August 10, 2009
This is all written because I'm tired of questions about how much an iPhone costs :)
So, the official price for an iPhone 3Gs 16Gb (new model) is $199, and for a regular iPhone 3G 8Gb it's $99. You can only buy it with a two-year contract with AT&T (a local mobile operator).
What does the contract include?
A monthly fee of 80 bucks, which includes a certain amount of call minutes, SMS, and internet traffic. I don't know exactly how much, but for everyone who has this contract, it's usually enough for a month. Breaking this contract costs 400 dollars, but it will negatively affect your credit history. This means you won't be able to buy anything on credit in the States anymore. If all this suits you, then go ahead and buy it. But, again, if you don't have a positive credit history yet, you will have to pay a $500 deposit, which will be returned to you when the contract term ends (that is, in 2 years). Oh, and one more thing: to sign a contract, you must be a US resident. This implies an unexpired visa and having a Social Security number.
As you can see, it's not that simple. Personally, this option doesn't suit me because I don't want problems with banks in the future. Therefore, let's consider the second option — buying a phone second-hand.
Here in New York, right in the center of Manhattan, there are shops with used electronics. An unlocked 3G in them costs about $300-350. I haven't seen the 3Gs yet. You can also buy a phone on the internet. On eBay or by looking for sales ads on http://www.craiglist.com. The average price for the same unlocked/jailbroken 3Gs (works with any SIM card) is $650. For a regular 3G — $300. By the way, they say that in Russia they are going to sell the 3Gs for 33,000 rubles. I wonder who will buy it? :)
