AT&T says no-contract iPhones coming next week
As promised, AT&T will begin selling iPhones without requiring a two-year contract, but the devices will be so expensive that few people are likely to want to buy them.
Starting March 26, existing AT&T customers will be able to buy the 8GB iPhone for US$599 and the 16GB iPhone for $699, AT&T said. The news follows days of rumors that the commitment-free phones might hit store shelves soon.
The price works out to be more expensive than buying a subsidized iPhone with a two-year contract, paying the subscription for a month, canceling the plan and paying the early termination fee. Including the activation fee, that would come to $476 for the 8GB iPhone.
"This is simply another way AT&T customers can experience iPhone 3G on the nation's fastest 3G network," AT&T said in a statement.
Existing AT&T customers -- the only people who can buy the contract-less phones -- are eligible to buy an iPhone at a subsidized price based on the amount of time left on their contract and their payment history. In many cases, they will be better off waiting until they become eligible for a subsidized iPhone with a two-year contract.
People who buy the phone without a contract will have the same service plan options as contract iPhone users, except they won't have to commit to using the service for two years. The cheapest option is $70 a month, including voice and data access.
IPhones without contracts have been available in some European countries. AT&T has long said that it would sell iPhones without contracts but until now had not said when.
IDG News Service
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
On Twitter now
iphone
Powered by Twitter
Esther Schindler
If the comments are ugly, the code is ugly
claird
SVG a graphics format for 21st century
pasmith
Take Chrome OS for a test spin
Sandra Henry-Stocker
Solaris Tip: Have Your Files Changed Since Installation?
jfruh
Android fragments vs. the iPhone monolith
mikelgan
What Gizmodo missed about the Pro WX Wireless USB disk drive
Sidekick: The Good News & the Bad News
Either way you look at it Microsoft Data Center management did not follow standards or best practices in this failure. In which case it makes me wonder more about the outsourcing of corporate data much less personal data.
- mburton325
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.













