AT&T announces it will sell Apple's iPhone 3GS at new $49 price

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 53
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    The 3GS is not as fast as the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 uses 1GHz A4 with 512MB RAM vs the 3GS 600GHz CPU and 256MB RAM. The speed difference is noticeable with larger apps. The issue is not only speed. The hardware (Retina display, FaceTime, better camera.. etc) is significantly different not to mention the design. The difference between the 3G and 3GS was not that significant and made since to keep both back then.



    In practice, because the iPhone 4 is doing more with it's screen the user experience is about the same. Unlike the 3G which crawls in comparison.



    See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOREh...e_gdata_player



    My point is simple. Keep the 3GS as a low end competitor for a year and reduce the price so AT&T ( and other carriers ) can give it away for free. It is better than most Android phones.
  • Reply 42 of 53
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by asdasd View Post


    In practice, because the iPhone 4 is doing more with it's screen the user experience is about the same. Unlike the 3G which crawls in comparison.



    See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOREh...e_gdata_player



    My point is simple. Keep the 3GS as a low end competitor for a year and reduce the price so AT&T ( and other carriers ) can give it away for free. It is better than most Android phones.



    I would agree with you on keeping the 3GS if they are giving it away for free but they are not.



    WIth games and apps getting more and more graphic intensive you will notice the difference. Check this:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXcS2q_vCWA
  • Reply 43 of 53
    In my opinion, it sounds like Apple and AT&T are getting ready for a new iPhone. The report about Apple restricting vacations also supports this theory.
  • Reply 44 of 53
    In my opinion, it sounds like Apple and AT&T are preparing for a new iPhone. The report about Apple restricting vacations also supports this theory in my opinion.
  • Reply 45 of 53
    eyepadeyepad Posts: 39member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msuberly View Post


    Please. The phone is not $49. It is at least $1369 ($55x24 months + $49) plus activation fee, sales tax, and monthly state and federal communication taxes. That gets you the absolute minimum level of service.



    I wish there was a way to buy the phone for cost, and then pay for just the service thereafter. It is not like your monthly bill goes down after you have fulfilled your term of commitment.





    if you have ANY cell phone on ANY carrier their is a month bill for the plan.

    The idea here is the PRICE OF THE PHONE.

    $49 to get an Apple iPhone is a Great deal. I still sell as many 3GS as I do iPhone 4's in any given month.

    Older people couldn't care less if they have THE latest phone. The 3GS is still a great device. The only Real difference is the retina display. 9 out of 10 people never use the wifi Facetime feature.



    You also CAN buy the phone at full retail price and have no contract, but the month bill will still be the same. That just makes TCO even higher.....Why would you want to pay $600-$700 for a phone and still have to pay the same monthly cost as people who paid $49 - $199 for the phone.
  • Reply 46 of 53
    How is this even news? The cost of the phone up-front is practically irrelevant compared to the cost of the service contract over two years -- which is how a telco can sell you a $700 phone for "$49".



    Americans are, I'm sorry to say it, so gullible when it comes to telco pricing.



    Here in Australia you can get any phone for $0 upfront if you want -- you just have to sign on to a higher priced monthly plan. Alternatively, if you want a cheap plan, you pay a bit more for the phone upfront.



    Or if you want a fantastic plan, you buy the phone from the Apple Store unlocked and without a contract, and then sign up for a "SIM only" plan with whichever carrier you like.
  • Reply 47 of 53
    2 cents2 cents Posts: 307member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dagamer34 View Post


    Wow, I just saved an amazing 2.5% of the total cost of ownership of an iPhone 3GS by buying it for $50 cheaper! -_-



    If no one understands that $100 is only 5% of the TCO for an iPhone 3GS/iPhone 4, I have a bridge to sell them. No one should be buying a 3GS if they've ever been in a math class.



    Yeah, I'm cheap and all but it's really hard to imagine how such a small savings would push somome over the line to buy into a contract. And if it does, why not spend a few extra bucks for the retina display (if for no other reason)? I just think some people cannot wrap their mind around the total cost of the 2 year commitment. The phone prices (such as they are) are nearly irrelevant. To quote a much-quoted figure here, "a rounding error."



    Edit: I just now read the competing arguments. Still not buying them. That 3GS is not going to get any younger a year from now yet data load, apps continue to make more demands of hardware. Plus, need I say it again? RETINA! Its just not enough of a savings to entice most savvy shoppers. As for ones that are savvy and still choose it, maybe you get off on saving every last penny. I'm not knocking it. I'm cheap myself but I just don't see buying old technology when the savings are minuscule.
  • Reply 48 of 53
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    The 3GS is not as fast as the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 uses 1GHz A4 with 512MB RAM vs the 3GS 600GHz CPU and 256MB RAM. The speed difference is noticeable with larger apps. The issue is not only speed. The hardware (Retina display, FaceTime, better camera.. etc) is significantly different not to mention the design. The difference between the 3G and 3GS was not that significant and made since to keep both back then.



