[3g-g]

The pricing for the US version of the iPhone has been announced, 2 year contract anyone? An activation fee for the handset? The networks here better sub it drastically if they want it to take off, I'm not sure Apple is as popular here as it is in the states.


AT&T and Apple have announced what the iPhone will cost customers over the two-year contract they'll be obliged to sign - and it's pretty-much what AT&T charges customers already.

The iPhone will require activation, at a cost of $36, in addition to the $599 price tag on the device itself. Customers will then need to sign up to price plans at $60, $80 or $100 a month, all featuring unlimited data and 200 text messages, but with 450, 900 and 1,350 voice minutes respectively.

Add it all up and it comes to just over $2,000, or an even grand in proper money.

The hundred-dollar saving available by buying the 4GB model, at $499, is unlikely to be taken up by anyone except those arriving too late to get hold of the 8GB version.

Text messaging has never been as popular in the US, and Apple has made much of the email capabilities of the handset, so while 200 messages might seem painfully inadequate from this side of the pond, it's not unreasonable over there.

Long term the contract price might have an impact on sales, but these prices aren't enough to discourage the fans already queuing outside Apple stores in the US in preparation for Friday's launch.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/26/iphone_contract_prices/

[Hands0n]

I can live with an 18-month contract, but 24 months? Oh dear me no. That is just too far out for me to want to entertain. Bearing in mind that 18-month contracts have hurt the Mobile Networks' finance books, I wonder then what 24-months will do. Sure, they get an increased lock-in of new or repeat customers. But they also have to wait longer, much longer, for any chance at winning back churned custom.

If they can feel this effect with 18-month contracts, they will definitely feel the stinging sensation of 24-month versions.

Perhaps, then, the answer is to offer this premium handset with a lower subsidy, coming into line with European partners? Would this work for the British market?

The only fear is that, as usual, the $2,000 will have a direct translation into £2,000 here. It is normal practise for the exchange rate to be swept aside in favour of a changing of the currency symbol as the price crosses the Atlantic.

So, £2,000 for a phone with a 18 or 24-month contract anyone?

Perhaps, just perhaps, if all of the "network" facilities that Steve showed off at the iPhone launch (Visual Voicemail and that sort of stuff). And unlimited data as the Americans are getting for their $s. Perhaps that will be sufficient to pull in the custom. But Apple and the Networks have to ignore us lot - we're already sold by and large. The general buying Public will not necessarily be quite so sold on all of the wonders of the iPhone.

[Ben]

The service plan itself is pretty good value. Ok, the term is outta-whack, but we're talking about the US here and the mobile market is very different. A look on the US sites reveals that these tariffs are largely going down very well indeed.

Exciting stuff, I can't wait to see/hear the first end user reviews/thoughts/comments - activating the handset via iTunes is just too cool :D

[miffed]

Now wait a god damn minute

are ya'll saying we'sa gotta get ourselves a god damn yankee contract from good ol' uncle sam if we want one of dem dere iphones ?

Well skin me a rattlesnake !

Seriously though ...

Two different markets surely ? :confused:

[Hands0n]

I'd have thought so. The American model just would not work here at all - we are a nation of texters and the plan will have to fit that, or we'll be staying away in droves.

The rumour mill says that it is T-Mobile that have it - and they are the best at the moment in Data terms.

The American experience will be of interest - but we'll be making our own way when the iPhone lands on our shores at the end of this year.

[chagle]

I've just watched a couple of iPhone videos on the Apple website - God this device looks wicked!

My T-mobile contract is up at the end of the year, so maybe just in time for the iPhone - if the price/contact is right of course!

[Hands0n]

Yea, my T-Mobile contract ends in October and I plan to wait it out until the end of the year. TBH there is nothing at all that catches my eye so I'm as well hanging on to my 6280/N93 on that network - they do okay for me at the moment.

[3g-g]

Depending, and this is a huge "depending", how much it is SIM free, I'll decide later in the year whether it's worth a purchase!

A friend mentioned to me, through a beer induced conversation, that he'd pre-ordered one from the US, I'm not quite sure if that's possible, I'll need to ask him again!

[Ben]

That may indeed have been the beer talking! :p

[Hands0n]

Even if he does get one over here - things like Visual Voicemail will not work as it relies on the network operator to provide the random access into the VM system.

[miffed]

Yea, my T-Mobile contract ends in October and I plan to wait it out until the end of the year. TBH there is nothing at all that catches my eye so I'm as well hanging on to my 6280/N93 on that network - they do okay for me at the moment.


Just tried to get a T-mobile upgrade , a bit of a funny one , so I will start a new thread about it ! but worth a look - the retentions guy might not WANT you to have an iphone !! :rolleyes:

(you'll understand when you read my thread ! )

[Hands0n]

*Intrigued* - cor ..... don't keep us in suspenders. :D

[gorilla]

As it's an apple product, it will always be at the expensive end.
With all this iphone hype I'm a bit surprised by my own reaction, or lack of! Is it me or is the iphone seriously lacking in features? Sure it does the core things well, but it seems to be not quite a smart phone and not quite a consumer phone. The european version should be vastly different to the one the yanks have i.e. 3g, create your own ringtones etc.
As for which network lands it, I wouldn't be surprised if Vodafone does get it. AT&T are not the most stable of networks apparently and their coverage is suspect, so why would apple award the iphone any differently over here?
The iphone seems to be better suited to wi-fi anyway, (has anyone seen how it performs on a cellular network?) and most consumers here don't want a data tariff, so those who buy the iphone will most likely be looking for a media player capable of making calls.
There was talk yesterday of a 'nano' iphone later in the year. This is something I would be more interested in given that the current iphone is on the large side.