AT&T Reveals More Info on iPhone 3G

AT&T has announced a number of essential information about iPhone 3G for you to be "iReady", when it hits their stores on Friday July 11th. They’ve confirmed that iPhone 3G will be available for sale at 8.00 AM next Friday. iP3G plans start from $70 for 450 minutes (including unlimited internet usage). No text messages include with the plan. You can add free text messages to your plan, and it starts from $5 and goes upto $30. 3G networks require more capital to build and operate, so we can’t totally blame AT&T for raising the prices. Here’s more on iP3G:

• Two-year contract required to get iP3G for $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB).
• If you are not eligible for an upgrade, you’ll be paying $399 and $499.
• New customers will pay $36 and existing customers will pay $18 for activation.
• iP3G will soon be available with no contracts for $599 (8GB) and $699 (16GB)

I find it pretty odd! Why would anybody want to shell out another $400 to buy iP3G with no-contract attached? Basically, iP3G works only on AT&T network, and customers won’t be getting any rebates on monthly tariff, if they buy iP3G with no contract attached. AT&T has a maximum early termination fee of $175, which keeps reducing by $5 per month you own iPhone. If you do some math, it’ll all come below $400.

If iP3G was available with a removable sim card, which would work on any network, then it would surely make sense. But why buy a phone, which is already locked down to AT&T network? AT&T’s rate plans for iP3G goes like this:

AT&T Nation (with unlimited data):

• $69.99 – 450 anytime minutes, 45¢ each additional minute, 5,000 night / weekend minutes
• $89.99 – 900 anytime minutes, 40¢ each additional minute, unlimited night / weekend minutes
• $109.99 – 1,350 anytime minutes, 35¢ each additional minute, unlimited night / weekend minutes
• $129.99 – Unlimited minutes

AT&T FamilyTalk (including 2 lines and unlimited internet/night weekend minutes)

• $129.99 – 700 anytime minutes, 45¢ each additional minute
• $149.99 – 1,400 anytime minutes, 40¢ each additional minute
• $169.99 – 2,100 anytime minutes, 35¢ each additional minute
• $209.99 – 3,000 anytime minutes, 25¢ each additional minute
• $259.99 – 4,000 anytime minutes, 20¢ each additional minute
• $359.99 – 6,000 anytime minutes, 20¢ each additional minute
• $259.99 – Unlimited minutes ($129.99 each additional line)

Additional charges for text messages:

• $5 – 200 messages per month (individual plan)
• $15 – 1,500 messages per month (individual plan)
• $20 – Unlimited messages (individual plan)
• $30 – Unlimited messages (FamilyTalk plan)
• 20¢ per message if no plan is selected