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General discussion

How much will it cost to get an iPhone 4?

Jun 8, 2010 7:50AM PDT

In July 2009, I bought an iPhone 3GS. I got a 2-year agreement with it, from AT&T. Will I be able to transfer the SIM card for just $299, or pay extra because it hasn't been 2 years?

Discussion is locked

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I have read that the first 3GS buyers
Jun 8, 2010 8:40AM PDT

Will be eligible for a regular upgrade as long as you are willing to sign another 2 year contract. Which means they knocked a year off your contract obligation.

Check with apple to verify this but it seems to be accurate.

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Good call by Apple
Jun 9, 2010 12:09AM PDT

Given the rapid evolution now in the smartphone arena, I'm hoping other carriers pick up on what Apple's done re: the iPhone 4. I just got an HTC Incredible, and --while not available on my carrier-- the EVO has quickly surpassed it in specs. Keep the 2 year contract if you must, but at least provide for an upgrade option before 2 years.

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How much you want to bet the
Jun 9, 2010 3:36AM PDT

increased early termination fees are what's allowing then to offer upgrades only a year into a two year contract? Or they are making so much money they have already made their subsidy back after a year and the remaining year is just a way to lock you in to staying with them?

I want more transparency into how our subsidies are paid for out of our monthly bills.

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Don't have all the answers...but
Jun 9, 2010 5:10AM PDT

To me, it stands to reason that if a carrier is heavily subsidizing a smartphone, then doesn't it make sense that they be able to recoup their costs if someone breaks the contract?

Example: Say you were under a plan with a $175 termination fee, and you had a nice new shiny iPhone. Doesn't take much to figure out that you could pretty much cancel right off the top and resell your phone at a profit, or at least break even. By the same token, termination fees should be on a pro-rated scale, whereby if you cancel in month 23 of 24, you pay something on the order of $15.

But I don't have all the facts about how this really works, given that I haven't had to cancel out in my contract-lifetime. So, clue me in if I'm missing something.

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Not against subsidies or ETF's
Jun 9, 2010 5:33AM PDT

(although ETF's should be pro-rated).

But the lack of transparency into HOW the subsidies are recouped is in all likelihood allowing carriers to keep us locked into contracts much longer than they need to as well as keep unsubsidized phones from being able to really compete. If your service and data plan are the same whether you take out a contract or not why would anyone choose the unsubsidized route?

US carriers love to make it hard for you to leave and go to a competitor so its in their interest to keep the scales tilted in the direction of the subsidized/hardware locked system. Which is fine assuming they are not gouging us just as a deterrent from leaving long after they have recouped their money and refusing to unlock phones that we paid for after our obligation is up to them. But they don;t do this. It's like a bank holding your home captive after you have paid off your mortgage.

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Nothing to do with Apple
Jun 9, 2010 4:36PM PDT

Apple just charges $600 for the phone to whoever sells it. Carrier figured out the rest and how to repay that.