What a stupid petition. Not to mention the sad fact that it made repeated mistakes with the use of apostrophes. Pitiful. I would be afraid what intelligent people would think if my name was found on such a petition.
Absolutely not. While I hope AT&T offers current iPhone users a discount from the typical “upgrade ineligible” price that is standard across US carriers and cell phones, feeling entitled to it is just plain jackassary. Not to mention the complete lunacy of comments like, " A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199.” Seriously?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noncontrition Petition
The first year iPhone came out, people waited in lines for hours and everyone was able to upgrade to it and purchase it at it's list price. The second year the iPhone 3G came out, everyone stood in lines for hours again and was once again able to purchase the device at it's list price. There is no reason why in 2009 3rd generation iPhone 3GS is an exclusion and users have to pay high amounts ranging from $399-599 for the device. Apple and AT&T need to figure this out before there are too many angry customers. A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199... so how come current users HAVE to upgrade to 2 more years but they don't get the same privilege of only paying $199 and have to cash out a while $399?
Absolutely not. While I hope AT&T offers current iPhone users a discount from the typical ?upgrade ineligible? price that is standard across US carriers and cell phones, feeling entitled to it is just plain jackassary. Not to mention the complete lunacy of comments like, " A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199.? Seriously?
What if that petition is really a trick perpetrated by the Ivy League schools to create a list of people to exclude from admissions. Pretty smart, eh? Or maybe an effort by the TSA to bolster the reliability of the no fly list?
What's not fair is spamming a forum to drive traffic to your lame entitlement-minded poll. I don't like AT&T, but at least I try to be realistic in my expections. This is simply being petty and unrealistic.
Because there is no such rule. ATT gets to decide who they allow to BREAK THE CONTRACT agreed to by both parties.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Not all, actually. Some this July, some this December, and some next May. And these distinct groups are defined by a system none of us understand at all.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Sorry, it's not a rule. The reason you know it's not a rule is self-evident - if it was a rule then it would apply to everyone. It is under ATT's discretion who they allow to break the contract.
You were quoted the rule by an individual, not by ATT. We all know that plenty of false information has come out of random telephone or in-store personnel, right?
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Oh and by the way, I bought the 3G in August of last year.
Wow...there really seems to be major differing of opinions with regard to this situation. I haven't read every post in the thread, so please forgive me if this has already been addressed.
With regard to the iPhone 3Gs 32GB (which is the only version I would consider upgrading to) I keep seeing people referring to the fact the phone is a $700 device ($699 to be exact). I hope you folks realize this is NOT the amount AT&T pays for the phone. Think of it as MSRP on a vehicle. A dealer pays invoice (which is often several thousand dollars below sticker) and hopes to sell it for MSRP (or more if it is a high demand vehicle). With this in mind, the amount AT&T pays Apple for this version of the device is probably in the neighborhood of $600.
When you compare the data plans for the original (1st gen) iPhone (which AT&T did not subsidize) to the iPhone 3G there is a difference of $30/month ($10 more for the data/$20 for unlimited text). That's $360 after the first year. Adding the upfront cost of $299 I paid for the 16GB iPhone 3G, I'd say AT&T has more then recouped their $600.
For you iPhone 3G owners that are eligible for the full subsidized price ($299) of the iPhone 3Gs 32GB in July; this is as it should be. For those of you that are being asked to wait until December or March of next year (and purchased the 3G on or near it's release date last July) need to contact AT&T and raise hell (oh...this is assuming you also paid the $20/month for the unlimited text plan).
When you compare the data plans for the original (1st gen) iPhone (which AT&T did not subsidize) to the iPhone 3G there is a difference of $30/month ($10 more for the data/$20 for unlimited text). That's $360 after the first year. Adding the upfront cost of $299 I paid for the 16GB iPhone 3G, I'd say AT&T has more then recouped their $600.
Welcome to the board!
The iPhone 2G did not come with unlimited texts. The difference in price between the plans at the iPhone 2G level of service (unlimited internet, 200 texts) is $15, not $30.
And it's not for you to decide whether ATT has recouped it's subsidy. Thankfully, this is not Cuba, and businesses themselves get to decide what level of profit they want to make per UNCOERCED sale. Not you. If they set the price too high, an educated consumer does not buy.
Clearly we have a lot of uneducated consumers here. I for one would be ashamed of that was me, but apparently these days, it's a matter of pride to shout from the rooftop how uneducated one is.
Of course, being that my date is 03/23/10, I think I'll probably take a pass on the 3G S, and wait for next year's model.
