Hardware upgrade from 3G?

[megscd]

I got a 3G last year, as did a lot of us on this forum, I suspect. I didn't have an original iPhone, so I don't remember whether those who did were given a price break to upgrade to the 3G. I'm curious about how that worked and whether there are plans/rumors as to whether current 3G owners will have to wait another year to upgrade or whether we'll be "let out" of our forced 2-year contract and get a subsidized price. For being loyal customers or something, like AT&T gives a fiddler's fart about that. Anyone have input? Educated guesses? Historical info we can use to make educated guesses?

 

[Jeffdc5#IM]

i'm sure att will let up re-up that contract if you want the new iphone. They let my gf get an early upgrade to get a Bold in march and she got her iphone 3g august of last year. Another 100 bucks a month for them you pay them back for the phone in less than 6 months.

 

[OmariJames]

My likely guess is that they wont because last year I knew for a fact if I couldn't upgrade they would let me pay extra for the phone. I upgraded on another line on my contract then put the phone on my number to get this phone.

However, things can change. AT&T could add another year to your contract ( even though your line should up to 2 years ) but I haven't heard not one word about AT&T in all this iPhone rumor madness.

You might as well get a new line and cancel the other if that all doesn't work out. It's more hassle to let everyone in your phone book know you have a new number but you can always mass text everyone =]

 

[Neutrino]

Because AT&T did not subsidize the cost of the V1, upgrading to V2 (3G) at less than a year into the contract was permitted at the subsidized price. If you look at your AT&T account, you will see your options concerning upgrade. Depending on your monthly outlay, AT&T will have you down as either a 12 month early upgrade or 18 month early upgrade. The early upgrade price is the subsidized price.

 

[legendofdon]

Because AT&T did not subsidize the cost of the V1, upgrading to V2 (3G) at less than a year into the contract was permitted at the subsidized price. If you look at your AT&T account, you will see your options concerning upgrade. Depending on your monthly outlay, AT&T will have you down as either a 12 month early upgrade or 18 month early upgrade. The early upgrade price is the subsidized price.

This is the way I understand it as well. This would mean that since the 3G was subsidized, people who bought it on launch day wouldn't even be eligible for an upgrade yet. However, people who already have an iPhone are probably going to be a good portion of those planning to buy a new iPhone when it comes out, so I see two possibilites.

1. Apple announces new iPhone come Monday, and the release date isn't until the end of the year, since that's when the people who bought the 3G on launch day could upgrade.

OR

2. ATT lets people who currently have an iPhone buy the new one at the subsidized price with a 2 year contract extension. This seems to make the most sense to me since that way they could easily keep trapping the iPhoners into 2 year contracts every year, thus keeping their revenues intact from those expensive data and texting plans.

Hopefully they don't put an additional charge on for MMS. That should be included in the messaging plans that already exist. If ATT does that, I don't think I'll be getting an iPhone just out of principle.

 

[GMJeff]

Didn't AT&T also tack on an extra charge last year to allow existing iPhone users to upgrade to the 3G, like $75 or something. They called it an early upgrade fee, or something.

Now, if they subsidized the 3G to customers, are the phones paid for in a year? I would think so, but say AT&T is only seeing $10 a month from the monthly bill for the phone, which would mean that the phones are still not paid for in the subsidy. Would AT&T allow customers to upgrade to a new phone if the old one was not paid for?

Most phones are paid for rather quickly, like 6 months or so on the subsidy, but they expect...errr.....want iPhone subscribers tethered to their contracts as long as possible. The money from the data plans is like icing on the cake for them.