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Cingular doesn't want iPhone 'switchers' just yet

rinzai.com — If you're thinking about switching to Cingular before the iPhone is released in June - think again. What I discovered is that Cingular isn't interested in your business just yet. I tried to switch to Cingular today and encountered numerous problems in the process. I have posted my experience for review.

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  • Tu13erhead, on 10/12/2007, -10/+84Bad customer service from Cingular? I never would have guessed.

    And they wonder why I don't want an iPhone...
    • unibomber999, on 10/12/2007, -7/+31yeah cingular is crap even for corporate customers, so I wouldn't expect anything better for individuals. This is in addition to the signal quality sucking and me dropping more calls than I ever have with anyone else. Apple picked a real winner to partner with.
    • fr3nch13, on 10/12/2007, -5/+50It's not really bad customer service. They were actually helping the guy by saying they can't sell him the iPhone for a discounted rate when he is already under a contract. Everyone knows that cell phone company's practically give phones away to get you under contract, why would the iPhone be any different? And by the way, the iPhone is great and everything, but does everyone really thing there is going to be a mass exodus to Cingular?
    • misterjangles, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14this is what happens when you have a huge, gigantic company that just institutes policies from on high, then pays low-wage employes and outsources all contact with customers. the employees you talk to have no choice but to follow the rules. the people making the rules are completely out of touch with the customers.

      you get into these situations where the good employees learn how to "work" the system and if you get one of them on the phone - it's your lucky day. if you get a new guy or someone who doesn't care, it's like talking to a brick wall.

      i actually find the third party resellers to offer the best service because they make it their business to work the system for you.
    • h2d2, on 10/12/2007, -3/+62Who in their right mind would switch today?

      If you do that, you will be paying out of your ass *AS WELL AS* your pee-hole for the iPhone in June. The $499/$599 are the subsidized prices WITH a two year contract. So if you switch today, you will be signing a contract today... meaning you would have to pay the unsubsidized prices for the iPhone in June.
    • NikoKun, on 10/12/2007, -18/+11hmmm i'm on cingular already... have been for a while.... and while its not great... its still ok XD
    • Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -13/+30What is going through your head to make you want to pay $600 and lock-in for two years for a friggin' phone? I hate to tell you this, but it's just a phone. It doesn't make you any cooler, it's not going to get you laid; it's a phone.
    • a99tandem, on 10/12/2007, -2/+74What a whiner..

      First-
      Be patient!! Early adopters always get screwed anyways!

      Second-
      He really has a lack of understanding for the way wireless companies work. I am a former Cingular employee and current T-mobile employee.. so I'll give you the rundown. First off, you contract wont cost $2800 to cancel. whoever told you that is full of crap. You just pay your cancellation fees ($200 each) and you'll get your final bill since billing is delayed by 1 month. Next.. Cingular wants your business, believe me... but what you are asking of them is just not going to happen. New customer price is offered ONLY at the time of a sign-up or after your contract has been completed. In T-mobile's case, the new customer price can be offered within 14 days of new activation. The reason for this is the way commissions trickle to the store. We sell our phones UNDER cost.. WAY UNDER cost. Our profits are made on the contracts we issue. If you were to sign up with the expectation that you wanted a new phone in 6 months, then they cannot discount the handset purchase in June because the commission was already paid out to the store at the time of signup, and Cingular has made it clear that the iPhone will be sold ONLY with new contracts. If you are on contract for 2 years, wait out 6 months, and expect that telling Cingular you are willing to renew for 2 more years, they are only getting an extra 6 months of service out of the deal, since contracts are not cumulative- they start from the day that they are initiated, they just wont do it. An extra 6 months of service is not NEARLY enough to warrant a handset subsidy.

      Also BTW- the iPhone WILL work on T-mobile. It is a GSM phone and will be unlocked in no time. since it is OSX (unix) based it will be a matter of days after it comes out before it is useable on other networks.
    • khag7, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Switching out of a contract isn't supposed to be easy. He can't expect it to be cheap for him to just buy his wife a temporary phone until the iPhone comes out. Also, he can't expect to get the new contract discount on the iPhone. I know it sucks, but the iPhone is expensive. If you're not a current customer eligible for a new phone or a new customer, you simply cannot get the discount. Thats just how it is. Cingular would be happy to sell him a family plan, 1 new phone, and 3 sim cards, but he doesn't want it b/c he knows he'll have to pay full price for his iPhones come June. Thats HIS decision. Just because he can't get the discount doesn't mean they're making it hard to switch. If they offered the discount at all times it wouldn't be a discount, it would just be lowering the cost of ALL cell phones, and then there would be no incentive for other customers to switch to Cingular. They couldn't say "Sign up with us and get a FREE FLIP PHONE!" becuase they'd be free all the time b/c this guy wants the discount to be all the time.
    • sych0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I need a phone now, and cant wait until june. I however opted for a gophone with no contract. I don't see how this is hard. Don't sign a contract now, and you can get your iphone in june....duh.
    • tendonut, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Now that I read it over, I can see right now why I'd be pissed. The guy is going over to Cingular (I am trying to do the opposite...) with his existing 2 GSM phones from T-Mobile, and buying a new phone for his son. So from Cingular's standpoint, the guy is just trying to delay receiving the free (or reduced price) phones. It's not like he is signing up, getting 3 new discounted phones, then try to get 2 MORE new discounted iPhones in June. I wouldn't let him do that either 5 months in.

      I guess you could say that, in a way, Cingular gives you a voucher for a discounted phone when you sign up for a two year contract. This guy is just trying to not use that voucher at the time of the contract signing. He is trying to use his old cell phones from T-Mobile until the iPhone comes out, then claim his discounted phones at that time.
    • Netmindstorm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3>>What a whiner..
      I agree with you, "I can't get what I want. It's going to cost me extra money, wahhh", but I will say as an apple shareholder that I am more than happy to see that there are people out there willing to spend, dare I say even waste, so much of their income just to have the latest apple product.

