[iPhone 3G] Escape into the wild method?

[trapper]

Couldn’t this simple method work to get these phones into the non-contract ‘wild’?

Buy one on full 2 year contract. Then simply buy another one and activate to the existing 2 year contract.

The first one could be broken, lost or stolen – all legitimate reasons for activating a second phone to the existing contract. Who’s going to know that it’s really on ebay? :D

[weezo]

to free the phone from the contract, yeah that could be good but you couldn't do it many time...

and since you need to activate this phone... if you tell them it's stolen, then they could blacklist you and the phone will not be able to activate

[trapper]

Tell them it's lost then. Surely they couldn't do a worldwide blacklist for every lost/stolen iphone anyway??

So they might kick up a stink on your 5th attempt, but at the end of the day some people are just plain unco when it comes to losing stuff ... My girlfriend for example is on to debitcard issue 9! lol

[Jim Danner]

What makes you think they will sell you the second phone at $199? Normally when you lose your (uninsured) phone you can only buy a new one at the without-contract retail price. Phones you get for free with a long contract suddenly cost $700 when you need to replace them.

Think about it: AT&T pays Apple maybe $400 for a phone that AT&T can sell at $199+contract. You think they will just sell you a replacement phone for $199 and lose (probably) over $200?

[trapper]

Yeah I’m running on hope after steve-o’s promise that the maximum anyone will pay for an iPhone is US$199 - but you are probably right.

It could look like a bit of a back-pedal from Apple if they then come back and sting ya for US$700 after you drop it in the toilet. Or if you get no replacement at all unless you take out a second contract!! lol

[Jim Danner]

Yeah I’m running on hope after steve-o’s promise that the maximum anyone will pay for an iPhone is US$199 I'm afraid he said something like "it will be available in every country at $199". So it could also be available at higher prices, e.g. when you don't enter a two-year contract (Pay&Go in the UK) or when you want a replacement. I guess.