As expected, the iPhone is very expensive indeed. [See the update below. The source linked to the wrong PDF!] Prices do seem more reasonable now that we’ve got the correct info!
Not only that but the data plans are restricted right down to the point where on the entry-level plan, you get no data at all! How’s that for the phone that’s supposed to open up the world of the Internet to your pocket?
T-Mobile in Germany have released the pricing plan and small-print for the iPhone 3G which starts at 29 Euro per month for just 50 minutes of inclusive calls. No Internet included, oh wait, one of their flyer pages mentions 100MB of data at EDGE speeds only! Add the 249 170 Euro cost of the iPhone on top along with a 30 Euro connection charge and you’re not exactly getting the best smartphone deal on the block!
Update: A further check on the data reveals that Digital Living highlighted the wrong tariff. Joel spotted that the PDF was 3 months old. The NEW PDF shows a slightly better offer. If you order the iPhone before end of August you get 500MB of HSDPA included and 50 minutes of calls for 29 Euro. It’s still more expensive than most offers but considering the 8G version is only 170 Euro, it’s a reasonable deal.
For those not familiar with the pricing in Germany, let me tell you that for 10 Euros LESS per month I get 60 minutes of all-german-networks free calls and HSDPA flat-rate included (HTTP only, 3.6mbps)
If you want a flat-rate (5GB) 3G data package with the iPhone, they expect you to pay for 1000 minutes of voice calls too and hand over 89 Euros per month. Also note that the intermediate M and L offerings will cut your bandwidth down to 64kbps if you go over either 200MB 300MB or 1GB (respectively) of data usage. Pathetic!
+ 
= BEST!
One could take the jailbreak route of course but apart from it being difficult to do with the new activation rules, expensive and time-consuming, it comes with a huge amount of risk. It’s not something I’m even interested in trying. No. I’ll stick with my solution of smartphones with good photo and video capabilities and combine it with a Gigabyte M528 for some real mobile Internet action. I’m even thinking of adding an Acer Aspire One to the kitlist and going for the full-on, no-compromise, high quality, three-device mobile strategy!
T-Mobile Tariff details here (PDF) News via Digital Living
Iphone was expensive and it will always be. The problem is that apple think that they are the only company to be able to create an an innovative device in a pocketable size.
Apple wasn’t the first, and certainly not the last.
However, Apple iphone is a good device, but not at these prices.
somehow it would be nice, if the m528 had voice ability…personally i’m waiting for the machine anyway that combines UMPC and smartphone…to me that would be the ultimate mobile solution – only one pocketable device…am i dreaming? :-)
UK rates don’t seem too bad..
For £35 per month you get 600 minutes of talk time, 500 texts and unlimited 3G and wifi. The 8GB iPhone costs £99 and the 16GB £159.
For £45 per moth you get 1200 minutes of talk time 500 texts and unlimited 3G and wifi. The 8GB iPhone is ‘FREE’ and the 16GB £59.
Those are 18 month contracts.
UK prices seem a little better Marc. Any small print on the ‘unlimited’ part? T-Mobile also call it unlimited but the small print reveals how the data rate is throttled after less-than-unlimited usage!
Steve.
@Kyuss: I definitely would not like to have phone integrated to mids like this one. Then they would have to get throgh more strict process to get certificates from FCC, CE and the likes (=more delay to market, more cost) That would most probably mean DRM, SIM locking, 24months deals and other evil schemes mobile operators are forcing in mobilephone business. Also battery life or ‘talk time’ would not probably be anything near of what e.g. cheap 2G phones are offering.
At least I would prefer to be able to receive phone calls even after consuming media/surfing for 2-4 hours :) So separate phone and mid for me!
Chippy: It does say ‘Excessive usage policy applies’ but doesn’t tell you what that is.
I know Vodafone have relaxed theirs a lot recently, so hopefully the same here.
I am with kyuss and Chippy. cellphone/smartphone + M528 will be the meantime solution for me until they are combined around late 2009 (my guess).
I love my iPhone and will get a 3G one as soon as they come out.
