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iPhone 3G Finally Available In US Contract-Free

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the long-time-coming dept.

Engadget is reporting that the iPhone 3G is finally available contract-free if you are willing to pay a much higher premium. Without a contract consumers are looking at $599 for an 8GB model and $699 for the 16GB. AT&T has the added restriction that you must be an existing AT&T customer, but Apple (retail stores only, sorry) will sell one to anyone willing to pay the premium. This change brings the model much closer to the prevailing European model where phones are sold as hardware and the plans are handled completely separately.

3 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. It's funny. In Japan, they can't give them away by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 0, Troll

    Well, yes, they *can* give them away in Japan. The problem is that giving them away is the only way to reduce inventory.

    The iPhone only seems to be a hit here in the US. Everywhere else it has been a middling failure. Sure, the first rush to get the phones gave the impression of huge demand, but after the fanboys got their satisfaction, the numbers went right back down.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Apple gave up on the iPhone in the next couple years and instead focused on producing a better iPod touch.

  2. Doesn't sound like a deal if it's still AT&T o by PhantomHarlock · · Score: 0, Troll

    Doesn't sound like there is any advantage to doing it this way, since you still have to use it with AT&T. I'd rather amortize some of the phone cost over the contract.

    I won my iPhone in a contest, and that's the only reason I still have it, I didn't pay for it. The thing is a hamstrung, nerfed piece of junk thanks to Apple's very restrictive development and usage policies. I want something I can tether, and something that I can run apps in the background with, something I can use as a USB drive, etc. etc. Not the right thing for a geek. It's fine for the secretary crowd. Also, the original one I had died, and they replaced it for free, good on apple for that. Had they charged I wouldn't have bothered. It's an intriguing technology demonstration, but not very useful.

  3. Re:European Model... by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 0, Troll

    Completely offtopic, but...
    Have you seen those commercials with Kate Moss advertising some face make-up or something, and at the end, she presents the tagline "Get the London Look!"

    Well, who the hell wants to pay for a freckled face and bad teeth?

    --
    If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.