AT&T Inc. today announced iPhone 3G pricing for new and existing AT&T customers, several voice and data plans, and tips on how to be “iReady” when iPhone 3G goes on sale at AT&T retail stores at 8am local time on Friday, July 11.
“We can’t wait to offer iPhone 3G to our customers, and we want to make sure the buying process is as easy as possible,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T’s wireless unit, in the press release. “Considering all the great new features of iPhone 3G, we think our pricing and monthly plans present a tremendous value for consumers and businesses alike.”
Pricing and Eligibility
AT&T is helping customers prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting “Get iReady” tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also will include a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information.
iPhone 3G will be available for US$199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:
• iPhone customers who purchased before July 11
• Customers activating a new line with AT&T
• Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount
Existing AT&T customers who are not currently eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. In the future, AT&T will offer a no-contract-required option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).
Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount. Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history.
Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.
Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans
iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing).
• AT&T Nation Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.
• AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.
All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID.
AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each.
Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).
iPhone for Business
Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry’s only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.
iPhone 2.0 Software
All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, which offers a wide-range of applications — from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking. For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews.
In the future, AT&T;will offer a no-contract-required option for $599 (8GB) or $699 (16GB).
Does this mean that Apple will too?? and that they’ll be unlockable so i don’t have to use AT&T;???
AT&T;’s greed will kill iPhone.
Did you noticed that SMS is not included?
That makes the plan $15 dollars more expensive, $560 over the period of 2 years.
On the other hand, fsck SMS, I use 1-2 a month
Well, hopefully Apple stores will start selling at 8am as well. This will make the req’d in-store activation be able to spread out over the entire day.
Oh, and now I won’t have to lose an entire day waiting in line like last year.
What happenened to $199 for everybody??? How is Apple letting AT&T;get away with this?? Boo!!!!
I would imagine that iPhone 1 owners will not be eligible for an Upgrade Discount quite yet, so I doubt I’ll be joining the party this time. I think I’ll wait for 32-64 GB anyway.
Dumb question who are you going to use? GSM coverage is only provided by t-mobile and AT&T;sprint and verizon use two separate versions of CDMA tech and it isn’t compatible with the iPhone.
Overall it isn’t bad news
@Chrissy1
Read carefuly, iP1 owners pay $199 + $18 upgrade fee
The extra $5/month to get the 200 text messages is B.S. That was the great thing about the iPhone is that new people to smart phones and texting or casual users…combined with the way iPhone does it like iChat…didn’t have to worry about a bit of usage. It does bring the iPhone plan in line with other plans. Of course, if you send/receive less than 50 in a month, you’re better off without the plan. That sounds like Rogers in Canada logic.
I need the 1500 messages plan anyway, so I have to pay regardless, but for the casual/new user, this is a bit of a bummer. No free lunch.
Maybe 3G text msg’s arrive faster. ha ha
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@Rob
You think AT&T;’s greed is going to kill the iPhone.
Try again.
Check out the plans that Rogers is offering for the iPhone up here in Canada. Not a single one includes unlimited data. Also not a single one includes caller ID or any of that good stuff that is another $15 add on. Also If you’re heavy into texting you will want to add a texting plan I think for another $10. Also not to mention the BS fees that Canadian mobile carriers tack on every month: $6.95 system access fee and $0.50 911 fee.
So your Cheapest Rogers Plan at $60 a month which includes 400MB of data and 150 weekday minutes with unlimited evenings and weekends and 75 BONUS sent texts a month suddenly turns into a $92.45 a month plan PLUS 5% GST that the canadian government adds on in federal tax.
Canada is killing the iPhone not AT&T;
Wow, and I thought the T-Mobile plans in Germany were crappy…
a question for those in the know: i have next to no use for a phone (cell-free for 6 years now) but i would like a nice big screen to watch movies on at the gym. if i buy someone’s old iPhone can i get a pay as you go plan for it? Do i have to unlock it to do that or can i do that through AT&T;? Will the phone be bricked when it comes to me, if i buy it used?
