6 ms·

AT&T Is Screwing Over US iPhone Users

59 points by jasonlbaptiste 17y ago

johnm 17y ago
Apple should make MobileMe the Apple mobile phone service and just front all of the wireless carriers around the world. That's what users really want in terms of one-stop shopping and service.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  Except that the MobileMe/dotMac part of Apple is one of the only ones that has trouble executing cleanly. They are currently one of Apple's weak links.
  - johnm 17y ago
    Good point. Of course, they'd have the money to get some people in there with a clue. :-)
    - stcredzero 17y ago
      They already have that, so why hasn't it happened? There's some political blockage here.
- eelco 17y ago
  On whose network?
  - johnm 17y ago
    Everybody who wants a cut of the business -- that's the whole point. Right now, the carriers have too much control and that doesn't serve the customers. Think of it like iTunes for phones: There's lots of music companies but customers really just want access to music.
- halo 17y ago
  That's great until the virtual carrier switches network and many customers can't get a signal anymore.
- zackattack 17y ago
  Every carrier should have FindMyPhone!
- trezor 17y ago
  You live in the US don't you? In most of the world phone and subscription are not tied at all. If I want a phone, I go buy one. If I want a new plan, I go sign up for one. It's really that simple most places not the US. For reference, it's called a working market. I'm already annoyed at Apple for tying the iPhone to iTunes. There's no need for them to tie in even more bullshit.
  - nudded 17y ago
    iTunes is the ecosystem Apple created for their ipods, did you really think apple would change its winning strategy?
evdawg 17y ago
Still nowhere near as bad as Rogers' outrageous prices in Canada. $60/mo for 500MB of data? No thanks!
- tjweir 17y ago
  It's so sad that we can still say "at least it's not as bad as Canada!" We're becoming an embarrassment, but at least people like Michael Geist are fighting: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4037/125/ http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4037/125/
- icey 17y ago
  Well, I'd like to withhold judgment on how bad it is until we know what AT&T will charge for bandwidth now that tethering will be an option. I know as soon as I can get an iPhone that works on T-Mobile or Verizon I'm pretty much gone.
  - burke 17y ago
    Whatever it is, I doubt you'll be paying $50 for 2MB/mo.
  - joezydeco 17y ago
    Yeah, Apple skipped through that part of the presentation REEEAAALLLY fast. Guess they don't want to be the ones to give the bad news.
- zackattack 17y ago
  Do you really go through >500mb/mo on your phone?
  - lpgauth 17y ago
    I fully agree on this point, I've been on the 500mb plan for over 6 months now and I never past 500mb. Sure now there's supposed to be tethering, but that's a hole different story.
  - dgallagher 17y ago
geuis 17y ago
Yeah, I'm SICK of AT&T. For the first time I'm going to be buying an iPhone that actually will have less feature support than the U.S. carrier!
joezydeco 17y ago
Go check out the fine print where AT&T wants $400 from you to break the contract on your existing 3G and buy the 3GS.
- zacharypinter 17y ago
  Is this confirmed? There wasn't a penalty on iPhone 2G -> 3G upgrades, and the keynote mentioned the $199 price was for new and qualifying customers.
  - Alex3917 17y ago
    It's confirmed. Presumably 2G customers qualify for upgrades to the 3GS though. edit: It is now confirmed that 2G users qualify for upgrades to the 3GS at the subsidized prices.
    - msluyter 17y ago
      Yep; I just did it and was charged $299 for the new 32GB phone. (I have the first generation iPhone. I guess I should also note that I bought it the first day it was available back in '07, so my original 2 year contract is near expiring. Not sure what the case would be for someone who bought a phone in, say, Dec 07.)
      - jws 17y ago
        The $299 is only half of the cost, you also get to pay an extra $360 over the 2 year contract in higher monthly fees compared to the original iPhone. I think I'll hold on to my original and hope for a new carrier in 2010. The features are great, but AT&T's call handling is not acceptable, I don't need to extend that contract.
  - pjhyett 17y ago
    "AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB)." http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy
jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
One More Thing... Existing 3G Customers will have to pay $599 and $699 plus extend your contract 2 more years.
- rufo 17y ago
  Yeah. Just checked my pricing at http://buyiphone.apple.com/ http://buyiphone.apple.com/ - $699 for a 32GB until July 12th, at which point I'm eligible for a "standard iPhone upgrade" - whatever that means.
  - andreyf 17y ago
    Strange, I checked the same, and they offered me $499 for a 32GB, to upgrade from the 4GB 3G... I wonder if it has something to do with my buying the 3G after the price drop (for $199) or because I'm upgrading from the 4GB. Either way, they really need to get their act straight.
cwilson 17y ago
I'm pretty sure it's cheaper to cancel your AT&T account (by paying the fee) and then starting fresh with them with a $200 iPhone 3GS then upgrading from a regular 3G.
- hrabago 17y ago
  ...if you're okay with losing the phone number you already have.
  - kqr2 17y ago
    If somebody was that desperate, they could probably transfer the number to a month-to-month plan and then back to preserve the number.
nanijoe 17y ago
I just tried to upgrade and I'm getting the originally announced pricing: Review iPhone pricing. As an existing customer, you qualify for the following iPhone pricing: You'll be able to choose the iPhone you want a little later in the process. * $99.00* — 8GB iPhone 3G (black) * $199.00* — 16GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) * $299.00* — 32GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) AT&T
- mcav 17y ago
  It depends how long you've had your previous iPhone (and which one you had). I believe you have to have had your previous phone for at least a year to qualify for the prices you listed.
andreyf 17y ago
Curious, in Firefox 3.5b99 on OS X... This works: www.➡.ws/䡗 but this does not: http://www.➡.ws/䡗 http://www.➡.ws/䡗

johnm 17y ago

Apple should make MobileMe the Apple mobile phone service and just front all of the wireless carriers around the world. That's what users really want in terms of one-stop shopping and service.

