http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/ Engadget Comments for AT&T confirms contract-free $599 / $699 iPhone 3Gs for next week http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
The second issue with the AT&T 2 year agreement is that you have to pay much more for the "iPhone data plan" than for the typical unlimited smartphone data plan. It is the EXACT same service, only more expensive. This is obviously offensive. ]]>Mar 19th 2009 9:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 10:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 20th 2009 10:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 7:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 7:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
If you google "iPhone + early termination" you will see a few threads on this, both with regards to AT&T but also European iPhone exclusive carriers. ]]>Mar 19th 2009 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
AT&T's ETF is now set at $200. Most companies have it set at that now. That being said, AT&T has a prorated ETF - so if you wait a couple of months you could save a whopping $10. It does make a hell of a lot more sense at first, to buy the phone for $199, cancel, and end up only paying about $399... unfortunately, it's not as simple as that. You will owe them at least $36 for the activation fee, and another $60+ for the first month of service. Also, if you're one of the unlucky ones that waits a week after the first month to cancel - you'll be stuck with an unfairly prorated bill for the next month.

Though an extra $75-100 in my pocket is enough for me to do such a thing.]]>Mar 19th 2009 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 9:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 10:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 20th 2009 1:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 20th 2009 4:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 20th 2009 1:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/Mar 19th 2009 10:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
So, if you get an iPhone at $199 or $299, and add $30/month for unlimited data for 2 years (your contract term), you end up paying more than for e.g. the Nokia E71 (unlocked version), N95, etc. (The difference in price on the data plan alone will be $360 or $480, depending on whether you also have unlimited messaging with your unlocked phone).

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wtf - so why would ANYONE buy it if you need to switch to an iPhone plan anyways? the point of an unlocked one is that I will pay the extra to stick with my original (ATT) $19.95 smartphone plan, which gives me unlimited web + 1500 texts for that low price, not $20/month extra for same damn thing now called "i-Phone plan".

early adopters have better internet plan rates cos the companies hadn't learned how to unbundle stuff (MMS, SMS packages for extra $) and wanted to attract early users. I buy unlocked phones so I could continue with good value contract.

Phone companies are evil. I mean really, they are just a bunch of crooks. If one of them broke ranks and gave fair value, we'd all switch.
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In either case, that is now split up.. "data unlimited" is $15 and 200 messages is $5. Or you can get unlimited messages + data for $30 (it would otherwise be $35).

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Thats wrong...you didn't have to sign a contract because they were activated at home. You could walk into the AT&T store and say you wanted an iPhone...they wouldn't ask you any questions...they'd ring you up..and you could take it home]]>Mar 20th 2009 6:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/do i need to have an att line?
does someone know if i can activate a pay as you go line, and then get the iphone for $599.

thanks a lot!]]>Mar 20th 2009 3:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
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Ive heard i need to 'break' the phone to use it with tmobile, but you don't get all the features of iphone. would love some real advice on this one.

thanks]]>Mar 22nd 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/atandt-confirms-contract-free-599-699-iphone-3gs-for-next-week/
You are better off getting the original iPhone (sans 3G) instead of the "iPhone 3G". That's because the 3G bands are incompatible with those used by T-Mobile USA (the iPhone supports 850 and 1900 MHz for AT&T, 2100 MHz for the rest of the world, while T-Mobile USA uses 1700 MHz).

The original iPhone is probably cheaper, slimmer, and can easily be jailbroken.

One fine point that most people here seem to miss: "Contract free" does not mean "unlocked". The fact that AT&T will not require you to sign a new 2-year contract does not mean that the phone you get will be unlocked for use on other networks.
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Sure there may be ways around that (Apple could design a slightly different product for Verizon/Sprint using CDMA technology, for instance), but that depends on the contract language.

You are right about the iPhone appeal though: iPhone is the new RAZR.

Low on capabilities, high on looks and hype.
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