      Still, for those people planning such a move, you may have him to thank if (more likely when) cingular comes up with a "iphone transition contract/plan" to address such situations. And as for those people moving to cingular, I really hope it is for the iphone. Their customer service is terrible. My 2 yr contract with them is ending soon, and I won't be staying around for the iphone. Anyone care to recommend a good TMobile phone? ;)

    • DoubtfulSalmon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Do I detect some sort of mild mental retardation on the part of the author of this article? I mean, that is just so logically wrong in so many different ways.

      Edit: I guess it could be rabid fanboyism, that could also cause the patient to exhibit the characteristics we see here.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15I hear people bitching about Cingular, but read the first part - the T-Mobile reps were even WORSE.

      First of all, the fact that they wanted to not only charge him the early termination fee, but also make him pay the balance of his two-year contract? If that's not illegal in the first place, it's a damn ***** policy. The reason you get a contract is to get the discounted ("subsidized") phone price, which is what the early termination fee is there to recoup.
      Charging someone for the balance of the contract is basically saying, no, you can't get out of your contract ever. No matter what, you're still going to pay the whole thing, but this way you get no service AND you have to pay it all at once.

      The next ***** T-Mobile part was saying that he couldn't take his phone number with him, because "contract transfers were not eligible for number portability." WTF? The whole point of the law about number portability is to keep phone companies from doing exactly this.

      Finally, because he was a good customer, with several phones for his family, paying a large amount each month, T-Mobile is going to screw him even harder by not letting him cancel one of the phones, but forcing him into an all-or-nothing proposition.


      Sure, Cingular isn't ready for his "switch" yet, but that's hardly surprising. The phone's not available for another 6 months. Can you name any other company that has ever let you start a new contract, and then get your discount 6 months later when a new phone comes out that you like? They could have gone the extra mile and made a special arrangement for the iPhone, but they're just doing the same thing as T-Mobile, Nextel, Verizon and Sprint.


      Reading his account, it sounds like I'd much rather be with Cingular than T-Mobile.
    • lcohiomatty86, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3i think this guys biggest problem is how he constantly referred to wanting the iphone when dealing with cingular.. he should of just set up a 3 line family plan, getting a 2 year contract with the main line, and using his 2 existing phones for the other lines... (assuming you dont need a contract with the 2 existing phones.. which i highly doubt u'd need to).. than when the iphone comes out.. set up the contract at that time.
    • lcohiomatty86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3cell phone companies work like driving down a narrow road between 2 cement walls.... as long as you stay within the confines of the road (or cell phone plan/contract) your fine... but if u screw up much at all.. your screwed... you just have to know how to deal with these companies before hand, and how to word things... once you can do that, cell phone companies, ESPESCIALLY cingular, is very good to deal with..

      ...whenever i call customer service.. im talking to an AMERICAN HUMAN within 5 minutes tops. they are polite, knowledgeable and willing to help out with watever problem i might have.
    • scotticus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I just switched from Verizon and the sales associate at Cingular was awesome. Very helpful, took good care of me, and she even filled out my rebate form for me and stuffed it in an envelope. Granted, my situation wasn't all that complicated and I wasn't trying to get out of a contract with another company, but I was very pleased with the service I got.

      I don't get why he / she is switching to get the iPhone when it first comes out. I'll confess that choosing Cingular when I decided to leave Verizon had something to do with the iPhone announcement, but I don't intend to get the thing when it first comes out. Being an early adopter is always an expensive gamble.
    • techlinks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1How is this Cingular's fault? Almost all cellphone companies charge you a fee for switching phones early. This has nothing at all to do with the iPhone, and even less to do with Cingular specifically. How exactly did they say they don't want you?
    • HesNikke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@ Netmindstorm:

      if you're not married to GSM, go with http://www.metropcs.com - sure you're paying up front for an unsubsidized phone, but you're not under contract. plus there's that whole "pay by the month, not by the minute" thing....

      i'm much more loyal to mpcs than i would be to any GSM provider, simply because i don't feel like i'm being bent over and pounded in the ass. customer service is OK too.
    • TheReport, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have a quesiton for people, I am a current Cingular subscriber with a two year contract I think my contract expires this year. If I buy the iPhone is there anyways I can add it to that plan plus add another 2 years or do i have to stick to my current contract plus sign another 2 year contract when the iPhone comes out, forcing me to pay 2 bills every month instead of one.
    • youareretarded, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Just an FYI, the prices for the iphone are not subsidized prices nor will they be subsidized when they are released.

      I'm not sure if the means you wont have to sign a contract to buy one though.
    • cwoolf34, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ a99tandem

      The iPhone has features, such as voicemail that can only be used on Cingular's network, they custom designed a whole system to accommodate the iPhone's special features. It may be able to make calls on the T-Mobile network, but there will be a lot of features broken.
    • a99tandem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ cwoolf34

      The only thing you'll lose is visual voicemail. Big whoop... I answer my phone anyways-- I don't get voicemail. As long as a phone has data connections (USB/Serial) it can be flashed to work on ANY gsm carrier.. data portions and all.. and since iPhone is NOT 3G- there is no loss from Cingular to T-Mobile.

      Who cares anyways-- like I said- early adopters pay the price!
  • Zoshchenko, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9You've got to remember that you are dealing with poorly trained people who have no real stake in the business. They just follow orders and if nothing has been sent to them from on high, they just do it by the book. Logic and common sense - and getting new business - have nothing to do with what they do.
    • drjones78, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Everyones taking jabs at Cingular now.. as if all the other carriers are so much better.

      Choosing your cell provider is like voting for president. You have to have one, but none of the options are really good for you.


