“Priya Sanghvi wants an Apple iPhone from AT&T’s Cingular Wireless when it comes out in June, and she is already strategizing how to get it,” Jefferson Graham reports for USA Today.
Graham reports, “Now a Verizon Wireless customer, she’s exploring a range of options, including trying to wrestle with Verizon to let her out of her contract early, using one of the new online swap services to dump the remaining months of the contract, or even just paying the $175 early-termination fee. ‘I just switched from a Dell to an Apple laptop and love the Mac lifestyle,’ says Sanghvi, 22, a recent graduate of New York University. ‘I never go anywhere without my iPod and cellphone. Now, I’ll only have to bring one device with me.'”
“Like Sanghvi, Atlanta software customer service manager Nate Mansfield is ready to dump his Verizon service with a year remaining on his contract, even though he’s perfectly satisfied with it,” Graham reports. “He’s got iPhone fever, though he’s never seen the phone in person.”
MacDailyNews Take: People were also perfectly satisfied with horses until the automobile was invented.
Graham continues, “Consumers are turning to blogs and websites to chat up the iPhone and trade tips on whether they can get out of an existing contract to sign with Cingular.”
“‘People are desperately looking for ways to cancel their service so they can get the iPhone,’ says Meghann Marco, associate editor of The Consumerist website. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this.’ Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research, thinks many consumers will switch to Cingular for the iPhone but says most will simply pay an early-termination fee or wait out their contracts,” Graham reports.
More in the full article including tips on getting out of contracts here.
Can you say “massive demand?” We knew you could.
Related articles:
Getting ready for Apple iPhone: How to get out of your 2-year cellphone contract – March 13, 2007
Wired’s Mortensen: Apple is under-selling iPhone with their 10 million figure – March 13, 2007
Apple’s marketing machine does it again: iPhone generates $400 million in free publicity – March 10, 2007
Analyst: Apple’s iPhone has Palm ‘shaking in their sandals’ – March 09, 2007
Which company is most at risk from Apple’s looming iPhone onslaught? – March 04, 2007
Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple ‘buy’ – says market is underestimating iPhone demand – March 01, 2007
Apple’s 10 million iPhone sales target for 2008 would surpass most other smart phone sales – March 01, 2007
Apple COO Tim Cook: iPhone is a revolutionary product; you get what you pay for – February 28, 2007
How will vehicle makers integrate Apple’s iPhone? – February 28, 2007
Apple COO Tim Cook: iPhone on track for June launch – February 27, 2007
Goldman Sachs: 4 reasons to be bullish on Apple’s iPhone – February 26, 2007
Apple airs iPhone teaser ad during Oscars – February 25, 2007
Apple preps 3G iPhone model for Europe – February 25, 2007
The once-mighty Palm Inc. doomed to decline and failure – thanks to Apple’s iPhone – February 23, 2007
Palm CEO can’t stop talking about Apple iPhone – February 19, 2007
How Steve Jobs played hardball in iPhone deal with AT&T (Cingular) – February 17, 2007
Digit takes a closer look at Apple’s iPhone – February 14, 2007
Microsoft caught off-guard, beaten badly by Apple’s iPhone innovations – February 13, 2007
Apple’s soon-to-be iPhone rivals sound just like iPod rivals circa 2001 – February 01, 2007
How Verizon blew the Apple iPhone deal – January 29, 2007
O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile battle for exclusive rights to Apple iPhone in UK – January 26, 2007
Rogers to offer Apple iPhone exclusively in Canada – January 25, 2007
Research in Motion downgraded due to Apple iPhone competition – January 23, 2007
Ihnatko: Hands-on with Apple’s iPhone (which runs Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard) – January 18, 2007
Microsoft CEO Ballmer laughs at Apple iPhone – January 17, 2007
RealMoney: Apple just blew up the whole damn mobile-phone supply chain with its new iPhone – January 11, 2007
eWeek: Apple iPhone fallout: ‘They must be crying in Nokia-ville and other telephony towns today’ – January 10, 2007
Jefferies downgrades Motorola on fears of market share loss to Apple iPhone – January 10, 2007
The massive FUD campaign against Apple’s iPhone ramps up – January 10, 2007
Time: ‘iPhone could crush cell phone market pitilessly beneath the weight of its own superiority’ – January 09, 2007
Analyst: Apple iPhone should be given its own category – ‘brilliantphone’ – January 09, 2007
Apple debuts iPhone: touchscreen mobile phone + widescreen iPod + Internet communicator – January 09, 2007
My T-mobile contract just expired and I am ready for the iPhone. My only fear is being screwed by AT&T. I hate phone companies. Hopefully Apple can whip them into shape.
