...NOT half as much! People have a month to get over the hype and realize that raising it 50% while telling us they want to make it more attractive, is a rip off! I'll be in the camp not getting it until they lower it to 20USD again. Over 2 years, it's 240.00USD MORE.
I've been confused about the iPhone and data plans all along. I read on the Apple site the other day that all the plans had unlimited data. The only difference I saw was the number of voice minutes. But I'd heard people talk about adding the data. What's the story there?
Yeah... Yesterday it was $60 for voice and "unlimited data" now it looks like its going to be at least $85 for both? What gives?
Don't want data plans. Wi-Fi is good enough for me. Don't want contract. My soul is mine. Till those two get fixed, and I can use it as a prepaid (I talk for 50 minutes a month, give or take), I'm not touching it. Even with the nice, juicy GPS. Fucktards. When will they pull their heads out of their butts?
$85 per month? Looked like $70 to me for lowest voice plan (plus whatever outrageous taxes you have to pay), but even that is asking a lot. Would love to get a new iPhone, but a SERO account with Sprint is $30/month with unlimited data and text messaging, 500 minutes voice, etc. Don't think I can justify $40-55 extra per month.
Yeah... Yesterday it was $60 for voice and "unlimited data" now it looks like its going to be at least $85 for both? What gives?
3G. It costs to build it. Somebody has to pay for it. And it should be by those that are using it.
As recently shown, not every carrier's 3G network is fully operational and if anybody is traveling outside their home territory and really needs it, ATT is the best choice. Otherwise you are buying a 3G phone but getting a slower service.
Everybody seems to have forgetting how much more service plans cost before the iPhone was launched last year, and how Jobs wouldn't deal with carriers if they weren't going to reduce their rates.
Seems as though they are limiting iPhone purchases to in-store only. I'm guessing you won't be able to walk out of the store with one without first signing a 2-year contract. That's how they're going to avoid people jailbreaking subsidized iPhones. And as others have noted, the new data plans mean the iPhone ends up costing you $40 more over a two-year period than the old ones did. I wonder if you'll even be able to get an iPhone without a data plan, for individuals who just want a great phone and don't need the internet outside of wi-fi areas?
My guess is that the main of the market is more short-term cash out of pocket driven than long term lifecycle-spend driven and views this as Apple positioned it -- twice the speed, half the cost. Can completely understand why others view it differently, though.
As to the AT&T deal, I just wrote a post suggesting that the original deal with AT&T was the 'second greatest unintentional head-fake in tech history' since by setting the bar so high for what a mobile phone could be and extracting rich financial terms from AT&T, Apple seriously baited the hook for carriers hungry to get into the excuse-free mobile Internet game today but looking for more traditional economics (i.e., a heavily subsidized phone but no revenue sharing).
You watch, carriers will sign up en masse, customers will see $199 as a relatively easy impulse buy, and once a couple 'have to have' iPhone apps start flooding into the market, Apple is going to do some crazy volume.
Jobs and iPhone: The (second) greatest unintentional head-fake in tech history?
I'll be getting one and unlocking it for TMobile. Those plan rates are horrendous. At least the iPhone price dropped!
How is it horrendous when the unlimited data plans for every other smart phone supported by AT&T and Verizon are $40/month? Over the life of a 2 year contract, the savings are enough to pay for the iPhone 3G.
I was expecting the rates to stay the same. However, for the home you pay more for broadband than dial-up. And all the stats show that iPhone users tend to consume much more data than other phone users.
However....
Are there separate and more expensive plans for other 3G phones?
"The phones will be offered with a two-year contract and attractive data plans that are similar to those offered for other smartphones and PDAs. AT&T anticipates that these offers will drive increased sales volumes and revenues among high-quality, data-centric customers."
In the near term, AT&T anticipates that the new agreement will likely result in some pressure on its margins and earnings, reflecting the costs of subsidized device pricing, which, in turn, is expected to drive increased subscriber volumes. However, it also anticipates that its attractive iPhone 3G pricing offers will drive increased sales volumes and revenues among high-quality, data-centric customers.
LOL, real data-centric customers in the US are not on a GSM carrier.
I question the wisdom of hacking a device that has a built-in GPS locator chip.
