AT&T sees "tremendous demand" for free Apple iPhone 3GS
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While the Apple iPhone 3GS is the first of Apple's touchscreen handsets to be offered for free with a 2-year pact, you can also buy an 8GB version of the Apple iPhone 4 for $99 with a signed 2-year contract. As far as the brand new Apple iPhone 4S is concerned, sales are continuing to do very well and de la Vega says he is very optimistic about smartphone growth for AT&T's fourth quarter.
source: MacRumors
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113 Comments
1. ZayZay posted on 22 Oct 2011, 11:28 9 7
Duh, everyone wants the "free phone" and once again this is a 2 year old technology that is basically but not limited to be called "crap"
7. iwebdroidberry7 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:33 9 4
Like most BOGO Android phone out on the market huh? Go figure.
40. ardent1 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 17:39 3 0
You aren't paying attention to Apple's strategy or namely the late Steve Jobs' strategy. Apple is a very patient competitor and very few people remember how when Steve Jobs came back to Apple for his second tour, Apple's market share in the PC was about 1% and the recent figure is about 10.7%.
The 3GS is a 2-year+ old technology that allows people to join the Apple franchise. Next year, I wouldn't be surprised if the 3GS is discontinued and the iPhone 4 takes its place as the free phone for ATT, Sprint & Verizon.
Apple has figured out how to increase the longevity of its products and the older generation iPhones will serve as a foothold to capture the price conscience buyers.
44. Kease posted on 22 Oct 2011, 18:58 1 2
Wow, he increased their market share by almost ten percent. No other mean on earth could have done that....
46. Sniggly posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:16 2 3
No, more like 1000 percent. Kickass marketing does that.
As for people wanting this phone, of course it's because it's the "free iPhone," which is how it's advertised.
I can't really knock Apple for doing this, because Android devices drop down to low prices or free all the time.
Aaanyway, this won't kill Android. How weird is that? Just two years ago the question was whether Android was the iPhone killer, and now it's pretty much flip flopped- iFanboys are trying to predict whether the iPhone can come back and regain its top dog status from Android.
49. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:37 5 5
I like how you compare a phone (iPhone) to an operating system (android).
Did you know that android is not a phone?
54. Sniggly posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:54 1 2
Since every phone running iOS is called an iPhone, does it really matter? I'm typing on my phone. iPhone comes up quicker in autocorrect.
Did you know that you can't arbitrarily only choose sales comparisons which allow you to claim victory?
68. InspectorGadget80 posted on 23 Oct 2011, 00:10 2 2
Taco u troll too much
70. gallitoking posted on 23 Oct 2011, 02:40 2 2
Wow Apple the Android killer... please Sniggly stop smoking that s**t..... until Apple plans around android then I will believe it... ok remember the Rzr ... the Nexus.. all were plann around the released of the iphone... lol poor bastard... your hate towards a company makes you dumber than you think...
73. Sniggly posted on 23 Oct 2011, 05:03 2 0
Wait wait wait. The guy who claims that Motorola is "copying" Apple by sealing in the battery is accusing me of being/looking stupid?
Thanks for the compliment!
99. gallitoking posted on 23 Oct 2011, 21:38 0 1
calling you an idiot is a compliment.. true.. you could be a a** hole... well Apple copied the notification bar... according to you.. use the same metric to the battery, but you wont... you hate Apple to much... please.... say it... lol,,,, Sniggly intelligence chases you... but you manage to outrun it....
102. Sniggly posted on 23 Oct 2011, 23:50 0 0
Um, Gallito, it's pretty obvious that Apple copied the notification bar from Android, as that's kind of how ANDROID HANDLES NOTIFICATIONS.
However, considering that this is the absolute thinnest phone anyone has ever produced, you somehow think that "copying Apple" came first in Motorola's mind when they have a track record of making their phones very much unlike iPhones and have not sealed in the batteries on any of their (considerably popular) phones?
Motorola has changed up how they handle batteries before when design called for it. The Motorola Devour, for instance, had an aluminum body which was really thin because they dropped the screen section down into it. So, instead of building a frame for a battery door on the back, they put the battery door on the side so you had to slide the battery in. The phone was ultimately terrible, but that's beside the point.
The point is that Motorola would only change how they handle the placement of the battery if the design necessitated it, like making the phone impossibly thin and water resistant. To make the phone water resistant AND to include a battery door, they would have to have made a lot of nonexistent room for a rubber seal around the battery. It'd be easier to just seal it inside the device.
I mean, I'm sorry, but this should be a massive "DUH."
111. gallitoking posted on 24 Oct 2011, 11:38 0 1
like i said.. you think what you want ., and so will i ... the fact of the matter is that nothing changes..right...