I don’t know where all the angst is coming from. This is pretty much what everyone has been saying the pricing will be.
Man, that text messaging thing sucks. SMS has got to be _the_ biggest rip-off in modern day service: a couple of bytes (bytes, not kb!) and you pay exorbitant sums for it?! And you have to pay for incoming text messages too–which, btw, you have no control over receiving?!
Just outrageous….
Mike k
Buy an iPod touch
@ mike k.
How about an iPod Touch?
Holy mackerel, $700 for the 16gb unsubsidized? Then why did they take away the prepay option?
For $700 you’d think it would at least be unlocked.
@ Rob
Right you are! Sorry, haven’t had my coffee yet. >.<
How about an iPod Touch?
i figure i can scoop up an iPhone for cheaper, and storage is not really a major concern since i also have a classic.
I watched the Steve Jobs Keynote where he flashed the price on the giant screen that said $199….the crowd roared!!! Not $199 plus a couple extra hundred or so that AT&T;wants to gouge you out of. Not to mention charging for using the actual technology the phone you buy uses (3G)….AND charging for the text messaging!! What next 10¢ per song you play….maybe 25¢ to check the weather…5¢ per photo taken. Why did they lock into these rip off artists. I get my bill every month and it’s approx $240 (that’s w/ the 1st iPhone)….this includes 2 additional non iPhone lines and approx $36 for my home phone. I’m not paying $300/ month to use a stupid phone!!!!!! I didn’t even need one 8 years ago.
Where do I start?
* unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing):
Given how they’re already weaseling into a FIFTEEN dollar/month increase (making this a $160 price increase, not the $40 we originally thought), who’ll give me odds that they’re going to screw customers to the wall with this “e-mail and Web browsing” definition of “data,” and charge additional fees for other types of traffic (IM, VOIP, FTP, MPOG etc.)
* subsidizing the phone in exchange for the contract, or NOT subsidizing the phone but still requiring the contract. Shrewd!
* $18 “upgrade” fee?
Pshaw!
@ Mike K.
As far as I know, AT&T;offer’s a GoPhone plan for the iPhone (pay as you go with no contract required). The rates aren’t the best, but it’s ideal if you basically want the iPod Touch functionality with the ability to place emergency calls or communications. Downside is you would pay full price ($600) for an iPhone. Buying a used one on eBay like you were thinking, is probably the best way to go.
@ PC Apologist.
I agree with you. What’s the deal with the $18 upgrade fee? I can only assume that we are paying AT&T;for the time it will take their employees to service us in the checkout line. Apparently, my monthly service contract isn’t enough to pay for that.
I think IF AT&T;tried to charge for other types of data traffic such as IM, VOIP, FTP, Etc.. there would be an uproar. They would be the first to do it, and the backlash against Apple’s iPhone sales would be too much for Apple. I think Apple would step in and put their foot down (or guarantee AT&T;that if they don’t stop charging for every little thing, that they will not get a renewal in 5 years)(For the 3G iPhone (which would be a 4G data phone by then))(yeah, that’s all confusing).
I can’t wait till they update the iPod touch. I hope they bring it to par with the iPhone, save the cellular stuff. I can get free wi-fi most places i live, so i don’t “need” the 3G network.
I, too, am concerned that other things have been changed besides the removal of the 200 SMS text messages that have just now come to light.
I want iChat anyway — I don’t ever “text”. But ATT is making me wonder what else they’ll change and start charging.
MW: what “parts” of the plan are now going to cost us more?
OMG!!!
We only WISH for prices like these in Canada. Instead, Canadians get HOSED by Rogers… ONCE AGAIN!
