Pricing for iPhone service released

AT&T on Tuesday announced pricing plans for the Apple iPhone, which will go on sale Friday, June 29.

All plans include unlimited e-mail and mobile Web surfing and 200 text messages a month. For $60 a month, users get 450 minutes of talk time. For $80 a month, they get 900 minutes of talk time. And for $100 a month, they can talk for 1,350 minutes.

Subscribers will have to sign a two-year contract with AT&T to get the iPhone, and there will be a one-time activation fee of $36.

The companies also said that users will be able to activate their iPhone using Apple's iTunes software on a Mac or PC. Once the device is activated, users can synch it just like they do an iPod to access music, videos and other files on their computer.

The iPhone goes on sale at 6 p.m. local time in Apple and AT&T retail locations throughout the country. The phone comes in two versions: the 4 gigabyte version will sell for $499 and the 8GB version will cost $599.

[Lindy01]

Pariss gets out of Jail

today and picks up her Iphone tomorrow. It takes someone with her kind of money to buy and use an Iphone.

Basically you are either rich or stupid if you have and use an Iphone.

[Thomas, David]

Rare Form

not

eom

[bureauguy]

I'm not rich, but I'm not stupid either!

There you go again.....name calling! If you hate the iphone so
much, why waste your time posting your M$ fanboy crap every time
an iphone story comes out? I'm beginning to believe you are a little
jealous....lol. Anyway, you use the cellphone you want...and I will
use the cellphone I want. After all this is America....we have a
choice!....and wipe that drool off your lip, it's not a pretty sight.

[jfalkingham]

What a bargain

or you could have unlimited Blackberry use with 1400 minutes for $60, your choice I guess.

If you think the iphone will take over the PDA phone market, it wont. If you think the iphone will displace the Blackberry, it wont. Apple will market it the right way and it will be successful, but I doubt it will become the standard for the PDA market.

[thedreaming]

RIM has nothing to fear...

...from the iphone. The iphone is a neat little gadget and apple fans will buy it, as well as anyone with alot of money and time on their hands but it's not going to replace a standard like the blackberry.

[whtajrk]

know the difference...

you worry too much...no one ever said it was
made to take over the PDA market. it was made to
be the ultimate MULTIMEDIA device, not a
BUSINESS device. heck, it doesnt even view, much
less, edit ANY microsoft office doc. look before
you leap.

[Mark Greene]

Surprisingly REASONABLE rates

They dodged a bullet.

Too bad I didn't buy when their stock was at $12 (and that was
before a split or two).

[Vegaman_Dan]

Affordable

If these plans stand, then they are very much in line with what other service providers are charging for similar features.

Looks like the fear of insanely high data plan prices has been neutralized.

*WHEW*

[Alan Fink]

Better than verizon rate

I am happy to see the plan numbers. I am currently paying 80 for
the same plan that cingular is offering for 60 with the iphone.
Great news!

[cary1]

you can also choose standard voice plans

This is a press release on Apple website http://www.apple.com/iphone/pr/20070626plans.html and it says "In addition, iPhone customers can choose from any of AT&T?s standard service plans."

So people like me can just use their $40 a month plan which doesn't include data.

[bureauguy]

I thought you

were a nokia fanboy.....what happened?

[Mark Greene]

$40 and unlimited wi-fi, naturally

so EDGE is optional

that's a good move on their part to cater to urban folk who won't
be as reliant on EDGE

[mjm01010101]

$2040 without accesories

So now the people in line are going to wait for a $2000 over 2 years accesory.

Cool is cool, but is it worth it to pay so much just for a device that costs so much?

[mypalmike]

No 3G

No HSDPA on these phones. I'd wait until they fix that little gap in the data plan.

[pcbear]

all phones cost this much

Any PDA will cost you this much. This is actually quite a good deal. I won't buy one...but it is a good deal

[SeizeCTRL]

ouch!

wow, what would they want for unlimited voice? your right testicle and the tears of homeless orphans?

[rhett121]

Purfect!

That is what I'm paying right now with Cingular anyway (same
airtime and data) so it will be super painless to make the switch. I
am so glad that AT&T didn't use this opportunity to gouge
customers. I do wish they had kept the Cingular brand name
though. Being an AT&T customer just makes my stomach turn, I'd
feel better if they at least hid it under another name.

[aka_tripleB]

This might help you

Just say, "It's just SBC who had an idenity complex. It's just SBC who had an idenity complex. It's just SBC who had an idenity complex..."

After all, they're technically not the same company that was back in the 80's.

[eulalia]

service painless...phone not

I know you get all kinds of nifty features with the iPhone but I would not call the cost of the iPhone painless. I probably make a lot less than you do so for me it would be a migraine.

[res078dz]

Exisiting Customers only $20! Unlimited Data

Prices seem fair. Your going to pay that much anywhere you go.
You may as well get the most advanced phone out there.

[markdc1]

Not as bad as I thought

Verizon is the same or more. Sprint is cheaper though. I'm paying $45 a month for basically the same plan. Obviously not the same phone but much faster data (3G).

[Llib Setag]

Go To Apple Site for more details than C|NET

http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

EVEN LOWER RATES for exiting ATT & Cingular customers.
Family Plans too.

[Pixelslave]

Excellent

For people who don't need data service and still buy an iPhone, I think Apple should send a small gift to them, delivered by Steve Jobs himself.

Why would someone spent over $500 (after tax) for a phone that, without a data service, lost at least half of its appeal is beyond my knowledge.

[open-mind]

With Wi-Fi, You don't *need* a data plan. Right?

It's my understanding that if you are usually around a Wi-Fi hot-
spot, then you really have no need for a data plan. The Wi-Fi
essentially takes the place of your data plan.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[Apple77]

Ordering Online

What time will they be on sale to order from the Apple web site. If
NY starts to sell them @ 6pm EST that would be 3pm PST. Should I
check apple's web site @ 3pm PST or 6pm PST ? Also, why not wait
until October when the new OS should be installed on the phone .

[Jesus#2]

Opens Word Docs Natively

To the fella that said there was no MS Word support... The Mail
program opens attachments.. one of the attachments in Apple's
video is a Word document.

[eulalia]

iPhone phone price

ack!

There is NO WAY I would pay $500 for a phone of ANY type.

If the initial iPhone is in any way comparable to the initial iPods, it will have glitches cauing it to break down often, requiring frequent repairs.

I'll stick with my cheap phone.

[eulalia]

...because I don't need that other stuff

I guess it might be a reasonable price for someone with a cell and a PDA.

Since I never used the PDA I bought (wasted my money), all I really need is a cell phone. I am a firm believer in not paying for features you will not use. Cool is nice, but there is a limit to how much I will pay for cool.

My first cell phone broke after 1 year.

My second cell phone was still working when I traded up.

My third cell phone was still working when I recently traded up to get bluetooth support.

My iPod, purchased soon after introduced, broke in 3 months. Repaired it; it broke again. I like iTunes and so does my son.