The iPhone 3G on AT&T: we ask the burning questions
So wait just a second here -- you say you have to
activate the iPhone 3G in-store, and unlimited data is
going to run another $10 a month? With the
new model comes an entirely new way of
doing business,it seems, and that brings on a whole slew of new questions for the goodfolks at AT&T. Here are a few we've managed to ask so far, theofficial answers, and in some cases, information we've managed togather on the side.
Will it be available as a Gophone (prepaid service)?
"No,only available with a two-year contract." Pretty cut and dried there.We're also told that there will be no contract-free price on postpaidservice; the one and only way to get in on this action will be to re-upyour commitment to AT&T. Unofficially, we've been slippedinformation that AT&T's typical upgrade eligibility rules applywhen signing the new contract, and there will be a separate (read:higher) pricing scheme for "non-qualified upgrades." These prices havenot yet been set.
How does contract sign-up work when a customer is in an Apple store?
"Youwill need to speak with Apple for more details on their retailoperations, but the activation process will take place in the store."That's the official line, but we're also hearing that customers inApple stores may take their purchase home with them without beingphysically activated, in which case the activation process is completedlater through iTunes. Either way, though, they're not letting you outthe door without signing on the dotted line.
In AT&T stores,the process should be pretty similar, except that customers will beobligated to physically activate before they leave. The stores will bereceiving "tether cords" to make that happen. Just a warning, AT&T:whatever software you're activating these puppies with is going to bereverse-engineered in no time, we'd wager.
What will the per-customer purchase limit be?
Official:"We haven't discussed this yet." Unofficial: at AT&T stores, wehear that the limit will remain three. Difference is they've now allgot to be activated in-store, so that would be one heck of a commitmentif you somehow felt compelled to buy more than that in one helping.
Will FAN (corporate) discounts apply?
Another"We haven't discussed this yet" for this one. Since the iPhone willcontinue to have its own set of plans, it's entirely possible AT&Tcould make them ineligible for discounting. The counterargument,though, is that the iPhone is now being offered like any other phone --deeply subsidized by the carrier, that is -- and details of thedevice's service should fall in line with that as well. We'll see.
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