slap in the face from AT&T

[tsanuri]

AT&T will not give us a good android device and they only way for us to get without paying full price is to flip an iphone and use the money made to buy said phone. Well now with the increase in the ETF that is no longer a viable option. I know they are just following the other carriers. But they have just made me want to drop them very soon if they do not get their act together with android phones. I was waiting for the new iphone to flip it and by myself an imported android phone. Which would have kept me as a customer but now if they do not get a good android phone I will just be leaving.

 

[Ambictus]

The ETF should refer to the contract not the phone, meaning you can still buy the iPhone and flip it to buy a Nexus One(or other Android). You just have 2 more years dedicated to AT&T. I believe the article is more referring to people doing that to use a phone on another carrier for cheaper than buying it unlocked and outright.

 

[HustlinDaily]

Could be a sign that a good android device is on the horizon

 

[Ambictus]

Could be a sign that a good android device is on the horizon

Strangely optimistic outlook...

Ok, WTF is the I Am T-Pain app?

 

[HustlinDaily]

It is an iPhone app that auto-tunes your voice to make it sound like T-Pain. Like that superbowl Budweiser commercial

 

[tsanuri]

Problem is that they data plan for a smartphone and iphone are currently different. They are the same amount but have the different names. And in order to fulfill the contract you must maintain the data plan. So if they change them to be the same plan or allow you to change within data plans then it will not be a big deal. But who wants to be the one to test this theory. I know I do not want to. And how many times have we all called customer service somewhere and are told one thing go to do and then are told something else?

 

[maerlim]

AT&T will not give us a good android device and they only way for us to get without paying full price is to flip an iphone and use the money made to buy said phone. Well now with the increase in the ETF that is no longer a viable option. I know they are just following the other carriers. But they have just made me want to drop them very soon if they do not get their act together with android phones. I was waiting for the new iphone to flip it and by myself an imported android phone. Which would have kept me as a customer but now if they do not get a good android phone I will just be leaving.

The way I look at it is, smartphones are getting more expensive. By a lot. To remain competitive, when offering a phone subsidized, a carrier is having to reduce the "actual retail price" by more and more. They're looking to protect their investment in the subsidy (let's be clear, a subsidy is an investment by the carrier based on the promise of paying a monthly recurring fee). Verizon is already doing it.

It's not a "slap in the face". People use that term on the internets too often. This isn't something to be outraged about. You sign a contract, you should honor that contract (that being said, AT&T could do better to uphold their end sometimes). A "slap in the face" would be AT&T coming out with a press release on June 30th saying "AT&T has decided not to further pursue the Android OS, and focus our efforts on the iPhone." That would be a "slap in the face".

 

[tsanuri]

Just not being anywhere close to fulfuling the press release is a slap without them saying they will not support it. I see it as of now they have not even tried to do it or support it really. Come on 1 phone and a second one announced but with no date with only 40 days left before the first half of the year is over. Now I suspect they can get the Aero to market and maybe launch 1 more before then but that will mean a 60% completion at best and maybe only 40%. Not sure about you but if I was only doing that in school I did not want to go home.