Poll: How much more would you spend per month to get a 3G iPhone?
Looking at AT&T’s current unlimited 3G data plans, we got to wondering… What if AT&T decides to charge iPhone users more per month for access to a high-speed 3G network if/when Apple releases a 3G model? How much more would you be willing to pay per month over the $20/month iPhone users currently pay to use the slower EDGE network?
[poll=2]
This is a subject I find annoying as I’m in the UK where we have had 3G for about two years, but since many Americans often think they’re the greatest, American technology is built without consideration of technology in other countries. So if I want an iPhone that gets online at the speed of my current phone, I’ll have to wait another year or two. Of course I know when it arrives that I’ll also have pay around $250 more than Americans.
For proof that americans only think of themselves, look at the poll – where is the option to say “I already have 3G”?
None.
First of all, EDGE is technically 3G, so I don’t have to spend anything more.
Second, there is no 3G service where I live, and even though AT&T will be expanding, I doubt it will come to my area (mountainous area of NY).
“For proof that americans only think of themselves, look at the poll – where is the option to say “I already have 3Gâ€?”
If you do already have 3G, it obviously isn’t in an iPhone, so how does that relate to the poll. That’s a horrible example.
All in all though, speaking as an American myself, I agree with your general idea here. Most Americans and American companies think of no one but themselves and how Americans live, work, etc. We don’t do it on purpose – we’re not just a bunch of wanks – our isolated and degraded culture mandates it from us. We are in a very sad situation in this regard. I personally don’t think of myself as an American, but more as an Oklahoman. Am I proud to be an American? I’m proud of what the US used to be and used to stand for — now not so much. Am I proud to be an Oklahoman? Very. In my mind my citizenship is with my state, not our union. You’d be hard-pressed to find a lot of Oklahomans who aren’t considerate of other people.
Sorry for ranting – just something I’m passionate about.
However, I don’t really think all of that is what the lack of 3G on iPhone was about. There were other, more prominent reasons 3G was not included — access in the US was not the end-all factor. Even if it was, if you look at 3G access globally I don’t think it is broad enough to justify the cost, size, and battery disadvantages of 3G in iPhone. For every European who could use 3G on their iPhone, there would be 2 other people in the world who couldn’t.
Then again though, American people created and developed cellular technology, and we have to live with the disadvantages of early adoption — being a sort of lab-rat. Does that give us some warrant to be jerks when it comes to our hardware?
Nothing.
I have 3G and it costs no more than 2G. (some plans, carriers are less expensive)
Before the iPhone I was the unlucky sucker who purchased a WM5 UT Starcom 6700 from Verizon. Yes it had EVDO, but the browser sucked (even opera mobile). you could check one email address at a time, or receive text messages. You could use wi-fi but only if you turned off the cell radio. Also the backlight would stop working sometimes. I am happy with my iPhone because it works. I would pay a little more for 3G, but i am happier with it just working.
im missing the option “none, it should be available for the same price”
That’s not really true. It was European countries that did the early roll-outs of analog mobile networks, with systems like NMT. GSM is European technology, too. I wish people would stop complaining about 3G having poor battery life without grounds. EDGE requires just as much processing power, and more transmit power during transmission slots. Early 3G phones had poorer battery life than plain GSM phones. EDGE phones also have poorer battery life than plain GSM phones. Current 3G phones have no batter problems. And if you don’t have 3G where you are, that won’t be a problem, as the 3G phones all do GSM as well. What is a problem is having a phone that doesn’t do 3G in a place where it’s all that’s available, like Japan for example. There’s no GSM network, so a non-3G iPhone won’t work at all.
“For proof that americans only think of themselves, look at the poll – where is the option to say “I already have 3Gâ€?”
Er, since the poll is about 3G on an iPhone, that option is impossible, no matter what country you’re in. Maybe you need to dial down the rhetoric a bit and think before typing.
Though I don’t much disagree with your central tenet.
I’m going with none of the above. I already have 3G and it costs no extra.
I suppose that any 3G phone has to have Edge plus 3G, so it can be used in areas that do not have 3G. Whether I would be willing to pay more or not depends upon a few things. For example, how often do I need 3G when I’m out of range of WiFi? Could the 3G iPhone be used as a modem for a laptop. That would certainly make it more valuable to me.
I’m not willing to pay the current price for EDGE. I’d be willing to pay $10 probably for 3G.
