Select AT&T stores selling refurbished iPhones?

Oh sure, Apple's been offering up a couple of refurbished iPhones on its own web store for some time now, but actually finding one in stock has proven to be quite a challenge. Nevertheless, a purported internal memo has explained that select AT&T stores in the New England region (sorry, rest of the solar system) will be stocking refurbished iPhones for $199 (4GB) and $249 (8GB) -- of course, the deal only applies to new activations. Has anyone actually seen this go down first hand? We wonder how quickly it'll be before this offer bleeds out from the Northeast.

[Steven Shamoun @ Mar 1st 2008 6:19PM]

good deal =D

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 1st 2008 6:20PM]

4 GB! haven't seen that for a while

[TedB @ Mar 1st 2008 6:23PM]

Wooo New England!!!

[Alex Padilla @ Mar 1st 2008 6:46PM]

AT&T just feels sorry for you guys cause the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Giants

[Bob @ Mar 1st 2008 7:55PM]

http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a25c39217e3e5d30117e4f5e41b0003

[James @ Mar 1st 2008 6:28PM]

Hopefully this is due to apple and att trying to clean up a little bit before the release of maybe a...3g iphone?

[James @ Mar 1st 2008 6:28PM]

Hopefully this is due to apple and att trying to clean up a little bit before the release of maybe a...3g iphone?

[Todd @ Mar 1st 2008 6:43PM]

I really hope so.

[notjustdrums @ Mar 1st 2008 6:48PM]

the 8Gb are refurb for $350 not 250. They have em on apple.com too.

[Cliffy B. @ Mar 1st 2008 7:29PM]

@notjustdrums the prisceIS $249 for the 8gb u just have 2 sign a 2yr contract(apple one doesn't require contract).This is also away to get rid of iphones cuz their releasing the 32gb 3g iphone this june.

[TJ @ Mar 1st 2008 6:50PM]

You know what that means, they just have an over stock of refurbished phones and what better way then to capitalize.

[kade @ Mar 1st 2008 6:54PM]

just called three at&t stores and none of them sell refurbs

[Andy @ Mar 1st 2008 7:19PM]

Hey Engadget...I emailed you last month that Apple Stores are selling refurbished iPhones. Here's a link: http://www.gadgetguru.com

[Drew @ Mar 1st 2008 7:52PM]

You, sir, fail.

[Raheem @ Mar 1st 2008 9:33PM]

Seriously I took the time to read your Apple article and have no doubts that you have zero knowledge about, "being a consumer." You don't tell companies that you dropped their product, I don't care what your conscience tells you. See that little red devil sitting on your left shoulder? Listen to him. My experience is working for tech companies is we will find any way to screw consumers out of their money - as any business will. It's not all about customer satisfaction, I'm afraid. Believe it or not you did NOT cause Apple's share price to fall. Regardless of what the problem was caused by, you didn't approach the situation as you should have. As for your sudden 'realisation' that your Blackjack was much better than an iPhone and that you can't see the actors faces on the screen - shove it - we all know before this issue that you only took your iPhone out in the, "Starbucks queue," so you could rave about it to the very boring person behind you.

I am an iPhone owner. I choose to use it because it suits my needs. It clearly did not suit yours. Some consumer.

/end rant.

On topic: £100 for an iPhone is a steal... if it works :P

[paragraph @ Mar 1st 2008 7:29PM]

Yeah, i've seen it here. They were trying to sway me from the $249 Blackberry 8330 for the 8gb, then i whipped out my Touch.

AFIR it was a $100 MIR, you still had to pay full price ($349) at the time of activation.

I might mosey on over to the ATT store and check this out again.

[craigasian @ Mar 1st 2008 8:25PM]

Or you could go here...
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=A8E6930F&nclm=Certified%20iPhone

[Backlin @ Mar 1st 2008 10:36PM]

OMG U R Legend. Good ref. I never would've thought of that before.

[Cryonaka @ Mar 1st 2008 9:21PM]

what about down here in the south?!!?!?!?!?

