Free Runner price vs iphone 3G price

[Jorge .]

> ian douglas wrote:
> 
> By my calculations below, a consumer buying an iPhone or a Freerunner, 
> and using AT&T for a voice/data plan, is going to spend about $2600 over 
> two years no matter which phone they buy.
> 
> Jorge's original posting in this thread said the following:
> > the new iPhone 3G price was announced, and the 8 Gigas version will
> > cost only $199 USD and  now the FreeRunner is less competitive than 
> the iPhone in terms of price.
> 
> He was asking about straight out-of-pocket expense, not about subsidies. 
> The end consumer is only going to see the price tag on the phone itself.


EXACTLY!! a GNU/Linux geek will see the difference, but GTA02 is for mass production, and i am afraid the price will discourage buyers for the same reasons your are telling


> The consumer will look at the iPhone and see a price of $199.
> Then they'll look at the Freerunner and see a price tag of $399.

EXACTLY AGAIN!

 
> The Freerunner would perhaps be cheaper if the consumer buys "pay as you 
> go" minutes/data instead of a monthly plan.


Excepting if you can buy an unlocked iPhone for less than $399 USD, because in most countries you can buy pay as you go minutes for any phone.


> The Freerunner would *definitely* be cheaper if they buy the iPhone and 
> start buying applications through iTunes for their phone.


Of course, iTunes aplications are horribly expensive and non-free!!


>> If you want to compare the total cost, compare the total cost of buying 
>> the new iphone UNLOCKED at retail cost (you can't) plus the data package 
>> and THEN we can talk.
> 
> But the consumer isn't asked to pay the full unlocked price of the 
> iPhone. Just because AT&T subsidizes the phone by lessening the profit 
> they make on the $100/month you'll pay them for using their service,

Also true



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