FAQ on justifying your iPhone purchase



Disclaimer: This thread is dedicated to those who already have decided to purchase an iPhone. I will attempt to compile some commonly asked questions in regards to the first generation, current and possibly upcoming iPhone. However as time goes by or if I stumbled across more questions, I will add them here. Please feel free to PM me any sort of suggestions/feed backs.

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Q: What are the differences between the first generation and the 3G iPhone (for example, its dimension, battery life et cetera)?
A: For more information, kindly read the first post here. However the most prominent is obviously the 3G data connection speed and the GPS (incorporated to the Maps app and also picture geo-tagging). It is also important to note that, there is no such thing as an officially unlocked first generation iPhone, whilst the 3G version gives you an option; using an officially unlocked iPhone doesn't require you to play hide and seek with future firmware releases

Q: Is it true that there is a new iPhone model due to be launched this upcoming June?
A: These news are still in a speculative nature, however things are certainly pointing towards a new model. With Steve Jobs making his "maiden" appearance, he should be laden with some unique arsenal to make a grand entrance Confirmed! The new generation iPhone 3GS is out!

Q: I have read regarding the new OS 3.0 with a lot of enthusiasm. I was just wondering if the first generation and the 3G iPhone users will be entitled to use that OS, should a new model is imminent?
A: Most definitely! The OS 3.0 is for everyone and the only limitation could be narrowed to your own iPhone hardware capabilities.

Q: Huh? What does that mean then?
A: Currently we know that the OS 3.0 will not support Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for the first generation of iPhone. We are also anticipating for more disabilities to be "unlocked" as the clock ticks.

Q: Should I just wait for the new iPhone model to be released?
A: I cannot advocate enough regarding this matter; where you should purchase according to your current needs. If you feel that the current 3G model is sufficient for your consumption, please go ahead with it, and vice versa. It is very nauseating to see this question being asked repeatedly.

Q: What is the difference between purchasing an iPhone 3G from Maxis and a parallel imported unit?
A: Three words; Warranty, warranty and warranty (and perhaps a peace of mind?)

Q: If I don't wish to subscribe to a Maxis contract, do I have the option to go on prepaid?
A: Yes, you can! According to this, the 8GB is going for RM 2540, whilst the 16GB goes for RM2960

Q: Will Maxis be carrying the new model (if there is one)?
A: I don't know to be honest. But if I could make an assumption; I reckon that Maxis should be now, gauging their current iPhone 3G sales (whether it could top the 150000 mark) before deciding to embark on another model.

Q: How do I know if iPhone is the correct mobile phone for me?
A: Unfortunately, questions like these are extremely subjective and may differ from one person to another. However, I do recommend that you spend some quality time with one, before passing a quick judgment (judging the book by its cover typically generates an incorrect perspective).

Q: Can you predict the price for the new model (if there is one)?
A: Unfortunately, I am not a psychic. But I can very sure that the prices you see here (in Garage Sales or even in malls) are extremely misleading and may not reflect the actual value. Everyone loves to make a profit (may it be extortionately or not), hence it is entirely up to you to spot a bargain. There is no point accusing a seller for being conman, as he/she didn't point a gun to your head, demanding your custom. Maxis should be announcing their price plans shortly.

Q: I heard that the now obsolete 3G model is only gonna cost USD$99 (approximately RM360 the most)? Where can I purchase them?
A: Har dee har har! Nice try!

Q: Why $199 and $299?
A:Contract subscription to AT&T etc for 2 years and aligible for US citizens only

Q: Can buy iPhone 3GS in US and use it here?
A: No. US iPhone units are Locked to specific telcos. You will not be able to use it with our telcos. Option is to buy hardware sim unlocker

Q: Why would I spend so much $$$ for an officially unlocked 3G iPhone when i can easily purchase an American bound unit from AT&T for a fraction of the price.
Here are a couple of reasons on why you should NOT purchase these units in favour of these SIM card adapters (for example a GeveySim/TurboSim):
1. Frequent dropped calls during the initiation of conference call
2. Frequent disconnection from the network provider (which may require you to search for the desired network manually thereafter)
3. Unable to ultilise the GPRS/EDGE/3G network for internet connectivity purposes
4. Unable to make/receive calls (frequent experiences of Call Failure)
5. Certain SIM card adapters (or versions) will not necessarily work for all network providers.
6. The upgrading/restoring process is no longer straightforward (requires additional software) and may pose undesirable complications
7. The possibility of the SIM card adaptor melting inside your iPhone (I am NOT joking about this)
8. According to the dev team, early reports suggest that the 2.2 update disables the functionality of these devices; meaning you will not be able to upgrade to future firmwares.
9. You should NOT be a cheapskate to own an iPhone.


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This post has been edited by davidgary73: Jun 11 2009, 03:17 PM

iPhone 3GS



Links:
iPhone 3GS Guide Tour (Must Watch)
iPhone 3GS How To (Must Read)
iPhone 3GS Tech Specs

Q: What are differences between the 3G and 3GS?
A: For this part, I'm gonna quote from engadgetmobile

3G and 3GS Comparison Chart


Hardware Analyzed

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This post has been edited by davidgary73: Jun 11 2009, 03:18 PM

Why not Maxis sell the phone without any plan... Or just a few plan who really need one... not all people force to buy the iPhone with plan + contract and finally change their mind for prepaid user...

