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iPhone 3G's True Price Compared

gizmodo.com — Since Apple announced that they're lowering the price for iPhone 3G down to $199, people have been rumbling about how the increased AT&T data plan price negates any savings you get up front on the phone. Over two years, the iPhone 3G will cost $160 more over the original iPhone. This includes the unlimited data plan plus...

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  • AnarchicError, on 06/11/2008, -7/+50Tisk, tisk they could have paved the way for video conferencing / video calls
    • diskopo, on 06/11/2008, -0/+13I know, THAT would have been something worthy of a 3G plan.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -3/+10Not without a front side camera.
    • savethispatient, on 06/12/2008, -1/+8Video calls came out in Europe 5 years ago, when 3G was released... calls cost $1/minute and after the initial novelty value wore off nobody used it. So, don't hold your breath on that one.
      • eldridgea, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2I think in WiFi with iChat I'd use them.
    • Tenoq, on 06/12/2008, -0/+7Video calls are available in Aus too - no-one uses them. It's probably price-related here too, just like in Europe, so it _may_ be different in the US given the propensity for unlimited plans of all kinds over there.

      I wouldn't hold my breath though.
    • akhomerun, on 06/12/2008, -2/+11why the hell would anyone want to use a video phone? it's probably the most worthless technology i've ever heard of.

      seriously, you want to do videconfrencing on your iphone? you want to sit there with your arm outstretched holding your phone in front of your face just so someone at the other end can see you talk? while it drains your battery life no less...

      am i the only one that does other things while on the phone, also?
      • TimmyGUNZ, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3If I could digg you up more than once for this, believe me, I would. Video conferencing on a cell phone is retarded. If you really need to video conference, sit in front of your damn computer and turn on your webcam.

        The only thing video conferencing is good for is business meetings and cybersex. Besides, who the hell wants to watch you taking a crap while talking on your cell phone anyway?
      • isaactwito, on 06/12/2008, -1/+2Who would ever want to be able to talk to someone long-distance and have to pay long-term fees on contracts, when they could just as easily write them through the post?!

        To answer your question, sometimes people like advancements in technology. But you can stick with living in caves if you want, we won't impose the wheel on you too suddenly.
    • iansh, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3http://gizmodo.com/5015395/apple-introduces-iphone ...
      • MxM111, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1actually, I think, it is not THAT dumb as it seems. Apple could have made very small attachable periscope that gets image from the front of the phone to the camera on the back. After all, realistically, video conferencing will be really rare, like with relatives whom you did not see for long time, and for those times you could attach the kit.
      • btbtravis, on 06/12/2008, -0/+0I am with MxM11 I think video calls are only a few wears off in apples main plan!
    • btbtravis, on 06/12/2008, -0/+0Hell yes I would pay way more for that!!
  • pell, on 06/11/2008, -19/+107Is it Apple's fault for the higher prices or AT&T's?
    • matbot3i, on 06/11/2008, -1/+12I think you're being defensive--no one has said that. This is about the bottom-line. On the other hand, this really only effects those who want to "overwrite" their contract with AT&T so they can upgrade their iPhone, I think. Is it a fair price to pay? That's for each consumer to decide.
      • NathanCH, on 06/12/2008, -2/+8Yeah I don't get it either. Phone companies are bloody greedy so why is anyone surprised that a year later we will be paying more for things?
    • delirium, on 06/12/2008, -5/+55Yes. They choose AT&T.
      • robbh66, on 06/12/2008, -11/+4AT&T gave them the best deal. Are they supposed to turn that down?
        • yensed, on 06/12/2008, -1/+7..."They choose AT&T".
        • SSUK, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4Yes. They should offer the phone unlocked from carrier. It'd hike up the price, but at least those of us who never want to touch these carriers who've ripped us off in the past can buy their product.

          But in the end, they don't care. It's all about $$$ and how quickly they can get it. Regardless of their enormous brand power and world-wide fan base.
        • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -4/+3Good God listen to yourselves...

          "Let's whine some more because some company made a deal that was good for them and lowered the buy-in price for us"

          So what? Apple went with ATT. The deal put iPhone gen 1 into people's hands and got the ball rolling. Now the buy in for the gen 2 is almost half what it was before and the overall price ends up being a little higher when the contract is figured in. WAH WAH WAH!

          If it makes you THAT unhappy don't buy the damn thing. I haven't bought one because it still isn't what I want, but I'm not whining about it. Frankly it looks like a pretty cool phone and hopefully they'll fix what I consider wrong about it. If not, I'll keep my money and keep using the crappy flip phone I already have.

          Get over it and get on with your life
      • orlyfactor, on 06/12/2008, -3/+6I choo-choo-choose you AT&T!
        • graeh, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1And it's got a picture of a train on it :~)
      • isaactwito, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Was that a yes or no question?
    • trixterIreland, on 06/12/2008, -1/+13To a point yes it is. The phone is priced that way based on subsidies. Those subsidies have to be paid for somehow. There are two basic ways that phone subsidies work. The vendor sells the phone to the telco provider and they lower the cost of the hardware with some hefty contract to make up the money, or the phone vendor sells it cheap to the stores and share in the revenue from monthly sales.

      I believe that Apple has shared the revenue from monthly service charges with their 2g iphone, and as a result are probably going to continue that with the 3g one.

      This means that to some degree the data plan is a higher cost to give apple more of a cut allowing them to bottom out the phone price. Its a marketing gimick as well, people look at the sticker price and few will look at the monthly recurring costs to see the total cost of the phone.

      I wonder if AT&T still has the 30 day return policy, but apple only has the 14 day one with the iphone 3g. That enabled people to cancel their phone subscription but keep the phone at the lower price (shh its a secret :) That is how the 2g one was done anyway, enabling a subsidized price (yeah even at $400 it was subsidized) but not requiring the contract.

      If that holds, and unlocking the 3g iphone isnt a bother then you have a $199 handset that is still inferorior to the sony ericsson xperia x1. The reason apple is so aggressive about locking the phone is because they require those kickbacks.
      • robbh66, on 06/12/2008, -3/+4...except that the cuts from the revenue at&t was giving apple is coming to an end.
      • thejacknut, on 06/12/2008, -3/+0Cost isn't actually higher. The facts are bogus. Honest. I'll post my phone bill to prove it.
    • legoalert33, on 06/12/2008, -2/+4Both.
    • hmunkey, on 06/12/2008, -4/+3Apple gets a good share of what AT&T gets so both.
  • AstroZombee, on 06/11/2008, -14/+2Still best deal, just lame for people coming off old iphone. I'd still be saving $10 a mo from what i pay now for my stupid blackjack on att. But no more tethering :-( Hope i wont need it anyway.pbhgf
  • imacbook, on 06/11/2008, -3/+115If you are in the UK though, the price really actually has gone down, as operator O2 not only lowered the price of the phone from £269 to £99 but they also launched a new service plan for it too, knocking £5 per month off the total price.

    Whereas the original iPhone cost UK residents £899 over the 18 month plan, the new iPhone can come in at as little as £639. Per month, this works out at £49.94 vs £35.50. A pretty massive saving and a great move if you ask me. All this and the phone is better because it will get better reception and it has faster data transfer, plus as a bonus you're getting GPS too!

