Apple cuts 8GB iPhone price to $399
By Paul Miller 
posted Sep 5th 2007 2:05PM
posted Sep 5th 2007 2:05PM
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It's still a $400 phone, though a sweet one at that.
are you really bitching??? THATS 200 DOLLARS!!!!!
@rivlinm:
You know, you sound like the stereotypical wife/girlfriend. Instead of focusing on the fact that you're still spending $400 on a phone, you're instead acting like, "Well, we were going to buy it anyway. And you should be happy! I bought it **ON SALE**!" So, why shouldn't he bitch? It's still $400 for a PHONE!
Oh, wait... You didn't happen to buy one yet, did you? That would explain a lot.
Yeah, it's just a phone, that's all it does is make phone calls. Dork.
@JohnB
Unsubsidized smartphones (with wifi, music playback capabilities, and high storage) costs more than $700. Subsidized smartphones can cost up to $500 - so $400 for an unsubsidized phone is pretty good!
in fact i bought one in the first week and dont regret it one bit! sure waiting 65ish days would have saved me 200 bucks that i could have given to att, but i love how they cut the price by 1/3 and you still have to say its pricey. this phone isnt and never will be for everyone, but for 400 this is a steal, just look at the ipod touch prices!!!
Actually, I believe Steve's intention is that the iPhone WILL be for everyone. This is definitely not he cheapest iPhone we will see.
@Admiral:
We can go round and round with cost/value benefits of various types of technology all we want and still not come to an amicable agreement. However, the simple fact of the matter is that all technology starts out to be expensive, and those who absolutely MUST HAVE the newest technology are the ones who end up paying the most. (And don't you dare deny that a lot of the iPhone purchases were little more than ego trips to have the newest Apple gadget.)
In this case, Steve Jobs dropped the price a lot earlier and steeper than expected. That's true. But the simple fact is that if you absolutely, positively COULD NOT WAIT to buy an iPhone or any new technology, this is the kind of thing that is inevitable. Those who bought it can feel short-changed all they want, but the simple fact is that this is what happens when you feel some primal urge to be on the bleeding edge.
An AMD CPU that I recently bought dropped $160 in price no more than four weeks after I bought it. I didn't go bitching about how I just "lost" $160. This is what happens with technology. As much as I hate using this cliché, it's appropriate: deal with it. Things like this just go with the territory.
I love my iPhone but Apple's lost me as an early adopter. And why the hell is Apple sticking with 4:3 screens on any of their iPods!?! I would love 160gb of space to store my movies and shows on but I'm not buying a square screen device. Bleah. I was expecting to be pumped today. I'm just bummed. And my damn flight is delayed too! Double bleah. So...how you doing?
That $200 was an "early adopter" tax.
I'm just wondering if Engadget could pump out any more Crapple news.
http://i10.tinypic.com/4uke2ph.jpg
Sony got like 4 stories rolled in to one post, but Crapple gets all 5 breaking news slots? I call BS. As a bonus, they get another 3 of the Featured Stories.
only 349 for refurb now.
Damn... not even Bonnie and Clyde could pull of a heist that fast and get away with it! You go Steve!
Waozers. I'am so glad, I've waited. So that means that the refurbished should be 299. Yikesssssss. Keep the news coming engadget.
Those that bought the 8GB model in July: pwnt.
Word!!!
Steve really f*cked a lot of people in the ass today:
*0.99 ringtone service for songs bought on iTunes.
*iPhone price decrease on the 8GB model
*iPod touch off course which is nothing but a phone-less iPod coming at 299 dollars without an over expensive contract!!!!
iPhone owners must be really pissed at the moment.
What Steve Jobs want to say: I'm Rick James Bitch!!!
Seriously. I want my $200 back, Steve!!!!! even MS refunded me my 360 warranty repair, and they're the biggest a-holes on the block.
Damn, It didn't even last the usual year before a price cut...
AT&T's website says:
Return Policy
AT&T provides a 30 day return and exchange period for devices (phones, accessories, PDAs and other wireless communications instruments). One exchange of a device is allowed per wireless service activation or upgrade, and one exchange of an accessory per purchase.
The 30 day period begins on the date the equipment is purchased from a retail store/agent or the date the equipment was shipped.
AT&T must receive the returned equipment within the 30 day period.
All devices and accessories must be returned to the original point of sale. Customers purchasing via att.com should send returns to the AT&T warehouse...