If your upgrade price is still only $499, it makes even more sense to NOT WAIT another 9 months since you can rationalize the $200 premium over 9 months instead of only 6 months like I have to. But there are way too many compelling reasons to own the 3G S now rather than next Spring. Remember it's highly likely there will be another newer iPhone model released next June as well.
I wish AT&T would make the upgrade premium $100 instead of $200 for those of us with only 6 months 'til their "new customer" upgrade price. After all we are only paying them $10 more per month than the original iPhone customers did from 2007-2008. So $100 is still more than that over the next 6 months. In any event, whatever they settle on I will pay next Friday because my iPhone is not a phone to me but rather a pocket Mac that I want performing top notch. Plus I'm a videographer and the video capabilities of the new iPhone 3G S mean a lot to me. I can easily find 10 reasons to pay $20 each for all the hardware changes in the new iPhone 3G S primary of which is its 32GB capacity.
My 16GB 3G iPhone has been full to capacity since the day I bought it. Even my 160GB iPod is full to capacity. So I can never have enough RAM in these devices for quite a few more years. Will be buying the 64GB iPod Touch the day it ships as well. I carry both devices with me everywhere I go and use them both every day for various reasons. Both are full up to capacity. I'm an iPhone/Touch pimp.
Your contract with AT&T is TWO years. Understood? 1 + 1 = 2 years.
AT&T has decided to offer subsidized pricing to ALL iPhone customers of 1 year or more. This is not required, expected, or even necessary given the TWO year contract you signed.
AT&T may be a horrible company (they are, I assure you), but give credit where its due. All 3G owners will be eligible for subsidy halfway through their contract. Unlike Verizon, or Sprint, or any other U.S. carrier.
I got my Iphone for my anniversary on May 22, 2009. At that time neither the people at Cingular, nor my husbands' friend who works for AT&T knew they were going to have a new phone. We all new about the upgrade, but thought that was it. Or I would have waited for the new phone. This really pisses my off. They should have let us know in advance. How much will I have to pay to take my phone back, get refund and rebuy the new phone? Will they even let us do that? Or will they say that you already redid your contract and are SOL.
EVERYONE KNEW there was going to be a new iPhone since the beginning of time. Get with the program. Apple doesn't let any of their hardware flounder longer than 12 months MAX. It was common knowledge the new faster 32GB iPhone would be announced yesterday.
Go to the store where you bought it and cancel your purchase and put your number back on the phone it replace so you don't lose your number. Then get in line next Friday for the new one.
After reading through this thread, I realize that maybe it is not as well known as I thought it was, so I wanted to re-post this without the negative tone to it. I located an Upgrade Matrix chart online several months ago. I took this cart into AT&T and confirmed with the staff that it was accurate. The chart is not a complicated alogrithm, it is very simple. Also, AT&T will allow SOME people to upgrade early for a fee of $75. This would be an option for some, I did have to say I was having problems with my current phone to use this last time.
AT&T allows customers to upgrade at the following intervals, based on their average bill amount (voice & data plans only):
12 Months = Over $99.99
18 Months = $69.99 to $99.99
24 Months = Under $69.99
They use your average bill from the past 3 billing cycles to determine this. Overages, taxes, fees, insurance, roadside assistance, gps, etc.. do not count toward that total.
Doesn't seem to be the case for me - I've averaged over $100/mo for the last year (never a late payment) but fall into the 18mo category. Are these requirements PER LINE?
Clearly, Apple needs to announce new products at least 3 months in advance, so they can kill the sales of their current models. Naturally, the gratitude of their customers will more than make up for the lost profits.
Actually, Apple just needs to stop updating products altogether, or be prepared to pay reparations to anyone who has purchased anything until now, since why should people with older hardware be expected to pay Apple's outrageous list price for new stuff that's better? For God's sake, they already bought a laptop once, you'd think a demonstration of loyalty like that would be worth something, but apparently fucking Nazi death monster Apple doesn't think so.
Any idea how this works with multi-phone-number accounts?
In my case, I bought a 1G Iphone on 12/26/2007, alongside a Samsung Sync for my wife.
On July 24th 2008 I upgraded to a 3G. On 2/15/2009, Sandi finally caved in and took the 1G Iphone because the Sync so completely sucked.
The Apple site tells me that my phone is available for upgrade on 12/26/2009, and hers on 8/15/2009. None of this quite matches up to what you are saying.