    Thank you, O2.
    • newstart, on 06/12/2008, -5/+18I agree with you, my tea drinking friend that some countries will benefit from the change in the price. But in the US it looks like the corporations are still fooling the people. Isn't America suffering from "too much capitalism?"
      • groumpf, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3I wouldn't really call that "benefit"... To get the figures in dollars, you still have to time them by 2.
        • pu43x, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4its all relative! our wages and cost of living are higher, so it doesnt matter!
        • mrloco, on 06/12/2008, -0/+5I do hope you're saying that it's more expensive to live in the UK.

          If otherwise you deserve a slap.
    • kitsua, on 06/12/2008, -1/+17Yep. UK iPhone users really win this time 'round.
    • mattbeetee, on 06/12/2008, -3/+22How splendid for us Brits. Tea in the conservatory to celebrate, chaps?

      (Furthering our awful stereotype FTW)
      • dsmx, on 06/12/2008, -1/+16I'll come driving my Bentley in my bowler hat.
        • max1018, on 06/12/2008, -1/+11I'll bring the fish 'n' chips governor. Jolly ho and what not.
        • mrloco, on 06/12/2008, -1/+10Go for a good round of polo afterwards.
    • kevyn, on 06/12/2008, -1/+5If only we could send picture messages
      • r3zonance, on 06/13/2008, -1/+2Why? I'll email the picture instead.
    • indie1982, on 06/12/2008, -0/+5I think I'll be waiting until they announce they price of the iPhone on Pay As You Go.

      Get the iPhone 3G on PAYG and then get an o2 Simplicity SIM for £15 a month and add the Web Browsing bolt on for £7.50. Total price £22.50 a month.

      Potentially save £££'s over an 18 or 24 month term.
    • Lynx77777, on 06/12/2008, -8/+5imacbook, clue is in the name, fanboi

      if you think £639 over 18months is cheap for a phone you're deluded.
    • digitalpencil, on 06/14/2008, -0/+2At least they finally cottoned on.. we're pretty used to getting cool phones for free on 12 mnth contracts for £30 /mnth with a gazillion sms/mins. The iPhone was just far too expensive for the British market.
      It's still not cheap but now that I my iPod is dying, i might actually consider the splurge.
  • cifrancgx, on 06/11/2008, -5/+25This is actually cheaper than my plan from Verizon for my Treo 700P (which uses EVDO) that I signed up for 2 years this coming August.

    Treo 700P phone: $399
    Voice Plan: $39.99 for 450 min (I also get $6 off that for State of Ohio employee discount.)
    Data Plan $40 (yes $40. so that is $10 more than the iPhone 3G data plan and $20 more than the current iPhone data plan)
    SMS Text MSG $5 for 250 messages

    For a total of $2438.76 over my 2 year contract before taxes (add another $5 a month for taxes). Which is $463.76 more than the iPhone 3G plan.

    I actually ended up dropping my $40 a month data plan (you can do so any time without penalty from Verizon at least) since it was so expensive and the Treo's browser is such a joke it just wasn't worth it just for getting my email and the other apps that needed net access.
    • KaiSe7eN, on 06/12/2008, -1/+7Wow, Verizon sucks dick. T-Mobile gives me Unlimited text for $5, 1000 minutes for $40 and unlimited data for $30. Amd my phone has more features than I really even need.
      • dkla, on 06/12/2008, -2/+4Unfortunately, T-Mobile's service area really sucks... :(

        As much as I hated switching to AT$T for the iPhone, I have noticed that the coverage is much better in the same places than T-Mobile was.
        • MooNinja, on 06/12/2008, -2/+2If you live in Alaska maybe, I've never noticed anything wrong with their coverage in my home town.
        • Lithpiperpilot, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1For those farther away from metropolitan cities, I agree. But if you live within 50 miles of a city of decent size, T-mobile will be as good of reception as AT&T
    • sammyc53, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3That's cause VZW is a ripoff.
    • thickdrummer, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1So its $160 over 24 months for the 3G iPhone.
      That is an extra $6.67 a month or $0.22 a day.

      Going on the amount of data I use every day, if someone asked me to pay an extra £0.11 a day (being that I live in England) to have access to unlimited 3G data and GPS and extra battery life, I dont think I could grumble.

      Although having said that, it now works out much cheaper in the UK, so um... nur nur!
  • Wailord, on 06/12/2008, -22/+74Honestly, I'm sick of everyone talking about how the iPhone truly "costs more". Maybe if they re-unveiled the first iPhone with a new price and higher data plans, it'd make sense, but that's not the situation. You're getting dramatically faster internet and email as well as GPS- it's very much worth it. If you don't agree, here's a thought: DON'T BUY IT.
    • flfny, on 06/12/2008, -3/+8The "dramatically faster internet" you're talking about really only applies to AT&T's 3G coverage which varies dramatically between markets. Adding insult to injury is if you live in a AT&T market, want an iPhone 3G, but live in an area not covered by the 3G network... well screw you, you'll pay for 3G anyway. Ha!
      • DlGG, on 06/12/2008, -3/+1Very true. The (pretty large) city just north of where I live got 3G last month. My home is only a mile away from a 3G signal, but I'm not even going to have access to the faster data speed most of the time. If I had the choice between cheaper priced 2G and higher priced 3G, I'd definitely go with cheap 2G.

        I was totally prepared to buy the $200 iPhone and pay $20 more a month for data and text, but I'm no longer going to. $35 extra a month is just too much (especially considering I won't have much access to 3G).
        • williane, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2How about this...you're paying a little extra over two years for a thinner, cheaper phone with GPS.

          As a bonus, if you happen to leave the cave and stumble in to one of these remote unexplored 3G areas...BOOM! your phone's data plan works 3x faster.

          Yes, I think I'll take one.
      • Ironman11, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Yeah, AT&T really needs to allow those of us without 3G to pay for the old EDGE data at $20 instead of $30.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -4/+9Or another thought, one truly unacceptable to many in these threads: BUY A DIFFERENT PHONE.

      You will be opened up to a world of functionality, one in which headphones don't have wires, text messages can have pictures, and data can be moved from one application to another with just a cut and a paste. And one in which you have a whole bundle of money left at the end of the day.

      It's amazing what happens when you buy phones from companies that actually respect you.
      • smokeydbear, on 06/12/2008, -2/+3I get what you're saying, but let's review here for a second. You used the words, "companies that actually respect you," in reference to something even remotely related to telecom. Somebody in marketing deserves a cookie.
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -2/+4Maybe, and I have no warm fuzzies toward AT&T, but honestly, it's clear that HTC put a lot of good thought into the 8900/AT&T Tilt.

          Steve Jobs is not the last engineer on the planet. And some of the others actually think unheard of things like, "how many useful features can I fit in and still keep it affordable?" My Tilt was $150 with contract, and it has absolutely *everything*, including a cool UI.

