Apple gives cost of iPhone service, first fans show up
38163
Apple Inc.  said on Tuesday  its hotly anticipated iPhone could cost as much as $3,000 with  a required two-year service contract, but a handful of eager  fans still lined up early to spend their money.
205100
(InfoWorld) - Now that Apple's iPhone is finally on sale, the race is on to see who can unlock it. Locked phones can only be used with cellular service from one carrier, a move designed to guarantee carriers recover the cost of subsidizing a handset through monthly service charges. But the cost of the iPhone, which is priced at either US$499 or $599 depending on the model, is not subsidized by AT&T. Users must pay full price for the handset and sign a two-year contract, which requires them to pay from $59.99 to $99.99 per month for cellular service. Unlocking the iPhone will enable the handset to be used with any cellular provider with a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) network, not just AT&T's network. That's an attractive proposition for users who already have a cellular contract with another carrier, or users outside the U.S. who can't wait to get their hands on Apple's new handset. Efforts to unlock the iPhone are being tracked on several Web sites, including Hackint0sh and the iPhone Dev Wiki. Initial signs look promising, although the iPhone remained locked at the time of writing. Like other GSM phones, the iPhone uses a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, a removable smart card that contains a user's phone number as well as limited storage space for contacts and messages. SIM cards are designed to be swapped between phones, allowing users to change handsets while using their cellular service. They can also be switched when users travel, allowing them to avoid international roaming charges with the purchase of a prepaid, local SIM card. A removable SIM card is a good sign for hackers, because it indicates the phone is locked using firmware, which can likely be cracked. Of course, unlocking the iPhone requires more than simply changing the SIM card. Swapping the AT&T SIM card used with the iPhone for a SIM card from another carrier results in an error message that reads, "Incorrect SIM. This iPhone must be used with an approved SIM." To unlock the iPhone, hackers must first circumvent the handset's activation process. New iPhone users are required to activate their handset using the latest version of iTunes, released on Friday, before they can use the phone. Without activation, which requires users to sign up for an AT&T service plan, none of the iPhone's functions, including the camera and music player, can be accessed. If hackers can circumvent the activation process, the next challenge will be to unlock the SIM card itself. That could happen as soon as Monday. By Sunday night, U.S. time, hackers had made progress towards circumventing the iPhone activation process, gaining access to key system files and finding two passwords used with the phone, according to the iPhone Dev Wiki. "I think by the end of tomorrow we'll have an activation crack," one user wrote on the site.
137262
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  CUPERTINO, Calif. - AT&T Inc. and Apple Inc. on Tuesday said wireless service for the iPhone will range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month.
419183
The Net phone-calling provider is testing a version of its software and service for Apple fans.
289477
After hundreds of emails from iPhone customers about its $200 price drop for a version of the wildly popular device, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs says the company will give certain customers who bought the gadget at its original price a store credit of $100.
374908
Survey underscores the demand for Apple's debut cell phone.
592277
Apple Inc.&#39;s highly anticipated iPhone will be available June 29, according to both TV commercials broadcast Sunday night and a company spokesman. The combination cellphone, media player and wireless Web-surfing device will retail for $499 and $599, depending on configuration.
390584
Love it or hate it, the frenzy around Apple's iPhone is forcing consumers to think about what they want from a mobile device.
709890
AN FRANCISCO  - Some of the first iPhone buyers were divided about the news that Apple is slashing its price by $200, barely two months after the cellphone was launched.
576765
Proud owners of Apple Inc.'s iPhone raved about their first day with the device on Saturday, but a glitch took the shine off the year's most anticipated device for a few unlucky customers.
377495
AT&amp;T Inc. and Apple Inc. on Tuesday said wireless service for the iPhone will range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month.
337091
Apple angered early purchasers of its iPhone with its $200 price drop but now has detailed how those early adopters can claim a $100 credit.
447857
Fans think the wait was worth it as they get their hands on the new iPhone, the BBC's Laura Smith-Spark reports.
145762
By Ganey, Jayme S  Apple iPhone, $499  Up your tech cred with this cutting-edge, multitasking device. The iPhone, featuring a sleek touch screen, does triple duty as a mobile phone, wide-screen iPod and Web browser.
116347
(InfoWorld) - Consumers aren't willing to pay what AppleÂ may ask for theÂ iPhone, but if the price drops they'll switch their mobile service to AT&T in order to get it, according to results of a survey released Thursday. Online market research firm Compete Inc. surveyed 379 people in the U.S., most of whom had heard of the iPhone and have shopped for an iPod, to find out how interested they are in the device to produce the uncommissioned report. The iPhone is a combined music player and cell phone that Apple plans to start selling in the U.S. in June. Among the 26 percent of respondents who said they're likely to buy an iPhone, only 1 percent said they'd pay $500 for it. WhenÂ Apple introduced the iPhoneÂ in January, it said it would cost $500 on the low end. Forty-two percent of those who said they're likely to buy the phone said they'd pay $200 to $299. The iPhone will be available only to subscribers of Cingular Wireless, now part of AT&T. In a blow to the operator's competitors, 60 percent of those in the survey who said they were likely to buy the phone said they'd switch their mobile operator in order to get it. While the iPhone has been discussed as a competitor to other handsets like Research In Motion's BlackBerry, the two serve very different markets, said Andy Neff, an analyst at Bear Stearns who participated in a conference call to discuss the results of the study. "Even though there's talk about this as an alternative to RIM, it's not a corporate product," he said. Instead, the iPhone is an indication of a broad shift toward smartphones and the emergence of niches within the category, he said. The analysts were split on what price they think the device will ultimately retail for. Operators recently haven't been discounting phones in the similar price range as the iPhone, said Phil Cusick, an analyst at Bear Stearns. However, Apple has been known to announce a product with one price and ultimately sell it for less. Apple TV, for example, was expected to cost $399 but sells for $299, he said. The phone may start out around $500 because early adopters will pay that, said Neff. But pricing will likely drop by $100 to $200 to target the mass market, he said.
713229
Proud owners of Apple Inc.'s   iPhone raved about their first day with the device on  Saturday, but a glitch took the shine off the year's most  anticipated device for a few unlucky customers.
515086
Apple Inc.'s  iPhone may be too expensive for most Americans, but the much-hyped device is expected to help AT&T Inc.  win quality customers and drive shoppers into its stores.