iPhone 3G's true cost is $1,237!!!!!

[desiibond]

Everywhere you look, a new iPhone price hike turns up. At $199, the phones themselves may be cheaper — but Apple and AT&T, the phone's exclusive carrier in the U.S., are charging users by other means. The iPhone data plan by itself is going up $10 to $30/mo. In a GigaOm interview, AT&T wireless chief Ralph de la Vega reveals that the 200 text messages previously included will cost iPhone users an extra $5/mo. ($20/mo. for unlimited messages, which seem practically obligatory.) And then there's Apple's MobileMe subscription, without which the iPhone's new synching features won't work, at $99 a year, or just over $8 a month. Add it up, and iPhone users will be paying about $43 a month, or $1,038 over the two-year course of the AT&T contract they signed up for — all to get an iPhone at $199.
No wonder AT&T is taking so many steps to make life difficult for people who try to buy an iPhone without a contract. Some bloggers are fussing about the fact that AT&T will no longer offer a prepaid plan for those with poor credit. What about those solvent enough to deserve an iPhone 3G? After AT&T and Apple get done with them, I wonder what their credit rating will look like.

Source: http://valleywag.com/5015160/iphone-...e-cost-is-1237

[aryayush]

The fact that they included the price of MobileMe (previously known as .Mac) just shows how desperate they are to prove their point, which is quite obviously based on a very shaky premise.

MobileMe is a rebranded .Mac, a service Apple has offered for the past several years, long before the advent of the iPhone. Just because it has been fashioned to integrate well with the iPhone does not mean you can add it’s price to the iPhone’s and then blame it for being expensive. That’s just plain ridiculous.

Going by that logic, you should add the cost of a Mac and an Apple TV to the iPhone’s price too, and maybe even the cost of media purchased from the iTunes Store and applications bought off the App Store. Maybe you can throw in the price of an AirPort Extreme too because that works rather well with an iPhone, from what I hear.

Do these guys not use that brain thing they’re supposed to have before they pen down ludicrous articles!

MobileMe, by the way, is a cross-platform service that is completely independent of the iPhone, or even Macs, for that matter. And it offers a whole lot more than just wireless synchronisation capabilities. It offers 20GB of online storage, email and website hosting too, among other things.

Stupidity has its limits…

[iMav]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Stupidity has its limits…

The difference between Genius & Stupidity is that the latter does not have limits or in other words, Genius has it's limits.

But let's try and make a rough estimate though:

Base price: 9,000/-
VAT: 1,150/-
Airtel Plan: boom
Misc (Distributor's cut): ~1,000/-

My guess is that the phone will be somewhere around 15k to 18k here.

[Pat]

Well, including cost of MobileMe does not make for a very sensible calculation! The data plan for iphone is going to cost $30! On top of this users have to buy a voice plan starting at $40 a month! So basically it is $70 per month for 24 months which is 1680 plus 199 i.e. it comes to about $1879 which is expensive!!

[desiibond]

Originally Posted by aryayush

The fact that they included the price of MobileMe (previously known as .Mac) just shows how desperate they are to prove their point, which is quite obviously based on a very shaky premise.

MobileMe is a rebranded .Mac, a service Apple has offered for the past several years, long before the advent of the iPhone. Just because it has been fashioned to integrate well with the iPhone does not mean you can add it’s price to the iPhone’s and then blame it for being expensive. That’s just plain ridiculous.

Going by that logic, you should add the cost of a Mac and an Apple TV to the iPhone’s price too, and maybe even the cost of media purchased from the iTunes Store and applications bought off the App Store. Maybe you can throw in the price of an AirPort Extreme too because that works rather well with an iPhone, from what I hear.

Do these guys not use that brain thing they’re supposed to have before they pen down ludicrous articles!

MobileMe, by the way, is a cross-platform service that is completely independent of the iPhone, or even Macs, for that matter. And it offers a whole lot more than just wireless synchronisation capabilities. It offers 20GB of online storage, email and website hosting too, among other things.

