'm sure all business owners prioritize and categorize their clients in some way, but your example of responding to client calls doesn't exactly fit the scenario we're discussing regarding AT&T's customers' seemingly random upgrade qualification dates.


Thanks, much appreciated!


Thanks. That all makes sense and is seemingly obvious even without a phone call to AT&T to have them spell those things out. The problem is that several posters here report that they meet all those "higher/longer-is-better" criteria and still have upgrade qualification dates of December 2009 or later. There just seems to be a general opacity to AT&T's methodology that to me, and others, seems arbitrary. It certainly appears inconsistent, or at the very least not entirely in keeping with your explanation.


True enough.


*Sigh* And you were doing so well

I got my iPhone replaced under warranty by Apple in March, and that apparently resulted in a new two year contract. Does that seem odd to anyone else??

You've been had.

I got mine replaced under warranty a couple months back as well, and it didn't result in a new two-year contract. Did you confirm this with AT&T?

I guess some people just got it like that. Must be nice.

OK... here's what I got when I tried to find out my upgrade date. I purchased the 2 iPhone 3G's on launch day. I'm trying to figure out what price I will pay when I upgrade in July..???? I'm guessing the Apple site prices? What's confusing, 1 site says standard upgrade and the other says early upgrade...

From Apple's website:






From AT&T website:

Ah, but the distribution of this income is yet another story, altogether.....

I think I misread something. Come to think of it, after having a year's worth of service, it seems that an additional $100 would have been a more realistic upgrade price. But given that AT&T us paying a lot in kickbacks to Apple to the point that (IIRC) they have a warning in their 10Q about this, they might not be able to afford that. The subsidies are rumored to be a lot higher than normal phones.

Actually someone is ripping off someone!

This year's rates.

Tariff ------- £29.38
3G -- 8GB --- £96.89
3G S 16GB -- £184.98
3G S 32GB -- £274.23

Last year's rates!

I got that impression a few times while watching Phil's Keynote today.

I had to wait until August for my Sprint contract to expire, and it's telling me January

I saw a lot of questions as to why different people had different eligibility for discounts. This was posted at Mac Rumors and explains which customers get upgrade eligibility when.

Not all Cingular/AT&T customers may qualify for a cell phone upgrade. At this time, AT&T Mobility allows these customers to upgrade with no upgrade fee when they commit to a new 2-year contract:

* AT&T customers who have had 24 months of cell phone service since activation of their cell phone or since their last phone upgrade.

Certain AT&T customers may be eligible for a cell phone upgrade even if they have been in their current plan for less than two years (24 months), if they commit to a new 2-year contract and meet these eligibility requirements:

* Customer has had a standard calling plan plus data services costing at least $68.99 a month but no more than $98.99 a month, and who has been in contract (and not had a phone upgrade) for 21 months or more,
or
* Customer has had a standard calling plan plus data services costing $99 a month or more, and who has been in contract (and not upgraded) in the last 12 months.

A customer with a calling plan and data services of less than $69 who is 21 to 23 months into contract may upgrade for a fee and a commitment of an additional two-year service contract extension. No upgrade fee is assessed for any customers who are on a month-to-month agreement.

Note that AT&T upgrade eligibility may be further limited based on customers usage history, payment record, previous phone replacement, etc. Upgrade eligibility is solely determined by AT&T Mobility at its discretion.

I just put in my information at apple.com and was told as a valued customer I could pay $299 dollars for the 3G(S) phone. Or I could wait until the end of December for a regular upgrade. What a horrible way to show appreciation for valued customers! I think this will come back to bite both Apple/ATT. Sure there are folks that will pay the 200 for the early upgrade, but not as many. I see the share price in apple going down in the next week or so once the apple followers realize it will cost to upgrade early. The only reason they could be doing this is to not have all the apple loyalist buy the new phone and slow the system down at ATT, since the 3G(S) is stated to be 2X faster. As mentioned with the tethering capability, ATT has this with other smartphones, but cannot accomedate a mass rush of IPhone users who will definitely use the tether capability. Instead they slow those loyal to the apple brand so as not to overload the system.

The length of this thread speaks volumes...

I will call them tomorrow, but I wont have the money by July anyway though I surely will before March!

Ditto!

I just called AT&T (611) and they said I will have to wait til July 12th to get my new iPhone 3GS at reg 199/299 price. It also said that on the site.

I waited in line overnight for the 3G and was a new customer on July 11th 2008, so I am ONLY about a year into my contract. Never missed a payment or had my iphone replaced.

EVERYONE CALL AT&T and ask a real person... you may just have to wait til July 12th!

The "https://buyiphone.apple.com" site says:

As a valued AT&T customer, AT&T can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. You may qualify for a standard iPhone upgrade on 07/12/2009.


Standard iPhone Upgrade? --- this means I can pay the extra 200 to get it on launch day, or wait til July 12, 2009 and get it for 299.

I will just wait!!!

