Evidence points toward iPhone 3G home activation
Multiple sources inside Apple Retail have reported evidence pointing toward a contract free, home activation option for future iPhone 3G sales.
Home activation
Update: new information has corrected this report.
When the iPhone 3G debuted, Apple's original and pioneering home activation process, handled by the user themselves using iTunes on their home computer, was put on hold. The primary reason appeared to be the new phone's much lower price, which required tying the new purchase to an in-store contract activation.
However, the in-store contract process not only takes time, but also doesn't work for foreign buyers who want to purchase an iPhone in the US for use overseas. Apple executives have hinted earlier at the possibility for selling the iPhone 3G without a contract in the US; it's already sold unlocked at full price in other countries that demand this option by law.
Supporting this is the fact that Apple Store retail employees have reported a new option appearing on their EasyPay systems when making an iPhone 3G sale: Home. Previously, the only options presented were:
1. Upgrade/Swap existing Phone
2. Â*New to AT&T starting a single line
3. Â*New to AT&T starting a family line
4. Â*Add a line to existing account
The new fifth option for home activation isn't yet working; clicking it will reportedly result in an EasyPay crash.
Product lineup refresh
The introduction of home activation and a new unlocked unit price may come with a product refresh. Last year, Apple dropped the 4GB entry level iPhone model in September and then added a new 16GB model in February 2008.
Retail sources are now reporting inventory shortages of the entry level 8GB iPhone 3G, which might signal its cancelation and even the possible introduction of a 32GB model to match the iPod touch. Readers should also be aware of other possibilities, however, including a shift of resources to serve Best Buy as well as unexpected shifts in demand.
Home activation
Update: new information has corrected this report.
When the iPhone 3G debuted, Apple's original and pioneering home activation process, handled by the user themselves using iTunes on their home computer, was put on hold. The primary reason appeared to be the new phone's much lower price, which required tying the new purchase to an in-store contract activation.
However, the in-store contract process not only takes time, but also doesn't work for foreign buyers who want to purchase an iPhone in the US for use overseas. Apple executives have hinted earlier at the possibility for selling the iPhone 3G without a contract in the US; it's already sold unlocked at full price in other countries that demand this option by law.
Supporting this is the fact that Apple Store retail employees have reported a new option appearing on their EasyPay systems when making an iPhone 3G sale: Home. Previously, the only options presented were:
1. Upgrade/Swap existing Phone
2. Â*New to AT&T starting a single line
3. Â*New to AT&T starting a family line
4. Â*Add a line to existing account
The new fifth option for home activation isn't yet working; clicking it will reportedly result in an EasyPay crash.
Product lineup refresh
The introduction of home activation and a new unlocked unit price may come with a product refresh. Last year, Apple dropped the 4GB entry level iPhone model in September and then added a new 16GB model in February 2008.
Retail sources are now reporting inventory shortages of the entry level 8GB iPhone 3G, which might signal its cancelation and even the possible introduction of a 32GB model to match the iPod touch. Readers should also be aware of other possibilities, however, including a shift of resources to serve Best Buy as well as unexpected shifts in demand.
Comments
I'd love to get one but my credit sucks and I'd have to pay $200 to drop sprint. A $500 deposit to ATT and the $200 for the iPhone itself. That's $900. I'd love to get this thing on one of those new T-Mobile no contract plans.
Can they cram 32 GB in there? The reason it works for the iPod Touch is because there is more room inside without the phone components.
The 32GB chip is physically the same size as the 16GB chip.
Can they cram 32 GB in there? The reason it works for the iPod Touch is because there is more room inside without the phone components.
The Touch is considerably thinner than the iPhone so the rationale of Flash instead of Phone chips just doesn't make sense. The breakdown of the two devices, new and old, reveal that they have two places for Flash chips. This means that the 16GB Touch and iPhone have 2x8GB chips and the 32GB Touch has the more-expensive-per-MB 2x16GB chips. This means Apple can add a 32GB version without changing the case, but I don't think they will.
edit: It looks like the 3G iPhone does have only one Flash chip, unless the 16GB models are sandwiched together. I'll have to check the original iPhone and both Touches to verify those too.