          That's why the default fetish for all things "i" ranges between stunning and hilarious for me.
        • mooseontheloose, on 06/12/2008, -1/+2Too bad the Tilt is ugly as sin and thick as a brick

          But enjoy those myriad of wonderful features it has that the iPhone doesn't that nobody wants or uses.
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Dunno where ugly comes from, it's pretty standard for a phone of its class, and slightly smaller in height and width than the iPhone.

          It's thicker and heavier because it has a slide-out keyboard, which you use to actually do things with the phone, like write emails and documents.

          Sorry, didn't mean to bring real-word productivity into an iPhone discussion, I know it's a sore subject.
        • swimtwobirds, on 06/15/2008, -0/+0no, it really is a spud. a cnet review had it barely squeezing in the jeans pocket.
          that really is a fail. it gets to the basic point, if you can absorb the brick win mo6 (furball)
          issues to sample the delights of wireless headphones then you're good to go.
          this still smacks of the now calcified trolls going on about the graphic equalizer/line rec
          settings on their particular mp3 player.
      • max1018, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2I get it, it's a joke!
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1I think it is too, but they still sold a hell of a lot of them.
      • monkeytennis, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3Is it out of the question that now the iPhone SDK has been released, somebody could make a third-party cut/paste app? Or does that need to be built in to each individual part of the OS by Apple?
        • McHoffa, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1cut and paste is a function of apps, not an app itself
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2Where do you get that, McHoffa?

          For cut and paste between apps you need a common clipboard. That's a service provided either by the OS, by an helper app, or in the case of the iPhone, by nothing at all.

          I think they leave out cut and paste as a slight flaw to set off the rest of the phone. Sort of like a model with a beauty mark. If iPhone were flawless then we might feel owning one was unattainable. This way, our complaints about cut-and-paste, MMS, or Bluetooth only provide a context in which to appreciate it's full radiance.
  • wonderchemist, on 06/12/2008, -11/+3They forgot about inflation.
    • santaliqueur, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2You are an idiot, and no they didn't.
  • fraul, on 06/12/2008, -6/+64You people don't get what's OBVIUS: it's 3G, so its data plan is going to be more expensive !

    At least here in Brazil, there's not even one single carrier that doesn't charge more for 3G data plans than edge ... its frigging faster for god's sake
    • solidus636, on 06/12/2008, -1/+24I agree with you. But it's : OBVIOUS.
      • DemDude, on 06/12/2008, -5/+1Thanks, Captain OBVIOUS!

        *****. That wasn't the queue, was it?
    • DlGG, on 06/12/2008, -2/+4I don't have 3G where I live though. I'd have no problem paying less for the slower data, but I don't like paying for something that I wouldn't even benefit from. I would have bought the new $199 iPhone with the $20 per month data and text. Oh well.
      • dema, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4How many times are you going to post this?

        "I was going to X before I heard Y" posts are bad enough once.
    • mrloco, on 06/12/2008, -0/+13g dataplans arent more expensive than GPRS here in europe... flat rate per Kb.
    • SteveMax, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Fraul, you're wrong. Tim charges the same for Edge and HSDPA (R$69,00 for 1GB of data, no unlimited rate). You may argue that it's more expensive than Claro or Vivo's unlimited offerings, but it is still the same for 2G or 3G.

      And there shouldn't be a difference, actually. If you have 3G you will use it more (thus you'll pay more), and your usage will be done and the channel will be free for another user more quickly. They win because more people use data, you win because you get things faster.
    • manacit2, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1I don't get 3G here, so I'm paying extra for nothing...
    • sammyc53, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Paying more for 3G is bogus, and is not obvious. The CDMA networks don't charge you more for their equivalent, EVDO.
  • thecoldfunk, on 06/12/2008, -3/+5If i have a family plan and wish to upgrade to an iphone, do i simply pay 30 more for data, or does my calling plan change as well?
    • blazerin05, on 06/12/2008, -11/+2Why are you asking Digg? We either don't know or care.
    • noonions, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3You just pay the $30 more for data, and i think you may have to enter into a new 2 year agreement. But I'm not 100% sure.
    • Mightbiteyou, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1I can only speak for the original iphone plan but yes, we have 4 phones on our plan, 2 of us with iphones and when we got them it just locked us in for 2 years and our bill went up $40 for the data plan.
  • nonfatmilk, on 06/12/2008, -13/+6Pass on the iPhone. In my opinion, the AT&T tilt is a better buy, but that's just my two cents.

    In another note, did they fix the keyboard in safari on the 3g iphone?
  • solidus636, on 06/12/2008, -4/+76If you are a text message freak, there really isn't any reason to pay that 5 dollar fee, or any for that matter. Just use Safari to sign onto AIM(using an online client/site or w/e.) and use the service to send text though the browser. You can add a phone number onto the buddy list, so it'd work pretty well. Easily saved 120 bucks over 2 years, and you get unlimited texts with this.

    Go ahead, digg me down. Just a way to save money.
    • psylence, on 06/12/2008, -8/+14If you are a text message freak, stop being a text message freak for the good of mankind.

      ftfy.
    • mistergoomba, on 06/12/2008, -0/+8thanks for the tip! :}
    • starf, on 06/12/2008, -0/+8Good tip.
      But you still pay for incoming texts (.20c per text), and most people can't send ims from their phones.
      • solidus636, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2Its still saving money. The 200 text plan really means 100, so if you got that, this would give you a run for the money.
      • graeh, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1You pay to recieve texts on some plans/phones?

        Did I understand that correctly?

        That seems potentially dangerous - groups of people could work together to spam you with text messages costing you money.

        That can't be right - I must have read it wrong - or there's some safety mechanism. Reverse charge SMS without confirmation per message would not be a sensible thing.
      • jwkpiano1, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1There's no way you have to pay for incoming texts. What if they're inter-carrier?
    • slantyeyed, on 06/12/2008, -4/+1$20 a month for the unlimited messaging if you want to pay for the convenience of not having to go on the internet just to send a text message. I'll pay that no problem if it reduces the number of keystrokes.
    • funnyboy88, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1If the browser AIM had a way of alerting you of new IM's, then it would be a legitimate comparison. And most of the AIM iPhone clients sign you off after 15 minutes of inactivity (you can get 2 hours with jivetalk). You so have to be constantly checking Safari for any new IM's.

      When AIM for the iPhone becomes native, and the push notification service comes out, then we can talk.
      • solidus636, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Well, sooner or later, the thing will be hacked. So Apollo Aim, or that other Native client will come to it, so it'll be much easier to manage.
  • Alex2, on 06/12/2008, -1/+20Wait till you see the pricing of the Rogers data plan. (Soviet Canuckisan)

    • Adgeman, on 06/12/2008, -1/+6And those bastards are releasing it on a three year deal. Unless they've got world beater prices (yeah; I've had a drink tonight) then this is one apple toy I won't be getting. There's no chance it'll be less than $80 all in each month, closer to $100 most likely so that would be $3600 for the pleasure of using an iPhone. Imagine how 'old' that 3G iphone would seem in 2011. And I really wanted one too.

