5th Avenue Store hosts mysterious giant iPhone display

--- @ #22 --

"Just to clarify--YOU WILL SIGN A CONTRACT TO INITIATE AT&T SERVICE! But that is because of the service, per line, not the phone. If you already have Cingular/new AT&T with or without a current contract, swap your sim, register your IMEI through the iTunes store and go. You already paid full price for your phone! :)"

So let's say you already have at&t as your wireless carrier, can I really just SWAP out the SIM? The video that's up on Apple appears to indicate that there is indeed a SIM tray.

The problem is that I have an at&t corporate account. I hope that that won't impede me from just getting it and sticking my SIM in it.

Would that still be possible?

** crossing fingers **

I wish our system was more like the European one. For one reason there wouldn't be 80 gazillion people walking around talking on phones all the time. But really, I don't mind paying full price for hardware and would happily exchange that for all the lock-in that you get with our system.

I can't even get my bluetooth phone to sync with my Mac because Sprint decided they don't want me to do that. Woo, so I've got a phone that I can't do much with other than make calls. In that case I should have just got the cheapest phone.

Oh well. Maybe the iPhone will shake the industry up and improve the situation.

There are two of those huge iphones at the Buckhead Apple store in Atlanta. Everyone was trying to pretend not to look at them and they had a 7 day countdown screen saver on all the computers in the store.

Apple Store employees are not supposed to speculate on anything - either you know, or you say "let's find out together."

But on an unreleased product? That associate should have a Conversation with her ASM.

It looks like the next generation of the giant phone that the guy on Trigger Happy TV used to walk around in public, talking on. "HELLO?! YES, I'M AT THE APPLE STORE!"

# 22

What european companies do you mean? The " I give you a phone for a billon € cheaper with a contract - system " is very popular here, and the most common one.

All we need now is chimps jumping up and down like crazy and that music to go with it.

I work right next to the 5th ave cube on Saturdays, so I'll go in and check out this mysterious rectangle. If I remember to take my camera, I'll take pictures.

No way I'm going in there on the 29th, but I will be there on the 30th to check out the situation.

As a former Cingular manager, I think I can explain the "2-year contract" question.

In order to initiate service, a 2 year contract is now required for all lines. Typically, that is when you would get your "free" phone, or a greatly subsidized one. That $49 RAZR is actually a $300 phone. Every phone has two prices: the "come-on" discounted new customer/renewal price and the full retail price. I can assure you that more profanity than you can imagine has been directed my way when I would have to explain this to people who needed/wanted a new phone but were not eligible for the discount. In 2005 Cingular spent over $1.1 Billion (with a B!) in subsidizing equipment for customers. That is the whole reason for the early termination fees: someone needs to pay for that free/discounted phone--because there are no $20 phones in reality.

Apple decided to follow the model of the Euro cell companies and not have their equipment be subsidized--they believe it can sell on its own merits. This prevents an equipment related "contract" allowing Apple to sell a new phone as soon as a new model is released--no having to wait two years for a "better" price for consumers. AT&T does not have to subsidize equipment costs, meaning a greater margin on sales. We the consumers get flexibility: buy the phone whenever, wherever. Manage the activation through iTunes. A new 3G phone comes out this winter? Just buy it like you would an iPod and go. One price--and no AT&T contract to constrain your purchase of Apple hardware.

Just to clarify--YOU WILL SIGN A CONTRACT TO INITIATE AT&T SERVICE! But that is because of the service, per line, not the phone. If you already have Cingular/new AT&T with or without a current contract, swap your sim, register your IMEI through the iTunes store and go. You already paid full price for your phone! :)

icruise: "5. Am I the only one who thinks that display doesn't look much like an iPhone?"

how does that not look like an iPhone with a sheet over it?