Cost of replacing a broken or stolen iPhone?

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Level 4

2,239 points

Cost of replacing a broken or stolen iPhone?

I'm planning to buy the iPhone when it comes out on O2 in the UK, but I'm a little unclear about whether the cost of the iPhone itself is subsidised or just a standard purchase.

In the UK it's common to get a phone free or cheap when taking out a contract. If the phone gets damaged or stolen, then the cost of buying a replacement (if it's not insured) is substantially more than the original price.

Does anyone know what the situation is with the iPhone - anyone using AT&T had such an incident? Can you go out and buy another iPhone and carry on using it with your existing contract, or do you have to pay a higher price for a replacement.

Along a similar line, if Apple were to bring out a better version of the iPhone in future, would existing customers have to wait for their contracts to end before getting the upgrade, or could they simply buy the new phone and continue with their existing iPhone tarriff?

Message was edited by: bilbo_baggins

PowerMac G5 Dual 2.3Ghz / MacBook 2.0GHz duo, Mac OS X (10.4.10), 4.5GB RAM, GeForce 6800 Ultra / 1GB RAM

Posted on Sep 22, 2007 12:52 PM

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Answer 1

Ansuz82

Level 6

8,285 points

Sep 22, 2007 12:55 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

Here is how it worked here.

AT&T did not subsidize any part of the iPhones cost. New contract or not you paid $599. Should you loose it and require another one, its another $599.

The way AT&T did upgrades this time was you didn't need to wait for your contract to expire. You activated the iPhone and renewed your contract for 2 years. I imagine it will be the same for V2.

All this said, no idea how O2 is going to do it on your side of the pond.

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Answer 2

dongle

Level 1

25 points

Sep 22, 2007 1:00 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

If you lose your iPhone with AT&T you will need to pay full price for a replacement. Asurion does not currently cover the iPhone or the majority of PDA/Data devices. It is possible that a homeowners policy may cover theft.

If you buy a new phone/recieve a replacement, you do not have to renew the contract from that point on, you can resume service on the plan.

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Answer 3

bilbo_baggins Author

Level 4

2,239 points

Sep 22, 2007 1:03 PM in response to Ansuz82

That's good, thanks.

PS. When I try clicking on 'helpful' buttons recently I just get an error page. Anyone else having this problem?

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Answer 4

bilbo_baggins Author

Level 4

2,239 points

Sep 22, 2007 1:06 PM in response to dongle

Good, that's a nice way of doing it. Particularly now that the price of the iPhone has reduced, it seems amazing that the price they're charging is not subsidised! I actually paid more for my Sony Ericsson M600i (admittedly it was the unlocked version with Sony Ericsson branded software, not carrier software) which is a piece of junk compared to the iPhone.

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Answer 5

Sep 22, 2007 1:07 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

As soon as you buy and iphone or ipod touch, you should register it with ifoundyouriphone.c om. It is a lost and found service that embeds tracking info into the wallpaper so that when you lose your device, you have a good chance of getting it back.. it also deters thieves.

For now, the memberships are free - but probably not much longer

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Answer 6

Sep 22, 2007 1:23 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

steveallen ifoundyouriphone.com maybe improves your chances of getting your phone by like 25%. Only way your gonna get your phone back is if you actually lost your phone and the person that found it is a honest citizian and goes there and reports it.. It does not track your phone at all so if a theif steals it they wont be able to track it and notify the police of its location.. So yes because its free I would suggest using it as I do but not really worth paying for once it becomes a paid service unless they actually figure out how to offer actual tracking.

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Answer 7

Sep 22, 2007 1:29 PM in response to Ansuz82

the cost of the Iphone isn't $599. Its $399. Just wanted to point that out as my first and only post of the day today.

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Answer 8

Ansuz82

Level 6

8,285 points

Sep 22, 2007 1:32 PM in response to Renegaide

I know. I was using the price I paid on day one.

Technically you could have paid $599, $499, $399 or $299 depending on date and model. I figured giving one price as an example would help streamline the comment.

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Answer 9

Sep 22, 2007 1:54 PM in response to SARO91201

I agree that if you lose your iphone, the best chances of getting it back are if the person who finds it is honest and goes to ifoundyouriphone.com.

If somebody who finds the phone is dishonest or if it is stolen, there is a much higher likelihood that the phone will find itself back in your hands if:

1) It is locked so that the finder or thief can only see the wallpaper when they turn it on
2) The wallpaper has the owner's name and the place to report it found clearly displayed(which is what ifoundyouriphone.com does)

We may be surprised at what can happen when you put obstacles in front of dishonest people and provide them with an opportunity to do the right thing.

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Answer 10

jdan98

Level 1

0 points

Sep 22, 2007 6:21 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

Speaking of the UK, does anybody know if ATT charges for sending and receiving text messages and email while in Europe?

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Answer 11

Sep 22, 2007 7:25 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

actually, I think they only charge for sending text messages.

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Answer 12

carl wolf

Level 6

14,625 points

Sep 22, 2007 8:14 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

"I'm planning to buy the iPhone when it comes out on O2 in the UK, but I'm a little unclear about whether the cost of the iPhone itself is subsidised or just a standard purchase."

Why would this concern you? How can you be "a little unclear" about this? You either understand it, or you do not.

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Answer 13

bilbo_baggins Author

Level 4

2,239 points

Sep 23, 2007 1:28 AM in response to carl wolf

I would presume that the cost of replacement is just the normal cost of the phone - but there is no information to confirm this - that is why I'm a little unclear.

The reason for wanting to know is so I can decide on whether it's worth considering insurance, cases etc. If it's simply a case of buying another iPhone then fair enough - if it turns out that you cannot buy another iPhone without signing up to an additional contract (and so paying two lots of £35 per month) or paying vastly more than the initial purchase price for a replacement, then I would be far more concerned about protecting my iPhone.

Really it's a balance between cost of insurance vs risking it, and the bulkiness and inconvenience of using a case vs increased risk of damage.

Message was edited by: bilbo_baggins

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Answer 14

Sep 23, 2007 7:40 AM in response to bilbo_baggins

Insurance is not a option thru AT&T for the iphone. I suggest you can try your homeowners insurance but thats about it.

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Answer 15

Sep 23, 2007 8:25 PM in response to Renegaide

Of course its not a 100% guarantee but ifoundyouriphone.com is a free service that helps you get your iphone back when you lose it. Its the least expensive insurance out there and comes with a few other advantages too!

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