No More Huge Bills for iPhone Users
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AT&T is finally putting an end to the odd practice of sending its iPhone customers extremely detailed bills, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of pages.
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Dignity restored for $111.87 Analysis Friday was one of life's great days: I returned my iPhone. I was tired of Apple's adult-proof keyboard. I was tired of AT&amp;T's piddling wireless network. But most of all, I was embarrassed that I'd bought the thing in the first place.â¦
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NEW YORK -- The nation's second- and third-largest cellphone carriers are lowering controversial surcharges on customer bills that have brought them over $250 million this year.
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Apple has liberated YouTube from the computer, on big and small screens. The company&#39;s elegantly simple Apple TV set-top box ($299 for 50-hour video version; $399 for 200 hours) lets you stream YouTube videos to big-screen TVs wirelessly over a home network. Plus, YouTube is a featured application on the $499 and $599 iPhones.
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Apple Inc sharply cut the price  of its iPhone on Wednesday and revamped its full iPod line,  including adding a model with a touch screen that can browse  the Web and buy songs wirelessly.
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Apple decided this week to require a credit card or debit card to buy an iPhone, and there's now a two-iPhone limit at its retail stores.
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An Apple software update is disabling iPhones that have been unlocked by owners, according to reports.
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Blog: With all of the hoopla surrounding the iPhone, we have all forgotten about the most important development of today's release: a new way to activate a cell phone.  You can have your iPhone.  I'll take the home activation and enjoy it for much longer than y
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The price of Apple Inc.'s iPhone and the cost of switching to AT&amp;T Inc.'s wireless service may suppress demand for the device, according to a survey by the research firm IDC.
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The iPhone now comes in a 16GB version, while the iPod Touch goes all the way up to 32GB. Both models are $100 more than their smaller siblings.
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NEW YORK - AT&amp;T and Apple on Tuesday said wireless service for the iPhone will range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month. The $59.99 monthly plan includes 450 minutes of voice time; a $79.99 plan includes 900 minutes; and a $99.99 plan includes 1,350 minutes.
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Verizon and Sprint wireless customers will get a small break on their bills soon. The companies have decided to eliminate or reduce a 40-cent-per-line monthly charge imposed to allow customers
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(InfoWorld) - Apple on Friday offered iPhone owners instructions on how to file for the $100 in-store credit that CEO Steve Jobs promised last week. The credit, whichÂ Jobs announcedÂ after customers rose in revolt on hearing that the company hadÂ cut the price of the iPhoneÂ by one-third, is good for purchases at Apple's retail stores and its online shop, or by dialing Apple's toll-free sales number. IPhone owners, who have until Nov. 30 to apply for the credit, enter their iPhone's serial number and phone number in an online form, either using the iPhone or a PC or Mac. Apple then sends a text message to the iPhone with an access code, which in turn is used to retrieve the electronic credit. The credit consists of a credit number and a PIN, which can be used immediately in the online store or printed out for use later. A Computerworld editor who owns an iPhone confirmed the process, and received his electronic credit almost immediately. The $100 credit is also not good on some items, specifically iTunes purchases or gift cards, and it's valid only in the U.S., the sole market in which Apple has sold the iPhone to date. Because customers must have the iPhone in their possession to receive the credit, those people who sold theirs -- on eBay, for instance, sometimes for a loss when the late June debut didn't end with shortages at stores -- do not receive the credit. Instead, the current owner does. Although Jobs offered the $100 credit last week, saying, "We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers," he also defended the decision to cut the price of the 8GB model from $599 to $399. "Now is the right time to do it," he said then. "IPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to 'go for it' this holiday season." The day before that announcement, those who had bought the iPhone in its first two months overwhelminglyÂ gave Apple a raspberry,Â seeing the cut as a cheap shot at early adopters and a slap in the face to long-loyal customers. The 4GB iPhone, which initially sold for $499, has been discontinued. Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.
