Apple cuts 8GB iPhone price to $399

With the new heat the iPhone will be getting from the iPod Touch, Apple decided to lower the barrier of entry to a much more palatable $399, and that's for the 8GB model, which just yesterday was rocking at $599 pricepoint. It also looks like Apple is doing away with the 4GB version, which was seriously lagging behind its big brother in sales, but there's no official word yet.

[Jason @ Sep 5th 2007 3:30PM]

I just think it sucks that the $600 price tag was announced and well known longer than it was in affect. I want a credit or something.

[Mr Angry @ Sep 5th 2007 3:30PM]

Apple fuck early adopters hard, without them there wouldn't be the popularity of these products, the viral exposure the iPod has enjoyed and profitted with. I think this is a bad move, although undoubtedly popular, they should have not priced it so high to start with if there was going to be a price drop like this after a month.

Just makes me think, maybe I'll wait a little while longer before buying apple stuff in future, maybe everyone will wait a bit longer to save 1/3 of their cash, and that way Steve won't have these incredable figures to boast about in these events about early sales.

All I can say is that no one had $200 of enjoyment with their iPhone for having it early, and as much as I wasn't going to do it, I'm certainly chipping my phone as soon as I can so no more money goes to Apple or AT&T as a result of this.

[lex @ Sep 5th 2007 3:31PM]

google, are you reading all of this? now kick apple's ass and bring out the wifi enabled, java enabled, third party enabled gphone

[wyseguy @ Sep 5th 2007 3:32PM]

Apple does have a policy for this sort of thing:

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salespolicies.html#topic-15

"Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment."

[Brian @ Sep 5th 2007 3:32PM]

I was so surprised over the price drop I accidentally dropped my iPhone, and the screen is now spider webbed.

Thanks Steve.

[kL @ Sep 5th 2007 3:34PM]

Price was fine when you bought it. You liked it, you've paid it! There's nobody to blame but you!

If Apple didn't lower the price, you'd still own the $600 device!

[mrhammerstein @ Sep 5th 2007 3:34PM]

this just means it was overpriced by $200. that or they're paying lower slave labor salaries.

[JC @ Sep 5th 2007 3:37PM]

I just posted on the iphone feedback under "Bugs"

That i would like to report a bug... not with the phone, but in steves brain.

They should really get that looked at...

in all my 20 years of being an apple supporter i have never seen this level
of disrespect.

http://www.bugapple.com
coming soon ;)

[Kyle @ Sep 5th 2007 3:37PM]

So I was an idiot and bought a 4GB iPhone from my local ATT store on 8/17. I figured maybe I would return it today and get the 8 gig for a lower price...but nope. 30 day return policy doesn't apply here.

Back of my ATT receipt says "If within 30 days of original purchase (14 days for Apple branded equipment) you are not satisfied with your purchase, ATT will issue an exchange or refund..."

Lucky me, Apple timed this just perfectly.

[akijikan @ Sep 5th 2007 3:37PM]

holy shit does this mean a refurb is only $299?

I HAVEN'T BOUGHT ONE YET!!!!!!!!! YAY!

[korelem @ Sep 5th 2007 3:39PM]

I think the early adopters are pissed, because only now you can see the REAL PRICE for an IPhone, Apple couldnt have refined the production method in just 2 months to warrant such a huge drop in price. Guess all those profit margin estimates on the IPhone were right. Thank God I live in Europe...;)

[Justin Williams @ Sep 5th 2007 3:42PM]

I think that apple must have paid for most of the R&D with the these past two months of iphone sales. Sure they could have left the price the same and had that much more profit, but with this price drop they will sell more phones during the holiday to make up the difference. I remember when the iphone came out, all the people that complained said stuff like " Id never pay 600 for that phone, maybe 3 or 4 hundred and ill get it." now that its lower people are like.. thats still to much. Make up your mind. Also, I did buy an iphone on the first day, and i don't regret it. Now with the price drop i might get one for my girlfriend.

