DISQUS

howie · 6 months ago

ive already ordered my 32Gb iPhone 3Gs. Im still on iPhone gen 1, so im eligible for the upgrade. it was an easy decision.

I agree on the AT&T front. I dont know what all the complaining is about the service as mine has been generally good since day one, at least here in NYC. However, being the only provider with the iphone, AT&T is showing its true colors and this is what we would be seeing if they were a monopoly. unresponsiveness to customer needs particularly relating to requested features and pricing. I thought apple was keeping the exclusivity deal with AT&T because the leverage would get Apple whatever it wants from them? (like they did with visual voicemail, data plans, etc). Does AT&T's sudden lack of responsiveness hint at the pending end of this exclusivity?

Finally, between the hardware and software upgrades and the price drops on the low end, Apple is showing they are in this to win this. Its GREAT to see the smartphone market in such heated competition between palm, RIM, google, etc. Seriously, who in their right mind would still buy a handset with windows mobile?!?

felix · 6 months ago

Yeah - I think Apple's with AT&T because they got them to provide a massive subsidy. Dunno, I mean, it's not like T-mob's going to be much better. People hate AT&T and talk about all the other options, but really the only one that'd be an improvement would be Verizon, but that'd be not GSM. Bleeach. I wish Apple would use their leverage to get some better plans and what not, but I guess someone must have their reasons. I'd think, though, if the exclusiveness were coming up, AT&T would have gone to extra measures to make nice with their iPhone customers so they didn't all flood to another carrier.

Apple is definitely in it to win it - just read Steve Gillmore's surprisingly good post http://www.techcrunchit.com/2009/06/08/why-appl... - I don't normally love his posts but this one was a good 'un.

mikebrittain · 6 months ago

I've got to say that AT&T is likely forcing those 2-year contract commitments because they have already subsidized one iPhone and expected to recoup a certain amount of dough on that contract. I would bet that Apple put the screws to AT&T to subsidize as much as possible so as to increase adoption rate at a cheaper price... otherwise, we'd still see that $500 price tag that came on the original iPhone (it was $500, right?).

Unfortunately, AT&T takes the blame because iPhone devotees want their new gear. I suspect that it's just as much Apple's fault for creating false economics.

All of that said, I'm glad I skipped the 3G because it didn't look like that much of an upgrade. But the 3GS sounds pretty awesome. :)

And, Howie, you can look forward to me buying you a Windows Mobile phone for your birthday next year. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.