Ian, you’re a prick. Tell one of your great British companies to invent a decent cellphone if the iPhone just isn’t cutting it for you.
“All in all though, speaking as an American myself, I agree with your general idea here. Most Americans and American companies think of no one but themselves and how Americans live, work, etc. We don’t do it on purpose – we’re not just a bunch of wanks – our isolated and degraded culture mandates it from us”
Quite a few self-loathing Americans on here. These kind of comments really tick me off. I’m certainly not going to hop on my soapbox and cheer on everything the US does, but calling our culture “isolated” and “degraded.” What on earth???!
IT’S A PHONE!!! Come on people. Seriously. Apple is an American company and they developed the iPhone with their home market in mind. D’uh. Where do you think they sell most of their products? This is no different than any number of European companies that develop products and technologies that don’t reach the US, or are limited in some way here. There are reasons Apple went with EDGE over 3G. Turning that decision into a reason to bash the US seems really juvenile.
And, finally, to you bashers outside the US, you sure can’t wait to buy our products, enjoy the benefits of our innovative technology industry, our entertainment industry, our video game industry, everything…so why don’t you just shut up and stop saying stupid things.
@ Ian,
I think you’re being a little ignorant here (go look up the technical definition of that word as well before you get pissed off and think I’m bashing you because I’m an American). I AM an American and I can see why you’d think we’re selfish; because we mostly are, and so are Europeans. The fact that you want to buy an iPhone and that you’re complaining that it doesn’t have what YOU want is just friggin’ selfish. If we were all selfLESS, we’d be sharing everything we have equally with all the poor and sick in the world, but that’ll never happen because we all think we’re more important than the kid in Africa who’s dying of starvation while we chow down 3 pounds of steak and crappy fake cheeseburgers and throw the rest away to a landfill when we can’t finish it. But hey, keep sitting on your couch chowing down on your endless supply of basically everything 1000 people could ever need and send a few bucks to that group that helps poor people. You did your part THEN, right? I don’t want to hear anything about being selfish until you give up everything to help people that are less fortunate.
Other things to think about/this is why you’re ignorant:
1) 3G has been in the US for a couple years too.
2) FACT: The U.S. is 46.92 times larger in area than Great Britain. That’s a lot of area to cover.
3) Apple sells something like 50% of their products INSIDE THE U.S.
4) Ever hear of buying in bulk? Well, when you SELL in bulk, it’s also cheaper, so imagine selling to a market of 300,000,000+ people in your own country where it’s probably easier to get the certification and whatnot, and then trying to get the OK from a country where the market is only ~60,000,000 while paying further to get that OK, advertising to that market specifically, making everything available to that market in-line with it’s culture and interests while still having only one fifth the sale-potential.
5) Now I don’t know exactly how your VAT works, but all I know is that it’s a lot more than I pay on goods. In the U.S. we pay taxes on our property. As I understand (correct me if I’m wrong) you don’t. You have the VAT. 17.5%? In Pennsylvania I pay 7% only on certain products.
6) The iPhone (Safari browsing) works faster on EDGE than other smartphones do on 3G. A 3G chipset costs more, takes up more space, and uses at least a little more battery, especially if it’s not combined with the other radios in the phone. When 3G coverage in the US picks up a bit, you’ll see an iPhone with 3G, because: remember number 3.
7) The 3G coverage in Texas alone is about a quarter or more of Great Britain’s total area (While Texas alone is also about 3.35 times larger than Great Britain).
8) A suggestion: think before you speak (type?). Your advertisement of American selfishness by example of the missing value is… just plain stupid. In context, that value could only mean something along the lines of, you hacked your iPhone and put a 3G chip in it and you pay nothing extra. You, my friend, have 3G signal available in your area, as do I. You DO NOT have a 3G iPhone, nor do I.
9) I don’t know that Apple will even both with 3G. They might just wait and use something like WiMax or something similar. If intel can slap all the chips an iPhone needs onto one small board for one small price, I’m guessing Apple is going to bite on that.
10) My intention here was never to bash you or start an argument, it was simply to inform you. If I were ignorant about something I spoke of, I would want someone to correct me and inform me of better, more truthful answers, so that is why I am writing this.
[6] I agree.
None. Should be offered at the same price. Coverage is the same, shouldn’t cost more.
First of all I’d like the 3G iphone At&t monthly subscription for free if I can be honest here. But you know realistically I’ll probably end up paying whatever they want for it… And so will you if you want to be cool.