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Ken Mingis

Mingis on Macs

New iPhones for thee, but not for me

3 comments

TAGS:Apple; iPhone; 3G; 3G S; AT&T
IT TOPICS:Macintosh & Apple, Mobile & Wireless, Personal Technology

The good news is that the new iPhones will be out on June 19. The bad news is that I won't be among those in line to buy one next week. Seems I'd have to pay $200 more than the prices touted at WWDC today because I got a new iPhone last fall when my first-gen iPhone failed. (The touch screen stopped responding to touch, which makes it kind of tough to dial, or tap, or do much of anything.)

The problem has to do with the subsidized prices AT&T offers on the iPhone; Basically, AT&T doesn't want to subsidize new iPhones as often as I, and probably a lot of users, want to buy them. So be forewarned: If you already have an iPhone 3G, you may have to wait a while before you can buy a new one without coughing up a small fortune.

In my case, I'm out of the penalty box on Oct. 26. Not that I'm counting the days or anything....

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Good!

Submitted by FreeMarket on June 11, 2009 - 2:20 P.M.

Anything that puts the brakes on the throw-away culture is a good thing...

When this iPhone breaks, you can buy a new one. No pouting!

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Okay. As a brand-new IPHONE

Submitted by EstherRolle on June 10, 2009 - 11:34 A.M.

Okay. As a brand-new IPHONE customer, I drank the Kool-Aid, and tried to sign up online for the new IPHONE, even though some of the terms seemed ridiculous. Like text messaging being an extra add-on cost. Hell-ooo.

After I finished the online process, I was informed 'You must come into the store to complete the transaction and receive your new IPHONE.'

I am unemployed but not anywhere near insolvent, so there shouldn't have been any problems with my credit. However, I am not about to go downtown to find an Apple store, just to be embarrassed in a public venue if my credit is declined.

So Apple lost me. Also, once the impulse decision was over, I realized that it wasn't all that great of a deal. Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to consolidate devices and bills, not for financial reasons, but because it's ridiculous to carry around a cell phone (Verizon for my cell phone service, with a contract that ends next month, yippie ay ay, and T-Mobile for data) and a PDA.

I love T-Mo. The problem is that my freaking G1 has a battery life that makes the device useless. If I add a phone service plan to the G1, it will make the battery life even shorter than it already is right now, so what's the point of doing that?

I would be leashed to AT*T/Iphone right now if I'd just been able to complete the entire process online. I hate people. Why would I want to drive all the way over to an Apple store to complete the sign-up process with a real-live human being, when there's no reason why the deal couldn't have been finished online.

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