iPhone to run $300-400 after contract?

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 16th 2007 at 2:14PM

Everything we've been told with regard to the iPhone's pricing structure has suggested that the 4GB would hit at $499 and the 8GB at $599, and that this would be an on-contract price -- expensive, yes, but likely still in the right range to keep sales brisk. New advertising allegedly leaked out of a consumer survey suggests that the 2-year contract price could come in a full two hundie lower, though: $299 for 4GB, $399 for 8GB. This would sorta jibe with a Cingular exec's comment regarding the availability of units to folks outside coverage areas at a contract-free price, but perhaps more importantly, it's fabulous news for folks who will be able to take advantage of a contract re-upping. Of course, this is all coming out of a survey -- perhaps gauging reaction to pricing -- so we need to wait for some more clarification from the powers that be before declaring our wallets a little less burdened come June.

Filed under: Handsets, ATT, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, Apple, iPhone OS

Tags: apple, cingular, iphone

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

ShortFuse @ Feb 16th 2007 2:25PM

This makes it more affordable (and answers those questions we had about $$$)
Phone retails $499 for 4gb, $599 for 8gb
2 yr contract gives a $200 discount, to $299 and $399
Exclusivity means it's locked to Cingular. It'll be available at the Cingular store.
Think of the jawbone when it was Cingular exclusive. This probably means you can get the phone by walking into the store (good for T-Mobile users) but since this isn't a standard operating system it might take a while for a hacker to figure out how to unlock it.

Neutral

beanspants @ Feb 16th 2007 2:46PM

That add is totally fake. there will be no carrier subsidy on the iphone, and it will be sold in apple stores. you could walk into an apple store and buy it without ever going to a cingular store.

Neutral

warren @ Feb 16th 2007 3:18PM

what a load of crap, a) any leaked advertising will have no mention of cingular cause the phone is scheduled to come out from what i can only assume is after they start (or even finish) rebranding. b) it says you will be able to use a the $20 unlimited smartphone plan, i dont even think tmobile has an unlimited data plan that cheep for a full featured pda. and c) they mention being able to use this on pay-as-you go... hahah have u ever seen a $700 pay as you go phone

i could have made a better fake ad in a microsoft word document

Neutral

Jason @ Feb 16th 2007 4:29PM

TOTAL FAKE...I've done better pshop in my sleep than this piece of crap.

Neutral

Donald @ Feb 16th 2007 5:33PM

"c) they mention being able to use this on pay-as-you go... hahah have u ever seen a $700 pay as you go phone"

I've seen people use BBs, Treos and even the 8525 on Cingular prepaid, so anything's possible. $499/$599 would put it in that price range - a little higher than the Berries but a little lower than the Treo/8525.

Neutral

Wireless Buddy @ Feb 16th 2007 5:39PM

@warren:

Sprint offers unlimited PDA data for $15 per month. It's not to weird. Also, I don't think it's weird for it to be available to prepaid. More customers! Plus, everyone (probably not anyone here though) will want an iPhone and some might be under 18 or have bad credit.

Neutral

Tobin92 @ Feb 16th 2007 11:39PM

$299 is MUCH better, I am begging is will have a SD card slot for my 4gb card

Neutral

perfectionist @ Feb 16th 2007 7:35PM

I'd get the iPhone if it was available on prepaid. The prepaid plan would probably be similar to the Sidekick $1 a day plan on T-Mobile, IF this was real, that is...

There's some people with low minute usage and high text and/or data usage. Yeah, it's a small market, but more customers is better.

Neutral

felldownthewell @ Feb 17th 2007 1:42AM

At the request of the researchers the image was removed over at macrumors, which gives a bit more credit to the image I suppose.

Neutral

Chris Cuyar @ Feb 17th 2007 1:58AM

When the iPhone was unveiled there was an entire slide on how you HAD to have a 2 year service agreement and I don't think that includes prepaid. And secondly, Apple is really serious about the iPhone not cannibalizing their iPods, so they were very firm when dealing with service providers that they would not let the phone be subsidized. That is the reason it isn't going to be with Verizon for a long long time. Verizon didn't want to have to share revenues with Apple or deal with their BS on regulating the price of the phone being sold through the cell service providers.

The phone will be full price and that is for sure(it is rumored that the service may be discounted, but I wouldn't believe that either until I see it). The phone will also be inseparable from a special two year contract with Cingular, so no prepaid cards. And the data plan may or may not be optional, but it has built in wifi, so if the data plan were optional, Id just make use of hotspots and avoid the sometimes costly plans.

Thanks
Chris

Neutral

Sen. Gronk (I) @ Feb 17th 2007 5:11PM

This is clearly a comp for focus-grouping. I would guess that Cingular is working on a price point for the fall/winter when they can start dropping the price. OR they are gathering a case for convincing Apple that the price is too high. Anyway, I'm convinced this is real because it looks like something horrible that a marketing intern made in PPT. Only Apple dorks, like me, make things that look realistic. That's the too-real truth in the advertising world. Especially with a place like AT&T where suits drive creative decisions.
"Suit!" - Entourage

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