Contract-Free iPhone 3G to cost $599 at AT&T

Abe Olandres July 1, 2008 · 2 min read

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iphone 3g philippines Apparently, the iPhone can still be bought without the required 24-month contract with AT&T. A recent press release from AT& reveals the iPhone 3G to be priced at $599 for the 8GB and $699 for the 16GB. These contract-free prices seemed like the same prices when the first iPhone went out. Sold or not sold?

At the current pero-dollar exchange rate of Php45:$1, that’s around Php27,000 for the 8GB and Php31,500 for the 16GB. Looks like I was close with the earlier price tag of Php34,000. Add to that additional factors such as tariffs and VAT, then we’re not very far away from the real figures once it rolls out of Globe’s corridors this August/September 2008.

Those rates are almost 200% more than what Steve Jobs announced during the WWDC (no more than $199, eh?).

These prepaid units will still be locked with Globe Telecom (and AT&T) so people have to shell out an additional Php2,500 to Php4,000 if they want to insert SIM cards other than that of the official Apple iPhone distributor.

As for that Globe iPhone 3G Postpaid Plans speculated earlier, just check the existing Globe PostPaid Plans and look for phone units with prices in the vicinity of Php27k to Php32k and follow the prescribed postpaid rates.

AT&T should be able to release more details about these contract-free units. In that case, all hopes are up that I’d get myself an iPhone 3G from the US by July 15th. :D

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Abe Olandres

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Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

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23 Comments

ladnar · 18 years ago

I got my iphone 3G in the US, and considering to use it here in the Philippines. So what am I going to do inorder for me to activate this here?

luigi · 18 years ago

its official: the prepaid iphone 3g from globe is P41,000 (8gb) and P48900 (16gb); postpaid starts at 1600-5000…

Lexy · 18 years ago

@bozz
1st – dev team or Zibri or anyone hasn’t release the unlocking software for a 2.0 OS or iphone 3g OS
but dev team already released it’s jailbreak though

2nd – activation of iphone 3g can only be done in stores

3rd – there’s a $30 mandatory activation fee that you have to pay every month besides the plan fee

4th – your friend has to sign a 2yr contract with AT&T first before getting the phone

5th – no contract iphone 3g is still not available

6th – if already an AT&T customer, but not eligible for the upgrade..iphone 3g will be sold at its retail price $399 -8gb and $499- 16gb +another 2yr contract

7th – If new customer, can avail the $199 or $299 iphone 3g +2yr contract plan + $30activation fee every month..if you want to cancel the plan but still wants to have the iphone..wait for 31days then cancel the contract and pay a $175 penalty fee
in that case you only paid like $575 for the phone ^^

Hmmm..so there’s a lot of things you have to think bout before buying one..
My advice, if you can’t wait until September-November for the iphone3g to be release in Phil..and you really want to have the iphone 3g without obligations..

Ask your friends to buy it for you in craigslist ^^
There’s a lot of people there who bought 2-3iphone 3gs so they can sell the extras for profit..

@TOPIC
yes Im planning to buy one this week
at first I was hesitant, but my mom told me to buy it so there won’t be regrets..cause she knows I was planning to buy the phone ever since Steve released it on media

bozz · 18 years ago

just a question. i have some friends in the US who will be coming back here by August, and i’m having 2nd thoughts whether i should ask them to buy me one an iphone 3g unit or not. have you any ideas if it’s just fine for me to just have it purchased there and just activate and/or unlock it here? thanks