Originally Posted by sonicwind
Another volunteer AT&T and Apple missionary. Those poor starving companies sure need your help, dimension. I'm glad someone is looking out for them. You should bake the CEOs some cookies and take them right over with some milk.
I am definitely not a volunteer missionary. The reason to me that this phone would have been worth the extra $200 if I didn't qualify for the discount is the following:
I was looking into buying a point and shoot camera for around $350.00. The camera would not be going everywhere with me, as the iPhone will. I know the iPhone video quality and photo quality will not match the quality of a p&S camera, but it will be everywhere I am, which makes the purchase worth the price to me. So, in effect, I paid $200 and not $350 for an upgraded camera that also does video.
I also understand why ATT originally took the stance they did with the 3G customers:
You paid for the 3G for a 2-year contract which is the period of time ATT planned to make the subsidy back from you, plus a profit. If they gave everyone with a 3G an upgrade subsidy again, they will lose money. But I guess the customers that pay $99 or more on a single line are making them the money back anyway, so they are being good to us, which they don't have to do. When I was on Tmobile, they didn't let me upgrade with a subsidized phone until my contract was over or close to it.