113. Sniggly posted on 24 Oct 2011, 12:13 0 0
The fact of the matter is that you were full of s**t and you know it. Thanks for not acknowledging that I showed why you were wrong.
57. Matty posted on 22 Oct 2011, 21:56 0 2
The real strategy is that it will bring more customers to Apple who will then inevitably buy apps, books, music, games, postcards?! etc from Apple which is where they will make up a lot of revenue. Once you are on the Apple ecosystem its hard to get off even if you dislike the new iphone (like many customers faced this year) since you will have to rebuy alot of the same apps on another ecosystem like android.
On android, you might prefer a HTC phone one year and next might be enticed by a beast from Samsung and then easily move your apps across.
58. Sniggly posted on 22 Oct 2011, 22:10 2 2
That is something else I've run across a couple times. People like Android, they're willing to switch, but they can't bring themselves to let the money they spent on apps with Apple to just go to waste. I wish there was something I could offer to them to counter that and compensate them; a ladder out of the walled garden, so to speak.
59. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 22:46 3 2
Good point other than make up revenue. Apple still makes good profit on the free 3GS thanks to carrier subsidies.
93. ardent1 posted on 23 Oct 2011, 17:32 0 0
It's commonly referred to as stickiness. Once you invest in an ecosystem, it's hard to walk away from it.
61. 530gemini posted on 22 Oct 2011, 22:48 1 1
@zayzay. I know huh. Only android phones should be for free to attract customers. But it wouldn't be right for the ip3gs to be given for free with a contract. LOL. Android fanboys have amazing mentalities :-)
75. andro. posted on 23 Oct 2011, 07:57 1 1
The 3gs is free,the iphone 4 8gb is free in my shop. The massive demand for the 3gs is because most know its a proper functioning phone,the problems with the 4s dropping calls etc is widespread knowledge judging from my customers and now the iphone 4s is the exact same phone but dearer but with more problem risks like battery gate and yellow screens so many are choosing the safe bet of a 3gs.
The 3gs is two year old tech but then islaves are used to having devices behind the market curve so this doesn't matter to them
108. Landmarkcm posted on 24 Oct 2011, 02:00 0 0
Lol ridiculous. Im a newbie with my Sprint 4S. Best phone ive ever owned & ive had alot!
2. networkdood posted on 22 Oct 2011, 11:48 3 1
Many of the average 'joes' has a reg. phone and that phone is their first smartphone. Over half of AT&Ts customers have a SP.
3. Astreo posted on 22 Oct 2011, 11:55 3 6
People dont really want it because its an Iphone but instead because its a FREE Iphone that they think will bring them up to date with everyone else. while it isnt a great phone it is dated now. I cant count the number of times people come into my store and their first question is " which of these are free? "
4. ZayZay posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:00 0 1
That's what I'm saying. All these customers are so use to a Radio Shack, Best Buy target world, they think a lot of real expensive phones should be free.
6. networkdood posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:19 4 1
Well, online is a free HTC INSPIRE 4G - I would have that phone - faster processor and data speeds.
26. Astreo posted on 22 Oct 2011, 15:48 0 3
I find it funny how many downvotes i have but no replies as to why ,to say what they found wrong. oh well carry on.
41. ardent1 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 17:48 0 1
The phone may be free, but there's a catch such as the monthly contract cost.
I just can't see myself paying $80 to $100 a month for mobile service. I am the type that would rather buy the phone outright. For my last two cell phones, I paid the "rack rate" to avoid a contract.
50. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:39 0 1
Who's your carrier again? How's the service? I know T Mobile offers cheaper monthly rates if you bring your own phone. Too bad they don't have 4G
55. Sniggly posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:55 1 1
They have the same level of 4G as T-Mobile, and their speeds were pretty good when I tried them.
60. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 22:48 0 0
Who are you talking about?
62. Sniggly posted on 22 Oct 2011, 22:56 0 0
Both AT&T and T-Mobile use the exact same broadcast tech for their "4G" networks. And both are pretty fast.
77. remixfa posted on 23 Oct 2011, 08:27 1 0
like always, your an idiot.
Tmobile's 4g is second only to VZW, which is leagues ahead of the crap on sprint and ATT.
for 60 bucks a month for unlimited everything on a contract plan, you cant beat it.
And no, you dont have to "bring your own phone" (though you can). They allow you to bill the phone to the account and pay it off over time.
69. p0rkguy posted on 23 Oct 2011, 02:26 1 0
Unfortunately, Americans do not look at the monthly fee. The monthly fee has already been instilled onto mindset when purchasing a new phone. The fact that they don't have to pay any outright fee when purchasing a phone makes it a "free" phone.