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ONE Christmas ritual should be a lot cheaper this year for anybody with broadband. Calling friends and relatives just about anywhere in the world now costs nothing, or just over 1p a minute (0.02 to be exact
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(InfoWorld) - A company that insures laptops and smartphones may save the day for iPhone owners worried about their pricey handsets getting stolen or damaged. The just-introduced device costs $499 or $599, depending on storage, and has a slippery, rounded design with a glass touchscreen that covers most of its face. Yet AT&T, the exclusive mobile operator for the phone, won't sell insurance for it. And although Apple offers the AppleCare extended warranty for almost all its hardware products, the plan is not yet available for the iPhone. (Apple says it will start offering AppleCare for the phone some time this month.) Some participants on the cell phone site HowardForums said they were disappointed those types of coverage weren't available. Now, a third party is thinking about stepping in. A flood of potential customers have contacted Safeware about getting their iPhones insured, said Matt Wagner, executive vice president and general counsel of the Columbus, Ohio, company. Safeware has been in business insuring PCs since 1982 and started covering smartphones a few years ago, Wagner said. Before the iPhone went on sale in the United States last Friday, Apple's secrecy made it hard to evaluate, he said. "Now that it is released, we're kind of scrambling to find out if it's something we want to get into or not," Wagner said. Availability of parts and repair facilities are among the issues the insurer is examining. Safeware's portable electronics policy covers accidental damage, theft, vandalism, power surges, and natural disasters in the United States and Canada, according to the company's Web site. Coverage includes both the device and preinstalled software, and on a standard policy there is no deductible. Typical prices were not immediately available. AT&T prices its policies, provided by insurance company Asurion, at $4.99 per month. But the iPhone is so expensive that insurance for it would be too pricey for AT&T to market to consumers, the carrier said. For the same reason, AT&T won't sell insurance for Palm's Treo, Research in Motion's BlackBerry, and some other high-end handsets. Rival Verizon Wireless, by contrast, will insure any phone it sells. Also working through Asurion, it charges $4.99 per month with a $50 deductible. The iPhone does come with a one-year Apple warranty against "defects in materials and workmanship under normal use," according to Apple's Web site. AppleCare, when available, will extend that coverage for as long as two additional years. Apple hasn't said how much it will cost. Customers will have to sign up for AppleCare while the initial warranty is still in effect. To help customers stay connected while the iPhone is being fixed, Apple can provide an AppleCare Service Phone that can be sent from Apple or picked up at the Apple Store. But the loaner doesn't come free: There's a flat $29 "service fee," plus additional charges if the user doesn't return it on time after they get their own phone back. And as a warranty, AppleCare won't get you a new iPhone if yours is damaged by accident or stolen. Many people wouldn't need to take out a separate policy for an iPhone, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Most homeowner's or renter's policies would cover theft or damage to the phone, even if it were stolen from their car, said Mike Barry, a spokesman for the group. However, Safeware's Wagner said those policies typically don't cover a portable electronic device outside of the owner's home or car. Ironically, while AT&T won't insure the iPhone because it's too expensive, the Institute thinks the iPhone wouldn't be worth a separate policy because it isn't valuable enough. "It really wouldn't make much economic sense to have a policy taken out separately for the iPhone," he said.
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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.
