iPhone 3G Actually $160 More Expensive

--- begin forwarded text

I agree with the math, but there is more. IPhone is a 3G product but
AT&T is not totally 3G. I can't get 3G in northern lower Michigan, but
there's no way to avoid the charges. I pay for, and get, a cell phone
that costs more but cannot use a major feature. Coupled with the math
you have pointed out, why buy one? I'm just as well off with my
current plan and Motorola RAZR and banking the difference. Well,
actually ahead.

Maybe it is time for the older phone on eBay. This now makes no sense.

Tom

--- end forwarded text

--- begin forwarded text

At 2:14 PM -0700 6/19/08, Thomas Barnhart wrote:
>I forgot one more thing - to paraphrase Steve Jobs: There is no
>reduction in fees after the two year contract. The subsidy is fully
>paid, but the increase goes on. And on. Of course, one can buy another
>phone which gives one two more years of contract but reduces ATT's
>profit.
>
>The iPhone continues to lose after the two year period, no matter how
>you slice it. The (now) old way makes much more sense. Maybe that's
>why ATT changed the program.
>
>Tom

--- end forwarded text

On 6/21/08 5:06 PM, "Shawn King" <shawnyourmaclifeshow.com> wrote:

>> The question that really needs asking though is, what about someone
>> with a new 3G iPhone who either doesn't want 3G or doesn't live in a
>> 3G area. They are still going to be sce^Wforced to use the new 3G
>> plan, I'd guess?
>
> Yes - but that's no different than any other product you buy.
>
> Just because you don't use all the features doesn't mean you don't have to
> pay full price.

Every car I have bought since 2000 has, due to packaging options, come with
cruise control. I never use it. However, I still pay for it because it's
part of other options I *do* use. I'm sure there's people going "WTF is this
suspension cruft, I just wanted cruise control". They get the same answer.

I've had options on every phone I've owned that I never used. Yes, even the
iPhone. Still paid for them, because there were other things I DID want, and
no way to get them otherwise. Such is life


--
John C. Welch

Shawn King wrote:
> On 6/17/08 6:37 PM, "LewisGmail" <gkremegmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The question that really needs asking though is, what about someone
>> with a new 3G iPhone who either doesn't want 3G or doesn't live in a
>> 3G area. They are still going to be sce^Wforced to use the new 3G
>> plan, I'd guess?
>
> Yes - but that's no different than any other product you buy.
>
> Just because you don't use all the features doesn't mean you don't have to
> pay full price.

Yep. Just how many SUV drivers actually tow something weighing 4000 pounds or more? Or have ever ever switched out of 2 wheel drive. :)

David

John C. Welch wrote:
> On 6/21/08 5:06 PM, "Shawn King" <shawnyourmaclifeshow.com> wrote:
>
>> Just because you don't use all the features doesn't mean you don't have to
>> pay full price.
>
> Every car I have bought since 2000 has, due to packaging options, come with
> cruise control. I never use it. However, I still pay for it because it's
> part of other options I *do* use. I'm sure there's people going "WTF is this
> suspension cruft, I just wanted cruise control". They get the same answer.

Sorry but WITH $4/gal gas you DO NOT use cruse control?!?!?!

> I've had options on every phone I've owned that I never used. Yes, even the
> iPhone. Still paid for them, because there were other things I DID want, and
> no way to get them otherwise. Such is life

I got my Samsung M500 so all 4 of us could have the same phone and it fits almost anywhere. But none of us have ever downloaded a song, game, watched ESPN, or bought stock with the thing. It's a great little phone but sheez, what were they thinking.

David

Kevin van Haaren wrote:
> --On June 16, 2008 12:50:12 AM -0700 "LewisGmail" <gkremegmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Yes. Not only that, but in the US you are charged for Spam SMS
>> messages, which are becoming more and more of a problem. You have no
>> recourse, so my Father In Laws phone gets an extra $1 or 2 every
>> single month for the spam SMS he receives. He doesn't use SMS
>> messages at all, and every one of them confuses him. I suppose I
>> could call t-mobile every single month for him, but my time is worth
>> more than that...
>
> There is a class action lawsuit covering this. The phone companies are
> being sued because they don't have a way for users to block SMS if they
> don't want them. Several companies, including AT&T, say they do have such
> an option, but T-Mobile specifically told Ars Technica that they do not.

Interesting. When I got our family new cell phones (M500s) almost 2 years ago, we did sign up for unlimited basic SMS at $20 for the plan. After a few phone calls to remove $30 to $50 in premium charges from my kids bills I talked to a service tech where they had just instituted a new set of options. Block all, block all but basic, etc...

But at $20 a month total for the plan it's great. I can now get in touch with my wife (she works in a call center and answering a cell phone is usually not possible) send a note to my kids at school, etc... all knowing they'll get it when they can get it. Now my kids have gone a bit nuts. My daughter runs at about 1000 per month, my son at 1500 or more. :)

As to where the premium message came from I learned a few things. Anyone can sign up for ring tones with just a phone number and the sleazy companies send you a premium text message with the results. And as best I can tell these mostly came from "friends" answering surveys for things like "give us 10 numbers of your friends and get a free ring tone" or other such nonsense. Then you get them. I'm also suspicious that the really low end sleazy ones skim phone numbers off facebook, myspace, yahoo groups, etc... and just send a premium text and see what happens.

But as to blocking this nonsense, Sprint has had this for over a year now.

David