Apple killing 4GB iPhone, $299 while supplies last
By Paul Miller 
posted Sep 5th 2007 3:20PM
posted Sep 5th 2007 3:20PM
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Time to go sell on eBay...
Ok...so the apple store crashes my firefox as well as IE. WTF?
its because the site is getting raped!
I just checked on ebay, this puppy is still selling for well over 5 hundred dollars with bids. Shame.
Link to store:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=BC784DCD&nplm=MA501LL/A
still aint low enough
It still costs too much, plus I only have 1 GB of music. What would I do with the other 3 GBs.
Video?
I would buy it in a heartbeat if I hadn't just bought a $275 phone a couple of months ago. It's a shame, but thats life I guess.
Only 1 gig of music. Come on man. What do you only like one band? I have over 30 gigs of music and if you have anything lossless then it's even less room for music since the files are larger.
I mean my 8 year old daughter has trouble deciding which albums to keep on her 2 gig player.
Anyway... I guess the marketing isn't for you.
And what's with apple hating on their early adopters like this. This is why Apple was forgotten so many years ago by all but the extream fans. Who wants a company that craps on your recent purchases so soon. If I owned an iPhone I would be sending it back and buying a new one. But I don;t want one so....
Lots of luck fan boys.
i agree not low enough.
the 8gb refurb. is $349
ill give an ipod shuffle for it
Tell Apple your story on how you got fucked in the ass by the price drop! They want to hear from you!
http://www.apple.com/iphone/share/
Is this only at AT&T stores? The Apple online store is only showing 8GB for $399.
The 2Gb iPhone is $299 while supplies last. They are being discontinued.
2GB? don't you mean 4? Yeah I was wondering that too, where can we get these $299 iPhones?
Do a search. It's not on the iPhone page, but if you search for 4GB iPhone, it will come up. $299. At least until they get rid of all their old stock.
I hope that means the 4gb will be 199 as a refurb.
NOOO! Two weeks ago I bought a 4gb iPhone! I saved my money throughout the summer to buy this thing and now I could get it $200 cheaper or one with twice as much storage for $100 cheaper!
Martin, welcome to the Apple product cycle of death. You can rest assured that in a few months, all the new products that were announced today will drop in price and who knows? Maybe they'll have new products sooner than you think.
My banged-up Razr sez: mwuah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...
Don't forget that ATT has a 30 day $$ back on all phones and plans. You can exercise your options!
next time time it better. either buy it immediately or save your money for the next change. you can't save money for 6 months when every 6 months the industry changes.
Three things are going through my head:
1. Holy crap, going to apple store up the street immediately after work
2. Only 50$ difference? Instant gratification can wait.
3. WTF you still shouldn't be spending 300$, you nutbag!
The fight shall no doubt continue.
Looks like Apple has stopped selling the Hi-Fi as well. Anyone been to a store to see if that is on sale? Can't find it in the apple store.
This is my last apple product!!!! I have been an avid mac fan for years... I bought the iPhone 4 gig and signed up with AT&T. I cant even get service in my neighborhood... It drops calls all of the time. And now its $200 cheaper. Now theres and ipod with wireless capabilities and no AT&T to pay monthly. I am cancelling my AT&T account and selling my iphone in ebay... Apple has lost me with this.
Your only complaint appears to be with AT&T. Apple has "lost you" because they are continually updating their products and bringing prices down? So what are you going to do, only buy products from a company that removes features and raises the prices with each revision?
@ Lane
It would be nice if companies didn't sell their products with a 200% profit margin.
Jay -
Theres a way to make sure companies don't sell their products with a 200% profit margin: Don't buy their overpriced products. Vote with your wallet and don't be a sheep.
You were perfectly willing to spend $600 to be one of the 1st to get an iphone, its not Apple's fault you're stupid.
People who chastised Apple for an overpriced phone with half the features and double the price of a smart phone were called haters a few months ago. We told you so.
@tcc3
I was defending the person who did buy the phone and complained about Apple, but thanks for assuming I bought an iPhone. All your points are valid, I'm just glad they don't apply to me because I didn't buy one.
Does anyone know if the iPhone works as just an MP3 player or email client/web browser without going through AT&T? I mean, if you go to the library and there's an open internet connection, can you access it with the iPhone wihout it having been "activated" through AT&T? Please let me know.