      • shauncullen, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3***** rogers better get their ***** together, I want a goddamn iphone, but if I can't get 450 min and unlimited data at prices similar to american prices (considering our close to par dollars), I'm not switching, no matter how much I want one.
        • WiZZLa, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3They'll go from 5 cents per kilobyte to unlimted data?
          Enjoy your 3 year contract.
    • awilke, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1I dread roger's iPhone packages prices. If there's nothing in the $50-60 a month range, there's no way i'm getting one. I'll find a jailbroken 1st gen on ebay and be done with it.
  • NathanCH, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4Almost half of the price comes from the voice plan.
  • deadnoob, on 06/12/2008, -6/+223If you think it is ***** that they don't include text messages in a data plan digg this up.
    • psylence, on 06/12/2008, -8/+3Do any data plans include data? Verizon doesn't, Sprint has some 'packages' that do, but that's just a bundle. In general I think messaging is a separate thing. Whether it's ***** or not is an exercise to the consumer.
      • mantastic, on 06/12/2008, -0/+12I think all data plans include data, that is where the name comes from.
    • tacotruck08, on 06/12/2008, -3/+8yea WHAT THE ***** is up with that. and also now apple charging you for the damn dock. WHAT THE ***** IS UP ATT & APPLE STOP RIPPING US OFF.

      how bout you make it so we can send a damn ***** picture message like all the other millions of ***** phones out there. *****...so far ahead in technology yet so far behind. i am royally pissed now at both apple and ATT.

      • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -0/+10Maybe you should buy a different phone and use a different carrier...and take a valium
      • funnyboy88, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2Once email becomes standard on phones, MMS won't matter. iPhone users can snap pics and email them to anyone they want, even better than MMS or SMS since there is no character limit.
  • psylence, on 06/12/2008, -3/+57Because those considering picking up the iPhone are serious penny pinchers? Come now. If the extra $160 over 2 years is devastating to your budget, you aren't hitting an Apple Store any time soon.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -6/+11If you have ever compared any price to any feature ever in your life you're not in the market for Apple products. Apple has staked their entire business model on people who say:

      "Oh look, a gumball in the shape of Emo Phillips! $50.00? Okay!"

      "Oh look, it's just like a regular car, but the doors open backwards! $200,000? Okay!"

      "Oh look, they're just like regular sneakers but they tie on the side! $500? Okay!"

      Apple knows that as long as they keep their people from comparing them to anything, then their core product is really the iWalletVacuum.
      • geodebug, on 06/12/2008, -6/+4What the heck are you babbling about? Could you be any more condescending? Oh well, I'm sure it was more fun to write that it was to read.
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -3/+9I think I can be more condescending:

          Wow, an Apple fanboy reading something and reaching a reasoned conclusion as a result. I never thought I'd see the day. I thought it broke club rules or something.

          Please geodebug, go now and use this new found logic to analyze the price/feature relationship among iPhone and other phones in its class. Hurry, you're just a few short conclusions away from escaping your idol worship and close to intellectual freedom!

          Run, geodebug, run!
        • aaronbourret, on 06/12/2008, -1/+6Apple fanboy calling someone condescending = pot calling kettle black
        • geodebug, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2First post was better. Now you are just the 'ass' in assumption.
      • shank2001, on 06/12/2008, -4/+4Look, I have owned many PDAs and smartphones. You can jibber jabber all you want about the iPhone being crap, but when push comes to shove, NONE of the phones I have ever used, or PDAs for that matter, no matter how many wonderful features they crammed in, are as usable as the iPhone. What makes the iphone special is the interface. Nothing comes close to the usability of the iPhone, which is one reason Google reported that the iPhone is used 50 times more to access google.com than any other mobile device (yes that is a fact, look it up on google). Why? Because people actually USE the iPhone. Unlike my previous phones that also had web browsers, the iPhone is the only one where the web is actually useful. And that is just ONE example of a feature done RIGHT.
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3If features aren't really the point, then can we just make a version of the iPhone that doesn't have phone or pda functions, but is just a box that only runs the user interface not attached to anything? If the usual Apple equation holds true you could double the price and the fanboys would buy twice as many.

          But speaking of usability. Let's say that I have 3 Microsoft Word attachments in my email. One Excel spreadsheet attachment, and five long-form emails to write. I slide out the keyboard on my Tilt, or one of many phones in the iPhone's class and get to work.

          I don't remember -- can you directly edit and save Office documents? If so, how are those changes and emails coming with your onscreen keyboard? Meanwhile, I'm long gone.

          You should spend less time thinking about usability, which on the iPhone is a euphemism for a cool launcher, and spend more time on real-world productivity, in which case a whole host of phones that cost much less than the iPhone make it look like toy for people who put style over substance, and enjoy paying more for the privilege.
        • graeh, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Usability and productivity are closely related with one another Laminarcissus. I'm not sure if you were implying they were somehow exclusive, but it does seem that way, forgive me if I'm incorrect.

          Ideally it shouldn't be about "this has usability" vs "well this has productivity", it should be "this is so damned usable that it improves my productivity".

          Usability really does matter to productivity, its relationship to coolness is something that's unfortunately oversold.
      • sonicbliss, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3Lamarnicus- Please, so melodramatic and over the top. That is just wrong. Not everything is overpriced compared to competition anymore. PC World I think did a 'feature by feature' comparison of the iMac to the Dell that looks like an imac, the all-in-one dell, and the imac came out on top=cheaper for more features.

        Regards phones regardless of how much you hate Apple, phone x might have A2DP, keyboard, mms but nothing out there has iphone os and the touch working as good as the iphone yet. As evidenced by the fact that its the most used portable device to get on the internet. People arent going 'oooh shiny' and not using them.

        Just buy what you like though everyone has different needs, no need to attack whole groups of users just cause you dont get 'what all the fuss is about'.

        If it is so crap why is EVERY phone manufacturer copying its design and updating their UI's? Some to almost exact replicas?


        • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1SHHHH! You're shanking his anti-Apple cool!
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2First you say I'm right, now you say I'm cool. I'm liking you better all the time Parrot.

          The PC/Mac comparison is really too big to get into, so for now I will keep my side as short and unsupported as yours. No Mac-manufactured hardware is remotely comparable to PC hardware on a price/performance basis. It doesn't matter though, because you can put OS X on standard PC hardware -- I'm even running it in VMWare on my machine right now. Then the decision is only questionable because although it's much, much prettier, on a functional basis OS X really only does security better than Windows, but you take a *huge* hit in the installed software base.

          What I make fun of with my melodrama and hyperbole isn't the hardware or UI in particular, it's the fanboy culture of people who are tremendously emotionally invested in making it into what it's not, up to and including the pinnacle of mobile technology and the savior of unwired mankind. In other words, there's plenty of melodrama going around, and I didn't start it, I'm making fun of it.

