Official iPhone 4 thread (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

It seems only people who are spending a lot of money

each month on their phone bill are getting the early

upgrade deal from AT&T if they purchased a new

iPhone last year.


I did the *639# and am being told I am not eligible

until February 2011.


Worse comes to worse I can call AT&T and bitch

as to why some people who bought the iPhone last

year are eligible and I am not. Perhaps that will

earn me a discount upgrade but something tells

me most likely not.

 

[TonyD]

Ron there are people posting that you can call and "suggest" to them that you should have the upgrade ability, also my wife and I have a monthly bill of about $110 for 2 phones, I wouldn't call that a large cell bill.

When did you buy the 3gs?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Tony,


I need a really good contact number.


AT&T Wireless help doesn't know shit from shineola.


They don't know why some are eligible for an upgrade why others are not.


(BTW, I bought my 3GS last June '09 when it was originally released)


I may have to troll around the iPhone forums to see what people are

finding out.


I'll go to any lengths to talk to someone at AT&T that can give me the

discount if others who bought the 3GS last year are getting them too.


BTW, I only spend $65 a month on my bill so certainly not as credible

as what you are paying.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Don't know if this would help, Ron...but I've had good luck with the fellas who work at our local AT&T stores. I have found that they can pull up all your billing information and they know all the inside info on which phones are heading to clearance and are generally a helpful bunch.


Plus, it's always easier to talk to someone face-to-face rather than over the phone.

 

[TonyD]

Ron thats what I would do too, go right in to an att store.

Also if you bought last June then you should be eligible now.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Went over to the other Mac forum.


Seems as if people are saying the

same thing as some of you have said

here already.


For those that purchased the 3GS

last June...


If you spend $100 or more a month on

your phone bill or have a family plan

you will get the discounted iPhone upgrade.


Everyone else will not.


However, if anybody finds otherwise be

sure to let us know as I'll stop by my

AT&T store tomorrow and talk to the

store rep.

 

[Sam Posten]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon /forum/thread/301222/official-iphone-4-thread/30#post_3699495

 

[Sam Posten]

Ron, not sure which Mac forum you mean, I go do a half dozen different ones. The conclusion they have reached sounds reasonable. My bill is like $105 a month so that would explain it. I didn't think I was paying for much more than the average bear, I have the lowest minutes plan possible, $30 unlimited data and one step above the bottom run text plan.... What is the cheapest you can get an iphone a month for?


Worst comes to worst email [email protected] and tell him its not fair =) Ask him for Bluray support while you are at it please!

 

[Mike Frezon]

We've got the bare minimum for my son.


He's a $10/month add-on to my plan...plus $20 for the basic "iPhone Data + 200 messages" plan. Total: $30/month. + $7 in taxes/fees on top of that.


But my total bill comes to over $100/month because of my phone and my wife's phone (standard cell phones. No internet.)

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten The yahoo article Ron linked to in Post #3 says:

AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said Monday it will charge new subscribers $199 or $299 for the iPhone 4, depending on the data capacity. But if you're a current AT&T subscriber, the company applies a secret formula to determine if you're eligible for the new-subscriber price.

Wouldn't that $199 apply to him since they said he's "eligible?"

 

[Mike Frezon]

Never mind. Got it. The $199 is 16gb.

That'll do.


Do you have much experience with iPhone batteries? His has been acting a bit wonky.

 

[DaveF]

If you use a Chase credit card and plan to buy online from Apple, check out the Chase Rewards Shopping site for a 2% discount on your purchase. I assume this will work for iPhone 4 purchases.


https://www.rewardsplusshopping.com/

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon

We've got the bare minimum for my son.


[...]


But my total bill comes to over $100/month because of my phone and my wife's phone (standard cell phones. No internet.)

If he's had the iPhone for two years, he'd be eligible for a new subsidized phone purchase under the normal plan, regardless of your total phone bill.

 

[Sam Posten]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon 


 


Do you have much experience with iPhone batteries?  His has been acting a bit wonky.

Well I guess this answers it, hurdler = not fixed.

But.

If battery is wonky schedule a genius visit, be polite and smile. You never know if you will luck out or not. Worst case is $99 battery replacement.

Ron: see this.

http://nyti.ms/ah4Qjf

 

[Nelson Au]

Sam,


That link to David Pogue's article was interesting. But it said something that I was surprised by.


If you are an AT&T customer, and do not have an iPhone, you will pay either $200 or $400 for the new iPhone 4.


I wonder if that is a typo, because I would have thought you'd either pay $199 or $299.00. The new customer price. So the $400, I am hoping is a typo!

I am an AT&T customer, but I don't have an iPhone and my contract was over years ago. So perhaps that $400 was for paying off any remaining time left on the contract.

I'll check with the Apple Store or AT&T to be sure.


edit: Yep, I checked both an Apple Store and an AT&T store and an existing AT&T customer without an iPhone with a contract beyond 2 years is eligible for the upgrade or new customer pricing.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Sam,


Thanks for that link above.


PERFECT explanation of why we don't get

the discount price every year and why some

do and some don't.


Basically, you are paying off the iPhone. The

more you pay each month the faster you get

to eligibility for a discount upgrade.


Makes perfect sense and for once, doesn't

make AT&T look like a bunch of monsters.

 

[Sam Posten]

This time =)


So are you going to jump in Ron? I have decided I am for sure, come what may.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Are you paying full price like me?

I am considering the 16Gb for $399

 

[Sam Posten]

No, $18 fee and $299 for 32GB. Minus whatever I can get for my 32GB 3GS

 

[TonyD]

Thats what i'll be doing.

would have sold it already but I need a phone.

I don't know what the $400 price is for, that's confusing.