  • ravenzachary, on 10/12/2007, -17/+8UPDATE 01/14/07: I emailed Cingular CEO Stan Sigman yesterday and have already received two personal responses from representatives of “HQ - Office of the President” (over the weekend!). I have been informed that someone will be contacting me on Monday. I’m not asking for anything personally from Cingular - I just want them to make the process easier for iPhone fans that are willing to switch early.
    • kajoob, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22FYI -

      Most large companies have an "Office of the President" that they send ppl too to calm them down. No, it's the Sigman's office - it's just the same customer support monkeys that you get if you call their support number. That's the reason he got a response over the weekend. Most ppl get excited "ooh they're putting me through to the Office of the President", but it's just a fancy way to hand your problem off. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
    • dainbramage559, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I had issues with cingular once, and contacted the office of the president. In my opinion, the service sure seemed different, as I received prompt service.
    • fusionFactor, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1That's funny. It obviously worked for him. At least I'm already a proud customer of the Cingular network. iPhone, here I come!
    • misterjangles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3hopefully they would put you through to some slightly smarter monkees at least - if they're claiming to speak on behalf of the president.
    • undersky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@ kajoob

      FYI-

      You will get a significantly better service and higher level of attention when you are dealing with the office of the president, because they know that the people contact them usually are doing so in their last effort. They know the situation is escalated in some ways, and as they are speaking on behalf of the president, they cannot risk bad press. I wouldn't be surprised if the CEO of a company periodically personally review cases that reach his office. CEOs of major firm are not lazy people who play golf every other day. Most of them are hardworking workaholic and having a desire to drive his company to success. That's the type of people who will become a CEO one day.
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Don't forget to mention that you posted your negative story on a high traffic website.

      /Funny how you actually posted a whole friggin page of rant BEFORE you got any answer to the complaint you sent them on a week-end. Not only that, but the target of your crap fest actually answered you on a sunday, showing that you might be a little quick to spew crap.
      //I wouldn't want your business.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@gutterpunk - couldn't agree with you more. You're definite friend material.
  • jialuolu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Bit confused right now, how is it going to work when current customers of Cingular want to purchase an iPhone come June but they still have, say, 6 months left on their contract? Are they still going to get the $499/599 price points and have another 2 years tacked onto their contracts?
    • S1ngular1ty1, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5You will have to pay full price for the phone. I think it is like $999. The discount is only going to apply to new Cingular customers.

      I hate the cell phone industry. They all do this kind of nonsense.
    • fusionFactor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Not true. Current subscribers can opt to extend their contract for 2 years and get the discounted price. I had asked this question to a Cingular rep several weeks ago because I was looking at getting a new phone.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Under current rules, you aren't eligible to upgrade to a new phone until you have 3 months left in your contract. Based on the commenter above me, though, Cingular could be making an exception for the iPhone. But I've also heard that Cingular would not let people buy the iPhone without a contract (perhaps that applies to non-customers only, though). We'll have to wait and see how everything shakes out.
    • wolferz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5There seems to be a lot of confusions here on how this works. Regardless of what company you go with you will not get the contract price for a phone without signing a contract WHEN YOU GET THE NEW PHONE. That means if your already under a contract you have to sign a new one and in effect extend it. If you had a 2year contract with 1 year and 4 months left, your gona have to get a new 2 year contract, in effect extending your current one 8 months. The whole reason you get a discount on the phone for signing a contract is as an incentive to sign the contract. If you have an existing contract some companies won't give you the full discount, cause after all they aren't getting another full 2 years. Cingular doesn't do contract "extentions." To sign a new contract your existing contract must be almost over. Therefor to get a phone at a contract price your contract must be near the end. Moral of the story: don't switch early.

      I don't see how this is bad customer service, I really don't. That is the same as saying that iTunes has bad customer service cause they charge 99 cent for their songs. The truth is charging 99 cent for songs isn't bad service, its just a policy I happen to dislike. You know what the solution is? Go with another service thats cheaper. This is the cornerstone of capitalism.

      "but I want an iphone." Responce: then you need to examine your priorities. Having sold cellphones for several carriers and having been around the block a few times myself with them I have discovered its far easier to find a phone you like than a service you like. Changing service to get a certain phone is counter productive. "Wow I've got an iPhone. But it only works on the third Wednesday after a full moon when the grass is blue and the sun sets in the east. I ROCK!"

      Reading the article/blog/rant/whatever he talks about the company putting up road blocks and penalizing him like they are out to get him. This has been Cingular's policy for years. He has simply discovered that he doesn't like Cingular's policies and now hes crying over the fact that they wont change it for him. And for the rest of you talking about how these people were not well trained etc. Everything he pointed out from the article showed that the people he got in touch with were extremely knowledgeable and knew their jobs quite well. Getting transfered repeatedly? HES ASKING THEM TO VIOLATE COMPANY POLICY. They CANT say yes. Their only option is to transfer him around to departments where maybe sorta they might possibly be able to do something. This was a mistake. They should have just told him no. Thats what every one else was going to tell him. They are required to. Of course then I'm sure they would have delt with a ranting customer hollering at them for not breaking company policy.

      It would be nice if Cingular changed their policy. Even I admit that. I've been waiting to get a new phone for 2 years now, and perhaps it was for the better. With the coming of the iphone and the lower prices of the razr now is the time to buy. Still mighty inconvenient, but for the service I get and the price I pay for that service this is not a big enough issue for me to stop using them.

      Also, I've been using Cingular for 2 years as I stated, I have NEVER had a dropped call with the exception of the local indoor mall here. Then again Cingular's phones are the only ones that will work at all once you pass the mall entrance. Service for a cell phone is regional: same company + different region = different service. Yet another reason not to change companies because of a phone.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@S1ngular1ty -

      Care to back up your statement, or did you just pull that number out of your ass?
      I haven't seen anything stating that the iPhone will be available without a contract, or what it would cost even if it were.

      The Treo 750 is $499 with a contract from Cingular, or $649 without. Since the 4gb iPhone is the same price as a Treo with a contract, it makes sense to expect that if it were available w/o contract, the price would be around the same.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@felchdonkey - only one flaw with your logic. Stan Sigman already said a contract would be required, implying there would be no "full price/no contract" sku for the iPhone. My bet is Cingular is not only trying to recoup the cost differential of the iPhone, but also some of the investment made in their infrastructure to support the iPhone.
    • TheGrapeApe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0FetchDonkey you don't know what you're talking about.