          So let's get my actual opinions straight and right out where you can have them without ducking:

          -- The iPhone hardware is a half-assed job, one they're trying to make up for now, but still inexplicably preserving some of their half-assed jobs from the past. This significantly lowers the phone's value.
          -- The iPhone UI is lovely. A real achievement in design and usability. It should be in the Museum of Modern Art, as should most of Steve Jobs' team's creations.
          -- A UI is not, however, an operating system, and their unwillingness to code a robust operating system that can stand up to outside developers crippled hardware and the phones value even further.
          -- To someone with experience in enterprise-level software and hardware development in the mobile industry, everything about the iPhone says that the first edition was rushed to market. That all the energy went into making the UI perfect, and then everything else was compromised or sacrificed to serve that, up to and including cut-and-paste. That feature isn't in there because of their philosophical decisions surrounding the purity of the UI. For all the exquisite beauty that comes out of Apple, the do occasionally forget that the "U" stands of "User" and not "Us."
          -- They're starting to undo those in this new version, but why so little progress? Why are so many features that are standard in less expensive phones left off? Where is that money going? -- Have you had your hands on a Tilt? It might suit you as a handset or it might not, it's a feature-filled brick (although smaller than the iPhone) with everything but an eye-washing station, but it will completely leave you asking, "How come this is $150, and the iPhone is how much? Where is the iPhone money going?"

          As I said, these would all be interesting, non-melodromatic technical discussions without any opportunities for humor if there weren't a subculture of iPhone devotees that focus on maintaining Apple's purity with the intensity of the Spanish Inquisition.

          Sadly, that interacts with the fact that I find it funny that they go apoplectic with a single comment about buying the iPhone because it fits so nicely in the side pocket of their $500 imported hemp sport jacket.

          Chalk that up to a character flaw -- sort of like paying three times what other phones cost for much less functionality, but a museum-quality, chick-impressing UI.

          So there you go SonicBliss, MacParrot, reasonable enough for you?
    • DlGG, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3I would have bought the iPhone and payed the extra $20 per month, but $35 is too much especially considering there isn't 3G where I live. I don't even know if I could get the iPhone for $199 though because I'm a current AT&T customer and I'm not eligible for an upgrade. Oh well.
  • skyshock1, on 06/12/2008, -10/+3I'm quite content with my unlocked N95 and unlimited everything plan for $10/month. You guys are getting reamed.
    • perral1, on 06/12/2008, -1/+13Hey guys, I'm quite content with my Skype phone, with unlimited calling for $2.95/month. Granted, people can't call me, and I'm tethered to my computer but....you guys are getting reamed.
      • nascentia, on 06/12/2008, -1/+5Look into one of those Philips Skype phones. I got one for my job, we pay $80 a year I think for Skype Pro. That gives us a SkypeIn number for anyone to call me, and I can call any # in the US/Canada. And with the phone, a $110 investment or so, I don't even need my computer on to use Skype. So we've got an unlimited phone service for less than $100 a year, and it's a cordless phone I can use anywhere in the office. If I could figure out how to set the phone to actually work with call forwarding, it'd be PERFECT.

        Not a replacement for a cell phone, mind you. I'm just getting on a tangent since you mentioned Skype :D
  • usingpond, on 06/12/2008, -6/+9The only people who are seriously complaining about this are neckbeards who, if they cut out one or two Game Fuels a week, would save double that.
    • shauncullen, on 06/12/2008, -0/+5Would you kindly explain the term "neckbeard"? That's twice now I've seen it used on digg.
      • CC440, on 06/12/2008, -1/+6A neckbeard is internet and chan slang for a fat, stereotypical basement geek that has a horribly untrimmed beard that grows mostly on his neck. Think about not shaving at all for a while and you will notice that your unkempt beard covers a good portion of your neck and looks like *****. Its a "witty" observation on the hygiene of the stereotypical geek they are reidiculing.
        • usingpond, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Well, close, but you seem to be pretty bitter about it in that last part.
  • bobangitanov2, on 06/12/2008, -7/+2$199 or whatever, It still can make movies, mms, not true 3G.
  • delirium, on 06/12/2008, -1/+9The Sprint plan is wrong. I have their SERO plan (500 minutes, unlimited text, unlimited data, and free nights and weekends) with a HTC Mogul with unlimited data for $30/month.
    • serpentor, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2They're using the regular consumer Sprint plan for comparison, not the unadvertised but freely available SERO plan (for which there really is no competition of course).
      • delirium, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1If you're going to be spending this much money or writing an article about it. Maybe they should be doing more research?
    • agenthamsta, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1yeah you have to compare advertised prices. I'm working on trying to get sero onto my existing plan, which is kinda of hard but people have done it.
    • Fonix, on 06/12/2008, -0/+0I'm so tired of hearing about people and their sprint plans. I had sprint for 3 years on an employee plan, payed $15 a month for 1,500 minutes, unlimited everything, and IT SUCKED! Reception was no where to be found, I could never place a call from indoors, customer service was by far the worst of all the cellular companies I dealt with (besides boost, but they don't count) and the data speeds... if there was a data connection available was useless. I cant wait for them to close up shop next year.
      This might be a crazy thought... but maybe sometimes better service cost more?
    • krische, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Plus Sprint's EVDO coverage is much better than AT&T's 3G coverage.
  • mike17032, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Its still less than I pay AT&T for my unlimited data plan on the Tilt, so its not that bad.
  • noonions, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4I understand it costing more per month because of the fact that it's 3G. The problem here is that there isn't an option to purchase it without a data plan. Yes, I know, the data plan is really the whole point of this iPhone, but plenty of people are fine just using WiFi. I'm drawn to this iPhone because of the lower pricepoint, the fact that it has built in GPS, and, according to Steve, greatly improved audio, but I likely won't buy it because I simply can't afford to be paying $70 per month plus taxes.
    • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -3/+2Then get the Tilt. It embarrasses the iPhone with features and you don't have to get the plan.
      • utahnkid, on 06/12/2008, -1/+2http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1 ...

        2007 Time Invention of The Year: Hint. NOT THE TILT
        • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -2/+2HINT: He already said he didn't want to pay the money.

          HINT: The Tilt is $150 with plan, and with that $150 you get a list of the iPhone's *glaring omissions* that the Tilt (and almost every other phone in the iPhone's class) do properly for much less money.

          Typical, though, for a fanboy to rush in with an award from a non-technical magazine when the grown-ups were talking.

          "Hey, it won the 'Ax Body Spray Poon Magnet Award!' Gotta go stand in line!"
        • utahnkid, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1You're lucky this is Digg because I don't normally associate with low life's like yourself. If you don't like that phone then sweet, Apple will still make the most well known and sought after phone to ever be released.

          How many people lined up for the Tilt when it was released?

          How many websites go out of their way to make Tilt specific version to take advantage of it's abilities?

          How many different manufacturers make Tilt specific accessories like speaker docks, car adapters, FM transmitters, and cases?

          You don't have to take my opinion, kist look at how much attention it's given. And that attention stems SOLELY from the fact that the iPhone brings in far more customers and money. If the Tilt was that great, tons of people would buy it, and tons of companies would capitalize on that fact. But they don't.

          Time magazine is probably one of the most respected publications in the country and relating it to Axe body spray just shows the asinine logic that's somehow allowed you to live so long.

          Go take a look at my profile to see what it's like to travel the world and live a life of luxury BTW. You're probably the guy that takes my baggage at the airport. Have fun being a complete loser.
    • CC440, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1Those people are the ones who can buy a free phone and an iPod touch. Or they could just use a voip app on the iTouch. Problem solved.
    • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1@noonions
      Unfortunately it's doubtful you'll be able to get an iPhone at a decent price without the contract. Laminarcissus's embarrassing (to him) Apple tirades aside, is right. There are other choices for phones and data plans and if a smartphone is something you want or believe you need, then you should check out all your options.

