Six months.
So, then why did we get fully subsidized pricing on our iPhone 4’s when we are Day One iPhone 3GS buyers (not to mention Day One iPhone and iPhone 3G buyers)?
We paid $299 for each of our iPhone 4 32GB models, yet we bought our iPhone 3GS models less than 12 months ago. And, last June 19th, we paid dearly for the privilege.
Was the $299 price we got during our iPhone 4 pre-orders a computer error? Will we be charged another $200 per unit on June 24th? Or did we get it because we paid the full (unsubsidized) price for our iPhone 3GS units last June?
Has anyone else pre-ordered iPhone 4 models at the fully-subsidized prices ($199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB models) who was also more than 6 months from the end of their 24-month AT&T Mobility contracts?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe Architect” for proposing these questions.]
Actually, it’s not 24 months but 18 months to qualify for the full discount. So 18 – 6 = 12, which seems correct to me.
Yes. My old contract would have expired in January. I paid $299 for a black, 32GB model. Delivery is 6/24. The $18 upgrade fee was waived.
Dial *new# from your iPhone. In may when I checked, my upgrade date was November of this year (I was also day one 3 GS). Since the announcement when I checked, it says I’m eligible for full subsidy. I was also able to preorder the 32gb for $299. Seems all good on my end.
I was originally eligible on November 19 and I got a full upgrade. I pay $88 a month. The amazing thing though, is that my sister, who bought her 3gs in December of last year and only pays $80 a month, was eligible for a full upgrade. She has payed them just over $500, barely enough to cover the subsidation, let alone enough for bandwidth anD so they could even make a profit from her. Pretty good deal.
It is for a very good reason … to lock you into another two-year contract before Apple opens the iPhone to competing cellphone operators.
I got subsidized this time and got royally screwed last time at $699 for the 3Gs
Mine still says that I’ll be eligible January 9th 🙁
Not us: I have a 3G and my wife has a 3Gs. I was able to get subsidized pricing on mine, naturally. However, my wife was listed as being eligible Feb. 2011 for her 3Gs. She called and was told the window is actually 22 months, but she is eligible for early upgrade pricing which splits the subsidized/full price difference meaning an extra $200 if she wants one. The 22-month number makes no sense as that would put her in April. I also read on an ATT FAQ that customers that pay $99 and more per line are eligible for 12-18 month upgrades: the more you pay the faster you can upgrade, which makes sense. We are on a family plan with her phone being the primary account. This technically makes my wife’s plan greater than $99 dollars so she should qualify. She has yet to check into that though; they probably have different rules for family plans
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> It may also be that the FAQ is out-of-date. The web site is pretty pathetic in terms of up-to-date information once you start drilling down deep.
It appears as if the rules/answers change depending on who you talk to. Why am I not surprised?
I’ve bought every new iPhone from 2007 iphone, iphone 3G, iphone 3GS, and now the iPhone 4 on the day it was released. Every time, ATT gave me the discounted subsidized price with a new 2 year contract extension. My wife who is on my family plan has done the same thing, but for some reason, it says that she can’t upgrade until January. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how ATT handles upgrades.
I got my iPhone 3Gs 32GB on July 3rd last year and I just preordered the new iphone on the 15th.. so I’ve had it less than 12 months.
Bought 2 3GS iPhones 1st day, but only 1 eligible now (family plan). Goes by how much you pay per month, how many months, your standing, etc.
Bought 2 years AppleCare on each iPhone 3GS, don’t know if Apple will transfer 2nd year to iPhone4. Not that it’s possible to order one now …
Just 1 iPhone4 sort of screws up the FaceTime bennie.
I bought my 3GS for $150 from the refurbished section on at&t;’s website. All I did was wait a few months after it came out. Bought my kids the 3g for $50 ea refurbished too. They looked and smelled brand new, only difference was they were not in the fancy retail box, came with new cables and headphones. They have performed flawlessly. Apple refurbished gear is top notch, they make it like new.