iPhone, BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, if you think back to the late 90’s, and even the early 2000’s, we couldn’t have dreamed of news like this. Apple is powerful and kicking ass now. I love it!
RIGHT ON TYPHOON
Its a great time to be an APPLE lover!!
Doesn’t Bill look like a cartoon turtle in that picture?
And why is Wayne Newton with him?
Already cancelled Sprint to convert
MacDailyNews Take: People were also perfectly satisfied with horses until the automobile was invented.
My take: People were also perfectly satisfied with using their hands until toilet paper was invented.
My life does not call for a device like this right now,
but I am thrilled with the anticipation of it’s success.
LOL No Squirt For You!
Miss Sanghvi is a clever girl.
MW: ‘find’ as in ‘find the Apple lifestyle and be happy’.
You know, there’s a lot to be said for pay as you go plans, and buying the phone outright.
US cellular phone systems really need an overhaul… charging so much each month for what?
I am here in Sacramento. I have Sprint. Given my home and office location. Sprint is the best alternative. I must admit though, the iPhone may compel me to leave Sprint, pay the termination fee, and cheerfully agree to suffer with Cingular. My hope is that given Apple’s Track record for perfection that the truth is that the device truly is equally as important as the cell towers that send the signal. Perhaps the iPhone and Cingular will be a good marriage with devices. Good service maybe?
Today I experienced unusually good customer service with Sprint. So good that I needed therapy afterwards!
Anyway, I called because of the fact that I am on my 11th warranty exchange with my Palm Treo 700p and wanted to find out what it would cost me to terminate my service. I am sick to death of the appalling Treo! I explained the circumstances and the apparent reason that many are going to not walk but run to the iPhone. The representative short of begging me to stay offered to credit my account a month of service, give me the most current and best BlackBerry, free unlimited text messaging, lowered the cost of my EDVO as well as gave me some other benefits. Imagine this, all without materially changing my plan in such a way to extend the term of my contact. The CSR experience was unreal. The Sprint rep. behaved like my friend and that they sincerely care and have concern for my user experience. This was a truly weird experience as they are often rude, not helpful, and do not care if you leave. In the past when I threatened to do so, they were quick to advice about the termination fee and that they will collect this fee!
I wonder if the cell providers are going to be doing much hurdle leaping as the iPhone begins to makes its in-hand debut to the public to desperately hold on to their customer base. Or, was I just lucky. I would not surprise me if Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile start blowing their customers.
Currently have two phones under T-Mobile. Luckily in June my 1 yer will be up!!!
THe wife and I are then buying shiney new iPhones!!!!
Been a cingular customer for years, contract up next month, and an upgrade in my sights, it SO will be the iphone.
David: I would not surprise me if Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile start blowing their customers.
blowjobs for some, miniature american flags for others …
Hey LinuxGuy, remind me not to shake yoooour hand.
ChrissyOne:
“I’m already on Cingular, and I’m even due for a new phone next month. At which time I will pitch my Motorola out of a fast moving vehicle.”
I think we should have a big party somewhere in June and have everyone bring their current junky cell phones and “Office Space” style orgy of sledge hammer smashing on all the crappy phones!
“MacDailyNews Take: People were also perfectly satisfied with horses until the automobile was invented.
“
Even then, people around Redmond were perfectly happy selling the $hit from their horses to any unsuspecting passerby until this very day!