      The iPhone is some cool tech but it is hardly the only option
      • Laminarcissus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1(Damn, he said I was embarrassing myself, but then he said I was right...What do I do? Do I lash out as I always do at anyone who tries to be kind to me, with the usual disastrous consequences? Do I thank him for finally supplying not just the reason I represented, but also the moderation in which I fell so far short? Or maybe I should just stop concentrating on making my posts better, and instead focus on myself as a person. If I improve myself then I'm sure my posts will improve of their own accord. Yes. Maybe that's the answer.)

        On second thought, I think that a substantive Apple-hating douchebag is still light-years ahead of blindly-Apple-loving douchebags. So windmills, I'm still Tilting in your direction.
        • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Just flew into Florida so that's why it took me so long to respond. I don't know if you'll read this but I'll chance it. I also find blindly accepting fanboys of ANY tech annoying and I have given Apple makes no mistakes fans a slap as well as the Apple haters. I don't have a problem with Microsoft or Linux and use products from both of them on a regular basis. I DO prefer OS X, but that's all it is...a preference.

          PLEASE reconsider just blindly hating anything from Apple. They do have some pretty cool stuff and you should at least admit that sometimes they things they do have a broader effect of the tech world than just their small userbase.
  • jjustin01, on 06/12/2008, -12/+61Then don't buy it. Plain and simple. You don't like the plan, then don't sign the contract and don't get an iPhone.

    I know I am going to get dugg down for this, but I am going to say it anyway. iPhone users bitched and moaned about their precious paper bill when the iPhone was released. This was the same paper bill every other custom received from ATT for every other phone before the iPhone. Did ATT bend over backwards and send out a custom paper bill for the users of the Palm Treo or Blackjack or any other phone? No, they didn't. iPhone users got what they wanted. There was obviously a difference between iPhone users and the average ATT customer. The average ATT customer knew they could opt out of paper bills instead of posting "poor me" blogs and videos bitching about it.

    ATT setup a custom data plan that was $10 cheaper per month then the average data plan for every other PDA/Blackberry phone they offered. Did you hear all Blackberry users bitching and whining because they were paying extra? Were their stories out the ass posted on Digg because Blackberry users are getting the shaft? No, you didn't.

    Why is it that Apple customers seem to be the bitchiest bunch of customers out their? Why is it that Apple manages to release products as revolutionary as the iPhone and MacBook Air, and pretty much everything else they do, and yet the fanboys still find something to completely bitch and moan about. This is kind of like the rich kid who bitches because their mom and dad won't pay to fill up their BMW. Get over yourselves and accept the fact that if you want to be coolest kid on the block, there's a price you are going to have to pay.

    Commence digging down!

    /soapbox
    • illwil, on 06/12/2008, -9/+10The paper bill was a problem because it itemized data transfers leading to 200+ page bills.

      The data plan being more expensive is being bandied about by people who want the iphone to fail, because they are once again attempting to spin the product as a negative.

      In both cases your rant is off the mark. Furthermore, you are one whiny little bitch.
    • noonions, on 06/12/2008, -6/+3Great solution! Don't ever complain to any company about anything, and accept ***** things the way they are! Maybe if Blackberry users had complained to AT&T the way iPhone users did, you guys would experience better service from them. But better you should keep quiet and let phone companies take more and more advantage of you. And, yes, the most obvious solution to my situation would be to not get an iPhone. But I didn't post that comment to ask for advice from a Blackberry user. It was a general comment on how it was frustrating that something as nice as the iPhone has to be ruined by AT&Ts prices and policies. And, NO, Apple customers are not like spoiled kids. We are people who PAY for things and expect quality. And usually we get it from Apple because Apple knows we don't accept *****.
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -1/+9I'm not sure it's the apple USERS that are complaining. It sounds like the anti-fanboy types that are desperate to pick a flaw in the product so they can have a "superior" product or service, and laugh at all the "sheeple". It's not only cool to like Apple, it's also cool not hate them.
    • utahnkid, on 06/12/2008, -1/+2Have you heard ANY Apple customers complaining about the price? EVERY single person I've seen complain is someone using who's adding it to the list of reason's of why they think it's such a horrible phone. obviously the customers are fine with the price hence the reason they're CUSTOMERS. Your post is based on absolutely no sound logic.
    • Niz1, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1I think you have missed something whats the point if no one can give their views even if it is complaining. I can clearly see why people are complaining Mr Jobs said that he is going to make the iPhone cheaper that to me says i will ultimately pay a 2 year total which is less than the original. Although kudos to him for pulling a sly one!

      as someone stated before if no one complained there wont be any change, i can see the plans changing in the future because of this. If no one complained that there was no 3G we wouldnt have 3G now.

      Also usually if one diddnt like a phone contract they would use another network, its a bit of a problem in this situation.

      Im in te UK btw they have actually made it cheaper here but as I see it its just how it should have been the first time round. No one pays an initial one off £270 on top of a £35 contract, phones have to be free £100 doesnt even cut it with me.
      • sonicbliss, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1When the N95 came out in UK you could not get it free on a 35 a month contract. When the N96 comes out you will not get it free on a 35 a month contract. Not initially. £45 and up yes free... like the iphone.

        Also it is half the price... 399 to 199. It doesnt say 'half the contract price'.
  • Givorden, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4Optus and Vodafone are both offering it on a pre-pay plan in Australia apparently.
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1I just joined Vodafone last month, I'm hoping like hell they'll let me extend the contract and get an iPhone, but I'm preparing myself to pay out my existing contract. Also, by the time I can do that there might be some actually available in store.
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2I just checked the Vodafone australia site, and you can register your interest in an iPhone on the front page. They will call with pricing and details. I'm preparing myself for a shock.
    • Givorden, on 06/24/2008, -0/+0The price is supposed to be the same globally according to ol' Jobsy himself.
  • techmite, on 06/12/2008, -7/+1i like this phone :)) http://www.techjunkiez.com/2008/01/29/huawei-c2900 ... .hehe . It has faster internet speeds than iphone non 3G and the phone costs just 45$ :O with a data plan of just 2.3$ per month .what more you want :D
  • woodlandsfonz, on 06/12/2008, -9/+2Hey guys,

    I just started an online petition to Apple and AT&T, asking them to reconsider their new purchasing policies for the iPhone 3G. Lets make our voices heard, just so they know that we do not agree with the policies.

    http://www.petitiononline.com/IPHONE3G/petition.ht ...

