iPhone 3G finally available contract-free
By Paul Miller 
posted March 27th 2009 10:31AM
posted March 27th 2009 10:31AM
At long last folks with a contract phobia or just a general penchant for lawlessness can pay exorbitant amounts of money to get an iPhone 3G contract-free. As promised, 8GB models for $599 and 16GB ones for $699 are now available from AT&T and Apple stores, with AT&T requiring buyers to be existing AT&T customers, limited at one per, while Apple stores will sell the handsets to anyone wandering in off the street -- rebellious demeanor preferred.[Via Boy Genius Report]
who in their right mind would pay $700 for a phone...?
Don't underestimate the number of people who's "right mind" make you go wtf?
You might as well buy a refurb iPhone because chances are in a months time you will have to exchange the shotty thing and end up with a refurb again..
So basically you are paying $700 for a refurb. In the beginning Apple did not have any refurbs so you would get a NEW replacement... but now...
Sux about the refurbs but that is how every manufacturer works with warranty replacements.
I cant wait until someone swaps sim cards without activating a DATA PLAN!
Nice little iBill they will be getting in the mail.
________________--
But lets take a look
Mr.Joe- $99 Refurb + $174 + 1 month service
Mr. Blow - $600 +Tax
Joe-refurb iPhone exchange for a refurb net loss = $0
Blow- new iPhone exchange for a refurb net loss = ~$300
Joe and Blow end up with the same refurbs...
It's always amusing to see Americans shocked at prices like these for phones when they are the norm Europe and not even that excessive for what they are.
Asians and Europeans.
@joeybeast: I beg your pardon?
@Dyranios
True that. I always hear Americans say how everything they have is expensive, but I was there about a month ago for the first time in my life and I was amazed at how cheap everything there is! (and we're talking brands like Cavalli, Versace, Armani etc.)
In Asia and Europe, the phones are this expensive. But, monthly fees are generally lower. Conclusion: You will end up paying for your phone, one way or another.
OMG, OMG, OMG! Oh, this is great news. Now I can get an iPhone for everyone in my family of six. Not me, since I'm holding out for the next version iPhone 3.0 that is supposed to advance the mobile handset industry by about five years into the future.
I'd better get to the store soon to beat the rush of all the international tourists who are going to "pack" the Apple Stores just to get their hands on one or two at bargain prices. Those 100,000 iPhones in weekly inventory won't last long.
"Hey hon', I'm on my way out the door, now!"
This outdated (specs and UI looks wise), sluggish, still crippled, and still missing dozens of features even after the 3.0 software update phone is not worth even half the price they are asking for.
@iphonerulez
Why would international tourist be buying At&t locked phones? Tourists aren't as dump as americans :)
Wouldn't it be cheaper to get one on contract, then break the contract?
$199+$275=$474
No, they'll back charge you the difference plus the breaking contract fee if you do it immediately. I happened to wait about a year into the contract, they may just charge you the contract fee.. I ask the same question at the store concerning other higher priced phones such as the ATT Fuze.
You have to pay at least a month so they don't ask for the phone back.
This method is more hassle than it's worth. I agree that you may get charged the difference because of this new pricing making the final cost more than the $599 ( $199+70+274+400= 943). Keep in mind that the $400 is what you pay throughout contract.
OK...so, you go to the Grand Canyon, the day after getting an iPhone. You go on a helicopter ride and, whoops, the phone drops out of your pocket and into the canyon. You call up AT&T with your sob story about the phone slipping out, yap yap yap....crocodile tears, and you cancel the plan right there.
Phone $199, activation $36, first month non-refundable service $70 and contract break $275
Total= $580
Forget it, not even worth it. Never mind...move along.
The Russians.
Exactly. That's what it costs unlocked in Russia. :(
Russians buy the Nokia 5800, not iPhone. ;-)
(Engadget wrote about it around December) One reason could be that the iPhone costs 50% more.
And the 5800 does about 50% of the iPhone..
@ Renegade Fanboy:
Yeah, and here in Mexico it will cost the equivalent of $1000 usd. D:
This sucks. I'm getting a chinese fake for $100.