Stupidity has its limits…

Reminds me of a classic song, "Potaeto, Potaato". How ever you pronounce, the meaning is same. How ever you want to desperately explain that iphone is VFM, it's useless.

Simple fact: An 8Gb ipod touch costs 250$. There is no way that apple is gonna sell iphone 3G for just $199. They are gonna suck all that extra cash they need month after month till nothing's left to suck. Back to square one. iPhone 3G is gonna cost more than what iphone first gen costed and that will be done in a way transparent to end users.

Originally Posted by iMav

The difference between Genius & Stupidity is that the latter does not have limits or in other words, Genius has it's limits.

But let's try and make a rough estimate though:

Base price: 9,000/-
VAT: 1,150/-
Airtel Plan: boom
Misc (Distributor's cut): ~1,000/-

My guess is that the phone will be somewhere around 15k to 18k here.

You should take brand image into consideration in India. Add another 3k

[Pat]

I have a feeling its going to cost the same as what Airtel/Vodafone announced in the press release (25k +).

[desiibond]

^^ There certainly is a chance.

but I think then there will be no extra rental but extra rental for 3G

[napster007]

economically iphone is the worst gadget out there!!

[iMav]

^^ Not only economically

Originally Posted by Pat

I have a feeling its going to cost the same as what Airtel/Vodafone announced in the press release (25k +).

Did they? I think that was rediff's speculation and considering their Vodafone speculation turned out to be true, people are assuming that the price predcition will do too. Something I have huge doubts. With a base price of ~9k the selling price cannot be 25k.

[prem4u]

Originally Posted by napster007

economically iphone is the worst gadget out there!!

+1

[Pat]

^^ I think what ayush said is correct! there are certainly loopholes in the statements made by steve! It is prolly $199 only for the 22 initial countries and not for India! Coz in India you dont expect people to pay 1500 plus per month rental (Airtel must be knowing this and wont be willing to take a chance)!!

[desiibond]

^^That's right. That is why they will put the price at somewhere aboe 16k or 17k and keep the rentals low.

That is why India's name is not in the first 22 list. Coz what Steve is going to do is release it on July 11 only in those countries where iphone base price can be set to $199 or less.

Great tactic to create buzz in the rest 48 countries.

[iMav]

Originally Posted by Pat

^^ I think what ayush said is correct! there are certainly loopholes in the statements made by steve! It is prolly $199 only for the 22 initial countries and not for India! Coz in India you dont expect people to pay 1500 plus per month rental (Airtel must be knowing this and wont be willing to take a chance)!!

There cannot be such huge disparity in prices of one gadget across the world. One place you get it at $199 and some place else you get it an outrageous price, 2 and a half times of that! Just doesn't make sense. Also, we are forgetting the fact that there are going to 2 distributors for iPhone services, something that will definitely impact the prices.

Jobs said that the max price would be $199. In India this will be + Applicable Taxes, like in case of all Apple products.

And it's Aayush.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by iMav

There cannot be such huge disparity in prices of one gadget across the world. One place you get it at $199 and some place else you get it an outrageous price, 2 and a half times of that! Just doesn't make sense. Also, we are forgetting the fact that there are going to 2 distributors for iPhone services, something that will definitely impact the prices.

Jobs said that the max price would be $199. In India this will be + Applicable Taxes, like in case of all Apple products.

And it's Aayush.

Yes, but the prices are subsidized in other countries which cover up for it by charging exhorbitantly in the monthly rentals! Its not possible to do the same in India and hence I think so.However, as far as we dont hear anything officially, your guess is as good as mine!

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by Pat

Well, including cost of MobileMe does not make for a very sensible calculation! The data plan for iphone is going to cost $30! On top of this users have to buy a voice plan starting at $40 a month! So basically it is $70 per month for 24 months which is 1680 plus 199 i.e. it comes to about $1879 which is expensive!!

People will go to any lengths just to prove that Apple is ripping you off. Don’t you have to pay for calls and EDGE and SMS on other phones? When you buy a car, you don’t calculate how much you’re going to drive it every month and the fuel consumption as a result and then add it for the period of seven years to calculate the total price.