I still need (well want) a second device with it and will be looking hard at the M528 although the HTC X7500 has removed a lot of my needs for a mid for the time being (if only Opera 9.5 could do flash video on it it would be close to perfect).
I’m not convinced an all in one will happen well enough for me until we have some kind of expandable screen. I want my phone small and my browsing somewhat bigger.
“Nur bis 30.06”, um…The 3G iPhone isn’t even on sale yet. These have to be the prices for the current iPhone. The ad is also three months old.
The UK prices are definitely for the new version. No idea about the German ones.
Joel. Well spotted. I’ve tracked down the new data which seems a little bit better if you book before end of August.
Story has been updated.
Steve.
@Chippy,
Seems Apple has been able to brainwash you too after all :) (at least when it comes to believing their “official” statement on unlocking).
“One could take the jailbreak route of course but apart from it being difficult to do with the new activation rules, expensive and time-consuming, it comes with a huge amount of risk.”
Jailbreak as such couldn’t be easier really, and its free!? I never paid a penny to unlock my iPhones, however it remains to see if “Jailbreak” as such will be an app that will work with the 3G edition and how long it will take for such “solutions” to become available. So in that sense “time-consuming” would be accurate indeed. Now it appears at this time that the iPhone will be available unlocked in some markets, so clearly that would be the route to go if one does not want to get tied into a contract, obviously pricing is completely different then, but allows for a lot more freedom to do what one wants to.
When it comes to returning the device to its original state prior to having to turn to Apple/AT&T that is of course fully possible since you never open anything up (unlike some hacks shown on your blog :)).
Now while I FULLY agree and hate the way the new iPhone is being marketed (with contracts) I feel it is somewhat unfair to give that part of the “concept” as much “weight” as it is being given here, obviously the plans and services and PRICE of the device has a lot to do with the appeal of the device but since we have seen in the past that these devices CAN be hacked open and there seems to be UNLOCKED devices available in some markets (won’t take long for those to hit the international market in one or the other way) I feel one should focus more on the DEVICE itself and not so much on the contracts that it is (somewhat) tied to.
One wouldn’t do a review of an automobile with a huge emphasis on the down payment and/or monthly payment options offered at the time of purchasing it would you? :)
Now from what I read about the M528 so far it has been stated that “should give at least 4 hours of battery life” if this is true I am sorry but this device shouldn’t be even considered in the same category as the iPhone or any other smartphone, but to other UMPCs only! The MAIN benefit of the iPhone and other smart phones is just that, it has a battery time that will last you AT LEAST the full work day and that it is ON AT ALL TIMES ready to go, no standby/turning the device on and off all the time! Can you imaging having a MOBILE PHONE that you turn off after you used it? What would the idea be having one?
In today’s interactive internet world I feel VERY STRONGLY that MOBILE COMPUTING should be the same way, ON AND HOOKED UP TO THE WEB at all times! That is why for now I am leaning towards mobile phone based mobile computing until there is a UMPC solution that gets there!
Don’t get me wrong I have deep respect for the UMPCs and follow them eagerly, but feel they really need to get this leap done to start competing seriously with the smart phone market. I would be very glad to stop carrying two devices at all times!
I still want to add that rather than trying to cramp the “whole V8 engine” into your pocket I strongly believe that remote access and high speed communication will be building stones for the next generation of mobile computing, where I feel that the term UMPC might somewhat get distorted and remain perhaps only in a “mobile professional field” where there is need for natively running applications.
Although I am not a gamer and this example is not over a WWAN (from what I gather) I think this solution demonstrates what I personally hope to see within the next year or two expand greatly into the mobile computing world:
http://gizmodo.com/5017091/how-the–is-crysis-running-on-the-eee
It will be interesting to see if Apple will be pursing any of such solutions with their soon to be launched mobileme.com (which is supposed to be supporting also WINDOWS running devices, interestingly!)
Due to the size differences I wouldn’t compare the M528 and iPhone 3G either:
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/image/14228-Gigabyte-M528-vs-iPhone-3G?m=s&v=3&h=400&w=200&fmt=.jpg&886294
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/image/14228-Gigabyte-M528-vs-iPhone-3G?m=s&v=a&h=400&w=495&fmt=.jpg&173798
Seems like the SIZEASY LINKS ABOVE DO NOT WORK!