    Thanks,
    Alfonso Olvera
    • mparker7410, on 06/12/2008, -2/+8OMG! This petition will change everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      • sonicbliss, on 06/12/2008, -0/+0I know, like the "FREE IPOD TOUCH APPS, APPLE" petitions...
    • noonions, on 06/12/2008, -2/+1don't know why you're getting dugg down. i think its a great idea and i'm going to sign it right now.
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1Come to australia, where you can't get unlimited data on anything. Not even through ISP's. Then bitch about your unlimited data plans.

      vodafone australia - "For just $11.95 per month you get access to 100MB of data"

      On cap plans ($49 + per month) it's $1 for every 5min connected.
      • regularsteven, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1yeah, come to Australia... for the lack of unlimited data
    • meghalc, on 06/12/2008, -2/+2Maybe he is on to something! Atleast hes trying unlike your unuseful ass.
  • CrimsonBlur, on 06/12/2008, -2/+5$160 over two years is completely meaningless if you can afford to buy the iPhone in the first place. Considering the iPhone is easily the head of the competition, it looks like, in comparison, you're actually getting a good deal. Something tells me Verizon and t-Mobile are going to lose a ton of high-end customers this year.
  • Taiyoryu, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3I just want a prepaid option like Europe and Asia get. I'll pay the extra $175 if that what the subsidy is.
  • mavantix, on 06/12/2008, -0/+5It blows my mind it took people this long to catch on to the hike in data rates to compensate for the loss in hardware. Really, it's simple math. The interesting question would be, if AT&T offered a $20 EDGE plan AND a $30 3G plan, would people buying the 3G iPhone pay the extra $10. Yeah, that's what I thought. :)

    Secondly, take this as a sign there won't be an iPhone v3.0 next year. My bet is at least another 1.5 years or more before an all new iPhone. (Increase in flash, say 32GB, doesn't count as new iPhone in my book)
    • djadamjay, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2don't forget to add another $5 difference for the SMS text you get WITH the edge plan and WITHOUT the 3g plan. so a fair comparison would actually be $20 vs $35.
    • starf, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Actually, if I could upgrade from iphone v1 to iphone v2 without changing my plan (except extending to 2 years), I would spend $199 without hesitation for the better audio and gps.
  • firebirdx01, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3By combining the reduced price with the 2-yr contract, Apple also reduces the number of unlocked phones (that is if you can even unlock firmware 2.0) on the market while making more money off the iPhone.

    Total marketing genius on Apple's part, closing up the T-Mobile loop hole the best they can.
    • woodlandsfonz, on 06/12/2008, -0/+0Well, the T Mobile loophole worked to Apple's advantage though. The problem was AT&Ts... Apple was still getting its money from the customer. The problem now is people like me who have T Mobile and want the iphone, but in order to get it will have to pay around $60 dollars more every month to get a comparable rate plan. Not many are likely to switch to AT&T and pay that much extra. Now neither Apple nor AT&T is going to get our money...
      • s0ny, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1You pay 10$ a month for your T Mobile Plan? Thats Amazing!!!!!!
      • firebirdx01, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Wrong. The T-Mobile loophole didn't work to Apple's advantage at all. They made a deal with ATT for unspecified amount of dollars, and that's why they've been trying to stop iPhone unlocking.

        It's pretty simple, when ATT doesn't get customers, Apple loses revenue as well It's been speculated that Apple gets a kickback from ATT for signups and by staying exclusive to them but the details of these deals are not public info.

  • chubbybubba, on 06/12/2008, -2/+3Is the GPS service free or is that extra?
    • nlight, on 06/12/2008, -3/+4GPS was always free and always will be.
      • sadilak, on 06/12/2008, -1/+0I guess you are not a verizon customer. ***** Verizon has blocked GPS in all their GPS capable phones so we could pay $15 extra and use their VZ Navigator service

        I own a Gen 1 IPhone and am gonna check the 3G version in an apple store and see how fast digg comments load from the 3G version. That test should be sufficient enough
      • chubbybubba, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2I'm with ATT right now and they charge 10 bucks a month to use the GPS thats already in the blackberry.
    • starf, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1If it's like other gps devices, it will be free, but you'll have to shell out a bit if you want to update the maps every year.
      • Nothlit, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1It uses Google Maps; they update by themselves...
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3Because it's using google maps, I'm worried that here in Australia, where there is no such thing (currently) as an unlimited data plan on anything, let alone a phone, that the GPS will just cost too much to use for much longer than 5-10min here and there.
      • LukeBeaumont, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Not to mention how shocking Google Maps is in Australia...
    • majikmixx, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1The GPS requires a data connection, so while you're not paying specifically for the GPS, you're probably paying something for the data service. (unless you're on wifi of course, then someone else is probably paying)
  • COD4God, on 06/12/2008, -4/+7No matter what the price people will find something to complain about...
    • jasmus, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4I'm not buying one, mainly because it doesn't have the capacity to give free blow jobs. Maybe this will be fixed in a future firmware update, but I don't want to buy a piece of technology with hopes that one day it will be "fixed" to include free blow jobs like it should have had from the start.


      Oh yeah, /sarcasm
  • ANT1138, on 06/12/2008, -5/+13zOMG! $160 over 2 years?!!!11 I'll have to eat garbage and suck dick to pay the bill.
    • BeeArePro, on 06/12/2008, -1/+14There's no way in hell i'll eat garbage.
    • Hakonan, on 06/12/2008, -1/+2Don't try to fool anyone, we all now that you already do suck dick at your spare time.
  • djadamjay, on 06/12/2008, -1/+8$10 for 3G data over $20 in the old iPhone wasn't that bad.
    but if i upgrade i also lose my 200 SMS ?

    nah, ***** that.
    i'm sticking with my original iPhone. That just gave me the incentive i need to wait for a 32GB or larger version... for puchase in 2009.

    I'll at least thank Apple for making the 2.0 software free for old iPhones, but a big ***** You to AT&T for nickle and diming us (as usual)
    • sadilak, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1$10 a month is not really a big deal. Eitherways, we will know it on July 11
    • HunterTJ, on 06/12/2008, -2/+2Nickel and diming? Its a flat plan with everything included. Nickel and diming is if they charged you extra for bitching to everyone on the internet
      • phinn, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2What he means by nickle and diming is the plan is $10 more than the old one and it no longer comes with text messages so then you need a text plan of anywhere between $5-$15 more on top of that even.

        It wouldn't have been nickle and diming so much if they increased it by $10 (to pay for 3G) but still included text messages.
    • MacParrot, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1More storage is what I'm waiting for. In the meantime I can just keep using a flip for calls and my 80GB classic for media. Sucks to carry two devices, but it's not a big enough deal to buy an iPhone and a more expensive data plan
      • funnyboy88, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1You really need 80 GB of media all the time? I too was weary of having only 8 GB, but once I put 1500 songs on it and put it on shuffle, I realized that is still tooons of music. I made a playlist that has 6 gigs worth of my most played songs, and I still hear random ass crap that I never heard before.
    • soupdawg30, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Why not just use Gchat for messaging? Is that not possible?
      • djadamjay, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1anything is possible. why not just send a letter? why not just make a phone call?
        these are all ways to communicate, some are more convenient that others depending on who you are talking to. many of my friends still have flip phones and no data plans, the easiest way for me to communicate with them often times is to send an SMS text. i can't really Gchat with their Revol Moto-Razors.
        • soupdawg30, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1I was talking about Gchat through the iPhone. Not your razor.
  • johnnycho, on 06/12/2008, -4/+14And over 20 years, the new iPhone will cost a whopping $1,600 more than the original iPhone!!! Over 200 years, you're looking at $16,000!! Oh my God!!!