Do you think that iPhone price supposedly around iPod touch price..??? I don't know... from the beginning of iPhone have been launched in the US, I really hope that if it come to Malaysia the price is just like iPod touch, since the phone only has camera function to add up compare to iPod touch...

Prices are killing me though...

that's maxis marketing stretegy,
all i can say is...monopoly suxx....

Bro its apple, its not like any other nokia,se samsung etc. The GUI is amazing all I can say is that Im paying this for really good experience. Hehe i think you can buy without contract, its the prepaid one do read through other posts for more information or check maxis website. Nope iphone price will never be around ipod touch price.

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Added on May 28, 2009, 4:16 pmDun say like that la monopoly every round pass go can get rm 2000 salary. JKJKJK well thats business lar, somemore malaysian currency not that strong, which makes the price of iphone quite high. It all rounds down to money I guess.

This post has been edited by patience18: May 28 2009, 04:16 PM

haiz i don think apple will gib celcom or digi to sell their iphone lor since malaysia market so small..... even japan they also give softbank to sell only...

before attempting to moan like no tomorrow, perhaps you would wanna check this out.




say what???!!! just an additional camera? how about the fact that it has a built in GPS, the capability to make/receive phone calls over the network et cetera? i will reserve my comment in regards to the price bit. because you obviously need gain some senses for that part.

This post has been edited by nokia2003: May 28 2009, 06:32 PM

Mr Nokia, I know all the plans from Maxis and I know all about how we can buy iPhone without have any plan now.. but what I furious about is how Maxis suck up people's money when iPhone first been introduced... and how the feeling that, "I want that iPhone but the price bother me" and "Mom can you buy me an iPhone?" and mom said, "Are sure you want a mobile phone which cost me nearly RM3000?" which I consider I can't even have it.

And I know it's all about quality that really make sense and it's all about satisfaction of having it... I'm so envy with US people though when grade 5 students are using iPhone...

Thinking again, the price of iPhone will never going down, unless the new model comes out, not like normal phone...

Frustrating...

work for it? that's how i got my first iPhone. all you need is to juggle your timetable well and you should still do well both off and on academic.

Well you cant always have the things you want in life. If you cant afford it then move on or save your own money. Hey, im only 19 and you know what? Iphone motivated me to get my own part-time job lol Was juggling between pre-uni studies and job. Can you believe that? in 3 months time i saved up the amount of money needed to purchase an iphone 3g 16gb. I don't go begging my mum for money to buy the iphone. It motivated me to be responsible and not to depend on my parents for money. You cant blame maxis for the price.

Dude ive stressed that US currency and Msian currency is different. What do you expect bro? If you feel jealous than its not something that can be helped. Imagine the price for shipping that maxis have to pay and the contract blablabla.

If maxis sells iphone at a cheap price, how are they gonna survive? Im not being bias but as a normal human you can judge what items in life are cheap or expensive. You can't go saying that iphone is at a unfair price just because you cant afford it. Yes no doubt many people mourn over the price... but hey the mourning isnt gonna change anything much because iphone is an exclusive item. I hope you understand that to get something that is nice and good, you cant have it at a cheap price.

Like they all say "Cheap thing no good, good thing no cheap". Just gotta say bro " if there's a will there's a way"

This post has been edited by patience18: May 28 2009, 08:53 PM

You see, the high price is not fueled by the product itself but also from the demand and desirability. Everyone knows it is not cheap but still it is highly desirable. The design and the interface sparks interests and attraction on consumer. It creates value. Also, the high price is part of Apple's policy of getting a cut for the hardware while Maxis getting a cut bundling the service onto the package. This is similar to buying a high-end phone and then getting a telco service of your choice. Its just that this whole deal reduces consumer choices since they will be locked into a few customized plans, effectively cutting off certain consumers from buying it.

Why? That you need to see the target market of the iPhone 3G itself. Seems like students aren't their target customer. Why? Thats because they don't possess money and as a result isn't the most profitable customer to these organizations. Of course your mom and dad will be the most profitable kekekeke... but that depends how much crying one would do to 'force' them to buy you one...

Actually the advance payment will be refunded to you over a period of 5 months. They won't refund the whole chunk on your first bill. So you will get little by little on each month's bill. That way, they'll get you to keep up with the bills. At the 6th bill, most of you will feel less likely to 'switch' since you're already half way. Think about it as a way to lock you down.

A lot of people expect to pay zero for the first few months but that is not the case. You'll still pay every month, just not the full price since it is deducted from your advance payment. On Maxis's side, they will be keeping your advance payment and since they won't be refunding it to you so soon, they can keep up a trust fund and earn some interest along the way. This is perfectly legal and nothing to cry about. Its business.

I'm not complaining about iPhone price. It's just like BMW, u buy when u can afford it. Its not about monopoly. Work harder & save $$$ to buy the iphone.

What any plan?, i bought iPhone officially unlocked by Maxis from MacStudio shop without register to any plan or contract by Maxis, all i have to do is subscribe to Hotlink 3G Prepaid for only RM8, only one time. Then you can use service provider of choice like Celcom, digi and etc. And in this RM8 prepaid maxis give hundres of MB free for data transfer,..



