I don't know if this was already mentioned in another post but on the Macbreak Weekly podcast which came out yesterday, one of the hosts(I'm not sure which one) stated that they had inside info. that the cost of the Iphone would be $999 if purchased without a contract. I have no idea if this is true or not but that's what they said.
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$999 Without Contract?
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$999! No way, why would they announce the price asa $500-600 and then change it like that. I know Apple likes to make money but I dont think they're that greedy. We already know it costs them $250 in parts just to make the phone.
parts does not equal total cost.
and i doubt this is true. just out of no where and way off base.
Scott Bourne (who stated this) doesn't usually go for unconfirmed rumors. He was told this by an AT&T rep, though he couldn't disclose his source. I'd be very surprised if it wasn't spot-on.
And how do we know this?
And how do we know this?
We do?
Wow. Where did that come from? That's about the same cost as it apparently costs to make an aTV (according to a recent frontpage MR article). I highly doubt it, given the processor, screen, wifi, flsh memory, embedded cell phone, etc... Even the cheapo phones probably cost $50+ to make, with the manufacturers charging ~$100ish, and the cell providers then subsidizing the equipment cost, giving the perception that phones grow on trees, and are free for the picking.
Never mind the R&D costs that will need to be recouped...
That said, I could be wrong, but I certainly haven't seen anyone dissect the costs, especially since no one in their right mind who has one right now would tear it apart and see which exact components are in it.
$999 without contractBS
AT&T stores, even franchise stores, are still fairly feudal in nature. Managers are willing to go off script. As in the case that many AT&T store managers were compiling secret waiting lists, which became public and SJ fired of some email/memo stating that is a no-no. AT&T is not Apple, and AT&T stores are not ran like Apple retail. Walk into an AT&T corporate store and you'll get what I am saying. Obnoxious reps who are paid on commission so they are always trying to upsell you their crap. There will probably be unscrupulous store managers who try and take advantage of the iPhone, but not too many.
Store managers, at this point don't know JACK *****. Trust me. Apple doesn't even trust their own retail stores with information. I know. Apple corporate hasn't told AT&T corporate store managers anything we don't already know. As soon as they do, it will be leaked, so I'd imagine the details will come out when Apple is good an ready (presumably they will want to control the message, so I can imagine some small party of the WWDC keynote recapping the iPhone and explaining a few things before they move onto Leopard).
AT&T stores, even franchise stores, are still fairly feudal in nature. Managers are willing to go off script. As in the case that many AT&T store managers were compiling secret waiting lists, which became public and SJ fired of some email/memo stating that is a no-no. AT&T is not Apple, and AT&T stores are not ran like Apple retail. Walk into an AT&T corporate store and you'll get what I am saying. Obnoxious reps who are paid on commission so they are always trying to upsell you their crap. There will probably be unscrupulous store managers who try and take advantage of the iPhone, but not too many.
Store managers, at this point don't know JACK *****. Trust me. Apple doesn't even trust their own retail stores with information. I know. Apple corporate hasn't told AT&T corporate store managers anything we don't already know. As soon as they do, it will be leaked, so I'd imagine the details will come out when Apple is good an ready (presumably they will want to control the message, so I can imagine some small party of the WWDC keynote recapping the iPhone and explaining a few things before they move onto Leopard).
If it's true, there's a simple workaround that's a lot cheaper ... convert to a Family Plan (if you don't have one already) and add an extra line. Total cost for the extra line over 24 months is $240. Take the sim card out and put it in your main phone ... keep the other one handy for an emergency. AT&T treats new lines like a new contract ... you will have to extend your contract to a new two-year deal for all lines when you do this.
i was hoping it is going to be $499/$599 - a 2 yr discount ,
so the 499/599 price is a retail price before a contract savings
is this at any means plausable? bc if it is i am going to wait and see , there is no way i will pay 499 for a cell phone, and i'll just buy a new one now..
so the 499/599 price is a retail price before a contract savings
is this at any means plausable? bc if it is i am going to wait and see , there is no way i will pay 499 for a cell phone, and i'll just buy a new one now..
Not plausible at all. You will pay at least $499 for an iPhone no matter the contract.
