Originally Posted by
whmurray How much is the real price?
There is no "real" price.
A normal subsidization is only available to new customers and customers eligible for upgrade. Regardless of what you are though, you have the option to buy the phone for the larger, retail price and not be stuck in a contract.
The iPhone absolutely requires a contract. There is no way to activate it without starting a new contract, or extending your current contract by 2 years. For this reason, the price has been set at $199 and $299 for everyone. If you are in the middle of your current contract, if you are a new customer, if you are eligible for upgrade, the price remains the same. It is subsidized, just differently than normal, so there is no higher, retail price.