Try this:
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/14228-Gigabyte-M528-vs-iPhone-3G
Why do you think that i’m comparing M528 and iPhone ecsk2?
I say that an N82+M528 is my strategy. iPhone just doesnt meet my needs and not just because jailbreaking is a risk and takes my time (money) to do. Its just not good enough for me.
The iPhone 3G is great. Will sell well. Especially in America where the smartphone market is way behind. Will introduce many people to mobile internet. Will raise the bar for user interfaces. Will kick carriers into improving data backhauls too.
Steve.
@Chippy
“Why do you think that i’m comparing M528 and iPhone ecsk2?
I say that an N82+M528 is my strategy. iPhone just doesnt meet my need”
That is a statement that I think I would even agree to when it comes to needs/wants at this point that a decent mobile phone plus a MID with acceptable (full day) battery time would suit my needs better than what I have now two completely different OS smart phones (out of which one is the iPhone) but “our needs” I don’t think is the same as comparing the two devices objectively since as I have already stated above the BATTERY TIME of 4 hours and the SIZE just is not in the same category by any means :(
True on the 3G and NA market, though it still lacks a lot. personally I was hoping for a modern day Newton with qwerty keyboard but oh well, I would VERY much like to see to what level Apple could push the bar if/when they entered the MID and or UMPC market!
Feel free to try and compare the iPhone and M528 but I don’t recommend it. The two devices are completely different and not comparable.
Steve.
@Chippy,
“Feel free to try and compare the iPhone and M528 but I don’t recommend it. The two devices are completely different and not comparable.”
Ok, but isn’t that what your article IS doing? :) Or did I misunderstand something?
The title refers to the 3G iPhone and the article concludes with indicating the M528 is the better solution for now, which I am not disagreeing with but feel it is like saying oh the Mini isn’t the right car as it’s not capable of doing the offroad-ing I do so I’ll stick to a Land Rover :) Both appropriate “tools” for their own purposes I feel.
Personally I miss that there is nothing that is comparable on the market today to HP’s Jornada HPCs like this 720
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/HP_Jornada_720.JPG
http://www.amazon.com/Hewlett-Packard-Jornada-720-Handheld/dp/B00004ZEPB
Back in the day the capabilities between one of these Jornadas and your average laptop was smaller than a device that’s pocketable today with this type of battery time, but yes obviously back then there wasn’t much of any WLAN or WWAN used on devices like this.
ecsk2.
The article says that jailbreaking is something i’m not interested in trying and concludes that i’m sticking with my solution. I havent written any comparisons at all. You got the wrong end of the stick on that one. Sorry!
@Chippy,
Wrong end of which stick? :) I mean we are talking about the 3G iPhone here not the 1st generation one, right? So with that in mind Jailbreak as such has nothing to do with the subject (at this point) since most likely the same procedures (loopholes) to unlock the 1st gen iPhone surely have been “patched” by Apple no doubt (if not they are a lot dumber than it thought :)). Also with the (now) binding contract being forced upon you and the unlocked devices most likely being available (at higher cost) in some markets, the whole concept of jailbreaking won’t really be a topic of subject with the 3G iPhone, as I see it.
Aside from this Jailbreaking a 1st generation iPhone is very simple with no need to open or modifying the phone in any way (physically) and completely free (and have been free for the longest time), yes it is true that some have “bricked” their phones but from my own experience (and I by no mean claim to be an expert at all at SW) I’d dare to say this is more related to the users than the devices/procedures. But even at that it was/is fully possible in most cases to restore the iPhone to its original (locked) state even when “messing up” on the unlocking, since the original firmware is available sort of automatically with the process.
No offense but do I sense a little of tension here? I don’t consider myself an Apple fan boy, but a the same time I feel I have broadened by view a lot since starting to use the Apple products, and no I have not stopped using Windows not on a mobile or desktop platform.
Ecsk2
‘The wrong end of the stick’ is in response to your question ‘did I misunderstand something.’ and means, ‘yes, I believe you misunderstood the post.’
