We seem to have an answer to one of our biggest questions: Can you buy an iPhone and just use the built in WiFi and iPod features? Apparently not. According to the small print on Apple's rate plan webpage, you need to purchase a 2 year wireless service plan. This means your iPhonePod will cost you at least ($60/month * 24 months) + $500/iPhone = $1940 + $36 activation fee + tax. That's a might pricey even if unsurprising (and close to what Scott predicted). Although most media phones like Chocolate and its compatriots seem to have the same constraints, it just seems unnecessary and cruel. TUAW gives Apple's "Minimum new 2-year wireless service plan and activation fee required to activate iPhone features including iPod" a big old hometown raspberry. Boo!
Thanks to Kevin Reylek for tracking down the Activation fee.
Update: I just got off the phone with Mark Siegel of AT&T. Siegel states that all existing iPhone customers must upgrade to a new two year contract. According to Siegel, the clock starts over regardless of whether the customer is a GoPhone customer, on an existing family plan, or so forth. What remains unclear to me is if you can buy the GoPhone and agree to the 2 year commitment for the data only.
Update 2: If you *can* sign up as an existing AT&T GoPhone customer and just get the data plan, the best deal I can work out is (using "Replace a phone on my account with this iPhone"): $500 (iPhone) + $200 (2 1-year $100 cards at 25 cents per minute, includes disposable phone with purchase) + $20/month data * 24 = $1180 for 2 years plus any additional phone time via prepaid cards.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
6-26-2007 @ 11:51AM
Fred said...
WELL, DUH! Why would you buy an iPhone, and not use it as such? That would be totally retarded. Buy one of those Nokia deals off of woot if you just need a internet tablet thingy. Jeez. Your fine print stinks!
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:52AM
buckers said...
That might be the reason that you need an iTunes account to use the iPhone as your service plan may be linked to the iTunes account
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:53AM
Jonathan said...
how about buying an iPhone and then cancel your service at 200$? (early cancellation fee)
that's only 699 for an iPhonePod
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:53AM
KR said...
The activation fee is not unspecified. It's $36.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:54AM
cycomachead said...
well I assume this is all part of the iPhone framework and such in the iTunes code.
Time to check things out.. :) maybe removing/editing a few files will bypass the registration required.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:54AM
cycomachead said...
well I assume this is all part of the iPhone framework and such in the iTunes code.
Time to check things out.. :) maybe removing/editing a few files will bypass the registration required.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:55AM
dred550 said...
hmm I call a duh to this as well...what did people really expect? plus keep in mind that that requirement is probably from AT&T, not Apple. Apple demanded alot from them, and this is probably their condition. Eventually this interface will be available in much higher capacity as just an iPod.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 11:56AM
Johnny Thrash said...
There is finally a internet/data device worth buying... why is everyone being so negative about it? You pay a premium price for a premium device.
That's life.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:01PM
bryan said...
so what if i buy an iPhone and then they don't give me the 2 year deal becuase of bad credit history or something like that.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:01PM
Johnny Thrash said...
One more thing... this is the first generation of a new generation of products.
Why would you buy a phone if all you wanted was a media device? The next iPod is sure to look almost identical to the iPhone now that the display has been shown off and will be in high demand and high usage. The popularity of such touchy, feely products is about to soar.
This is only the beginning, the tip of the iceberg and I'm SO there Friday... standing in line to get my iPhone... premium price and all.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:05PM
pos said...
I'm going to visit an iPhone at an Apple store this weekend to demo it and maybe check out the internet through apple's in-store wifi network. I'm really curious to see how the soft keyboard looks and feels...
But, I don't think I'm going to get this first one. I'm going to wait until they come out with a 3G version. If they increase the memory in the thing (especially if it's HD based), all the better, but hopefully, between June 29th and whenever the 3G version comes out, they will have addressed some of the deficiencies that they're bound to find once the phone is in wide release.
Am I excited about the phone? Absolutely.. but I have to force myself to be patient and wait for it.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:07PM
lordofthefobs said...
well i have lg chocolate phone.
I didn't buy it because it's chocolate but because i needed a phone and it was free and smallest phone they got at the time. (I personally don't believe buying multimedia phone... i already have ipod and igital camera that works 100 times better... )
Chocolate phone actually has standalone mode.. in which you can use it just as a standalone media device and all phone feature is disabled. so if you are willing to pay full price for the phone, you can technically use it as mp3/camera.
personally i'm just crossing my fingers and waiting for widescreen iPod to come out ^^^;;
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:07PM
MacBookOwner said...
OK, that's not unexpected. The question is..once your 2 year contract is over, do you have to re-up your subscription to keep using the iPhone's non-phone features? (i.e. wifi browsing, iTunes, etc.) Because that would suck.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:14PM
aawil said...
It is stupid but why would anyone spend $600 on a phone just to use it as an ipod - web browser?
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:17PM
Rob B. said...
Totally agree with #14. I am already paying >$60/month for a phone so I would have this cost anyway!
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:18PM
FrankMcBilboWinker said...
"predicted"
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:19PM
Johnny Thrash said...
Erica has a point about having a WiFi media device. Which I didn't think about when I posted my first comment.
This is the first device like this. And because of that, I can understand her point.
Personally, I want the whole package. I knew 2 years ago if Apple ever released a phone, they would truly do the mobile market justice. And while many are unhappy... I feel that justice is served.
PS. I already pay 68 a month for phone service, mine will only go up by about 5 bucks. I'm just buying a new phone.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:20PM
scott Larmer said...
i give it a week before this is lock hacked and people can just have a widescreen nano with a touchscreen, coverflow an wifi-based internet.
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:20PM
akatsuki said...
So if I pay the $175 penalty to break the contract do the other features shut off?
Reply
6-26-2007 @ 12:21PM
Scott said...
5-year exclusive deal, what B.S. that is! I'm only 45 miles north of NYC, and AT&T has no coverage in my area. Did the execs at Apple think about scenarios like this before locking AT&T into a 5-year exclusive? Obviously not.
This phone should have been distributed like the Razor, all carriers, everywhere. I think this exclusive AT&T deal will play a big part in the failure of this phone.
Reply