You also have to remember the fact that parents have no problem buying their children "free" phones. Parents already know there's going to be a monthly fee. Chances are they're already paying a monthly fee for their children's phone service.
If you can't see yourself paying $80-$100/m then I assume you don't pay for your phone service?
You buy a phone outright while still paying your normal monthly fee? What's the point if you can get a discount with contract?
95. ardent1 posted on 23 Oct 2011, 17:40 0 0
I did the math and getting the phone without the contract was the better choice. For example, paying $300 for the Triumph to get unlimited 3G data for $25 a month is a steal. The current program cost $35 a month. You can't unlimited data from the big 4 carriers at $25 a month.
Btw, I also get 300 of talk time per month.
103. Sniggly posted on 24 Oct 2011, 00:01 0 0
Yeah, Virgin's a great deal if that's what you need, and if you can deal with Sprint's network. We all know that prepaids are cheaper. The question is though: what do you get for the cheaper monthly cost? Limited customer support, limited networks, limited phone choices, limited available features... You get what you pay for.
Hate to say it, but even as expensive as Verizon is, you're paying for data speeds that are on par with landline broadband, a wide selection of great phones, pretty good customer service, great network support with relatively few weak spots, etc. They charge a lot because even when they were finishing up their 3G network buildout, Verizon was spending 20 billion dollars a year on network upgrades, buildout and maintenance ALONE. A single new tower with a range of about 3 to 5 miles (more on flat terrain, less in hills) costs $750,000 to build. Also remember that the profits that the wireless carriers are making aren't exactly record breaking.
Like it or not, Ardent, considering Virgin and the other prepaids don't build their own networks, your cheap plan and carrier wouldn't exist at all if it weren't for all of us "suckers" paying for the far more expensive contract carriers.
And no, I'm not saying that you actually call us suckers. But you are insinuating that we're getting royally screwed, which isn't really the case here. At least, not as much as you think.
107. taco50 (banned) posted on 24 Oct 2011, 01:56 0 0
You're pulling a lot of numbers out of your kitchen again. Tower costs 750,000 to build? No it doesn't not even close.
20 billion per year umm no
114. Sniggly posted on 24 Oct 2011, 12:15 0 0
No, these were the numbers Verizon gave us when we first entered training. $750,000 for a single new tower, $20,000,000,000 invested per year in its network. It was a point of pride for Verizon that they spent so much to make their network so strong.
5. Joshing4fun posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:13 11 0
You couldn't pay me to get a 3GS. The jump between iPhone4 and 3GS is huge in my opinion. The 3GS is fat, has horrible screen, crappy camera with no video recording, crashes a lot (at least my friends does) and the list goes on. These people are the definition of ignorant. If you can afford $80+ at&t bill, then you can at least afford the iPhone 4 which is leaps and bounds better.
8. iwebdroidberry7 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:34 2 5
The same goes for all the people that buy Optimus Ones, and Samsung Continum's
11. Whateverman posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:59 4 2
Do you really wanna start the OS war over this? This is good news for AT&T, Apple, and consumers I guess, so let it go man!
17. networkdood posted on 22 Oct 2011, 14:48 2 1
lol...yeah....it really is....8GB IPHONE 4 99.00...wife may want that one - that is a nice deal, too.
13. hawk62 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 13:47 2 1
yes, if you are going to get an iphone, at least get the 4. Anyone getting the 3gs under a 2 yr contract is nuts! The 4 is so much better plus after 2 years, the 3gs will be sooooooo old n out dated
51. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:40 1 3
I'm guessing the people buying the 3GS don't really care if they're phone is cutting edge. If they want it for calls, texts and a little web like Facebook it's still a good phone.
9. Jasonhunterx posted on 22 Oct 2011, 12:48 0 2
You do know continum is a powerful phone an kind of high end right it just has bad support from samsung
35. Jasonhunterx posted on 22 Oct 2011, 17:01 0 1
Oops thought it had but look tidentical specs to galaxy s series but look on the bright side super amoled Humming bird with sgx540 not that bad not in line with optimus or 3gs
12. Droid_X_Doug posted on 22 Oct 2011, 13:06 0 1
Am I the only one wondering why they don't define 'tremendous'? Is it a million units? 500,000? Or?
14. remixfa posted on 22 Oct 2011, 14:19 6 2
WHERES TACO??
Hey look taco,
ATT said that the FREE 3gs is selling more than the i4 and the i4s. rut roh!! Apple is allowing those evil poor people to infest their ecosystem!!!
There just went EVERY one of taco's lil barbs about poor people choosing android.
The top selling sets on android are the high end ones like the galaxyS 1 and 2... not the free ones like the Comet. The top selling apple phone? the 2 year old FREE 3gs.