This post has been edited by ron4: May 28 2009, 11:40 PM

read his posts above carefully. you will find out that he isn't concerned about the plans.

Not sure how accurate is the news, but word from some local industry insider is that...

Maxis was given a XX month headstart to sell the iPhone.
After that, Celcom would also be selling it.

No news on DiGi offering iPhone so far ..... maybe they are too busy playing catch-up with their Blackberry launch or something...



Word is that Maxis has a committed quota to get about 250K iPhone handsets into the market . So far since the official launch, the take-up rate is only about 8~15% of the total volume commitment.


Pls don't quote me on anything... the above is all hear-say only. But maybe food-for-thought.

If anyone has better "insider news" on our local Cellular telco players... do share !

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Added on May 29, 2009, 12:03 amWhoa .... Maxis must be desperate to unload the handsets already, if the above is happening !
This i gotta check out ....

Yeah .. they revised their plan offerings.

.... I can only guess that the (official Maxis) iPhone3G take-up has been abysmal so far, hence Maxis had to revise their packages so soon.
Of course it really didn't help at all that when they officially launched it, Maxis had like 10 or 11 different rate plans to really CONFUSE the customer. That was a real boo-boo on their part. Shame-shame to their Product/Marketing team who came up with that confusing hodge-podge of packages, and they're all crazy expensive too.

This post has been edited by mugenfoo: May 29 2009, 12:11 AM

If u are an existing Maxis user..then u dont need any new plan...or u can opt for signing up a prepaid

This post has been edited by russ: May 29 2009, 12:40 AM

latest from the grapevine..

Maxis has committed to push 250,000 iPhone handsets in 2~3 years' time in MY.

As of now, there are less than 30,000 Maxis-iPhones in the local market.

At this current rate, we'll probably be seeing some iPhone-giveaway programs in 6 months down the road ! hahahahaha....

The Apple - Maxis revenue share model is based on data revenue.... so expect any future iPhone giveaway plans to be tied to some form of funky data commitment plan or something...

DISCLAIMER: I heard this from some people to heard it from some other people who heard it from other people who heard it from other people in Maxis. I don't have any proof to substantiate the above..... but just food for thought only!

obviously u didnt explore more on why the US is cheaper (USD199 for 8gb and USD299 for 16gb) right? plz read carefully why the price is so cheap....
for me.. if u really want it... u will push urself to the limit..... most of us here bought with our own money.... and never complained about weather its expensive or not....
dont babble about the price.... just ask urself.... do u really need this? and dont make excuses this and that....
be a man.... do the right thing (sounds like russell peters already!)
u envy? then work urself on getting the phone.... u wont be envy anymore...

Yup, know the different of "needs" and "want".
I want all the Apple products out there, but I only need a handful. Heck, I won't die if I don't have any, if I'm in such situation.

Then again, once WWDC keynote show some kick ass new product(s), my "wanting" might overcome my "needs"

Did anyone care to thanks TS? Thanks dude!

i heard that buying iphone from singapore is much more cheaper then buying in malaysia.. only that u have to travel and the warranty is from singtel.. any opinion on this?

Yes, it is a valid choice. The phone is unlocked and you can freely use any telco service available in Malaysia. iPhone 3Gs usually don't go haywire and they are pretty reliable. But we don't know. You see a lot of people likes to look at the 'happy path' and be done with it. There's usually an equally important consideration on the 'not-so-happy path' like what if there is a problem.

So if Singapore is your second home, I say get it. But its too late to think about iPhone 3G now as the new one is coming already. Lets wait for that.

not until maxis lower their "i-value" plan and also lower their overpriced iphone.

That is for Apple to answer hehehe... ooh, the new iPhone maintains the same price structure.

aiks... finally i make my decision to buy iPhone 3G at Maxis on this coming friday, but now come the 3GS... wat shld i do? any idea from u guys? wait for the 3GS launch thn buy the decreased price 3G or buy it on this coming friday? lol....

Wait cause its just around the corner. Don't go for iPhone 3G first. If Maxis is unwilling to refresh the iPhone then you have other choices.

how i know when will Maxis refresh their iphone?
nx month whn officially launch 3GS?
hmmm...

This post has been edited by Vens: Jun 10 2009, 11:23 AM

thread updated! with classic questions like:


Q: I heard that the now obsolete 3G model is only gonna cost USD$99 (approximately RM360 the most)? Where can I purchase them?
A: Har dee har har! Nice try!

iPhone 3G is selling at $99 (8GB)
and iPhone 3G S is going to sell at $199 (16GB)

after converting both to RM, they are selling less than RM700 and it's super cheap

just wondering how much they will be sell in Malaysia...RM2000? RM3000?

This post has been edited by John89: Jun 10 2009, 08:43 PM

NO NO and NO. It has been spoken many times before. These prices are like a bait. DO NOT look at these price 'alone' cause they are stringed with a contract. You can't just buy a 99 iPhone and expect to convert it like that into RM. A lot has to be considered.

Lots of sharks here waiting to bang on such questions you know.