      A non-contract price is different from the RETAIL price people will quote.
      Non Contract means it's on the Cingular network and you have a phone and sim with them (of course they can be easily cracked but for most phone it's not worth it since everyone offers similar phone/packages). Retail means buying an unlocked phone from the start, retail cost is usually much more than non-contract, and if Cingular doesn't offer a non-contract price, then you pay retail, which is more, usually significantly more ($999 doesn't seem out of the ordinary as for me to accuse anyone of making it up). And no one said they will offer a retail price, maybe on Apple will if then at all.

      Don't try using logic for your guesstimation of things, trust people who actually have experience, then you don't end up like the author, assuming things and getting frustrated over your own stupidity.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@panique: Re-read my comment. I said that I don't think you can get the iPhone without a contract, and certainly nothing about it costing $1000, as Singularity seems to imagine.

      @GrapeApe:
      True, non-contract is different from unlocked. I never said differently. If you want an unlocked Treo, that's going to cost more like $750 than $650.

      When did I ever say any differently?
      I was answering Singularity's assertion that the iPhone would be offered for $999 to Cingular customers who didn't get the contract discount.

      Go back and see what I was replying to.

      The only point I had in showing the Treo's price was that IF the iPhone were available without a contract (which it's not likely to be), then $999 is a silly price, and Singularity was pulling the whole thing out of his ass.
  • MulletHunter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You usually don't become eligible for am upgrade until you have 3 months or less on you contract. The best way out of this is to call Cingular customer service tell them your are having problems and ask for an early upgrade. If that doesn't work do what the original poster did and contact the office of Stan Sigman. There has been no word about the iphone handed down from corporate. All the stuff we are getting right now is about the 'merger'.
  • dainbramage559, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2As said in a post above about contacting the office of the CEO, when dealing with companies that are unresponsive at the lower levels, seek response from the office of the president of the company and you will recieve better support.
  • TomP, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Theres not gonna be any iPhone 'switchers' just yet because iPhone isn't even out YET!
  • aquanutz, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Despite what some people think, the iPhone WILL work on any GSM provider. Maybe not right off the bat, be believe me, some hackers will get it to work within a month or two. I guarantee it.

    p.s. cingular blows... they have the MOST dropped calls out of any network. Everytime I see their commercials I can't help but laugh.
    • BassCadet, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2Sure, and good luck getting your iPhone to work with T-Mobile!

      I don't think a lot of people are going to really want to experiment with a $600 cell phone.
    • mscman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3@BassCadet:

      Yes, just like how we aren't seeing anyone experimenting on $600 game consoles. Wait a minute...

      Some people spend the money just to get to hack the newest and greatest gadgets. This is a great thing for innovation. When you couple this with the latest legal agreement allowing customers to hack their phones to make them work with other providers, there's no doubt in my mind we'll see a hack within a few months after the iPhone comes out.

      The biggest question in my mind is whether it will be hacked for more application support (easily, that is...)
    • buckuncle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1nope sorry. And windows Vista won't ever be pirated either.
    • mjrpes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I remember Steve Jobs saying that Cingular had to reconfigure their whole voicemail system in order to support the iPhone's text voicemail feature. My guess, then, is you wouldn't be able to use this feature on other networks.
    • blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@mscman
      Yeah, the best has got to be the PS3 grill. Turning a 600 dollar piece of equipment + 30 some dollars worth of grilling stuff + several hours of work into the equivalent of a 70 dollar kitchen appliance. Still pure awesomeness though.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"why does everyone believe the IPHONE is permanently going to be blocked from any other GSM carriers"

      "While 'there are bad guys out there that unlock phones,' Lurie [Cingular's president of distribution] said, Apple and Cingular are taking unspecified steps to make the phone more difficult to unlock and use on other GSM carriers in the US."
      – http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070110/tc_zd/198403

      And come on, it's Apple. Their business model for OS X rests on keeping it a closed system. They're going to do the same for the iPhone and Cingular as long as they're with them. But then again, people have hacked OS X too, so we'll see.
    • curto21, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Cingular HAD the most dropped calls of any network in 2004. That was before they dropped 13.3 billion dollars into that network. That's 18 million dollars a day! And 70 new cell towers a week. No other wireless company can say that.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I've stayed with Cingular/AT&T because they switched from TDMA, an older standard that's more widespread, to GSM, the newer standard that's used in the rest of the world. They've taken on the project of upgrading all their old TDMA networks to GSM, and once they're finished the networks will be just as strong (if not stronger) than the current CDMA networks maintained by Verizon and Sprint. But with 3G on the way, even those networks will have to change soon. Cingular just made the leap early.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3LOL. Watch the keynote. No way Visual Voice Mail works on another carrier. I'd also bet folding money that the ability to browse the web/send emails while connected on the voice channel has something to do with the network permitting your phone to initiate multiple connections simultaneously.
  • diggadong, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"Cingular doesn't want iPhone 'switchers' just yet"

    The only "switchers" cingular will get are the people who switch to someone else when the iphone gets unlocked.
  • paulius, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2www.duggmirror.com
  • PhilippHD, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I'm pretty sure Mr "Black Turtleneck" is already biting his ass over his Apple-Cingular contract.
  • berberine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8By the time the iPhone comes out, Cingular will be no more. Everyone will be AT&T customers. The name is being slowly phased out this year. That's when the confusion, whining and frustration will begin.
    • thereisnospoon, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Good point - and think of this... They announced that the iPhone will be exclusive to Cingular - but Cingular will be gone when the iPhone is released. Maybe Apple could get out of their exclusive contract somehow because of this? At the very least they should sell unlocked phones (for more money).