Yes, but it's called the iPod touch instead of the iPhone. Does exactly what you just described.
No. I read that the iTouch has no email client, and it doesn't have Bluetooth, which I want. Plus eventually maybe phone service when there's a easier unlock. That's why I was asking about the iPhone instead of the iTouch. Now does anyone else know if the "iPhone"...not the "iTouch", but the "iPhone" can do the things I've asked about... Thanks in advance.
why do you need an email client when you can use webmail.....
Because, it's more convenient and I want Bluetooth as well.
no the onlything you can do with an iphone that hasn't been activated is call 911 in the case of an emergency. unless you unlock the sim some other way.
Thank you. Now I can get back to not buying any Apple products because Archos has much better MP3 players. Thanks again.
No man, I wish it did, but it doesn't. The iPhone doesn't do jack all until you unlock it via iTunes.
Sorry, I wish it wasn't that way either.
Does iTouch have stereo bluetooth...good question. Prob not considering iPhone lacks it. Is it really that hard to incorporate it? Or is there some logic to leaving it out? Anyone know?
Actually, I believe there is a way to do what you're suggesting.
I can't remember where I read it (it may have even been on this site), but if during your iTunes activation with you iPhone, you input a false Social Security Number (something like 000-00-000), it will bounce you out of having to choose a normal monthly recurring rate plan and you can then contort things so you can activate it as a Pay-as-you-go phone. This may require buying another pre-paid AT&T cell and swapping out it's sim card with the one in the iPhone.
Then, you just let the account for you pre-paid minutes lapse and you've got an Email, Bluetoothed, iPod Touch.
Anyone else remember this hack? Maybe it's been negated by recent software updates, but it was viable for a while.
its a better deal to get the 8gb now because with ipod touch, you only have an ipod and internet. But with an unlocked iphone, you have that, plus a camera, plus a cellphone, plus downloadable games!
If you bought from the apple store, they are offering "price adjustment" if you bought within the last month. If you bought from AT&T like I did, you may be screwed - they didnt even know the price had changed when I called.
I will post more once I get through to 1-800-my apple.
hum...
Ya know... I been having this feeling that the iPhone is not going to last. It keeps reminding me too much of the Apple G4 Cube. Nice product, way overpriced, everybody wanted one, however nobody bought one!
I am not Anti-Apple in anyway and I have a G4 Cube btw. However, I do think that phone competition is just waaay to fierce and Apple will throw in the towel on the iPhone sooner than we think. Just like the G 4 cube. IMHO.
Apple will be around for awhile, however… good luck iPhone! And yes I did read the title of this article.
If "nobody bought one" equals "shipping 1 millionth iPhone in September" and "best selling smart phone in July" and "1.8% of phone sales" in your world, then it's a strange place indeed.
The #'s sounds GREAT! But just remember. I'm not the one who is slashing prices for something that sold like hotcakes for a MONTH! That doesn't sound like the company Apple that I know producing some good ole fashion, supply and demand. That sounds like REALITY settling in!
Yea Apple got a Month or 2 of sales off. So why stop sales that are so HOT? Maybe they can't hit their so call hype up target of 25 million sales!
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/26/apples-iphone-to-launch-as-cingular-exclusive/
I will give Apple credit for winning a 1 month battle, however they are not going to win the 25 million sales war.
Uhhh didn't you guys read? Apple is discontinuing the 4GB iPhone. There will be NO $199 model and that's why you are only seeing the 8GB model for $399. READ people, READ!
YOU FIRST, rubberchicken, YOU FIRST!
So they are selling an iPhone at a reasonable price, and eventually killing it off? What are they, Sony?
the 4gb model...not the 8gb...its not that hard to read
No, they've got 60% of the portable music market share and Apple probably believes it can do whatever it wants because you won't ever buy anything other than an iPod.
For whoever can't find this: it's in the store under "Clearance."
Clearance also means "unsupported" in the near future. Hope your 4GB iPhone battery doesn't die on you.
you're wrong. it's supported just like a regular apple product.
