AT&T To Offer iPhone 3G Without Contract

By Geoff Duncan Published July 1, 2008

AT&T To Offer iPhone 3G Without Contract

AT&T has unveiled its service plan pricing for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 3G, due to splash into the consumer marketplace on July 11 at 8 a.m. local time. Two versions of the iPhone 3G are set to go on sale—an 8 GB version for $199 and a 16 GB version for $299—but the details of AT&T’s service plans had not been announced.

AT&T plans to offer a variety of individual and family plans for the iPhone 3G; as expected, text messaging will be an additional fee on top of voice and data service. A basic plan with 450 “anytime” minutes, 5000 nights and weekend minutes, and a $0.45/minute fee above those limits starts at $69.99; an unlimited voice and data plan will cost $129.99 a month. FamilyTalk plans—which include two lines and can add up to three more for $39.99 each—start at $129.99 a month for 700 minutes and ramp up to $359.99 a month for 6,000 minutes; an unlimited family plan runs $259.99 and $129.99 per additional line.

Recommended Videos

Text messaging service is $5 a month for up to 200 messages, $15 a month for up to 1,500 messages, and $20 a month for unlimited texting. Family users can either pay $0.20 per text message or $30 a month for text service.

AT&T requires a two year contract with purchase of an iPhone 3G, which puts the total minimum out-of-pocket cost for an 8 GB iPhone 3G with no text service at $1,878.76—not counting taxes and activation fees. Want a 16 GB iPhone 3G with unlimited voice, data, and text messaging? If you buy it July 11, by uou’ll have spent $3,658.76 by the middle of 2010—again, omitting taxes and fees.

AT&T also says it will offer a “no-commitment option” in for the iPhone 3G, charging $599 for the 8 GB version and $699 for the 16 GB version. Current iPhone customers can also purchase an “early upgrade” to an iPhone 3G, getting the 8 GB version for $399 and the 16 GB version for $499; AT&T will require users to sign a new two-year contract, but it’s a quick way out of an existing iPhone contract for folks who must absolutely have the latest and greatest.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

Here’s every iPhone and iPad that supports Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote was one of the biggest ones that the company had made in years. During this keynote, the company showed us what we'd be getting in iOS 18, which includes some big user-requested features like more home screen customization, RCS messaging support, and more. But that's not all — this is the first iOS that brings AI into the iPhone with Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence, as Apple calls it, is a powerful suite of AI tools that will help make your life even easier. From new writing tools and summarization features to image generation and the ability to create unique emojis, Apple Intelligence definitely looks impressive.

Mobile

The iPhone 17 will reportedly get a new type of Wi-Fi chip

A person using the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

By this time next year, Apple may have installed its own in-house Wi-Fi chips in all of its phones, or at least one of them.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst with a trusted record, Apple is working on its own Wi-Fi chips to replace the current ones from Broadcom, but there's not a firm timeline on when they'll arrive (via MacRumors). He says the iPhone 17 Pro might come equipped with this new chip, but other sources suggest it won't get widespread adoption until the iPhone 18.

Mobile

How to fast charge your iPhone

iPhone 12 Mini with charger

While they may not be some of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market, modern iPhones boast more than respectable battery life that should be able to get you through an entire day's use without breaking too much of a sweat. Of course, that assumes a lot of things — including a battery that's still relatively new and in good health, plus a usage pattern that doesn't include all-day streaming or gaming.

But for some people, overnight charging isn't going to cut it, and you'll want to get your battery topped up again as quickly as you can so you can get back in action. Thankfully, every iPhone released in the past six years supports much faster charging, but the downside is that with very few exceptions, Apple has never supplied you with the right adapter to get the best possible charging speeds from your iPhone.