@CharlieX:
Wait ... let me get this straight. You want Apple to give you money back because you were unwilling to wait until the eventual price drop? So, you want Apple to give you a refund because you were impatient? Uh huh. Right.
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/iphone-faqs.jsp
Return Policy
Q. Do you have a special return policy for iPhones?
A. Yes. Apple branded equipment is covered by a 14-day return policy and must be returned to the original point of purchase. If the Apple branded equipment is returned unopened and in the original shrink wrapping, it will be refunded back to the original payment method. Opened Apple branded equipment that is returned within 14 days will be subject to a 10% open box restocking fee. All products must be packed in their original, unmarked packaging including any accessories and manuals that shipped with the product.
$599 * 10% + $399 = $59.90 + $399 = $458.90
I just bought my iPhone 5 days ago, and I called the Apple store and they'll do a price match within 14 days. Whew... $200 out of nowhere! awesome.
"Those that bought the 8GB model in July: pwnt"
THAT'S NOT FUNNY!
Ah, no, sorry, you got it right, that is funny! way to put up with all the bugs and waiting for it to be cracked rather than waiting for the price job and it to be properly opened up and decent apps become available. I will now be ordering one off ebay after this price break has filtered through ready to crack for use in the UK.
C'mon you can't tell me that you didn't think that the price would come down by the holidays. Whenever you're the first to buy anything like this expect to pay PENETRATION price. You're helping them recoup R&D costs.
wow, if I had an iphone I'd be PISSED!!!!
yeah, and it still doesn't have 3G or a GPS... ZING!
Current iPhone owners, start bitching!
iPod Touch fails, IMO... And so does the new color palette... I don't know, I just don't dig the new iPods as much as I dug the second generation Nano.
I...I can't describe the anger. I bought mine 3 weeks ago.
WHAT THE FUCK?!
And you still have time to return that bitch, don't you?
I just got off the phone with AT&T where I bought the phone. Per Apple's regulation, there is a 14 day return policy. I am on DAY 15!!! Seriously...day 15. I might shoot myself in the face...it was nice knowing you all.
@NaeemTHM:
Who are you pissed at: Apple for bringing the inevitable price drop sooner and deeper than was expected, or yourself for not being able to wait until the inevitable price drop to purchase one?
Technology prices drop. That's not an "if"; that's a "when". You know damned well that early adopters have always and will always be the ones to get hit the hardest at any price drop, yet you bought an iPhone anyway. So why exactly are you angry for buying an iPhone when you were fully aware that its price would eventually drop?
@Jason Carroll
"I might shoot myself in the face"
let us know how that goes.
do any of you early adopters of the iPhone feel a little bit shafted now?
Wow I'd be pissed if I bought one recently, or ever
glad i waited!
AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAAA!!!
Steve Jobs to you: F*ck you early adopters!
Cha-CHING!!
LMAO!
ouch...
Let me the first one to say to you, faithful Apple fanboys: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy your $200.00 assrapage.
I guess it was as enjoyable as the Sony one when they lower the price of the PS3 or the MS one when they dropped the Zune to $199 or the...
Either people are too stupid for their own good or basic market dynamics are lost on them, early adopters pay a premium, some early adopters will get shafted because they bought close to a price drop, early adopters also pave the way so people will enjoy a better/cheaper product later on.
For them it wasn't assrape, they enjoyed owning the product early.
Is this too hard to understand?
When a company slashes the price of the product by 30% barely two months in existance, what would you call it? I call it a big "thanks, losers!" from Steve Jobs.
@Zoesch
True, however none of those other price drops happened TWO MONTHS after the initial product launch.
How long has the Zune been out? It just now dropped $100 dollars, not $200 dollars in two months. Thats not normal.
Man if that thing wasn't the size of a brick, and if it didn't have such a shitty interface, and if it didn't have completely crippled wifi...I'd so buy one!
Yes, it makes no difference if the price cut was a month earlier, 3 months into the product lifetime or 2 years after launch, they either have a massive gross margin and want to make the product more desirable to a wider market or they have the cash flow to sustain it.
The thing is that I highly doubt Jobs sat in his office with a list of early adopters screaming "You get $200 assrape FTW!"
Remember, you recognize the pioneers from the arrows on their back, the early adopters too.
Still, doesn't change the fact that for the vast majority of owners the experience was most likely worth it.
How typical, I just bought one a few days ago...
You should be able to get part of your money back, if that's truly the case.