    • bigstinky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is exactly what confuses me. Why announce exclusivity to Cingular knowing the change was coming? I was with AT&T Wireless initially, then they become Cingular, and now they change back to AT&T. I smell monopoly. Especially with the acquisition of Bell South. What was the logic in this move by apple? Good point up there about not signing prior to the release of the iphone. The discount on the handset would be the only real motivation. I'm with Cingular now and cannot get a deal on a new phone until my contract is up in late '07...Even if I agree to a new 2 year extension.
    • curto21, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"We are thrilled to be offering our revolutionary new iPhone exclusively with Cingular, and look forward to working together with them to create some wonderful new features for our customers" - Steve Jobs. He knows the name is switiching to at&t. Apple is not going to need to "try to get out of their exclusive contract". They don't want to.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Maybe Apple could get out of their exclusive contract somehow because of this?"
      No. AT&T and Cingular are the same company – just different names.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Sheesh. What are you guys, like 12? When a business is sold to a new owner, all of the assets and liabilities of the business, including "Exclusive iPhone deals" are sold to the new owner.
    • bigstinky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WOW panique, you're like so totally better than everyone for knowing that. I'm like totally jealous of your skills, you smarmy jackass. Master of the obvious, you are.
  • mannymix03, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2what is he complaining about? they are 100% right,

    tell him to cancel his tMobile and then just get a go phone until the iphone comes out, then get a full contract with the iphone

    in Florida, a mobile provider HAS to transfer your number if you want it transfered, and they cant get out of that
    • T8y8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's Federal law, not just Flordia.

      Although you do have to transfer it within a certian amount of time
  • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4Get a PocketPC phone instead. A lot cheaper and does the same thing.
    • AceTracer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I want to throw my Treo 700w against the wall on a daily basis. I sold my T-Mobile MDA before that after a month of use. It's not the same thing.
    • felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Let's see - the iPhone is $499, has WiFi, a full browser, native PDF support, 2mp camera, 3.5" screen, visual voicemail, push email, a video iPod with Coverflow for 3-D album browsing, 4gb of flash memory, and can sync with your PC or Mac as easy as an iPod.

      Have a look at the "cheaper" PocketPC phones:

      Treo 750w - $499
      Cingular 8125 - $499
      HP iPaq 6920 - $559

      And yes, those are the contract prices. Unlocked versions will cost you considerably more.

      Please explain your point, again?
    • starrd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@felchdonkey

      Most wireless companies have rebates on the Treo products so they are far less expensive than you posted. A friend of mine got Sprint 700wx the day it came out with a $100 rebate; and another friend got the Treo 680 from Cingular for $40 (forty, not four hundred) for reupping his contract. There are deals to be had...

      To all the Apple fans (and by the way, I am one myself)
      While the iPhone looks like a cool product, it's not even remotely comparable to a business phone. No one who uses their phone for serious business should mess around with migrating to a platform before the device is even on display shelves. I've personally used a Sidekick for personal and several Treos for business and personal, and while I liked the keyboard on the Sidekick, there is absolutely no comparison to the flexibility of a Treo for applications. Until it's possible to test its integration with your business applications, and until you know what customizations you can make, what apps will be available for it, it's really not reasonable to compare it to Palm OS or Windows Mobile products. In spite of it running Mac OS, it's a closed system like Sidekick-- which ultimately was the reason why I abandoned that product.

      So, until I hear about its ability to edit Word, Excel, etc blah blah, it's a cool phone/iPod combo. For anyone who does not use a keyboard heavily, it could be an awesomely fun product.
    • Hardcase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+28125: $249.95, after $100 rebate
      Treo 750: $399.99 after $100 rebate

      Both are contract prices. Didn't see the iPaq on the list. That's an excellent deal for the 8125, by the way.
    • b0geyman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just upgraded to a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile 5 SmartPhone for $25 (after rebate with 2 year contract extension). The only thing the iphone offers that I wish this thing had is the 4 or 8 GB of storage. But to save $475 I'll gladly deal with a couple of MicroSD cards. Plus it has a (relatively) open development platform.
  • AceTracer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Um, why would you sign up with them now, when you're still under contract with another company, and you won't get the special pricing on the iPhone in June? It makes no sense, other than his apparent claim that there will be a mad rush to switch in June (there might be) and it will be harder for him to do so in June. If anything, the people that will have the hardest time getting an iPhone in June are current Cingular customers. Everyone knows cell carriers treat you like Gods when they want you, and ***** when they have you. It's consumer prostitution.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's not going to be any harder to dump your current carrier in June. There's not a chance in hell of T-Mobile letting anyone out without early termination fees now, nor in June. If you have a contract, you've agreed to pay the fee already if you leave early.

      The early termination fee covers the investment the carrier made in your handset that they gave away for free. It is their insurance that they do not take a loss on signing up a new customer by giving away the handset. They simply cannot waive this fee, as it is not in the interest of their shareholders. Really, any such trend to do so would most certainly pique the curiosity of the SEC.
  • SuperNick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This guy sounds like he doesn't know how cell phone contracts work at all. Everything I read sounded pretty standard in my experiences.

    If a Cingular contract is required to get the iPhone how can you buy from the Apple Store? He seems to be speculating that himself.

    Discounting the last statement I made, if he does buy the iPhone for $1000 all he would have to do is insert his Cingular SIM card into the phone and he's off. Has this man never changed phones before?
  • donnikhan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2How can they lock the iPhone to just cingular liek he says in the post, I thought congress changed the rules on locking phones?
    • jdfmcok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Every network has differently policies. T-Mobile will unlock you after 90 days.. Cingular ships a lot of their handsets unlocked already. I think they only unlock locked handsets after a term of the contract. I think everyone misses that the iPhone might be locked to Cingular for a reason. Perhaps features such as the voicemail and everything only work right now on Cingular. I'm sure it will be released for other networks eventually.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Always take Digg stories with a grain of salt. The ruling was from the Library of Congress' copyright office, and it applied to unlocking software, saying it was legal and did not violate copyright law to use unlocking software to override a wireless' carriers lock on a phone. It did not prevent cell carriers from locking a phone in the first place. Whether software will be available to unlock the iPhone remains to be seen.
    • kidzmatter2me, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They can lock the iPhone to Cingular. They can do this in 2 ways.
      1. The Copyright Office DMCA ruling (not Congress) made it legal to unlock your phone, but did not force carriers to unlock it. So legally, Cingular can refuse to give you the unlock code for the phone.
      2. They can make the phone so that there is absolutely no way to unlock it. Apple can write the software for the phone to only recognize Cingular SIM cards, and not offer any way to unlock it. This is also completely legal.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13. They can provide certain features in the network that are not available on other carriers, like push email and visual voice mail.
    • saska, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1An exclusive device is gold for a cellular company. They get around the federal regulations by being willing to put the infrastructure in place to support the device's features.