@davidmak

It's very common that these questions will be raise over and over again. Thank you for your patience in answering them.

Anyway, nokia2003 have place some Q&A's on the first post and also on the pinned thread. Do direct them to read instead of having you to type the same answers all over again as this questions have been flooding in since 9th June.

Trust me, more will come as you can see i have closed 2 threads today on the same questions.

Cheers

This post has been edited by davidgary73: Jun 10 2009, 09:02 PM

well from this quote above i get from appleinsider.com....it seems like the new 32gb iphone S is selling 299 USD....which convert to out place is around 1.2k....wat will the real price be in malaysia?

This post has been edited by intothefantasy: Jun 11 2009, 03:08 PM

hmm.. for such questions, of iphone in US is much cheaper, i think i can help u guys to answer..

here's a simple calculation.. referring to AT&T plan.. and i took the lowest and cheapest plan for comparison with Maxis cheapest plan..
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-ser..._requestid=1565

iPhone price = USD 199
Data Plan for iPhone = USD 30 per month
Voice Calls (450 minutes) = USD 39.99 per month

occay.. so basically, u have to pay USD 199 + ((30+39.99)x24 months).. every contract are bound to two (2) years contract..
so, 199+1679.76 = USD 1878.76 which is RM 6575.66 (based on exchange rate of 3.5)..

Maxis..
iPhone price = RM 2290 (16Gb version)
Monthly commitment = 100 x 12 months (which includes 500MB data, 333 minutes talk time, but minus the text which rates at 10 cent per SMS)
so, RM 2290 + 1200 = RM3490 for 12 months..

to be fair, i'll try to sum it up with Maxis 2 years plan.. if someone rich enough and want to take the 2 years plan..
iPhone price = RM 1890
monthly commitment = RM 100 x 24 months
so, u'll be paying RM 4290 for the two years contract..

u might be asking, what about SMS..?? AT&T charges USD 0.20 for each SMS which equivalent to RM 0.70 per SMS.. they DO however, have the USD 5 per month for 200 SMS..
Maxis..?? RM 0.10 per SMS..

do i work for Maxis..? nope.. just a Maxis user for more than 10 years..

btw, my calculation may not be perfect.. as AT&T plan are for the iPhone 3G S against Maxis iPhone 3G.. and Maxis plans are referring to the 333 minutes..

so, are u still saying iPhones are much cheaper in US..??

_______________________________________________________________________

oh.. i forgot about unlimited data plan for Maxis..
if u do take the unlimited data plan with Maxis, which you have to pay RM 99 per month, u will be paying RM 4678 for one (1) year contract and RM 6666 for two (2) years contract..
well, in that case, the price different are not that big.. better go for the 1 year contract.. but u have to fork out RM2290 la.. hehe..

This post has been edited by akeys: Jun 11 2009, 03:20 PM

only those who don't read (or possibly naive) will believe the other way round. for starters, it is never fair to compare pricing between countries in first place (for very obvious reasons).

furthermore, put cost of living, exchange rate issues et cetera aside, it is also impossible to sign up a contract in a country, that you are not customarily a resident.

hmm.. exchange rate and cost of living do matters.. just like Indonesians and Bangladeshis who dreams on working in Malaysia, and transfers their salary back home to be rich..
while Malaysians dreams on working in US..

but well, 'hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri'.. err, actually, i've never get what that phrase means as obviously, 'hujan emas' is better and who wants 'hujan batu'..? but still, from what i've been taught, it's better to live in your birth country rather than migrating..

still loves Malaysia minus the corruptions, monopolies, n such.. and i don't think i'll migrate..
____________________________________

btw, my calculations and answers are for those short sighted thinkers who always think that they can buy an iPhone for a mere USD 199 (RM 696.5) in US and bring it back to Malaysia, instead of buying "an expensive unit" from Maxis Malaysia..

This post has been edited by akeys: Jun 11 2009, 03:42 PM

Hi all.

I'm kinda new to this iPhone thing and I'm not a huge enthusiasm about phone as compared to computer. The only phone I owned so far was Motorola (Slim) version and I couldn't even recall its name! It does give me a peace of mind whenever I try to make a phone call in public as I know nobody will wanna steal it.

Anyway, it's been 2 years since I owned it and I don't like to type SMS via the tiny keypad.

Originally I didn't plan to upgrade the phone to iPhone as it doesn't have video recording feature. But it all change with iPhone 3G S with such feature.

* I plan to use it as photo/video camera, iPod music player, GPS navigator. So far I owned iPod Touch 32GB and I like it.

Just wondering what will the model cost, I'm aiming for 32GB. Will it cost above 2.5k as iPhone 16GB now cost around such price. However, in doing so I might need to sell my gaming handheld devices to cope with such price.

This post has been edited by D.Sync: Jun 11 2009, 06:30 PM

no one knows. even in oz, everyone is waiting anxiously for vodafone, optus (and virgin) and telstra to release their pricing plans (June 26th).

there is also sparked speculation that, only apple stores (or resellers) can sell these iPhone 3GS. everyone is just playing the guessing game at the moment.