[TedB @ Mar 1st 2008 9:50PM]

My guess is that Apple looked at this from a population density perspective. The northeast is commonly comprised of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Of those states, 8 of them are in the top 10 of population density in the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_density).

The more people in an area, the more likely people will go to a AT&T store, the more refrubs you are going to sell.

Sorry South, there is just not enough people down there...

[Wei @ Mar 1st 2008 11:22PM]

Eh... down here in the south, we prefer new gadgets anyway... =P

[hokie1745 @ Mar 1st 2008 9:23PM]

I asked a guy at the AT&T store in Tysons Corner Mall in which is in the Northern Virginia area and he said they have them in stock at their store.

[Jason C. @ Mar 1st 2008 9:30PM]

I checked at an ATT wireless store in Irvine, CA. The representative there told me that corporate owned ATT stores do not offer refurbished iPhones. If that is true, then only privately owned ATT stores offer this deal.

[sinai @ Mar 2nd 2008 2:23AM]

wait wait wait... so does this mean when apple talks about "units sold" they're talking about refurbs too?

[David Haskins @ Mar 2nd 2008 2:58AM]

Thank you for telling me about tysons corner mall. I gotten get one when I am back in town. Now the question is to unlock or go with att.

[jasonpaulso @ Mar 2nd 2008 7:24AM]

I've just brought home a shinny new 4gb from the ATTWS store at the roaring Nittany Mall State College, PA. They started the day with 10 4's and 60+ 8's.

[Chris @ Mar 2nd 2008 8:01AM]

@Jason

Did you have to sign an AT&T contract to get it?

[Jasonpaulso @ Mar 2nd 2008 10:06AM]

Nope. I am an AT&T customer. Already had an 8gb on one line and I purchased the 4gb for our second line. No trouble at all.

[Chris @ Mar 2nd 2008 10:12AM]

But if you would not have been a customer, you would have had to sign a contract, correct? I'm just asking because I'll probably move to Europe in a few months, so a 2year contract would not make any sense for me...

[007baf @ Mar 2nd 2008 11:28AM]

I had my accelerometer go bad on my 4GB iPhone. I called in the issue and they tried to fix it with resets, etc... to no avail. They setup an appointment for me at an Apple Store.

My logic train figured "I'll get a new iPhone, and since the 4GB models are gone, it'll be an 8GB." Not so. They gave me what appeared to be a brand-new 4GB iPhone out of stock. It wasn't in the sexy black iPhone box, rather it was in a non-descript white box.

I asked what happens to the old one. They said it goes back to the manufacturer. I imagine someone will buy it someday. So it begs the question - was mine a refurb or truly new?

[Macniatic @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:36PM]

Refurb.

[Daniel Paluszek @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:50PM]

I've been calling around here in Central Florida, no go at either Authorized Reseller stores or Corporate stores. Shame, because this is the price I would bite and buy one.

[fred @ Mar 2nd 2008 6:51PM]

this is the second time that engadget has had inaccurate articles. refurbished iphones are selling for $349 not $249. only the 8gb ipod touch is selling for 249. come on engadget, start getting your facts strait.

[dan @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:15AM]

No, you are wrong. Apple is selling a refurbished 8gig for $349, and ATT is selling them for $249.

[dan @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:20AM]

Also, learn to spell.

[Chip @ Mar 4th 2008 11:47PM]

I bought 2 refurbished iPhones today at an ATT store in the king of prussia mall.

confirmed details... requires new 2yr agreement via the activation in itunes... like any other iphone. and the prices are $249 for 8gb, and $199 for 4gb.

[siniux @ Mar 7th 2008 2:45PM]

No online shops?

[Chris @ Mar 10th 2008 8:35PM]

I can confirm I purchased a $249.00 8 gig Refurb from the AT&T store (Corporate store) In Smithaven Mall, Long Island NY

[Mike @ May 12th 2008 7:13PM]

Anyone know where I can buy I refurb in the Boston area??

Thanks,
Mike