I mean, sure, you might think Apple would have better things to do than track down individual jailbreakers, knock on their doors, and tell them to cut it out. But you'd be underestimating the fun factor of seeing the look on the person's face. Hell, maybe they could get Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to do it for the cameras once or twice.
Just sayin'...
WHo cares if they track you down? Its not illegal.
LOL, yeah, right, we don't exist and we don't pay in real dollars.
Obviously you failed to comprehend what I was implied. That customer who depend on 3g high speed data are not going to have their needs fulfilled on current GSM networks.
I question the wisdom of hacking a device that has a built-in GPS locator chip.
I mean, sure, you might think Apple would have better things to do than track down individual jailbreakers, knock on their doors, and tell them to cut it out. But you'd be underestimating the fun factor of seeing the look on the person's face. Hell, maybe they could get Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to do it for the cameras once or twice.
All you people complaining about $30 monthly 3G data plan increase are INSANE. Yeah it sucks... But AT&T is in business to compete against VERIZON the 2nd largest mobile carrier.. who charges the same or far more for data plans on inferior phones.
AT&T loses money when you buy an IPHONE.. cause they pay apple $200 up front for each activation. They gotta make up that money somewhere... Consider it "forced" financing. Sucks.. but find me a telcomm that does it differently in the U.S.
Didn't AT&T spend BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars for a 3G network... What are they suppose to give it away for free?
Let me get this straight.. i hate all the fees ect... also.. But I'm currently in my last month of my Verizon contract.. and i mistakenly forgot to pay my bill for a month because I switched credit cards and Verizon deactivated my phone and charged me like $20 to reactivate...
Telecomms are just a necessary evil... If i'm gonna belong to one.. I'm gonna belong to one where I can own the best phone out there.... So I'll gladly pay $10 extra a month and shell out $199 for an IPHONE.
I can't believe a year ago people were shelling out $600 for an inferior iPHONE... people need to get a life and some perspective before they complain.
Take a look.. this article states how AT&T will actually be hurt by there "secret" subsidizing of the IPHONE til 2010 on IPHONES.
How else do you think your getting an $199 IPHONE ? Stupid people.
What price drop. The iPhone 2.0 cost $200 less up front and you pay $10 extra a month, for 24 months, That's $240 more, NET NET the iPhone 2.0 will cost you $40 MORE than the 1.0, for the first 2 years and THEN $120 MORE per year after than.
Price drop? Did I miss something?
Al
This is exactly right.
Apple pulled a fast one press-wise. The iPhone 3g costs $40 more over the life of the contract despite the $200 "price drop."
Comments
If there is no more revenue sharing, Apple might switch their accounting method
for iPhone sales to be like that of iPod Touch sales. In other words, future updates
to the 3G iPhone OS may NOT be free.
Nope. The TV also uses a deferred revenue model, it has nothing to do with actually getting the money periodically.
/Adrian
I've been confused about the iPhone and data plans all along. I read on the Apple site the other day that all the plans had unlimited data. The only difference I saw was the number of voice minutes. But I'd heard people talk about adding the data. What's the story there?
Yeah... Yesterday it was $60 for voice and "unlimited data" now it looks like its going to be at least $85 for both? What gives?
Yeah... Yesterday it was $60 for voice and "unlimited data" now it looks like its going to be at least $85 for both? What gives?
3G. It costs to build it. Somebody has to pay for it. And it should be by those that are using it.
As recently shown, not every carrier's 3G network is fully operational and if anybody is traveling outside their home territory and really needs it, ATT is the best choice. Otherwise you are buying a 3G phone but getting a slower service.
Everybody seems to have forgetting how much more service plans cost before the iPhone was launched last year, and how Jobs wouldn't deal with carriers if they weren't going to reduce their rates.
Nope. The TV also uses a deferred revenue model, it has nothing to do with actually getting the money periodically.
/Adrian
Really? So are you saying that it would be an acceptable accounting practice for a
company to arbitrarily recognize revenue whenever it feels like it, regardless of
when the revenue was actually received?
The monthly price increase is a disappointment too. I'll probably still get one, but this seems like two steps backwards.
And you will use it on T-Mobile's 3G network I presume?
You believe it won't work?
Someone in NYC should be able to find out as T-Mobile's 3G is in use there.
T-Mobile will be finishing their rollout across the US this fall.