    The iPhone 4 has not been proven to have a 1 Ghz A4. Most websites that delve into specs and do more than regurgitate garbage have estimated it is running at 750-800 mhz. Apple released the iPad and stated it had a 1 Ghz. It is clearly faster than the iPhone 4. Perhaps as part of a mid-year bump and intro of new iPhone for Verizon and/or AT&T it could be bumped to an actual 1 Ghz.



    While 25% faster is nothing to sneeze at, it isn't 40%. The 3Gs is still a very decent phone and should/could be free to help keep sales up. I tried to talk a friend of mine into an iPhone and she flatly refused stating that she was giving up her Blackberry for a Droid Incredible which was being offered to her for $50 with contract extension. Verizon and Tmobile are offering all manner of Android phones as BOGO. It may seem like a cheap sales tactic but it is being done with very nice phones and does bring the average price of them down to $50-100 per phone. Even if that is a small part of the total cost of ownership, it is getting many naive people to sign the dotted line and once they do, they are committed to making the Android ecosystem work for them for the next two years.



    Apple also better have their ducks in a row with the custom processor issue. We can't have nonsense where they manage to actually get to 1-1.2 GHz on their next iPhone while all the high end Android phones are doing that but with dual cores three months prior.
  • Reply 49 of 53
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2 cents View Post


    Yeah, I'm cheap and all but it's really hard to imagine how such a small savings would push somome over the line to buy into a contract. And if it does, why not spend a few extra bucks for the retina display (if for no other reason)? I just think some people cannot wrap their mind around the total cost of the 2 year commitment. The phone prices (such as they are) are nearly irrelevant. To quote a much-quoted figure here, "a rounding error."



    Edit: I just now read the competing arguments. Still not buying them. That 3GS is not going to get any younger a year from now yet data load, apps continue to make more demands of hardware. Plus, need I say it again? RETINA! Its just not enough of a savings to entice most savvy shoppers. As for ones that are savvy and still choose it, maybe you get off on saving every last penny. I'm not knocking it. I'm cheap myself but I just don't see buying old technology when the savings are minuscule.



    I can't imagine not spending the difference but I'm a bit of a gadget whore myself. There is also the issue of multiple people on contracts though. Perhaps the initial cost becomes more palatable when considered in that context. As noted by others, huge numbers of phones appear to be moved in the context of buy one, get one free. It takes the initial cost of two phones and moves it from $400 for two people, to $200. By that reasoning here, the cost of two iPhones for a couple would move from $400 to $100. It is something to consider when buying for a couple which appears to happen often.
  • Reply 50 of 53
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    Quote:

    I just now read the competing arguments. Still not buying them. That 3GS is not going to get any younger a year from now yet data load, apps continue to make more demands of hardware. Plus, need I say it again? RETINA! Its just not enough of a savings to entice most savvy shoppers. As for ones that are savvy and still choose it, maybe you get off on saving every last penny. I'm not knocking it. I'm cheap myself but I just don't see buying old technology when the savings are minuscule.



    Are all shoppers savy? No. Apple can sell the 3GS, the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 5 and maintain their premium and mid range brands with the top two. The 3GS can be sold on contract for free.



    I wish people didnt personalise issues. Its not about you. Android is pushng ahead in part because of the BOGO and free phones, and Apple needs to compete on that. It has the ability to do it.
  • Reply 51 of 53
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by danwarne View Post


    How is this even news? The cost of the phone up-front is practically irrelevant compared to the cost of the service contract over two years -- which is how a telco can sell you a $700 phone for "$49".



    Americans are, I'm sorry to say it, so gullible when it comes to telco pricing.



    Here in Australia you can get any phone for $0 upfront if you want -- you just have to sign on to a higher priced monthly plan. Alternatively, if you want a cheap plan, you pay a bit more for the phone upfront.



    Or if you want a fantastic plan, you buy the phone from the Apple Store unlocked and without a contract, and then sign up for a "SIM only" plan with whichever carrier you like.



    That makes WAY too much sense for any American carrier to implement but thanks for the reminder on how we get screwed.
  • Reply 52 of 53
    2 cents2 cents Posts: 307member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by asdasd View Post


    Are all shoppers savy? No. Apple can sell the 3GS, the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 5 and maintain their premium and mid range brands with the top two. The 3GS can be sold on contract for free.



    I wish people didnt personalise issues. Its not about you. Android is pushng ahead in part because of the BOGO and free phones, and Apple needs to compete on that. It has the ability to do it.



    It's cool. I'm not personalizing the issue, nor am I saying the sales strategy is bad. I'm only saying this deal would not get my money but I realize it appeals to others. Basically, you can take my comments as follows (FWIW):



    If someone close to me asked my opinion, I would steer them towards the iPhone 4 over this. It makes better sense to me for reasons already stated plus resale value when it's time to upgrade. I would then end it with what I always end such a conversation. Now that you have my opinion, buy whichever makes you happy. It's your money and your phone. [not being snide and no superiority implied]
  • Reply 53 of 53
    penchantedpenchanted Posts: 1,070member
    Damn, there seems to be a lot of spam the past couple of days.
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