[Macworld]

Post your comments for iPhone 3G is faster, but cheaper? here

[plentyofpaper654]

$40 more IF you plan to use the phone for 2 years. After that 2 year period, I'm guessing you have the option to downgrade data transfer plans, which leaves you with what is essentially the old iphone with a GPS, or use the upgraded plan and pay an extra $10 monthly. If you plan to stick with the new plan for 3 years, it's an extra $160 compared to the old iPhone.

[bousozoku]

Since AT&T doesn't offer 3G data access in most of the U.S.A., they should price the data plan on your home location, unless you specify otherwise.
Hopefully, by the end of the 2 years, they might have 3G data access where you live or Apple will have added WiMax support.

[cnate]

Add in another $49 if you want to have a dock on your desk (included for free with the original iPhone) for easy charging/syncing/audio-out... Now your new iPhone costs $89 more over 2 years... oh yeah, you want to get back some functionality your jailbroken iPhone had with all of the free apps? Prepare to drop some more moo-lah in the AppStore...

[pdbreske]

Or ... you could save hundreds of dollars by not buying the damn thing.
Does someone have a gun to your head? "Oh, I hate when Apple MAKES me pay so much money!" Quick WHINING and just don't buy it if you think it's a rip-off.
Sounds like a bunch of little girls in here.

[azreboot]

Do AT&T's higher rates apply to current iPhone owners (who can't use the 3G network unless they get a newer phone)? That would be a case of MAKING someone pay more - I don't change my plan but have to pay AT&T for other people to get 3G?
I used the dock for about a month. It's nice but really not necessary at all.
I am interested in how currently jailbroken (or unlocked or unshackled or pwned or otherwise hacked) phones will work with the 2.0 software. Pwning should suppposedly make that upgrade much easier compared to jailbreaking, but we'll see.

[Rhywun]

pdbreske said:

Or ... you could save hundreds of dollars by not buying the damn thing.

That's my plan. Now how much of my savings can I fork over to the Mac--sorry, Apple--media to make them stop talking about the thing?

[Egidio]

I love Macs and have used them since 1984. However, as far as the iPhone is concerned, I'm still not sold on the idea. Apple was wrong from the start when it locked the iPhone to AT&T. Then, after reading several of the replies here in the forum, I am getting farther from falling into the iPhone web. For me, the inability that the iPhone cannot be used as a modem to connect to my Mac is a deal breaker. I've been using my Treo 700p for 2 years now. Yeah, it's not as pretty as the iPhone, but I can surf the web, do email and use it as a modem on my MacBook Air in areas I don't get internet access. All for an unlimited $10/month plan for internet use. So, I think I'm waiting to see what the Instinct will offer in the next 10 days or so.
Egidio

[k2director]

Every other 3G phone that you can buy will still have to pay AT&T's $30 rates, yes? And if you're on Verizon, you're monthly 3G rate is going to be even higher.
So comparing the iPhone 3G to other 3G phones, I think you have to acknowledge that $199 is a pretty amazing price.

[Chris Breen]

[quote name='Rhywun']
>

pdbreske said:

Now how much of my savings can I fork over to the Mac--sorry, Apple--media to make them stop talking about the thing?

Gosh, and I thought the word "iPhone" in a headline would make it possible for those who didn't care about the thing to avoid reading stories they have no interest in.

[Chris1975]

With the new phones being "subsidized" rather than a revenue share plan is there any official information from Apple or AT&T on how they are going to handle upgraders? Will we be able to walk in and purchase a new phone at the subsidized price and renew our 2 year agreement or will we be forced to break our contract (and pay a termination fee) before we can purchase a new phone, or will there be a higher price for the phone for those currently under contract. Also, how will it affect those under contract but not using an iPhone that want to upgrade? What if we break a phone and would rather replace it than pay Apple's extraordinary repair fee?

The nice thing about the old model was that there was no problem if you wanted to upgrade from an 8 GB to 16 GB or if you needed to replace a broken phone, you simply bought a new phone at regular price and activated it. Also, used iPhones held much of their value since there were not subsidized phones available.

I am considering selling mine now while there is still a decent resale value with no phones in the channel and the new ones are not available for a month, but I want to make sure that I can buy it at the price they are advertising and not some radically higher price like they do with other phones if you want to upgrade while in a contract.

[saelaenx]

In the UK at least, it will actually be cheaper, a saving of £170 (about $330) over the length of the contract if you sign up to a £35 ($70) per month or less contract. On the £45 and above plans, the iPhone (8GB) is free so its £269 ($520) cheaper than the same contract with the original model.

[sheldonk]

Agreeing with k2director. The iPhone is now a smartphone with the same data costs as every other AT&T smartphone. Even from my point of view, it should be. I used more data on the EDGE iPhone than I've ever used on another smartphone.
On that note, the phone itself is now available at half the price. Total cost of ownership over a two year period is $40 more. Wow, less than $2/month increase.
Furthermore, walk into the AT&T store. Get your iPhone 3G. Cancel your contract for $175. After activation fees and cancelation fees you can walk out with an iPhone and no contract for about the same price as the previous iPhone. So the phone itself w/ no contract is still about the same price.

[hypnocat]

you've overlooked the fact that AT&T has removed the text messaging from the package. so that's an extra $5/month if you want your 200 text messages back.