You are trying to convince me that jailbreaking is easy, no risk. Its all good news but sorry, i’m just not into that sort of thing and thats just one reason, the one I mention in the post, that keeps me from wanting an iPhone. There are many many many many others. We can go into them some other time but please, not now. My fingers are hurting from responding to all your comments!! ;-)
S.
@Chippy,
I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything I don’t sell any mobile devices nor services so I’d have nothing to gain from such attempts to convince someone about anything. I’m merely stating the facts as objectivly as possible, the topic here is the 3G iPhone so how about not confusing such an OFF TOPIC as “jailbreaking” with the 3G iPhone!? They have nothing in common as I’ve tried to explain above, and perhaps never will (time will show).
Fingers hurting from commenting? I sure hope you’re not on an iPhone or some other uncomfortable / unpractible on screen keyboard :)
I’ve been thumbboarding all this and I’m on the go constantly during typing these replies (in all their formats), at the bank, at starbux, behind the wheel, even to my local cardboard/garbage recycler LOL :)
Yes on my full 5 row qwerty keyboard. :) Now this is a device I can start convincing you to use :)
vegetable fanboy!
Which vegetable are you referring to exactly? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable Honestly I should eat more vegetables than I do as it’s healthy but I fail to see the relation between this blog and vegetables, care to elaborate there?
I think you’ve got your VIHAnnes and hedelmä’s all mixed up :)
I thought this was a UMPC blog, if I wanted myspace or facebook I’d be over there :) As for the device I’ve been typing on it would be this device http://www.sidekick.com which now has been bought up by Microsoft.
Jkk,
I think you have your VIHAnnes and hedelmä’s all mixed up! :)
I’d like to see a TCO comparison between the iPhone and the N82+M528 with comparable plans (on the same network). Surely the iPhone would end up being far cheaper.
I also think that the M528 and iPhone ARE comparable devices. They both claim to have desktop grade browsing and extensive audio/video media playback capabilities. The main difference is that the iPhone can also make phone calls.
As an iPhone worshipper I would never dream of saying the iPhone has desktop grade browsing!
The screen is too small and the lack of flash support are two key elements that stop it getting close.
It is however the best phone browser so far and does make simple internet access a pleasure on the go.
The battery time and sizes of the M528 and iPhone put them in two very different categories. Look at the size difference:
http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/14228-Gigabyte-M528-vs-iPhone-3G
Quoting steve from above:
“The two devices are completely different and not comparable.”
“There are many many many many others.”
Steve, I think you’re right there are many other out there who appreciate the iPhone for what it is but at the same time acknowledges it’s fair share of weaknesses, and no I haven’t asked anyone to come here, I frankly don’t even visit any Apple / iPhone online site currently whatsoever :)
“I’d like to see a TCO comparison between the iPhone and the N82+M528 with comparable plans (on the same network). Surely the iPhone would end up being far cheaper.”
Iphone special offer in Germany compares well to getting an N82 + flat rate data.
Lets take the T-Mobile special offer. 500MB + 50 minutes calls for 29 Euro and add an M528 + second sim.
A
Equipment N82=400, M528=650(estimate outright cost)
Voice+Data: 30 Euro (60 minutes + HTTP (unlimited) + second SIM)
(24mntsh) = 1050+(24×30)=1770
– residual value of goods @ 40%
= 1350
——
B
iPhone=170 Euros, Voice+Data: (50 minutes + 500MB per month) = 29 Euros per month
24mths = 170+(24×29)= 866
– Residual value of goods (40%) (est 200 Euro)
= 666
——–
If you dont get the special offer and want just 1GB of data per month, the iPhone is 1600 Euros over 2 years due to 70 Euro per month VOice+data costs.
Steve.
The unsubsidized 3G iPhone is rumored to be 499€/569€ ($773/$881)
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/12/unsubsidized-iphone-3g-priced-at-499-569-in-europe/
Yes that was 500 Euros and not 500 USD sorry if that embarrasses someone.
Your last podcast indicated that the M528 would be around 750 USD. Are all the prices in your calculations Euros or?