Enjoy your iPhone, USA, it’ll be an iPod touch for me instead…
Sincereley,
A Jealous Canadian
I’ve often joked that I should duct tape my Samsung/Sprint M610 to the back of my iPod Touch for the “well rounded” iphone experience. After reading all that BS from AT&T;, it’s starting to sound like a fine option. Hmmm, perhaps Guerilla Glue® would offer up less mess.
The upgrade fee sounds like what’s normally called an activation fee, the charge for activating your new phone and number on their network when you first sign up.
It’s normally $36 so it seems AT&T;cut it in half and labeled it an upgrade fee.
This is one ugly web page: http://www.att.com/iphone.
The clashing of AT&T;culture with Apple’s is quite apparent. And what’s with those colors – blue and orange came from Cingular didn’t they? Time to cleanup the brand a bit, methinks.
Does anyone know if they will have corporate discounts on plans? I know for the old phone they didn’t but that might have been because Apple already got a share of the monthly fee.
R2 –
Yes, an activation fee (which is bull to begin with) for new service nominally covers new number provisioning & additional setup work involved. They’re charging 50% of the activation fee to their EXISTING CUSTOMERS who are only changing handsets.
I’m putting a strong recommend AGAINST the new device with these numbers to my customers. There will be a glut of secondhand 1st Gen iPhones on the market now, and those are the way to go if you must have iPhone, for as long as AT&T;will honor the original plan for them.
We can only hope it’s a (bad) marketing scam a la the first rollout where they will bring the prices back down in 2 months to make it more attractive.
It’s a bullshit fee no doubt, just like the extra money they’re tacking onto the price of unsubsidized iPhones.
Coming at it from the perspective of an AT&T;spokesman, however, I’d imagine there’s some bit of trouble the company goes through to activate the new phone. It must be more than a simple SIM switch and they feel it’s enough to warrant a fee.
this is bullshit….nowhere in the ads or unveiling of the 3G does it say you have to be eligible for upgrade from att to get 199 price….absolute bullshit….this means every single original iphone owner will have to pay 399 instead of 199….bullshit!!!!!
noone is eligible for upgrade until 1 1/2 years into thir contract…therefore even if you bought on opening day last year you cant get new one at 199 for another 6 months…BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!
@steve,
Unbunch your panties already…
Your totally misreading things…
If you bought an iPhone BEFORE July 11th, you are eligible for an upgrade, even if you bought it on July 10th 2008 (though upgrading the following day would be pretty stupid as it would cost $200 more!)
If you are an AT&T;customer and do NOT have an iPhone currently, but HAVE had AT&T;for at least 18 months, you are eligible for the upgrade.
If you are an AT&T;customer and do not have an iPhone currently, but HAVE NOT had service with AT&T;for at least 18 months or longer, then you are NOT eligible.
New customers to AT&T;are of course, eligible.
Some people get in an uproar so easily… sheesh
why the hell does this website insert a semicolon after the second T whenever anyone types AT&T;? (I did not put it there! I swear!)
It looks like it will be more expensive than they first let on.
Right now with AT&T;paying &60;/month for 2 phones on Family Plan lowest rate, hardly ever use it, just to talk to each other.
Before, we would have just needed to add $30/month for data. But now they’re saying $130/month which is $40/month more.
Too expensive; not worth it. Maybe they’ll change it.
@steve
You almost certainly fall into the very first category on the list: “iPhone customers who purchased before July 11.”
That makes you eligible for the upgrade pricing. No need to flip out!
“Eligible for upgrade” applies to people who bought a Razr or some other AT&T;phone a half a year ago and still have 18 months left on their contract. It’s like that for every carrier, you’re not eligible until your original contract expires.
That Razr customer can still buy an iPhone 3G for $399 and $499, however. The original iPhone prices. They’ll have to tack an extra two years onto their contract as well. Or they could activate a new line on their account and get it for $199 and $299.
1stGen iPhone owners get to step right up and buy the iPhone 3G for $199 and $299.
