Apple drops 8GB iPhone 3G to $99 (I'm thinking of buying one for Wi-Fi Use Only)

CNET News ^ | June 8, 2009 | Rick Broida

[PJ-Comix]

Well, here's hoping you waited on that $99 refurbished iPhone 3G, because as of Monday you can get a new one for the same price. Apple just announced at WWDC 2009 that the 8GB iPhone 3G will stay on the market for $99.

Forget refurbs--now you can get a new iPhone 3G for just $99.(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

So what do you think? Now that you can finally get a shiny new iPhone with a full warranty (one year) for less than a hundred bucks, will you pull the trigger?

Based on the comments in last week's aforementioned refurb post, I'm guessing no. For most of you, it's not the price of the hardware that's objectionable, but rather the service.

AT&T still charges a minimum of $70 per month for minutes and data. In these craptacular economic times, that's just too much. Me, I'd love to give the missus my current iPhone and snag myself a 3G S, but then I'd be looking at nearly $150 per month. She'd kill me, and I'd probably let her.

Thoughts? Is the iPhone 3G (and/or 3G S) just that good that you'll pay whatever extortion Apple and AT&T want? I'll admit I'd be lost without mine; I use it all day every day, for countless purposes. Damnit.

Update: AT&T dropped the price of refurbished 8GB iPhones to $79.99. My advice: steer clear. It's well worth the extra $20 to get a full one-year warranty. But the 16GB model is down to $129.99 (though currently out of stock). That's pretty tempting.

[PJ-Comix]

This writer's gripe is that AT&T charges too much for their service. Guess what? I don't use AT&T and I am still thinking of buying a 3G iPhone in a couple of weeks. Why? Because to me it is worth it to use as a fancy iTouch with its Wi-Fi capabilities. My townhouse is already Wi-Fied plus lots of other places have Wi-Fi (like McDonalds) where I can use the iPhone to connect to the web. I'll continue to use my lousy MetroPCS phone but that will be supplemented by the iPhone using its Wi-Fi capabilities.

Do you think this is a good idea or am I an idiot for considering this way of using the iPhone? And where can I buy a $99 iPhone?

[exist]

How much is the service if you just use it for WiFi?

[cyborg]

I bought the refurb from ATT and what a piece of crap. Apple sent me a new 16gb iphone which has made me happy ever since EXCEPT for the piles of government taxes.

[PetroniusMaximus]

You will not be sorry. It is awesome.

But you will soon want the voice component.

[Always Right]

Or you can get a small netbook for about $250. The iPhone is probably cooler and a bit easier to carry around though, but netbooks are pretty darn small and probably more useful.

[PJ-Comix]

How much is the service if you just use it for WiFi?

$0.00

[IrishCatholic]

Bookmark for the wife.

[Always Right]

How much is the service if you just use it for WiFi?

Zero.

[antivenom]

PJ...when you hear where to buy a $99.00 I=phone..let me know...

I have friends in Honduras who want these...for wi-fi

[tired1]

You might want to search the net for some useful hacks out there to get away from ATT.

[irishjuggler]

Isn’t $99 the AT&T-subsidized price for an iphone with a service agreement? If you just want to use wifi, why not get an ipod touch?

[exist]

I’m there.

[PJ-Comix]

Or you can get a small netbook for about $250. The iPhone is probably cooler and a bit easier to carry around though, but netbooks are pretty darn small and probably more useful.

The compactness of an iPhone would be more useful for me. Plus I want to make heavy use of it for photos and videos. Which reminds me. How is the quality of the iPhone photos and videos? And how much record time can you do with the video?

[RagingBull]

iPhones require a 2-year AT&T contract. The iPod touch does wifi just fine (no GPS, magnetometer, microphone, camera or 3G/EDGE, though)

[DoughtyOne]

My aversion is that when you lock yourself into these plans, you really get screwed if a new phone that is great comes out. You can’t move to the new phone without paying a penalty, even if it’s the same provider.

I pay list price for my phones and leave the discounts in the dust. I purchased a new phone one time, and about a year later a great phone came out that I couldn’t guy.

I don’t know what Apple is planning to do over the next year, but my guess is there’s something better than the current type of iPhone on the way. Perhaps that new tablet will have iPhone capabilities. I’d shoot myself if I had to wait eighteen months to buy that if it pans out.

[PJ-Comix]

Isn’t $99 the AT&T-subsidized price for an iphone with a service agreement? If you just want to use wifi, why not get an ipod touch?

Because the iPhone is only $99. Someone told me I could buy the iPhone for $99 sans AT&T contract. I hope he was right. But I fear he may be wrong.

[iowamark]

I know some people love these things. However, a big “one year” warranty is a warning sign. And isn’t this something that you have to ship back to Apple to change the battery once it dies?

[Jeff Gordon]

Could you just buy data and then use SKYPE (or a similar VOIP) for voice?

[Revolting cat!]

How much is the service if you just use it for WiFi?

Zero.

Jeez, why bring up the Kenyan?!

[Williams]

The Iphone is cool and I own Apple stock but:

In reading an article about the new Iphone, it seems to have no features beyond teh LG phone I got for free with my Verizon contract, and it now has a GPS app but lacks voice directions, which my phone has.

The Apple stuff is just cooler, trendier, people have to own one. Fine with me.