      Just look at T-Mobile and their Sidekick. Danger developed the Hiptop to require server-based data management, proxy, etc. T-Mobile was the carrier willing to put in the infrastructure for it. The Hiptop would work as a GSM phone on another network, but kiss the rest of the features goodbye.

      As a disclaimer, I dropped my Sidekick for a BlackBerry last year, so I don't know if more carriers are offering it now. But that's how it went in the beginning.
  • jdfmcok, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This isn't really anything bad towards Cingular. The guy wants to jump the gun and sign up right now, which would put him in a contract already. It's not that they don't want iPhone people right now. It would be the same rules with any cellphone on Cingular. T-Mobile, Alltel, Verizon, and Sprint will all do the same thing if you sign up on a contract, while expecting to get a discounted phone that requires a 2-yr contract that hasn't been released yet.
  • undersky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4why do u want to switch before iPhone is out? if u switch now, you will be bound into a contract. last time i checked, you cannot get service without signing a contract, unless you have an unlocked phone PLUS paying for the activation fee, or minimally you need to have 1 year contract.

    (I got another cingular line to my plan last June with an unlocked phone, i still had to sign 1 yr contract to avoid activation fee.)

    So, if you want an iPhone, u must wait till iPhone to come out.
  • VicTheKnife, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm a verizon customer hoping to do the same switch come June....this is guna suck. :(
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think people don't get that you'll be just fine if you switch in June. If you do it online, you won't even have to wait in line.
    • VicTheKnife, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you may be right. That would be just swell.
    • saska, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Ditching Verizon will be good for you no matter what.
  • diggerphelps, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Two year contracts are for suckers.
    Better to buy the iPhone on the black market for $1500 or whatever.

    US wireless companies are crooks.
    I am quite libertarian in nature, but I'd really like to see congress force them to sell phones and service separately.
  • theotherrogue, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why not just use a prepaid phone until June?
    • undersky, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1because the extra money and hassle you spent from using a prepaid plan is gonna be more than $600....
  • sugerat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5So you want to:

    - Risk paying an early termination fee when a stranger from CL flakes on your contract,

    - Give up your phone numbers,

    - Get into a contract that automatically disallows you from getting the good price on the iPhone,

    - Be a beta tester for Apple on a 1.0 product, twice in the same family,

    Sounds like a wise move to me.
  • russellnation, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I agree i am trying to take over a contract for someone on cingular and they are not making it easy. It's almost as if they don't want customers.
  • durazine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5This dude has too much free time on his hands.
  • reiner15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This guy is an idiot. Only herds of people as desperate as him to use this phone will switch to Cingular. And why is he only getting two for he and his wife... I bet his son wants one too. So right there is at least $1500+taxes+contract prices+Tmo termination fees+Tmo contract payments. Seems to fit the typical Apple obsessed consumer, willing to pay way too much for average products.

    Also the iPhone will be played with (even if it's 600 dollars, i've known people to mess around with phones more expensive), and it will eventually be unlocked. Apple would be stupid to limit this phone to only Cingular customers in the U.S. when there is a huge world market.

  • sembetu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Anybody considering switching should wait anyhow. By the time the iPhone hits the stores, Cingular will be rebranded already. That process is supposed to be complete by June - the same time the iPhone is supposed to arrive. And, the iPhone is not going to come early. Apple still has to get FCC clearance for the device. That being said, when June hits, just go to an AT&T Wireless Store, or an Apple Store, and fight with everybody else, that (unfortunately, for the bleeding edge types) is going to be your best option.
  • Anonymous99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1So...Cingular is obeying every one of their own rules and this guy is complaining because Cingular won't bend the rules for him. I am going to side with Cingular on this one. Cingular is at the least, not lying to him to get his business.

    In addition, I don't see why Cingular should do this guy a favor and modify their contract to satisfy him...it's not like they've done him wrong or anything. For that matter, he's not even a customer and the customer has already expressed that he needs Cingular just as bad as Cingular wants him. I'm in a contract with Cingular and I can't get a new phone through Cingular right now even though they offer free phones to new members....but do I care? No...because that's what their terms and conditions state.
    • undersky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1i agree with you. i have been with ATT since 2002 and Cingular since they merged. I had VoiceStream before that, and Sprint, AllTel, SunCom, Cellular One...I think all cell phone carriers pretty much suck one way or another. My monthly bill is in the $150-$400 range (intl calls, two lines, txt messages...)

      Anyway, I just want to say that Cingular doesn't drop my calls, have great service generally, work flawlessly when roaming in Asia, and EDGE contrary to public belief is quite fast on a tiny BlackBerry screen. Look, modem speed might seem slow for a computer, but it's fast enough for a 320x240 blackberry device with Google Map. Oh by the way, EDGE is every where, even in the rural mountains!

      What I am mad is however, I cracked my BlackBerry screen and there is no way for them to repair it. I wasn't even eligible for insurance cuz they told me BB costs too much money so they don't offer insurance.
    • PeteLP, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Cingular has NOT done him wrong, and he's not saying they have. He's saying that the existing rules make it difficult for iPhone switchers to switch ahead of time.

      He's also saying that cingular ought to WANT iPhone switchers to switch ahead of time, provided they don't have to eat the cost of a new interim phone. I think he's right. I think there will be more switchers for this phone than ever before (though not a mass exodus, of course). And cingular will want to get it happening if they can avoid the additional phone costs. All he wants is "HE buys now, and CINGULAR pays later". A good idea for cingular.