I believe the primary account has the higher balance and therefore would most likely be eligible sooner than the others, but honestly I am not sure on that one. After discussing with a colleague today, his primary phone has a $130 monthly fee and the other 2 only have $30 fees and his phone is eligible and theirs arent yet...
Doesn't seem to be the case for me - I've averaged over $100/mo for the last year (never a late payment) but fall into the 18mo category. Are these requirements PER LINE?
My understanding is yes, that is per line. I was not told differently, but am not 100% familiar with the family plans. Remember that your voice plan and data plan must be over $100.
Remember, this goes along with the ability of AT&T to collect back the money it lost on the phone. They are not making much money on additional lines, so I could see why those would have to wait longer...
I honestly cannot believe all of this pricing drama that has been going on. I don't know what is so hard for everyone to understand about how this process works, but so many people don't want to think, they just want to bitch about something.
AT&T buys the iPhone from Apple for a price much higher than you see. AT&T buys the iPhone 3GS 16gb model for $599. They know you will not buy it, so they sell it to you for $199 ($400 discount), BUT make you sign a 2 year agreement with them to recoup the $400 they lost in selling you the phone. If you are paying more than $100 a month for just voice and data plans, they will obviously recoup that cost more quickly than they would if you were paying $30 a month, so therefore these customers can upgrade after 12 months.
This is how upgrades are handled by other carriers and phone manufacturers. Now, Apple is not obligated to tell you when they are releasing the next new product. Give me a g damn break people. You swear like there are not other companies that release new products without flying a banner in the sky saying "Hey don't buy our current products! New ones coming soon! Retailers please throw away our old products!" Take a few minutes out of your day and read up on tech news if you are going to buy tech products, or don't be mad when you are not in the loop.
I posted the upgrade matrix chart and yet people are still claiming that "nobody knows how they determine the date". Read the freaking posts people. Please, please, please try to think of this from a business perspective and not a pouty teenager frame of mind. AT&T cannot continue to lose money every year on upgrades. If they let you upgrade every 11 or 12 months, chances are they only got $200 of the $400 they lost back and they will lose $200 a year on you at that rate. Think about it.
Comments
(link removed) sign it guys, this isn't fair
What a stupid petition. Not to mention the sad fact that it made repeated mistakes with the use of apostrophes. Pitiful. I would be afraid what intelligent people would think if my name was found on such a petition.
(link removed) sign it guys, this isn't fair
Absolutely not. While I hope AT&T offers current iPhone users a discount from the typical “upgrade ineligible” price that is standard across US carriers and cell phones, feeling entitled to it is just plain jackassary. Not to mention the complete lunacy of comments like, " A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199.” Seriously?
The first year iPhone came out, people waited in lines for hours and everyone was able to upgrade to it and purchase it at it's list price. The second year the iPhone 3G came out, everyone stood in lines for hours again and was once again able to purchase the device at it's list price. There is no reason why in 2009 3rd generation iPhone 3GS is an exclusion and users have to pay high amounts ranging from $399-599 for the device. Apple and AT&T need to figure this out before there are too many angry customers. A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199... so how come current users HAVE to upgrade to 2 more years but they don't get the same privilege of only paying $199 and have to cash out a while $399?
Absolutely not. While I hope AT&T offers current iPhone users a discount from the typical ?upgrade ineligible? price that is standard across US carriers and cell phones, feeling entitled to it is just plain jackassary. Not to mention the complete lunacy of comments like, " A person off the road can sign up for a 2 year contract and get an iPhone 3GS for a price of $199.? Seriously?
What if that petition is really a trick perpetrated by the Ivy League schools to create a list of people to exclude from admissions. Pretty smart, eh? Or maybe an effort by the TSA to bolster the reliability of the no fly list?
Honey pot
(link removed) sign it guys, this isn't fair
What's not fair is spamming a forum to drive traffic to your lame entitlement-minded poll. I don't like AT&T, but at least I try to be realistic in my expections. This is simply being petty and unrealistic.
Because there is no such rule. ATT gets to decide who they allow to BREAK THE CONTRACT agreed to by both parties.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Not all, actually. Some this July, some this December, and some next May. And these distinct groups are defined by a system none of us understand at all.
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Sorry, it's not a rule. The reason you know it's not a rule is self-evident - if it was a rule then it would apply to everyone. It is under ATT's discretion who they allow to break the contract.
You were quoted the rule by an individual, not by ATT. We all know that plenty of false information has come out of random telephone or in-store personnel, right?