    Please. $160 over two years amounts to $6.67 a month. So you have two fewer lattes at Starbucks each month. Big deal.
    • chungmaster, on 06/12/2008, -3/+1yeah but the total cost is still pretty damn expensive. Obviously it's gonna cost you a lot for a phone bill anways, but the point is that Apple said it would be cheaper, when in fact it's not.

  • amazingleper, on 06/12/2008, -3/+4You mean to tell me that a company wishes to increases revenues with the launch of a new product? GHASTLY!
  • deMonkey, on 06/12/2008, -2/+4Edge is pretty slow. I think $10/month is a decent upgrade price for 3G. I wish I could get the phone for free since my iphone is still under warranty, but I guess that's the penalty for being on the bleeding edge.
    • krische, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Yet AT&T is the only carrier in the US to charge you more for faster speed. Sprint and Verizon charge one flat rate for data plans, regardless of speed.
      • deMonkey, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1They do it with DSL, and cable companies do it with cable modems. ISDN carriers and dial-up (remember the first 56k lines?) did the same thing. It's the way things are.
  • beggersfunk, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3Oh man i ve been living in Japan, my bills hit 45-60 bucks a month. no biggie. plus its a 3G and of course it a bit more expensive. If you guys want to see a rip off and penny pincher try living in Japan!
  • thejacknut, on 06/12/2008, -2/+3What *****. I've had the original iPhone since the first price reduction and I pay no additional voice fee other than the data pack-- which has been $30, not $45 (or whatever the hell the chart said.) This instant hate-hype backlash immediately following the release of something new and innovative from Apple is laughable, man. Laughable. Truly comical is the blazing fire under everyone's taints to give a *****.
  • markmeinteil, on 06/12/2008, -5/+3What to do.... Keep paying $912 every two years basic service with taxes and other fees included through sprint, or cough up $2200 approximately, after taxes every two years for a 3G iPhone??? Well, Steve says it's cool, so who am I to argue?
    • HunterTJ, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1Hmm I could go with Sprint, but I'd prefer my phone to be a little bit more than a paperweight that doesn't get service.
      • soupdawg30, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Your forgot to mention that Sprint won't be around in 6 months.
    • markmeinteil, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1No problem here.
  • saegiru, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3Regardless, the data plan is in line with the other "smartphones" they offer. If you don't like it, I don't know... take advantage of your free choice and don't buy one!
  • Eunonia, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4Don't forget the taxes that you have to pay.
    • ibeetle, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3... and Apple Care... and Mobile Me ...and accessories... and games... and music from the iTunes store... and a new screen because you little brother dropped it and cracked the screen.
      • thenewkasanova, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1You don't HAVE to buy any of those things.
  • HappyScrappy, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4Sprint cut the price of their phone in this comparison $100 after this was published.
  • boardthis, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2post the same story from the day before and become a digg legend.
    • ibeetle, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1oh... this story will be posted at least another three times. Yesterday it was from Macworld... today it is from Gizmodo. We have yet to get the same nonsense from Ars Technica, c|net, and Tech Crunch.
  • robsonde, on 06/12/2008, -1/+3and in New Zealand Vodafone wont even tell us the price at all.
    they havent told us handset price or any plans.
    they wont even tell us if we can go prepay.
    Vodafone = fail
  • ageedoy, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3My question is: if I buy someone's 1st gen iPhone second hand, will AT&T still have the old plans available for me, or will I have to pay this new rate as well?
  • Avian00, on 06/12/2008, -0/+15Am I the only one who thinks that the prices for these plans is just getting out of control? Almost $1000 per year for a single device? This is suppose to be an extension of my Internet life. Instead, I end up paying more for this small email and web device than I do for a full computer, high speed internet and telephone at my home. Where is the mobile Internet for the "rest of us?"

    Oh, and 20 cents per SMS? Seriouly, WHAT THE HELL?! I can CALL other AT&T subscribers and talk for hours without paying one cent more, but the instant I send or receive an SMS, I'm out 20 cents!! That's just wrong!
    • Nothlit, on 06/12/2008, -0/+7SMS has to be one of they most heavily marked-up services in the world. It costs the provider literally fractions of a cent to handle an SMS message, and they charge us 20 cents. Ridiculous. Hopefully one day SMS will die like the outdated technology that it is, and text messaging will be handled the same way as all other data.
      • zzz@tkz, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1SMSs *are* handled like other data. They're ***** emails! That's all they are, same goes with MMS, just an attachment. It's damn stupid that they charge as much, when you can do it for *free* if you just know the person's carrier, then send an email to the specified email address (the phone number @ the carrier)
        • jsebrech, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3SMS has a separate data channel in the GSM standard. SMS doesn't take up any resources that could be used for phone calls or other data. So, it's pretty much a no-cost feature from the carrier's point of view.

          People pay what they pay though. If someone is willing to pay me $1000 for a gallon of milk, I'll happily sell them that.
      • DarkMirage, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Actually, in many parts of the world such as Asia, 10-15 USD gets you a monthly plan with 500-1000 SMS.

        It's only marked up in the States because no one uses them and the providers figured that lowering the price wouldn't convince more people to get a plan with SMS, so they might as well charge premium for the people who want it.
        • Nothlit, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1We have monthly plans like that, too, for roughly the same cost. But I have no use for them. If I need to send someone a message, I will email them or call them. What annoys me the most is when I receive an unsolicited incoming SMS and still get charged 20 cents for it...
    • ibeetle, on 06/12/2008, -0/+3Oh... crap... you really need to be quite. The last time someone posted what you just said.... well lets just say Verizon had them disappeared.
    • agenthamsta, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1Seriously!! When I was in Spain SMS was king because it was the least expensive. Now that they're pushing hard to market SMS here in the states they really try to screw you when you're texting ala carte.
    • boardthis, on 06/12/2008, -1/+1push email + knowing the carrier of the person you are texting = ***** you 20 cents per SMS!
  • geebs61, on 06/12/2008, -0/+1While I think the prices are too high, I don't see what the big deal is. I have to pay the same for my Pantech Duo, and it isn't nearly as cool. I mean, it does everything I need, albeit with pocketIE, and a directional pad. And I paid $299 (I think, maybe more) for it back in January. I wish I would have waited, right now the only redeeming quality the Duo has for me is the qwerty keypad.
  • dinkola, on 06/12/2008, -0/+4In the UK - the iPhone will be cheaper than before. O2 has a new £30 contract & pay-as-you-go. Previously, the cheapest contract was £35. Combine that with the cheaper iPhone, and everything is less expensive than before.
  • robdazomba, on 06/12/2008, -0/+2Wah... everyone's all upset because Apple and AT&T finally decided to start playing the same shell game with prices that everyone else in the industry does. I give 'em credit for at least trying to be honest about it at first, but if you can't beat 'em...
  • ThePeopleGeek, on 06/12/2008, -3/+1The cost is too high to justify waiting in line to buy one. I will wait about 3 days and just stroll right in to buy one.
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