It would be SOOO funny to see July 11th roll around and not a single lemming standing in line waiting for this phone and stupid AT&T;plan. If the masses don’t agree with it, then lest not forget that the power is still in the people. If people don’t agree with it, people shouldn’t buy it, and that will surely send a ripple straight to AT&T;and Apple about there undercuting, sneak-around the back side, highway robbery of a business they are both conducting. Screw them both! I won’t be getting a new iphone…
It’s strange that existing customers cannot buy an iPhone July 11 at $199, because the carrier would make a lot more money off the iPhone plan than the current one. Perhaps they are anticipating big demand and feel they won’t be able to keep up and this is a way to curtail the rush.
so I’m trying to figure this out…when iPhone 1 launched, it as easy – take existing AT&T;, slap $20, $30, or $40 on top (depending on the number of Text Msgs you wanted per month) and there was your monthly charge. Now what? If I want to switch to the 3G version what’s my charge? Is it not a simple “layer-on” fee anymore? I have the $99 plan plus $20 for iphone data/text. What would I be charged if I upgraded? Sorry, maybe the answer is in front of me, but I’m not seeing it clearly.
Ok, am I missing something here? It says the 900 minutes plan (for voice) is going to be $89 per month. But I pay $59 per month for the same voice plan on my first generation iPhone. Or does that $89 per month include the unlimited data piece?
Can anyone clarify this for me?
no contract iPhone: 599.-$ PLUS tax in the US vs. 509.-$ INCL. tax in Switzerland. Great offer…
So now that the real pricing has sunk in .. where is all the let’s take over the Enterprise cheerleading now!? Kinda kills the thought when I can get a 8830 for less then $50 per device. With the current economy I wouldn’t be surprised to see any new device launch have so so numbers.
People need to understand the CONTRACT is where all the money is .. the hardware is secondary. Apple would’ve been better off pushing the touch and it’s wifi capabilities then jumping into that inclusive bed with at&t;.. hopefully they are having chats with Sprint / Verizon so it will bring around better contract pricing.
So… I bought one when it cost $599. The day it came out.
Does this mean I can’t get the iPhone 3g at the ‘new’ price?
Am I getting boned for spending the most money?
I really can’t understand why so many folks are upset at this new pricing plan.
When I purchased my iPhone a year ago it cost $499 (after Apple’s $100 rebate). I paid $60/month for voice, unlimited data and 200 text messages. Under the new pricing plan, I will pay $199 for the iPhone plus $75/month for voice, unlimited data and 200 text messages.
The cost for the iPhone plus two years service under the old plan totaled $1939. Under the new plan the two years cost will be $1999, a mere $60 more over two years (only $2.50/month), and I get a much improved iPhone! Seems like a good deal to me.
And, if I read this right, the ONLY people who would pay more than $199 for the 8 GB iPhone are those who already have an AT&T;contract not eligible for upgrade, yet want to substitute an iPhone on their existing line. Anyone who already bought an iPhone prior to 7/11/08, any AT&T;customer with a line eligible for upgrade, any AT&T;customer who gets a new line for the iPhone, and all new AT&T;customers pay only $199.
Where am I wrong?
I checked yesterday, I bought the iPhone a couple months after it came out, but I am eligible for an upgrade. Best bet is to call AT&T;support and ask them if you are eligible for an upgrade.
THE.MAC.GOD,
If you bought your iPhone and it’s currently activated on AT&T;’s service, then you get to buy the iPhone 3G for $199-$299.
@ MrScrith. It makes no difference to existing iPhone owners if their account is eligible or not for an upgrade. They still buy a new one for $199.
“Phone 3G will be available for US$199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:
• iPhone customers who purchased before July 11
• Customers activating a new line with AT&T;• Current AT&T;customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount”
Fuck AT&T;for nickel and diming us on text messaging. Fuckin’ scumwhores!
I wish Apple would open up an MVNO . . .