No offense, but you clicked on a thread that puts the price at $999 without a contract...
iPhone was announced with the "$499 and $599 with a two-year contract" price. What gave you the idea that it would be any cheaper? It's an expensive phone, sure, but now's a little late to be complaining about that.
I don't think it's true. Reports have already been published that say Apple will be making $100-200 profit per iPhone at the $499-599 prices. I can see them selling it for $799/899, but $999 is pushing it. Reason I say $799/899 is because usually when AT&T subsidizes the cost of a phone, they knock it down roughly $150-200. If you add that to the current price of the iPhone, you end up in the $800 range.
I wouldn't be surprised if the $999 pricing exists short term to dissuade current AT&T customers from buying. AT&T wants new customers and given the demand, they want the first phones to go to them. Once demand dies down in a few months, they lift the premium pricing and keep selling units without a genuine price cut.
I don't think the iPhone will be sold without a subscription for awhile. That would be the smart move by AT&T/!
Well, yes, but keep in mind that what we're talking about here isn't someone with no contract, it's someone with an existing AT&T contract that isn't upgrade eligible yet, meaning that you've had your current equipment for less than 60% of the contract life. So, yes of course, every phone should come with a contract. But if they sold me an iPhone, I'd still be on contract for another 18 months even without an extension because I had to sign a new two year in December when I upgraded my wife's phone ... and why not waive the equipment rule and let me extend for another 2 years right now? But, from what I'm hearing and reading, they aren't going to do that, AT&T is going to stick with their policies and if you don't have an upgrade eligible phone ... then maybe that $999 price comes into play or maybe you can't buy at all until you can upgrade. Either that or add a new line, they win either way.
Judging from news in the past... seems like the $500 and $600 pricetags are it. The iPhone is not supposed to be subsidized at all. Also, didn't Apple mention you could buy the iPhone at the online store? If that infact was true, why would they mention the iPhones price as they have and then you try to buy it from AT&T at a higher premium without the contract?
i just didnt want to start a whole new thread so i just threw in my question here. sorry for any confusion
You are drastically misunderstanding. Apple did not double the price of the iPhone, people are simply speculating that the price *could* double *if* you were able to buy one without a contract. They are not *changing* the price at all. It will still be $499 and $599 with a contract, regardless of whether or not you can buy one without a contract, for $999.
So you know this guy, he knows another guy who says...
Would that be two sources?
/I just got to be free
//I just got to be me.
Come on, this is BS. There's no way they would charge $999 for a TouchScreen iPod, with WiFi capabilities. If you take out the contract, you take out about 1/3 of the phone. 1/2 being the ipod, and the rest being the internet capabilities.
For $100 more you could get a 13" Core 2 Duo MacBook.
For $100 more you could get a 13" Core 2 Duo MacBook.
I don't think the iPhone will be sold without a subscription for awhile. That would be the smart move by AT&T/
That while would be equal 5 years. The iPhone is an AT&T exclusive for 5 years to come.
Well more information to add to the pile. I have an AT&T Unity plan through my business which includes my family's cell phones. I called my rep at AT&T to find out what process I would need to go through to get an iPhone. She told me that I needed to go to an AT&T store (physical store) and buy the phone. I could then simply put one of my existing sims into the phone and viola. She quoted the familiar $499/$599 prices but the wrong drive sizes.
Now I don't know if it is because the cs reps haven't been fully trained, or it is the plan set I am under, or if she really knew what she was talking about. There was no mention by her of a data plan (I currently don't have one, but I really didn't ask), but from what I gathered I didn't need to add a line. I could simply swap out my el-cheapo Nokia phone I've got for an iPhone within my current plan. Didn't make much sense to me. Guess I'll find out in a few weeks.
What I came away with was the impression that current AT&T customers (or at least some of them) can simply move over to an iPhone for the same price as customer who signs a new contract.
Now I don't know if it is because the cs reps haven't been fully trained, or it is the plan set I am under, or if she really knew what she was talking about. There was no mention by her of a data plan (I currently don't have one, but I really didn't ask), but from what I gathered I didn't need to add a line. I could simply swap out my el-cheapo Nokia phone I've got for an iPhone within my current plan. Didn't make much sense to me. Guess I'll find out in a few weeks.
What I came away with was the impression that current AT&T customers (or at least some of them) can simply move over to an iPhone for the same price as customer who signs a new contract.