Based on my expectation iPhone 3G that has been slashed the price to $99 when reflect in Malaysia the price will be around RM1300++ maybe

Wah still regret buying iPhone 3G a few weeks ago, more than a thousand the price will reduce, damn u steve job haha

This post has been edited by ron4: Jun 12 2009, 12:32 PM

Yup much more cheaper and commitment free so you can use with your existing Telco provider, but it is considered underwater. You do not need to travel there since there are some good and reputable sellers here in garage sales.

I plan to get one Iphone 3GS if the price is right for my significant other.

You curse Steve Jobs for releasing a new model iPhone?

Why don't you curse yourself for being stupid enough to buy an iPhone 3G when practically the whole world knows that a new model is coming in June?

And after all that's been said, people like you still do a direct conversion from the US base price and then complain that the local price is expensive.

I can't figure.

This post has been edited by neverenuff: Jun 12 2009, 09:49 AM

Sorry if my quote offend you but i can say only stupid ppl compare like that...
do not as i said do not convert the currency for the phone plan... sure you ask Y???

why not we compare like that...
as a McD waiter you can buy Iphone already in 1 month...
lets say you can easily earn that monthly fees USD70 (within 2~4 days times)... and the phone USD199 after 2 weeks...
here in malaysia... can out McD waiter buy a Iphone like that??? sure not...
we are comparing the price of the PHONE but not the plan...

if Singtel can sell the phone at SGD400 with it's SGD70 plan...
why not Maxis sell is at RM1000 or RM1200 with their RM100 plan...
sorry i will never do convert on the phone plan... as i said b4... YOU ARE LIVING THERE AND EARNING YOUR SALARY THERE!!!

FYI and again... if you are travelling also... you will never eat during your stay at Euro and East Asia countries...
In Paris a normal Fish and Chips cost you around RM100... in Tokyo a normal Ramen will cost you around RM50...
so better tighten your belt eat only once a day...

Agreed. Unless everyone understands price parity, inflation and spending power competently, lets not raise this kind of topic again. Cause only in these tools can help convert everything from everywhere to a baseline comparison (at least to a point where it can be compared 1:1, although not accurate).

Price politics? Dangerous idea.

hmm..
i do understand about cost of living.. about how the same value of salary based in US compared to Malaysia.. an example, the lowest salary for a tech guy in Malaysia is (maybe) RM1500 while in US, a tech guy would get USD1500 too.. but, if u convert it, of course the US tech guys earns more if he bring the salary to Malaysia..

but, what i tried to explain to those people (Malaysians) who think they can get the iPhones in US for just USD199 (which they think they could just give US Apple Store USD 199 (RM 696.5) to get an iPhone), is just plain stupid.. that USD 199 is minus the telephone plan which a US citizen has to pay some amount of money for two years contract.. it seems that some people could not think further (that's why i said 'short sighted') that the price (USD199) that Apple US announced was minus the telephone plan..

if someone in Malaysia do (stupid enough) thinks in US is much cheaper, i would be happy to sponsored RM 6965.00 to get me 10 iPhones in US and bring it back here in Malaysia for me to 'belanja' my whole family an iPhone each..

refer to this post (thanks to stringfellow).. http://www.italkiphone.com/showthread.php?t=54
he do mentioned something about buying the phone in US without any contract.. so, do take some consideration of the price..
16GB iphone = USD 599
which equals to RM2096.50 without tax and such (travelling cost)..
so, what u get here in Malaysia, is somehow the same as what u get there.. in a Malaysian point of view..

if u compare again about cost of living, i think u have as u should know that fish and chips costs u RM100 which cost the native there only USD25+, u should understand why Malaysian should not ever whines about the phone price.. same goes to other stuffs.. that's why the government do encourage Malaysians to buy 'Barangan Buatan Malaysia'..

an example again, if i were a tech guy in US, i know that i can happily buy an iPhone there without too much fusses.. it will only cost me less than 20% of my salary.. but, back in reality, I lived in Malaysia.. a third world country.. i do earn 3-4 times more than the basic tech guy in Malaysia earns, and i still think the price of an iPhone in Malaysia is quite fair.. unless, Maxis announced that the iPhone 3G S price would be RM3000+..

This post has been edited by akeys: Jun 12 2009, 12:34 PM

have anyone go thru this website?

http://www.iworld.com.my/

Oh, RM3999

i'll just have to settle for the 3G then, lol

This post has been edited by Jicco: Jun 12 2009, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the link! Might pre-order mine one from there.

that's like a whole RM1k more expensive than the iPhone 3G back when it was still new. No way I can afford that. Guess I'll have to settle with the 3G and continue being jealous of 3Gs owners. lol

I think comparisons should always be made dollar to dollar, not after exchange rates. For example, an American earning USD$3000 VS Malaysian RM3000, obviously the American would have more to spend because they have higher buying power. Cars are cheap, phones are cheap too. Even food, clothing, etc are cheaper and they can buy more with USD$1000 compared to RM1000.

