

Would You Pay $850 for an iPhone if Carrier Subsidies Disappeared? - mattpeckham
http://techland.time.com/2012/04/10/would-you-pay-850-for-an-iphone-if-carrier-subsidies-disappeared/

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philiphodgen
I _did_ pay that for an unlocked iPhone, because I wanted to use it while
traveling. (The savings paid for the phone on the first trip I made, compared
to the execrable roaming/data charges I have experienced with AT&T in the
past).

But I think aes256's point is valid. That iPhone you buy with a carrier
subsidy does not cost $199.

In a fully-transparent world, you'd be able to bring your own phone and get a
reduced monthly bill from your mobile carrier. Or you could buy a subsidized
phone and pay more per month.

In a fully-transparent world, of course, the mobile carrier becomes
commoditized. They hate that.

It can't come soon enough for me, as a customer, however.

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dpark
Yep. Cut $20/mo off my phone bill and I'll very happily buy my phone at full
price.

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aes256
'Carrier subsidies' are just an illusion.

You _are_ paying $850 for your top of the line iPhone, you just don't realise
it because it's in the form of $40+ monthly instalments...

~~~
silvestrov
In Denmark, we do realize it. The Danish law requires companies to specify the
minimum price for the phone for the contract period. If the phone has an
initial price of $99, monthly contract is $49, and minimum contract period is
24 months, they must list $1176 as the minimum total price.

Check "mindstepris" (24 month contracts) at:
<http://www.telenor.dk/privat/mobil/mobil/iphone/>

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st3fan
I already did. And it is great. I can take my phone with me when traveling,
pop in a local SIM and actually save lots of moneys.

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hippee-lee
If the carriers offered an Apple Care level of support/insurance for it. Yes.

