"First, existing iPhone 3G customers cannot upgrade to a 3G S for $199 or $299. Those prices are for new customers only. You will pay $599 or $699. Yeah, really. Amazingly, several software features Apple showed off yesterday will arbitrarily not be made available to other iPhone users. These include Voice Control and Compass. What?? Also... Tethering, a feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will not be made available in the US. (Thanks AT&T.) If it happens later, it will be after AT&T adds a more expensive data plan. MMS, another feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will also not be made available in the US."
In those few words he managed to squeeze so much stupidity in it has to be a new world's record. Time to play "Drop the Stupid Windows Fanboi On His Head:"
1. The compass isn't available in prior iPhones because they don't have a magnetometer chip like the 3GS does. You can still get a compass app (like the one in the commercial) but in order to determine your direction, you have to walk in a straight line and it calculates the direction you're facing using GPS.
2. The upgrade price for the 3GS isn't automatically $599 and $699. I paid $499 for my 32 Gig 3GS. While the process by which AT&T determines your price isn't clear, what is clear is that you don't automatically end up paying those quoted prices. (Although, his assertion is that those prices are out of line which is also laughable considering how much some Windows Mobile devices go for from Sprint and Verizon).
3. MMS will be available in the US, just not at launch. As dumb as that is, it's not permanent; another assertion Thurrott seems to be making.
4. According to John Gruber who has a much better record on knowing what's going on with Apple hardware than Windows zealot Thurrott, the Voice Control is based on a DSP that isn't in the 3G. Arbitrarily indeed, stupid.
Am I taking out a lot on this dope? Sure I am, but for years I've heard "Apple Fanboi" bandied about to describe anyone who doesn't think they should be ashamed to be a Mac user and should "know their place." Most of those same morons who use the word "fanboi" get their information from sources such as Thurrott or whatever other hive-mind of dopes that spews forth without information, or with information that is easily disprovable.
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Current Apple Stuff: 2008 MacBook Pro 15.4", iPhone 3Gs (32gb), AppleTV, 4gb Shuffle.
Yep, Thurott is an idiot. Just ignore him. It is pretty safe to ignore "fanbois" of all persuasions, and to smirk at their blindness to reality.
On pricing, my understanding is:
$199-$299: 18+ month (qualified) upgrade price / new customer price
$399-$499: < 18-month (early) upgrade price w/ new 2 year contract
$599-$699: Price with no contract (no concept of an "upgrade" without contract)
I think there was some initial misunderstanding due to poor wording sent out in AT&T's 3GS announcement, but I'm pretty sure that is the policy. The only question is at what point the early upgrade price goes into effect (i.e., you can't buy one at $399, sign a new contract, and come back the next day to get another at $399 just to extend your contract by a day). I'm guessing 6 months, but the only thing that is certain is that it is less than a year.
Thanks for the info on the DSP + Voice Control. I don't buy it 100%, but at least it is a valid excuse. The reality is that Apple is much better than most at upgrading functionality for existing devices in a timely manner. Looks like Palm will have the same basic policy, which is good. Having to wait endlessly for carrier and OEM testing of inane upgrades has been a major problem for years. It is most definitely one of the advantages that Apple/RIM/Palm have over the competition, especially Windows Mobile.
Vincent, I've read a few of your posts about Paul Thurrrott, and it seems like you're taking him personally. Is there a reason?
I used to listen to his "Windows Weekly" podcast with Leo LaPorte. I stopped listening for several reasons. During that time, I added his RSS feeds to Google Reader. Every now and again he puts up a helpful post, but those that are inane and useless I just blow past while going through my feeds without a second thought. Any particular reason why he gets under your skin so much?
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Current devices: iPhone 3G. Previous devices: Samsung Epix and 1st gen 32GB iPod Touch BlackJack II, iPaq 6945, iPaq hx4705, Dell Axim x30 high, iPaq 3765.
Yep, Thurott is an idiot. Just ignore him. It is pretty safe to ignore "fanbois" of all persuasions, and to smirk at their blindness to reality.
On pricing, my understanding is:
$599-$699: Price with no contract (no concept of an "upgrade" without contract)
This is the part I found misleading, or worse. Without contract? Yes. Still locked to AT&T? Yes again.
Who would spend this amount of money for a crippled phone when with more or less the same amount you can buy it without contract and SIM free?
Just curious about AT&T thinking....
That wouldn't have helped me as I'm not eligible for an upgrade until December.
I have a VZW contract until December. I have waited this long; I can wait some more. You'll get most of the functionality of the 3GS now in 3.0 and when your contract is up and you're clear to get full upgrade pricing, you can be sure that there will be an even better iPhone waiting for you.
People so eager to upgrade that they get pissed about it is probably a good problem for AT&T and Apple to have. Better than Windows Mobile's, who have lost me forever. Just look at all those great new apps coming out for WM Standard! (You can probably count them on one hand, maybe one finger.) I don't mind Verizon all that much, but they should have agreed to have the iPhone in the first place if they wanted my business going forward (and it wouldn't hurt them to actually improve the reception at my house.)
This is the part I found misleading, or worse. Without contract? Yes. Still locked to AT&T? Yes again.
Who would spend this amount of money for a crippled phone when with more or less the same amount you can buy it without contract and SIM free?
Just curious about AT&T thinking....
I'd love to see a reputable site selling a (legally) unlocked 16GB iPhone for $599'ish.
That said, I agree. The pricing is a bit silly. Far better to create a new line of service and then pay the $175 ETF. Actually this is even a better deal than getting the early upgrade price. This is of course why most phones are subsidized by < $200 instead of the $400 that AT&T is implying with the iPhone pricing. Regardless, it still isn't unlocked, which I guess is your point. But it is only around $375 instead of $599. And ("illegal") unlocking is only around $30 bringing you to around $400 unlocked. So, yes, I agree. You'd be very stupid to pay the no-commitment price and AT&T's thinking is that there are a lot of very stupid people in the world (like those that paid that price for a locked, contract bound 8GB iPhone two years ago).
Paul Thurrott is Arbitrarily A Moron
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