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Will early 3Gs adopters be eligible...?

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Sep 10, 2007
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Will early 3Gs adopters be eligible for and upgrade when the 4th gen comes out? I bought mine at launch and let's say the new one comes out in June. Will I have to pay full price (at least your thoughts on if I will) because I know how ATT (well, any cell provider) is picky about upgrade eligibility but if I am loyal and purchase every new revision I feel I should be rewarded... *sigh*

What do you think?
 
wdaleherring said:
Will early 3Gs adopters be eligible for and upgrade when the 4th gen comes out? I bought mine at launch and let's say the new one comes out in June. Will I have to pay full price (at least your thoughts on if I will) because I know how ATT (well, any cell provider) is picky about upgrade eligibility but if I am loyal and purchase every new revision I feel I should be rewarded... *sigh*

What do you think?
Click to expand...

You're not entitled to a full subsidy. I think AT&T will give at least a partial subsidy - they may give a full subsidy in exchange for a new 2 year contract. They've done that so far. Especially if they lose their exclusivity.
 
I would imagine they follow very much the same process they did during the 3GS with regard to 3G customers.

As a 3G customer myself, I won't feel one bit of sympathy if they do hold users to their two year contracts; after all, you signed a contract.

The debate about whether AT&T should discount or entirely remove the ETF for iPhone users upgrading to the new model was had many of times last spring with little resolution. There are logical arguments on both sides as to why they should or shouldn't; but, the most logical to me is you signed a two-year contract. If Apple started abandoning their contracts – all hell would break lose.

The debate about your question proper will continue up until a certain keynote.
 
WHo knows. I'll be eligible for a partial upgrade in February of this year, meaning I'll probably get it for $399/$499, but that could change. Last year, the uproar was so great that AT&T eventually gave into people who bought the 3G in July/August, so maybe they'll do the same this year. You wonder how much money AT&T is willing to lose. Perhaps they'll do it again to get exclusivity extended.
 
Like said above. Probably the same as last year.
Not a full discount but an early upgrade price for a little
more. This way they keep their iPhone customers on continuous contract renewals.
 
AHDuke99 said:
WHo knows. I'll be eligible for a partial upgrade in February of this year, meaning I'll probably get it for $399/$499, but that could change. Last year, the uproar was so great that AT&T eventually gave into people who bought the 3G in July/August, so maybe they'll do the same this year. You wonder how much money AT&T is willing to lose. Perhaps they'll do it again to get exclusivity extended.
Click to expand...

Holy crap... the other Wake Forest user on the board...
 
With all the backlash ATT has suffered in the last year I sincerely hope they do give discounts :mad: . I could see a lot of people just waiting out the contract and leaving them for someone else considering the absolute abysmal service they distribute. Adding to the fact they rank dead last in just about every category for service and the bashing from verizon . I know the iphone is the iphone but how long before the bending over stops for people just for a piece of technology
 
You know, I hate to come off sounding like a dick, but this is the way things have worked for quite a long time. Unless you buy a phone unsubsidized, you aren't going to get a discount.

However, that being said, in the long run the old business model of subsidies and 2 year contracts simply CAN NOT WORK.

Smartphones (or superphones, if you ask Google) are evolving at a rate akin to computers in the 90's. Phones are obsolete within 6 months, not 2 years, and while not everyone lives on the bleeding edge, judging by these forums you'd have to think a huge chunk of iPhone users (and probably smartphone users in general) are probably going to want to upgrade more often than every 2 years.

So, the only real options are for the carriers to do away with subsidies and sell the phones at a flat rate, but I don't see that happening soon.
 
At some point, I think it really should just go to us paying full prices for phones and having more reasonable service terms (leave at any time) and lower prices.
 
It will be based on the user's upgrade eligibility. For instance I'm upgrade eligible 8 months after an upgrade. The joys of paying more per month and having a corporate FAN # attached to my account...
 
It was a mess last year. I still don't know how it worked. I'm on a family plan, bought a 3G the day it came out, and I still have to wait until March 12, 2010 to get my upgrade. I wasn't offered anything in regards to upgrading to the 3GS. On the plus side, I'm glad I wasn't because it wasn't worth it anyways.
 
Return of 1 year contracts with smaller subsidies. At least for current customers upgrading.
 
You'll be eligible 18 months after signing for full subsidy. Family plans and FAN accounts of $200+ will be eligible in 12 months. There will be a reduced price otherwise between unlocked and fully subsidized.
 
I dont know how I was allowed an early upgrade from 3g to 3gs. My monthly ATT bill was only $45 (no data plan).
 
AHDuke99 said:
Is there just 2 of us? We're an exclusive club.
Click to expand...
I'd assume more, but you are the only one I know about?

Maverick1337 said:
I still have to wait until March 12, 2010...
Click to expand...
Hey, that's my birthday. Now this thread is just getting odd.

ntrigue said:
You'll be eligible 18 months after signing for full subsidy. Family plans and FAN accounts of $200+ will be eligible in 12 months. There will be a reduced price otherwise between unlocked and fully subsidized.
Click to expand...
That would be nice.
 
I don't we wait!

and see what in store for us. (in other words nobody knows) :rolleyes: I am do in Nov 2010 so I am planing to wait till then. I already planing my Nov thread!

Should I buy 4G now or Wait for 5G! :p

or maybe like others I should just go a head and post it today!
 
Well I think:

1) they will give in ad give everyone the upgrade (YAY) due to the economy and they will loose oodles of cash if they don't .

2) or they will just give a parshall discount.

3) or it will get to the point where every one leaves and gets a droid not that I would but I bet a lot of peolpe would.

4)the world will blow up frome all the upgrades at the saime time
 
Dr Kevorkian94 said:
Well I think:

1) they will give in ad give everyone the upgrade (YAY) due to the economy and they will loose oodles of cash if they don't .

2) or they will just give a parshall discount.

3) or it will get to the point where every one leaves and gets a droid not that I would but I bet a lot of peolpe would.

4)the world will blow up frome all the upgrades at the saime time
Click to expand...

lose
partial

i'll assume the rest were typos.

In particular, "loose" drives me nuts.
 
thegoldenmackid said:
I would imagine they follow very much the same process they did during the 3GS with regard to 3G customers.

As a 3G customer myself, I won't feel one bit of sympathy if they do hold users to their two year contracts; after all, you signed a contract.

The debate about whether AT&T should discount or entirely remove the ETF for iPhone users upgrading to the new model was had many of times last spring with little resolution. There are logical arguments on both sides as to why they should or shouldn't; but, the most logical to me is you signed a two-year contract. If Apple started abandoning their contracts – all hell would break lose.

The debate about your question proper will continue up until a certain keynote.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But I'm sure there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth when some 3Gs users can't get the fully subsidized prices.
 
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