Return of the $99 iPhone 3G
If you don't mind a shorter warranty, you can save $100 on an iPhone 3G by choosing a refurbished model.
Hey, remember the refurbished iPhone deal I wrote about late last year? Well, it's back! AT&T is offering the 8GB iPhone 3G (black) for $99. The 16GB model is available in black or white for $199. That's a savings of $100 on both models.
As before, you have to sign up for a two-year contract, and you get a warranty of "at least 90 days"--which I suspect means 90 days. (AT&T's site doesn't seem to have any specifics on the warranty--anybody know the deets?).
Of course, the price tag of the phone itself isn't what stops most people--it's the monthly nut. The bare-minimum service and data plans will run you $70 per month (plus another few bucks in taxes and fees).
Personally, I think it's worth it. Much as it kills me to write that check every month, I can't overstate how much I like--no, love--no, lurve--the iPhone. And, hey, the $100 you save on the refurb is like getting a month's worth of service free.
What do you think? Are you liking this refurb deal, or is the iPhone still too rich for your blood? While you're thinking it over, check out my six must-have iPhone freebies--a roundup of some of the latest and greatest free apps for the device.