Applelinks iPhone News Reader - Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Owning an iPhone 3G will Cost More Than iPhone 2G
AT&T offers new option of iPhone without contract
How Apple Is Blurring The Line Between Marketing And Service
AT&T iPhone Pricing: The Good, The Bad And The Complicated
Canadians Continue Feeling Rogered By Rogers' iPhone Plans
How To Hand-down Your Old iPhone After Upgrading To iPhone 3G
Apple Spurns Intel, For Now
AT&T memos detail iPhone 3G unbricking tool, crowd planning, more...
New and old AT&T iPhone Plans Compared, Cost Increases Detailed
Moving to iPhone 3G: A Guide For Current And Non-current AT&T Customers
Owning an iPhone 3G will Cost More Than iPhone 2G
iPodObserver's John Martellaro reports:
For the original iPhone 2G, for the majority of those who paid $399 for an 8 GB model, the monthly plan for 450 minutes was US$39.99/mo for the voice service and $20/mo for the unlimited data plan That also included 200 text messages. The total outlay, not including taxes, has been: $59.99. Over 24 months, that's about US$1,476, including the $36 activation fee you paid.
For the iPhone 3G, on the same 450 minutes plan, the bundled price of voice and unlimited data rises to US$69.99. However to get those 200 text messages back will cost an extra $5/month. The total outlay is $74.99 over 24 months, or just under $1800.00.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.ipodobserver.com/story/36418
AT&T offers new option of iPhone without contract
AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson reports:
AT&T Inc. will sell the new version of the iPhone without a service contract for $400 more than the price with a two-year plan, a break from the rules set when Apple Inc.'s popular touch-screen gadget debuted last year.
Two new models of iPhones go on sale July 11 for $199 and $299, depending on the amount of memory, with two-year AT&T contracts. The contract-free versions will cost $599 and $699 and will be sold sometime "in the future," AT&T said.
For the full report visit here:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080701/tec_at_t_iphone.html?.v=1
How Apple Is Blurring The Line Between Marketing And Service
RCR News's Pete Blackshaw says:
"How can I help you, and where would you like to go?"
In this simple greeting, there's a huge question: Are the greeting and the experience that follows marketing or service or both?
In the last couple of months, Apple has boosted the number of "concierges" who greet and direct shoppers as soon as they walk in the door of its retail stores. Apple has always had employees at the front, ready to help, but this time it is positioning an eager-to-please offensive line a few steps from the doorway....
What's going on here and what can we learn? First, it goes without saying that Apple is redefining and reshaping the retail experience via the company's growing roster of stand-alone stores. But there's something even bigger going on here, akin to how online show retailer Zappos.com is turning the traditional rules of e-commerce upside down.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/49sqhe
AT&T iPhone Pricing: The Good, The Bad And The Complicated
BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl reports:
AT&T finally got around to disclosing all the pricing details around the iPhone 3G today, and while Apple is widely praised for its "simplicity" in all things about the device, there's not a lot that's simple about AT&T's plans.
First things first: There's the price of the phone. If you're new to AT&T, you'll pay $199 for the 8-gigabyte phone and $299 for the 16-GB phone. You'll walk out of the store with a two-year AT&T contract. But you knew that.
On top of the phone, there will be a credit check some may be required to put down a deposit — and an activation fee of $36. No pre-paid service is being offered.
Upgraders with AT&T accounts in good standing will pay the same prices plus an $18 upgrade fee. There are also early upgrade prices of $399 and $499, while a "no commitment" option will be available soon, that will price the phones at $599 and $699.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/5y66np
Canadians Continue Feeling Rogered By Rogers' iPhone Plans
Ars Technica's Justin Berka reports:
.... The significant negative reaction to Rogers' new iPhone 3G voice and data plans last Friday was almost immediate, but we didn't quite expect that there would be a prolonged backlash. As it turns out, announcing the plans on a Friday may not have been the best idea, since folks had plenty of time to voice their displeasure on the Internet over the weekend. Now, Fortune's Apple 2.0 has news of an anti-Rogers petition that's circulating around the 'Net.
We touched on some of the frustrations last time around, but things basically boil down to the fact that Rogers is charging more and offering less than other carriers, particularly AT&T.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/3e5tey
How To Hand-down Your Old iPhone After Upgrading To iPhone 3G
AppleInsider says:
Original iPhone owners upgrading to an iPhone 3G can hand-down their old iPhone to a family member or friend with a few simple steps, the most complex of which entails a trek down to a local AT&T retail store to pick up a fresh SIM card.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/64h223
Apple Spurns Intel, For Now
Forbes' Brian Caulfield reports:
One of Intel's top technologists revealed Monday that the chip giant will not win a spot on Apple's iconic iPhone anytime soon, even as he outlined Intel's plans to keep growing as it turns 40 on July 18....
Despite the setback, Intel has a plan to use its long history inside desktop computers to its advantage, even as the action shifts from the PC to wireless gizmos like Apple's iPhone or Research in Motion's BlackBerry line of smart phones.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/5yyl8u
AT&T memos detail iPhone 3G unbricking tool, crowd planning, more...
Appleinsider's Katie Marsal reports:
A recent series of internal memos from AT&T to its Mobility staffers reveal a variety of preparatory measures ahead of next month's iPhone launch, including the deployment of an iPhone 3G unbricking tool, ongoing 3G network optimizations, regional advertising campaigns, and calls for part time crowd control, inventory runners, and floor coordinators.
Specifically, one memo issued late last week noted that all company owned retail stores would soon see their desktop systems updated with an icon (below) "for the iTunes utility that will be used for unbricking iPhone 3G devices during the activation process." Employees were asked not to use the partial iTunes software until launch day, but were told that they "WILL need this icon for iPhone 3G launch on July 11th!"
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4hv3ar
New and old AT&T iPhone Plans Compared, Cost Increases Detailed
AppleInsider reports:
With AT&T increasing data costs while simultaneously cutting text messages from its iPhone 3G plans, individual iPhone users upgrading to the 3G model will find themselves paying between 12.5% and 25% more to maintain the same level of service while family plan subscribers will likely see their costs rise anywhere from 15% to 45%. Included are some charts observations to help explain why.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/48kpbu
Moving to iPhone 3G: A Guide For Current And Non-current AT&T Customers
AppleInsider reports:
AT&T is attempting to alleviate some of the confusion surrounding the upgrade paths to iPhone 3G with a series of video guides focused on getting customers "iReady" before the 8:00 a.m. launch on July 11th. The three videos covered in this report are aimed at 1) existing AT&T iPhone customers moving to iPhone 3G, 2) non-iPhone AT&T customers moving to iPhone 3G, and 3) customers new to AT&T moving to iPhone 3G.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/62urfz
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