That was the "rule" that I was quoted by AT&T this morning. AT&T and Apple mutually agreed to this upgrade allowance that you may upgrade at the new user price after 18 months. That is why people who bought the 3G when it came out are elible for the new user price in December of this year.
Oh and by the way, I bought the 3G in August of last year.
My monthly bill is $119 per month.
Want to guess when I can get the new iPhone?
Multiple choice:
a) Dec 1
b) Mar 1
c) Sept 1
With regard to the iPhone 3Gs 32GB (which is the only version I would consider upgrading to) I keep seeing people referring to the fact the phone is a $700 device ($699 to be exact). I hope you folks realize this is NOT the amount AT&T pays for the phone. Think of it as MSRP on a vehicle. A dealer pays invoice (which is often several thousand dollars below sticker) and hopes to sell it for MSRP (or more if it is a high demand vehicle). With this in mind, the amount AT&T pays Apple for this version of the device is probably in the neighborhood of $600.
When you compare the data plans for the original (1st gen) iPhone (which AT&T did not subsidize) to the iPhone 3G there is a difference of $30/month ($10 more for the data/$20 for unlimited text). That's $360 after the first year. Adding the upfront cost of $299 I paid for the 16GB iPhone 3G, I'd say AT&T has more then recouped their $600.
For you iPhone 3G owners that are eligible for the full subsidized price ($299) of the iPhone 3Gs 32GB in July; this is as it should be. For those of you that are being asked to wait until December or March of next year (and purchased the 3G on or near it's release date last July) need to contact AT&T and raise hell (oh...this is assuming you also paid the $20/month for the unlimited text plan).
When you compare the data plans for the original (1st gen) iPhone (which AT&T did not subsidize) to the iPhone 3G there is a difference of $30/month ($10 more for the data/$20 for unlimited text). That's $360 after the first year. Adding the upfront cost of $299 I paid for the 16GB iPhone 3G, I'd say AT&T has more then recouped their $600.
Welcome to the board!
The iPhone 2G did not come with unlimited texts. The difference in price between the plans at the iPhone 2G level of service (unlimited internet, 200 texts) is $15, not $30.
And it's not for you to decide whether ATT has recouped it's subsidy. Thankfully, this is not Cuba, and businesses themselves get to decide what level of profit they want to make per UNCOERCED sale. Not you. If they set the price too high, an educated consumer does not buy.
Clearly we have a lot of uneducated consumers here. I for one would be ashamed of that was me, but apparently these days, it's a matter of pride to shout from the rooftop how uneducated one is.
Of course, being that my date is 03/23/10, I think I'll probably take a pass on the 3G S, and wait for next year's model.
If your upgrade price is still only $499, it makes even more sense to NOT WAIT another 9 months since you can rationalize the $200 premium over 9 months instead of only 6 months like I have to. But there are way too many compelling reasons to own the 3G S now rather than next Spring. Remember it's highly likely there will be another newer iPhone model released next June as well.
I wish AT&T would make the upgrade premium $100 instead of $200 for those of us with only 6 months 'til their "new customer" upgrade price. After all we are only paying them $10 more per month than the original iPhone customers did from 2007-2008. So $100 is still more than that over the next 6 months. In any event, whatever they settle on I will pay next Friday because my iPhone is not a phone to me but rather a pocket Mac that I want performing top notch. Plus I'm a videographer and the video capabilities of the new iPhone 3G S mean a lot to me. I can easily find 10 reasons to pay $20 each for all the hardware changes in the new iPhone 3G S primary of which is its 32GB capacity.
My 16GB 3G iPhone has been full to capacity since the day I bought it. Even my 160GB iPod is full to capacity. So I can never have enough RAM in these devices for quite a few more years. Will be buying the 64GB iPod Touch the day it ships as well. I carry both devices with me everywhere I go and use them both every day for various reasons. Both are full up to capacity. I'm an iPhone/Touch pimp.
Can anyone in this thread count? Anyone?
Your contract with AT&T is TWO years. Understood? 1 + 1 = 2 years.
AT&T has decided to offer subsidized pricing to ALL iPhone customers of 1 year or more. This is not required, expected, or even necessary given the TWO year contract you signed.
AT&T may be a horrible company (they are, I assure you), but give credit where its due. All 3G owners will be eligible for subsidy halfway through their contract. Unlike Verizon, or Sprint, or any other U.S. carrier.
Thanks for that bit of sanity.
But it's wasted in all the cacophony here.