[Jason @ Sep 5th 2007 3:42PM]

you assholes that say early adopters deserved to get screwed are fricking idiots. I hope your dicks fall off.

I expected a price drop after a year or even half a year but 33% after 2 months is just ridiculous!

[akijikan @ Sep 5th 2007 3:50PM]

They may not have deserved it, but history tells them they will pay the price for early adoption.

[coffee @ Sep 5th 2007 5:16PM]

I don't think this is a case of early adoption / price drops.

The roadmap for the iPhone, including original pricing and subsequent price drops, had to be set long before the initial release. Meaning the price drop on Sep. 5 was on the calendar long before the release of the $599.

Now, there is definitely a case for tech coming down in price, and early adopters always paying a little more, but not in 2 months, and not on such a new product, and such a large drop. This is not due to hardware prices dropping, or memory, or other components, this is simply the company defining the profit margins.

If I owned one, I would want to know what the rationale was in determining the timing of the price drop, and knowingly pissing off some of the biggest Apple customers that pushed the iPhone at the onset.

[)O(The Cat)O( @ Sep 5th 2007 3:45PM]

They still need to update the refurbished section on the Store... If they keep the 42% discount, the 8GB iPhone would cost about $230. Not bad for those who happily embrace refurbished stuff.

[adam @ Sep 5th 2007 3:47PM]

Be sure and share your "story" of iPhone bliss with apple...

http://www.apple.com/iphone/share/

[early iphoners @ Sep 5th 2007 3:47PM]

104. I feel like most of you do. I expected the early adopter penalty after a year or even 6 months. But I never thought it's be TWO MONTHS and them not even release a new model.

I have never felt like Apple screwed over their most loyal customers so terribly. People are saying all of us are stupid for buying on right away and essentially Apple did too.

Please email at [e-mail] if you're as pissed as I am. I'll get all the emails together and update everyone on what to do next. If anyone has suggestions, please send them along with your email.

Fuck you, Apple. Worse than Microsoft.

[jessy @ Sep 5th 2007 5:10PM]

whats that going to do? nothing? thought so, just dont buy any more apple products.

[alpianoman @ Sep 5th 2007 3:47PM]

For all of you that purchased your iPhone within the past 14 days at an Apple store, you can request a refund of the difference.

Here is Apple's Refund Policy:

http://www.apple.com/legal/sales_policies/retail_us.html

[sal @ Sep 5th 2007 3:49PM]

Im glad i paid 599 i had enough of qwerty keypads. i would have paid an extra 200 good bye blackberry.

[Alex @ Sep 5th 2007 3:49PM]

Obviously it pays to be patient.

[fukui @ Sep 5th 2007 3:52PM]

Nice! I haven't won anything in the Endgadget giveaway and I'm 19 days into my new 4gb iPhone. I can't comlain since its been a great 19 days and it was an anniversary present (otherwise it would have been an 8gb, 4 is just too small). I know people kept saying that there would be a price drop but lets be realistic here. Apple has historically not dropped the price on hot new products, rather they have introduced better more refined products at the smae price point and usually not for 6months to a year.

I expected that there would be a newer better version next year and that I would then have to shell out more money to have that shiny new toy. But in day 19 I just have take a swig of the pepto and think that wow in less than a week I would have had the 8gb and saved a $100 bucks.

Oh well...it is what it is...but lets all face it. What really gets everyone mad is that stupid activation fee you have to pay when siging up for 2 years and no subsidized equipment.

At least now we can all rest assured that when iphone v2 rolls out next year it wil be much less expensive than what we all shelled out this year. Dollar cost averaging makes it all OK.

[JimJimBinks @ Sep 5th 2007 3:53PM]

Just sent something to the iPhone feedback team. Doubt it'll do any good. But it was nice to vent.