Can't you just take the receipt and get the $200 cash back?
I'd rather get an iPhone over the new iPod Touch now. It has tons more features, anyway. I guess it pays to wait, eh? ;)
"I'd rather get an iPhone over the new iPod Touch now. It has tons more features, anyway."
What does the iPhone have over the iPod Touch other then being a phone?
"What does the iPhone have over the iPod Touch other then being a phone?"
How about a camera and bluetooth.
any chance that they'll lower the refurb iphone as well?
Wow, they are going to crush the competition. I paid $599 on launch day, and don't care that it's cheaper now. I've loved every minute of ownership. The market share is going to explode. Time to buy more AAPL!
Well put! I've had two months to enjoy my iPhone.
To all the jealous pr!cks out there: TFSU!!! Have fun with your RAZR, KRAZR, E95 bricks, snore-o-bore-o phones.
H?ahahahahahaha
This is way bigger news than Touchy Feely iPods.
I guess those rumors about the $300+ profit margin on the iPhones were true!
Yeah, what happens if you return one you just bought for $600?? And what is the length of the return period? 1 month?
so does that mean i get a $200 rebate on a phone i bought just over 2 months ago?
Awesome, now just make with the easy unlocking and I'm all over this.
I bought an iPhone last month, but I'm still happy . . . 'cause I also bought some Apple stock when it was TWENTY-FIVE, baby!!! :-)
holy shit... does this mean 4gb is $299?
No, it means you can't read.
"It also looks like Apple is doing away with the 4GB version, which was seriously lagging behind its big brother in sales."
4GB iPhone = 60GB PS3
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/05/apple-killing-4gb-iphone-299-while-supplies-last/
"Apple killing 4GB iPhone, $299 while supplies last"
YES!
Yeah what the hell....this is how we can repaved by getting them to their first 1 Million...honestly something should be done for those of us who were early adopters...
./runs to the AT&T store...
For all of you who think early adopters are pissed.
Well I am one, and I am happy. This shows different things, one the phone is going to be even more popular and better than many of you think. I have been enjoying this device for plenty of time to not care about the price drop. Finally, who cares, are any of you going to buy it now? If so, are you going to enjoy it any more than me? Probably not.
I'm an early adopter with a 4GB from launch day, and I'm really pissed off. I feel like I just paid $100 NOT to have an extra 4GB.
Awesome Apple. Thanks a lot. This will probably be the last Apple product I buy.
I am an early adopter, and I am pissed. I have been a loyal Apple customer for many years, bought numerous Macs, iPods, what have you. Of course prices drop and features are added, but I feel blatantly taken advantage of right now. Such a huge drop after so little time is almost unheard of, and I really believe that Apple should take some steps to remedy this situation--even if it's a voucher or a $200 gift certificate to the iTunes store or something. When the price of Aperture was lowered, Apple took care of their early adopters. How is this any different?
I think Apple may have lost at least one faithful customer today.
Neil, you may be exactly right.
I understand a two month product with such a huge drop is absurd, though I am not pissed. Yet this early on we need to sit back and wait to see if Apple does reward (or fix) those who were early adopters. Already rumors are flying around that things are happening for those who bought recently and maybe those who were first day buyers. Will this actually be true? Who knows.
I agree. Electronics prices drop all the time and I'm usually on the wrong side when they do. I bought two iPhones for $599 because that's what they were worth to me, and I and couldn't be happier with both the iPhone and the new price, which will make it affordable to more people who would like to have one. As for those of you celebrating your moment of shadenfreude and basking in glow of your superior intellect, enjoy it while you can. You do realize that this was a brilliant move by Apple, right?
While I'm really enjoying all this new iPods news, this just screams of a big "screw you" to all those earlier adopters. Oh well I guess they should have epected this (I just wasn't expecting it this soon).
(picking jaw off of floor)
Well, glad I didn't bite the bullet and buy a 4 gig refurb.
fuck apple. bought it at 600. Is this how they always treat there early adopters?
What the hell?! Why are YOU getting mad at Apple when YOU are the one who couldn't resist the urge and YOU are one of those who spent $600 on a phone? A PHONE!!
Don't blame Apple just because you suffer from the Must-Have-Newest-Gadget-Regardless-Of-Practicality syndrome.
Usually not this bad. I figured they'd wait another month for a price drop.