As to the AT&T deal, I just wrote a post suggesting that the original deal with AT&T was the 'second greatest unintentional head-fake in tech history' since by setting the bar so high for what a mobile phone could be and extracting rich financial terms from AT&T, Apple seriously baited the hook for carriers hungry to get into the excuse-free mobile Internet game today but looking for more traditional economics (i.e., a heavily subsidized phone but no revenue sharing).
You watch, carriers will sign up en masse, customers will see $199 as a relatively easy impulse buy, and once a couple 'have to have' iPhone apps start flooding into the market, Apple is going to do some crazy volume.
Jobs and iPhone: The (second) greatest unintentional head-fake in tech history?
http://thenetworkgarden.com/weblog/2...nd-iphone.html
Check it out if interested.
Mark
I'll be getting one and unlocking it for TMobile. Those plan rates are horrendous. At least the iPhone price dropped!
How is it horrendous when the unlimited data plans for every other smart phone supported by AT&T and Verizon are $40/month? Over the life of a 2 year contract, the savings are enough to pay for the iPhone 3G.
However....
Are there separate and more expensive plans for other 3G phones?
"The phones will be offered with a two-year contract and attractive data plans that are similar to those offered for other smartphones and PDAs. AT&T anticipates that these offers will drive increased sales volumes and revenues among high-quality, data-centric customers."
In the near term, AT&T anticipates that the new agreement will likely result in some pressure on its margins and earnings, reflecting the costs of subsidized device pricing, which, in turn, is expected to drive increased subscriber volumes. However, it also anticipates that its attractive iPhone 3G pricing offers will drive increased sales volumes and revenues among high-quality, data-centric customers.
LOL, real data-centric customers in the US are not on a GSM carrier.
I question the wisdom of hacking a device that has a built-in GPS locator chip.
I mean, sure, you might think Apple would have better things to do than track down individual jailbreakers, knock on their doors, and tell them to cut it out. But you'd be underestimating the fun factor of seeing the look on the person's face. Hell, maybe they could get Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to do it for the cameras once or twice.
Just sayin'...
WHo cares if they track you down? Its not illegal.
LOL, real data-centric customers in the US are not on a GSM carrier.
LOL, yeah, right, we don't exist and we don't pay in real dollars.
LOL, yeah, right, we don't exist and we don't pay in real dollars.
Obviously you failed to comprehend what I was implied. That customer who depend on 3g high speed data are not going to have their needs fulfilled on current GSM networks.
I question the wisdom of hacking a device that has a built-in GPS locator chip.
I mean, sure, you might think Apple would have better things to do than track down individual jailbreakers, knock on their doors, and tell them to cut it out. But you'd be underestimating the fun factor of seeing the look on the person's face. Hell, maybe they could get Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to do it for the cameras once or twice.
Just sayin'...
you DO know that unlocking is legal, right???
AT&T loses money when you buy an IPHONE.. cause they pay apple $200 up front for each activation. They gotta make up that money somewhere... Consider it "forced" financing. Sucks.. but find me a telcomm that does it differently in the U.S.
Didn't AT&T spend BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars for a 3G network... What are they suppose to give it away for free?
Let me get this straight.. i hate all the fees ect... also.. But I'm currently in my last month of my Verizon contract.. and i mistakenly forgot to pay my bill for a month because I switched credit cards and Verizon deactivated my phone and charged me like $20 to reactivate...
Telecomms are just a necessary evil... If i'm gonna belong to one.. I'm gonna belong to one where I can own the best phone out there.... So I'll gladly pay $10 extra a month and shell out $199 for an IPHONE.
I can't believe a year ago people were shelling out $600 for an inferior iPHONE... people need to get a life and some perspective before they complain.
Take a look.. this article states how AT&T will actually be hurt by there "secret" subsidizing of the IPHONE til 2010 on IPHONES.
How else do you think your getting an $199 IPHONE ? Stupid people.
What price drop. The iPhone 2.0 cost $200 less up front and you pay $10 extra a month, for 24 months, That's $240 more, NET NET the iPhone 2.0 will cost you $40 MORE than the 1.0, for the first 2 years and THEN $120 MORE per year after than.
Price drop? Did I miss something?
Al
This is exactly right.
Apple pulled a fast one press-wise. The iPhone 3g costs $40 more over the life of the contract despite the $200 "price drop."
The RDF is strong on this one.