I got my Iphone for my anniversary on May 22, 2009. At that time neither the people at Cingular, nor my husbands' friend who works for AT&T knew they were going to have a new phone. We all new about the upgrade, but thought that was it. Or I would have waited for the new phone. This really pisses my off. They should have let us know in advance. How much will I have to pay to take my phone back, get refund and rebuy the new phone? Will they even let us do that? Or will they say that you already redid your contract and are SOL.
EVERYONE KNEW there was going to be a new iPhone since the beginning of time. Get with the program. Apple doesn't let any of their hardware flounder longer than 12 months MAX. It was common knowledge the new faster 32GB iPhone would be announced yesterday.
Go to the store where you bought it and cancel your purchase and put your number back on the phone it replace so you don't lose your number. Then get in line next Friday for the new one.
After reading through this thread, I realize that maybe it is not as well known as I thought it was, so I wanted to re-post this without the negative tone to it. I located an Upgrade Matrix chart online several months ago. I took this cart into AT&T and confirmed with the staff that it was accurate. The chart is not a complicated alogrithm, it is very simple. Also, AT&T will allow SOME people to upgrade early for a fee of $75. This would be an option for some, I did have to say I was having problems with my current phone to use this last time.
AT&T allows customers to upgrade at the following intervals, based on their average bill amount (voice & data plans only):
12 Months = Over $99.99
18 Months = $69.99 to $99.99
24 Months = Under $69.99
They use your average bill from the past 3 billing cycles to determine this. Overages, taxes, fees, insurance, roadside assistance, gps, etc.. do not count toward that total.
Doesn't seem to be the case for me - I've averaged over $100/mo for the last year (never a late payment) but fall into the 18mo category. Are these requirements PER LINE?
Actually, Apple just needs to stop updating products altogether, or be prepared to pay reparations to anyone who has purchased anything until now, since why should people with older hardware be expected to pay Apple's outrageous list price for new stuff that's better? For God's sake, they already bought a laptop once, you'd think a demonstration of loyalty like that would be worth something, but apparently fucking Nazi death monster Apple doesn't think so.
Thanks for nothing, you evil soulless bastards.
Any idea how this works with multi-phone-number accounts?
In my case, I bought a 1G Iphone on 12/26/2007, alongside a Samsung Sync for my wife.
On July 24th 2008 I upgraded to a 3G. On 2/15/2009, Sandi finally caved in and took the 1G Iphone because the Sync so completely sucked.
The Apple site tells me that my phone is available for upgrade on 12/26/2009, and hers on 8/15/2009. None of this quite matches up to what you are saying.
I believe the primary account has the higher balance and therefore would most likely be eligible sooner than the others, but honestly I am not sure on that one. After discussing with a colleague today, his primary phone has a $130 monthly fee and the other 2 only have $30 fees and his phone is eligible and theirs arent yet...
Doesn't seem to be the case for me - I've averaged over $100/mo for the last year (never a late payment) but fall into the 18mo category. Are these requirements PER LINE?
My understanding is yes, that is per line. I was not told differently, but am not 100% familiar with the family plans. Remember that your voice plan and data plan must be over $100.
Remember, this goes along with the ability of AT&T to collect back the money it lost on the phone. They are not making much money on additional lines, so I could see why those would have to wait longer...
AT&T buys the iPhone from Apple for a price much higher than you see. AT&T buys the iPhone 3GS 16gb model for $599. They know you will not buy it, so they sell it to you for $199 ($400 discount), BUT make you sign a 2 year agreement with them to recoup the $400 they lost in selling you the phone. If you are paying more than $100 a month for just voice and data plans, they will obviously recoup that cost more quickly than they would if you were paying $30 a month, so therefore these customers can upgrade after 12 months.
This is how upgrades are handled by other carriers and phone manufacturers. Now, Apple is not obligated to tell you when they are releasing the next new product. Give me a g damn break people. You swear like there are not other companies that release new products without flying a banner in the sky saying "Hey don't buy our current products! New ones coming soon! Retailers please throw away our old products!" Take a few minutes out of your day and read up on tech news if you are going to buy tech products, or don't be mad when you are not in the loop.
I posted the upgrade matrix chart and yet people are still claiming that "nobody knows how they determine the date". Read the freaking posts people. Please, please, please try to think of this from a business perspective and not a pouty teenager frame of mind. AT&T cannot continue to lose money every year on upgrades. If they let you upgrade every 11 or 12 months, chances are they only got $200 of the $400 they lost back and they will lose $200 a year on you at that rate. Think about it.