Get real, guys. The network got upgraded from EDGE to 3G and, as a result, now costs $10 more. What’s wrong with that? That’s basic Business 101.

Take the price of the Nokia 95 and add the cost of a postpaid connection over the period of two years and see what you come up with.


And, in any case, if it is expensive for you, don’t buy it—who’s forcing you to!

Originally Posted by iMav

There cannot be such huge disparity in prices of one gadget across the world. One place you get it at $199 and some place else you get it an outrageous price, 2 and a half times of that! Just doesn't make sense.

Actually, it does. And it’s happening even now. That’s because the Indian market is, thankfully enough, different from the one in the U.S.. The N95 costs upwards of Rs. 30,000 out here but you get it for less than half of that price with a subscription in the U.S..

Overall, though, they end up paying more than we do and we have more freedom. I hate the fact that the iPhone is going to change that.

Originally Posted by iMav

And it's Aayush.

Thank you!

[apoorva84]

will stick to windows mobile any day....no macs or iphones or ipods for me...

[iMav]

Originally Posted by apoorva84

will stick to windows mobile any day....no macs or iphones or ipods for me...

Trust me, smart choice

[Pat]

Originally Posted by aryayush

People will go to any lengths just to prove that Apple is ripping you off. Don’t you have to pay for calls and EDGE and SMS on other phones? When you buy a car, you don’t calculate how much you’re going to drive it every month and the fuel consumption as a result and then add it for the period of seven years to calculate the total price.

You (not you, I mean normal average-income Indians) DO keep in mind how much average ,for example, a car gives before buying it. But probably you wont understand it!

Do you understand the reason why tata indicas and all are popular in India ?

And, in any case, if it is expensive for you, don’t buy it—who’s forcing you to!

Thats a really stupid comment coz I never said somebody is forcing me. The thread is just a discussion of how much the iphone is going to cost!!

[apoorva84]

have a look at this..just read this at engadget...

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/12/unsubsidized-iphone-3g-priced-at-499-569-in-europe/

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by Pat

You DO keep in mind how much average ,for example, a car gives before buying it.

Yeah, but that’s not the same as multiplying and adding up the total amount you’ll pay over the period of two years. A parallel to judging the mileage the car will give would be to judge whether you want to pay $70 per month to the carrier for voice and data or not. You can‘t, however, add that cost to the price of the handset and declare it expensive, just like you can’t add the cost of the fuel to the price of the car.

That’s what you did in the post I quoted and that’s the premise this thread’s shamelessly sensationalist title is based on.

Get my point?

[Pat]

Originally Posted by aryayush

Yeah, but that’s not the same as multiplying and adding up the total amount you’ll pay over the period of two years. A parallel to judging the mileage the car will give would be to judge whether you want to pay $70 per month to the carrier for voice and data or not. You can‘t, however, add that cost to the price of the handset and declare it expensive, just like you can’t add the cost of the fuel to the price of the car.

That’s what you did in the post I quoted and that’s the premise this thread’s shamelessly sensationalist title is based on.

Get my point?

Yes, but the whole analogy is not so correct. Let me explain you with an example:

Person X did 1000 kms in one month in his new car. Owing to this, he decides to use his car less for the next month (say for 300-400 kms). With this plan in place, he can control how much he spends monthly on the car.

Possible with iphone ?

[desiibond]

^^ Of course, When you are paying installments for the car, you do select based on which brand has better installment option, better monthly interest etc.

Same as for mobile. We select the one that has better rental and also consider how much extra to be paid every month if initial amount is low etc etc.

Of course, this is called "HAVING A CHOICE OF SELECTION WHICH YOU MACBOYS HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT"

If you are going to get a phone or a car in one shot payment,we do consider things like amount to be paid for what is available, how it suites our need etc, how reliable it is etc.

Dude. We all know how costly it will be at the end of the day. If you don't realize that, fine. You enjoy with your iphone. We will be keeping just an eye on it.


AFAIK, 90% of iphone users as of now bought iphone just to show that they have iphone and for nothing else. The other 10 % are hardcore fanboys who again want to show off another apple product.

