iPhone madness: $49 and $149 for refurbs until Dec. 31
If this isn’t AT&T trying to push the iPhone down your throat, we don’t know what is. First, refurbs were dropped to just $99 and $199 for 8GB and 16GB iPhones, respectively. And now the voice of Vito Corleone is ringing in our heads, “Make them an offer they can’t refuse…” From now until December 31, which is going to be here sooner than later, AT&T is taking an additional $50 off the refurbished iPhones. They must have a ton of refurbs in stock from the mad exchanges and returns from earlier this year. Oh, and one more thing to sweeten the deal (as if it wasn’t cavity-inducing enough): 2-day priority shipping is also free, an unusual offer during the holiday season. Is there really any excuse not to pick one of these up if you had been holding off on it? Hell, just go ahead and add a family line you don’t need!
UPDATE: RCR has updated their story and corrected it; refurb iPhones are at $99 and $199, folks!
[Via RCR]




You’re dumbass BG, $99/$199 is the price after “Esxtra $50 off”, they were $149.99/$249.99. People keep in mind that they might look used, only have 90 days of warranty and don’t have an Apple Care option.
They just changed the site to “$100 off until December 31″ instead of “Extra $50 off until December 31″, because there are too many potheads who can’t read right.
@ [RM]:
Was that really necessary? Why are there so many haters here? “You’re dumbass BG”? If you are going to insult someone, at least do it correctly, you should have left the “You’re” out or said “You’re a dumb ass”, and yes, dumb ass would be two words, not 1.
Anyways, fcuk AT&T
whatever it is, its a good deal and my experience with refurbs from AT&T is that they might have a minor scratch or two but overall look good.
another good way to keep the numbers growing. more phones = more app store sales / itunes sales.
Yeah, I was looking to see how they accounted for the extra $50 off, then noticed the little blue thingee said $100 extra off and thought “Free!”.
If you don’t follow iPhone pricing – and I certainly do not – the AT&T ads were and still are confusing vis-a-vis final price…until you go to the trouble to try to GET that extra extra discount and find that you cannot.
It didn’t help, of course, that BGR got it wrong to BEGIN the mislead.
This should explain it…
http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20081229/WIRELESS/812299997/1081/updated-att-mobility-clarifies-web-site-refurbd-iphone-3g-going
Here I was going to come and correct BG and say that it is $99, not $49… but someone else did it (rather rudely) already.
The irony? The person who called him on it called him on his grammar (”you’re dumbass”? Shouldn’t it be “you’re A dumbass”? or “you dumbass”?) as well, but they themselves can’t spell. “fcuk” AT&T? LOL
I love reading comments.
Too bad adding a family line for this phone isn’t 10 dollars and more like $120.
@Jeff: I believe “fcuk” was intentional, to avoid typing the word in its proper spelling.
Damn if this isn’t any indication of return rates then I don’t know what it. While it also means getting rid of overstock, it could also signal a sign of what’s to come…as in they might have something (iphone nano?) on the way and thus they’re trying to get the old ones in as many hands as possible before no one wants them anymore. MacWorld is right around the corner so I guess we’ll see.
Am not signing 2 year contract wit the death star srry… And some of you taking this blog way too serious
@Civilian –$50 actually. $10 for the line, $40 for data (with no SMS). On a two year contract that’s only $1200 to have a used mediocre phone (yes, I have/use one as my primary phone). If you can drop the data plan after the first month or so without ATT noticing (and swap SIMs so that you’re using the iphone on a line that does have a data package) then it’s only $10 a month which isn’t bad. $340 in the end for the 8gb which would be $500 unsubsidized. It’s still used though.
Anyone know if they always replace the back casing on the refurbs? That plastic scratches the moment you look at it the wrong way.
I’m surprised this story is still up.
I’m with ATT (company thing, but like the DStar). I would be interested in one without contract.
I think the site is a little confusing.
1) refurbished is always discounted! and you always save (so why the extra blue circle?)
2) all the other refurbished phones (not the iphones) are reduced as well but do NOT have the blue circle.
First assumption when I see the site is 1) you get the phone cheaper because it is refurbished and 2) you extra save on the new price. (kind of when you walk into a factory sale shop and it has an extra $of)
I know this is not the fact here and I feel that this is misleading, which is probably the purpose of the site.
If they’d just ship the phone at that price, I’d be all over it, but since (I believe) it has to be tied to an iPhone plan, it’s not as simple as spending an extra $10 for line you don’t need. For sure though, it’s a good deal for those who want the phone and plan.
I just checked with at&t and the final price is $99 for an 8GB and $199 for 16GB.
The $50 off had been already applied. You double counted the $50.
So maybe the Boy Genius is no genius at math !
Don’t be fool these are refurbished and recondition phones not what most people think they’re, most people think these are phones that have been returned from customers cause they didn’t like the unit which is not true, these are units that have been returned as defective and have been recondition and trust me you better of paying full price for the new one, now if it was back up by a full year warranty it would have been another case, i know i made this mistake with the first iphone and i’ll tell you again for $100 is not worth taking the risk cause if it breaks after the 90 day period your gonna have to pay AT&T $500 for a replacement
There have been a lot of returns/defects for the iPhone… There is always a line up at the Apple Store for problems with the iPhone…
Apple has too many defects and is now clearing them out of stock.
Hope Apple has learned its lesson… Twice as Fast. Half the price. Tons more problems! LOL
Looks like they are trying to compete for WalMart customers.
Oh, I misspelled, so what, you fcuk? And who is a real hater here, I just pointed out that BG is not so smart after all (truth hurts, I know, but it’s not my fault), I didn’t say fcuk BG! (Like a hater would say). As for this post, I’m also surprised it’s still here, sober up BG, fix this sh!t!
@Marco Not really, it’s just that they have sold over 10 million iphones in 6 months or less and at some point they have to get rid off the refurbished models don’t you think? also about the Apple store always having a line, that your seeing is ether the checkout line or a line for people buying iphones, how do i know? cause only people at the genius bar are available to trouble shoot iphones and they don’t take No one without a appointment no matter how good someone might look
What about the no contract price? Will that be reduced by $50 as well??
I thought what RM said was funny and he called out BG. What’s the big deal? BG can defend himself–I’ve seen him do it many times before.
“BG aint scared of no blog commenter”.
so, should this whole “hot story” be retracted?
BGR is becoming a joke more than 50% of the time now.
I think you guys should hire some better ninjas, so better yet, a couple of people that will actually visit these websites to read the content before amplifying the rumor.