Personally, RM2500-RM3000 for a phone is just too expensive and not worth the price but this is Malaysia It's wise to think twice before spending on such expensive gadget.

yeah.. i do agree that comparison should be made USD to USD..
but let me remind u.. those who whines about the price is Malaysians.. those who live and work in US are not complaining about the price.. i do understand that..

the products there are much cheaper.. i do agree on that too.. u can buy a second hand car for just USD 300 which could still run.. most of the products there are made by their own local company.. even though manufactured or assembled in other countries such as China and Taiwan.. but still, the right to sell and distribute are direct from the branding companies..

just like an example of a Coach bag which i bought my wife last year in US.. bought it at less than USD500, but at KLCC, it was sold for RM3000+.. so, u should know that as obviously, they did their currency rate exchange, plus the taxes, plus the shipping to Malaysia..

i think one should understand that the product were talking about here is the Apple iPhone.. produced by a US company, which was assembled in China.. a US product.. so, u just have to bear with the fact that their product would cost us (Malaysians) 3.51 (today's rate) times from their selling price is US.. and do not forget the cost of getting the item such as taxes, shipping and such..

i used to think that i can get an iPhone (the 1st gen) for USD 699, which equals to RM 2236.80 (currency rate at that time was 3.2) which was much cheaper than the Dopod D810 (bought at RM2799) that i got a few months before the 1st gen iPhone launched.. i contacted everyone i know who lives in US to get it and asked them to ship a few units for me.. but then, the truth hits me.. there are no such thing as cheap US products.. there was the telephone plan.. some of Malaysians calls it 'hidden charges' (even though it's not hidden as it's already stated that one must pay something to get the item for that cheap price).. so, i wait.. until it's legal in Malaysia..

as for those so-called 'hidden charges', look at Celcom current offer of Blackberry Storm.. it says that u can get a Blackberry Storm for only RM1699.. that so cheap..!! if i'm a short sighted person la.. but the truth is, u have to pay the price of the phone (RM1699), and u are bound to the contract of RM148 per month for 1 year (if i'm not mistaken.. correct me if i'm wrong on this info).. so, u cannot just look at the price of the phone only.. u have to consider how much are u paying in total.. if u do think that u can just take the phone for RM1699 (Storm case) and go away and end the contract after u got the phone, u're dead wrong.. u still have to pay the penalty fee.. if u're stubborn enough and still dont want to pay, u can just wait for a court order that will be posted to u in a few months.. heh..

anyway, if u want to be a tech savvy person with a mindset of everybody will look at u when u flashed your iPhone, Macbook Pro, etc in public, u should know why the people look at u in the first place.. they dont envy the gadgets.. they envy the person who pays for those gadgets.. in my case, i dont do flash.. i need an iPhone 3G S, Mac machines to develop maybe an application or two to make more money for me.. not just for calling, texting and mailing people with my RM2000+ gadgets..

This post has been edited by akeys: Jun 12 2009, 02:32 PM

when's the new 3GS coming out? how much will the estimated price be?

The guys had discuss that on the above posts yet you still be asking about the price? Still USD199 in United States but the rest of the country may vary, Malaysia in July so wait for Maxis to make announcement. You obviously doesn't care to read about anything on anything before you make a purchase, do a little research and it might help in your purchase and future guides.

since 3gs will be release, i wonder how bout the previous model will b happen. is the price will be reduce like "kaw kaw"? cz i heard many people say that.im an owner of 2g iphone. n im proud of it before. but when people say that the price will be drop and previous iphone will be like useless machine, it makes me sad cz i just bought the iphone a month ago and im afraid the price wil drop sooo bad like i cnt imagine how it is.

as u cn see, we can get the price for 3g nowadays 2k and for maxis plan around 2.7k. so i wonder when 3gs wil be release, will the price drop like so bad or not?

eventho i3gs will b released, im still happy with my i2g since the first day i purchase cz this hp has been my dream like ages! (eventho it is not the latest version. )



This post has been edited by snowieluv: Jun 16 2009, 04:21 PM

well..d signs were everywhere dat a new iphone was gnna be released. but i doubt d price of 3g will drop dramatically. mayb a slight cut by d hundreds...

well i bought a iphone 2g 8gb 1year 6 months back. Its a US AT&T set. Still using it, bought the iphone 3g 8GB from maxis also (gf curi n now its in her handbag)

well im still using the iphone 2g, its serving me very well. I dun complaint no 3g because i know what is 3g in n out.

Day before yesterday i poisoned a fren, he wanted to get the iphone 2g, went to lowyat, manage to find a shop selling off at RM1600. Grabbed it. Condition was mint.

1 year 6 months back i bought brand new AT&T set at RM1950, he is buying it now at RM1600 2nd hand.

What im trying to say here is that Iphone is the only phone that i have owned that actually still fetch a very good value after 1 year, not like many other phones out there.

So its really worth buying an Iphone even tough the price seems expensive.

I have a friend who bought an iphone 3g a while back. His justification for buying what others may consider an overly ostentatious product, is simply "I can and I want it".

I like his reasoning. He wants the iphone regardless of its price. He likes, no, simple adores it. He's not rich, a guy with an average monthly salary, but he does have a little leeway in his spendings. He saved up and actually bought one.

Others thought that he could've spent the money on new clothes, shoes, a better notebook etc. Right now, he's a happy owner of the Iphone 3G, not because his job demands that he has one, nor is it he is in need of such a gadget, but simple because he wants it and he knows how to fully utilize it.