That says 2 things.. 1) everything taco thought about android sales was BS..( we already knew that)
2) people dont see the value in the new iphones as they pretty much look and do the same things as the older 3gs.
15. Cyd07 posted on 22 Oct 2011, 14:47 0 3
Or maybe they just don't want/can not afford a so expensive phone. Even the the phone is still really expensive.
High-end Android are less less expensive than latest Iphone. And Android is a trick a new tech lovers, that don't see the problem with let much money in a phone.
Iphone is "cool", has a reputation of being simple, is mainstream so you can always find people that will explain you how it works and which apps you should download, and finally you are in the "Iphone owners club". For people that had never had a smartphone and don't really know Android, Iphone is a solution, because they don't have to make much researchs on what Android is the best for the price...they just take the Iphone they can with their money, and that's it.
21. remixfa posted on 22 Oct 2011, 15:07 1 1
1) the comment was directed to taco who said poor people only buy android because its free
2)high end androids run about 300 bucks.. high end iphones run 200. no, im not counting those rediculous $100 gaps between models for 5 bucks worth of extra storage.
27. Astreo posted on 22 Oct 2011, 15:52 1 1
It still comes down to the fact that there are 5 free androids to only 1 free iphone. i dont know many times we must repeat this over and over but the average user doesnt even know what android is, they just see a free sign next to it and pick the one that has a bodystyle that they like. we REALLY need to stop comparing our personal preference to the majority of the subsribers for the carriers.
92. WhoWeTalkinBout posted on 23 Oct 2011, 15:46 0 0
I'm sorry but your comment reaks of ignorance. If someone is paying minimum 80 dollars a month for ATT service do you really think it is that hard for them to find an extra hundred for an infinately better phone? The answer is no. Also, the high end Android phones run between 199.99 and 299.99. That is on par with what the iPhone costs, except the 64GB which is outragiously priced in my opinion.
My favorite part of your comment is at the end which basically sums up the fact that people who choose iPhone are too lazy AND unintelligent to choose Android. Thank you for proving what was already common knowledge of most iPhoners.
18. networkdood posted on 22 Oct 2011, 14:52 0 1
AT&T still activated a million 4Ss - alot of people are waiting for the 4GS....
20. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 15:05 0 3
Wow you're dumb as usual. Hi village idiot! This re enforces everything I've been saying. I say android sells so well because of all the free crapdroids and all the bogos even on high end phones. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know free sells. So is it a surprise people want a free iPhone? No this makes sense. Not everyone is willing to spend another $200-$300 for a .2 bump in their processor.
I love how again fandroids are bashing people for which phone they choose for themselves.
You're also talking completely out of your ass as usual. You have no data to back up which androids are selling the best overall. Also up till now with the iPhone 4 and 3GS the 4 was the big seller of the 2.
He said they're getting the most new subscribers from the 3GS. That's not the same as selling the most.
I'm saying it again I accept your misguided challenge. Apple vs Samsung most total smartphone sales in Q1. Losers is banned from PA.
28. remixfa posted on 22 Oct 2011, 15:54 0 1
like normal, your misguided. last report showed the 3gs and the 4 in a near dead even heat on who sells the most with the 4 only barely edging out the 3gs.
the cheapest phone on all these lists? the 3gs. Its rank? #2 by a hair. Cheap android phones dont make the list at all.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/smartphone-survey-android-ios/
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/22/iphone-4-and-3gs-rank-as-best-selling-u-s-smartphones/
http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/canaccord-us-handsets-sept.jpg
30. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 16:16 0 2
In all of those the more expensive iPhone 4 is outselling the 3GS. You however have no facts to show what percent of androids are high end to low end. Also the fact that even brand new phones like the bionic were being sold for 1 cent by amazon last week is of course not accounted for in you're twisted brain.
Why so quiet on the challenge? You said you were willing to bet your entire paycheck that Samsung will outsell Apple?
43. remixfa posted on 22 Oct 2011, 18:05 0 1
notice "i4 sales are barely edging out 3gs sales".. that would indicate that they are still outselling the 3gs, but not by much. Its a near 50/50 split.
The point was, the #2 phone on the top 5 list is a $50 or less iphone3gs. There isnt a single freebie android on the list.
1 week sales do not make for top 5 lists of over all sales. the 3gs's price tag is consistantly 50 bucks or less.. not 299 for 3 months and free for a week or less like the bionic..
nice stretch, you fail to have a point though.
31. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 16:18 0 2
The Samsung intensity two which isn't even a smartphone made the list at 5 on one
47. taco50 (banned) posted on 22 Oct 2011, 20:25 0 2
So you backpedal as usual on your challenge?