I feel like a total A$$HOLE standing in line for this phone and apple cuts the prices by 1/3! OUTRAGEOUS. I own everything Apple and will honestly never buy anything from them again for this total lack of respect towards customers. I UNDERSTAND a price cut was gong to come in about 6 months for $100 or whatever, BUT 2 MONTHS after release. I am really disappointed and really just hate apple right now. Ill never buy something like this again from them. Ugh Tear tear Tear.
I feel you pain... I was very close to buying the iPhone but stayed off just at the end. I thought apple would release touch iPod after christmas, but I guess the sales weren't strong for iPhone and they didn't want to lose the momentum of iPod sales.
I'm annoyed, but I still hate windows more.
I'm waiting to see what happens after the screaming comes, if there are more class action lawsuits, whatever.
I've been buying tech for years. I don't mind prices coming down, and new features coming in, but I agree. I haven't gotten my second full bill yet and the phone is $200 cheaper just cuz they can.
I find it funny, and irritating all at once. had I known this going in I would have waited and gotten my wife a phone as well. otherwise, I still have my iphone
If I had (LOL) bought an iPhone I would be so pissed. It is one thing to lower the prices a year after launch but so soon and $200 shows just how much profit they are making on the iPhone.
Cingular is the new AT&T
Apple is the new Sony!
What a horrible analogy. How is Apple like Sony at all? Sony loses money on every PS3 sold so they aren't even making a profit.
They are like Sony because that do weird moves like launching a lower capcity product and then killing it within months of launch. They are like Sony because for the most part they are over priced. They are like Sony in being snobbish.
But most importantly, Like Sony they put on a false face of caring for their customers, when in fact they are no better or hipper than anyone else except most of the time actually worse treatment for their loyal customers.
The problem with your comments are that you do not consider a few factors. For instance, people like you think as an early adopter Apple is merely raping you because it can. However, that is not true. Companies charge more when a product first comes out because of several manufacturing related issues. Like, when the iPhone came out Apple wasn't likely getting a substantial volume discount on parts, manufacturing of a newly released product costs more because it takes a couple of months for the manufacturing process to be ironed out, the rate of defective units for the initial manufacturing run is higher thereby costing the company more, and the company is trying to quickly recoup its development costs in case the product is a flop.
So, now a few months have gone by. In this time, Apple is now probably getting bigger volume discounts on parts because the iPod Touch and iPhone are using many of the same parts. Shared research costs for the two products are now spread out. Manufacturing related issues are probably lower. Moreover, the price of flash memory is dropping like crazy (at least for the sizes Apple uses), as it is for touch screens.
So, Apple is likely passing its saving on to you the buyer. Early adopters always share in the risk with a manufacturer. The tradeoff is you get cool technology immediately.
As a loyal apple customer I fell raped! I can't believe apple pulled a move like this. All loyal apple customers got screwed. Such a Microsoft move to pull. Post above is so spot on. They cut the price by a third! That is really a horrible thing to do to those people who waited in line for the phone. 2 months later WHAM!
i 100% agree- we all love apple because we know they are going to come out with something bigger and better--- but two months after and cutting the price by a 1/3-- tell me appple why would i or anyone ever support a new product off the bat again? we should wait and wait till it fails and you bring it down in price... just like you have shown us you did this time. the real true apple believers bot this product and supported it adn those are the ones that have been scr#wed...
So wait, lowering the price of a very popular phone, attracting more customers to buy into your company's 2-year service plans, is making AT&T upset?
As for upset iPhone buyers... well... you should know better. But hey, at least you got a cool toy before most of us.
Clearance does not mean unsupported. If you bought the product from Apple, you can get the saem service as any other refurb product or clearance product. they'll still replace the battery, its still the same friggen thing as the 8 GB.
Also, there is no refurb 4 GB, just an 8 GB, which is now priced at $349.
There will be plenty of refurb 4s after the whiners return theirs.
Whiners:
"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."
If you "Just bought the iPhone", call up Apple and get the $$ back.
The major stock indexes each fell more than 1% Wednesday, weighed down by renewed concerns about weakness in the housing and credit markets. Shares of Apple tumbled after cutting prices on the iPhone, and Tyson Foods dropped after it cut its earnings outlook.
With Apple , it`s all about hype , not substance.
apparently it's already gone?