I'd say that's justification. Nothing's more satisfying than earning something you've worked for, regardless of the price tag, be it cheap or expensive. Because everyone needs their daily poison once in a while.

does any country sell iphone seperately without contract but follow the apple $199 price ?

NONE, if they were to sell it without contract they will sell it with high price. because iphone it self is a high product and its an expensive phone to be conclude. thats why its price is high..

do check iphone purchase guide if you want to know which country sell it without the contract.

if we do follow the american $199 pricing model, you will end up paying more.

is AT&T set works well in msia? anybody using it?

does AT&T sets works well in msia? any prob? anyone using it? i need some serious opinion on this..

i'm using first gen from Atnt for almost 3 years, so far no problem. I can say that for calling and texting, there isn't any significant performance drop.

This post has been edited by irwan6179: Jun 17 2009, 08:23 PM

Why you say almost 3 years? iPhone only 2 years since Apple announced the iPhone 1st Gen on January 9, 2007 at MacWorld.
are you try to cheating...

U have the same situation as me. Im also bought iPhone 3G almost a month, and now im regret that i don't aware that new iPhone gonna lunch soon after that.. Im also concerned whether the price of our belove present phone gonna reduce dramatically. Im expected the price gonna reduce around RM1700 / RM1800 for Malaysia. Because the price has been slash by Steve Job from $199 to $99 only for 8GB in the US but $99 come with the service contract.

This post has been edited by ron4: Jun 17 2009, 11:27 PM

hmm..
i've found something interesting about upgrading from iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS in US..
taken from Apple website, about the AT&T plan..



so, if Maxis DO offers upgrades for iPhone 3GS from iPhone 3G, i'm sure they (Maxis) will do the same.. if they offer the upgrade la.. isk..

so, my predictions is (with 1 year new contract on top of the existing contract), RM1500+ (8GB), RM2000+ (16GB), and RM2500+ (32GB).. these price are bound to contract..
u have to renew the contract from the date of upgrading to a new period.. and the price are referring to iValue 1 plan (RM100 per month for 1 year)..

for the no contract price, my prediction is RM2500+ (8GB), RM2900+ (16GB), RM3300+ (32GB).. hmm..

well, that's my prediction only.. hope nobody's offended this time..

This post has been edited by akeys: Jun 18 2009, 12:48 AM

I'm sure everyone half-expects these prices, myself included. I've already assigned up to RM3.5k for the 32GB if or should I get one from Maxis. The question is, WHEN?

Last chime from my contact within Maxis is at the end of July which is frakking late enough for me to scheme up a plan to get them somewhere else. In the era where things gets updated in a blink of an eye, Maxis cannot afford to lose more mindshare by dragging their two feets on launching these. The early adopters are watching, and any more laissez-faire approach towards putting the 3G[S] to the market will again result in what is currently happening right now : Poor uptake.

If I am Maxis, I'd just swallow my pride, screw the uproar from the current subscribers (you are just delaying the inevitable, people are going to get upset, you are just prolonging the "feel good" moments from them before they learn the truth) and come clean with the release date. At least you are being upfront about it, and allow your new subscribers time to plan their finances and/or time to sign up.

yerp.. true on the dot.. btw, saves up = u'll upgrade..?? good for u..

but, by looking at Maxis history since all the rumors of Maxis will bring iPhone to Malaysia (i think since June last year), they are not reliable enough on announcing the launch/arrival date of iPhone 3GS here..

on another thing, i don't think we should be mad at Maxis, they're resellers, it's Apple that should take the blame, but, as we (users) should know, Apple do makes surprises every year.. for the early adopters (including myself), i should be blaming myself for my impatience of early adopting.. why i can't just wait 'til WWDC..?? heh..

i believe it's true that what's ur contact have said.. from WWDC'09 itself, they've announced that iPhone will be arriving at the end of July.. hopefully..

does anyone know when iphone 3g s will be launched in malaysia? bout how much? unlocked?

Just as an indicator of reflective pricing (especially non contractual) - a good comparison would be O2's (UK) pay as you go which is the equivalent of say Maxis prepaid where you are not locked into any contract.
The 16GB 3GS will be retailing for the equivalent of RM2.5K and the 32GB for RM3.1K at current exchange rates.
An even better indicator will be when Singtel reveals their pricing.

Maxis will be bringing iPhone 3GS soon afaik. Because I heard that Singaporeans will be launching iPhone 3GS on 8th of July. If what I heard is right, Maxis will be bringing the 3GS sooner or later than that.

what does it mean upgrade?

meaning you get to keep the old phone and get a new 3gs when paying the fee?

means trade in the old pump in extra to upgrade

Thats either get a new plan with the new phone or pay full price on a prepaid or get it from somewhere else.

screw maxis! lets buy the 3Gs in singapore! will be alot problem for me?

well it is your money at end of the day, so it is at your complete discretion to screw maxis or not.

and since it is your money, i have no idea how much problem will it generate for you, should you decide to go for SingTel's

Besides what was said by bro nokia2003, how do you know singtel will bring in the 3GS earlier than maxis, although there is some rumors on the 9th July release, there is no official announcement at all. Pls don't make early statement like that.