Here is something I feel the M528 could be compared to closer (than the iPhone that is) as it is an OS which one can (right away) add/customize the sw one wants, and has a qwerty keyboard but OUCH $1300 ??
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/htc-advantage-x7510-available-to-users-for-1-300/
Yes, all the calculations are in Euros.
S.
More overpriced smart phones :(
http://gizmodo.com/5017665/htc-touch-diamond-available-on-compusa-for-779
To summarise,
866€ vs 1770€ TCO
170€ vs 1050€ initial costs (!)
Apple (hype) vs Nokia-Gigabyte
Which option do you think 99% of consumers would choose? Intel MIDs have an uphill battle here.
Want the iPhone but not quite?
http://gizmodo.com/5017957/iphone-clone-battlemodo-which-one-is-the-iphoniest
I really don’t understand what large parts of this discussion are about. I fully agree with Steve that the iPhone and the M528 are not comparable – even if the M528 could do voiuce calls as a “side functionality”.
I will probably consider an iPhone 3G to replace my current smartphone (depending on compatibility with the bluetooth hands-free system built into my car). The alternative would be a Nokia GPS/HSDPA phone. But this will NOT replace my combination of phone and UMPC (in my case a 7″ model). It would still be phone (possibly Apple iPhone 3G) plus UMPC. Why? First of all screen size. For me a 3″ screen just doesn’t cut it for (extensive) mobile surfing, even with the Safari browser’s good zooming and multitouch UI.
The phone for me is the device that I always carry with me for calls, maybe SMS and the occasional web lookup and which is always on (no, not in a movie theatre).
I fully agree that a UMPC is usually not fully pocketable (which might be different with a 4.8-5.6″ MID if you’re not talking about a shirt pocket) and that the battery does not last as long as that of a modern smartphone (actually, this might even be debatable, no smartphone lasts a full day if it is constantly used for calls or browsing – most will die after 2-3 hours). But I don’t expect that from a 7″ UMPC anyway. And I believe that everybody reasonable enough to consider the current state of battery technology will agree.
The only thing that was compared here was the price for a voice/data contract in Germany for a subsidized iPhone with a voice/data contract for a comparable Nokia phone (which is about the same price as the iPhone if both are bought without a contract and you consider a Nokia Phone that is more comparable to the iPhone 3G like the N95 8GB). And the result is: The iPhone is more expensive.
And given the usage szenario I described even if I should go for an iPhone, Steve’s TCO calculation is actually wrong. Why? Easy, simply because you would still need an additional data contract for the UMPC or a second sim for the iPhone contract (if that’s even available with the “special offer”).
So if you compare, this should be done solely smartphone (iPhone) plus contract to smartphone (Nokia) plus contract.
A lot of this discussion here was an “extension” of comments/discussion that started in the iPhone 3G post.
As for battery times, it is sad to see that hardly anything dramatic has happened in the UMPC/sub notebook battery scene in what close to five years now? Compare that with the mobile phone battery scene a decade and a half or so ago, it changed literally by the quarter.
Also I personally feel there are technical solutions that could be implemented to enable a full workday of battery time on the MIDs coming out in the near future. For me if it won’t fit in my pocket AND have a full workday’s battery time I might as well buy and use (a relatively easy and cheap to modify) EEE netbook for $299 and up (as I also did).
Not to try to be picky but the iPhone has a 3.5″ screen (your traditional VGA PDA 3.8″ or so) , the QWERTY mobile I used (Sidekick LX) has a 2.8″ screen (typically called 3″) at this size eve 0.5″ makes a big difference.
As for screen size I believe OQO has shown a very nice form factor though the thickness and weight could be slightly less, but point being that a 5″ screened device could really be pocketable but at the same have full potential as a “full OS” device, give the OQO a passive touch screen, a better battery time and maybe slightly less weight and I might just get one again. Oh and yes please cut the price in half :)
Apple knows it job!iPhone 3G is the real stuff!Thanks for great review
Useful info here, thank you. If possible can you visit my site and let me know what you think, its got free internet secrets and hacks, tricks and loopholes, free money tricks, free phone tricks etc etc, you get the idea lol… hope to see you there soon.