Does this mean the iPhone 3G might start working with T-Mobile?
I'd love to get one but my credit sucks and I'd have to pay $200 to drop sprint. A $500 deposit to ATT and the $200 for the iPhone itself. That's $900. I'd love to get this thing on one of those new T-Mobile no contract plans.
Don't ever count on the iPhone's 3G working on T-Mobile USA. They use a completely different UMTS frequency band than AT&T, T-Mobile Germany, and the rest of the civilized world. I would expect Apple to support a CDMA version before the support T-Mobile USA, and that would be at least 22 months from now at the very least.
what advantage s their in upping your costs when it will sell as well as a gift option this xmas?
next Jan or Feb when sales NEED a boost, intro the higher capacity and give sales a needed boost, plus the extra cost of the chips to Apple will not be as costly as sales will not be as high, meanwhile with those traditionally lower sales the chip price falls, so by the time sales start to ramp up again in the late spring early summer the cost of the higher capacity chips to Apple will have fallen.
Can they cram 32 GB in there? The reason it works for the iPod Touch is because there is more room inside without the phone components.
The iPod touch is significantly slimmer than the iPhone because of the lack of RF components.
Retail sources are now reporting inventory shortages of the entry level 8GB iPhone 3G, which might signal its cancellation and even the possible introduction of a 32GB model to match the iPod touch.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
This is what I've been waiting for. My parents and siblings went for 16GB iPhone 3Gs and have been holding them over my pathetic little RAZR and asking why I don't get one...
I want a 32GB one. Something to hold over them for almost two years! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha he he he he he he he he he har har har har har har har ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha he he he he he he he...
Would nanos use the same flash chips as the iPhone? Could dropping the 8 iPhone help with a shortage of parts for the 8 nano?
There's no shortage of parts for the 8GB nano that I've heard of. It's the 16GB model that's in trouble. The intention supposedly was originally to have 4GB and 8GB models, that was upped at the last second to 8GB and 16GB models. So there are plenty of 8GB models, but not the 16GB.
iPhone linked to contract, NO purchase!
That easy!
Even if there is a fifth option of a contract free, home activated iphone --- it can still be simlocked.
Don't ever count on the iPhone's 3G working on T-Mobile USA. They use a completely different UMTS frequency band than AT&T, T-Mobile Germany, and the rest of the civilized world. I would expect Apple to support a CDMA version before the support T-Mobile USA, and that would be at least 22 months from now at the very least.
iPhones work fine with T-Mobile in Seattle. I work with someone who has a jail-broke 1st generation model. With a family plan, he has cellular plus data for about $50/month and iPhone applications download without a hitch. He loves it. The only hassle is that firmware upgrades mean running the jail-break software again.
A friend who works for T-Mobile (headquartered just east of Seattle in Bellevue) says that a number of their engineers carry and use them to test features that'll be available when AT&T's contract runs out. So I'd suspect that you'll be able to get a supported T-Mobile version as soon as that gosh-awful AT&T contract runs out.
iPhones work fine with T-Mobile in Seattle. I work with someone who has a jail-broke 1st generation model. With a family plan, he has cellular plus data for about $50/month and iPhone applications download without a hitch. He loves it. The only hassle is that firmware upgrades mean running the jail-break software again.
A friend who works for T-Mobile (headquartered just east of Seattle in Bellevue) says that a number of their engineers carry and use them to test features that'll be available when AT&T's contract runs out. So I'd suspect that you'll be able to get a supported T-Mobile version as soon as that gosh-awful AT&T contract runs out.
That is EDGE, not 3G, hence my comment regarding 3G (UMTS).