[Jen @ Sep 5th 2007 3:54PM]

I have an iPhone and I'm not happy about this price change. I understand it but I feel jipped by the hand that feeds me. I was enjoying reading the conference until that last 5 minutes. Since those last 5 minutes I've just been in disbelief. Guys aren't the only early adopters feeling abused right now.

[Javier @ Sep 6th 2007 1:49AM]

When I bought in on its release day everyone looked at me in amazement and admiration when they saw my Iphone. Today the very same people are calling me to tell me I am an idiot. :-(

Steve I want 200 worth in accesories or music!!!

[Jon @ Sep 5th 2007 4:21PM]

I was just thinking the same thing....the news was coming out piece by piece and here I'm thinking "oh that's cool, my dad would like one of those" etc...then the kick in the face of the $200 dollar theft job by jobs...
Sorry dad, no new iPod for you!
Booooooooooooo apple!

[Richard @ Sep 5th 2007 3:56PM]

ATT,
Quick, bring out the HTC Kaiser now!

[Joel Pirela @ Sep 5th 2007 4:03PM]

I bought 2 8GB, so the damage is $400. While I think it's a huge discount in 2 months, nobody pointed a gun at me to buy them. Yes, I will buy an iPod Touch 16 GB when they are available. Call me an idiot but it's technology what we are buying, right? so relax. -joel

[bajesus @ Sep 5th 2007 4:07PM]

what i sent to apple product feedback:

when i purchase technology, i expect that at some point in the future the price will drop and the features will improve.

but a 33% price drop on a product that was introduced only 2 months ago is insulting to the early adopters. AMEX will refund the price difference on a price-drop within 60 days of purchase. at 67 days since the iphone was introduced, we are well out of this range.

will there be an consideration for those of us who overpaid for their iphones or will apple pull a "microsoft" and treat us like paying beta testers?

$200 off a future purchase would be nice.

[Jon @ Sep 5th 2007 4:24PM]

Actually, I bought my Xbox 360 on the day it came out also..and 2 years or so later it JUST NOW received a price cut!
I'm not upset about that at all, it's expected. But not $200 in two months!

So leave microsoft out of this! Their products at least STAY overpriced! lol

[bajesus @ Sep 5th 2007 5:09PM]

jon,
point taken... not a parallel comparison. i just wanted apple to know that i thought of them the same as i thought of microsoft... guess that wasn't as insulting as i wanted it to be.

[Dave MacCarn @ Sep 5th 2007 4:07PM]

How about we suggest a rebate for the early adopters, say free Apple Care on the device?

[Todd @ Sep 5th 2007 4:09PM]

Just talked to Apple, they said that because I'm within 14-days of buying a refurb 4 gig, I can return it to my local Apple store and get an 8 gig for no additional costs and NO restock fee. I was pleasantly suprised but we'll see if it happens that smoothly in the store, I'll update tomorrow, I'm going tonight to get it done.

[dave @ Sep 5th 2007 4:10PM]

OK I'm gonna vent because well I just am. I am super pissed, almost as bad as eric cartmen in an episode of south park, but not because of the price drop (well a little but that happens sooner or later, just never seen it happen so soon)but because I can't help but believe that the people at Apple knew this was going to happen. I mean come on, they reason is because they are trying to bridge the gap in price between the Iphone and Itouch, but wouldn't they have known about this when they launched the Iphone? Aside from gouging from the get, why didn't the just pirce them a little lower to begin with? I could swallow a 100 hit in the wallet but a 2oo WTF??? and then buying a 4gb and now knowing the 8gb is cheaper now...Dude whatever....I'm seriously cancelling my contract with ATT&T if I can't get something out of this. If anyone wants a 4gb iphone let me know.

[Mohammad @ Sep 5th 2007 4:16PM]

Just ordered an iphone from apple for $399. Iwas about to buy one yesterday I guess I got lucky. YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[eddy_88_nite @ Sep 5th 2007 4:18PM]

this happened to me for a bunch of computer parts....stop crying about $200...i lost $500 from buying my computer parts..i could of bought the iphone for that money...god...

