Do you really need to ask "why"? It's simple, you go and buy an iPhone, they activate it before you leave the store, thus preventing you from unlocking it, and using it on a network of choice without being tied down to AT&T with a nice early termination fee.
there is no "full price". That's the point of the contract. Apple was trying to double-dip before selling the phone full price and demanding the contract with AT&T for kickbacks. I think they realized why things were set up with the contracts. Apple sells the phones to AT&T, gets the check up front, and AT&T only gives them out under their contract terms, much easier to keep a leash on. This wouldn't work in Europe but it's readily enforced in the US.
"They have to have a 'full price' hidden away in some dark corner, please, OMG please!"
Unfortunately, no. If you're not eligible to upgrade, you can't even buy this phone. At least that's the official word at the moment. For the good of us all, let's hope that changes.
What you see is what you get. Apple uses what is called "price locking" meaning the price you see is the price you get, absolutely no hidden fees. There is no without contract price, Apple and at&t are in an exclusivity contract so no chance of wiggling out of that.
Someone mentioned in a different comment that worst case "full price" is just the purchase price plus the ETF ($175) because you can always sign the contract and then just pay the penalty to cancel it immediately after you leave the store. Complicated, but fully legal and not preventable by Apple or AT&T at all. Kinda expensive tho. -Taylor
HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th.
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Do you really need to ask "why"? It's simple, you go and buy an iPhone, they activate it before you leave the store, thus preventing you from unlocking it, and using it on a network of choice without being tied down to AT&T with a nice early termination fee.
I wonder what they'll do if someone want's to pay the full price and not the 199/299 Subbed. Will they even allow that
there is no "full price". That's the point of the contract. Apple was trying to double-dip before selling the phone full price and demanding the contract with AT&T for kickbacks. I think they realized why things were set up with the contracts. Apple sells the phones to AT&T, gets the check up front, and AT&T only gives them out under their contract terms, much easier to keep a leash on. This wouldn't work in Europe but it's readily enforced in the US.
"They have to have a 'full price' hidden away in some dark corner, please, OMG please!"
Unfortunately, no. If you're not eligible to upgrade, you can't even buy this phone. At least that's the official word at the moment. For the good of us all, let's hope that changes.
What you see is what you get. Apple uses what is called "price locking" meaning the price you see is the price you get, absolutely no hidden fees. There is no without contract price, Apple and at&t are in an exclusivity contract so no chance of wiggling out of that.
Someone mentioned in a different comment that worst case "full price" is just the purchase price plus the ETF ($175) because you can always sign the contract and then just pay the penalty to cancel it immediately after you leave the store. Complicated, but fully legal and not preventable by Apple or AT&T at all. Kinda expensive tho.
-Taylor
Translation: Up yours, customers.
So the technical "full price" "without contract" is 375 for the 8GB and 475 for the 16 eh...