@@arya, it's okay man. You can keep dreaming of BMW's and Apple. We will rather select what is worth the money and live in WORLD OF CHOICE AND REALITY.

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by Pat

Yes, but the whole analogy is not so correct. Let me explain you with an example:

Person X did 1000 kms in one month in his new car. Owing to this, he decides to use his car less for the next month (say for 300-400 kms). With this plan in place, he can control how much he spends monthly on the car.

Possible with iphone ?

In India, it is. Postpaid plans in India do not have upper or lower limits on voice minutes you get. You pay as much as you talk. Of course, there’s the fixed monthly rental, but then that’s like the insurance premium or the pollution check or the myriad other fixed recurring expenses in our car analogy.

As for data, well, the whole idea of unlimited Internet access is that they charge you a specified price every month and you get the freedom to use the Internet as much as you want. I prefer that, instead of constantly having to keep a tab on how much I’m using the Internet, lest I overuse it and am faced with a huge bill.

If you want that too, go for Airtel. If you’d rather have a data plan that charges you according to your usage (trust me, this doesn’t make much sense with an iPhone in your hand—ask goobimama), go for Vodafone.


You generally seem to have logical arguments, Pat, and I’m frankly quite surprised by your insistence on including the total cost of the subscription over the period of the contract with the price of the handset. I expect that sort of argument from someone like gx_saurav.

[desiibond]

and BTW, WATCH OUT FOR ANDRIOD.

It's not apple vs windows or apple vs symbian that the future of mobile computing is going to be.

It's going to be a three way battle for supremacy

ANDROID VS SYMBIAN VS WINDOWS.

[MetalheadGautham]

have it your way then.

Lets take the case of an average guy in India who uses the lifetime plan, i.e., paying around 250 rupees for a period of 6 months, getting a certain amount of talk time and free incomming calls.

Such a person spends Rs. 1,000/- for 2 years for his Phone.

>>>perhaps he just bought the phone as an entertainment gadget
>>>perhaps there is another phone with him for making "real" calls
>>>perhaps there is some other reason with him
>>>perhaps he only needs to receive calls, not make them
>>>so don't ask why he does such a thing

taking that, if he bought the iPhone, his cost of ownership must be ~Rs. 10,000/- including 2 years subscription and taxes.

What would such a person do, if the only plans offered with the iPhone were those plans which are opted for only by either the uber rich or business guys ?

Not everyone has a phone bill of over Rs. 500 in India. People tend to use more cost effective means than phone calls today.

So a person trying to buy the iPhone as an entertainment gadget will be severely affected, don't you think ?

[aryayush]

Originally Posted by desiibond

and BTW, WATCH OUT FOR ANDRIOD.

It's not apple vs windows or apple vs symbian that the future of mobile computing is going to be.

It's going to be a three way battle for supremacy

ANDROID VS SYMBIAN VS WINDOWS.

LOL! Noted for future pwnage.

If you seriously don’t see how huge the iPhone platform is going to be, even after seeing the applications that have appeared for it so far and the enormous developer interest it commands, you are delusional.

[desiibond]

+1 for gautam, Moreover, for non-contract based plans, there are hundreds of phone to pick from Rs.1,000 to Rs.40,000.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by desiibond

^^^ +1, Moreover, for non-contract based plans, there are hundreds of phone to pick from Rs.1,000 to Rs.40,000.

you just +1ed Aayush

[iMav]

Android looks ugly.

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by aryayush

LOL! Noted for future pwnage.

If you seriously don’t see how huge the iPhone platform is going to be, even after seeing the applications that have appeared for it so far and the enormous developer interest it commands, you are delusional.

you are the one who is having delusional dreams about iPhone's god like future.

Please understand that iPhone is a single phone. ANDROID, Symbian, Windows, etc are used in thousands of phones. In all budget ranges.

You think everyone will buy only an iPhone ?

Even Tacinmosh has lots of developer intrest. Does that mean its REAL competition for other PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, etc ?

Originally Posted by iMav

Android looks ugly.

by default.

Like all linux distros, Android can also be themed.