ORLY
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/ipho...-tax-229664.php

Hehe... that is beside the point. How much it cost does not always equal to how much it sells. Like Takano puts it, its a highly desired product. A lot of stuff in the market does not always worth its cost of manufacturing. The rest is profit, taxes, and other costs.

u forget the xtra gimick and hype

including the total advance engineered thinking of apple engineer and also all electrical/electronic/mechanical/computer engineering and also R&D for the testing they put on it of course it will be high price

and with @xpresside mention regarding the gimmick and hype..

totally perfect it comes with the high price...

well at this is my experience work with some company whom help a hp brand to assy phone and gadgets...
normally the selling price is 3 times the cost price...

Yeah, considering the delivery cost, manpower cost for assembling, manufacturing plant maintenance, programming cost, etc. It's a lot more needed to be paid.

actually the debate on actual production price are endless, look at Intel, how much cost they are using to make a processor? most of the cost of the production were not even on the production line, it was on the Research line...

and dun forget... Apple wanna earn money... the telco oso wanna earn money... the delivery boy oso wanna earn money... in the end... the user have to pay for it...

i'm currently a iphone 2g user, now planning to get 3G S model from Maxis/reseller on July time. But after I gone thru the entire maxis rate plans, still not comfortable with their pricing / usage / etc.

my idea is:

1. get the iphone 3G S from Maxis / reseller
2. switch my maxis postpaid number to Celcom postpaid account(MNP service)
3. subscribe to Celcom D99 package (RM99 per month unlimited data usage)
4. Do internet tethering via the iphone 3G S with my laptop (can cancel my maxis broadband account somemore, save another rm88 per month ).

Because even maxis iphone rm99 package still have 3GB data usage limitation.

any comment?

This post has been edited by hokkianu: Jun 25 2009, 12:30 AM

can switch from Maxis to Celcom even when under contract for the iPhone? then how do u pay for the iphone? unless u go for the Hotlink one (paying full price for the iPhone) then use another simcard with an unlimited data plan

u nid to pay the penalty to maxis for breaking contract. how much u will be charged u can check with maxis. last time i terminate my touch pro contract i kena charged 300 +100 handling fees

ya, what i mean is either get the iphone with hotline package or just get from internet reseller .... skip the maxis contract penalty charge

so using celcom with unlimited data package is better idea right?

Yes, honestly if I want to buy an iPhone, that's exactly what i'll do. RM99 for only 3GB isnt worth it. Better pay Celcom's RM98 for unlimited surfing + tethering . Like this, you won't get charged obnoxious bills for ur data (as i have read from other forumers).

Even tho I dont plan to buy an iphone YET (i still want a hard keypad, and i NEED a high megapixel cameraphone for my studies), the asking price seems reasonable to me. w/o contract it's still under RM 3k. Why is everyone complaining about the iPhone's price? It's not that I'm rich...but we always had smartphones around that price (from HTC, Dopod, etc). I dun see anything wrong.

Of course it's more expensive than, say, SE C905. you should compare the iphone to the likes of the Omnia HD or N97. IMHO the iphone beats all the other phones in its price range

hi, i would like to know can i buy an unlock Iphone 3GS from US???

Hi, izzit possible to buy an unlock Iphone 3GS from US??? My sis will be there for a business trip....

hi...newbie question. Izzit possible to buy an iphone 3GS without a contract from US??

keke... me 2 would like to know. coz will be going over in nov...

If the new iphone 3gS arrived in Malaysia, how much do you think the old one- iphone 3g- will cost? Will they reduce the price?

Nope.. even if you get an iphone 3GS from US it will never be officially unlocked. AT&T has this evil plan of selling the iphone without contracts but yet keep it lock so that you will still have to sign on a plan with them. They have only announced the price and that they will sell it but I don't think they have officially announced when. Took them over a year to finally sell the 3G without contracts.

Unlock & Jailbreak for 3GS has been released so you can still unlock it yourself to use in Malaysia if you buy one from US.

Back in 2007, I got my iphone 2G for USD399 without contract but it was locked. So I had to use the unlock method released by GeoHot. It was an overpriced ipod touch for a few months until GeoHot cracked it. Back then it was worth it because it was only RM1.3K++ and wasn't sold officially in Malaysia. Lowyat was selling for nearly RM3K.

I was also considering getting it the 3GS unit from US but their price for iphone without contract is USD599 for the 16GB and USD699 for the 32GB so it is actually not that much difference compared to Maxis IF they maintain the RM2450 price for the 3G 8GB to 3GS 16GB and RM2960 for 32GB. With the exchange rate at 3.5 it is better to just get it from Maxis with the 1yr warranty and it being unlocked coz the difference will be like Rm200-300.

So my advice would be just wait for Maxis to announce their price this month (if they decide to start selling the 3GS units).. or singapore then compare the rates. If it's not too much difference, having an officially unlocked phone will save a lot of hassle.

This post has been edited by Doppelgriff: Jul 4 2009, 11:15 PM

Hi guys,one of my teacher and one of my friend said that who had bought a Iphone 3G they can upgrade it to Iphone 3Gs with a little bit of amount to top-up..Is it true guys??TQ

upgrade from who? apple? or telco?