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(InfoWorld) - For some cell phone fanatics, the iPhone is love at first sight: a cool touchscreen, a slim design, promising simplicity. The only thing standing between you and that dreamy device is your contract with another carrier. Is there a way to break the relationship without paying a penalty of $150 or more? Yes. First, in a few situations, you can dump or suspend a contract without enduring too much hassle: You can end a contract early without paying fees if the carrier makes changes that have a significant negative effect on your service or your subscription rate. For example, if your carrier raises its fees for text messaging, you can use that as your get-out-of-jail card. Still, you'll have to plead your case to the carrier -- it won't let you go that easily. You'll need to convince the company that the change applies to you and that it has seriously and negatively affected your service. Carriers will also suspend your wireless service during active-duty military deployment. That doesn't free you from your obligation entirely, but it's better than paying for something you can't use at all. In the most extreme situation, a contract is terminated if the customer dies -- though this circumstance does put a crimp in the deceased's future iPhone enjoyment. Trade it in Another way to lose your current contract is to transfer your account to someone else. How do you find that someone? Either on your own (through a network of friends or by posting an ad at a community site such as Craigslist.com) or via an online trade-in service such as Cellswapper.com and Celltradeusa.com. These sites provide a place for people to buy, sell, or trade their wireless contracts. "Consumers see the account transfer as a fair resolution," says Eric Wurtenberg, co-founder of Celltradeusa.com. "With our service, people can get a provider that works better in their area, and the carrier gets someone to fulfill the contract. Our core customer has always been and will continue to be the person who wakes up one morning and finds the service doesn't work in his apartment, or a college student who finds the phone doesn't work on campus." Good time for a deal? With the upcoming release of the Apple iPhone on AT&T, the number of people buying AT&T contracts on Celltradeusa.com has increased by about 33 percent in the past two months, said Wurtenberg. "We see equipment envy as increasing the demand for our service." Likewise, Adam Korbl, co-founder and CEO of Cellswapper.com, says that "thousands of potential Apple and AT&T customers have recently flocked to Cellswapper to get out of their contracts and be ready to sign with AT&T when the iPhone launches at the end of the month." If the iPhone is a little too expensive for your tastes but you still want to upgrade your phone, this might be a good time to pick up a used smartphone on the cheap. "We have seen that in order to get the iPhone, people are not only selling their used phones, but even willing to give them away as incentive for someone else to take over their contact," Korbl says. "Many people are offering great phones and big cash incentives just to break free of their contract in time for the iPhone." For example, in a recent search on Cellswapper, I found the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic offered for free (a brand-new version costs $150 at T-Mobile's site) for assuming a three-month contract on T-Mobile at $50 a month. Not bad. In addition to throwing in your old phone or offering a cash incentive to entice people, Wurtenberg advises you to gather up all your contract information and have it with you when you post your service plan on the site. "You need the original date of the contract," he says. Make sure your account balance is up to date, too. And provide detailed descriptions and pictures of your phone if you're including it in the sale. Finally, try to respond quickly to buyers' questions. "These things go a long way to finding someone to take over your account," Wurtenberg notes. If there's a match, the seller pays $20 at Celltrade or $15 at Cellswapper. Then the buyer and seller go through the process of formally transferring the account in the carrier's records. With most mobile operators, this can be done by phone or at the carrier's retail store. Typically, transferring your contract means losing your current phone number. On Verizon, for instance, the phone number carries over to the new customer because the number is tied to the previously existing contract, says Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney. To port your current phone number to another carrier, you must be have an expired contract or you must pay a penalty to break it, according to Raney. Still, if you're determined to dump your contract, getting a new number is a fair trade-off. Before switching to a new carrier, evaluate your predicament, recommends Wurtenberg. "Do your homework by asking friends and neighbors how they like their wireless service." If you want to get rid of your old phone completely, recycle it. Sites such as Collective Good accept cell phone donations. Or trade in your old phone for a few bucks or for a gift certificate to a retail store. Web services such as CellforCash, GreenPhone, and ReCellularTradeIn will offer you cash or a gift card in return for your handset. For a cash trade, check a few sites to see whether their offers differ significantly. There are no set prices for used phones, so it's best to determine which site will make the best offer. For more information on donating cell phones, read "Dialed In: Cell Phone Recycling" and "Tips & Tweaks: Recycle PCs, Notebooks, and Components." Before relinquishing your old phone, remember to wipe your data off of it. For tips on how to proceed, read "Privacy Watch: Wipe Your Cell Phone's Memory Before Giving It Away."