I AM HAPPY... save 200 bucks and only 1 month behind!

As a 3g owner I just have a few questions for thought
1. How much does anyone think a great condition used 16gb 3G would sell for, and does that curve anyones thoughts on getting the new 3G-S?
2. Because apple is still making original 3G's wouldnt it be smart to offer discounts or something for trade-ins towards the new iPhones and in return apple takes the parts for future phones or refurbished ones?
3. I'm just a little confused about the new iPhone and video mms-ing. Because the new iPhone goes on sale next week but mms including video mms won't be capable until "later this summer" shouldn't apple give discounts to iPhone 3G-S buyers until mms is capable or are they to just aimlessly wait until it's services are randomly capable?

Let me know what you think and please don't bash me, just offering my thoughts.

I think perhaps you are being way too sensitive for an Apple rumor forum, but to each their own.

On the other hand, if you can find me a good condescending ring tone, I would love to be able to use it on my iPhone 3G S.

Can I ask how much your monthly plan is? People are getting different answers to when they can update without fees and I think that is a major factor.

That's the same thing my ATT screen shows and Apples schreen shows. When i called ATT, they had no clue what I was talking about....

Also, AT&T has a pro-rated early termination fee, meaning that each month you're in your cell phone contract, $5 is taken off the $175 ETF, essentially bringing down the cost to cancel to $120 (assuming you bought the iPhone 3G in July, when it came out last year.)

$120<$200? Yeah, I'd rather cancel and get another plan.

Crap. That means I may actually have to wait until 12/12/09... even though I bought my phone on the same day as you, and my bill has been over $100 dollars every month with no late or missed payments. FML

Ya... my brother in NC is in the same shoes. He got it the same day and has that same date. I wonder why that is.

I got on a family plan with my wife, we both bought 3g's, then she downgraded to a 2g... i wonder if that has something to do with it.

Has anyone compared iPhone contracts in Europe to those offered in the US by AT&T? The 3GS hasn't been announced yet, but Orange in France offers the 8 GB 3G for 99 euros (which is really the psychological equivalent of $99) and the 16 GB model for 129 euros. Again, this was true BEFORE Apple announced the 3GS. Now onto the plans.



Look at the 47 euro plan (again, for the French, it's really the equivalent of $47). You get:

- 2 h of talk time to anyone
- unused minutes roll over to the following month
- unlimited talk time to 3 Orange subscribers
- unlimited data
- 10 SMS per month included

Right now, as a promotion, they're taking off an additional 3 euros per month! And you can pay 10% more per month in exchange for only a 12-month commitment.

And before anyone balks at the relatively short monthly talk time allowance, bear in mind that in Europe, received calls don't count toward your talk time, nor does voicemail checking.

Does anyone else think we're getting screwed in the US?

I believe... if you go threw the site:

https://buyiphone.apple.com

..imput your info... and it says 07.12.09 ...you can get the iPhone 3GS at new customer prices then.

If you're on a family plan, and you aren't the main line on the plan, then your upgrade date is pushed back because at&t isn't making as much money from your line as it is from the main line on the plan; I spoke to an at&t rep today about it.

10 SMS? That is like one conversation. Haha

Just got off the phone with ATT. The guy I just spoke to was very informative and gave great news for those of us who were early adapters with on-time payments and such.

On July 11, 2009, I WILL be able to upgrade to the new 3GS for the same subsidized price that a new customer will pay.. ie: 199,299 (16gb,32Gb, respectively).

HOWEVER, my 2nd 3g phone on my account, wont be able to upgrade until March 2010.

I asked him to doube check and make sure his information is correct and he told me that he was just handed the info and read it pretty much word for word.

For those of you with different dates, I asked him why that would be so, since some were purchased on the same day and he said it is determined by several factors, a couple being, payment history, legnth of service.

Good news for me I guess.


My original; post.OK... here's what I got when I tried to find out my upgrade date. I purchased the 2 iPhone 3G's on launch day. I'm trying to figure out what price I will pay when I upgrade in July..???? I'm guessing the Apple site prices? What's confusing, 1 site says standard upgrade and the other says early upgrade...

From Apple's website: (These prices indicate if I was to order before my July 11th date. NOT what the price will be after July 11th.)






From AT&T website:







I Hope this helps some of the confusion around here...

My account comes up with an upgrade of 12/12/09, and I'm on my own plan, by myself. No one else. Zero. How do you explain that?

@jdrew

That is weird... my wife's 2g is upgradable right now... and my 3g is upgradable on 7.12.09 ...weird. March 2010... wtf?

Haha.

Here is my situation: we were both new customers to AT&T when the iPhone 3g came out....

My iPhone 3g (i bought on launch):




My wife's iPhone 2g (she bought the 3g on launch... but bought a 2g on ebay (and sold her 3g on ebay) to save on the data plan):




...weird huh.... my wife can upgrade now for reg 299.99 price... and I have to wait til July 12th to get the 299.99 price.