[Jon @ Sep 5th 2007 4:27PM]

Computer parts are not at all a valid comparison. Yes I know they are both "electronic devices" but that's not the whole story. Computer parts CHANGE frequently with newer/faster/better products being introduced constantly.
The iPhone HAS NOT CHANGED. Apple just realized they've milked all the early adopters and sales must be slowing down, so they cut prices. All this proves is that apple was over charging from the get go.

[SFDJ @ Sep 5th 2007 4:28PM]

That's the price you pay for being a die-hard Apple Fanboy who's wrapped around Steve's finger.

You all first said that iPhone's "worth EVERY PENNY".... and now you all are bitching & moaning that you're "F*&%d" over..... what a bunch of whining babies....

I'm sorry..... but you all got what you deserved for not being able to see thru Steve's marketing ploy, Apple Fanboys......

[Walt Stoneburner @ Sep 5th 2007 4:35PM]

On the surface, I'm not too happy about having a 3-week old phone, which is less than a month old, yet one week past the return point.

Yes, I made the decision to buy it then, so I do take responsibility for that. But, on the other side, Apple also didn't provide me with data that could have made me make a more discriminating purchase plan. (And, one can argue, why should they.)

Apple now has an interesting choice. Because of all these early adopters, their phone is a success. However, pissing them off would do some serious damage. One, those people are never going to buy into an early adopter program again and spread negative comments. Two, non-early adopters are going to view this as a model of how Apple treats its customers.

THAT SAID, -twice- in the past, when I have purchased expensive software (about the same cost as the iPhone), Apple has dropped the price, and upon doing so, wrote me a Snail Mail telling me they appreciated my business and enclosed was a check for the difference. Unprompted.

I'd like to think that Apple will have the foresight to do that now, and the amount of good will this would result in would more than make it up.

At the moment, I have -one- iPhone. My wife is on the fence. If I get a refund from Apple, she'll be having an iPhone too (and being realistic, if Apple produces a better version with more memory, I'll be buying the higher end model for myself).

If I'm to eat the difference because of a week, I don't have the right to complain, but I'm going to take it out of Apple's future sales by not upgrading, not early adopting, not evangelizing, and not buy multiple machines. And, let's be honest, Apple knows this.

[Chuck @ Sep 5th 2007 10:25PM]

If you're doing anything called "evangelizing" for computer stuff, you need to seriously reconsider your life.

[HiTek @ Sep 5th 2007 4:38PM]

I ordered a refurb iphone 8GB last week, it just arrived today. Just called the Apple Store - and they refunded me the difference b/w $499 I pair and $349 current price. Apple rocks!!!

[bril @ Sep 5th 2007 4:39PM]

Can anybody tell me what does the 8gb iPhone has that the new 8gb Ipod touch does not ? Why would anybody buy the 8gb ipod touch instead of the iphone , except for the price ?

[Danny Jiang @ Sep 5th 2007 4:46PM]

How can one not see that the new iPod Touch is set at a price point to actually "PUSH" the iPhone sales..... WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!

[Sebastian @ Sep 5th 2007 4:48PM]

To Bril:
Yeah, people who don't live in the US!

[bril @ Sep 5th 2007 5:00PM]

What about the features, any differences ?

[SFDJ @ Sep 5th 2007 5:51PM]

it's ALL Listed on Apple's web site..... HELLO?!?!?!

[Brent @ Sep 5th 2007 4:42PM]

I just called my Credit Card and initiated a Price Protection claim since I bought the iPhone within the last 60 days. They say they need a paper advertising the new price (not from the internet). Anyone know if the At&T or Apple stores will have these?

[Christopher @ Sep 5th 2007 4:43PM]

What credit card is that ???

[Brent @ Sep 5th 2007 5:38PM]

Citi Diamond Rewards. I asked and they cover cell phones.