AT&T Seeing "Tremendous Demand" for Free iPhone 3GS

iphone3gsIn a conference call with analysts this afternoon, Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility discussed the impact of the recent price drop on older-generation iPhones, particularly the iPhone 3GS. That phone is the first iPhone be offered free with 2-year contract in the U.S.

We have another device that I think is going to dramatically change those people that are on smartphones and quick messaging devices, the [iPhone] 3GS, which is free with a 2-year contract. We've seen a tremendous, tremendous demand for that device even though it's a generation old. And actually, we're getting more new subscribers coming on the 3GS on the average than other devices. So we also have an inventory sold out on that device.

De la Vega also noted that AT&T, like Apple, had slightly slower numbers this quarter as a result of the next-generation iPhone launching in the fourth calendar quarter versus the third. He expects AT&T's numbers to surge in the holiday quarter with the launch of the iPhone 4S, saying the company was "very, very optimistic on what the fourth quarter is going to look like in terms of smartphone growth."

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

Peace Avatar
166 months ago
The iPhone 3GS is a rock solid,good smartphone.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
drumrobot Avatar
166 months ago

We've seen a tremendous, tremendous demand for that device even though it's a generation old.

Isn't it two generations old?
iPhone 4S=last/current generation
iPhone 4=1 generation old
iPhone 3GS=2 generations old
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iVoid Avatar
166 months ago
Which seems silly to me.

Free + $1680 over the two year contract for the cheapest voice+data plans.

Chip in an extra $100 or $200 to get a 4 or 4S.

But then most people never calculate how much that 2 year contract costs them for their 'free' phone. :)
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aristotle Avatar
166 months ago
Which seems silly to me.

Free + $1680 over the two contract for the cheapest voice+data plans.

Chip in an extra $100 or $200 to get a 4 or 4S.

But then most people never calculate how much that 2 year contract costs them for their 'free' phone. :)
Uh, yeah. The service costs the same whether you get a subsidized phone or not so free is free.

This is really going to cause nightmares for Google and their partners as not only is this a "Free" phone but it also runs the latest iOS 5 unlike a lot of android phones out there which will never receive an update from the handset maker.

@ChrisA: You might want to not call people stupid if you don't realize that you are going to pay the same for the service whether you are on a contract or not and whether you receive a subsidized phone or not. Hardware upgrades are a loss leader for carriers to get you to sign up for a contract. Contracts give some kind of guarantee that you will continue using their service months down the road.

You can sometimes negotiate what is called a "retention" plan after your original contract is up but that usually does not give you access to a subsidized phone but just gives you a lower rate.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
outphase Avatar
166 months ago
wow.. don't people realize how old this phone is? Oh well some may enjoy it and if they can great.

Some people don't care. They are enamored by the "free"-ness of it. I'm actually curious as to the number of Android devices which were just free or almost free. I have heard of some people getting them because they're "like an iPhone but cheaper."
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
166 months ago
Not sure why people are being so incredulous about this.

Free is free. These people have monthly contracts already. They will be paying monthly regardless of the next phone they get.

Before they had to pay an extra $99 to get and iPhone, now they don't. The monthly fee is a constant.

arn
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)