So I think I am going to wait awhile on iPhone 4, I paid full retail for the original when it came out, and vowed never again to do that..Now that the 3Gs is only $99, I think I will upgrade my kids though, but if I can find refurbs for $50 you bet I’m jumping on that.
Explore your option people there are inexpensive ways to upgrade your kit..
Just tried to access my upgrade options on the AT&T;website and got a message saying that I have to call to find out.
Still website issues I guess.
Anyone else seeing the same message??
@rob nailed it. Luckily the first comment knew the answer. Even thought it is a 2 year contract, AT&T;makes you eligible for upgrade pricing after 18 months. This is to keep customers from even getting close to letting their contracts expire. They do this for all of their phones, not just smart phones and iPhones (smarter phones).
So, yes, if you bought your 3GS in June 2009, you would normally be eligible for upgrade pricing of November 2010.
Since AT&T;wants to lock in as many lucrative iPhone customers as possible before they lose the exclusive later this year, they bumped up all those upgrade dates.
I have no problems with AT&T;’s coverage, or service, so this is great for me!
I bought a 3G on day 1…but because I had changed phone numbers several times in the mean time my contract had been renewed and I wasn’t eligible for an upgrade until 6/9/2011. That was, until I went into the AT&T;store and pleaded my case that I hadn’t changed hardware in 2+ years, only phone numbers.
They allowed me an early upgrade with no extra cost. Expecting my iPhone 4 on my doorstep June 24!
When your contract expires in only a part of it. It also depends on the amount of your bill on average etc. Talk to ATT. It is not a mystery! I went through this.
Hmmm, it sounds like we are in the same boat: family plans. They are definitely making it up as they see fit. Her account is definitely the primary holder with mine being the second phone. Therefore, her account is the bulk of the cost with mine being the “share the minutes and pay the data plan only” phone.
I am willing to bet they are treating family plans differently as the payback is sort of “shared” making the subsidization period longer. Even stranger is our spouses have different eligibility dates even though they were both purchased on day one? Would be nice if they explained the rules for upgrades instead of getting people riled up with inconsistencies.
I was also an early 3GS purchaser, as well as 3G and Original, plus 3G iPad. I too was surprised to find that AT&T;was offering me the subsidized upgrade fee, charging me only $18 additional They said it was because I was such a “valued customer.” Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my order in on Tuesday. I’ll be interested to see what MDN is actually charged when the new phone arrives. I’d guess that you will get the subsidized price.
AT&T;obviously did this because they’re losing their exclusivity soon, possibly as early as this year. I was only 10 months into my iPhone 3GS contract (which was my very first iPhone, by the way), meaning that I still had 14 months left on my contract! 14 months left!! Yet I got the 100% fully subsidized price for the iPhone 4.
I bought a 32GB 3GS on Day 1 for $299, I am not elgible for an upgrade until February 21st with no no explanation from AT&T;. I ordered a 32 GB iPhone 4 for $499 and will work on the pricing with AT&T;in the meantime.
Upgrade eligibility is based on 18 months…. Not 24 months. Even though your contract is for 24 months, they want to draw ya in for longer while they still have you.
I bought the $299 3GS, and have the bill to prove it, on June 11, 2009-12 months and 6 days ago. On June 15, I bought the $299 4 for delivery on the 24th. My $299 upgrade price was confirmed by AT&T;.
Looks like some people are really getting screwed compared to me.
SO those that have upgraded, any trouble keeping your old unlimited plan?
That is what seems key to me..
I got the 3GS in November and I was able to get the 16GB iPhone 4 for $199. I think it’s because my monthly bill is over $100, so it’s a year to year thing instead of 18 months (we have two iphones on our bill, and I’ve been able to upgrade each year).
The service contract was for 24 months, but you are eligible for new hardware after only 18 months — two separate issues. AT&T;moved up the hardware eligibility date by 6 months, reducing it to only 12 months, making 3GS early adopters eligible.
There is no mystery here. Just a mis-understanding by the person who posed the original question.