How badly do you want an iPhone? Would you pay US$1,500 to buy one? How about $300 for someone to wait on line for you? ADVERTISEMENT A cottage industry to help the desiring acquire the coveted Apple Inc. device is springing up prior to its Friday evening U.S. launch. Posts on Craigslist offer a host of options for those unable or unwilling to wait in line themselves. Others are simply cutting to the chase and offering the device itself for as much as three times its retail price. Online resale of popular electronics items at a premium, especially game consoles such as the XBox 360 or Playstation 3, is nothing new. However, such hysteria has never greeted the launch of a mobile handset before. The iPhone's sale launch seems increasingly like the release of concert tickets than the debut of a consumer electronics product. However, unlike tickets to a live event, which is time-sensitive and has limited capacity, the iPhone sale period will be ongoing, and Apple expects to sell as many as 10 million [m] of them next year. Also, Apple has not announced per-person buying limits for iPhones on launch night. Because of the nature of cell phone sales in the U.S., where most phones are "locked" to a particular number and service provider, Apple is unable to use what would otherwise likely be its most successful sales channel: its online store. Instead, consumers are forced to go to AT&T Inc. and Apple's physical stores to get the goods. Neither its ultimate availability nor the $499 price tag has stopped market forces from coming into play. Lazy buyers can choose line-waiters based on price and location. In California, one would-be waiter in Walnut Creek "will wait in line @ Apple Store in WC for 80 + Beer and a pack of Smokes." That's a veritable bargain compared to"Vince" in the Danville/San Ramon area, who's asking $300 to "wait in line for the release of the iPhone at the San Ramon AT&T Store on Bollinger starting Friday, June 29, 2007, at 8 a.m." In New York City, $250 seems to be the going rate for an all-day wait. "This service is for people who want an iphone on launch day, but have a day job and therefore cannot wait on line. I have at least 5 line-waiters who are up for the job," wrote this anonymous poster. While Craigslist is awash with iPhone-related listings, eBay Inc.'s site is devoid of any advance sales of the handset. In March, the auction company said in March that it would remove pre-sales for the phone. However, eBay policy only prohibits listing of items that cannot be shipped within 30 days of purchase. EBay representatives were not immediately available for comment. Those with far more money than time can buy an iPhone outright, at least if anonymous online sellers can be believed. "Avail for pick up Friday after 6pm. $1500 cash only," reads one ad. Caveat emptor.
Seriously i think Apple is just trying to make even more money, using the fame of ipods and now putting "i" infront of everything it looks just like any other cell phone to me
I think the iphones are waay too expensive and i probably wouldnt buy one unless they lower the price substantially
i saw a commercial they use their finger for everything... dont you think the screen would get real nasty after a while... from using your finger... and your nails would scratch it... I wouldn't pay for that crap. I boycott "i ANYTHING" Overrated, overpriced POS
just like the DS touch screen was a terrible idea to everyone before they used it, too it's hardly a phone, more of a PDA with telephone capability added on. if you are in need of a PDA, $500 for one as nice as the iphone is hardly expensive and of course Apple is trying to make money. That is the point of being in business, you know. as for being overrated and overpriced, find me an objectively better alternative for less and I'll agree. Hell, find a better, cheaper replacement for an iPod while you're at it. hating popular stuff must be the trendy thing for kids to do nowadays
I've never been a fan of iPods, and if there was a good alternative to the iPhone, I'd probably get that one instead. But at the moment, iPhone is the only good cell with touchscreen. I really like the fact that it has touchscreen, it makes it much more compact, and probably easier as well. I haven't bought a new cell for like, four or five years, and I probably won't get the iPhone right away when it's released. I'll wait for a new version of it with more memory, but I will get one sooner later
asdf I think the ipod looks awesome, and has many great functions. But i think people's desire for variety will get in the way. People dont want a phone that is the same as 10 million other people (if not more), they want something that distinguishes themselves.
I think it loooks sweeet, but a) too expensive b) whats the point in all of that stuff. You dont need it for your phone rofl. dont get me wrong, it does look amazzzing tho.
I saw Kevin on G4TV messing with it and like it had like so many finger prints on it.. you would think since people had complaints about that on the iPod they would have invented a fingerprint proof casing lol and people want things that flip!! if they make like a miniature laptop the size of that phone i'm in lol
I'm sure you could buy some kind of fingerprint resistant film to put over the screen, i've got one on my ipod...
I got an ipod and I got motorola cellphone but this iphone is okay for combining the two but the only problem is it is quite expensive hehe!
What exactly is the point? I have a phone (some sort of nokia thing), it is capable of phoning people, receiving calls and texting. What more do you need in a phone? Seems like a total waste of money to me. I also dislike Ipods, there are plenty of viable and CHEAPER alternatives out there. (I have got a Creative one, and it does fine. It was cheaper than an Ipod of the same size.) But, hey ho. We all like and want different things. If people have the money to waste (I wish I did, but would be wasting it on something different) and they want to on this, then that is their business.
i think i'll wait till the revised iPhone comes out! The planned obsolescence of the producers right now is so ridiculous, that there will be a new version here in a year or two that probably has less kinks. And I wanna wait till they go down in price.
yeah, pretty expensive... since I already have phone and iPod, why should I get the iPhone? one less thing to carry? I don't know, but I am not getting it myself...
Haha, yeah seriously, I have a phone and an iPod too, getting the iPhone would just be like putting those two in a blending machine together and coming out all shiny and pretty. Oh well-- I'm patient, I'll wait till it comes down a bit...
They will drop around 200 dollars in price and come with an introductory plan price when they inevitably switch over to the evil empire (verizon) at which time i will buy one :lol:
Ya we should wait for the new version to come out, always faults and bugs in the first version, the price will probably drop too