In order to keep the semicolon from showing up after AT&T;(<-such as that), you would need to use the HTML equivalent (I can’t remember the actual home, it’s not HTML).
To get AT&T to appear, you would need to type &
That should fix the problem so that instead of AT&T;, you get AT&T.
If I buy iPhone 2.0 without a contract ($600), is the phone unlocked?
If not unlocked then why is it offered?
Anyone understand this?
thx
I wonder what happened to that rumor that attwi-fi hotspots were going to be included in the new plans?
These higher rates with no contract are nuts! According to everything on AT&T;’s website, the early termination fee is still $175. So why can’t you just buy iPhone 3G for $199 + $36 activation fee, then cancel your service and pay the $175 early termination fee? Then you’ve got iPhone with no contract for less money! (Of course, no service either, but that’s a different problem.)
Or am I missing something?
@ zmarc
If you have no contract, how can there be a “termination” fee?
@ zmarc
Sorry, zmarc, after re-reading your post I understand what you’re saying and agree with your point.
If you terminate the contract and pay the termination fee, does the iPhone then have to go back to AT&T;?
@MacBart &
@Zmarc, &
@F1Mikal in NYC
First, the article says “in the future” AT&T;will offer the phone w/out a contract. I don’t think they will offer it in the interim. This is probably to avoid monopolistic type issues. The idea is for people that want to buy it w/out having to sign a new 2-year contract. However, the phone will still be locked to AT&T.
As for purchasing the phone and then canceling the contract, that is a good question. AT&T might blackball you so that you can’t do that in the future. Also, this would allow a selected few to unlock the device to use with a different carrier, but you couldn’t get in the business of going and buying 3 or 4 phones from AT&T, and then canceling, and then doing it again etc… for profit on the “black iPhone market”.
Basically, it looks like AT&T don’t like people unlocking the phone, but they have kind of made it possible for people to do it only for personal use (which according to US law is legal), but not for commercial use (meaning, unlocking phones and selling for profit…which according to US law is illegal).
The other factors (at least in the US) is that this is a GSM phone. The only other GSM carrier in the US is T-Mobile. T-Mobile doesn’t have a 3G network. So why on earth would somebody want to go through all the hassle of going to AT&T and getting a new iPhone 3G, then canceling it the contract, paying the termination fee, and unlocking the phone to work on a non 3G network? For a GPS chip? That seems silly.
I think the number of unlocked iPhone 3G’s will be minimal and you won’t really find them online because they serve no purpose in the US. Only if someone developed a SIM card that made the phone think it was on a Sprint or Verizon network would it be beneficial…and even so, those guys don’t use HSDPA (like AT&T, they use EdVO, so I don’t think the 3G technology is compatible).
At any rate, it would be pointless to try and unlock an iPhone 3G in the US. It would be pointless to buy one w/out a contract because your paying more to use less features on an inferior (data) network.
It would be interesting to see if there is a clause in the AT&T service contract (or maybe an Apple Terms of Agreement) that states if the service is cancelled within a certain time frame, that the devices are returned to AT&T, plus the early termination fee.
Hmmm.
AT&T;AT&T
MDN Word: works (let’s see).
Testing this AT&T typing thing.
MDN Word: Much
Very nice. This & thing is about as lame as AT&T’s upgrade policies.
MDN: Perhaps.
@Cascadians,
@AtlantaX,
The plans listed are just examples of regular plans with $30 added on for each phone with a 3G data plan. If you have a family plan with one 3G phone, you only pay one $30 charge. For each 2G iPhone you only add $20 for the data plan.
The 550 minute family plan is not offered everywhere, but where it is offered I would expect it to continue to be available for $10 less than the 700 minute plan.
What is the price going to be in the Apple store on 11JUL? Are they going to determine if the customer is eligible for the upgrade price?
Its hard for me to picture anything other then $199 and $299 at the Apple store… especially since all the adds say “twice as fast, half the price”