[gwright]

This doesn't make sense. When you near the end of your 2-year contract AT&T will subsidize your purchase of your next phone (e.g. the $199, $299, $399 price points for the 4S announced today).

If you aren't near the end of your 2-year contract then you are basically still paying off the purchase of your original phone and so AT&T (and other carriers) aren't going to give you the subsidy to purchase a new phone although they might pro-rate it.

How has your experience been different?

[tptacek]

Yes, when I'm near the end of my contract, AT&T is happy to offer me subsidized iPhone pricing. But they haven't offered me any breaks earlier than that.

[gwright]

You seem to think that someone else got a break that you didn't get but then you describe a situation that sounds exactly like what everyone else has experienced.

I'm not sure why you have an expectation that any carrier would subsidize a new phone before you've effectively paid them for the previous phone. Obviously there is room to haggle on the margins of the contract but the entire business model of subsidized phones and 2-year contracts is designed around the idea that the 2-year contract is there to pay off the initial equipment subsidy. TANSTAAFL

[tptacek]

Read upthread.

I have no expectations about subsidized pricing. I am not price sensitive. Someone said something, I expressed surprise. That's all.

[gwright]

OK. Looks like the original comment that you replied to was vague on details. I'm guessing when you dig down into them, there was no actual deal.