 | Palm Pre: Free with Two-Year Contract |
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 | Palm Pre 2: $100 with Two-Year Contract |
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| Since the first-generation iPhone was released in 2007, fans have put a premium on its sleek design and versatile touch-screen interface, in addition to its all-in-one functionality. They also praise its memory capacity of up to 32GB, and the wealth of built-in and add-on applications. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Released in June 2010, the iPhone 4 is available through AT&T and Verizon or at Apple stores nationwide. It costs $199 -$299, depending on amount of memory, with a two-year commitment. AT&T sells refurbished phones starting at $129; Verizon's refurbished units start at $149.
- The older iPhone 3GS is available for $49 at AT&T with a two-year commitment. Refurbished 3GS phones start at $19 with a two-year commitment.
- New and current iPhone customers can expect to pay $199 for an iPhone 4 with 16 GB of memory, and $299 for 32GB at both AT&T and Verizon, when purchased with a two-year contract. Customers who are new to the iPhone, but have AT&T or Verizon service on a different type of phone, must first fulfill their old contract or pay a cancellation fee in order to qualify for the iPhone at the two-year contract price. Credit history and time remaining on the old contract can both affect prices.
- The non-contract price for the iPhone 4 is $599 for the 16GB phone and $699 for 32GB model. These prices also apply to customers who are replacing lost or stolen units.
- AT&T service plans cost $40 -$70 a month, depending on the number of minutes and other features included. Verizon service plans cost $40 -$90.
- Data plans, required for the duration of the contract, cost an extra $15 -$45 a month. An AT&T data plan begins at $15; an unlimited Verizon data plan begins at $30.
What should be included: | - Both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS have a 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display. The iPhone 4 adds a high-resolution retina display, which Apple claims makes it impossible for the human eye to distinguish individual pixels.
- A built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery works for up to 14 hours on the iPhone 4 and 12 hours on the iPhone 3GS.
- Both models include stereo earphones with built-in microphone, a USB power adapter and a plug-in wall charger.
- The iPhone 4 includes a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and HD video recording. The iPhone 3GS has a 3-megapixel camera and VGA video recording.
- The iPhone 4 comes in both black and white models; the 3GS is black.
Additional costs: | - More than 350,000 applications are available from Apple's online App Store. Free apps include Pandora radio, CNET News and the Library of Congress. Paid apps include nationwide restaurant locators and games such as Scrabble. Games typically cost $0.99 -$12.99. More advanced apps such as video management and mobile cam monitoring can cost up to $350 or more.
- The apple store has a sizeable inventory of iPhone accessories, which include simple and designer protective cases for $20 -$80 and the Philips Fidelio portable speaker dock for $130.
- Apple sells a variety of chargers, for both the home or when on the road, that cost $25 -$100.
- iPhoneFreak reviews compatible Bluetooth headsets that cost about $49.
- Insurance coverage on smartphones is typically $5 -$10 per month and generally covers lost, stolen or damages phones. Payment of a deductible may be required to replace a phone, but it's usually less expensive than paying retail for a phone.
Discounts: | |
Shopping for an iphone: | - Additional information on available iPhone models can be found at an AT&T outlet or a Verizon store.
- The Apple Store provides a guide comparing the 3GS model and the iPhone 4.
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Article updated July 2011 |
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