@Patriks7:
So according to you:
2 * (Copy Paste + Bluetooth File Transfer + Multitasking + Video recording + MMS) = 0
Are you trying to say that the iPhone has "Multitasking + Video recording"? Haha, pretty funny, as it doesn't.
HAHA...
I just bought 3 1st gen iPhones refurbs for $149 each...
and I still feel I spent too much...
$600...
where did u buy the refurb 1st gens
Too much inventory and a new iPhone coming out....hmmmm
You don't have a clue as to how many iPhones there are in inventory. There might be only ten per store when it comes right down to it. I'm sure any foreign tourist could walk in and grab a half-dozen iPhones and there'd be nothing left for the rest of the tourists lining up around the block.
"iPhone 3G finally available contract-free"...in the US. Many of us have had this for a while.
yeah...what's your point? this is a US site
@Josh - So why was there an article about some silly Enlgish guy driving his car into a fence on a cliff in the UK whilst following his satnav?
Just because Engadget is based in New York doesn't mean it is a USA only site. They have to based somewhere. And you don't see "Engadget USA" you just see "Engadget" ...
Just as you don't see "Engadget PRC" "Engadget Taiwan" "Engadget Japan" but rather "Engadget Simplified Chinese" "Engadget Traditional Chinese" and "Engadget Japanese."
Watch your assumptions mate.
Don't be delusional...it's clearly a US site, that's why you don't see words like colour or favourite, also 99% of the prices listed are in USD and are converted if not - the majority of the news is US based, and references to other major tech areas (such as Korea) mostly indicate whether or not the item is coming stateside.
They mentioned the GPS accident because the guy was a freaking moron and said right in the article it was a meme - didn't matter where it was from, they would have listed it
Engadget Japanese is clearly for Japan, as it's the only country in the world that uses Japanese as the official language, also the stories are either different or at the very least, more selected - you'll actually notice this particular article isn't posted there
@Josh and CreepinJesus
What Josh said and that all the Engadget contests are for US citizens only.
I would have to agree with Josh. Even though they occasionally look outside their borders they are a US parent company and have a strong US bias.
Occasionally? Pah! Way to brand yourselves firmly with the stereotype of the ignorant American, guys.
1) So the company is US registered...do you really want me to list every single US-registered company which serves an international market?
2) Content written in the US/spellings - see above.
3) Prices are in USD because everyone can easily figure out what it is in their local currency.
4) Contests are only open to US citizens because US law doesn't allow non US-citizens to enter.
Seriously, take a look at just how much content on here is either country-neutral or non-US-focused - it's an enormous amount.
It only took an economic recession. Wait, if you're an existing AT&T (devil) customer don't you already have a contract?
Nah, you go month-to-month once you're sentence is up.
But it's still locked to AT&T right? If so its a bit much for a locked phone, even without contract.
yes it is still locked to ATT and for all we know you have to activate when you buy still. which means those foreign tourists are out of luck cause they won't have the required SSN.
also, I've only seen one quoted source for this which was another blog. haven't heard of anyone actually going into an Apple store and walking out with phones. and the website says nothing about this option. i even tried the whole buying process and it only gave me the $199/299 prices. nothing about no contract.
Unlock???
America = Land of the free.......unless you buy a phone.
We've had pay-as-you-go iPhones for ages anyone would think Apple were based in Europe =)
If not, to much for a locked phone!!!
Hey, this is really just a boost to AT&T...they are the ones that have been subsidizing the phones, Apple has always received this amount for each phone sold (some from customer and some from AT&T).
If AT&T can kill off the subsidy they are making out like bandits. EVERY phone works like this...you don't honestly think Nokia gives away all their phones ("free with contract").
This is a push by the teleco's to improve their bottom line and get people used to paying for phones themselves so they get more of the profit as competition increases.
Yes but $700 is a lot of .... Cheddar...
If you say 700$ is a lot, go take a look at phones in the same category as the iPhone. Like Touch HD, Touch Pro, Diamond, Omnia, X1 etc. They all cost the same and more. My Touch HD cost about 800$ when I got it.
woweee thats alot of money!
Well this gives me a nice reference when next time someone tries to give me the (for example) 400$ unlocked Nokia vs. 200$ iPhone speech...
This is just Apple getting rid of the old model before releasing the new one. Temporary thing.
You read my mind!