stcredzero 17y ago
Except that the MobileMe/dotMac part of Apple is one of the only ones that has trouble executing cleanly. They are currently one of Apple's weak links.
- johnm 17y ago
  Good point. Of course, they'd have the money to get some people in there with a clue. :-)
  - stcredzero 17y ago
    They already have that, so why hasn't it happened? There's some political blockage here.
eelco 17y ago
On whose network?
- johnm 17y ago
  Everybody who wants a cut of the business -- that's the whole point. Right now, the carriers have too much control and that doesn't serve the customers. Think of it like iTunes for phones: There's lots of music companies but customers really just want access to music.
halo 17y ago
That's great until the virtual carrier switches network and many customers can't get a signal anymore.
zackattack 17y ago
Every carrier should have FindMyPhone!
trezor 17y ago
You live in the US don't you? In most of the world phone and subscription are not tied at all. If I want a phone, I go buy one. If I want a new plan, I go sign up for one. It's really that simple most places not the US. For reference, it's called a working market. I'm already annoyed at Apple for tying the iPhone to iTunes. There's no need for them to tie in even more bullshit.
- nudded 17y ago
  iTunes is the ecosystem Apple created for their ipods, did you really think apple would change its winning strategy?

evdawg 17y ago

Still nowhere near as bad as Rogers' outrageous prices in Canada. $60/mo for 500MB of data? No thanks!

tjweir 17y ago
It's so sad that we can still say "at least it's not as bad as Canada!" We're becoming an embarrassment, but at least people like Michael Geist are fighting: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4037/125/ http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4037/125/
icey 17y ago
Well, I'd like to withhold judgment on how bad it is until we know what AT&T will charge for bandwidth now that tethering will be an option. I know as soon as I can get an iPhone that works on T-Mobile or Verizon I'm pretty much gone.
- burke 17y ago
  Whatever it is, I doubt you'll be paying $50 for 2MB/mo.
- joezydeco 17y ago
  Yeah, Apple skipped through that part of the presentation REEEAAALLLY fast. Guess they don't want to be the ones to give the bad news.
zackattack 17y ago
Do you really go through >500mb/mo on your phone?
- lpgauth 17y ago
  I fully agree on this point, I've been on the 500mb plan for over 6 months now and I never past 500mb. Sure now there's supposed to be tethering, but that's a hole different story.
- dgallagher 17y ago

geuis 17y ago

Yeah, I'm SICK of AT&T. For the first time I'm going to be buying an iPhone that actually will have less feature support than the U.S. carrier!

joezydeco 17y ago

Go check out the fine print where AT&T wants $400 from you to break the contract on your existing 3G and buy the 3GS.

zacharypinter 17y ago
Is this confirmed? There wasn't a penalty on iPhone 2G -> 3G upgrades, and the keynote mentioned the $199 price was for new and qualifying customers.
- Alex3917 17y ago
  It's confirmed. Presumably 2G customers qualify for upgrades to the 3GS though. edit: It is now confirmed that 2G users qualify for upgrades to the 3GS at the subsidized prices.
  - msluyter 17y ago
    Yep; I just did it and was charged $299 for the new 32GB phone. (I have the first generation iPhone. I guess I should also note that I bought it the first day it was available back in '07, so my original 2 year contract is near expiring. Not sure what the case would be for someone who bought a phone in, say, Dec 07.)
    - jws 17y ago
      The $299 is only half of the cost, you also get to pay an extra $360 over the 2 year contract in higher monthly fees compared to the original iPhone. I think I'll hold on to my original and hope for a new carrier in 2010. The features are great, but AT&T's call handling is not acceptable, I don't need to extend that contract.
- pjhyett 17y ago
  "AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB)." http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago

One More Thing... Existing 3G Customers will have to pay $599 and $699 plus extend your contract 2 more years.

rufo 17y ago
Yeah. Just checked my pricing at http://buyiphone.apple.com/ http://buyiphone.apple.com/ - $699 for a 32GB until July 12th, at which point I'm eligible for a "standard iPhone upgrade" - whatever that means.
- andreyf 17y ago
  Strange, I checked the same, and they offered me $499 for a 32GB, to upgrade from the 4GB 3G... I wonder if it has something to do with my buying the 3G after the price drop (for $199) or because I'm upgrading from the 4GB. Either way, they really need to get their act straight.

cwilson 17y ago

I'm pretty sure it's cheaper to cancel your AT&T account (by paying the fee) and then starting fresh with them with a $200 iPhone 3GS then upgrading from a regular 3G.

hrabago 17y ago
...if you're okay with losing the phone number you already have.
- kqr2 17y ago
  If somebody was that desperate, they could probably transfer the number to a month-to-month plan and then back to preserve the number.

nanijoe 17y ago

I just tried to upgrade and I'm getting the originally announced pricing: Review iPhone pricing. As an existing customer, you qualify for the following iPhone pricing: You'll be able to choose the iPhone you want a little later in the process. * $99.00* — 8GB iPhone 3G (black) * $199.00* — 16GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) * $299.00* — 32GB iPhone 3G S (black or white) AT&T

mcav 17y ago
It depends how long you've had your previous iPhone (and which one you had). I believe you have to have had your previous phone for at least a year to qualify for the prices you listed.

andreyf 17y ago

Curious, in Firefox 3.5b99 on OS X... This works: www.➡.ws/䡗 but this does not: http://www.➡.ws/䡗 http://www.➡.ws/䡗