No. I read that the iTouch has no email client, and it doesn't have Bluetooth, which I want. Plus eventually maybe phone service when there's a easier unlock. That's why I was asking about the iPhone instead of the iTouch. Now does anyone else know if the "iPhone"...not the "iTouch", but the "iPhone" can do the things I've asked about... Thanks in advance.
Just ordered mine, well every product gets a price cut in it's lifetime so no need to feel betrayed, what do you think the guys who bought the ps3 at $599 and 6 month later learned that it got a $100 price cut felt... Early adopters should always know that sooner or later a product price will be decreased.
I didn't feel bad at all. I had a PS3 to play with for 7 months, which is worth $100 in my opinion.
Price drops are a fact of the market, but doing it less than a couple months after product launch leaves kind of a bad taste in the mouth. I expect people will remember this next time Apple launches a big new product they want people to run out and buy on the first day.
Wow, 6 months later and a hundred dollars cheaper? They wanted to be a first adopter and paid a hundred bucks bonus to have it for half a year before people waiting for the cut. People who bought iPhones just got screwed 6 times worse than that (double the money, 1/3 the time). What must really burn is that all the 'haters' said it was overpriced, and now Apple's basically just said 'yeah, we bled you dry'.
Rather than mailing them pointlessly, call Apple, and see if they'll pricematch their new price point, and refund the difference. I think you'll have a very realistic shot. Other people have had luck.
If you purchased it from AT&T, call Apple anyway and ask what they're going to do to help you.
Damn you apple! How dare you pass the savings on to us!
And what do you expect Apple to do - refund you $200 because you immediately jumped onto the iPhone bandwagon? C'mon people, Apple is a big business and they made a business decision. Businesses do it all the time. Seriously, some of you act like Apple is different from every other big business and would never do anything to piss off its customers in favor of a business decision. If you really thought that, you're as naive as you are stupid.
People on AT&T forums are not happy too :)
anyone know how much the 4GB cost instore?
If my 4gig iPhone dies under warranty will I receive a 8 gig?
In your dreams maybe. The 4GB iPhone is a discontinued product now.
yes it is discontinued as of today, but still under it's 1 year warranty, 2 years if I upgrade the apple-care within the first year of warranty. If my 4 gig is exchanged under warranty will I receive a refurbished 4 gig or maybe apple will upgrade it to an 8 gig iPhone to make it easier to handle stock?
No, I highly doubt you'll get an 8gb. I remember when they discontinued the iPod mini, and switched to the new ipod photo and ipod nano. I sent my ipod mini in for repairs, hoping i'd get a nano. But they just sent me a new mini.
Suck it up, I-phone buyers. Everyone said $600 was too much to spend for a phone, but you didn't listen. And now, even Steve Jobs thinks that $600 was too much.
The lesson: next time a really expensive shiny new product goes on sale, wait for the price to come down before you buy it.
If I wanted to be a monopoly............I would build a Mercedes with Prius economy.......Ferrari handling.......at a Chevy price.. The other phone makers will cancel any plans at competing at the high end............BRILLIANT....I see aapl at $200+ by Christmas...............HOORAY
If you bought from AT&T within 14 days, they will allow a return with a 10% restocking fee. If it was longer ago than that, you're pretty much out of luck.
I will NEVER purchase anything from AT&T or apple again.
I am not happy with AT&T service but more importantly to put out an almost duplicate product with wifi and browser and no monthly fees is absurd... And then cut my phone price by $200.... Unbelievable!!!
Not only that, your credit history gets pinged again when you return the phone if you haven't activated it. Check out this poster's comment from the AT&T forums:
"I bought a 4 gig I phone on September 1st and just got off the phone with the ATT store in Altamonte Springs. I was told I can return it but am subject to a 10% restocking fee plus since I have not activated it they will need to rerun my credit again as It will invalidate my activation code. Now i'm going to to have 3 inquires from cingular on my credit in less then 30 days: one for my first 1phone one for the new Iphone I added but did not activate and one for the one they will sell me at the reduced price. Bet this will drop my credit score 20 points.
I called the Apple store at the mall they said if I had bought it from them direct I could just go get a refund for the difference but since I bought it from ATT I would have to return it to ATT under there policies."
