Home
An iPhone upgrade rant
June 10th, 2009
Are you upset at AT&T’s iPhone upgrade pricing? Do you own an iPhone 3G and now you’re stuck in a 2-year contract with AT&T? Do you think AT&T is being unfair because they won’t let you upgrade your phone for the same price as a new customer? Well you’re not alone. There are a lot of people whining about AT&T’s iPhone upgrade policy since the new iPhone 3Gs came out. Here are a few things to consider before you go writing a hateful email to your cell carrier of choice.
Remember when you got your iPhone 3G from AT&T? They make you sign a 2-year contract in order to get the phone at a greatly discounted price. So, like every other American consumer with an unstoppable thirst for Apple’s technology you signed the contract stating that you were theirs for 2 years. In turn they gave you a discounted iPhone and told you that you could upgrade your phone in 18-24 months. Then Apple had to go and develop a new handset that is better than the old one (surprise, surprise). Now you want a newer, better phone at a discounted price and you want it right now. But the contract you signed is not up so your only options are:
- Wait until your contract is up.
- Pay full price for the new iPhone 3Gs.
- Complain loud enough that it’s AT&T’s fault and hope they change their mind.
Sadly, it seems that most people are choosing option #3. They signed a contract with AT&T making a commitment and giving their word. Then they saw a newer, shinier piece of hardware that they wanted–not needed–although they didn’t want to pay full price for it. And somehow this whole situation was AT&T’s fault. They are the ones who didn’t allow their customers to break the contracts those same customers willingly signed a year earlier in order to get a discounted phone. How dare they hold people to their word instead of just giving people what they want all of the time. They are acting like responsible adults or even parents!
Sometimes in life we have to pay full price. Sometimes there are consequences to our actions–actions like making an agreement and then trying to weasel out of it. I don’t like AT&T’s service either, but if you are one of these whiners please remember: This is your fault, not theirs. Either pay or wait. Not only is it the right thing to do, it might just make you a better person.
End rant.
10 Comments Subscribe to comments for this post. (RSS)
illWil
June 10th, 2009 at 10:23 am
This is the same thing that i say. What people need to realize that AT&T had to do it the first time, think about it so many people got screwed the first time around it wasn’t even funny. Apple had the nerve to release a phone with edge only, no mms, no copy and paste feature, and charge a whopping $499 or $599 pricing even with a 2-year contract. I love apple, but how dumb of consumer do you have to be to realize this was not a great deal and to the ones who bought the first iphone you should not be allowed to run anything as a leader.
Scott
June 10th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Here here! Amen!
I was “lucky enough” to not have bought the iPhone 3G, and now I’m glad. I already ordered my iPhone 3G S and am (impatiently) waiting for next Friday for it to be delivered.
Will Apple put out a new handset next year? It’s possible. Will I be sad that I might not be able to get it? Who knows. But, like you said (in different terms), I made my bed, so now I’m going to sleep in it.
Josh
June 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Stated perfectly. Though us with the original phone that want to upgrade to the 3Gs are going to be in the same boat next year when Apple release an even better phone. LOL.
The Secret Life of Kat
June 10th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
First of all I’m not with AT&T nor am I planning to get the latest and greatest iPhone.
BUT…I do have an issue with cell phone companies focusing on new customers instead of existing ones. Why can’t current customers simply extend their contract to get upgrade pricing by adding 2 years to their contract?
It’s almost as if they don’t care about customers once they have them on contract.
My 2 cents.
benstewart
June 10th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
@illWill – Great point. I hadn’t even considered the price discrepancy between the first iPhone and the iPhone 3G.
@Scott & @Josh – This is probably just one turn in the iPhone cycle. Apple will continue to release new products and people will go crazy to get early upgrades complaining about what it takes to do so. Is this a cultural thing or a human thing?
@Kat – I agree that cell phone contracts aren’t all that great to begin with (paying for text plans AND data… really?!). However, if a person willingly agrees to the contract then they cannot expect the company to change the rules before that contract expires just so the customer can get a newer toy for less money. Why would AT&T pay for half of my phone to keep me as a customer? (Even better, why do I feel like I need a new phone after less than two years if the one I currently have works perfectly?)
Also, AT&T does offer a contract-free plan with an iPhone. It just costs more money than the plan with a contract. The general population feels “entitled” to the $199-299 iPhone pricing regardless of their circumstances. It is as if these are the standard prices and the other prices (upgrade price and contract-free price) are inflated instead of the other way around. Those are the “standard” prices for the device and the new customer price is discounted.
Patrick Drury
June 10th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
“why do I feel like I need a new phone after less than two years if the one I currently have works perfectly?”
Well, because it’s not just a new phone, it’s a different phone. Since the first iPhone came out people have been wondering why they didn’t have video. The inclusion of a video camera to this model marks it as something people have been asking for for some time now. If you’ve got the money and want to upgrade for the new features I don’t think that’s all that strange.
Bekah
June 10th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Its cool…I have already gone through like three of the new iphones, and they haven’t even been released yet… But when i found out that it wouldn’t clean my kitchen for me i just threw it away… jeez…we’ve put a man on the moon and my phone can’t even clean my kitchen!!! WTF??
Scott
June 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Cultural vs. Human.
The answer, I believe, is a little of both. Culturally, we want the next best thing, and we realize that as technology progresses, it should drop in price. “We” feel entitled. None more so than the hard-core followers of Apple. As Humans, we have tendencies leaning toward trying to be the “alpha male/female”. This can manifest in trying to “lead the pack” in whatever way possible, including technology.
Scott
June 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Here’s a good article from iLounge about this very topic… which is a VERY hot topic right now.
http://bit.ly/6FUve
Mike Harder
June 11th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Ha Ha. Ben I never figured you would get bitter at the release of a new iPhone. Don’t worry I have been busy dropping my 1st Gen iPhone every chance I get so that I can convince my wife I need the new one. I guess I have fallen prey to the new shiny toy. Have fun at the beach! See you Sunday at the Hills.