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iPhone news roundup: subsidies, Flash, Canada, and beatings
Psst... you hear that there's a new iPhone coming out next month? Yeah, us too. Here are a few iPhone stories we've been tracking from the past handful of days: An analyst for Oppenheimer claims that AT&T is going to be shelling out $325 for each and every iPhone 3G it sells, compared to an average of $200 for other devices on the carrier's shelves. What's more, devices sold in Apple stores (as opposed to AT&T stores) will cost AT&T another $100 for some reason, bringing the grand total to $425 -- not including the $199 or $299 the customer is paying for the 8GB and 16GB models, respectively. Where Oppenheimer is getting its figures isn't exactly clear, but we suppose it's believable -- and as the analyst suggests, the higher subsidy reflects AT&T's confidence that they'll be able to recoup the loss with a higher ARPU. The on-again, off-again saga of Adobe Flash on the iPhone continues, with the company's CEO trumpeting during its Q2 earnings call that it now has a version working in the SDK's emulator. That's all well and good, but there's still no sign that Apple wants Flash on the iPhone, and since Cupertino's still the ultimate gatekeeper here, Adobe's efforts could still all be for naught. Canada's Rogers has finally decided to stop playing coy and has replaced the silhouette of the mystery device launching on July 11 on its site with the real deal. You weren't fooling anyone anyhow, guys. A Columbus, Ohio bus rider was unceremoniously beaten this week in an attempt to nab his iPhone as other riders calmly looked on, showing no emotion whatsoever -- a sad state of affairs, to say the least. Fortunately, the victim was able to hang on to the goods but suffered some injuries in the scuffle. If it had been an iPhone 3G, we'd have to summon every ounce of willpower not to have a go at swiping it ourselves, but an iPhone 1? Seriously, come on. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - $325 subsidy [via Mac Rumors]Read - Flash working in iPhone emulationRead - iPhone on RogersRead - Bus rider beaten for his iPhone
Pre-WWDC iPhone rumor roundup: AT&T out of stock, subsidized pricing, last minute size changes
As we inch towards the towering precipice of WWDC 2008, rumors swirling around Apple's next iteration of the iPhone are being deposited onto the interblogs at an alarming rate. The latest set comes in three distinct flavors, the first of which recalls an earlier story that telcos would be offering subsidies for long-term contract signers. According to separate sources, Spain's Telefonica and the UK's O2 would offer the 3G iPhone at discounted rates (as low as €100) for those willing to put pen to paper, while some are claiming that O2 might also offer a "free" upgrade to the new phone for existing users. In other pot-stirring news, iDealsChina is reporting that the phone will suddenly be 2.0mm shorter and 0.5mm thinner than previously spec'd by Griffin in its new casing molds, thus causing all kinds of trouble for the accessory-maker... and people with big hands. Finally, we can safely report that AT&T has run out of stock of the device online (finally joining Apple). The site claims it's a "temporary" situation -- one which we suspect will be rectified by the appearance of a new model. Time to get in that line?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Telefonica to be sole distributor of 3G iPhone in Spain for 100 euroRead - Rumour: O2 plans free iPhone 3G upgrade and pay-as-you-goRead - iPhone 3G last minute size change!Read - AT&T iPhone page
Orange to trade up iPhones?
According to Boy Genius Report, French iPhone carrier Orange may be offering current iPhone users a 3G iPhone for €30 €50 (thanks to kol and jaxx for pointing out my typo!) if they trade in their old iPhone, as well as "generous subsidies" for users who wish to upgrade and keep their current handset. The news comes from reader tips to French tech site PCInpact, though Orange apparently has no official statement yet.We can just add this to the number of other 3G iPhone rumors that have been swirling as of late.[via CrunchGear]
3G iPhone to be discounted to $199 by AT&T?
According to Fortune, AT&T will subsidize the cost of the new, 3G iPhone by as much as $200, bringing the price within the $199 range. Apparently, a "person familiar with the strategy" claims that the provider will create this bargain bonanza for customers signing new, two-year contracts. Of course, the author of the story also says that the new phones will be available in "8-gigabit-memory and... 16-gigabit-memory" versions (for $399 and $499, respectively), so take that as you like. In addition to these discounts, the source says the new iPhone will be 2.5mm thinner than the previous iteration, although we understand that right after telling Fortune this information, the "person" burst into a cloud of rainbow-colored sparkles and went flying off into the night sky.[Thanks, Penny]
Japanese carriers losing out on handset subsidies
In the fierce world of wireless competition, companies fight tooth-and-nail for customers in a desperate attempt to raise ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). Customers are naturally looking for the best deal, and with multiple carriers selling the same or similar handsets, the consumer's decision carries a lot of weight. The same problem that exists here in the States is even more prevalent in Japan where the country's largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, attempts to pack cell phones with such features as bar code scanners, TV receivers and gaming devices. All those goodies cause manufacturing costs to soar in excess of $600, requiring the carrier to discount the handset heavily to prevent customers from getting spooked at the store. Sounds like a steal, right? Not so much. All these subsidies end up costing the companies around $16 billion a year which in turn leads to higher plan prices to recoup the blown revenue from the devices. All in all, it's a vicious circle -- but hey, at least it's a technology-laden one.[Via textually.org]
