@Noah K you can do that now--Verizon lets you buy a phone with a contract....
The problem is that they don't lower the usage rates and charge you the same price that users that pay for subsidized phones pay. That defeats the purpose of buying an unsubsidized phone...
I'm just glad you're willing to state in a public blog how the HTC Touch Pro2 is almost twice as valuable when compared to the iPhone. It should only take a few more years before all of the Jobs rump kissers figure it out.
@Rick James EXACTLY. (re: rates being the same whether pay for the phone outright or not) And this complete negates the, "Oh, we're just trying to make back our money on the subsidized phone!" garbage that the phone companies are pushing. If I bring my own phone to the table, using their logic, I should be paying something like $20 total per month for voice/text/data.
Of course, again, the phone companies know this. Just like the movie industry with DVDs, they feel entitled to continue screwing over their customers because they enjoy an oligopolistic position in the market.
If the carriers are supposedly only recouping costs of the phone by including the price in the contract, then the carriers really shouldn't have a problem selling the phone at full price and then charging less for the service.
Except they do have a problem, as they are making more than enough to cover the phone's cost. Do you really think a 3GS should 'cost' $700, when the iPod Touch 32GB is $300, and pretty much the only difference is a camera, cell radio, and plastic back?
You can get a 3GS from AT&T with the $30 data plan and the cheapest voice (450 min) and messaging (200) plan for ~$75/month, which equates to $1800 over 2 years, not including taxes or whatever other fees.
If you buy a 3GS for $700 unsubsidized, I think you should then be able to pay AT&T $1100 over 2 years, or only about $46 a month, as they aren't subsidizing anything.
I think many people would gladly pay the full price for a phone and have a much cheaper non-contract plan to go with it, somewhat like what T-Mobile is doing with it's Even More Plus.
I'm probably a feeding the troll here, but the "value" of those phones is just a stupid figure made up by AT&T. Do you seriously think a phone should cost more than a MacBook?
T-Mobile's new plans let you do that. You pay less for the plan , there is no contract, but you have to either pay the full price of the phone all at once, or they can break it into 24 payments.
You might be right that a phone doesn't cost that much to make but what you fail to realize is that at&t doesn't make the phone, apple does and apple will charge at&t whatever they can get for it.
Surely you don't think apple should sell it's products just to make even?
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Here's an idea, stop subsidizing phones and charge full price. People will stop bitching about the ETF pretty quickly.
@nukee I would love to pay Full Price for a phone and not be tied to a Contract. Please. Please. Please let this happen!
@Noah K you can do that now--Verizon lets you buy a phone with a contract....
The problem is that they don't lower the usage rates and charge you the same price that users that pay for subsidized phones pay. That defeats the purpose of buying an unsubsidized phone...
@nukee
I fully agree.
But, then the people would complain about a $700 iphone
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=1574#tab4
or a $1328 HTC Touch Pro2
http://www.htc.com/www/press.aspx?id=92374&lang=1033
Can never please everyone, even when trying to help.
@Rick James meant to say without a contract--sorry!
@skotm
I'm just glad you're willing to state in a public blog how the HTC Touch Pro2 is almost twice as valuable when compared to the iPhone. It should only take a few more years before all of the Jobs rump kissers figure it out.
@Rick James EXACTLY. (re: rates being the same whether pay for the phone outright or not) And this complete negates the, "Oh, we're just trying to make back our money on the subsidized phone!" garbage that the phone companies are pushing. If I bring my own phone to the table, using their logic, I should be paying something like $20 total per month for voice/text/data.
Of course, again, the phone companies know this. Just like the movie industry with DVDs, they feel entitled to continue screwing over their customers because they enjoy an oligopolistic position in the market.
@skotm
If the carriers are supposedly only recouping costs of the phone by including the price in the contract, then the carriers really shouldn't have a problem selling the phone at full price and then charging less for the service.
Except they do have a problem, as they are making more than enough to cover the phone's cost. Do you really think a 3GS should 'cost' $700, when the iPod Touch 32GB is $300, and pretty much the only difference is a camera, cell radio, and plastic back?
You can get a 3GS from AT&T with the $30 data plan and the cheapest voice (450 min) and messaging (200) plan for ~$75/month, which equates to $1800 over 2 years, not including taxes or whatever other fees.
If you buy a 3GS for $700 unsubsidized, I think you should then be able to pay AT&T $1100 over 2 years, or only about $46 a month, as they aren't subsidizing anything.
I think many people would gladly pay the full price for a phone and have a much cheaper non-contract plan to go with it, somewhat like what T-Mobile is doing with it's Even More Plus.
@DaveBach
I'm probably a feeding the troll here, but the "value" of those phones is just a stupid figure made up by AT&T. Do you seriously think a phone should cost more than a MacBook?
@Noah K
T-Mobile's new plans let you do that. You pay less for the plan , there is no contract, but you have to either pay the full price of the phone all at once, or they can break it into 24 payments.
@skotm
Overpriced considering the cost of components for iphone is only $180
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/107263/consumer-electronics-teardowns.html
@ThreeDee912
You might be right that a phone doesn't cost that much to make but what you fail to realize is that at&t doesn't make the phone, apple does and apple will charge at&t whatever they can get for it.
Surely you don't think apple should sell it's products just to make even?