[Wyatt]

Apple is selling refurbished iPhones online now for $399 (4GB) and $499 (8GB).

Personally, this makes them a little more tempting. I'm toying with the idea of selling my MacBook soon (since I'm getting a MacBook Pro for work in the next couple of weeks), and this brings the 4GB model down into a range that I'm almost willing to pay.

I'll have to think much more seriously about this now.

[mooty]

Yeah! and bring on the european release already

[kieran]

This makes it so hard for me to resist buying one. I keep telling myself that I can't buy one. I want to wait until at least Rev. 2. Maybe get it as a graduation or birthday present.

Damn you Apple for doing this so soon.

[neiltc13]

Remember though that it's not just $399 or $499. You're locked in for two whole years (just to put this into perspective, two years ago we were still talking about the iPod mini) at at least $59.99 per month. As a Briton who is really used to being able to purchase any phone I like and paying no monthly fee, this seems like a massive sting in the tail to me.

The total cost with the refurbished offer is somewhere around the $1800 mark over two years. Is the phone really, really worth that to you or could you spend that money better, maybe on a proper computer like a MacBook Pro or a MacBook (or even two!)?

[BuonRotto]

Ooh... I'm sitting here, my Apple Store cart loaded up with 8 GB iPhone and AppleCare. With tax and free shipping, it comes to just over $600. I can just hit a button to place my order. Not sure if I should... oooh, so tempting...

[ghoti]

I'd hit it!

[BuonRotto]

**sigh**

I did it! I like that the Apple Store gives you the chance to use two cards towards a purchase. I couldn't take out the full amount from checking, but I saved myself a lot of interest by putting as much as I could there first. I can pay off the rest of it in 3 months (very conservatively), by my calculations. I also can afford the $15 upgrade in AT&T charges ($15 instead of $20 because I'm paying an extra $5 per month for 200 text messages as it is) since I just paid off my car.

My girlfriend is going to KILL me!

[ghoti]

Well it was nice to have known you! Hope it'll be quick

[BuonRotto]

I will enjoy my last minutes on Earth, indeed.

[Xaqtly]

Haha, I'm tempted too. But I think I'm more tempted to wait until Apple gets some sort of 3G implemented in a future release.

[BuonRotto]

I can understand that, and was considering it, but apparently EDGE around here isn't so bad, and I'm in the same boat as Scates as far as how/where I would use the internet. There are tons of free WiFi hotspots around me for one, and for the rest of the time, I'd only be looking up bits of info on an as-needed basis. I'll be collecting iPhone bookmarks/portals to help out.

Oh, and I just went to paperless billing for my account.

[BuonRotto]

It's HEEEEEEEEEERE....

It came in a white box that says "iPhone" and in small type, "Apple Certified". The top cardboard lifts off to reveal the iPhone, sitting in a small plastic cradle. Underneath is a small tabbed paper envelope that contains the warranty info, stickers, Finger Tips documents and lint-free cloth. Underneath that is the itsy-bitsy power adaptor, the dock (small!), the earbuds in a separate compartment and the USB 2 cable at the very bottom. It's not quite the presentation of a fresh package unit, but rather remarkable how well-packaged it is for a refurb.

I suspect this was just serendipity, but when I peeled the protective plastic off the iPhone itself, it turned on in my hand. Of course, I have to wait until I get home to activate it, so all I can do now is turnit on, hit the little "i", make an emergency phone call, or turn it off again.

Hm, 3 more hours of work? I might be coming down with something **cough**cough**!

[sirnick4]

Congrats on the purchase, BuonRotto!

You're gonna love it!

[kieran]

I just sold a couple of textbooks that I had laying around and this seriously makes me want one of these.

How are the refurb ones? I've bought a refurb iPod Mini before and didn't have a problem with it, but I just wanted to make sure about everything with this.

I really do want it, and if I can sell one or two more books, I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on it.

I just need some reassurance about it.

[sirnick4]

Do it.

You know you want one

I would get AppleCare though if you did. Just to secure the investment.

[kieran]

I know I want one, it's just I'm a little hesitant to do it.

Selling these books unexpectedly, after sitting on Half.com for a year, has gotten me some extra money that I wasn't counting on.

That, and maybe taking a little extra in student loans ( ) will make up for the difference that I wanted to pay.

It's so hard.

[sirnick4]

If you are already an AT&T customer, you can afford a refurb iPhone, and you know you would use the iPhone to it's full capabilities then...

Well, you get the picture. I do not regret my decision to purchase an iPhone AT ALL. I was already an AT&T customer as well.

I had a plan (mostly considering finances. I am, after all, in college). And I executed it.

I couldn't be happier.

[kieran]

I think I'm going to just pull the trigger on the deal, and then see what other money I can get from my books.

With $100 from my books, hopefully another $100 from a digital camera I'm selling, the price of it will come down to about $200.

WIth already being on AT&T, I think I could swing $200.

Of course though, I'll buy it, and they'll bring out an awesome Rev. B right around Christmas, but oh well, I'm sure I'll be happy with it when I get it and for a long time after.

(Plus, if I'm going to anywhere shady/sketchy or somewhere where I'd be worried about losing it, I could just pop the SIM out and put it in my RAZR)

[kieran]

I did it, I bit the bullet and just purchased a refurb iPhone 4 GB.

Being able to split the order onto two cards is a nice feature that more sites should use. I didn't want to put a whole lot onto one of my cards, so it helped that I could determine how it was split.

I still can't believe I'm going to be using this within a couple of days.

[BuonRotto]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to sirnick4 again.

sirnick, you are a bad influence!

[hotch]

Originally Posted by mooty Yeah! and bring on the european release already

just unlock it!