Holiday sales my ass though, it came just in time to where the "early adopters" have petered out and they need to get some fresh blood buying these things. (recall the 1 to 7 july smartphone sales stats that were just released)
way to go apple. unbelievable. I haven't had my iphone for 2 months and they drop the price by $200. what a kick in the face. I'll email and write apple a letter complaining about this. hopefully they offer the early adopters something to make up for this slap in the face
Do you have an address? I'll be sending a letter too.
$200 early adopter tax. Yikes!
I bought my iPhone the day it come out.
I think I wouldn't be feeling like I got slapped in the face if it was just a $100 price drop, but $200?!
And it's a double whammy too, I had just sold a bunch of Apple stock (to buy an imac)last week at $133.
:(
What's that rumble? The sound of thousands of people smacking their heads against the wall for buying an iPhone in the past two weeks. :)
Look, dropping the price is nice, but I'm *still* not going to buy it if I have to switch to AT&T! I hope that this iPhone-Sim-free brouhaha will end soon. The iPhone will be as difficult to find as the Wii once (if) these things publicly lose their lock to AT&T. Until then, I'll stick with my LG phone and get an iPod Touch if I want to -- and still pay less than an iPhone.
Bravo to the engadget team !! This was one of the best coverages ever.
Gizmodo's coverage was faster with both text and pictures, and new entries were at the top instead of at the bottom. They were better IMHO.
Gizmodo failed to work for me YET AGAIN. I'm sticking with Engadget, their livelog thing still needs the kinks worked out of it,I had to use dial-up today and Engadget worked fine, speedy even whilst Gizmodo's refused even to open properly.
I agree. As a retired jouralist and non-retired Apple consumer, i thought Engadget's coverage was excellent. It was fast, articulate, i haven't discovered any factual errors yet, and i remain impressed at the almost immediate inclusion of photos. (I prefer the chrono top-to-bottom, btw)
For those who didn't like the top down approach , they just could have been looking on engadget's main site since news was added there almost as fast and in the old under new above way.
Something tells me that unless Apple do offer something to the early adopters then another class action suit will be in the works soon.
I own an iPhone... and yes, I'm pissed.
That's funny, I was just thinking: "who's gonna pay $300 more for an 8GB iPhone versus an 8GB iPod Touch?" With the added features, the iPhone is a better value.
I purchased it at launch. Yeah its easy to say now "Man I wish I waited." But I've been enjoying it since launch. In my opinione I'm getting my money's worth. Its ok.
I wish I'd get free ringtones though as an apology. ;)
Last time I ever buy an Apple product on day one.
Does anybody think AAPL will be paying out $200 dividends for all those early adopter profits that are lining their pockets?
for 400 it gets harder for me to bitch about the iphone (i still will, my fat fingers cant type on that screen, i tried again yesterday). im probably going to get a phone for 250-300 without the 8gb flash so i might start warming up to the iphone. but the qwerty... if only...
Fuck you, Apple.
I bought mine in July. It is amazing how quick apple just screws over their biggest fans. The ones that were willing to buy it for that price. Now everyone is going to have one. It has only been two months and i just don't see how apple could drop it that much. Of course it is just business, but it seems like they intentionally decided to screw us early adopters over.
"Now everyone is going to have one."
Isn't that the point?
I also got one on the first day. For the past two months, it's been my favorite cell phone out of all the ones I've used in the past ten years. It could be given away and that wouldn't change.
Yeah...it would be nice if everyone had one at 399 or given away. I don't hate apple for doing this, but since they do have such a large crowd of early adopters that have been following them forever, it seems like a pretty crappy move. I am sure they could have sold them for 399 at the beginning and everyone would of had one two months ago.
DARN! i just got mine last week! well, at least i got an 8 GB...
Early adopter here... I just renamed my iPhone, ipwned...
My man crush for SJ has just been extinguished! At least wait for 6 months before a price drop.
Funny!
Thank you! Someone with a brain!
All of you idiots that are gloating about not buying an iphone at the higher price, fuck you! Electronics do not get this cheap this fast! Apple really screwed up here.
I love my 600 dollar phone but this is ridiculous.
All you broke ass losers out there still won't be able to afford the thing at 400!
Put your Daddy's money back in your pocket Jon. I think $400 actually does make it affordable especially as i won't end up stuck in some dumb ass AT&T contract for buying one now there are work arounds available. Hope you enjoyed shoing off for all the time you had yours, I'm sure it was worth the extra cash for you.