      Pete
    • Anonymous99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"He's saying that the existing rules make it difficult for iPhone switchers to switch ahead of time. "

      Agreed. This is what he was saying, but his reason for switching was to avoid the "exodus" of people who are trying to sell their contracts off at the same time. He wants special treatment to be able to switch earlier. This is like me asking a few months ago (or whenever the PS3 was out but not oficially launched) if I could go into Walmart and buy a PS3 and them saying no and then me writing a blog post complaining that they won't bend the rules for me. Then, I could continue to say that Walmart wants my business but won't bend the rules or modify them for me. Now, one can't say that we know for sure that Walmart doesn't want me to get the PS3 early...for all we know, they want to get rid of them to avoid the mass rush. However, I can't say that Walmart doesn't want me to get the PS3 early. We don't know what's controlling Walmart or stopping them from giving me the PS3 early.
  • HardwareLust, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Guys, you really *really* don't want to be a Cingular customer. Trust me. I don't care how good or how bad the iphone really turns out to be because it really doesn't matter. Cingular's craptastic coverage and the WORST customer service in the industry will sink it. Apple will regret partnering with them until the end of time. You people that are switching to Cingular just to get the iphone will regret it until your dying day.

    The iphone will fail miserably because of Cingular.
    • jimilarue, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Cingular is awful.

      When my contract is up in June I will switch to prepaid plans from cricket or somebody.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Cingular has the best GSM network in the U.S. GSM is the global standard, which is why Apple chose it. And if you don't like Cingular's customer service, just use their Web site.
    • Avalontor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3of course there will be someone else to blame if the Apple Phone fails. Can't be that the over-priced, over-hyped phone itself is to blame for failing miserably. fanboys already making up excuses.
    • HesNikke, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@jimilarue:
      i recommend that rather than doing prepaid, go with http://www.metropcs.com. they don't subsidize there phones, thus, no contract - just like prepaid. where they're better than prepaid, is that you only need to worry about a monthly flat rate bill, rather than reupping when your minutes quickly run out.
  • adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ok I'll ask this in the hopes that someone can answer it, I haven't read up on the iPhone all that much. What would stop me from buying one and just having verizon or Tmobile set it up for their network?
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Because the iPhone uses GSM, you will not be able to use it on Verizon's CDMA network for the foreseeable future. As for T-Mobile, they do use GSM, but you'll have to wait and see if someone comes up with a hack to unlock the iPhone for use on their service. And even if they do, features unique to Cingular's network like visual voicemail won't work.
  • jimilarue, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Oh by the way, this article was pretty boring and meaningless.
  • MrFoof82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the one thing that struck me dumbfounded more than anything else in that article was... $2800 in termination fees.

    Based on the number he threw out for Cingular service ($600 for 6 months), let's assume the guy *does* decide to switch in June. That's still a bit over $2000 in termination costs. And then still $500 to $600 for the phone on top, and entering a 2-year commitment with 3 phone lines.

    He's consdering all that to have a phone? Don't get me wrong, I think there's some very slick features about it, but it'd be tough for me to just swallow $500-600 for a phone -- and If I did, I better get a good 5 years of use out of it. $2000? I would never even consider the idea.
    • PeteLP, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0He's NOT considering the idea. He's selling his t-mobile contract, so that someone else takes it over. He won't have to pay the 2800.

      Does anyone know is he can move that contract to someone else in a way that eliminates the risk that he'll end on the hook for that 2800 if and when the new contract owner subsequently wants to drop it?

      Pete
    • rytr23, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think the guy is either stupid or just does bad math. If you terminate any cell phone contract there is the ETF and last months bill.. period. They do not make you pay the monthly service fees for the remainder of the contract.. if his monthly bill is 150$ and her terminates the contract he pays (3X ETF(200)) + last month(150) = 750$ not the 2800 he pulled out of his ass.. you can go to ANY CELL COMPANY and get a discount on a phone when you sign up for a contract.. you CANNOT go back to them 3 months later and ask for the same discount on another phone.. No Cell phone company does that. This guy is a complete moron.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@rytr23 - Exactly. If you pay the contract for the full term, then there is no "Early Termination Fee" required.
  • Stopher, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Definitely a red flag when a company has a potential customer and their process stops them from taking money.
  • dftz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3
  • digitallysick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Its a quad band GSM phone, by law, phones have to be unlocked now when you ask your carrier, so just get an iphone from cingular, get it unlocked, then switch carriers. So what if the vmail doesnt work like it did in the keynote, i assure you the rest of the features can be made to work just the same.
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1And what about the applications? The carrier has to unlock the sim lock, not the application lock. We already know that Cingular will control the available apps, so If the content is distributed through a Cingular controlled "iStore", unlocking the iPhone will mean that you lose access to any content download, and probably any future OS/app upgrades.

      And yes, such a locking down it can be done. Look at the T-Mobile Sidekick.

  • PeteLP, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1What the author wants is a deal that would be as beneficial to cingular as it would be to him. I believe they'll accommodate him and come up with a plan to do this kind of thing for the public in general. The need to provide this kind of deal is more apparent than ever, because there is more anticipation for this phone than any other before.

    ALL Cellular providers are willing to pay a portion of the cost of a new phone in order to get you to sign a contract. This customer wants to sign the contract now and use his existing phones NOW so that cingular would NOT be paying anything at this time. He just wants to sign up early and take his benefit LATER. (His benefit is Cingular's contribution to the cost of an iPhone) He's making a very good offer to cingular.

    Cingular ABSOLUTELY wants people to switch for the iPhone, and getting them to do so early is TOTALLY beneficial to them. (less stress on retail when the iPhone ships, better ability to judge inventory, a bird in the hand, etc. etc.)

    IMO, unless cingular is very foolish, this will happen big time and cingular will end up promoting this is as a great idea.

    Pete

    • DrDabbles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You clearly have NO idea how industry works. I mean, not even a hint. That's like saying "Cable companies want to get a larger customer base, so they'll allow custom packages, lower pricing, and higher throughput". Only, you're THEIR bitch, not the other way around. You were lied to in Economics class. Supply & Demand can be faked, and you pay the price.
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0@ PeteLP : And why the heck would Cingular need to promise a phone to anyone when they fully know that they will sell whatever inventory they have for the first 6 months?

