What's the Big deal about the Price?

[windeyes6]

I do not mind paying $500 or $600 for the iphone itself if it is not subsided. However, I do mind getting into 2 yrs contract with ATT even though I am currently not under any contract. 2 yrs of voice plan + data plan, on top of $500...It is the contract that is not worth it...

I would not mind if ATT have the same minutes offer as T-mobile does. I think I'm will stick with T-mobile ($39.99 -1000 anytime minutes+Free nights & Weekend, old plan though). ATT current plan for individual is $39.99 - 450 Minutes + Includes 5000 Nights & Weekend minutes...I can't pull the trigger with all the unattractive commitment behind it.

I want the iPhone badly, but just can't say Yes to the contract!

 

[jsonmaui]

I completely agree with Gary.

Sony Smart Phones always start at $1000 plus when introduced. I see alot of "starving students" that don't think twice about plunking down hundreds for recreational drugs, booze, clothes and concerts. If the iPhone was priced at $50 it would be CRAP.

Oh, and ALL the carriers are terrible so how is that a relevant consideration?

 

[CHROMEDOME]

Yes, it's practically the same device. Except web looks like this on it:

I'm sure that's super-easy to navigate with just one finger. Oh, wait, that's right, you have to use a stylus to click those 4-pixel links.



I'm interested to know where you got the information that iPhone is subsidized by AT&T? A link to some sort of source would be nice.

Yea, and the 750 costs half the price and has 3g.

 

[yg17]

Oh, and ALL the carriers are terrible so how is that a relevant consideration?

It is relevant because some of us are quite happy with our carriers, do not think they are terrible, and aren't about to switch over the damn iPhone. I do not have a single complaint about T-Mobile. The coverage is excellent, the plans and prices are excellent, their customer service is excellent. I've never dropped a single call. I can't say the same for Cingular. I left them the day my contract expired, they were that bad.

Maybe the carrier thing is a moot point for you based on your experience, but it's a big deal for me and everyone else who is a happy customer of a company besides AT&T.

 

[crazydrumma]

As for me, I think the big deal in price is just that I am a college student, and can't really afford jack. I'm saving up for the 20 inch display for my video editing, and that's going to cost me 500 if it's a refurb, so I really can't justify dropping $500 on the iphone. That's my two cents worth.

 

[chicagdan]

I love how everyone argues about EVERYTHING!

There's arguing on an Internet bulletin board? I'm shocked ... SHOCKED!!!

Dude, I think you're looking for the Teletubbies everyone agrees about everything and loves one another bulletin board. Get some more tubby custard while you're there.

 

[aricher]

Dude, I think you're looking for the Teletubbies everyone agrees about everything and loves one another bulletin board.

Can't we all just get along?

Multi-tocuh THIS, mofo!

 

[Nym]

Imo the price is not that bad, I mean, I won't be buying it for sure but I don't think that the iPhone is that expensive for what you get.
It's funny watching everyone talking about 3G like it's "THE BEST THING EVER" when I live in a country (Portugal) that has 3G heavily implemented and almost everyone owns a 3G phone already.
Do you know how many times I've seen people video calling and/or browsing the web with it? NONE! Not a single time in the last 4/5 years I've seen a stranger, friend, business man take out his 3G smartphone and actually do something out of the ordinary with it.

However, I see everyone with mp3 players.. and that's what the iPhone is offering that's different from the competitors, a good phone/mp3 player.

This Phone offers a new touch screen interface, beautifully designed BTW! It has the best MP3 player UI I've ever seen, it plays video, it has 4 or 8GB base (you don't need to buy extra SD cards, which sucks, it's like the PSP, sold with a 32 MB card, WTF?) and, being an Apple product, it can give you the guarantee of perfect sync with your Mac or PC!
It has all that technology embedded, widgets, google maps, wtf? what more do you want? a typewriter attached?
And how many times must we say this?? The iPhone WILL have 3rd party apps! The only difference is that these apps will be controlled by Apple to make sure that they don't f*ck up your experience as a customer or ruin the product.

It lacks 3G, but seriously, I couldn't give a rat's @ss for video calling or web-browsing except when I'm at home where I have my iMac sharing WI-Fi anyway.

I work in web design and sometimes it's my job to update mobile phone websites to the newest products, I see phones which are a mess in terms of UI and overall much worse than the iPhone being sold for 700€/800€/900€ and I think "How can people say that the iPhone is expensive??"

Apple is and will always be a premium product company, they're not forcing you to buy it, although I can put money on the table that all of you who are constantly complaining about a (yet) unreleased product will all own it in 2/3 years, just like the iPod. At first everyone was complaining and calling it a flop and right now... look at the mp3 market numbers and to the previous nay-sayers opinion, that's a 180° turn...

my 2 cents.

PS - I won't buy the iPhone until an iPhone Nano comes out, it's way too big for my usage.