Suck it up you cry babies!!!
you had the satisfaction of having it and showing it off for 2mths before anyone else... you knew the price was going to come down eventually Apple is playing hardball with the big boys now and needed to be more aggressive with the price to gain a nice market share. in the end it will be better for you as this means iPhone adoption and more software updates, apps and support for the device you own
Everyone knows that product prices go down through their life cycle, but no one saw this big a drop coming this soon. I would feel pretty screwed over if I had justified a $600 purchase to myself just to find out two months later that they were willing to sell for 2/3 the price...
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/05/apple-screwed-you-so-now-what/
anyone else feel like a total SUCKER just for being an apple fan???
**
i have been increasingly frustrated with my iphone -- after ditching my treo for it i wish i had not believed the hype and just went for a blackberry curve. the damn thing is inefficient. i love the technology but the edge is too slow and the mail program is crap....
so up until yesterday i was frustrated and thought i would put on ebay to sell...
TODAY I see the apple 8gb is down to $399 -- this is a $200 price drop in 2 months!!! It is like they have punished their most loyal fans and supporters... I feel totally duped here and for the firts time in over 10 years have gone from love to complete resentment!!!! Damn I haven't even paid off my credit card bill yet for the two 8gb I bought (one for me and one for my husband)...
Anyone else a first generation purchaser feeling this pain??
You should feel stupid. Putting Apple or any big business on such a high pedestal will only set you up for disappointment.
well, i completely disagree. i think businesses should be more accountable -- times are changing and I hope that progressive businesses will evolve, will develop more transparency and will develop some sort of accountability for their actions.
i will forever be the optimist - it is in my dna. i don't feel "stupid" -- i never said that, i said i felt duped. this is far different and much more noble.
i think if we accept that we should never place big business on a pedastal, as you say -- then we will never hold them accountable. apple has always touted themselves as a different kind of business, we aren't talking about coca-cola here. we are talking about apple.
hi,
I am an iphone user. I bought my iphone launch day and have loved it since. Mine works perfectly and does everything i had hoped it would. A lot of people are pissed about the price drop. Initially i was like "WTF" as well. however, a bit of logical thinking goes a long way. From when i bought my iphone up until the price drop announcement, i felt my iphone was awesome. I was already aware that i paid $600 for it, and that was fine by me. Now the iphone is $400, but i still paid $600. Why should i be mad? I was completely happy about my iphone this morning, and i still am now. When i bought the phone, i decided that $600 was a fair price for it, and i still do.
Its that "me me me" mindset that is leading people to claim boycotts on apple products because of a price drop. Personally, i am happy that my friends who wanted an iphone can now more easily afford it. I've already paid my money so i am losing nothing now because of an iphone price drop. So to the people complaining: Grow up! You win some, you lose some. You're not as precious or special as you think you are and if you aren't fine with the $600 you spent on the phone now, maybe you shouldn't have done it in the first place.
(to people who just very recently bought the iphone: Ouch, yeah, that does really suck)
Purchased an iPhone not within the last 2 weeks? Feel taken, ripped off?
Demand a refund from Apple. Sign the Petition!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/iphonerefund
Share this will friends!!! Lets make it happen!
this is an advertisement.... articles like this should come from Apple with some advertisment counter
This is more along the lines of the $100 Zune thing... there's a nice deal, and Engadget tipped us off to it. I think they did a great job covering the launch (I'm glad they told us how the cover flow is sluggish, because that's a major turn off for me when it comes to buying a product), and this is just icing on the cake.
i wonder how many of those ebay auctions for the 4gb will go unpaid...or worse how many dissapoints 4gb phone "winners" will there be on ebay...
Yeah, I wonder how many people are buying the 4gb to sell on ebay. The prices are going to tank below cost, ala PS3
i understand technology changes -- prices drop and technology gets better with time.
but the fact remains -- the only people who waited in those lines, and purchased a first generation iphone are die-hard apple fans (like i was). i am not naive, i expected the price to come down but i would have expected this before christmas. to do this now makes me feel like a sucker for being an apple fan -- and that is just bad pr.
So what do you people who are complaining do when a company like Ford comes out with a $2000 incentive on a new model of a car shortly after they are released, because the new model isn't selling as well as it should? Do you storm Ford and demand a rebate?
You knew the iPhone was $600 when you bought it. You asked yourself if it was worth $600, and obviously convinced yourself it was. So why complain when the price drops? Geez, prices fall. Deal with it.