      Promise your phone to early switchers, and you alienate potential customers when the hype will really hit the street... When people will do lines in front of iStores to get them, and the media will go crazy like they did with the Wii and the PS3. Promise them to asshats like the posters, and what you get is only that, more asshats.
    • PeteLP, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Despite the fact that Cingular probably WILL sell full inventory, there are still big economic advantages for cingular to start receiving that money many months ahead of time (with earlier switchers). Additionally, Cingular could offer him a two year contract now with a guaranteed replacement 2 year contract at the time of the iPhone. The NET to cingular would be several ADDITIONAL guaranteed months of revenue for each early switcher, and there WILL be millions of switchers. Thus the two big benefits are getting the switcher money earlier (that's a significant benefit) and getting it longer.

      This is not comparable to custom bandwidth plans for cable customers, it's pretty much a simple policy decision, with no infrastructure costs, that will add significantly to Cingular's bottom line. Judging by web traffic and diggs, the iPhone is probably the biggest thing that will happen to cingular in a long time. ie, it's a main stream effect not a minority case.

      Pete
    • curto21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Alright let me try to explain this. I work for Cingular and we very much do want peoples business. In fact that's how I make a living. Unfortunatly, as the author found out. Many of our reps don't know what the crap they are talking about and it ticks me off. When a customer signs up for a contract he is given a discount on a new phone. Pretty common knowledge. What most people don't know (including most Cingular reps) is that a customer can use his own unlocked phones to sign up for a plan and not sign a contract. This would leave him eligible to buy the iphone when it comes out in june at the discounted rate. The only down side to not signing a contract is that the plan will not include free mobile to mobile calling until he actually does sign a contract. I'm not sure about Tmobile but i know Verizon has the same policy. Like i said, most people just aren't aware they can do that. I would have never sent this guy out of the store without hooking him up. ( And just for the record, I've never had so many people ask when a phone was going to be released. More than the Rokr, Slvr, and Krzr combined. )
  • glacious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Marked as dumbass.

    Cingular helped him. Clown.
  • statikuz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"...when hundreds of thousands of other people are trying to do the same."

    I don't think there's going to be quite the mass exodus to the iPhone that this fellow is expecting. =)
  • sunchild, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Hello, I love your "blog". I am also interested in writing on the Internets about what an idiot I am. Do you have some literature on the subject that I can obtain? I am willing to pay up to $2800 for this information. Thank you!
  • teamparadox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Its not that they dont want you, its that Cingular has by far the worst customer service record in not only the Cell industry but most industries combined.

    Even if the iphone was free I wouldnt go back to Cingular, they are terrible and its not worth it.
  • DrDabbles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Gee. I'd have never expected an apple adopter to choose a ***** service provider after doing NO research into the numerous counts of crappy customer service. This makes YOU an idiot, regardless of Cingular as a company. Welcome to the first of several painful injuries the iPhone will inflict on you. /points and laughs like Nelson
  • BarbadoSlim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Sounds like waaaay too much effort for an overpriced toy.
  • juliocgrajales, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It's amazing the lengths people will go through for a gadget, I understand the whole early adopter thing (which I consider my self part of, but not so devoted). Man just stick with your tmobile contract for the time being (unless the tmobile is so crappy that you can't stand to be with them anymore) because the hassle you are putting yourself through is pointless as the phone is potentially coming out in June not definite the FCC has not approved it. Remember new gadgets and smart phones are coming out all the time and guess what apple is coming out with 3G model in the near future as well so the prices will go down for these already outdated iphone model... its funny Steve said the model is at least 5 years ahead of every other smartphone out there but the bottom line is that every model out there is at least 7-8 years behind its time. So why not buy a phone that is at least 5 years ahead of where there supposed to be not what Iphone is... I was thinking about getting an iphone but I will wait to see what other enhancements this will bring... for me this will be like the ps3 and it cost a whole lot of money for the basic things you want... dont get me wrong patenting the finger is amazing and all... but to make yourself go nuts for something that is an outdated idea damn thats just foolish
  • REpler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2It sounded like T-Mobile was the biggest problem in all of this.
    Just switch in June.

    Also, you could always just freeze yourself for 6 months...
  • dawgma, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Why did Apple even bother with Cingular? Am i wrong thinking that Sprint is going to have one of the best 3G networks: http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/wirelessHighSpeedData_tabB.html

    ??
    • Gutterpunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2errrr seeing as the iPhone doesn't support 3G, whats your point?
    • dawgma, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Notice the tense that I used in my statements. It was suggestive of the future. i.e. when the next models of the iPhone have 3G.
  • beaumont911, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Phone companies are always a pain, especially Telstra.
    • paulcooper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1From the bitching about Cingular on digg - us aussies will probably be relieved we can get the iPhone on a semi-decent telco (telstra) even though they aren't fantastic - it sounds a damn sight better than the American alternative.
  • ruda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It seems a bit complicated to change provider in the states. In Finland there are usually no termination fees or opening costs. You can keep your number and change provider by just sending a text message - no extra fees. Calls/SMS are usually € 0,069 per minute (and we don't pay to receive calls).
    • paulcooper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1surely no one pays to receive calls? I bet you don't get the handset discounts that contracts provide.
  • Zero2aHero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2How is this news? Obviously this person has never tried to upgrade a cell phone before. You can only do it when you have a few months left on your contract. They lose a lot of money on the sale of phones at the expense of locking you up for a year or two. Does the writer think this is a new practice now that Apple has a phone? I'm annoyed by the complete stupidity behind this article.

    This writer tried to make a story out of nothing.

    According to the author I should be able to go into the Cingular store everday and grab one of the free phones they have on sale, and then extend my contract for another year. Where I would then sell my surplus of free phones for a nice profit. Oh wait, they wouldn't make money if they allowed you to upgrade whenever you want?

    A novel idea.
  • MaXPL, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4what an idiot. only an IDIOT would SWITCH to Cingular.
  • countbranca, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0It's my understanding that their will be unlocked versions of the iPhone but, at full price. ($899!)
    1 example: http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/11664/
    He can write a blog yet not figure that out?
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